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No physique or strength training routine is complete without chest day. But are you doing the right exercises on chest day? Instead of mindlessly repping out push-ups or taking over the cable machine, get granular with the type of exercises you do for your chest.   In addition to the mainstays like bench press and triceps dips, these are some of the top exercises to build a bigger, stronger chest.  Related: Best Exercises for Bigger Shoulders  Dumbbell Bench Press Variations: kettlebell bench press  Why this is one of the best exercises for your chest: You probably expected to see traditional bench press on a list of the best exercises for your chest, but we argue that the dumbbell bench press holds just as much (if not more) value due to the stablization and muscle control needed to support heavy dumbbells.  How to do dumbbell bench press:  Choose a set of moderate to heavy dumbbells. Use free-standing flat bench.   Grab the dumbbells and lie back on the bench just like you would for a barbell bench press set.   Start with your arms fully extended and vertical. They should make a right angle with your torso.   Bend your elbows and lower the dumbbells until your triceps break parallel just slightly.   Press the dumbbells back up, taking care not to clang them together.   Try straight sets or pyramid sets.   Narrow-Grip Bench Press Variations: goblet bench press (kettlebell or single dumbbell)  Why this is one of the best exercises for your chest: Building bigger pecs is all about hitting them from every angle possible. This is where the narrow-grip bench press comes in. Don’t replace standard bench press with narrow-grip, but add it to your routine to maximize your results.    How to do narrow-grip bench press:  Set up on a flat bench just like you would for standard-grip bench press.   Load the bar with less than what you would use for standard-grip bench press, as narrow-grip relies more on the triceps and upper pecs than standard-grip.   Grip the barbell with both hands near the center. Try this trick to find your grip: Touch your thumbs together in the center of the barbell and establish your grip one thumb’s length away from the center on each side.   Bend at the elbows to lower the bar to your sternum.   Press up and achieve full lock-out.   Dumbbell Fly Variations: cable crossover fly, resistance band fly  Why this is one of the best exercises for your chest: Again, it’s all about angles. The dumbbell fly targets the sternal heads of your pectoralis major muscles, contributing to a well-rounded (literally) chest and improved upper body strength.   How to do the dumbbell fly:  Choose a set of light to moderate dumbbells. Set up a free-standing flat bench.   Lie back on the bench and press your lower back into it.   Start with your arms almost fully extended and vertical (make that right angle with your torso). Keep a soft bend in your elbows.   Slowly lower your arms out to your sides, continuing to descend until your arms break parallel to the floor.  Keep your core engaged and squeeze your chest muscles to bring your arms back to center.   While a lumbar arch during bench press is safe for most people, avoid arching your back during this exercise. Not only will it prevent back pain, but it will ensure you engage the proper muscles to gain strength and mass in your chest.   To make sure you have the proper technique or for more chest work variations, talk to a World Gym Personal Trainer today!     

Your heart rate is the best indicator of how hard your body is working during a training session. Whether you run, swim, cycle, lift weights, or do bodyweight HIIT workouts, training with heart rate zones can help you hit specific intensity targets.  In this article, learn the benefits of using heart rate training zones and how utilizing data can help you reach your fitness goals faster. Defining the Heart Rate Zones There are five heart rate zones, all of which correspond to different percentages of your max heart rate (MHR), which you’ll learn how to calculate later. In each zone, you’ll experience a different level of exertion and your body will use carbohydrates, proteins, and fats for fuel in specific ways.  Zone 1: 50 percent to 60 percent of MHR Zone 2: 60 percent to 70 percent of MHR Zone 3: 70 percent to 80 percent of MHR Zone 4: 80 percent to 90 percent of MHR Zone 5: 90 percent to 100 percent of MHR You can also think of these in terms of effort level: Zone 1: Very light Zone 2: Light Zone 3: Moderate Zone 4: Hard Zone 5: Very hard All of these zones have specific purposes and they’re all important. The goal is never to max out every workout or stay in zone 5 for an hour.  An effective workout plan will include different types of workouts with different intended stimuli. This is the only way to continue to progress and avoid facing fitness burnout or overtraining syndrome.  Why You Should Use the Heart Rate Zones Here are a couple of scenarios when heart rate zones really come in handy:  Many runners tend to run too fast on recovery days. Paying attention to heart rate zones ensure they avoid overtraining.  Beginners may overestimate their intensity level. Using heart rate zones, they can see how hard they’re really working and make adjustments to reach their fitness goals. Advanced exercisers may underestimate their intensity level. Heart rate zones provide data so they can remain in the intended intensity range of their programming and continue to see results.  Fitness enthusiasts sometimes overdo it. Having heart rate data handy, they can see if their body is overworking during a session that should be easy or moderate. This way, they can scale back to avoid overtaxing their bodies.  Which Zone Should You Work Out In?  Your weekly workout routine should include some variation of all of the zones. If you only work out in one heart rate zone, you risk hitting a plateau or sustaining overuse injuries, esepcially if your main mode of exercise is a high-impact activity. Here’s a sample weekly schedule of what heart rate training zones can look like:  Monday: Zones 2 and 3; moderate intensity activity such as jogging or lifting moderate weights Tuesday: Zones 3, 4, and 5: intervals of hard-hitting, intense activity paired with slower, more moderate active intervals Wednesday: Zones 1 and 2: very light and light activity to rest your central nervous system and prepare your muscles for another tough day tomorrow Thursday: Zones 2, 3, and 4: moderate to somewhat difficult activity paired with very light rest intervals Friday: Zones 1 and 5: bursts of extremely vigorous activity followed by intervals of complete rest Saturday: Zones 3, 4, and 5: intervals of hard-hitting, intense activity paired with slower, more moderate active intervals Sunday: Zone 1; rest, stretching, yoga, light walking How to Calculate Your Heart Rate for Training Step 1: Calculate your max heart rate.  For World Gym Athletics, we use the Hunt Method: 211 – (your age x 0.64). For instance, if you’re 25 years old, you would multiply 25 x 0.64 to get 16, then subtract 16 from 211 to get 195.   Step 2: Calculate your heart rate zones To find your heart rate targets for each zone, simply multiply the low and high percentage of each zone by your MHR. To calculate Zone 1 ranges for a MHR of 195, first multiply 195 by 0.50 to get 97. Then multiply 195 by o.60 to get 116.   You won’t always land on a whole number, but that’s okay. Here are the approximate heart rate zones for a MHR of 195:   Very light effort: 97 to 116  Light effort: 117 to 135 BPM  Moderate effort:  136 to 154 BPM  Hard effort: 155 BPM to 174 BPM  Very hard effort: 175+ BPM   For World Gym Athletics, we use MyZone, a heart rate training program that determines your max heart rate and tailors experiences specifically to your effort levels. To learn more about the benefits of training with heart rate zones, talk to a World Gym Athletics coach. 

Cycling has certainly experienced a boom in popularity over the last year or so. With a wide range of high-tech at-home stationary bikes available, cycling is more accessible than ever. However, there’s nothing quite like a group cycling class. The energy is unbeatable, and you’ll find yourself pushing harder to improve your fitness.  If you start cycling every day — or on most days — you’ll notice a number of changes to your body and your mind. Here are a few things you can expect when you start cycling every day.  Your Legs Get Strong  The most noticeable benefit of cycling every day: Increased leg strength. Your quads, hamstrings, and calves will grow exponentially if you pick up a daily cycling habit. Your Core Gets Stronger Cycling doesn’t strengthen your legs alone. Don’t be surprised if your abs feel sore after an intense cycling workout, because it works hard to keep your body stable atop the bike.  You Build Muscle You may see cycling as a cardio workout, but bump up the resistance on your bike and you’ll feel your muscles burn along with your lungs. Cycling classes that include strength training intervals are a great way to build muscle.  Your Body Sheds Fat Cycling every day is a great way to lose weight and body fat if those are your fitness goals. High-intensity but low-impact, cycling provides all the benefits of HIIT without taxing your joints. Your Endurance Improves A 30-, 45-, or 60-minute cycling class can improve your endurance, your optimal heart rate zones, and your VO2 max, all of which make you a better athlete.   Your Mental Stamina Increases Cycling isn’t easy. Pushing yourself through a cycling class every day is one surefire way to improve your mental strength and resilience.  Your Disease Risk Plummets Doing any form of exercise daily is known to reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes. Your Immune System Runs Smoothly In additoin to warding off chronic diseases, cycling will keep colds and stomach bugs at bay. Your body rewards you for your hard work by staying healthy — so you can hop back on the bike every day. You Improve Balance, Coordination, and Stability All that movin’ and groovin’ means you have to keep your balance. Learning to toggle resistance mid-workout and move from the bike to the floor and back (if you’re interspersing strength exercises) is also great practice for general coordination.   Your Bone Health Improves Cycling is a bona-fide form of weight-bearing exercise, since you use your body to power the bike. If you add in elements of World Gym cycling classes, such as bodyweight strength exercises, your bone health will improve significantly.  You Become Happier The benefits aren’t all physical. Regular exercise, including cycling, is heavily linked to lower levels of depression, anxiety, and stress.  How to Start Cycling  To people who haven’t ever cycled in a group before, the classes might seem intimidating, but that’s far from the case. At World Gym, cycling represents a community. Our GroupX classes are high-energy, exciting, and loads of fun. You’ll work hard and you’ll work up a sweat, but you’ll be doing so in the company of people who have the same interests as you and a certified coach who has your best interest at heart.  You don’t need any experience to start cycling — your GroupX coach will help you get situated on the bike and teach you the basics. You don’t even need to know how to ride a real bike to use a stationary bike, because our Precor stationary bikes help keep you stable throughout the entire ride.  Each World Gym location has its own schedule of cycling classes and coaches, so make sure to check with the location nearest you. Many World Gym locations offer different types of cycling classes to keep things interesting and help you get the most out of your membership.

It’s an exciting time as more and more people return to their gyms. Here are some tips on how to ease back into your routine  As more and more people receive the COVID-19 vaccine, establishments around the world (including gyms!) are re-opening with fewer restrictions.    If you plan to return to the gym after getting your COVID-19 vaccine, you may feel a mix of emotions about working out after more than a year away from the gym: Excitement, to be sure, but maybe a little bit of uncertainty about where your current fitness level lies and how, exactly, to return to your pre-COVID-19 gym routine.   This article will help you ease back into your workout routine without getting injured or becoming burnt out.    Related: How Exercise Can Protect You From COVID-19  Set Reasonable Goals   Don’t expect to lift the same weight you did before leaving the gym.  Be realistic about your current fitness level. Even if you continued to work out at home throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s likely that you didn’t have access to the same equipment or instruction you had at the gym.    Your body has adapted to new stimuli over the last year and a half, so make sure to account for that when establishing new fitness goals. Read our full article on how to set fitness goals for more tips.   Don’t Overdo It  We know you’re excited about returning to the gym. We’re excited to have you back! But, don’t let that excitement cloud your judgement. You don’t need to do back squats, front squats, lunges, leg press, step-ups, deadlifts, and hamstring curls all on your first leg day back. That’s how you wind up waddling for the next week.   In addition to not overdoing it within a single workout, you should also be careful not to overdo it over the course of a week. When you return to your gym routine, you may find that you need more rest days than before. That’s okay! Give yourself time (guilt-free) to return to your normal gym routine post-COVID-19.   Prioritize Recovery   Rest and recovery become even more important as you ramp up your fitness routine. You’ll feel extra fatigued when you start to work out again after a long break. Don’t let this derail you, but definitely listen to what your body is telling you. Make sure to get enough sleep every night — at least seven hours, but ideally eight or more — and take rest days. Fight the urge to work out every day when you return to the gym. Neglecting rest will only set you back in the long run.    You can still move on recovery days, but make it easy and simple: Go for a walk, take a yoga class with World Gym Anywhere, stretch, or spend some quality time with a foam roller. Heck, even taking a nap is a great rest day activity.   Safety First  Attending World Gym Athletics group fitness classes is a great way to ensure you don’t hurt yourself.   The last thing you want to do when trying to ease back into working out is sideline yourself even further. This is why it’s so important to follow the above three guidelines when restarting your workout routine.   If you set your sights too high, you might overdo it and injure yourself, or you might send yourself spiraling into overtraining syndrome by failing to get enough sleep. Trust us when we say we know how exciting it can feel to get back to the gym. But you’ll thank yourself later for putting logic in control and slowly, safely, easing back into your training routine.   For help starting to work out again, consider working with a qualified personal trainer who can help you with a periodized training program to make progress without getting injured or overworked. Another option is to attend World Gym Athletics classes, where a coach can assess your current fitness level and monitor your technique to provide appropriate workout modifications and progressions.     

