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Superset-Style Upper Body Resistance Band Workout for Muscle Gains There’s no doubt barbells and dumbbells reign supreme when it comes to sculpting the ultimate physique. However, whether you don’t have time to make it to the gym, don’t have access to equipment, or aren’t ready to train at full capacity quite yet due to an injury, there is a readymade solution that will allow you to still make progress toward your strength and hypertrophy goals: resistance bands. While they’re typically associated with physical therapy and rehabilitation settings, bands deserve far more respect from the fitness community. After all, although they may seem rather innocuous, they still have the ability to deliver a sufficient stimulus for muscle growth and development. Credit: RomanSo / Shutterstock Even if you’ve largely resisted band-based workouts for fear of not making gains, it’s never too late to reconsider your stance. After all, elastic resistance training has been shown to promote similar strength gains to conventional resistance training. (1) This superset-inspired resistance band workout will make you break a serious sweat, get a proper pump, and transform your thinking about how to approach upper body training. Upper Body Resistance Band Workout The Warm-Up The Workout Muscles Trained How to Warm-Up Your Upper Body for a Resistance Band Workout With a full slate of upper body exercises on the horizon, you’ll want to dedicate some time to prepare your mind, muscles, and ligaments for what’s to come. Warming up for any workout — even one that leaves barbells, dumbbells, and machines by the wayside for resistance bands — is imperative if you want to perform at your best and avoid injury. When it comes to upper body training specifically, a systematic review showed strong evidence that a high-load dynamic warm-up can enhance power and strength performance. (2) Sticking with a band-based protocol, this three-part routine primarily focuses on preparing your shoulder joints for the workout to follow. In addition to increasing blood flow and priming your stabilizing muscles, completing these mobility exercises will provide a much-needed stretch for your pecs and shoulders, which can easily become tight and stiff from sitting at a desk for extended periods of time. Make sure to maintain proper form throughout the warm-up by keeping your core engaged and going through the full range of motion (no partial reps) for each exercise. Banded Shoulder Circles: Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Hold a light resistance band toward the floor with your hands wider than your shoulders and your palms facing behind you. Pull the band to create some slight tension and carefully raise your arms above and behind your head in a circular motion. Once you have reached as far as your shoulders can comfortably handle, reverse the movement to return to the starting position. Repeat for two sets of 12-15 reps before moving on to the next warm-up exercise. Band Pull-Apart: Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Hold a light resistance band directly in front of you with your palms facing downward and your hands a few inches wider than your shoulders. With your arms extended so they are parallel to the floor, retract your shoulder blades, engage your core, and pull the resistance band back until your arms are directly aligned with your body. Squeeze for one to two seconds before slowly letting the tension out of the band to return to the starting position. Complete two sets of 12-15 reps to prepare your rhomboids, rotator cuffs, and rear deltoids for battle. Banded Face Pulls: Wrap a light/medium resistance band around a stable anchor point (such as a squat rack or pole) at face level. Using an overhand grip, grab the band with your hands about 12-15 inches apart. Step away from the anchor point to create enough tension on the band without preventing you from staying upright. With a slight forward lean and your head in a neutral position, retract your shoulders, pull back with your elbows, and slightly rotate your arms so that the back of your hands are facing behind you. Slowly release tension from the band by bringing your arms back to the starting position before repeating the movement for 15-20 total reps. Superset-Style Upper Body Resistance Band Workout As long as you have a set of resistance bands, a little bit of space, and a solid playlist to keep you pumped, you’ll have everything you need to have a successful session. This upper-body routine takes advantage of the agonist-antagonist relationship by utilizing supersets to stimulate hypertrophy in opposing muscle groups. For example, the first part of the workout targets the back and chest, while another superset pairs a triceps exercise with a direct biceps movement. Plus, this session makes use of the compound set principle, which involves performing two exercises for the same muscle group consecutively without rest. So, not only will you get a hypertrophy stimulus from resistance training, but you will also reap some cardio benefits by immediately jumping from one exercise to the next. Upper Body Resistance Band Workout Summary Superset One Banded Bent-Over Rows — 3 x 10-12 Banded Standing Chest