We’ve got something a little different for you today. Instead of a blog post around a singular topic, we’re going to share ‘10 Commandments of General Fitness’. These are rules by which we believe anyone who wants to achieve a fantastic level of general fitness should abide by.
These commandments are simple, actionable, easy to understand and follow. More importantly, the'y’ll lead you to a fitter, healthier and hopefully happier state of being!
So without further ado, here’s the AdMac Fitness 10 Commandments of General Fitness…
Thou shalt strength train
Regardless of your health and fitness goals, it’s really important that there’s some form of strength training in your routine every single week. Strength training is so much more than just building muscle for the sake of vanity. It helps to burn calories, it strengthens connective tissues and bones, plus it reduces your risk of injury. Strength training is the foundation stone that all other fitness should be built on.
Thou shalt take more steps
As a basic form of exercise, walking takes some beating. It’s an excellent calorie burner, it’s a commuting tool and an excuse to get some fresh air. It’s an opportunity to make a phone call to a friend, to avoid a busy train or to listen to a podcast. It’s a way of breaking up your day and exercise by accident. Aim for 15k steps per day. It can save you petrol or tube money and help you move even your rest days.
Thou shalt eat more vegetables
Yes, this one may sound obvious… but it’s truer than ever. We STILL meet lots of people who don’t get anywhere near enough fibre in their diet, and the best way to do that is by dramatically increasing the amount of vegetables you eat. High in fibre, filling, versatile, full of vitamins and minerals. Unless you suffer from a gastro condition such as IBS, you should max out on your vegetable intake!
Thou shalt mix up cardio
Unless you’re in training for a particular event such as a 10k, there’s almost no doubting that HIIT (high intensity interval training) is king of the cardio hill. It’s an incredible calorie burner, can readjusted for endless variety, keeps the injury risk low and the motivation levels high. Don’t just think of cardio as a boring run down the road - throw in some HIIT!
Thou shalt stretch more
If the basic stretches at the end of your workout is the only stretching you do, you’ll need to up that considerably! Stretching is a fantastic way of promoting circulation, keeping movement quality high, reducing injury risk, making connective tissues work and generally maintaining suppleness. If you never stretch, start by following a beginner yoga routine on youtube.
Thou shalt drink plenty of water
Adequate hydration is a bedrock of health. Given (depending on who you listen to) 60-70% of our bodies are made up of water, it makes sense to ensure you’re drinking plenty of water every day. There’s a lot of guidance written about how much water you should drink, but much of it is over complicated. Here’s a simple way to ensure you’re hydrated… make sure your urine is clear. If it’s not, drink more water!
Thou shalt value training frequency over duration
There’s too much emphasis placed on how long a training session lasts and not enough on the quality of the session. Give me 4 good, hard 30 minute workouts over 2 low intensity, slow-paced workouts any day. We should always value quality over quantity. If you’re in the gym more than an hour… you probably should be working MUCH harder in there!
Thou shalt get more sleep
There’s almost no physiological process that isn’t affected by poor sleep. Every process in the body, ranging from training recovery, digestion, hormonal balance, immunity, mental health and a million others are governed in part by how well we sleep. Put the phone down in bed, keep a regular bed time routine and shoot for 7+ hours of sleep every night.
Thou shalt get plenty of protein
Protein isn’t just for bodybuilders - it’s important for everyone. As well as helping to build muscle, it’s involved in the repair and rebuilding of all tissues - skin, hair, bone, nails etc. Making sure you get enough protein will be important for helping your body recover from workouts, it’ll help you stay full for longer and depending on the protein source, it’s often accompanied by lots of vitamins and minerals.
Thou shalt train the full body
Unless you’re a seasoned bodybuilder, there’s no need to follow a split routine. Research shows us that more frequent stimulation of muscle is better for growth than a sole ‘day’ for a muscle. If you train all of your body in each workout you’ll stimulate more growth hormone, you’ll stimulate more growth and you’ll reduce the impact on a single body part, allowing you to recover more quickly.
The AdMac Fitness 10 Commandments of General Fitness…
We hope you’ve enjoyed the AdMac Fitness 10 Commandments of General Fitness! It’s a light-hearted advice piece with a few key takeaways and reminders about what you should be doing. Speaking of which, if you need help with that, read on…
Personal Training in East London…
If you’re confused about how you should go about building the fitness and physique you long for, trust the professionals at AdMac Fitness to help you. They’re a well-qualified group of expert personal trainers, with decades of collective health and fitness experience.
You’ll train in our private personal training studio in Bow, E3. That means fantastic 1-1 service and no waiting for equipment. It’s also perfect for those who feel self conscious because it’s a private studio, used only by AdMac Fitness personal trainers and our clients.
Contact AdMac Fitness on 07921465108 or email us at admacfitness@gmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you!