Deciding how many days per week to work out is tough. The perfect workout plan will improve your fitness without infringing on your work schedule, family obligations or other aspects of life. That balance can seem impossible to strike, so what’s a person to do?   While standard recommendation for exercise across public health agencies is 30 minutes a day, five days a week, that advice is rather canned and doesn’t say much about different fitness levels or goals. In this article, learn how many days per week you should work out, based on your schedule and other factors.   How Often to Work Out   The best workout schedule for you depends on a number of factors unique to you. Some of those factors include:   Your training age: how long you’ve been exercising  Your training status, including markers like your max heart rate and VO2 max  The type of training you’re accustomed to, and the type you want to do now   Any health or medical conditions you may have  Your schedule and how many days you can realistically commit to   Your fitness goals   How often you should work out also depends on whether you want to do full-body workouts or follow a workout split. This makes a big difference as to how much volume your body can handle without edging close to overtraining syndrome.   In general, fitness experts don’t recommend surpassing five training sessions a week for the average exerciser. Five days per week is plenty to help even advanced workout enthusiasts reach their goals and maintain their fitness. For some people, five days a week is too many and can lead to burnout, demotivation, or overuse injuries.   Three days per week is generally considered the healthy minimum, so put two and two together, and the ideal training schedule is three to five days per week.    Weekly Workout Plan Ideas  Fitness Level  Workouts Per Week   Beginner  3 workouts; 2 strength training, 1 cardio  Intermediate  4 workouts; 2-3 strength training, 1-2 cardio  Advanced  5 workouts; 3-4 strength training, 1-2 cardio  3-Day Workout Routine  If you can work out three days a week, consider opting for full-body workouts each time. With just three workouts per week, your body will have plenty of time to recover in between sessions, so you can safely work all of your muscle groups each time. A common three-day routine is Monday-Wednesday-Friday, but any other combination can work as long as you get adequate rest in between workouts.   4-Day Workout Routine  A four-day routine can consist of full-body workouts, isolation workouts, or a combination of both. It’s a matter of how you space out your workout days. For instance, if you go to the gym Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, you could do full body, lower body, upper body, full body. Four full-body workouts a week might be a bit much for beginners.   5-Day Workout Routine  If you can commit to a five-day workout routine, you’ll get the most benefits from a split workout plan. Workout splits involve isolating muscle groups and training them on different days to get the most out of each training session. Cycling muscle groups also allows for simultaneous recovery and work.   Sample Workout Routines    3-Day Routine  4-Day Routine  5-Day Routine  Monday:  Full-Body  Full-Body  Lower Body  Tuesday:  Rest  Rest  Upper Body  Wednesday:  Full-Body  Upper Body  Cardio  Thursday:  Rest  Rest  Rest  Friday:  Full-Body  Lower Body  Lower Body  Saturday:  Rest  Rest  Upper Body  Sunday:  Rest  Cardio  Rest  How Often to do Cardio vs. Weights  Whether you choose a three, four, or five-day workout plan, interspersing cardio with resistance training supports your overall health.   The optimal ratio depends on your goals (someone who wants to run a marathon will need more cardio days than someone who wants to get stronger at powerlifting moves), but everyone can benefit from at least one cardio workout per week.   As for strength training, research shows that at least two days per week are necessary for continual improvement.   Why You Need Rest Days From the Gym     Rest facilitates recovery.  Many people are surprised to learn that the muscle-building magic happens during rest, not during workouts. When you work out, your muscles become tired and damaged, and they need rest to rebuild and recover. If you continually pummel your muscles without giving them time off, you may actually enter a catabolic and destructive state.   Contrary to popular belief, rest days don’t have to be lazy days. You can still be active on rest days even if you’re sore — in fact, active recovery can be more helpful than passive recovery. Gentle movement, such as a long walk, a yoga flow, or a leisurely bike ride, encourages blood flow to tired muscles and can speed up the recovery process.  A personal trainer can help determine how often you should work out. Talk to your local World Gym staff about a personalized workout plan.  

Many people struggle to keep up with an exercise routine because they find traditional exercise boring. Squats, push-ups, and deadlifts simply don’t bring them excitement or joy.  The truth is, fitness doesn’t have to be so structured. Fitness can be spontaneous and fun — it doesn’t have to look like three sets of 10 with timed rest intervals. Dancing is one great way to make fitness fun. Everyone likes to dance, even if they don’t want to admit it or feel they aren’t good at it.  Humans were meant to move, and dancing is a natural way to do it! Plus, you can dance anywhere. Ahead, learn about 10 benefits of dancing that’ll convince you to add dance fitness classes to your workout routine. Cardiovascular Health Busting a move is a great way to get your heart rate up. Dancing brings all the same cardiovascular benefits as walking, jogging, or interval training.  Endurance Dance fitness classes can be as short as 30 minutes or up to an hour. Whichever type of class you choose, moving and shaking for half an hour or more will undoubtedly improve your endurance over time. Coordination, Balance, and Stability Dancing involves moving in all planes of motion, sometimes in multiple planes simultaneously. You’ll rotate, flex, extend, move forward, and move back. This type of comprehensive movement improves balance and stability.  Mind-to-Muscle Connection When you first try dance fitness, you might feel like a baby giraffe, unsure how, exactly, to move your body. You’ll have to think hard about some movements and practice your rhythm. Over time, however, you’ll start to move naturally and fluidly thanks to your newfound mind-muscle connection.  Social Wellness You might meet your new best friend in a dance fitness class. Attending classes can double as your workout session and social time — and it’s way healthier than going to happy hour. Boosted Mood Dancing is extremely expressive, and it may help you release some stress or other uncomfortable emotions. In fact, research shows that dancing can relieve symptoms of depression and anxiety. This doesn’t come as a surprise considering the plethora of research proving exercise is good for emotional health. Flexibility From high kicks to hip circles, you’ll find yourself amazed at the flexibility and mobility you gain through dancing. Your joints will naturally find deeper ranges of motion as you progress.  Brain Health There’s no shortage of research showing that exercise is good for your brain. Studies show that certain areas of the brain, including those related to memory, planning, and critical thinking, can be strengthened through exercise like dance. Strength and Power Some types of dance, such as Latin dance, involve explosive movements that strengthen your muscles and teach you to use power from your hips, glutes, hamstrings, and core.  Energy Dancing is invigorating and the fast-paced music is energizing. You’ll feel refreshed and rejuvenated every time you leave a dance fitness session.  Do You Have to Be Good at Dancing to Do Dance Classes?  There are no prerequisites to joining dance fitness classes at World Gym. All of our dance classes are led by experienced and qualified instructors who will show you the ropes. It may take some time to learn the moves or get accustomed to the flow of the class, but you’ll be a natural in no time.  There’s only one skill you need to get the most out of dance fitness classes: Allow yourself to indulge in the act of dancing. Get out of your head and remember that it’s not about being the best. Everyone’s there for the same reason — to move in a way that feels good.  Learn about the dance fitness classes available at your World Gym location. References and Resources The effect of dance training on joint mobility, muscle flexibility, speed and agility in young cross-country skiers--a prospective controlled intervention study Cognitive and mobility profile of older social dancers  Dancing Participation and Cardiovascular Disease Mortality: A Pooled Analysis of 11 Population-Based British Cohorts  Lights out, let's dance! An investigation into participation in No Lights, No Lycra and its association with health and wellbeing  Leisure activities and the risk of dementia in the elderly  Why Do You Dance? Development of the Dance Motivation Inventory (DMI)  Effects of dance therapy and ballroom dances on physical and mental illnesses: A systematic review 

Strong, defined quads are a hallmark of fitness. Bodybuilders pursue muscle separation where all four muscles of the quadriceps are visible, while powerlifters desire quads strong enough to squat monstrous weights. Whatever your reason for wanting stronger quads, these three exercises will help you build muscle and achieve definition in your legs.  Read more: The Best Exercises for Your Hamstrings 1. Front Squats Variations: dumbbell front squats, goblet squats Why this is one of the best exercises for your quads: In contrast to back squats, front squats place more of the load on your quads versus your hamstrings and glutes.  How to do front squats: Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Hold the barbell in the front-rack position. Point your elbows forward and try to position your triceps parallel to the ground.  Hinge at the hips, then the knees, to descend into the bottom of the squat. Keep your torso as upright as possible and press your heels into the ground.  Drive through the heels to return to standing.  2. Barbell Elevated Reverse Lunge Variations: bodyweight elevated reverse lunges Why this is one of the best exercises for your quads: The focus lies in the eccentric portion of this movement, as well as driving yourself out of a deep deficit. By controlling the descent and capitalizing on the push, elevated reverse lunges pose a significant challenge to the quads. How to do elevated reverse lunges: Place a 45-pound plate or short step-stool on the floor.  Place your right foot on the plate or stool, planting it firmly near the center.  Step back with your left leg and lower your left knee to the ground.  Drive through the heel of your left foot to return to standing.  Plant your left foot on the plate or stool and repeat the steps with your right leg. Continue alternating.  3. Alternating Jumping Lunges Variations: walking lunges, regular alternating lunges Why this is one of the best exercises for your quads: Jumping lunges require you to recruit massive amounts of power from your quads in order to propel yourself into the air. The explosive nature of this movement combined with high-volume rep schemes will torch your quads.  How to do alternating jumping lunges: Stand in the split stance: one foot in front of your torso and one behind, with your feet about shoulder-width apart.  Descend into a lunge until your back knee lightly touches the ground.  Explode out of the bottom of the lunge and jump as high as possible. While in the air, switch your legs.  Land as softly as you can and immediately descend into another lunge. Continue alternating. For more exercise ideas or a personalized fitness plan, talk to a World Gym personal trainer.

If you don’t have a ton of time to dedicate to the gym, you definitely want to make sure you’re getting the most out of your precious workout minutes. Luckily, there are plenty of types of exercise that burn hundreds of calories in under an hour. We compiled some of the most effective types of workouts for you here.  The calorie estimates beneath each type of workout are based on 30 minutes of work for a 150-pound person, retrieved from the calorie and activity calculator from the American Council on Exercise (ACE). You can find calorie estimates for your exact weight by using the calculator. High-Intensity Interval Training Calories burned in 30 minutes: varies The exact number of calories you burn doing HIIT workouts depends on a lot of factors, such as the movements you’re performing, how long your rest intervals are, and your heart rate during work intervals. However, the science doesn’t lie: Studies show that HIIT burns more calories in less time than most other types of training. High-Volume Weightlifting Calories burned in 30 minutes: 204 calories Research has continually shown that high-volume weight training is the best way to maximize muscle growth. It may be one of the best ways to maximize fat loss, too. Lifting with weights you can move for eight to 15 reps is a surefire way to jack up your heart rate and ignite a burn in your muscles.  Cycling (moderate to vigorous) Calories burned in 30 minutes: 272 calories Cycling outdoors or on a stationary bike is one way to burn a lot of calories without taxing your joints. This is a great option for people who need lower impact activities to spare their hips, knees, and ankles. In addition to calorie burn, cycling offers at least 10 other benefits. Running (8 to 9-minute miles) Calories burned in 30 minutes: 391 calories We’re not at all surprised that running is one of the top activities on this list of exercises that burn the most calories. Running is hard — even advanced runners can agree with that. Hit the pavement or the treadmill for a jaunt that’ll leave you feeling breathless and accomplished.  Dancing (moderate intensity) Calories burned in 30 minutes: 221 calories Let go of your inhibitions and try a group dance fitness class to burn calories in a new, fun way. Not only does dancing burn calories quickly, but it’s also a great way to boost your mood and energy, make friends, and learn new skills. Swimming (vigorous intensity)  Calories burned in 30 minutes: 340 calories If your World Gym has a pool, you’re in luck. Swimming is a low-impact yet high-intensity activity that can torch calories in a matter of minutes. Swimming also improves endurance, strength and cardiovascular health.  Jumping Rope (fast pace) Calories burned in 30 minutes: 408 calories Well, would you look at that. You can have fun pretending to be a kid again while also burning more calories than you can with any other activity on this list. Lace up your tennis shoes and prepare your calves, because we’re practicing our speed rope skills today. How to Choose the Most Effective Workouts It’s important to remember that you shouldn’t always choose workouts based on calorie burn. While burning calories to lose weight is a great goal, you’ll find the most success if you choose workouts you actually enjoy. When you enjoy exercising, you’ll stick with it for the long haul, which is the only way to lose weight and keep it off.  Additionally, evaluate your other fitness goals to choose the best type of workout for you. If you’re trying to build muscle, for example, burning the most calories possible may not be in your favor. There are a number of caveats when it comes to choosing the “best exercises.” A personal trainer can help you determine which workouts will best help you reach your fitness goals. References ACE Fit | Physical Activity Calorie Counter (acefitness.org)  Caloric expenditure of aerobic, resistance, or combined high-intensity interval training using a hydraulic resistance system in healthy men  Maximizing Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review of Advanced Resistance Training Techniques and Methods