Press — 3 x 10-12 Superset Two Banded Shoulder Press — 3 x 10-12 Banded Upright Row — 3 x 10-12 Superset Three Banded Overhead Triceps Extension — 3 x 12-15 Banded Biceps Curl — 3 x 12-15 Superset Four Banded Lateral Raise — 2 x 12-15 Banded Front Raise — 2 x 12-15 Banded Bent-Over Rows A multi-joint movement that recruits your core, hamstrings, and glutes, the bent-over row is a staple in most strength and conditioning programs. While the barbell-based version of this exercise is great for building a thicker, wider back, it requires precise technique to avoid injury. In this case, though, using a resistance band to perform this pulling movement takes some of that risk out of the equation while still providing a solid stimulus for your upper back muscles. How to do it: Stand on a resistance band with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees

Walking for Weight Loss: A Guide to Drop the Pounds Don’t be mistaken — it’s essential that you push yourself in the gym. However, just because high-intensity interval training (HIIT) has become incredibly popular doesn’t mean it’s the only option for people who want to burn fat and lose weight. In fact, you can trim inches off your waistline without coming close to hitting your VO2 max or feeling like you’re about to pass out on the rowing machine. While following a strength training program will allow you to build muscle, incorporating a walking protocol into your workout routine can help get rid of some extra pounds. Credit: PR Image Factory / Shutterstock But just how many steps should you aim for if you want to see the number on the scale drop? This comprehensive guide covers everything from the benefits of walking to general weight loss tips to support your efforts to a step-by-step plan you can follow so you can reap the physical and mental benefits of the simplest form of cardio. Walking for Weight Loss Benefits of Walking 10,000 Steps Per Day? Weight Loss Tips Sample Walking Plan Frequently Asked Questions Benefits of Walking  Although walking isn’t necessarily the most efficient form of exercise for hitting a weight loss goal, it can certainly be effective. Because you need to be in a calorie deficit to lose body fat, walking is one way you can ensure you’re burning enough calories to support your efforts to slim down. (1) Of course, there’s a difference between going for a casual stroll around the neighborhood and moving at a brisk pace at an incline on a treadmill. However, the point is that you can put yourself in a better position to hit your target body weight by engaging in an activity that requires zero home gym equipment or technical expertise.  Choosing walking over rowing intervals or a weight training session may seem sacrilegious in some circles, but there are actually several reasons you may want to go in this direction (at least some of the time). Let’s take a closer look at a few of the advantages going for a walk offers. Lower Chance of Injury As rewarding as it may be to hit a new max on the back squat or complete a WOD in record time, high-intensity activities like weightlifting and CrossFit undoubtedly come with a level of risk. Those forms of exercise can place tremendous stress on your tendons, ligaments, joints, and other structures. And if you don’t utilize proper form, you can quickly go from feeling ready to crush your set to suffering a setback that could keep you sidelined for a while. On the other hand, walking doesn’t come with nearly the same risk of injury. Credit: grandbrothers / Shutterstock Sure, you need to be careful about selecting a properly sized pair of shoes that provides sufficient arch support. However, you don’t have to worry about getting hurt from a complicated movement or high-intensity lift that could put you in a compromising position.  Allows You to Train for Longer Periods of Time The short-but-sweet style of high-intensity training makes it an optimal choice for those in a time crunch. However, because these type of workouts are so anaerobically demanding, they typically only last between 20-30 minutes.  On the other hand, you can perform steady-state cardio for significantly longer and still obtain results. While it would be extremely challenging to sustain a high level of performance during a 60-minute HIIT session, you can make it through a one-hour walk without dragging at the end.   Ideal for Active Recovery   You won’t be able to achieve your weight loss goal if you don’t invest time in active recovery. After all, incorporating rest days into your routine is essential to maintaining balance and providing your muscles and joints with some short-term relief.  Walking serves a dual purpose in that it can be utilized as a form of active recovery and calorie burning. Completing a 45-minute walk on your day off from lifting will not only promote blood flow, but also provide a fat-burning and muscle-sparing stimulus. (2) 10,000 Steps Per Day: Myth or Fact? If you have a smartphone, chances are you’ve received at least a few notifications urging you to hit your step goal before it’s too late. For some people, satisfying that 10,000-step requirement has become a staple part of their daily routine. For others, though, hitting that number represents a daunting task that seems excessive, and perhaps unnecessary.  