Similar to the way a Dr. would prescribe you medication, I prescribe new members of Defy a prescription for their training. While the amount of variables are obviously less, in the same way I’m looking for the best “medicine” to fix a patients problems.
Everyone has their own unique problems; injuries/movement restrictions, time available, financial resources, knowledge, previous experience etc etc. – and based off this, I can offer a combination of our services to get problems solved as quickly as possible.
However, there is a general training prescription that can solve most problems and help people achieve their goals. The specifics will only enhance the efficiency based on individual problems.
My general training Rx would be:
- Lift weights 3x per week
- Move every single day
- Explore full ranges of motion daily
- 2 hours per week of Cardio Training
- Lifestyle habits
Weight training is literally the ‘best bang for your buck’ when it comes to time spent in the gym. More and more resources and evidence are being shared to back these claims up. Being strong is good, it makes you more capable and less of a burden as you age. You protect yourself from injuries, build muscle to improve your body composition and open up abilities you didn’t know you had. Don’t skip strength training!
Just training in the gym for an hour isn’t enough for our bodies. We were designed to move and to move for a long time. Whether you follow the 10,000 steps (or 7000 as some recent studies have observed) you need to be moving every day. This can also be in the form of bike rides, walks or maybe even some low intensity sports. Get movement daily!
Explore full ranges of motion daily – I’m talking about mobility here. Not necessarily stretching as that may not be beneficial for everyone but you need to ensure your body is taken through full ranges to ensure you don’t lose it! It doesn’t need to be complicated, or even very structured – just move – the kind of warm ups we do at Defy are great additional movement pieces
The heart is an important muscle too and it needs training. A variety of intensities are important and you can make this fun – not just single modality training such as running. Mix it up. Go hard & short, long & steady and all in between. There are many benefits to taking your heart through all the different zones – don’t neglect!
Lifestyle habits – I’m talking about all the things you already know you should be doing. Stop drinking alcohol, get enough sleep, hydrate, eat real food and prioritize protein. Look after your body the same way you look after your favourite possession – maybe a car or for me, my bikes! The biggest flaw of the human body is that it can take abuse for a long time before it actually break – take care of it!
There it is – the generic fitness prescription. Simple stuff but certainly not easy. It’s certainly a lifestyle that you need to adopt. I’ve seen many people switch to this way of living when they start at a gym like Defy. A gym that has structure, guidance and focusses on getting better – not just sweating & checking boxes.
Now you have your prescription – will you make the change?