Setting goals sounds easy. There’s a thing you want to do, so you say you’re going to do it. ‘Nuff said, right?  Unfortunately, setting fitness goals isn’t as simple as it seems on the surface. Accomplishing fitness goals requires planning, commitment, and smart methods for keeping yourself motivated. Ahead, learn eight crucial steps to setting fitness goals and absolutely crushing them.  1. Evaluate Your Current Mindset Get out some paper and a pen and start writing about what you like and don’t like about your current situation. Think about what made you pursue fitness goals in the first place: Is it because you got winded after a flight of stairs? You struggle to keep up with the kids? You don’t feel comfortable in your skin? You’ll want to remember these feelings as you work toward your fitness goals — recalling how you feel now will serve as a source of motivation later. 2. Identify Opportunities in Your Schedule  Think about a typical day of your life and identify times you can dedicate to your fitness goals. It might be helpful to commit to the same time each day to leave less room for missing or skipping workouts. You don’t necessarily need an hour or more a day. Even 20 to 30 minutes a day can propel you toward your goals. Scheduling your workouts like meetings can help you stay dedicated. 3. Define Your Desires Write down what you want out of this process. What are you earning in reward for the work you’re putting in? This is the most important part of the goal-setting process: Without defining your desires, you can’t set goals.  Maybe you want to fit in your old favorite jeans; be able to complete household duties without pain; thru-hike the Appalachian trail; run your first marathon. Everyone is different, and your goals should be true to your desires.  4. Remember to be SMART Most people have been hearing about SMART goals since preschool, and quite frankly, it gets tiresome. But this goal-setting method is used so often because it works. SMART goals are:  Specific: Don’t be vague. “I want to lose weight” is a goal, sure, but it’s extremely subjective and won’t motivate you to work hard for a specific outcome. Measurable: When it comes to fitness goals, numbers are king. Increase your squat PR by 20 pounds, run a 7-minute mile, lose 15 pounds in six months. You must be able to measure your progress to keep working toward your goal. Attainable: It’s great to dream big, but if you dream too big, you might feel overwhelmed by your goal. Set goals you can realistically achieve to keep motivation high. Relevant: If your goal means nothing to you, you’re unlikely to put in the work needed to achieve it. You must be emotionally connected to the goal in some way.  Timely: Good goals are time-bound. As Parkinson’s Law states, “Work expands to fill the period of time available for its completion.” This means your goal will take as long as you allow it to take.  Reaching fitness goals is about careful planning and dedication. 5. Consider Your Common Hurdles Everyone has excuses. Think about the excuses you often use to get out of responsibilities or activities you don’t feel like doing. Maybe you say:  I’m too tired I got off of work late I have to wake up early  I’m too sore Write down the last three excuses you made and decide how you’re going to get past them. You will probably have to make sacrifices, like skipping Netflix to get an extra hour of sleep.  6. Make Your Goal Public Shout your goal from the rooftop! If your friends, family members and colleagues know about your fitness goals, you’re more likely to achieve them. No one wants to disappoint the people they care about, after all.  Alternatively, if going public makes you feel queasy, tell just one person. This person should be close to you and feel comfortable giving you a nudge if you’re falling off-track. Best case scenario, this person will work toward fitness goals of their own.  Group fitness is a great way to work toward fitness goals. 7. Hire a Professional There are people out there who have dedicated their lives to helping people in your position. If you feel stuck, unsure, or otherwise unable to pursue your fitness goals, consider hiring a professional who can help you define your goals and create a plan to help you achieve them. This could be a personal trainer or health coach, or it could be as simple as committing to your favorite group exercise instructor’s class each week.  8. Don’t Be Afraid to Adjust Perfection is the enemy of success. If things are going south and you can’t turn the wheel no matter what you try, it’s time to adjust your goals or your methods. For instance, if your goal was to work out five days a week but you consistently miss the fifth workout, instead of beating yourself up about it, adjust your goal to four days a week and think of ways you can make the most of those four workouts.  This last step is where it’s really beneficial to have a professional in your corner. Learn more about what it’s like to have a personal trainer to help you reach your fitness goals.

It’s 100% possible to build muscle without lifting weights.  When people decide they want to build muscle and get stronger, the first thing that comes to mind is usually weight training. They get started with dumbbells, kettlebells, and barbells because they hear it’s the best way to gain muscle. And it is. Research proves weightlifting results in the most significant muscle growth compared to cardio, high-intensity interval training, and other forms of exercise. However, while lifting weights remains the most efficient way to build muscle, it’s far from the only way. Next time you find yourself without barbells and dumbbells handy, try one of these five types of exercise for building muscle.  Calisthenics Calisthenics exercises include all bodyweight strength training movements.  The simplest way to build muscle without weights is to do bodyweight resistance exercises. The fancy name for bodyweight resistance training is “calisthenics.” Many people think calisthenics training is reserved for elite gymnasts who can do flagpoles and muscle-ups, but, calisthenics training also includes basic bodyweight exercises. Squats, push-ups, lunges, pull-ups, and sit-ups all count as calisthenics.  Plyometrics  Plyometric exercises are powerful and explosive. You can think of plyometrics as bouncy calisthenics. Movements such as jump squats and jump lunges, clapping push-ups, burpees, tuck jumps, single-leg hops, and long jumps all fall into the plyometrics category — and they can all help you build strength and muscle.  Sprinting Sprinting builds muscle in your lower body, especially the glutes and hamstrings. Running long distance may not help you build muscle but sprinting definitely can! Fast sprints require immense power from the calves, hamstrings, glutes, and quads. Your core also activates to stabilize your torso and your arms provide torque, so sprinting is effectively a full-body muscle-building exercise.  Swimming  Swim a few laps and tell us your muscles don’t burn. We’re waiting…  Swimming builds muscle through resistance, just like every other strengthening exercise. Even though swimming is technically considered cardio, water provides resistance as your body moves through it, which challenges your muscles. This makes swimming much more effective at building muscle than other forms of cardio, such as jogging or cycling.  Swimming in open water makes for an even greater challenge. Different swim strokes provide additional muscle-building potential, too. For instance, butterfly is way tougher than freestyle and can build up strength in your shoulders, core, and hips.  Suspension Training Suspension training makes bodyweight exercises more challenging.  Suspension training requires minimal equipment (a TRX or similar setup) but is still a simple and portable way to build muscle compared to weightlifting. With a suspension trainer, you can perform hundreds of exercises for your lower and upper body, as well as your core. As an added bonus, suspension training is really great for improving stability and core control.  Mountain Biking If you’re up for some adventure, mountain biking poses a serious challenge to your leg muscles. Climbing hills on foot is tough but climbing hills on a bike will make your quads scream. Tackling obstacles such as rock beds and learning tricks such as bunny hops will improve your overall fitness, too. So, head out and hit the trails to get strong — just don’t forget your helmet! Resistance Bands  Resistance bands offer great versatility.  Similar to a suspension system, resistance bands add an extra layer of difficulty to basic bodyweight movements. You can resistance bands to up the ante on movements such as air squats, as well as mimic barbell and dumbbell movements.  For instance, looping a resistance band under your feet and around your shoulders creates ample tension in the posterior chain, so you can practice hinging movements such as good mornings and Romanian deadlifts (things that are super hard to accomplish with no tension). Finally, with resistance bands, you can perform isolated movements to strengthen individual muscles or muscle groups, such as front raises, lateral raises, or glute kick-backs.   

You know you need to work out to stay healthy and fit. But do you know how hard you should work out? Many people think they need to work out at the highest intensity possible every day, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Your weekly workout routine should contain a healthy mix of high-, moderate-, and low-intensity physical activity. Heart rate training is a valuable tool to help you hit all those different workout intensities. In our World Gym Athletics programming, we use heart rate training to ensure every athlete is getting the most out of their workout. Here is how you can start using rate training in your workouts. Why you should try heart rate training During World Gym Athletics workouts, your heart rate monitor allows you to stay within your optimal intensity range for the day.  Heart rate training provides real-time feedback about how hard you’re working during exercise. This means you can adjust your workout intensity based on your goals for the given workout. That, in turn, means you can set and achieve specific, data-driven goals for each session.  For example, if you want to go for a recovery run, wearing a heart rate monitor can prevent you from running too fast on your easy day. The same concept applies to high-intensity interval training, weightlifting, and other forms of exercise.  How to start heart rate training Heart rate training is simple with a monitor like MyZone.  Well, first you need a way to measure your heart rate. If you wear an Apple Watch, Fitbit, Garmin, or other type of smartwatch, you already have a way to do so. Chest strap heart rate monitors, like MyZone, use electrocardiogram technology and tend to be more accurate than wrist-worn devices that use optical tracking, so if you want to get serious, go with one of those. Arm straps are another good choice, but they also use optical tracking.  Once you have your device of choice, it’s time to put it to use. Heart rate training is all about beats per minute (BPM) and how close your BPM is to your max heart rate during any given workout. Heart rate training utilizes five heart rate zones, all of which correspond to a certain percentage of your max heart rate (MHR). Each zone elicits a different response from your body.  The five heart rate zones Use these five zones to achieve a desired outcome from each workout:  Very light effort: 50 to 59% MHR  Light effort: 60 to 69% MHR Moderate effort: 70 to 79% MHR Hard effort: 80 to 89% MHR Very hard effort: 90 to 99% MHR Calculate your heart rate zones  A World Gym Athletics coach can help you calculate your max heart rate. To find your heart rate zones, calculate your max heart rate. For World Gym Athletics, we use the Hunt Method: 211 – (your age x 0.64). For instance, if you’re 25 years old, you would multiply 25 x 0.64 to get 16, then subtract 16 from 211 to get 195.  With 195 BPM as your max heart rate, your heart rate zones approximately come out to:  Very light effort: 97 to 116 Light effort: 117 to 135 BPM Moderate effort:  136 to 154 BPM Hard effort: 155 BPM to 174 BPM Very hard effort: 175+ BPM  As a caveat, the formula isn’t appropriate for everyone. Beginners may need to adjust their estimated MHR down. A World Gym Athletics coach can help you do this. Staying in an optimal heart rate zone during workouts ensures you don’t over-tax your body, but you push it when it’s time to get intense. To learn more, talk to a coach at your World Gym.

Shoulder exercises are a mainstay in any great training program. Not only do shoulder exercises help sculpt a well-rounded physique, but they’re essential to overall strength and contribute to a high-performing upper body and core.  If you’re on a mission to build strength and muscle in your shoulders, this guide to three of the best shoulder exercises will help you get started.  1. Barbell Shoulder Press Variations: dumbbell shoulder press, kettlebell shoulder press, resistance band press Why this is one of the best exercises for your shoulders: You really can’t go wrong with this classic shoulder exercise. The barbell shoulder press works your front deltoids and lateral (side) deltoids, resulting in a rounder and bigger look. Your upper back and triceps also get a nice push from the overhead press. How to do the barbell shoulder press: Hold a barbell in the front-rack position: The bar should rest along your collarbone. Keep a full grip on the bar and point your elbows forward.  Brace your core, plant your feet, and press the barbell overhead.  At the top, your elbows should be fully extended and your palms should face forward (knuckles to the sky).  Lower the barbell back to the starting position to complete one rep.  2. Dumbbell Arnold Press Variations: kettlebell Arnold press Why this is one of the best exercises for your shoulders: This exercise comes straight from a bodybuilding legend — yes, that Arnold. The rotational aspect of the Arnold press means your shoulders work in multiple planes of motion, an additional element of muscle-building potential.  How to do the dumbbell Arnold press: Hold two dumbbells in the front-rack position: Rest one head of each dumbbell on your shoulders and support the other head by using a full-grip and pointing your elbows forward. The dumbbells should be parallel to the ground and perpendicular to your body.  Press the dumbbells above your head. As you do so, rotate your arms so that the dumbbells turn outward. Your palms should face forward when you reach full extension of your elbows.  Lower the dumbbells back to the starting position, rotating your arms inward to reassume the front rack position. This completes one rep. 3. Dumbbell I-Y-T-W Variations: resistance band I-Y-W-T Why this is one of the best exercises for your shoulders: This dumbbell complex works your shoulders from every angle and in every plane of motion. Your front, lateral, and rear deltoids (as well as your trapezius) will all feel the burn.  How to do I-Y-T-Ws: Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms down, palms facing your body. With your elbows extended, raise your arms above your head, keeping your arms close so your biceps almost graze your ears. Lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.  Raise your arms again, this time moving your biceps away from your ears. Make a “Y,” like you would when dancing to the YMCA song.  For the “T” portion of the exercise, perform a lateral raise. Lift your arms out to your sides while keeping your elbows extended.  Finally, make a “W” with your arms by bringing your elbows parallel to your shoulders and performing an external rotation of your shoulders.  Want more exercise ideas? Here are the three best exercises for your glutes, plus a guide to building muscle without lifting weights.