So, who’s correct?  Ironically, the entire premise of the 10,000 steps per day idea originated in 1965 when a Japanese company developed a pedometer called the “Manpo-kei,” which translates to “10,000 steps meter.” Rooted in marketing rather than science, the idea clearly caught on big in the fitness community and has only become more prevalent as step-tracking technology in phones and watches has improved. Credit: PeopleImages.com – Yuri A / Shutterstock While taking more steps per day has been associated with lower mortality rates, there isn’t any direct evidence to support that 10,000-step mark. (3) Moreover, that goal may not be sustainable for certain groups, including the elderly and those with chronic health conditions. (4) That being said, movement is still a major component of an effective weight-loss plan. Research shows that 225-420 minutes per week of physical activity promotes clinically significant weight loss. (5) Incorporating walking into your exercise mix will help you reach that target, and shooting for somewhere in the range of 7,500-9,000 is likely attainable for most individuals. Overall, there’s nothing wrong with setting the bar high, but don’t feel discouraged if you fall a little shy of 10,000 steps.  Weight Loss Tips Losing weight is both an art and a science. On one hand, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach that’s guaranteed to work for everyone. On the other hand, adhering to scientific principles like eating in a caloric deficit, consuming adequate protein, and exercising regularly will put you on the right path.  So, if

Does Cycling Build Muscle? The Facts About Growing on the Bike When some people want to build muscle, they start cycling. No, we’re not talking about using performance enhancing drugs — those build a good bit of muscle with a whole host of side effects. We’re talking about actually cycling as in, riding a bike. Various forms of biking are gaining popularity, either outdoors in the real world or on a stationary bike in the gym, so why not experiment with cycling your way to more muscular legs? Credit: Vladimir Sukhachev / Shutterstock Spin instructors have nice legs and the muscle burn you feel from cycling can be comparable, or even more intense, than some traditional strength-training leg workouts. So let’s breakdown this unconventional approach to see how, or if, you can pedal your way toward thicker legs. Does Cycling Build Muscle Cycling for Muscle Growth Low Intensity vs. High Intensity Does Cardio Burn Muscle? How to Cycle for More Muscle Cycling For Muscle Fundamentally, cycling is a form of cardio. It taxes your endurance and it doesn’t have the traditional benefits of strength training exercises like squats and lunges. Cycling also doesn’t have coordinated “lifting and lowering” phases of movement (i.e. the involved muscles don’t undergo a contraction phase against resistance followed by a muscle-lengthening phase against resistance). However, the pedaling required to cycle forces multiple concentric muscle contractions — working against resistance — along many major leg muscles. There is hip flexion, knee extension, and some knee flexion going on with each stroke of the pedal, so it’s valid to wonder if muscle growth can occur. This is all a fancy way of saying that, when cycling, your muscles still produce force to contract, fundamentally similar to strength training. Muscular Contractions and Tension Technically speaking, all you need for muscle growth is mechanical tension. (1) This is active force along muscle fibers until they reach involuntarily slow contraction speeds. It’s why the last few reps of a set of squats are the hardest and, generally, the slowest moving. It’s also why training close to, up to, or beyond failure builds muscle. Those final, highly challenging reps are what triggers hypertrophy. Credit: Vladimir Sukhachev / Shutterstock So while you don’t calculate training volume or count reps on a bike the same as with a weight training exercise — nobody jumps on a bike for “650 pedals” — mechanically speaking, there is potential for cycling to trigger growth if your muscles are sufficiently challenged. We’ll talk more about optimizing this later, but let’s go over some cardio myths first. Cycling is, after all, still primarily an endurance-based exercise which can be a conflict of interest for getting jacked. Low Intensity vs. High Intensity Cardio Similar to strength training, cardio can be performed at various intensities. For simplicity’s sakes, let’s focus on low intensity, steady-state cardio (LISS) and high-intensity interval training (HIIT). While there are other cardio training methods, comparing these ends of the spectrum will help you understand the key differences. You can sustain relatively lower intensity cardio for longer periods of time, hence the “steady state” designation. Examples include walking, jogging, slowly swimming laps, casual biking, or anything done at a relatively sustainable pace. Higher intensity cardio is typically broken up into intervals of work alternated with periods of lower intensity cardio or complete rest. (2) You can’t sustain a near-maximum sprinting speed for too long, or else it wouldn’t really be a sprint. The Right Cardio for Muscle Growth