by Sarah Rippel, BS, CPT

January 2006

tr.v. op·ti·mized, op·ti·miz·ing, op·ti·miz·es

Another new year is now in effect, and with it comes the traditional practice of making resolutions. Although we all make different resolutions, it is apparent that a great number of people resolve to get in shape. January is the month that health clubs count on year after year. New members sign up and pay their dues, full of motivation and the best of intentions. A month or two later, those once-excited individuals have fallen through the cracks, frustrated with a lack of progress. As a fitness professional, it is my job to ensure that those new to the world of exercise receive the best instruction and guidance. Continued success depends on proper planning, and this is extremely vital when one is just getting started with an exercise program!

You may already be following through with the endeavor of exercising on a consistent basis, and I commend you for that. Even if you have been adhering to an exercise program for a while, I want you to take a few seconds to think about something. How many hours do you spend exercising each week? Three? Five? More than that? How confident are you that this amount of time is spent effectively? Are you certain that you are spending your time in the gym in a manner that brings you closer to your health and fitness goals? Sadly, too many people are just spinning their wheels.

On a personal note, my own approach towards a routine has changed dramatically over the past couple of years. Around this time five years ago, I was already planning and following through with my training for a Galaxy fitness competition that was held in May of 2001. I had competed in a Galaxy show the year before and it is now apparent to me that for this show as well, the "prep" wasn't as easy as it should have been. Looking back upon this time, I can't help but realize how apparent it was that I LIVED in the gym. I trained at least six days a week. Although I touted the benefits of rest and recuperation to my clients, I didn't adhere to this belief. I was still wrapped-up in the "more is better" mentality. For some odd reason, I believed that what worked for 99% of the population didn't apply to me. I had to do MORE. It is this mentality that will ultimately result in failure if one doesn't break free from it. My training week was based on working out with the weights five days per week for 45 minutes to an hour, along with cardio training 35-45 minutes per session six days per week. I began working with a sports nutritionist and former competitive bodybuilder once per week, monitoring my body composition and nutrition. I began training for this specific show weighing around 135 pounds at 20% bodyfat. Every week, I was weighed and had my bodyfat tested. Every week, the numbers barely changed, resulting in a weekly decrease in my caloric intake and an increase in my time spent on the Stairmaster. After years of having already put my body through a tremendous load of stress due to anorexia, exercise bulimia, diet pill use, and dieting itself, something had to give. My body just gave up. I had gone from a caloric intake of 1600 per day at the onset of my training, to 1100 per day. In addition, I had increased my cardio workouts from once or twice per day at 35-45 minutes each, to three times a day. INSANE! Never before had it been so hard to lean out for a show. My body was fighting me, and I knew there was a reason. A month out from the competition, I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and had made the decision to stop training for the show.

Obviously there were health reasons behind my struggles at this period in my exercise career. My body had been put through ongoing stress, day in and day out, due to continued dieting and overexercising. I do, however, feel that had I taken a more realistic approach to my training, my body would have thanked me. It has been shown that it can take several years for one's metabolism to fully recuperate from the stress of continued dieting. I had pushed my body as far as I could without falling back into the deep, potentially-lethal pit called anorexia. I had to make a change for the better. I had to change my approach! My experience, coupled with my ongoing drive to stay on top of the latest findings in my profession, has led me to where I am today. I apply the same approach to my clients' workouts as I apply to my own (although workout intensity, progressions, etc. vary from individual to individual). I have found that there are several principles to which every exerciser must adhere. These principles come together form a well-rounded, optimized training program.

Part II coming soon!