Hamstring exercises are an oft-overlooked but extremely important part of a well-rounded training program. You need strong hamstrings for most lower body exercises, especially pulling movements such as deadlifts. Strong hamstrings also increase your explosive strength in lifts like power cleans and snatches.  Plus, mighty hamstrings are good-looking hamstrings, and that’s no bonus to overlook. To help you out on your leg-building endeavor, we created this guide to three of the best exercises for your hamstrings.   1. Barbell Romanian Deadlift (RDL) Variations: Double dumbbell or kettlebell Romanian deadlifts  Why this is one of the best exercises for your hamstrings: A classic variation of the traditional deadlift, Romanian deadlifts (RDLs) isolate your hamstrings and glutes more than any other barbell movement.  How to do the barbell Romanian deadlift: Set up with a barbell as if you’re going to do traditional deadlifts. Use a grip you’re comfortable with. Deadlift the bar to start your first RDL from the hang position.  With a slight bend in your knees, send your hips backward and simultaneously lower the bar. Keep the bar path tight — don’t let it stray too far from your legs.  Keep bending until you feel tension (but not pain) in your hamstrings. Make sure to keep a neutral spine.  Once you reach that end range of motion, squeeze your hamstrings to return to the starting position. 2. Barbell Good Mornings Variations: Resistance band good mornings  Why this is one of the best exercises for your hamstrings: Another hinging movement, good mornings mimic Romanian deadlifts but shift the load to your posterior chain. Placing the barbell on your shoulders increases the tension in the lower portion of your hamstrings rather than the gluteus-hamstring tie-in. How to do the barbell good morning: Place a barbell on your shoulders as if you were doing squats. You can take the bar from a rack or power clean it from the floor and press it overhead.  Hinge at the hips. Press your hips back, keeping just a soft bend in the knees.  When you feel slight tension in your hamstrings, bend at the hips, pressing your torso downward until you reach your end range of motion. Squeeze your hamstrings and glutes to return to the starting position. Make sure to fully extend your hips at the end of each rep.  3. Cross-Body Kettlebell Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift Variations: Dumbbell single-leg RDL Why this is one of the best exercises for your hamstrings: This unilateral movement requires extreme recruitment and control from your hamstrings. The cross-body aspect increases the need for balance and stability. How to do single-leg Romanian deadlifts: Hold the kettlebell in your right hand. Plant your left foot and keep a slight bend in your left knee.  Shift your hips back and lower the kettlebell, aiming for the floor in front of your left foot. Lower until you feel tension, but only as long as you can keep a neutral spine.  Squeeze your left hamstring muscles to return to the starting position. Complete all reps on your left leg before repeating these steps with your right leg.  For more fitness advice, head to our guide on how to maximize your workout results and how to get fit as fast as possible.

Walking seems boring to many fitness enthusiasts, but we make a case for trying it. Walking is the most foundational, most functional form of human movement — even more than squatting. The primary mode of human transportation, walking requires little brainpower and, in general, minimal effort for most people. It’s just natural.  Because walking is so simple, so natural, so easy for most, you may wonder whether walking for exercise is worth your time. Most extreme fitness enthusiasts scoff at the thought, but walking is phenomenal exercise. In fact, most scientific studies on the benefits of exercise look at walking as a primary modality.  But just how beneficial is walking, really? Let’s take a look.  Benefits of Walking for Exercise Walking is great for days when you feel under the weather or too sore, but still want to move.  When you walk for exercise, your body undergoes a number of changes. To name a few:  Your cardiovascular health improves (your heart and lungs get stronger).  Your cardiovascular and muscular endurance improve.  You burn calories and might lose weight.  In addition to those direct fitness benefits, walking also has a huge impact on your overall health. Walking can:  Lower your blood sugar and blood pressure over time.  Boost your mood and energy levels.  Relieve stress, boost productivity, and spark creativity.  Help you get more vitamin D.  And if you think walking is too easy (as many fitness enthusiasts do), consider how low-intensity exercise can supplement your current routine. Walking is a great way to fill time on rest days. It’s also a great replacement for a workout when you feel extra tired or under the weather, but still want to get movement in.  Walking is an especially phenomenal exercise choice for beginners who may not have proper running or weightlifting technique yet. It’s great cardio exercise for those with limited endurance and for busy people who don’t have time for an hour-long workout session or a commute to the gym. For older adults, walking provides a way to enjoy physical activity without excess stress on the joints. Walking may, in fact, be the most underrated form of exercise. How to Make Walking More Fun Make walking more challenging and fun by walking on rugged terrain or wearing a weighted backpack. Most hardcore gym-goers don’t exactly see walking as the most invigorating workout. Even when listening to your favorite tunes or an engrossing podcast, walking may feel dull and monotonous compared to what you do in the weight room or during group fitness classes.  To make walking more fun and reap the benefits of low-intensity steady-state cardio, try these walking workout ideas:  If you crave intensity, sprinkle a 30-second all-out sprint into your walk every five minutes.  Set speed goals. Power walking is probably tougher than you think! For strength work, add 10 walking lunges every two to five minutes.  Walk in a hilly or mountainous area. Add exercises at milestones. For instance, every half-mile you walk, do 10 push-ups and 20 air squats.  Walk with a weighted vest or backpack.  For more ways to work out at home, try World Gym Anywhere, our digital training platform with complete workouts from trainers like Gunnar Peterson. 

How great would it be if you could just waltz into the gym and hit heavy squats right off the bat?  Don’t even answer that question because that will never — or should never — happen.  Just like your body doesn’t cool down immediately after a workout (think about how long your heart rate stays elevated), it doesn’t warm up in a matter of seconds, either.  Your body must undergo a series of physiological changes before it’s ready to exercise intensely. Without giving your body a chance to prepare, your workout will be subpar at best and lead to an injury at worst.  In this article, learn exactly what you need to do to maximize your workout results and how to accomplish all of them through a dedicated warmup.  1. Increase Blood Circulation Blood doesn’t get the credit it deserves when it comes to fitness. It gets overshadowed by joints and muscles — ironic, considering blood supports the movement of joints and muscles. Blood delivers critical nutrients and oxygen to working muscles and joints, without which those body parts can’t function at an optimal level.  Increasing blood circulation should be the first component of any warmup. Not only does increased blood flow support movement, but it’ll get you feeling warm and loose.  To increase blood circulation before a workout, do some easy effort monostructural work. Monostructural work is any form of rhythmic movement that follows a single pattern. In other words, it’s what most people think of as traditional cardio: walking, jogging, cycling, rowing, or stair-stepping. This type of work also increases your heart rate and core body temperature, both of which improve overall workout performance.  2. Mobilize Your Joints Next up: mobility work. You probably didn’t want to hear that (does anyone actually like mobility work? Asking for a friend). Nonetheless, it’s important.  Performing dynamic mobility exercises before a workout allows you to access deeper ranges of motion in all positions, which in turn forces your body to recruit more muscle fibers to complete a movement. More muscle fibers working means there’s a greater opportunity for strength gains and muscle growth.  In short: Mobile joints –> deeper range of motion –> better lifts –> more gains.  3. Prime Your Muscles Finally, it’s time to prime the muscles you plan to use in your workout. This is where warmups transition from general to specific. It’s also the part that makes the biggest impact on your workout performance.  Priming involves targeting muscles to fire them up before a full workout or before attempting a specific lift. For example, if you plan to do heavy deadlifts, you’d prime the hamstrings and glutes with exercises like good mornings and single-leg glute bridges. If you plan to do heavy overhead presses, you’d prime your shoulders with front raises, internal and external rotation, and similar movements.  Many people see priming as extra work that just tires you out before your workout, but this couldn’t be farther from the truth. Priming exercises are meant to be lightweight and intentional — the goal is to spark the mind-to-muscle connection to get the most out of your efforts.  Want to learn more about getting the best results from your workouts? Talk to a World Gym personal trainer about smart fitness programming.   

You want to get stronger, faster, more skilled. You see lean and athletic people doing all sorts of crazy moves on Instagram, so you think that must be what it takes. You cherry-pick your favorites and do them in random succession.  You have good intentions, but you also have shiny object syndrome.  The key to fitness isn’t slapping together every exercise in existence. It’s not about mastering the most complex movements you see on Instagram.   In actuality, getting fit is really quite simple — it’s all about this one concept called “periodization.”  Why everyone should follow a periodized training plan  It’s important to strike a balance between fun and intentional.    To understand the benefits of periodization, it’s helpful to know the guiding concepts behind periodized training:   Purpose and intent: Random exercise yields random results. Unless you truly don’t care about what you get from your efforts in the gym, you shouldn’t be cutting, pasting, and slapping random movements together. That’s a good way to end up frustrated or injured.   Periodized training is intentional. Every workout has a purpose. This element is key — without purpose and intent, your goals play keep-away. When you prioritize periodization, you hop on the fast-track to your goals.   Progressive overload: The human body adapts. It’s designed to do so because that’s survival physiology. However, adaptation is a double-edged sword when it comes to fitness. Adaptation allows us to get stronger and faster, but it also leads the body to become more efficient. And in fitness, we want to bust through efficiency plateaus.    Doing the same thing over and over again leads to efficiency, thus plateaus. The principle of progressive overload stipulates that the body needs constant challenges and changes to continue adapting (AKA, getting fitter).   So, why should you follow a periodized training plan? Because that’s the only way you’ll see continual and significant improvements to your fitness.   Periodization in World Gym Athletics   The new World Gym Athletics programming focuses on functional movement and progression.  World Gym Athletics, our flagship performance-focused workout program, follows a scientifically-backed periodization structure complete with block periodization and linear periodization.   The Plan  The all-new World Gym Athletics periodized programming breaks up a one-year macrocycle into three phases of 16 weeks (four months). Each 16-week phase is then broken into smaller chunks to keep the focus tight and the workouts intentional. No matter what your training status is, World Gym Athletics coaches can modify and scale workouts to suit your needs. The same goes for athletes who think this might be too easy — promise, we can make it tough.    Every World Gym location will implement this new periodized training, so no matter where life takes you, you can keep trucking along toward your fitness goals. And don’t worry about missing a day: This program is designed so that missing a workout here and there isn’t detrimental to your progress.  The Phases  Prepare: This is where you’ll ease into your new programming. The focus is on biomechanics and moving through full ranges of motion without pain. In this phase, you’ll master important positions such as the squat, hip hinge, and overhead extension before increasing loads.   Progress: This is where you grow and improve. The emphasis lies on building strength, improving skills, and increasing endurance to prepare you for phase three.   Perform: This is all about reaching your peak. Phase three readies you to perform things you may have previously only dreamed of. Athletes who complete the full cycle will be able to participate in strenuous activities like obstacle course races, mountain biking, hiking, climbing, endurance events, and more without pain or injury.   The Workouts   Down to the nitty-gritty: Workouts are the meat of the program and what you’ll focus on day to day. Each workout advances our goal of equipping every athlete with the perfect blend of performance and sustainability.   We accomplish this by incorporating elements of high-intensity interval training, weightlifting, endurance, mobility, and functional training across the week.   Each workout begins and concludes with a discussion, so all athletes leave feeling informed and confident about the program. Feel like the new-and-improved World Gym Athletics is for you? Talk to a trainer or staff member at your World Gym.   

Don’t lie — you want a nice butt. We’re not judging! (Who doesn’t want a backside that turns heads?). In your pursuit of a perky bum, you’ve probably spent countless hours performing squats and donkey kicks. While those exercises definitely have their place, they won’t help you build your bottom as quickly or as effectively as these three glute-boosting exercises.   1. Barbell Hip Thrusts  Variations: Dumbbell hip thrusts, kettlebell hip thrust, single-leg hip thrust, banded hip thrust (mini band around knees) Why this is one of the best exercises for your glutes: Hip thrusts aggressively target the gluteus maximus (upper glute muscles) and gluteus medius (lower glute muscle) and recruit the hamstrings as secondary movers, making this one of the most effective exercises for your backside.  How to do barbell hip thrusts: Set up a bench, chair, box or other sturdy, flat object against a wall. The platform should be about knee-high. Place your barbell about two feet in front of the platform. Sit down with your upper back against the platform and roll the barbell over your legs to your hips (you should use weight plates that allow for a few inches of space between the barbell and your thighs when sitting). Use a bar pad for comfort. Plant your feet firmly, placing them close to your glutes. Drive through the heels to send your hips upward. Achieve a bridge position (thighs parallel to the ground) by fully extending your hips. Take care not to overextend your lower back. With control, lower your hips until they hover one to two inches above the ground. Start your next from this position. The idea is to maintain tension instead of lowering all the way to the ground. 2. Barbell Bulgarian Split Squats Variations: Suitcase (dumbbell) Bulgarian split squats, Goblet (kettlebell) Bulgarian split squats, bodyweight Bulgarian split squats, traditional split squats, reverse lunges Why this is one of the best exercises for your glutes: Bulgarian split squats offset your bodyweight onto one leg and reduce muscle recruitment from the lower back. The elevation challenges the eccentric strength of your glutes on the working leg and allows you to access more depth than regular squats or lunges. How to do Bulgarian split squats: Set up a bench, chair, box or other sturdy, flat object against a wall. The platform should be about knee-high. Stand two to three feet in front of the platform, facing away from it. Extend your right leg behind you and place the top of your foot on the platform. Square and align your hips and shoulders. Brace your core and descend until your right thigh becomes parallel with the ground. Avoid leaning too far forward. Maintain your weight throughout your foot (don’t shift onto your toes or roll onto the outsides of your feet). Drive through the heel to return to standing. 3. Barbell Sumo Deadlift  Variations: Kettlebell or dumbbell sumo deadlift Why this is one of the best exercises for your glutes: Thanks to the wide stance, external rotation of the hips and shortened range of motion, sumo deadlifts aggressively target the glutes (specifically the gluteus medius), hamstrings and the upper, inner thigh.  How to do sumo deadlifts: Load a barbell with a challenging weight. Many lifters are able to move more weight on sumo deadlifts versus conventional, so keep that in mind. Stand in front of the barbell with your feet in a wide stance. Position them far enough apart so that your elbows stay inside your knees when you descend. Point your toes outward slightly. Hinge backward at the hips (send your butt back) and bend your knees to grasp the bar. Your grip should be neutral and comfortable. Drive through your heels to pull the weight off of the ground, locking your knees and hips out simultaneously. Fully extend your hips at the top. To descend, hinge at the hips and then bend the knees to return the weight to the ground.