While both methods have cardiovascular components like improving your resting heart rate and VO2 max (the amount of oxygen your body uses during exercise), high intensity interval training can potentially stimulate some muscle growth. HIIT requires you to perform for durations and intensities closer to traditional strength training. Therefore, if the goal is using cycling to build muscle, you need to crank up the bike’s resistance. If you’re cycling for 20 minutes or more, the resistance is likely too low to achieve a true muscle-building stimulus even if your legs “burn” a lot. Similarly, if you were to curl three-pound dumbbells for 20 minutes without stopping, sure that would feel the burn, but it’s not efficient or effective at building muscle. Does Cardio Eat Muscle? If you’ve heard tales about cardio dwindling your muscle away, there’s some truth to this, but it’s not what you think. Credit: Adulwit Natheetavesak / Shutterstock Cardio, whether LISS or HIIT, is providing your body a stimulus to adapt to. Outside of undereating and not exercising at all, your body doesn’t “lose muscle.” However, while cardio doesn’t eat away your precious glutes and biceps, the stimulus that you are imposing is a bit conflicted. Think about it. When you lift heavy weights and try to get stronger, you’re telling your body it should grow muscle to lift heavier weights. But when you cycle or run, you’re telling your body to get more efficient at moving longer distances, and one way to be more efficient is to prevent building significant muscular body weight. This is why endurance athletes, like marathon runners, are typically slimmer and strength athletes, like powerlifters, are reliably more muscular. When you try to focus on excelling in both during a training routine, there is a compromise called the interference effect. (3) The interference effect doesn’t necessarily cause muscle loss, but it can compromise the adaptations and positive results made on both ends — muscle growth and building endurance — unless you take care to design the plan with very targeted programming. So while we established that cycling can build muscle under certain conditions, you won’t build as much as someone who prioritizes their training and recovery toward conventional leg exercises like squats and deadlifts. This is the principle of specificity — specific activities will trigger specific adaptations in your body. How to Cycle For Muscle Growth If you’re planning to hop on the spin bike just because you enjoy it, and you’re still hoping to build some muscle, no worries.

A Chest and Triceps Workout for Classic Size and Strength Among experienced lifters, heading into the gym for a focused chest and triceps workout stands as a testament to serious commitment. From powerlifters aiming for their next bench press PR to bodybuilders striving for a near-perfect physique, these sessions are fundamental in the lifting world. It’s not just about the aesthetics; it’s about strength, resilience, and dedication. Training your chest and triceps together offers a balanced approach, maximizing both push mechanics and muscle engagement. Whether you’re a seasoned athlete or someone just starting out, there’s always room to refine technique, push boundaries, and see genuine progress. Credit: Prostock-studio / Shutterstock This workout uses an approach inspired by the “Mountain Dog” — legendary bodybuilding coach John Meadows. This method consists in a specific sequencing of exercises thought out to maximize the mind-muscle connection, build the muscular pump, and preserve longevity in the gym. Time to dive in and elevate your chest and triceps game to the next level. Chest and Triceps Workout The Warm-Up The Workout Muscles Trained How to Warm-up for a Better Chest and Triceps Workout Warming up before diving into an intense chest and triceps workout isn’t just a suggestion — it’s an essential step. A proper warm-up primes the body, gradually increasing the heart rate, enhancing blood flow to the muscles, and lubricating the joints. This ensures not only optimal muscle engagement and flexibility but also significantly reduces the risk of injuries. (1) This is especially true for sessions involving the shoulder joint (chest, shoulders, or “pushing” workouts) as it is the most flexible, but also relatively fragile, in the body. Without this preparatory phase, muscles remain stiff, making them more susceptible to strains or pulls, and joints can be caught off guard, leading to unnecessary stress or even long-term damage. Warming up has mental benefits, as well. It provides a transition period, allowing you to mentally prepare and focus on the upcoming workout. This mental shift from rest to activity is crucial for optimal performance, ensuring that both the body and mind are in sync. Thus, skipping the warm-up not only jeopardizes physical health but also diminishes the overall quality and effectiveness of the workout. (2) Band Over-and-Back: Hold a light resistance band at shoulder-height with an overhand grip and your elbows straight. Slightly hinge forward so that you don’t “cheat” the exercise by arching your back. Remain in that position, squeeze your shoulder blades together, and extend your arms out to the sides to provide tension. Keep your