Shape Up! Fall Fitness

Shape Up! Fall Fitness


If you have made a decision to finally take the big step forward and get yourself back into shape by dropping 15 pounds so you can fit back into that favorite pair of jeans or look good for your high school reunion next summer. You just can't declare that "I am going to eat less and exercise," because that is too vague. If you want specific results you have to have a specific plan. "How many calories a day I need to eat?" "What is my resting metabolic rate?" "How much time do I need to spend doing cardio and at what intensity level?" "How many times a week should I be working out?" That's a lot of questions, and the answers depend on the person asking them. Of course, different people will have different goals as well. If your goal is to develop strength, endurance, agility or flexibility your plan is going to differ -- but you will still need a plan.

When putting together any fitness plan there are a number of elements to be considered. We mentioned a few earlier, frequency, intensity, caloric intake and so on. Each of those three are subject to variables like past exercise history, age, and work schedule just to name a few.

 Strength training brings its own set of concerns like gender, muscle type, orthopedic issues or existing injuries that need to be worked around. Many people are not even aware that there is a proper way to strength train and an improper way and if correct protocol is not followed the results could do more harm than good.

So, how does one navigate this maze of possible missteps so that you don't waste a month, a week, a day or even an hour ineffectively training?


1. Quantify your goals for yourself. Vague and unsure proclamations like "I want to be more fit" or "I want to be stronger" need to be broken down into raw numbers. In order to achieve your goals you must have a specific idea of what you want to achieve .i.e. goal weight, percentage of strength increase.


2. Find out what your baseline numbers are. In other words have yourself tested for your current body fat levels, cardiovascular capacity, muscle endurance, and muscle strength. If you know where you are starting from then you can more effectively plan on how to get to your final destination.


3. Figure out what your schedule is and how you can best work your program into it. If you plan ahead then you can more effectively deal with schedule contingencies.


4. Make sure you have an experienced professional to refer to. Many times when you find that the program that you are working has led you to a "plateau" the experienced trainer can help you tweak your program and get you back on the right track.


5. Find a workout partner, accountability and results improve when you work out with someone.


These are just some of the things an individual needs to consider when creating a program.

If you need a more detailed description, check with the staff at your gym. Any good facility should have several qualified and certified individuals to help develop your particular plan. Now, go get more fit!



Joe DiBiase-Head Trainer

Karen Travis-Owner/Trainer

Snap Fitness-24-7

2898 Westinghouse Rd

Horseheads, NY      607.739.1220