Protein: The hypothetical king of all macronutrients. No one gets angry at protein like they do at carbs and fats. There’s no debate about whether low-protein or high-protein is the way to go, and there’s certainly no arguing that you should cut protein out of your diet completely.  That’s because thousands of research studies on protein prove this macronutrient’s critical role in weight maintenance, metabolism, muscle growth, strength, and general health and fitness.  Because protein sits atop the macronutrient throne, people tend to assume more protein is better. More protein, more muscle, they think — in reality, consumption of this glorified provision is more nuanced than that.  U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Protein The official protein intake guidelines are so-so.  The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) work together to create a new set of dietary guidelines every five years. The most recent set of guidelines, the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, stipulates that people should aim to get 10 to 35 percent of their total calorie intake in protein.  For example, a person on a 2,000-calorie diet should aim to eat 200 to 700 calories in protein each day. (10 percent of 2,000 is 200 and 35 percent of 2,000 is 700). Protein has four calories per gram, so this means a person eating 2,000 calories per day should eat 50 to 175 grams of protein each day. (200 divided by four is 50 and 700 divided by four is 175). The Dietary Reference Intake (DRI, a unit of measurement set forth by the Institute of Medicine) for protein is 0.36 grams of protein per pound — or 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram — of bodyweight.  For a 150-pound woman, that comes out to 54 grams of protein per day. For a 200-pound man, that comes out to 72 grams of protein per day.  As any fitness enthusiast can see, those numbers are low. That’s because these figures are based on the amount of dietary protein needed to avoid protein deficiency and related problems, not how much protein you need to support muscle growth and strength. How Much Protein Should You Eat Every Day?  Adding protein powder to smoothies is an easy way to increase your protein consumption.  Despite the cut-and-dry guidelines from the USDA and IOM, this simple question doesn’t have a simple answer. Saying 10 to 35 percent of your calories should come from protein still doesn’t tell you how many grams of protein you specifically should eat to best reach your goals. And the IOM guidelines are rather useless for people who exercise often and intensely, especially in the form of weightlifting.  These guidelines, though helpful for the average sedentary person, don’t account for body composition, fitness goals, activity level and other factors that influence your protein needs.  So how much protein do you really need?  Well, the verdict is still out. Recent research suggests that a protein intake of 0.7 grams per pound of bodyweight best supports muscle preservation, growth, and strength. Other estimates go as high as 1.1 grams per pound of bodyweight.  Most experts agree that eating more than one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight doesn’t have any additional benefit, and it can lead to gastrointestinal distress and, depending on the source of the protein, health issues like gout.  Based on the estimates in research studies and minimum intake guidelines, a happy medium of 0.5 to 0.8 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight is likely to help you build muscle and improve your fitness. For specific nutrition and fitness advice, ask a personal trainer at a World Gym near you.   References / Links for More Information Protein in diet: Medline Plus  Dietary protein for athletes: from requirements to optimum adaptation How much protein can the body use in a single meal for muscle-building? Implications for daily protein distribution Increased protein intake reduces lean body mass loss during weight loss in athletes  Recent Perspectives Regarding the Role of Dietary Protein for the Promotion of Muscle Hypertrophy with Resistance Exercise Training  Effects of 4 weight-loss diets differing in fat, protein, and carbohydrate on fat mass, lean mass, visceral adipose tissue, and hepatic fat: results from the POUNDS LOST trial  Increased protein intake reduces lean body mass loss during weight loss in athletes  How much protein do you need every day? - Harvard Health Blog  Gluconeogenesis and energy expenditure after a high-protein, carbohydrate-free diet Postprandial thermogenesis is increased 100% on a high-protein, low-fat diet versus a high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet in healthy, young women 

After a long road trip, your car engine takes a while to cool off, right? Your body is the same way: After a workout, it doesn’t immediately return to its resting state. It takes a while to cool down and restore homeostasis.  During this cool-down period, your body continues to consume extra oxygen and burn calories even after you stop moving. This is called the afterburn effect, and taking advantage of it could help you make the most of your workouts.  Understanding the afterburn Just like a car engine, your body needs time to cool off after a lot of work.  “Afterburn” is a buzzword for “excess post-exercise oxygen consumption” (EPOC). This phenomenon earned its buzzy name because “afterburn” accurately describes what happens in your body after an intense workout.  The demands of a workout spur your metabolism to increase in order to produce more energy, which requires increased oxygen consumption and chemical reactions, among other things. When you finish working out, your body’s engine is still revving — now that the work is done, the recovery process begins.  To recover, your body continues to consume a lot of oxygen. The excess oxygen you’re consuming helps your body restore blood oxygen levels, replenish muscle glycogen stores, begin the muscle repair process, and bring your body temperature back down to a normal level. All of these goings-on require energy, meaning your body must burn calories to facilitate these recovery processes. Certain types of workouts can keep your body in that post-exercise heightened state for a longer period of time, which can contribute to greater calorie burn after your workout. How to keep burning calories after your workout Follow four simple rules to get the best afterburn.  Now you know what the afterburn effect is, but the real question is: How do you actually generate EPOC?  All workouts have four main components:  Intensity: How hard are you working? Duration: How long is your workout? Structure: Are you doing a steady-state workout or intervals with rest periods? Modality: Are you doing cardio, strength training, or something else?  Research shows that the greatest afterburn occurs when: You work out at higher intensities — at least 75 percent of your VO2 max, or about an eight on the Ratings of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale. You exercise for at least 30 minutes. You do short bouts of exercise (intervals) instead of steady-state exercise. You lift heavy weights or perform weighted or explosive cardio circuits (like our World Gym Athletics workouts).  Another factor to consider is novelty. The human body adapts and becomes efficient at performing the tasks it’s used to, so it’s important to add new movements to your routine. This forces your body to perform tasks it isn’t used to, thus work harder, and contribute to a greater afterburn effect. Impact of the afterburn effect  The afterburn effect is small but cumulative.  Work hard and keep burning extra calories after your workout. Sounds great, right? Unfortunately, like most things in fitness, the effects of EPOC have been exaggerated and over-glamorized. EPOC exists, sure, but the impact isn’t as great as most people think.  For starters, the level of intensity needed to generate an impactful afterburn is high. That level of intensity hurts, and most people don’t care to work out that hard more than once or twice a week (or at all). Even at a high intensity level, most research shows that EPOC burns less than 100 extra calories per workout. Still, 100 extra calories after four or five workouts per week adds up — an extra 400 or 500 calories burned per week can definitely help you lose weight and get leaner. It really comes down to this: How many grueling workouts are you willing to do each week?  To learn more about the most effective types of workouts, talk to a personal trainer at your World Gym. References Comparison of energy expenditure elevations after submaximal and supramaximal running Effects of exercise intensity and duration on the excess post-exercise oxygen consumption  Effect of exercise intensity, duration and mode on post-exercise oxygen consumption  High- and moderate-intensity aerobic exercise and excess post-exercise oxygen consumption in men with metabolic syndrome  Six Weeks of Moderate Functional Resistance Training Increases Basal Metabolic Rate in Sedentary Adult Women  Effects of exercise intensity and duration on the excess post-exercise oxygen consumption  Misconceptions about Aerobic and Anaerobic Energy Expenditure Intensity of resistance exercise determines adipokine and resting energy expenditure responses in overweight elderly individuals

You’re hyped. You just PR’d your deadlift and you can’t wait to come back and lift again tomorrow. And the next day. And the next. More workouts, more gains, more PRs, right?  Full stop.   Is it really a good idea to throw down with a barbell every day? Let’s look at some of the pros and cons of lifting weights every day.   Benefits of lifting weights every day    The main benefit of frequent weight training is increased strength.    Stronger muscles: On today’s episode of “state the obvious,” we explain that more weightlifting equals more strength. In all seriousness, frequency might just be the variable you need to tweak in order to get stronger.   Healthier bones: Weight-bearing exercise is proven to improve bone density, which is a key factor in your ability to stay active as you age. In older people, lifting weights helps reduce the number of falls and fractures. In younger people, lifting weights is a preventative practice against osteoporosis.   Improved endurance: Improved muscular endurance, to specify. Lifting weights often in higher rep ranges (10-plus reps per set) improves the aerobic capacity of your muscles.  Better body composition: If you don’t currently lift weights every day (or at all), doing so could be the spark that ignites your metabolism. Weightlifting burns a lot of calories per session, induces post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), and builds muscle, all of which can help you achieve a leaner physique.   Pitfalls of lifting weights every day  You might find it hard to recover from workouts if you lift every day.  Inhibited recovery: Perhaps the biggest downfall to daily strength training is that your body doesn’t get a real chance to recover. This can lead to muscle overuse injuries or issues with muscle imbalances if you don’t carefully plan your workouts. Split workout routines can help skirt this problem, but the truth is, other forms of exercise — or a full-out rest day — can do your body a lot of good.    Persistent soreness: Lifting without allowing your body to recover in between workouts spells chronic DOMS (delayed-onset muscle soreness), unless you carefully schedule your workouts and optimize muscle recovery.  Diminishing returns: Lifting weights everyday can cause you to hit a plateau like a brick wall. If you aren’t manipulating variables in your workouts, such as load, volume or range of motion, you’ll quickly find yourself battling diminishing returns.   Boredom: If you’re reading this, you’re probably not the type to get bored of working out. But, hey, it can happen to even the most dedicated gym junkies, especially when they perform the same type of workout day-in and day-out.   Can you lift weights every day?  With a plan, you can do strength training every day. If you implement some basic best practices, you can certainly hit the weights every day and see phenomenal strength, mass and overall fitness gains from your efforts. Just keep these few things in mind to avoid the potential perils described above:   Change up your routine. If you must lift weights daily, don’t do a full-body lifting workout every day. That’s a recipe for muscular disaster. Instead, follow a split plan.   Follow the principle of progressive overload. Frequency isn’t the only factor influencing your workout results. Your body requires a constant challenge to adapt, which means making your workouts harder is key to presenting plateaus.   But, don’t go heavy every day. You don’t need to max out your deadlift, squat and bench every week. Allow yourself some lighter lifting days and you’ll be surprised at how strong you feel on heavy days.   Prioritize sleep and recovery. All your hard work is for naught if you don’t get enough rest or optimize your nutrition.   Talk to a World Gym personal trainer to learn more about creating a safe and effective daily workout plan.    Links for More Information/References  National Osteoporosis Foundation: What Is Osteoporosis?  Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC) | ACE Blog  Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS)   Weekly Training Frequency Effects on Strength Gain: A Meta-Analysis  Effect of Resistance Training Frequency on Gains in Muscular Strength: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis   How many times per week should a muscle be trained to maximize muscle hypertrophy? A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies examining the effects of resistance training frequency   Resistance Training Frequencies of 3 and 6 Times Per Week Produce Similar Muscular Adaptations in Resistance-Trained Men   Fatigue and underperformance in athletes: the overtraining syndrome  Diagnosis and prevention of overtraining syndrome: an opinion on education strategies  

