Q: Warming Up

There are two types of warm up - general and specific. The aim of a general warm up is to prepare your muscles, joints, cardiovascular system, and nervous system for movement. Go for a few minutes on a cardio machine of your choice and follow that with some dynamic stretching. Specific warm ups prepare you for lifting heavier weights. Before your first working set, complete warm up 1-2 sets. Start with a light weight, about half of your working weight, and increase that for your second set. Focus on technique and feeling out how ready your body is for that movement.

Question 1

Warming Up

Accepted Answer

There are two types of warm up - general and specific.
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The aim of a general warm up is to prepare your muscles, joints, cardiovascular system, and nervous system for movement. Go for a few minutes on a cardio machine of your choice and follow that with some dynamic stretching. 
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Specific warm ups prepare you for lifting heavier weights. Before your first working set, complete warm up 1-2 sets. Start with a light weight, about half of your working weight, and increase that for your second set. Focus on technique and feeling out how ready your body is for that movement.

Question 2

Reps and Sets

Accepted Answer

Repetitions (reps) indicate the number of times you’ll aim to complete the exercise without pausing.

Sets are the number of times you'll complete the reps, with rest in between sets.

Question 3

Rest Time

Accepted Answer

Take the time to rest in between sets. This allows your body to recover so you can tackle the next set. 
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In general, for resistance training, you’re ready for your next set when: 
1) your breathing has returned to normal 
2) the muscle you're working feels ready to manage the load again  
3) you feel overall ready to go

Some programs will have different rest requirements - this will be written into your program if so.

Question 4

Progressing Weight

Accepted Answer

The joke goes: the gym never gets easier, the weights just get harder.

Progressive overload is what allows us to make progress towards our goals. As our bodies adapt, we need to find new ways to challenge ourselves.

There are three main ways my programs will ask you to progress your weight. They are:

1) Double progression. I'll provide a rep range for your exercise (e.g. 8-12 reps). Once you can do all your sets at the top of that rep range (e.g. you completed 12 reps for all 3 sets), increase the weight. Your reps will drop, and that's not a problem - just keep working until you hit the top of the rep range again and repeat!

2) % 1RM. If we're following a program using this method your weight and reps for this exercise will be stated in the app.

3) Auto-regulation. For some styles of training, e.g. AMRAPs or EMOMs, I will ask you to choose a suitable weight or number of reps. For example, choose a weight you can do 8-10 reps of. Find the appropriate weight through your warm up sets.

Question 5

How Hard to Push for each Exercise

Accepted Answer

As you learn an exercise, I'm looking for three things from you: 1) you can complete the exercise correctly (safely and effectively), 2) your form is consistent, and 3) your form doesn't break down as you fatigue.

While you're working on your form, choose a weight that lets you focus on this while feeling like an effort. Take your time to master all three of these first.

When every rep looks the same, even as you get tired (apart from slowing down - that will happen as you fatigue), we are looking for an 8/10 effort for each set. At the end of each set you should feel like you could do 1-2 more repetitions but no more. Never sacrifice technique for weight. 
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If you're using double progression (see "Progressing Weight" above): once you're confident with the exercise, aim to finish each set when you're only able to do 1-2 more reps, unless otherwise stated in your program.

Otherwise, your program will give guidelines as to how hard to push for each set.

If you're experiencing any of the following, you're likely pushing too hard. Consider taking a break or easing up on difficulty. 
- Your form changes throughout the set, especially as it gets hard at the end. 
- You're unable to complete your next set within 1-3min, or your performance decreases drastically. 
- You're showing signs of over-exertion, e.g. feeling faint or dizzy, feeling like you can't draw enough breath, nausea, or extreme fatigue or sweating.

If you are experiencing over-exertion, give yourself a break and evaluate whether you are feeling well enough to continue for that day. Exercise can feel uncomfortable as you push yourself, but feeling sick or in continued pain is an indication that something might be wrong.

Question 6

Rearranging Workouts within Your Program

Accepted Answer

If you need to complete a workout on a different day than it is scheduled for, you can move it in the app. I have chosen the order of your workouts and rest days with reason however!

A few rules to follow when changing your workout schedule:

1) Try to keep the workout order consistent, or substitute like with like (e.g. if you have two upper body days, you can normally swap them)

2) Avoid training the same muscles hard two days in a row. Your muscles grow when you rest - you need to provide time for that. Training when fatigued can also increase the risk of injury.

3) If you are consistently not completing all your workouts each week, let me know. It's better to consistently complete a program designed for two days than two workouts of a program designed for three days.

Question 7

Exercise Tempo

Accepted Answer

To start with, take your time and focus on learning the movement.

After that, for most lifts, aim to complete the concentric or lifting phase with power and the eccentric or lowering phase with slower control. If you’re not sure which is which, ask!

Sometimes we'll deviate from this - e.g. using pauses to build on weak points or focusing on explosiveness or control. I'll note that in your program if so.

Never move faster than you can control and don't fall or bounce into the end of your movement range. This increases your chance of injury!

Question 8

Soreness After the Workout

Accepted Answer

The workout provides the stimulus - your body adapts during rest.

It is normal for your muscles to feel sore for 1-2 days after your workout. This is called DOMS - delayed onset muscle soreness. Good sleep, lowering stress, and eating well can all help you recover. Some also find stretching, massage, or warm baths/heat packs can help. Anti-inflammatories or cold therapies can also speed the recovered feeling, but don’t use them if you don’t need them – they can interfere with the adaptations we’re training for.

If you feel pain in your joints or pain that lasts more than 3 days, check in with me. We’ll review your form and the exercise load in your program. Consider seeing your doctor or a physio as well.

Over time and with consistent exercise, it is also normal for post-exercise soreness to decrease. If you’re still working hard at that 8/10 effort and seeing progress towards your goals, don’t worry about not feeling sore!

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