Analysis of workout types
This post will be fantastic not only in its details but also considering the big picture. A post where I will go through the most common and widely practiced forms of exercise.
Who it's recommended for and who it's not, why one is a waste of time and why another is effective, and finally, which exercise method is recommended for body shaping and which is suitable for the masses of women for that one divine calling, weight loss itself.
This post will not be a subjective opinion. In this post, I will not describe my opinion about certain types of movement, but rather gather my experience based on facts, and the experiences of hundreds of women who came to me before they came to me. Over the past years, I have worked with hundreds of women, helping them lose weight and, of course, shape their bodies. These women wanted to achieve results because they were tired of years of experimentation that yielded no results and they couldn't do anything with their bodies.
But there's nothing to be surprised about, because if there are serious problems with the method itself, then there will also be serious problems with the end result, in this case, the complete lack of change or the failure to achieve results.
Why are there so many dissatisfied women who, according to their own belief, exercise regularly, but the results just don't come? The answer is terribly simple. Because women, unlike men, do not seek the most effective form of exercise that would demonstrably achieve results, but rather look for forms of movement that are not strenuous, where they feel good, and to quote a classic, "where I can shake my ass without being called a whore."
All of this is, of course, very nice and a typical female attitude, but body shaping has certain criteria, and in this system of criteria, "I feel good and the company is good during workouts" is nowhere to be found. You can do this, but then let's not call it exercise, but rather a pastime, but then its effectiveness will be exactly equivalent to sitting down for coffee with your girlfriends in Liszt Ferenc Square.
It should be understood that you get what you put in. You will never look the way you want if you don't choose the right form of exercise. Body shaping is not a wellness weekend in Zalakaros, and definitely not fumbling to Latin music, not to mention the completely obvious nonsense. Body shaping is like life. If you don't start in the right direction and don't put in enough work and energy, you won't achieve anything, you won't become anyone.
Body shaping is a very clear, extremely straightforward activity that can be done with the right exercises to shame sculptors, or ruined for life. But even the best sculptor is useless without the right chisel, and your chisel in this case is the form of exercise you choose.
Spinning
Spinning is the biggest misconception of overweight women. I personally always smile when obese women stumble into a spinning class hoping they will lose weight from it. Well, they won't. Never will. And they won't, because spinning is considered interval cardio, and this movement is simply unsuitable exclusively for weight loss, but it can develop huge, log-like legs.
Many women have come to me with the problem that they don't know what to do with their thighs because of spinning. They are thick, massive, and not feminine. Of course, they are not, if you start spinning when you are overweight. Spinning is strictly for those with +10 kg or less, but the ideal is to start with +4-6 kg. Spinning is not considered a full-body workout, so anyone who chooses this form of exercise, after adhering to the appropriate criteria, of course, should definitely not forget about upper body workouts.
What is it for? – Body shaping.
Which part of the body does it affect? – Thighs, buttocks, calves.
Who is it recommended for? – Those who only have a few extra pounds and want to see a nicer butt and firmer thighs.
Who is it not recommended for? – Anyone with more than 15 kg of excess weight, unless they want bulky thighs that get muscular under their fat.
Insanity
In the 2000s, there were two good things. That it ended, and that Shaun T created the Insanity workout. Insanity is a full-body, cardio-based, high-interval workout. Our friend Shaun has since made a fortune with the method, which is not surprising, as good wine needs no bush; Insanity, speaking for itself, swept the world in 3 years. Insanity is a structured system that allows you to perfectly transform your body in 60 days, even at home, without any aids.
Insanity is a kind of workout essence, an improved version of P90X, which includes elements of Asylum, HIIT, and MMA, all topped with an incredible dynamism, and the result is a full-body workout that has conquered the world.
Anyone who has tried Insanity will laugh at all other aerobics videos; anyone who has completed even a single week of it already knows what efficiency and body shaping mean.
ATTENTION!
Insanity puts a very strong strain on the heart, so before anyone starts it, it is definitely advisable to undergo a medical examination, specifically an ECG examination, and the use of a heart rate monitor to check the upper limit of the heart rate zone is highly recommended.
What is it for? – Body fat percentage reduction/body shaping.
