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What Workouts to Do?

A gym is likely the first thing that the word "workout" draws in our mind. The truth is that you don't need a gym to workout for general fitness. In fact, training with dumbbells, barbells and machines can be counter productive to general fitness as many strength trainers would testify.

Exercises involving lifting barbells, dumbbells and using weighted machines were not created for fitness in the first place, but for the sport of body building. These exercises target a specific muscle, work it out in isolation to the point of exhaustion and tear the muscle fibres. Then proteins heal these muscle fibres adding muscle mass to the muscle group.

The isolation of muscles is the culprit here.

Human muscle groups are not meant to function individually, but as a group in cohesion. Almost all human activities require different muscle groups to come together and act together. Years of such weight training will make muscles lose their cohesion or ability to work as a group in physically intense situations. This should not be a surprise because that is how you are training your muscle groups — in isolation. This is why such exercises go against the goal of general fitness whose aim is functional fitness.

On the other hand, it is scientifically proven that resistance training (weights) can improve strength and fitness. To benefit from this, one adopt resistance training that go along with human kinesis, such as body weight or kettle ball training. A gym membership seems to be a waste of money for a bit of resistance training, and weights such as barbells and dumbbells that go against muscular cohesion seems to be a stupid method for resistance training.

Therefore, an expensive gym membership or training with barbells, dumbbells and weighted machines are not required for general fitness and weight management. Instead consider a combination of the following exercise systems.

• Good old running
• Physically intensive sports
• Dancing
• Yogasana
• Martial arts
• Body weight training (callisthenics)

Good Old Running

As humans, we have been running since our first years on this planet. Being hunter gatherers, running has been very pivotal to our survival and has played a very influential role in our evolution. So by running, we are only doing what are bodies evolved doing. And therefore, it is a very powerful exercise system.

It is the least expensive exercise system out there. If you are running on a natural surface like grass or soil, you can run barefoot. If you are running on a synthetic surface like tarred road, a pair of running shoes is all you need.

Running works out your muscles, thus strengthening your legs and toning them. It also works out your cardiovascular and respiratory system, thus reducing the risks or coronary diseases and improving your aerobic functioning. However if you have any cardiovascular or respiratory medical conditions, we insist that you consult your doctor before attempting any workouts.

Running improves your overall physical balance because as an activity, running is a complex motion involving multiple parts of the body, being airborne every alternate moment and landing on a foot. This complex motion is a cake walk now because of the practice and design optimisations we have had for millions of years not just as human beings, but also as primates¹.

If you are on fat burning diet, running will create a consistent demand for energy that your body's energy system can exploit to burn substantial amounts of fats².

Physically Intensive Sports

Physically intensive sports are complete workout package for general fitness. It trains your cardio vascular aspects; the musculoskeletal aspects with movements of immediate braking, sprinting, turning, sliding, diving, body feints, etc; and the mind with strategic thinking, mental satisfaction, character building (especially when a game is lost), team spirit and social bonding. Sports are the old school and highly effective high intensity interval training (HIIT) program.

Sports do not just train your body, but also your cognition, emotional management and the co-ordination between your mind and body. They are the closest exercises to perfection.

Dancing and Martial Arts

Dancing and martial arts are artistic sports, although martial arts may be less fun for many. These activities are less physically demanding than sports and therefore suits larger audience. They are excellent exercise systems involving stretching, fast motions, sudden change in motions, powerful movements, gush of strenghths, and agile postures.

Yogasana

Yogasana, meaning yoga postures and often misnamed as yoga, are a series of body postures from the yogic system. Because yogasana involves sustained stretching of muscles groups and articulation of joints, it is an effective exercise system for the body; and consequently, for the mind too.

Please note that yogasanas are not exactly resistance training regimes although some postures like the hand stances and one legged stances put a lot of resistance on muscles groups. This is because, the resistance your muscle experience is a one time endurance for a posture and not repetitive exercise.

Yogasana is also perhaps the most dangerous exercise system since it involves the participation of numerous muscles, nerves and joints forming uncommon postures. If done incorrectly, the injuries could be life threatening. Therefore, learn yogasana under the direct supervision of a qualified yoga trainer: not from videos, articles or from online courses.

Many yogasana advocates claim disease healing benefits from practicing yogasana, but there aren't any scientific evidence for these claims. Beyond the health benefits yoganasa as a physical exercise system, Bhooti doesn't purport any other health benefits from yogasana.

Body Weight Training

Body weight training (also known as callisthenics) is an excellent resistant training system and is the also a better alternative to the more common weight training system using barbells, dumbbells and other weight machines. The reasons were mentioned in the beginning of this post.

Body weight training offers functional fitness too, which is the idea that your fitness must be useful for your day to day activities. This is because—

• the only weight with which you train with in body weight training is your body, which is the same weight you carry during your daily activities.
• the muscle movements in body weight training are collective rather than isolated, much like the same your day to day activities are.

Therefore, the nature of fitness that you get form body weight training are very practical for your day to day activities. Most body weight exercises are simple and require no assistance at all. However, advance body weight exercises require, and must be performed under supervision by a body weight trainer.

The Combination

A good workout regime is a combination of many exercise systems because none of them focus on all aspects of fitness. For instance:

• Running focusses on endurance, but not on resistance, stretching and flexibility.
• Yogasanas focus on stretching and flexibility, but not on resistance training, fast movements, strength training.
• Dancing focussing on stretching, flexibility, fast and slow movements, but not on resistance training.
• Body weight training focusses on strength training and muscle volume, but not on flexibility, agility and movements.

Therefore, incorporate all of them in your regime, practising them on specific days. Health and fitness is a result of following many things in a disciplined manner.

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