Training specificity is no myth!

 If you’re reading this you probably already exercise. We all come in the fitness space for different reasons, some for health , some for aesthetics , some to feel stronger , some for mental health. Being a personal trainer I see everyday people come into the gym space with two main goals , weight loss and muscle gain, with most not understanding the differences between the various forms of exercises , the stimulus they send to the body and the results of said methods. Now performing any form of exercise is to be applauded, but i must say that there are more optimal exercises and less optimal exercises depending on your goal. In this piece we explain what exercise is , the different classifications, and their pros and cons . 

 Firstly, the term exercise can be any physical activity that is performed with the goal of maintaining and enhancing the body’s efficiency and esthetic . 

  

With a wide range of options from bodybuilding to yoga , Olympic weightlifting to powerlifting , parkour to animal flow, calisthenics to ultramarathons ,there surely is no shortage of methods to optimize the capabilities of the human body.  

  The results you get from your exercise programming is your body’s response to a given stimulus. Your goal should determine your exercise selection.

   There generally are three main  exercise performance categories and every exercise or movement must fall under a category. They are namely, Aerobics exercises, anaerobic exercises, and mobility/ flexibility training.

   Aerobics exercises are performed over a length of time, tasking the cardiovascular system,and as the name implies requires a lot of oxygen during performance . From running, to rowing ,to cycling to dancing any exercise that is performed over a long period of time without interval rest periods can be considered an aerobic exercise .

  Aiding in increasing the hearts capacity to pump blood, improving lung function and respiration, cholesterol control, weight loss and generally reducing the risk of all cardiovascular linked diseases aerobic exercises definitely has a place in your training plan. 

 

 If your goal is sustainable fat loss, aerobic exercises are not advisable as your main source of training stimulus but rather as a supplementary program due to its long term effect on your metabolism. 

 Aerobic exercises sends an endurance building stimulus to the body which the body interprets as as need to conserve energy for the long journey ahead , leading to your body learning to burn less calories for energy. Aerobic exercises does not discriminate between fat and muscles tissue as it burns both, leaving the individual within the same bodyfat to muscle mass ratio and essential making you a smaller weaker version. With not enough muscles to maintain metabolism, the body cannot use most of the food eaten for energy leading to a higher fat storage level . 

In the long term one would need double the duration of cardio to burn the same amount of calories or less. This is why you have been loosing weight and gaining it back twofold. The surest way to combat this is through strength training, which leads us to our next class of exercises.

  

  Anaerobic exercises on the other hand are performed within a short time duration and requires less oxygen , instead using glucose for energy . From bodybuilding to powerlifting and weightlifting to calisthenics anaerobic exercises are Generally programmed to maintain and enhance strength, muscular endurance, power output and muscle mass, which in turn improves your metabolism and daily energy expenditure. The more muscle you build, the more calories your body burns for daily survival. This is called a BASAL METABOLIC RATE (BMR). Building muscle is necessary for EVERYONE, men, women , young and especially older folks. It’s the best method to sustainably keep off body fat as muscle is dense and needs a lot more calories to maintain and grow hereby using most of your daily calorie intake for fuel instead.

Progressive overload is necessary for maintaining growth, this should included increasing reps, sets and weights. 

  

 Bodybuilding provides the fastest way to an aesthetic body , powerlifting is the best route to raw strength output, Olympic weightlifting the best path to explosive power , and calisthenics and movement training for bodyweight strength and control. Goals of weight loss are achievable Using all of the above methods as they all demand time and effort, and build muscle which of course staves of fat . Hiit is a popular one but I would be wary of recommending it to most who I see performing it as it can send mixed stimulus to the body depending on application, as you most likely cannot perform the exercises with sufficient weights and time under tension to stimulate significant muscle growth and will probably not recover well enough to perform optimally. A structured combination of movements from different disciplines is advised for building a strong and capable body with nutrition being the building blocks of course.

   Flexibility/mobility training basically covers range of motion and freedom of movement across the joints and muscles,Increasing your body’s ability to be stable in unconventional positions. The ability to express a movement through its full range of motion in conscious control cannot be overemphasized. From yoga to animal flow, dance to olde time lifts there surely is not shortage of methods to enhance range of motion.

 Progressive overload is also necessary for sustainable development. This can include more time under tension ( holding the stretch for a longer time) , loaded stretching ( adding weights to the stretched muscle), movement integration ( combining different stretch positions into a flow) , and training in full range of motion in your regular routines.       Flexibility/Mobility training works with your joints and muscles ability to move and relax  in a stretched position without injury. Slowly building your stretch receptors to not bitch out once it thinks you’re about to tear yourself apart is the goal. 

  Training for flexibility is the same as any other fitness goal,the time and effort apply. 

 Your regular strength training exercises also aid in improving flexibility and mobility if don’t correctly through its full range of motion , with studies showing a higher flexibility threshold between lifters and non lifters.

 In conclusion, Exercise is an essential activity for enhancing and maintaining the human body. There are three main types, namely, aerobic exercises, anaerobic exercises and mobility/flexibility training. Each of the different types sends a different stimulus to the body and the types of exercises you practice determines your long term results. I recommend training to be a well rounded performer, utilizing movements from each discipline to create a strong, mobile , healthy and capable body.