arms straight the whole time and move the band from in front of you, up and overhead, and behind your back as far as comfort and mobility allow. Then bring the band back to the initial position. Perform 10 repetitions before moving on the next exercise. Band Pull-Apart: Stand fully upright and begin with your hands together in front of you at chest-height. Stretch the band by pulling the band apart and squeezing your shoulder blades together until your arms are extended to form a T-shape out to the sides. Repeat for 12 to 15 repetitions and move on to the last exercise. Band Triceps Extension: Loop the band around a stable overhead support like a power rack so that it is above head-height. Grab the band with both hands, brace your core, and bend slightly forward. While keeping your elbows glued to your ribs, extend your forearms down, then flex your upper arms to stretch your triceps before extending them again. Repeat for 30 to 50 reps. Repeat this entire circuit one or two more times for a thorough warm-up. The Tried and True Chest and Triceps Workout This workout consists of six exercises — four chest exercises and two triceps exercises —  organized in a specific manner to reap the most benefits. You can perform it once or twice per week, depending on whether you find these body parts to be a “weak point” or not. The chest and triceps workout can be include in either a traditional body part-focused workout split or as a “pushing workout” in a push/pull/leg plan, with a second push day focusing on the shoulders instead of the chest. Chest and Triceps Workout Summary Slight Decline Dumbbell Bench Press — 4 x 8 Slight Incline Barbell Bench Press — 3 x 6-8 Machine Chest Press — 1 x 15 with triple rest-pause Pec-Deck — 2 x 12-15 with iso-holds Rope Pushdown — 2 x 12-15 Lying Triceps Extension — 3 x 8-12 Slight Decline Dumbbell Bench Press First, we launch with the decline dumbbell bench press. It’s all about activation — think of the exercise as coffee for your chest. Discard the typical “barbell exercise first” approach many lifters use and, instead, take a more for a joint-friendly approach. The decline position, as well as using dumbbells, will help you feel and activate your chest muscles better. (3)(4) This way, you’ll reduce the risk of injury and you’ll be able to recruit your chest better in the next exercises. The devil’s in the detail and, for a better chest recruitment and comfort, we want to use slight angles or we risk shifting the load away from the pecs and onto the shoulders or triceps. So don’t get crazy with the decline and use a roughly 10-degree angle — or place a single 25 or 45-pound weight plate under the foot-end of a flat bench. Always perform a few warm-up sets beforehand, as it is the first exercise of the session and your shoulder joints still need gradual preparation.  How to do it: Lay down on the decline bench with a pair of dumbbells in your hands. Depending on your individual set-up, secure your feet under the pad, on a step, or on the plate you put under the bench for elevation. Slightly arch your upper back, squeeze your shoulder blades, and press the weight up while exhaling, making sure you keep your elbows and wrists aligned without flaring them

HIIT Rowing Workouts for Fat Loss, Conditioning, and Beginners Steady-state cardio — plodding along at a consistent pace for the duration of a session — can have its place in a training program. However, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) can actually be a more efficient means to reach your fitness goals. And just like there are a variety of ways to build the ultimate physique, there are different machines you can rely upon  to help get you there.  Although a treadmill offers the unique advantage of being able to train on an incline, it doesn’t give you a true full-body workout. Meanwhile, an elliptical machine may be a low-impact option for your joints, but that also comes at the expense of any muscle-building upside.  Luckily, there’s a piece of home gym equipment that provides the best of both worlds: the rower, sometimes called an erg or rowerg. In fact, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a machine that tests your muscular strength and endurance (and mental fortitude) quite like the erg. Credit: Prostock-studio / Shutterstock Whether your primary goal is to burn body fat or boost your conditioning, these HIIT rowing workouts will get the job done. And if you’re just getting your feet wet with this type of training, there’s a beginner-friendly plan that will put you on the path to becoming more proficient and confident on the rowing machine.  