F I T N E S S - F A Q
I've missed a day of training, what should I do ?
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If you ever miss a single day of training for any reason whatsoever, then you must make up for it right on the following day, and push submitting your 'weekly follow-up' form just a day further.
For example; if you exercise on Days 1,2 & 3 as per your given 'Fitness Program' then took the 4th day off also as per your given program, then for whatever reason you've missed Day 5, in this situation I would want you to make up for Day 5 the following before moving on to Day 6, then you can simply submit your 'weekly follow-up' form just a day further.
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You must know that every single day of your given 'Fitness Program' is just as important as your other 3 or 4 days. It is absolutely crucial for you NOT to miss on any of your training days and move on to your next week before finishing your 5 x days of training for that week first.
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I want you to ((always)) submit working out 5 x Days from your previous week even if you have to submit your 'weekly follow-up' a day late. ​
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I've hit a 'Weight Loss' Plateau, what should I do ?
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Increasing your ‘post-workout’ cardio by adding an extra ( 5 to 15 mins ) as well as decreasing your food intake portions by %20-30 , is the best course of action you can take when hitting a 'weight loss' plateau. By doing these two things you'll force your body to ‘burn more’ while it ‘consumes less’.
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More output (exercise) + Less intake (food) = Weight loss.
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Make sure you stick to 'small-medium' sized food portions with at least 3-4 hrs gap in between, and drink lots of water in between those meals (preferably on an empty stomach), but NEVER decide just to cancel any of your main meals or starve yourself all together, cause by doing that you'll be causing more harm to yourself than good.
Eating 'smaller' food portions is always a much healthier choice to make than starving yourself all together.
I've hit a 'Muscle Gain' Plateau, what should I do ?
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1) Increase the weights you’re currently using by just a bit ( but not by too much ) so your muscles are a bit more challenged and are more likely/forced to grow.
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2) Increase your ‘protein’ intake ( Egg whites / Fish and/or Chicken ) by %20-30, as well as your 'good' carb intake ( Veggies & Salads ) also by %20-30 per meal, so your muscles are more likely to recover & rebuild better while adapting to the increased weights you just starting using.​
When should I increase the weights I'm using ?
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Once the weights you’ve been using and/or are currently using started to feel a bit too ‘light’ or ‘too easy’ for you to use, only then you can 'up' your weights by just a bit & not by too much.
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Make sure to first 'test' the new 'increased' weights by making sure that they get you to start struggling with them around your 10th repetition while performing any set of any exercise -any weight should not have you struggle before your 10th repetition- in other words, if you increase the weights and you started to struggle around your 5th or 6th repetition, then that weight is 'not' appropriate to use, and you should rather lower it down until you are able to hit 10 clean reps before you start struggling with the weight.
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Make sure to maintain the same weights for at least ( 2 x weeks ) before deciding to increase them, and ONLY do so when the weights become 'too light' for you to use.
When should I choose to perform an ‘alternative exercise’ ?
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1) If the equipment you’re supposed to be using as per your given ‘Fitness Program’ was missing from the gym facility you’re working out at, or if it was ‘under maintenance’.
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2) If the equipment you’re supposed to be using as per your given ‘Fitness Program’ was too busy with multiple people using it all at the same time, in a scenario where you’d have to wait for too long before it’s your turn to use it.
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3) If you ever felt sharp pain or severe discomfort while performing any particular exercise, then you should immediately STOP performing that exercise and rather try it's 'alternative exercise' as per mentioned in your given 'Fitness Program' and see if you feel ok while performing it's alternative exercise without having any severe or unusual pain or discomfort.
Can I do the same exercise more than once on the same day ?
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Yes, you can. For example: If it’s mentioned in your given ‘Fitness Program’ that you’ll need to perform ‘Seated Leg Curls’ as well as ‘Lying Leg Curls’ on the same day, but the gym you go to only has a ‘Seated Leg Curls’ machine, then it’s perfectly fine for you to perform ‘Seated Leg Curls’ twice on the same day ( as it should be mentioned in your given 'Fitness Program' as your 'alternative exercise' for that particular exercise ). And it will be fine to perform the same exercise twice on the same day as both exercises should aim to work the same muscle group anyway.
What should I do if my heart rate suddenly elevated in an abnormal or uncomfortable way while performing any exercise or while doing my ‘Pre’ or 'Post-Workout’ Cardio ?
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If you ever experienced any form of abnormal physical pain and/or any form of abnormal sudden elevation in your heart rate, then you should STOP exercising immediately, sit down and hydrate ( drink water ), give your HR a chance to gradually slow down and get back to a normal pace, then cautiously attempt to resume your training.
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If your heart rate did not start to gradually slow down after stopping and properly hydrating, and your condition still persisted, then you should STOP exercising all together on that day, head back home and get plenty of rest, as you can always exercise on another day when you’re feeling a lot better. If the same symptoms still occurred whenever you're back at the gym, then you'll have to seek professional help and consult a physician about your condition to get a proper medical diagnosis.
I feel muscle soreness all over my body, what should I do ?
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If you only just started with your given 'Fitness Program' and it's only been your 1st week of training (or even if you're on your 2nd week) and you're feeling muscle soreness and muscle ache across certain parts of your body or all over, then rest assured cause it is perfectly normal to feel this way.
