4 Fitness Models That Don't Make Sense

Think about your workout. How does it help you achieve your goals? What is the “theory” behind what you do? Exercise makes intuitive sense (I think we can all agree on this) - if we are more active, we will burn more calories and our bodies will adapt to the increased workload, etc.However, there are a number of fitness models that claim to maximize general physical preparedness (GPP) training but have faulty logic. They don't make sense. I'd like to break them down:

1. Color Based Training: Some gyms tell you that wearing a heartrate monitor and keeping your pulse in a particular zone - some mystical tangerine-colored place in between red and yellow - will lead to optimizing your fitness. While this sounds catchy (and their marketing is fantastic) - does it really make sense that "working hard, but not too hard" is the best way to optimize fitness?
2. Duration Based Training: Others suggest that the only way to get results is by slowing down your movement - claiming that duration and “time under tension” are the only metrics that you need to worry about. Actually, they aren't completely wrong. Incorporating tempo into your movements can make them much more challenging.But think about this in practical terms: if you lift 50 pounds one time (really slowly) or 100 pounds 3 times (really fast) which one do you think will help you develop more strength, cardiovascular capacity, or power?
3. Competing-Models Based Training: Then there are gyms that claim the best way to get in shape is to pick two DIFFERENT models - like yoga and interval training - and slap them together. Let's break this down:Each fitness modality has a unique goal. And each goal requires you to fine-tune your body in a specific way to get there. It's like simultaneously trying to make your car fast, and capable of going off-road. The goals are inherently at odds with each other.Many would argue that CrossFit does this: borrows elements from different fitness methodologies and puts them together. And they are correct. The difference is that CrossFit's methodologies line up with it's goals. I'll explain more later.
4. The "We Don't Have A Model" Based Training: At least the training methodologies listed above tell you SOMETHING. Because you also have these big globo-gyms that don’t tell you how to get in shape at all… Literally, does their marketing say ANYTHING about how to get in shape?Go to any homepage or ad for a big gym and look at the language that is used. It will talk about: 1) How cheap their membership options are 2) The sheer size & number of amenities their facility has 3) Some limited-time deal they are offering that has a lot of fine print.This is akin to taking you child to the playground and just dropping them off. You walk in and are staring at a million different gym equipment options, but have no idea what specifically you should be doing to reach your fitness goals. If you want to lose weight, would it be better to run on the treadmill for 30 minutes, do 3-minute intervals on the elliptical, or do a combination of burpees and squats in the corner? If you are trying to build muscle, do you use dumbbells, machines, or barbells? What movements/rep-schemes should you do to maximize your results?

Southpaw's Fitness ModelAt Southpaw we believe that fitness is primal. Our bodies are designed to move. It doesn't have to be complex, and it doesn’t require fancy technology. In fact, it’s pretty simple: the more work you can do, and the faster you can do it, the better your outcome is going to be.But just because it’s not complex, doesn’t mean that it is easy. For years we have been hunched over at desks, looking down at our phones, and slouching at the table. We have ingrained a number of unhealthy movement patterns into our bodies and we need to unlearn these bad habits while we develop new ones.Our coaches are experts in the field. They have boiled down all of the exercise science and competing theories to find the ones that actually work. They have helped hundreds of people get out of pain and into the best shape of their life by using functional full-body movements and guiding them through a variety of different workouts that are designed to maximize results. People become faster, stronger, leaner, and more confident in their lives.If you don’t remember anything else, remember this: pick a gym based on the results it will help you achieve - not because of some fancy theory or shiny object. So, when you are ready to start a program that is built around results, click the link below to schedule a Free Phone Consultation and learn about the benefits of professional coaching, effective workouts, and an encouraging atmosphere!**Note: ANY fitness program is better than a sedentary lifestyle. And most of the gyms mentioned above have good intentions. However, we believe that the model we have crafted at Southpaw is the best model for well-rounded fitness and general physical preparedness that leads directly to the transformations people need!_____________Schedule your Free Phone Consultation today by clicking here!