HIIT Rowing Workouts  For Fat Loss  For Conditioning For Beginners HIIT Rowing Workout for Fat Loss  A successful fat loss plan focuses on two factors: how you fuel up and how you put those resources to work. If your primary goal is to trim a few extra pounds off your frame, pairing interval training with a nutritional protocol that prioritizes protein and limits processed foods will provide the perfect stimulus to help accomplish that feat. Although this rowing workout may seem easy on the surface, you’ll quickly learn how challenging (and effective) time-specific training can be. Tabata Intervals   There’s a reason the Tabata protocol remains one of the most popular styles of high-intensity interval training: It works. Designed in an easy-to-follow format, a workout consists of clearly defined intervals of max-effort exercise and complete rest. Typically, the high-intensity interval lasts for 20 seconds, forcing you to go all out for what sounds like a fairly reasonable amount of time. However, the difficult part about Tabata-style training is that you only get a rest period of 10 seconds, or half the amount of the high-intensity interval. That back-and-forth battle usually wages on for eight cycles, adding up to a four-minute round. Most workouts run around 20 minutes, which includes a brief rest period of 1-2 minutes between each completed round. Credit: Drazen Zigic / Shutterstock Despite its short working intervals, Tabata delivers impressive results. It has been shown to be effective for improving both body fat composition and some cardiometabolic health outcomes in university female students. (1) Additionally, a 2020 study on the impact of Tabata training showed it was also effective in reducing body fat percentage and waist-to-hip ratio in overweight individuals. (2) Ultimately, there’s no reason to make things complicated when it comes to your fat loss journey. This rowing workout relies upon a tried-and-true setup that should leave you feeling gassed by the end. It’s best to leave this for the end of a strength training session as a high-impact finisher, or perform it on a non-lifting day to reap the rewards of aerobic and anaerobic exercise.  Tabata Rowing Circuit  How to Do it: Sit on the rowing machine seat and strap your feet in. Set the drag level between three and five. Grab the handle, maintain an upright posture, and simultaneously push with your legs while pulling with your upper body. Warm up at a comfortable pace for one minute before increasing to max effort for your first high-intensity interval.  Programming: Perform 8-10 sets (one round) of 20 seconds of max-effort rowing followed by 10 seconds of rest. Repeat for three to five rounds, depending on your fitness level.  Rest Time: Rest one to two minutes after each round.   HIIT Rowing Workout for Conditioning  Metabolic conditioning can have some crossover with fat loss training, but it also brings muscle-building benefits. And out of all the home gym equipment you should consider investing in, a rowing machine is a fantastic choice since it is capable of helping you achieve your dream physique in multiple ways. This all-inclusive workout combines sprint intervals on the erg with various strength exercises for the ultimate conditioning session.  On/Off Circuit Prepare to move around with this workout. At the same time, prepare to enjoy the conditioning rewards of mixing max-effort speed intervals on the rower with muscle-building exercises that will test your strength and stamina. Credit: Kostiantyn Voitenko / Shutterstock Rather than rowing for a specific time interval, your goal is to complete 250 meters as fast as possible. Then, you will go through a type of superset using resistance training exercises that target your chest, shoulders, triceps, quads, and glutes. Working hard on the rower will target your back muscles, so doubling up by targeting them with a strength-training exercise could cause excessive fatigue without added benefit. This workout can serve as the baseline for your creative efforts. You can vary the routine in a variety of ways by increasing your target distance on the erg, increasing the time or load for the supplementary movements, or by choosing specific exercises based on your personal physique goals. Ultimately, the point is to push yourself through each phase, take a few minutes to recover, and find a way to keep going.  Rowing Speed Interval How to Do it: Sit on the rowing machine seat and strap your feet in. Set the drag level between five and seven for added resistance. Grab the handle, maintain an upright posture, and simultaneously push with your legs while pulling with your upper body. Warm up at a comfortable pace for one minute before increasing to max effort for

The 12-3-30 Workout: Trend or Truth? What is 12-3-30? It’s not an important date in gym history from almost 100 years ago. It’s a social media-based fitness phenomenon. Simply, it requires using a treadmill set at a specific incline, moving at a specific speed, for a specific length of time. Credit: Estrada Anton / Shutterstock It’s an incredibly straightforward approach that has “fitfluencers” and followers sweating buckets as they supposedly lose weight using the workout protocol. However, fitness trends can be hit or miss. And, given the general state of social media and its low barrier of entry, there are usually more misses than hits. It’s time to review the pros and cons of the 12-3-30 workout to find out if it’s a temporary trend or if it could become a time-tested routine. The 12-3-30 Workout 12-3-30: Why? The Fat Loss Workout Drawbacks of the Plan How to Improve the Routine Why 12, 3, and 30? When it comes to fitness, numbers can be relatively arbitrary. The 12-3-30 routine can work, but if you set the incline to 11% and the speed to 3.2 mph, and you only do the workout for 27 minutes, it would not make much difference and you could expect nearly identical