What's Best For You?

There are many different training styles, movements, environments, etc. Each combination will have different levels of relevance to achieving a certain goal; regardless of whether those goals are physical or mental. There are tons of factors to take into account also, including existing abilities, previous injuries, limitations and physiology.

So, with some muddy waters to navigate, how are we supposed to know which style of training is the best for us?

Firstly, you need to look at what you would enjoy doing. There's no point taking up running if you know you won't like it; you're less likely to stick to it and you're more likely to develop a negative relationship with exercise, which is the opposite of what we want to achieve.

As well as finding something you enjoy, you need to find something that is relevant to what you want; if you wanted to run marathons and the only training you did was yoga, you'd be holding yourself back from achieving your goals physically.

The best way to start is to give everything a try, in my opinion. Don't just commit yourself to the first thing. There are so many options for exercise and you'd really be boxing yourself off if you just did the first thing someone suggested and avoided anything else.

A lot of the time I see people (more often women) avoiding free weights because they've never tried it, and they think it's too late to start. I've worked with many people who were competent within the gym when it came to machine exercise or joining in with classes, but had no confidence in the free-weight section of the gym. Bonkers. And by the time they'd decided they wanted to try it, they were too embarrassed in case people assumed they didn't know what they were doing.

If you're finding it hard to know what to do or where to start, I'd recommend booking a consultation (which are usually free) with a few PT's/coaches at your local gym. Even if you don't go on to train with them it'll give you a lot of insight into what you're best suited to in regards to your body type, lifestyle factors, diet, and what you're looking to achieve. Any PT worth their salt is going to talk with you, at length, about what they would recommend and why. They're going to help educate you on the safest and most efficient way to help you while keeping it enjoyable.

Failing that, Google is your friend. It really is. An absolute plethora of information right there at your fingertips. There are loads of free to use programs online and you can try them all! If you're not sure how to do something, look on YouTube, it's a gold mine for people sharing their experiences and knowledge. Instagram is another great way to connect with fitness professionals and learn a thing or two about how to build programs and the best techniques etc, all free of charge.

Lastly, remember to enjoy it. Exercise isn't a punishment, and should never feel that way. If you're not having fun, you're not likely to stick to your plan and that's when things go awry. As well as seeing physical growth you want mental growth too. You want to be enthusiastic about doing and learning more, you want to look forward to training most days (nobody is motivated all the time) and it really shouldn't feel like a chore to go into your training facility and fulfil your plan for the day.

If you're struggling and you want some free advice, please drop an email and we can discuss more in depth what your options are and what would be best for you.