Which part of the body does it affect? – The entire body.
Who is it recommended for? – Anyone who can buy the 13 DVDs, or download them from ncore, as well as all healthy people with no more than 8-12 kg of excess weight.
Who is it not recommended for? – In case of knee and joint problems, high blood pressure, and heart problems, and, understandably, for those with more than 12 kg of excess weight.
TRX
TRX was used by elite units of the US Navy to maintain physical fitness and endurance during deployment, under all circumstances. I don't want to over-elaborate on this; TRX is indeed an excellent and extremely versatile structure capable of exercising the entire musculoskeletal system. More than 300 pre-written exercises can be performed with it, and these exercises and their execution are included in the auxiliary material found in the TRX bag, which comes with the TRX rope, provided one purchases an original.
Despite its effectiveness, TRX has still not really caught on. For a while, I attributed this to its price, but then I realized that this is not the case at all. TRX is not an easy workout; in fact, in many cases, it is extremely demanding. And in a country of 1 million flabéllos monkeys, demanding workouts and results are serious disadvantages.
Before starting TRX, I recommend minimal preparation, i.e., consult a TRX trainer who can show you the correct execution of at least the basic exercises, or at least watch a few YouTube videos.
What is it for? – Increasing endurance/body shaping.
Which part of the body does it affect? – Everything, but this should be understood as truly stimulating even the deepest muscles.
Who is it recommended for? – Those with good motor coordination who want an aesthetic physique, and, of course, the elite units of the US Navy.
Who is it not recommended for? – Anyone with more than 15-20 kg of overweight, absolute beginners, and those suffering from spinal problems.
Pilates
If I had the chance, I would make Pilates mandatory for everyone. It is not considered a standalone exercise, but it is excellent for strengthening the deep core muscles and developing the musculoskeletal system. Pilates provides a great foundation, thereby preparing the body and muscles for any subsequent load, regardless of further training methods, but I could also say that Pilates is the teacher in elementary school. It's not capable of more, but it still teaches you to read and write and provides basic knowledge. Without it, you can't move on because there's nothing to build on, and you won't understand anything. So, Pilates is a huge foundation. Oh, and it also teaches you how to stretch correctly.
What is it for? – Learning the basics, but it is not considered a standalone exercise. It has some body-shaping qualities, but there are better options, so I recommend learning the basics and moving on to a higher level. Like weight training.
Which part of the body does it affect? – All muscle groups, and this can be taken literally. It penetrates to the innermost parts, goes deepest, and can train everything. The role of the deep muscles is the most important, as these muscles support the spine, among other things. "Do I need to say anything else, Ildikó?"
Who is it recommended for? – It would be best to incorporate it into physical education classes and engrave it into the National Core Curriculum. How fortunate that the LifeTILT reform initiative started on this very line, so no one should be surprised if by 2022, Pilates will be taught in elementary schools here.
Who is it not recommended for? – Primarily for those who want to get injured with the greatest possible chance due to poor posture and underdeveloped or untrained supporting muscles.
Hot Iron
I'm in huge trouble regarding Hot Iron, about as much as with the paleo diet. To this day, I can't decide if it's good, or just an incredibly huge load of crap. One of my ex-girlfriends swore by Hot Iron and indeed achieved good results with it, then she delved a little into the topic, and as usually happens, she switched to regular weight training, like any sensible person who wants to do real body sculpting.
What is the essence of Hot Iron? If I want to put it very simply, it's hand-weight aerobics, done in a group. Well, that doesn't sound very good. Not only because group weight training inherently raises some issues, but also because all weight training should be performed with technically correct execution, holding the body at a specific angle, controlling it, otherwise it will result in injury or disproportionately developed musculature.
I see women training in the gym every day, and I can confidently say that 80% of women are not only unable to perform the exercises correctly, but they can't even properly hold that damn hand weight. That's one thing. The other is that we're doing cardio with weight training, which, according to the oldest dream books, doesn't bode well, as cardio breaks down muscle and weight training builds it, and the two together seem to me like we're pouring water into the Danube.
What is it for? – Theoretically, body shaping.