results. So while specific numbers can be useful for getting trends to catch on, and they can be a convenient way to keep things standard for everyone in the gym, there is no particular magic about “12-3-30.” Credit: LightField Studios / Shutterstock Then what’s the merit of the 12-3-30 program? Well, the steep incline and relatively quick pace make it challenging enough, and it’s long enough in duration, that you’ll almost certainly break a sweat and burn a fair amount of calories. The significant incline adds a level of intensity that translates well to improving your hiking and endurance abilities. The speed is fast enough to push most people, but generally not “too fast” to trigger major fatigue which might cause you to end the workout early. The 30-minute time limit encourages you to see the workout through, while also getting an appreciable number of steps. As beneficial as it could be, it’s important to remember that you can and should tailor it to your individual needs, which will be explained in-depth later in the article. The exact programming numbers are less important than simply getting through a tough cardio workout for an effective length of time. 12-3-30 for Fat Loss Workouts like 12-3-30 can be great in aiding fat loss. You will see lots of progress photos online crediting the workout plan. The fundamental mechanism for fat loss is always the same for every individual — achieving a consistent caloric deficit. If you perform a daily cardio workout that burns a lot of extra calories, it can naturally be great for fat loss. View this post on Instagram A post shared by twelve three thirty (@twelvethreethirty) However, not everybody is guaranteed to lose fat with this plan. For example, if you are inconsistent with training, you might not actually be burning that many calories each week. The same applies if you “water down” the workout too much. While the particular “12-3-30” numbers don’t matter that much, if you devolve the workout to something closer to 6-2-15, it’s not even close to the same workout anymore. Remember, the workout needs to be challenging and it needs to be done for a decent amount of time. Furthermore, fat loss isn’t always certain because, while you might burn plenty of calories during a 12-3-30 workout, it still might not be enough to make up for the calories you’re eating. Regardless of your training program, your nutrition needs to be designed for fat loss if you want to see results. There is a massive overeating problem when it comes to the classic Western diet and trendy social media workouts are not going to solve that. (1) As cliché as it may sound, you can’t outrun or, in this case, out-incline-walk your diet if you’re taking in too many calories. The Drawbacks of 12-3-30 The main drawback of 12-3-30 is, frankly, that it is simply a cardio workout. Some fitness influencers actually go so far as to claim the treadmill routine is “all you have to do” to lose weight. But it’s not. This brings up a massive issue. Not only do many people face an overconsumption issue when it comes to calories, but there is also a lack of strength training in many populations. Gone are the days where lifting weights is only for bodybuilders and powerlifters. Credit: Ground Picture / Shutterstock Countless anecdotal evidence (from long before 12-3-30 existed) along with abundant scientific research all demonstrate the same thing: optimal fat loss and significant body composition change requires strength training. (2) Strength training is the only way to provide the stimulus your body needs to retain lean muscle mass. This is important because, when you’re in a caloric deficit, you are deliberately burning more energy than your body is taking in. This makes your body want to “eat away” your tissues — muscle and stored body fat alike — to fuel its basic function. If your body doesn’t have the ability to hang on to muscle tissue, which is stimulated through strength training, you will lose a combination of body fat and muscle tissue. This is why some people don’t end up looking “lean” or defined when they lose weight. They simply look “skinnier,” saggy, or even frail. Furthermore, losing muscle reduces your metabolism and makes your bones weaker. (3)(4) While seeing the number on the scale go down is often a good thing, you want that reduced body weight to be primarily from body fat, not lean muscle. Muscle retention requires a foundation of strength training. This is especially true for leaner and more trained individuals who are more prone to muscle loss, due to beginning with relatively lower body fat levels. Credit: LightField Studios / Shutterstock If you’re currently at a relatively heavier

