UAE fitness: Are you training right for your goals?

Dubai - Stepping into a gym cannot do anything for you on its own if your workout isn’t in line with your goals.

By Yasir Khan

Published: Fri 23 Apr 2021, 1:19 PM

Exercise and fitness are broad topics. There are several different types of exercises and several different goals people have. What a lot of people struggle with, however, is exercising for your goals. Stepping into a gym cannot do anything for you on its own if your workout isn’t in line with your goals. I’ve seen potential female clients looking for a toned physique that are absolutely terrified of strength training because they fear it will make them look manly. I’ve seen men looking for beach bodies who train their upper body and do far too many bicep curls but completely ignore their leg workouts. Are you trying to sculpt your physique or are you just trying to stay healthy? Are you looking to lose fat or are you trying to build some muscle? Are you trying to keep your body moving better as you age or are you training for a marathon? Your answer determines everything.

Strength

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For anyone trying to sculpt their physique – male or female – strength training is key. For anyone looking to build muscle mass, lose fat or move better with age – strength training is essential as well. What determines whether you will look bulky or lean is primarily your diet. Bodybuilders have to eat a lot to look the way they do. It is also important to train your entire body and not just selected areas you would like to tone or bulk. Men love training their upper bodies and women love training their lower bodies. However, your body is a system and in order to keep it moving optimally, you have to work everything.

Strength training helps build muscle

Even lean, toned physiques have muscle and it serves more than just an aesthetic purpose. Muscle helps your body burn fat and it also keeps pressure off your joints helping you stay healthier as you age.

Endurance

Building endurance is another popular fitness goal. The primary focus here is to keep your heart rate up for a prolonged period of time and to run, swim or cycle for a long time. If you’re trying to run a marathon, this is the most important thing for you. However, its purpose doesn’t end there. Endurance training is great for your heart. It also compliments a lot of strength-based goals. It’s great for general health and stamina and can help you perform a lot of your strength-based goals better.

Balance and Flexibility

This goal is popular with people looking for overall wellness. It also helps with pain management and plays a great supporting role to your strength and endurance efforts by keeping your body moving better. It allows you to perform movements like squats deeper and it also allows you to run faster. For most fitness goals, focus on strength training, do some endurance training (how much would depend on your goals) and work on balance and flexibility for a few minutes before and after your training sessions.

Yasir Khan is a Dubai-based transformation expert with 17 years of experience in fitness and mind coaching.