FINDING 'LIKABLE' WEIGHT WORKOUTS

Seasonal sight in Chicago. Taken by PKSenagore December 2017. All rights reserved.

INTENSE DUMBBELL/KETTLEBELL WORKOUT WITH COMPOUND MOVEMENT EXERCISES The new Physical Activity Guidelines, issued by the Department of Health and Human Services last month (featured in an Earned Runs SCIENCE FRIDAY post November 16, 2018) recommend muscle strengthening exercise for all persons above the age of 6 years!

Of course, we don’t expect young children to be exercising with weights, but even as early as adolescence light resistance training with weights is likely to be beneficial. Especially if teenage efforts can lead to lifelong healthy exercise habits.
 
One of the problems adults face is finding workouts that we will perform with regularity. Which means we must enjoy the experience and appreciate the benefit provided from adhering to a weekly program of aerobic and strength training.
 
I’ve been evaluated by fitness center trainers over the years and as a result of each been prescribed a set of exercises designed to address problem areas identified by the assessment.  These are not totally happy sessions. It can be discouraging and nearly overwhelming to learn just how much work is needed to build strength and balance in particular.
 
ONE key step, after such sessions, to finding motivation to carry on with a prescribed plan is to realize that experts are trained to identify likely ‘weaknesses’ (for age, gender, occupation, which is documented in our intake information) and demonstrate them to us.  It’s their job.  Candidates undergoing fitness testing will be found deficient in at least one to multiple areas, possibly all!  Regardless of fitness level, no one exits an evaluation with perfect marks.
 
How does getting low fitness marks from a trainer at an initial assessment generate motivation?  It has been my experience that it won’t take much work to see SOME improvement in areas like strength, balance, and mobility that I’m particularly weak, which is wonderfully encouraging! Relatively quickly the results of my dedicated effort become apparent and provide incentive to persevere. It seems that sometimes, even by the third set of a round of exercises, there’s some tiny aspect of the exercise that already I’m performing better
 
The SECOND KEY step is to find workouts you like and want to include in a regimen. This step requires a fair amount of preparation, an ongoing trial and error process by which various exercises are tested and determined to be suitable, by you. Not every exercise a gym trainer suggests is one you will like enough to keep in a fitness program. Assessing ‘likability’ can be tricky, however.  
 
Moves we can’t do well initially aren’t very fun to perform but shouldn’t necessarily be abandoned. However, there’s little point in keeping a difficult exercise on a list if it’s repeatedly skipped. Better to find an equally tough substitute that you’re willing to work hard at performing.  Trainers are mostly happy to help with this process, but it can be done through personal trial and error, without professional assistance, 
 
Those having some prior experience with dumbbell or kettlebell weight work might find an intense workout highlighted in a SHAPE.com article by Lauren Mazzo, which features Rebecca Kennedy, to their liking.  The moves might be new to you, and the sequence of 10 x 10 repetitions of each of the 5 compound exercises* could be just the timesaving session for which you’ve been searching. 
 
Consider giving it a trial. This routine could be a keeper!
 
RUN & MOVE HAPPY!
 
*A video demonstration takes you through these 5 compound movement exercises:
TRICEPS KICK-BACK ROW + PUSH-UP
SQUAT CURL + PUSH PRESS
DEAD LIFT WITH WIDE-GRIP ROW
AROUND THE WORLD LUNGES
KETTLEBELL SWINGS
 
https://www.shape.com/fitness/videos/intense-total-body-workout-will-burn-ton-calories
 
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2712935
The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans
Katrina L. Piercy, PhD, RD1; Richard P. Troiano, PhD2; Rachel M. Ballard, MD, MPH3; et al