How to Become a Personal Trainer in 2023 Chances are, there’s been a time in your gym experience where you’ve considered working as a personal trainer because you love fitness. That is a fantastic starting point because, who doesn’t want to make a career out of wearing gym clothes and spending hours breathing a mix of creatine dust and other people’s sweat?  On a more serious note, personal training is not always a lucrative career choice, especially in the beginning. This doesn’t mean you can’t be relatively successful — and you’ll soon learn key steps to increase your odds. But, in general, personal training isn’t a fast-track to a six–figure salary. Many people quit early because they don’t end up making as much money as they expected or they discover that being in a gym for 10 to 12 hours a day isn’t as fun or easy as it sounds. The daily process is often quite hard and it doesn’t live up to the fantasy of “getting paid to lift weights all day” while miraculously attracting celebrity clients. Credit: MDV Edwards / Shutterstock Loving fitness is a great start, but you need to also love helping people and doing all the work that goes into it. We’re talking about cleaning the gym floors, getting up early, and staying late at the gym. You’ll face plenty of obstacles in your early years as a personal trainer, so make sure you clearly define why you’re in it. If you want to really be successful, you will need to be in it for the long haul. Here’s a look at what it really takes, from A to Z, if you want to make a living as a trainer. How to Become a Personal Trainer Education and Skills Getting Your First Job Building an Online Presence Training Private vs. In-Gym vs. Online Tricks of the Trade The Necessary Education and Skills To become a successful personal trainer, it’s first necessary to define what a personal trainer is, and then work backward. A personal trainer is somebody who provides fitness training services to a paying client. Simple as that. The most practical way to get a paying client is to start at a commercial gym. Some trainers transition out of the gym and train clients privately, but one thing that all experienced personal trainers can agree upon is that you must start your journey as an employed personal trainer at a gym, ideally a well-known commercial gym. There are some trainers that are exceptions to the rule but, statistically, you’re likely not one of them. So to “reverse engineer” further, you need to determine which gyms you would like to work at. Again, commercial gyms are usually going to be your best bet compared to a relatively small-scale private gym. Find a busy gym you like that has a thriving community. If it’s close to where you live, that’s even better, but don’t overthink this step. Most trainers will “outgrow” their first gym quite quickly if they play their cards right. Certification Once you choose a gym, you need to figure out which personal trainer certifications they accept. You can find this information by searching online or by talking with a manager in person. Smile and look confident while you’re at it, because that will likely be your first boss before you know it. Next, you need to obtain one of the certifications they accept. The more accredited and recognized the certification, the more likely your desired gym will require it. This is also why accredited certifications are more expensive. So save up and study hard to get your first certification. The National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), the International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA), or the American Council on Exercise (ACE) are all reputable, time-tested organizations that would be a great choice for your first certification — nearly all gyms will accept these credentials. If you have some sort of higher education degree in the sports and fitness field, even better. Credit: PeopleImages.com – Yuri A / Shutterstock When you’re just starting out, getting any certification credential is frankly more important than how much you actually know. This is not to say education isn’t important, but it’s urgent that you get your foot in the door so you can get started gaining hands-on experience. Ensure that you study the material thoroughly. You can usually take practice tests online to be confident before taking your official certification test. Sales and People Skills Even though training is fundamentally about exercise, the ability to “close a sale” is still incredibly important to being a successful trainer. You might be lucky to have a gym that gives you some clients freely, but you can’t depend on this. You need to make a living and build a client base fast. Not to mention, gyms are primarily looking for your sales and people skills when hiring you. To build your toolbox, learn about human psychology and practice selling. It will take you much further as a personal trainer than reading another PubMed paper on protein or arguing online about biomechanics. Ultimately, your salesmanship and people skills will help you attain and retain clients, which will allow your service to help more people. Learning more about people also allows you to target their emotional pain points, empathize, and find ways to improve the client on their own terms. Many clients don’t really care that you have a scientific six phase warm-up or that you can lecture them about deadlift technique. They simply want to get into a decent exercise routine and have a relatable person hold them accountable along the way. Most of your clients will want to look better, but they’re not often trying to compete. So it’s certainly a line to walk when it comes to understanding the individual’s desire for physical changes without steering them toward bodybuilding or powerlifting. If you can communicate the perfect balance, you should be able to build a reliable clientele. You’re Not a