Find out if full-body or split workouts are best.  Weights vs. cardio. Carbs vs. keto. Volume vs. load. There’s no shortage of controversy in the fitness industry, and one of the biggest ongoing debates is whether a full-body or split workout plan brings the most gains.  A full-body workout involves exercising your entire body and stimulating overload in all muscle groups within one workout. Examples: A one-minute on, 30-seconds off circuit workout wherein each minute of work targets a different muscle group, or a strength workout consisting of full-body compound movements, such as thrusters (squat and overhead press).   A split workout, on the other hand, involves isolating muscle groups and movement patterns. For example, you might work out your back and biceps on one day and your lower posterior chain (hamstrings, glutes and calves) on another day.   The thought process behind split workouts is that isolating muscle groups allows you to target them more intensely and induce more muscle growth, but it doesn’t always work out that way in real life. Here’s why.  Benefits of full-body workout plans    Tire flips are a great full-body workout.  Most people will see more success with full-body workout plans simply because most people don’t have five to eight hours to work out each week.   Take a gander at some of the benefits of full-body workouts:   They’re efficient. You can burn more calories in less time.   They’re highly effective. You practice major movement patterns and work your largest muscles.   They’re quick. You generally don’t need to spend much time in rest intervals.  They’re functional. You’re kind of forced to focus on compound movements (like squats) because of the time factor and, let’s face it, there are few real-life opportunities that involve triceps cable push-downs anyway.  They’re forgiving. If you miss a workout, it’s no biggie, because you’re not neglecting an entire muscle group by missing that workout.  Benefits of split workout plans    Isolation exercises have unique benefits compared to full-body exercises. A select few will see tremendous success with split workout routines. These people tend to have their fitness very dialed in and can commit to a plan, reducing their risk of neglecting muscle groups by missing split workouts.  Here are some benefits of split workout plans for those who can stick to them:    They’re customizable. You can fine-tune your workouts to concentrate your efforts and strengthen any weaknesses.   They’re specific. If you have a specific strength goal, you can tailor a split workout routine to help you meet that goal. For example, if you want to master the single-leg squat, you can spend more time doing unilateral leg strength exercises.  They’re very adjustable. If you get injured, you can still follow a split workout routine. Simply adjust it to avoid aggravating your injury.  They’re structured. If you thrive with structure and routine, you’ll thrive with a split workout plan.  They’re (also) effective. Split workout routines are highly effective for building mass and improving body composition.   Should you do a full-body or split workout routine?    The best workout plan for you depends on how much time you have (and your goals).   You’re probably tired of hearing this, but… It depends. For the vast majority of people, full-body workout routines provide the most benefits and the best results because most people simply don’t have the time to fully commit to a split workout routine.   A full-body workout plan ensures you exercise all of the important movement patterns and muscle groups, even if you only have two or three 30-minute workouts each week. Conversely, to reap the benefits of a split workout plan, you need to dedicate several hours each week to working out—and avoid missing workouts or adjusting your routine when you do.  Need help deciding which type of workout routine is best for you? Stop by your local World Gym to see how a personal trainer can help.  References/Links for More Information  A Comparison Between Total Body and Split Routine Resistance Training Programs in Trained Men   Influence of Resistance Training Frequency on Muscular Adaptations in Well-Trained Men   The effects of two equal-volume training protocols upon strength, body composition and salivary hormones in male rugby union players   Resistance Training with Single vs. Multi-joint Exercises at Equal Total Load Volume: Effects on Body Composition, Cardiorespiratory Fitness, and Muscle Strength   A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis of the Effect of Resistance Training on Whole-Body Muscle Growth in Healthy Adult Males  

Do these three things to get fit fast.   We’re going to let you in on a little secret: You can’t cheat fitness. Fitness takes time. Building muscle, losing fat, and improving your health markers might be the toughest endeavors you ever commit to, but you can avoid unnecessary frustration by knowing exactly what workouts to do to get fit as fast as possible.  World Gym doesn’t encourage quick fixes, fad diets, or any workout plans that promise fast-tracked results. World Gym stands by science, and there’s just no changing the fact that fitness doesn’t happen overnight. That said, here are three tricks of the trade to help you maximize your results. High-Intensity Interval Training    HIIT burns more calories in less time than other types of workouts.   The science doesn’t lie: Study after study has shown that HIIT produces the same health benefits as other types of exercise, such as aerobic cardio and resistance training, in less time. AKA, HIIT gives you the most bang for your gym buck.   While World Gym doesn’t necessarily recommend you stack your workout routine with only HIIT workouts, if you are short on time and want to get fit fast, a few HIIT sessions each week will lead you to your goal most efficiently. High-Volume Resistance Training   Do more reps for improved fitness. Strength training is integral to overall health and fitness, and any range of sets and reps provides benefits. However, research suggests that volume impacts your returns more than any other factor, including weight.   Studies have shown that high-volume resistance training increases muscle hypertrophy more than low-volume strength training. So, if your goal is to get fit as fast as possible, tailor your routine to include higher rep ranges with moderate weights rather than trying to hit a one-rep max every time you enter the weight room. Consistency, Frequency, and Simplicity   Group fitness, like our World Gym Athletics classes, can help you stay consistent.  Like we said before, World Gym doesn’t support quick fixes. No matter what type of exercise you choose, consistency and frequency are key. Your ability to stick to a routine and show up, session after session, dictates how fast you get fit (and how long you stay fit).   Simplicity is key — because studies show that people are more likely to stick to a simple, achievable fitness program rather than a program that requires you to do too much, too fast.   Despite what you may see on your Instagram feed, you don’t need to incorporate the newest, craziest exercises into your routine. Whether you choose HIIT or resistance training to propel you to your goals, the basics — functional compound movements like squats — always win (especially for new exercisers).   A Workout Routine to Get Fit Fast  Taking what you just learned about HIIT and high-volume resistance training, plus the known health benefits of low-intensity exercise and mobility work, try one of these workout routines to get fit fast.   If you can work out every day:   Monday: HIIT  Tuesday: Resistance training  Wednesday: Mobility or yoga flow for recovery  Thursday: Low-intensity, steady-state cardio for recovery  Friday: Resistance training  Saturday: HIIT  Sunday: Low-intensity, steady-state cardio for recovery  If you can work out three times per week:  Monday: HIIT  Wednesday: Resistance training  Friday: HIIT  Go for a walk or do mobility work on non-gym days.  Not sure where to start? Visit a World Gym near you and see how a qualified personal trainer can help.   Want help building a workout routine outside the gym? World Gym Anywhere has hundreds of on-demand workouts including strength, cardio, HIIT, recovery, skills and express (20 minutes or less) workouts. Head to the website for pricing, support, and more details.  

There’s a never-ending debate among gym-goers and fitness enthusiasts: Is cardio better than weightlifting, or is weightlifting better than cardio? In reality, neither is better than the other — the whole cardio versus strength training debate isn’t really a debate at all. Instead of the black-and-white question, “Which is best?” the question should be: “Which will best support my goals?” In truth, it all depends on what exactly you’re trying to achieve. Here’s a look at which training method is best for particular goals. If you want to: Get stronger or build muscle You should: Lift weights There’s no arguing this. Strength training is the best way to build muscle and strength, and the most effective method of strength training is lifting weights. Sure, bodyweight exercises and resistance bands can help, but there’s no stimulus quite like a barbell, kettlebell, or pair of dumbbells. Your muscles respond most dramatically to strength training, as compared to steady-state cardio and even high-intensity interval training. So, if you’re aiming to get strong, head to the weight room. If you want to: Run a marathon You should: Prioritize cardio With running, there’s nothing to it but to do it. You simply must run to get better at running. However, notice the phrase is “prioritize cardio,” not “cardio only.” Runners need to perform strength training exercises, too, lest they risk overuse or repetitive stress injuries. A successful marathon training plan will dedicate the majority of training hours to running but still allocate ample time to strength training (and recovery). If you want to: Improve body composition You should: Prioritize weight training Once upon a time, tabloids heralded cardio as the ultimate way to burn fat. Cardio gets you in the “fat burning zone,” they said. Years later, strength training is finally getting the praise and attention it deserves. Resistance training is one of the most efficient methods for the ultimate goal of losing fat and gaining muscle. Still, cardio plays an important role in body composition. A balance of aerobic workouts, such as a 30-minute walk or bike ride, and anaerobic workouts, such as a 10-minute HIIT session, can help keep you in the calorie deficit needed to lose body fat. If you want to: Lose weight You should: Do both A healthy balance of cardio and strength training workouts can help you lose weight in a safe and efficient way. You can do cardio and strength training in the same session or split them into separate workouts. One effective way to combine cardio and strength training is with high-intensity resistance training, the cooler cousin to HIIT. Coined “HIRT,” this type of workout is essentially HIIT with weights: You’ll lift light-to-moderate weights for a high number of reps with short rest intervals, effectively challenging your heart, your lungs, and your muscles. If you want to: Improve overall fitness and athleticism You should: Do both To be a jack of all trades in (and out of) the gym and to best support your health, it’s best to include both weights and cardio in your workout routine. For overall fitness and athleticism, fitness professionals generally recommend dedicating an entire session to either cardio or weight training to make the most of your training hours. For example, if you work out four days per week, do two strength days and two cardio days. The exact ratio of cardio to weight training will depend on your specific goals. It can be tough to include both cardio and weightlifting into your workout routine, but it’s certainly doable. A qualified World Gym personal trainer can help you establish a routine that works for yo

You lose out on fitness gains if you don’t prioritize recovery. Photo by Gabe Pierce on Unsplash  Foam roller, massage gun, compression boots, cryo membership — you have it all. You’re royalty when it comes to workout recovery. Have you ever wondered how well those things actually work, though? Even the fanciest tools may not have the profound effect you think they do. Here’s a look at what does and doesn’t help you recover from workouts.  What might work  Massage and percussive therapy  Massage therapy is backed by a rather impressive body of evidence, but studies on massage as it relates specifically to workout recovery is limited. Percussive therapy is a newcomer to the muscle recovery arena, but the available science shows promising results. Both massage and percussive therapy work by manipulating your fascia and, if deep enough, your muscle tissue, which can work out kinks that cause soreness.  Percussive therapy devices, such as the HyperVolt, may help with sore, knotty muscles.   Cryotherapy   Cryotherapy is nothing new (hello, ice baths after practice), but whole-body cryotherapy — the trendy kind where you sit in a below-freezing chamber of nitrogen — is relatively novel. The concept behind cryotherapy makes sense: Muscles become inflamed after exercise, and cold reduces inflammation. However, some research shows that the age-old ice bath is at least as effective as that cryotherapy chamber session…   Compression therapy   Health professionals have long used compression to treat pain and speed up healing of inflammatory injuries. When it comes to muscle recovery, compression therapy (a la NormaTec) might help because it can increase blood flow to specific parts of your body, thereby increasing the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to taxed muscle fibers.   Compression boots like the popular NormaTec ones may facilitate better recovery.   Far-infrared therapy   Surprisingly, this one actually has some solid science to back it up. Far-infrared therapy, which works by transferring energy as heat into deep layers of body tissue, may stimulate your body’s healing processes and help speed up muscle recovery. Who’d’ve thought? (Besides scientists).  Stretching  Surprise! While most people are aware that stretching can have immediate effects on the way you feel, science doesn’t necessarily support stretching as a bona fide workout recovery tactic. Evidence is conflicting at best, but that doesn’t mean you should swear off stretching. Your own anecdotal evidence is worth following in this case — if stretching makes you feel better and improves your recovery, then stretch.   Stretching may not support muscle recovery specifically, but that doesn’t mean it won’t help in other ways, like mobility.   Foam rolling  Surprise again. Foam rolling may not be the fitness cure-all you thought it was. Like stretching studies, foam rolling studies present conflicting evidence: Some studies say rolling relieves soreness, while others say it doesn’t. Some research even suggests foam rolling is better for warming up than for cooling down. But, again, don’t discount your own experience. If you think foam rolling helps you recover, definitely keep it in your routine.   What we know works  Post-workout nutrition  Protein: Ya need it. Carbs will help, too. Your body is equipped with everything it needs to do its job -- repair your muscles. Studies show that post-workout nutrition is a significant controllable variable in the muscle recovery process, so don’t neglect your post-lift protein shake.   Balanced meals go a long way. Photo by Logan Jeffrey on Unsplash  Sleep  Those six hours you get each night won’t cut it if you want to maximize muscle recovery. Research points to a clear link between sleep and whole-body regeneration, from hormone and metabolism regulation to — yep, you guessed it — muscle recovery. So, don’t feel bad about hitting snooze tomorrow.  Water  As always, water comes in clutch. Your body must maintain fluid balance to function optimally, and dehydration can impair the recovery process.  The bottom line  Workout recovery is about the fundamentals: mobility, hydration, nutrition, and sleep!  If you’d like to learn more about post-workout recovery, talk to a personal trainer at your nearest World Gym.      

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash   People need fitness now more than ever. With the threat of a global pandemic persisting, our attention should turn to all the ways we can keep our immune systems strong and fend off disease. Physical fitness is known to improve health in every way imaginable, yet gyms and fitness studios around the world have been forced to close during the global pandemic.    So, World Gym stepped in.   We saw that our members and others in areas impacted by COVID-19 needed something to keep them going; to keep forging toward their fitness goals despite the topsy-turvy climate of 2020.   That’s why we expedited the launch of our at-home workout programming, World Gym Anywhere.    What is World Gym Anywhere?   World Gym Anywhere is your gym at your fingertips. It’s all of the instructors and workouts you love wrapped up into one easy-to-access, easy-to-navigate portal. It’s fitness at home — it’s fitness anywhere.   World Gym Anywhere features a variety of workout categories with more to come. This is the first digital fitness platform by a gym to offer Les Mills programming on-demand. It’s dance, strength training, HIIT, stretching, yoga, and Pilates in your living room (or anywhere else you need it to be).    At launch, World Gym Anywhere features strength, cardio, HIIT, recovery, skills and express (20 minutes or less) workouts, but our library will continuously grow to ensure we bring you all of the legendary workouts you’ve come to know and love.   You can filter workouts by body part, target stimulus, instructor, duration, and equipment, making this platform one of the most customizable in the digital fitness industry. You’ll never find yourself bored, out of options, or in need of a bigger challenge. We’ve got you covered.   Who is World Gym Anywhere for?   World Gym Anywhere is for anyone. We believe in the everyday athlete — a person who prioritizes a physically active lifestyle in order to live life to the fullest. This means World Gym Anywhere is for you if:   You work out just because you like to  You work out to keep up with your kids   You work out to enjoy recreational activities  You work out to succeed at your job  You work out to keep your body healthy   You work out to maintain your body composition  You work out for literally any other reason   Led by the best trainers in the business, our at-home workouts will propel you to your fitness goals no matter where you are in the world.  Questions about World Gym Anywhere? Head to the new website for pricing, support, and more details.     

