Sunday, February 23, 2014

Which workout do you like better?

Everyone, or I should say most everyone, has some sort of goal when going to the gym or out their door to do an exercise routine.  Working out doesn't mean that you have to go to a gym to pump iron, or run on the elliptical machine.  There are plenty of things you can do using mother nature's equipment...hills, rocks, logs, etc.

So when you DO workout, what type of workout do you enjoy most?
a.  Heavy weights, strength workout
OR
b.  High-Intensity cardio/strength workout

This may be a trick question for some of you.  If you are like me, I like a and b; a little bit of both mixed together.  I enjoy turning up the volume on the stereo and listening to some heavy metal (Iron Maiden, old Mettalica) and lifting some heavy weights, then going immediately to a high intensity movement (ie:  a 20-sec sprint, Swiss Ball mountain climber, split lunge jumps, box jumps, or battling rope slams.

Swiss Ball Mountain Climber

I don't particularly like just doing one or the other, even though each has it's benefits depending on your specific goal.  However, my philosophy on training is that you mix in a little (4-8 weeks) of each type of workout.

Periodization training will accomplish this goal of training all aspects of strength, power, and muscular endurance.  If you are an endurance athlete you will want to spend more time in the muscular endurance phase of training, however if you are a football athlete, spending a good amount of time in strength and power phase will benefit you most.

Because I am no longer training as a professional athlete to compete in cycling, I enjoy doing a combination of training like a football player and also like a soccer/basketball player.  Mixing strength with powerful anaerobic moves, and having the endurance to do that for a long period of time is a great feeling.  There's nothing better than pushing around some good weight working full body movements and doing this for 1-1.5 hours, either in a gym or outside in the elements.

In a few days I will post a sample workout of what I like to do during my time at the gym.

So, what kind of workout do you like?  

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