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If you haven't exercised in a while and all of a sudden you started doing so, then your body will start forming a chemical called 'lactic acid' that should spread across your muscles and is usually the main cause of your muscle soreness.
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My one & only advice ? Be patient, do NOT use any pain killers (pills or creams) as 'lactic acid' build up is a part of this natural biological process where your body is simply reacting to muscle exhaustion and will probably need a bit of time to readjust itself to this new type of physical stress that it wasn't used to.
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So rather trust the process and do everything in your power not to lose momentum, and make sure to follow through with your given ‘Fitness Program’ until the very end, as results come later on and not in the beginning!
On some days I finish all of my given exercises yet I still feel not so tired and can probably do more... Is this normal ?
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If you ever felt that you can still do 'a lot more' by the end of your training session then it’s mostly because the weights you’ve been using where 'too light' or 'too easy' in comparison to your strength level, meaning that they were 'not heavy enough' to challenge you.
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If you always make sure to properly adjust the weights before using them so that they are properly adjacent to your strength level ( are challenging enough ) that you start struggling with the weight around your 10th repetition ( not before or after that ), then there's 'no way' for you to still feel like you can do 'a lot more' by the end of your session!
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If your main goal was to lose weight, then you can also 'up' your ‘post-workout’ cardio by adding an extra ( 5-15 mins ) to your usual 'post-workout' cardio time.
How often can I change my usual exercise time ?
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God created the human body to function at it's peak when it’s used to receiving and/or undergoing certain activities at certain ‘fixed’ times of the day.
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In other words, your body should be at it’s most ‘receptive’ state when it’s used to eating, exercising and resting/sleeping at the same times everyday. That’s why for example if you’re used to exercising everyday @ 6 pm right after work during week days, you’ll find yourself all energized and hyped up around the same timing on your off days when you’re not meant to be at the gym working out! Same rule applies to your 'eating' and 'sleeping' time patterns.
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So don’t confuse your body by constantly changing your exercise timing, and rather do your very best to fix your exercising, eating and sleeping timings.
I’m traveling and I don’t want to pause my training, what should I do ?
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If you'll be staying at a 'hotel' during your travels then you'll mostly likely have a gym facility either within the hotel or anywhere near by your hotel. If that was the case then it's 'problem solved' and you can simply resume your training without any pausing.
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If by any chance the hotel you were staying at did 'not' have a gym facility and there were no other gym facilities anywhere near by where you’re staying, then I'll be giving you a brief workout plan to follow while you're away just to help you stay active until you’re back exercising in a fully equipped gym facility.
I got very sick and was incapable of performing any form of physical exercise during the past couple of days or entire past week... From where should I resume with my given ‘Fitness Program’ ?
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If you ever end up exercising less than 4 times in total by the end of your week due to any illness or because of being sick, then you’ll have to repeat that entire week all over again from the very beginning ( after you're fully recovered and are capable of exercising once again ) since exercising less than 4 times a week is unacceptable, and know that every single day of your given 'Fitness Program' is just as important as the rest of them!
And you'll need to re-adjust your ‘weekly follow-up’ calendar reminder so you're back to sending me your ‘weekly follow-up’ form every 7th day as per your given ‘Fitness Program’.
What should I do with my ‘weekly follow-ups’ if I had an emergency and was 'absolutely' unable to exercise for 1-3 days ?
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If you ever had an emergency and was unable to exercise for 1-3 days in a row, then you can simply proceed and resume your training as per your given 'Fitness Program' from where you've left off without having to repeat the entire week all over again.
And you'll need to re-adjust your ‘weekly follow-up’ calendar reminder so you're back to sending me your ‘weekly follow-up’ form every 7th day as per your given ‘Fitness Program’.
I don’t feel that I’m reaching the progress I expected, is that normal ?
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Always remember that your progress extends beyond the time you spend at the gym. Meaning, if you’re killing it at the gym yet you're not having the right type of food at the right time(s) of the day and in the right amounts (portions), and/or if you're not getting enough sleep and/or enough rest as you should, then it's very expected for you not to reach the progress level you were hoping for!
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Know that it’s a ‘trifecta’ when it comes to reaching substantial progress, which means that your 'dieting' and your 'sleeping/recovery' are just as important as your 'training'. So remember that if any of those 3 ever got neglected, then it'll most certainly have a negative impact on your overall progress.
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Also, if you ever choose to improvise or alter any of the content of your given 'Fitness and/or Diet' programs ( on your own ) and without consulting with me first, then you should expect your progress to also be negatively affected.
What should I focus on the most while chasing my ‘Fitness Goal’ ?
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Chasing a number on the scale is the last thing you should worry and obsess about! How you feel, how well you function as a human being and how good you look ( with or without your clothes on ) should be your main and sole focus when chasing your goal!
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For example: If you step on the scale and it says that you haven’t lost that much weight during the past couple of weeks or past month of training & dieting, yet you've noticed that your waist line has gone down quite a bit, and/or if you've noticed that your muscles had got a bit bigger or a bit more toned ( depending on your fitness goal ), and/or if those around you started noticing how great you look and they started giving you compliments, and/or mostly if you felt better about yourself all together... Then that is what you should mostly focus on and not what some scale might tell ya!
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Chasing a number is great especially if your main goal is to lose weight, but it’s never as important as seeing progress with your own eyes and in the eyes of those around you.