Which part of the body does it affect? – This is a full-body workout, the love child of cardio and weight training, which if done correctly, could even be called a successful child, but if done incorrectly, this child will be serving hamburgers with larger fries and a drink at McDonald's.
Who is it recommended for? – Well, goddamn, I don't know, but if I had to say something, then rather for body shaping under 15 kg of excess weight.
Who is it not recommended for? – Those who only want to achieve good results, but not serious ones.
Swimming
Swimming is almost the only alternative besides Pilates and physiotherapy for those who cannot do other types of cardio due to more serious injuries (knees). Swimming is excellent rehabilitation exercise, I don't even need to say that, but I would warn every woman against trying to shape her body with swimming. If you don't believe me, look at water polo players or female swimmers. For men, it can give great broad shoulders, recommended for them, but for women, broad shoulders are about as attractive as a gross salary of 76 thousand forints is to women from a man's perspective.
It is especially recommended for overweight women. So much so that Kispál és a Borz named a complete album after this topic, Whales, out to the shore.
Announcement!!! Do not swim with your head out of the water, as it has a very bad effect on the spine and cervical vertebrae.
What is it for? – It can favorably influence the functioning of the heart and circulatory system, the respiratory system, and the entire body, as a result of which the oxygen supply to tissues and cells, and lung capacity, improve. Indeed.
Which part of the body does it affect? – The entire body, all muscles work.
Who is it recommended for? – Victims of injuries, but generally everyone. Especially recommended for significant overweight, and for men in their teens to achieve broad backs and shoulders. Swimming is an elevated sport, which alone makes it worth going sometimes. Nothing proves this better than the fact that, for example, at water polo matches, they don't sell sunflower seeds, and there is no intimate and continuous swearing.
Who is it not recommended for? – There's no such thing, it's recommended for everyone. Perhaps not for those with respiratory illnesses and heart problems, though I could have written this for all other forms of exercise as well.
Yoga
For many years, I considered yoga to be a huge homosexuality, and then when in the mid-90s in America, the cream of the film world caught on to this form of movement, I was certain of it. Then years passed, and more and more, and more importantly, more credible articles appeared about the beneficial effects of yoga. By credibility, I mean they weren't published in women's magazines.
There are many types of yoga, a phenomenon I would compare to Milka chocolate. There was the basic, which is perfect as it is. Then came the different variations, which are all great, of course, but it's obvious they're great, because if the base is good, you can't really screw it up (oh yes, you can, raisin Milka).
Yoga is exactly like that. The basics are good, so by adhering to them, you can color it however you like. Yoga relaxes, refreshes, and calms, and of course all the Eastern wisdom that is usually brought up at such times. Warm-up, breathing technique improvement, meditation, cool-down. It's perfectly fine.
What is it for? – To unite the mind, spirit, and body.
Which part of the body does it affect? – Yoga primarily strengthens the mind, brings mental order, and helps focus. Once you have that, the world is yours, because if your spirit is strong and you are generally mentally sound, you will have the perseverance in other sports too, and you won't give up, you will achieve your goals.
Who is it recommended for? – Definitely for those under stress, i.e., 99.9% of humanity.
Who is it not recommended for? – Those struggling with coordination disorders will have problems, but it is obviously recommended for them too.
A perfect form of movement, which is also an integral part of LifeTILT. Stair climbing provides excellent endurance and strength-endurance development and maximizes the body's cardio system in the most intense way. It strengthens the heart muscles, increases lung capacity, and has a very good effect on blood circulation, all while perfectly shaping the legs and glutes.
What is it for? – Body shaping, strength and endurance development.
Which part of the body does it affect? – Mostly the lower part of the body. But stair workouts, at least at LifeTILT, will also include separate arm and ab workouts starting June 15th.
Who is it recommended for? – Stair climbing is considered a more intense interval workout, so it's a good choice primarily for body shapers, but of course, it's also an alternative for those who want to lose weight, due to the easier workouts.
Who is it not recommended for? – Those with knee and ankle injuries, weak ligaments, and cartilage wear.
Zumba
Okay, I can't take it anymore, I have to stop here, because there's a limit to everything. And of course, I apologize to the other forms of movement for having to appear in the same post as the word Zumba.