You just finished a set of bicep curls and your muscles feel like they’re about to explode out of your arms. You look in the mirror and admire your suddenly huge biceps. Congrats — you’ve achieved the coveted muscle pump.   The science behind the pump  What you know as the “muscle pump” is actually called “transient hypertrophy.” Don’t let that super-sciency-sounding word scare you. Hypertrophy is the term for building muscle, and transient means it only lasts a short time — if you’ve ever gotten a muscle pump, you know just how fleeting it is.   Muscle pumps occur largely because of fluid buildup that accumulates in your muscles when you work out. When you lift weights, blood rushes to your working muscles, and lactic acid begins to build up and draw water into your muscle fibers. Together, these two triggers — increased blood flow and lactic acid buildup — cause individual muscle cells to swell, ultimately making your muscles look bigger while you’re working out.   If you’ve had a muscle pump before, you’re probably familiar with the feeling of fullness or heaviness you get in your muscles after an intense set. That’s all the fluid building up in your hard-working muscles.     Does a muscle pump help you build muscle?   Getting a muscle pump certainly makes you feel fitter, stronger, and bigger — but those results aren’t necessarily long-lasting. It’s called “transient” hypertrophy for a reason. Muscle pumps disappear about as fast as they come on, because once you finish working out, your body has no reason to hold onto all that blood in non-working muscles. As for the lactic acid, your body wants to flush that out as fast as possible.   Getting a muscle pump is a good sign you got in a good workout, but don’t count on your muscles looking pumped when you wake up the next morning. It is worth noting that getting a pump typically means you worked your muscles hard enough to induce adaptation (growth), although evidence is inconclusive.     How to get a muscle pump   The most efficient way to get a muscle pump is to lift weights, specifically at high volumes (more reps at moderate loads). The repeated contractions and extensions of your muscle fibers during weightlifting makes it easy for fluids to enter your muscle cells.   To maximize your muscle pump, try these tips:   Do high-volume weightlifting instead of high-load weightlifting. More muscle contraction means more reason for your body to send blood to those muscles. Plus, science says high-volume weightlifting is the best way to build muscle overall.   Hydrate before and during lifting weights. Getting a pump is all about fluids, and if you’re dehydrated, your body has less water to pump your muscles with.   Eat carbs before you work out. Carbohydrates hold onto water in your body, which might contribute to a better pump.  Utilize supersets and tri-sets. Like mentioned before, getting a pump is all about volume. Implementing supersets (two exercises back-to-back) and tri-sets (three exercises) is a simple way to increase your overall volume and decrease overall rest time, which should increase your chances of getting a muscle pump.  Want to learn more about getting a mad muscle pump? Talk to a World Gym personal trainer about individual training plans to maximize muscle growth.       

How to not be “that guy” at the gym in 2021.  A new year means lots of newbies flooding the gym. For long-time gym-goers this season often comes with frustration — the gym floor gets packed; machines are perpetually taken; and the dumbbell rack goes bare. Not to mention, some new members will do things like leave weights lying all around, play music with no headphones and waste time taking selfies in the squat rack.   Many newcomers simply don’t know the rules of their gym, which can make the gym feel intimidating. While every fitness facility has its own code of conduct (spoken and unspoken), a few do-nots remain constant across them all.   At the gym, treat people how you want to be treated, especially when it comes to these four gym etiquette rules.   Don’t leave your weights on the bar or floor  Just… don’t. It’s important to rerack your weights all year long, but especially during the first few months of the year. Gyms get extremely crowded in January and remain crowded through February and March (before most people give up on their resolutions. Failure to rerack your weights means other people must walk around looking for them and spend extra time moving them around. For example, if a guy leaves 225 pounds on the squat bar and the next person to walk up is new to fitness, they likely won’t even be able to take those 45-pound plates down. Be considerate and put your weights away.    Put your stuff away when you’re done.   Don’t walk away without wiping down your equipment  A few things: One, this is gross. Two, it spreads germs. Three, this is gross. It probably wouldn’t feel great if you went to lie down for a bench press max only to have your shirt soaked from the outside in — by someone else’s sweat. Most gyms provide antimicrobial wipes or spray to use on equipment; some even provide towels. If you aren’t sure if your gym provides these items, confirm with the front desk or bring your own towel.   Wipe things down when you’re done. Christine Sandu on Unsplash.  Don’t hover over people using a machine you want Don’t be a helicopter. There’s a better way to secure your spot next in line for a coveted piece of equipment. Let’s say you want to work your triceps, and someone is on the cable machine. Instead of hovering and invading the person’s personal space, simply walk up to them and ask how many sets they have left. If they say one or two, great! Tell them you’d like to use the cables next and back off to a nearby area where you can (subtly) keep an eye on the machine. Chances are that the person will look around for you when they finish their sets and wave you over. If they don’t, walk up to the machine as the person leaves. Hovering over people is never welcome: It makes people feel uncomfortable and crowded.    Let people finish in peace when they’re using a machine. 2C7A6671.jpg  Don’t hog equipment during busy hours All gyms have a rush hour during which everyone wants the most popular equipment. We all learned in preschool that sharing is caring, right? Take only what you need and don’t waste time in between sets. If the gym is totally empty, feel free to pull out everything you need for a circuit workout. But, if the fitness floor is packed, don’t strip others of equipment by hoarding three different pairs of dumbbells.   Oh, and one last thing…   Don’t do barbell curls in the squat rack.  

Bread is not evil. Rebecca Matthews on Unsplash.   Every January, many people will resolve to lose weight, get fitter, or improve themselves in some other way. With those resolutions often come dietary restrictions or fad diets (which people often implement blindly because they saw someone else following the same plan). Low-carb and keto diets become especially popular around the New Year because like fats, carbs have a bad rap. However, you shouldn’t give up carbs as part of your 2021 resolutions — here’s why.  Carbs provide quick fuel While fats technically provide more energy per gram (nine calories per gram versus the four calories per gram from carbs), carbohydrates provide the quickest energy. Your body can break down carbs faster than it can break down fat or protein, which is how carbs get their reputation of being a great pre-workout food.   Carbs replenish fuel reserves   It’s time to end the fear of carbs. Wilfred Wong on Unsplash.   Your muscles contain a substance called glycogen, a stored form of carbohydrates. Your muscles release glycogen when your body requires more fuel than what’s available in your bloodstream as glucose, and eating carbohydrates replenishes glycogen stores lost through exercise. If you don’t eat carbs, your glycogen stores will deplete, but your body will eventually learn how to burn fat instead (the interim is often called the “keto flu”). Keeping your glycogen stores full is the most efficient way to fuel your body for exercise, especially high-volume or endurance-based exercise.  Carbs provide essential nutrients If you completely cut out carbs, you can put yourself at risk for nutrient deficiencies if you don’t get certain nutrients from other foods. For example, carbohydrate-rich foods including sweet potatoes, rice, quinoa, and starchy vegetables contain a range of nutrients, such as vitamins A and B and minerals like magnesium.   Complex carbs keep you full  Carbs like these provide energy and nutrients, and they keep you full. Markus Spiske on Unsplash.  Complex carbohydrates are those that contain fiber and starch, versus simple carbohydrates which just contain sugar. Generally, the more complex the carb, the longer it will keep you full. If you’re trying to lose weight, eating a diet rich in complex carbs can help with appetite control. Complex carbs include foods like whole-grain bread and rice, ancient grains like amaranth, most vegetables, fiber-rich fruits such as apples and berries, and beans. Nuts and seeds also contain complex carbs, although they’re more of a fat source than a carb source.   Carbs support healthy digestion A low-fat diet might leave you looking like the fittest person on earth, but is it worth it if you’re dealing with chronic digestion issues? Many people fare just fine on a low-carb diet, but others find themselves with constipation, cramping, and other unpleasant symptoms. Complex carbohydrates support your digestive tract and your microbiome by providing fiber and prebiotics.  Choosing the right carbs for your goals    All carbs can fit into a healthy diet. Christopher Ott on Unsplash.  Nix the idea that there are “good” and “bad” carbs. All types of carbohydrates serve a purpose. Some types are more nutrient-dense than other types — that’s all. All types of carbs can fit into a healthy diet when eaten for the right purposes.   Your body breaks down sugar from candy and sugar from a banana just the same. Your body turns pasta and brown rice into the same thing. It all ends up as sugar. What matters is how, when, and in what quantities you eat these foods. For instance, your body can utilize the carbs in candy if you eat the candy shortly before you work out. Your body can’t utilize that energy as efficiently if you eat the candy and then plop on the couch for three hours.   On the flip side, your body can’t break down complex carbs like those found in whole grains as easily as it can break down simple carbs. So, if you need a very quick source of fuel (such as in the middle of a workout), candy can benefit you more than fibrous carbs.   If you feel overwhelmed about nutrition for fitness, ask your local World Gym what nutrition and training services they offer.     

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash  So, you’ve made some New Year’s resolution and they include getting fit. Welcome to the club! Prioritizing your fitness is one of the best decisions you will ever make. Setting goals is the first step to enjoying an active, healthy life and there’s no better time to do so than the turn of a new year. To set you off on the right path, World Gym created this simple guide to the top three things you need to do — and the three things you don’t — to get fit in 2021.  3 things you need to do to get fit in 2021    Make 2021 the year you run toward your goals — the right way.     Make a plan or hire a personal trainer Following a periodized workout program is the best thing you can do for your fitness. Without one, you’ll be spinning your wheels all year long, not knowing what’s working and what isn’t. Not to mention, working out with no plan sets you up for overtraining, which can put you on the bench and derail your progress. If you’re not sure where to start, a World Gym personal trainer can create a custom, periodized training plan based on your fitness goals.    Get disciplined and stay that way You might feel motivated to work out in 2021, but motivation doesn’t last. Always practice discipline over motivation. Discipline is what gets you through the hard days — the fittest people exhibit a level of discipline that gets them to the gym when they’re tired, stressed, or otherwise down. That same quality tells them when it’s best to press the brakes and rest, even if all they want to do is throw down in the weight room.     Focus on the basics Lift often with good technique. Do cardio a few times per week. Eat lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fats. Limit sugar, alcohol, and highly processed foods. Get plenty of sleep. Drink tons of water. It really is this simple — don’t overcomplicate things! The basics will get you farther than you think.   3 things you don’t need to do    You don’t need much to get fit or healthy: the basics and some pro help will go a long way.    Don’t spend hundreds on fancy workout devices You don’t need a Theragun, NormaTec or an at-home infrared sauna. You don’t need a MIRROR or a Tonal setup. You can get results just as good, if not better, by going to the gym and recovering with mobility work. Save your money and focus on the tried-and-true tactics known to build muscle and improve health: lift weights, hydrate, eat well, sleep enough, and stretch often.     Don’t deprive yourself of food For many, the New Year means it’s time to lose weight. Remember that calorie deprivation won’t support your fitness goals. If you don’t eat enough, you won’t build muscle and you’ll lack energy for workouts. If your main goal is to lose weight, keep your calorie deficit small to encourage sustained results and avoid yo-yo weight cycling.     Don’t take a whole stack of supplements Again, don’t overcomplicate. Supplements have their place, but you should fulfill most of your nutrient needs through real food. Besides, only a few supplements are actually proven to provide significant and consistent benefits — if you take any supplements, make them whey protein and creatine, two of the most studied supplements with proven benefits.   Need help with your New Year’s resolutions? Stop by a World Gym near you and see how we can help.    Links for more information  2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines  Maximizing Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review of Advanced Resistance Training Techniques and Methods   Nutrition Recommendations for Bodybuilders in the Off-Season: A Narrative Review   Improving muscle mass: response of muscle metabolism to exercise, nutrition and anabolic agents   Evidence-based recommendations for natural bodybuilding contest preparation: nutrition and supplementation   An Evidence-Based Approach for Choosing Post-exercise Recovery Techniques to Reduce Markers of Muscle Damage, Soreness, Fatigue, and Inflammation: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis   Recovery from Exercise: Skeletal muscle and resistance exercise training; the role of protein synthesis in recovery and remodeling   Water, Hydration and Health   Interrelationship between Sleep and Exercise: A Systematic Review   The bidirectional relationship between exercise and sleep: Implications for exercise adherence and sleep improvement   Efficacy and Safety of Whey Protein Supplements on Vital Sign and Physical Performance Among Athletes: A Network Meta-Analysis   Effect of creatine supplementation during resistance training on lean tissue mass and muscular strength in older adults: a meta-analysis  

