Holistic Fitness
Take a look around most gyms or health clubs and youll see a divide between the strength training area and the cardio area
. There is also usually a similar divide between these areas and the group exercise studio as well. Its as though there is an invisible force field that stops all but the most determined from crossing from one workout area to another! Subsequently, a great many exercisers only ever expose themselves one type of workout. This is a real shame and often means that, despite their best intentions, exercisers become overly specialized and fail to develop something I like to call Holistic Fitness.
What is Holistic Fitness?
The fitness you develop is very specific to the type of training you do. If you lift weights, your muscles become stronger and more toned and if you do cardio, your heart and lungs become healthier. However, many people tend to focus on one type of exercise (their favorite) above and to the virtual exclusion of all others. This means that while a bodybuilder or ardent strength trainer might have a high degree of strength, his or her heart and lungs could be woefully underdeveloped.
Conversely, an endurance athlete who runs dozens of miles per week might have a super-efficient cardiovascular system but lack the muscle power to perform even the most basic physically demanding tasks such as carrying heavy grocery bags up a flight of stairs.
There is no denying that both strength training and cardio are, by themselves, great forms of exercise but if you really care about your health as well as your fitness you really need to break through those invisible barriers at the gym and embrace some other forms of exercise.
What are the Benefits of Holistic exercise?
In evolutionary terms, the most successful species are those that specialize as this helps eliminate competition for food and living space. However specialism, at least for humans, can come at a cost. Too much of anything, even something as good for you as exercise can cause problems if you end up overdeveloping one aspect of your fitness while leaving other elements underdeveloped.
Benefits of more cardio for strength training
Quicker recovery between sets
Less fatigue during high rep sets
Reduced soreness between workouts
Decreased body fat
Improved health
Improved fitness for everyday activities and sports
Benefits of more strength training for cardio
Increased joint stability leading to a reduced incidence of injury
Increased accelerative power
Less fatigue in long duration workouts/races
Better posture
Improved muscle balance
Developing Holistic Fitness
There are a couple of different ways you can develop holistic fitness. Both options work; its simply a matter of choosing the one that fitness best into your lifestyle. Make sure you include adequate stretching and mobility work to enhance both your fitness and your health.
Option one
In this option you simply rotate workouts on a day by day basis...
Day One Strength training
Day Two Cardio training
Day Three Circuit training (cardio and strength training combined)
Day Four Rest
Day Five Repeat day one
Day Six Repeat day two
Day Seven - Repeat day three
Day Eight Repeat sequence
Option two
In this option you mix different types of training into the same day...
Day One Upper body strength training plus cardio intervals
Day Two Lower body strength training plus steady paced cardio
Day Three Rest
Day Four Repeat day one
Day Five Repeat day two
Day Six Rest
Day Seven Repeat sequence
Go Holistic!
Developing holistic fitness means you will be fit for anything that life throws at you. Youll have the strength to overcome almost any physically demanding challenge plus the cardiovascular fitness to ensure your heart, lungs and circulatory system are fit and healthy. While specialism might have been necessary for our evolution, now we are, in evolutionary terms at least, king of the hill its the all-rounder who will live better and longer than the one-trick pony!
by: markdarcofitness
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