In my last job IKEA was the unfortunate monicker given to some young highly (often over) promoted officers who'd not spent enough time in the trenches according to our exacting standards.
IKEA - I know everything already.
This could be the adopted mantra of many trainers but probably more apt for almost every fitness advert that has stalked you and found its way on to your social media feed.
Every packaged program whether its Joe Wicks or old timer Bill Starr's 5 x 5 lifting protocol was once the figment of someone's imagination.
The genius of these programmes isn't that they're perfect although clearly some will produce better results than others.
No, the genius of their creation is to make them simple enough to stand a chance of being implemented.
Whilst some people are in perpetual search for the perfect programme, fitness regime or dietary protocol.
They're being left for dust by others who're implementing less than perfect programmes and diets.
There is no perfect programme! (Except for mine obvs!)
The best programmes are simple and easily slip into the routine of your daily life.
They're meant to augment your life not become it.
If you're in the 'prime' of your life as I clearly am... Then what follows is a list of things that will make more of a positive impact on your life than your next HIIT session in the gym.
- Sleep.... zzz, you know get some
- Walking 7 days per week
- Eating 4 good meals per day
- Aerobic sessions 1 - 2 per week
- Strength Training 2- 3 per week
So that's between 3 - 5 movement sessions per week depending on your goals. But this is all built on a foundation of good sleep, quality meals and daily walking.
There has been more of a focus on aerobic training lately in my programming and this reflects the priorities / needs of most of my clientele.
You can survive life with a weak leg or a specific lagging body part but the heart? meh... not so much.
These are my biased (and correct !!)) opinions but they've borne true for the majority of the people I work with.
