Friday, January 01, 2010 3:56 pm
Gym Shorts
You’re in great shape and you know it. But even elites admit there’s always room for improvement. This is SoBeFit’s simple guide to club perfection.
By Holly St. Lifer; Illustrations by Studio 2A
The EVALUATION: Try not to be such a know-it-all.
If you’re a fitness vet, you probably think you don’t need an evaluation. But testing your aerobic capacity, body composition, flexibility, muscular strength and endurance isn’t just for beginners. In fact, most elite athletes get evaluated every six to eight weeks. “They provide benchmarks. Without them, it’s impossible to make gains,” says Dominique Hall, a personal trainer in New York City who is also a competitive cyclist.
It’s also likely that if you already work out hard and often, you have a few aches and pains. Or muscles and joints that are tighter than others. And that means you have physical limitations, even if you’re in top cardiovascular shape. Ignoring them not only sets you up for injury, it impedes your ability to get in your best condition.
Your PERSONAL PLAN: It’s not just physical
Fitness goals vary for everyone. To achieve them you and your trainer have to take your lifestyle and personality traits into account. “I can design the most comprehensive program for someone, but there’s no point if they’re only able to hit the gym twice a week,” says Jennifer Easter, fitness manager at The Sports Club/LA in Miami. Get bored easily? Looking to meet new friends? Consider both your inner and outer life when creating your plan.
You want to reduce stress. Studies show both intense cardio and yoga chill us out. After a tough day, try the following: Do an easy run for a warm-up, followed by a moderate pace at 30 seconds, then sprint for 30 seconds. Follow that with a 500-meter row at a moderate rate for the first 250 meters, then go all out for the last half. End with 20 medicine ball slams. (Talk about a tension tamer!) Rest for 1–2 minutes and repeat as many sets as you can in 20 minutes. Wrap up with a relaxing yoga class or a long cool-down with static stretches. If that doesn’t mellow you out, incorporate the boxing routine created by Michael Olajide, a former super middleweight boxer and owner of Aerospace in New York City.
Do you lack motivation? What are some common mistakes even gym rats make? How should you clean up your act in the locker room? Find out the answers in the January/Feburary 2010 issue of SOBeFiT Magazine.