  Want to smile big? Get in a workout  Every gym-goer knows and loves that post-workout feeling: You feel strong, confident, and energetic. You feel accomplished and ready to tackle your other responsibilities. You feel happy.   That post-workout feeling is a big reason why so many people can’t quit exercise. They first chase the physical health benefits, such as boosted immunity and stronger muscles, and wind up staying for the mental health benefits. (We all know someone who gets cranky when they miss too many workouts).   Turns out, the connection between exercise and happiness has been well studied by scientists. Here are six ways a workout can make you happier.   Exercise actually changes your brain    Your mind gets a workout while your body does.   While you’re working out your body, you’re working out your brain, too. Exercise increases something called “brain plasticity,” which is your brain’s ability to make new connections or rewire old ones.  In animals, exercise even creates new brain cells. While more research is needed to confirm those effects in humans, it wouldn’t be surprising to see future studies replicate these results in people, since exercise creates the perfect environment for your brain to grow: During exercise, your heart pumps more oxygen- and nutrient-rich blood to your brain and promotes the production of important hormones.   Exercise boosts endorphins  The storied and coveted runner’s high is real. Exercise seems to have an effect on your “happy hormones” serotonin and dopamine, as well as the opioid receptors in your brain. In other words, exercise acts like a drug. Just one workout may boost something called endocannabinoids, chemical compounds (yes, like those found in CBD) that can improve your mood.    Exercise relieves stress, anxiety, and depression    Working out can bring a smile to your face.  If you’re feeling stressed or sad, try hitting the gym. Exercise is considered an effective therapy for mild depression, stress, and anxiety, likely because of all the mood-boosting properties described above. Just a little exercise can help a lot if you’re experiencing low moods.  Exercise can help you sleep  We all know tonight’s sleep is critical for tomorrow’s happiness. Working out may improve your sleep quality and duration (read: better sleep for more hours), which is reason enough for any restless sleeper to jump on the exercise train. Even patients with insomnia have reported better sleep after exercising.   Exercise improves focus and productivity    Exercise helps you focus.  Who isn’t happier when they feel accomplished? Studies show that exercise can improve your attention span and improve “cognitive flexibility,” or your ability to switch from task to task while retaining strong focus. High-intensity exercise in particular has been linked to quicker information processing times—get in your workout and then fly through that to-do list.  Exercise can boost your energy levels  Everyone’s happier when they’re energetic. Here’s some good news: Exercise may reduce feelings of fatigue by up to 65 percent.   To wrap up, exercise can make you happier by enhancing your sleep, relieving stress and anxiety, increasing your energy and productivity levels, giving you an endorphin high, and literally changing your brain for the better. Not convinced? Try it for yourself at a World Gym near you. 

Good squat form: Feet flat, chest high, back straight. Despite the fact that squats are one of the most functional and primal movements, many people can’t squat with proper form. Poor squat form can be (and usually is) a combination of factors, such as immobile joints and weak core muscles. This article pinpoints common squat mistakes and common causes behind those mistakes, but knowing that all parts of the body are interconnected, improving whole-body mobility should be a priority for everyone who works out. World Gym Athletics: Back Squats  If: Your torso falls forward Torso falling forward in the squat. Then: Your T-spine might be tight Thanks to the largely sedentary lifestyle of modern humans, many people live with tight thoracic spines (AKA T-spine). This part of your spine extends from the top of your rib cage to the bottom and exhibits a kyphotic curve. If that curve becomes too rounded or tight, you may struggle with mobility for squats. Fix it: Practicing thoracic extension and rotation is the best way to relieve T-spine tightness. Foam rollers are great tools for improving T-spine mobility, and any rotational stretches, such as a forward fold spinal rotations, can help, too. If: You can't reach parallel Hips above parallel in the squat. Then: Your hips and ankles need some work Limited hip mobility is perhaps the most common culprit behind faulty squat form, with ankle mobility a close runner-up. For people who sit all day (a significant chunk of the population), hip mobility and ankle mobility are hard to come by. Poor posture combined with sedentarism often leads to tight hips and ankles that can’t squat. Fix it: There’s no shortage of hip and ankle mobility drills to try. Start with the basics, such as hip flexor stretches, hip internal and external rotation, and ankle dorsiflexion, before moving onto advanced stretches like pigeon pose and frog stretch. If: Your lower back hurts In a good squat, your spine should remain in a neutral position without arching or rounding. Then: You need to strengthen your core Squats should not induce back pain of any sort, period. Proper squat form recruits your glutes, legs, and core more than your back—if your back is fronting the load instead, we have a problem. Back pain during squats usually indicates weak core musculature, which can put you at risk for back injuries (during all exercises, not just squats). Fix it: Strengthen your core. Isometric core work, such as hollow body holds and planks, help tremendously. For dynamic core strength, focus on loaded rotational strength exercises (think: Turkish get-ups and windmills) to dramatically improve your squat form. Also, practice actively engaging your core during squats. If you have a strong core but don’t know how to use it, it won’t help you much. Take a deep breath, draw your navel up and toward your spine, and create tension in your midsection. If: Your knees cave in Knees caving in at the bottom of a squat. Then: You may have weak glutes If you find yourself battling duck legs on the way up from a squat, there’s a good chance you need to strengthen your hip abductors. Your hip abductors include the muscles responsible for moving your legs away from the midline of your body. This group includes your gluteus medius and minimus. Weak abductors result in poor squat form at best and knee or hip injuries at worst, so it’s a good idea to work on this problem area. Fix it: To stop your knees from caving in during squats, strengthen your hip abductors with glute-focused exercises and single-leg compound movements. Try adding banded lateral walks, banded air squats, walking lunges, and cable kick-backs to your routine. Links for More Information How to squat? Effects of various stance widths, foot placement angles and level of experience on knee, hip and trunk motion and loading The back squat: A proposed assessment of functional deficits and technical factors that limit performance The Back Squat Part 2: Targeted Training Techniques to Correct Functional Deficits and Technical Factors that Limit Performance Knee Joint Kinetics in Relation to Commonly Prescribed Squat Loads and Depths Muscle Activation Patterns During Different Squat Techniques Quantifying the movement and the influence of load in the back squat exercise Muscle Activity Pattern with A Shifted Center of Pressure during the Squat Exercise Optimizing Squat Technique : Strength & Conditioning Journal

Photo by Amirali Mirhashemian on Unsplash.  Saturated fat has been demonized for decades. In the 1950s, scientists sounded the alarm, the public became scared of dietary fat and food manufacturers responded with low-fat versions of everything.    The low-fat craze didn’t seem to do much for collective health, though — the continuous climb in heart disease, obesity, and diabetes rates should make us wonder if perhaps saturated fat is not the problem.   But, science said saturated fat is bad for you    Foods high in saturated fat, like bacon, have a bad rap for no real reason. Photo by Casey Diviese on Unsplash.  Yes, “said” being the key word. Science did show — in the past — that saturated fat consumption might be bad for your health. What really happened is that a couple of observational studies on the relationship between saturated fat and heart disease got blown out of proportion.   That saturated fat is outright bad for you is a big, fat myth. Pun 100 percent intended.    Over the last few years, scientists have debunked the myth again and again, but most people still think saturated fat is bad for you. The truth is, saturated fat intake may not be linked to heart disease at all — says this study and this one. Oh, and this study, this one, and this one.  So, saturated fat is good for you, then?  Lots of healthy foods, including avocados, have saturated fat. Photo by Gil Ndjouwou on Unsplash.  It’s really not so simple, but yes, some saturated fat is good for you. In fact, saturated fat is critical to many elements of your health — without any saturated fat at all, your body won’t function like it should. You need fats in your diet as much as you need carbs and proteins.  Dietary fats protect your cells and nerves, help your body clot blood, aid in nutrient absorption, fight inflammation, and help with hormone production. Foods high in saturated fat can certainly be part of a well-rounded, nutritious diet.   Too much of a good thing may be a bad thing  Too much of anything could be a bad thing, but that doesn’t mean you have to entirely cut out saturated fats. Photo by Alan Hardman on Unsplash.  The harmful effects of overconsumption of saturated fats aren’t out of the question. Although recent research has called the heart disease claim into question, we can’t disregard decades of science that link saturated fat to other health conditions. Limited research links excess saturated fat to increased inflammation, cognitive decline, and disease risk factors like obesity and high LDL cholesterol.   However, the real culprit seems to be the origin of saturated fats, not the amount.  Fast food, for example, is high in saturated fat and has been linked to an increased risk disease. But coconut oil, also high in saturated fat, may reduce disease risk factors.  Please, help me figure out what fats to eat  We hear you. The world of dietary fats is complex, confusing, and downright confounding. Following a few simple rules of thumb can help you add the best fats to your diet and avoid the fats that become problematic with too much consumption.   You should know about four types of dietary fat:   Polyunsaturated: These are essential fats you must get from food, because your body doesn’t make them on its own. Eat plenty of these fats.  Monounsaturated: These fats boost your health in several ways. Eat generous portions.  Saturated: Nutritious when part of a balanced diet. Eat in moderation, and consume mostly from whole-food sources.  Trans: If you’re to avoid any type of fat, this is the one. Trans fats form during food processing, and they’re known to harm your health in many ways. Avoid trans fats whenever you can.   Generally, unpackaged and minimally processed fatty foods (think olives, avocados, fish, and nuts) contain lots of healthy unsaturated fats. Some contain small amounts of saturated fat.  Animal meat, dairy products (butter, cheese, ghee), and tropical oils (coconut, palm, cocoa) contain saturated fat.   Processed foods — packaged snacks like crackers and sweet treats — generally contain saturated fat and many contain trans fat.   Now that you know saturated fat isn’t the demon it’s made out to be, go ahead and dip into that guacamole guilt-free!    Photo by Maskim Shutov on Unsplash    Photo by Ashley Green on Unsplash 

Not only can exercise boost your strength, endurance, and mood, but it can help you fight off diseases like COVID-19.It really is true: Exercise is medicine. You may have heard that before and brushed it off, but exercise is medicine as much as good nutrition and restful sleep are. Exercise prevents disease, and in many cases, exercise interventions can reverse diseases and get people off of prescription medications. Exercise also reduces your risk of contracting acute illnesses, like the common cold or flu — and if you do catch a virus, a history of exercise will help your body fight it off. Now, as we face a persistent pandemic, prioritizing immune health is more critical than ever. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) acknowledges that obesity may increase the risk of severe complications from COVID-19, and several scientific studies support this warning. In one study, even after adjusting for weight-related comorbidities, researchers found obesity to be a huge risk for death from COVID-19. Another study suggests that excess body fat suppresses the immune system, while yet another questions whether obesity might negatively affect a person’s response to a COVID-19 vaccine when that time comes. But, how exactly does this all work, and where does exercise come into play? It’s all about how exercise improves your immune health — and that happens in several ways. Exercise prepares your body to fight Exercise makes your body stronger inside and out. Turns out, a physical activity habit may actually improve the function of your immune cells. Exercise also strengthens your organs (particularly the heart and lungs) and increases blood circulation, which may contribute to quicker responses from white blood cells and antibodies that fight off infections. Exercise reduces your risk of diseases It is (or should be) common knowledge at this point that exercise is an antidote to disease. Physical activity is a first line of defense against chronic illnesses like heart disease, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes. When people show early signs of these conditions, doctors often prescribe lifestyle changes, including a regular exercise program. Exercise keeps your weight down One of the best things you can do for your health — immune or otherwise — is maintain a healthy weight. Decades of research prove body weight is related to almost every health outcome imaginable, including your risk of complications from infectious diseases like COVID-19. Exercise reduces inflammation Finally, scientists have proven regular physical activity can decrease inflammation in your body. Research suggests chronic inflammation plays a major role in the development of chronic diseases, because it can dampen your immune system’s ability to function. In fact, some research even links lower inflammatory markers to people with better fitness.

A good warmup always precedes a good workout. Whether you like it or not, getting warm is a key part of improving your strength, mobility, and overall fitness. This complete warm-up routine only takes five minutes — that’s all you need to drastically improve your workout. Related: How many reps will build muscle? Warmup Format Flow through 10 reps of each of the following warm-up movements. Complete two to four rounds, or until you feel ready to attack the weights. Cat-Cow Pose Also known as: spinal flexion/extension Cat-cow pose is a great starting place for any warmup, as it helps to loosen up your neck, back, chest, and shoulders. How to do cat-cow pose: Start on all fours on the ground. Stack your shoulders, elbows, and wrists so your arms make a straight line perpendicular to the ground. Stack your hips over your knees to make your thighs perpendicular to the ground. Engage your core and find your neutral spine position. Inhale and round your spine, tucking your chin and pressing your palms into the ground. Once you reach your end range of motion in cat pose, exhale and begin to arch your back. Lift your chest and chin high, keeping your palms pressed into the ground. When you reach your end range of motion, return to your neutral position and reset for another rep. Bootstrappers Also known as: squat-to-stand mobility Bootstrappers should be a go-to warm-up movement for anyone who struggles with hip or spinal mobility in the squat. In addition to priming the squat position, bootstrappers prepare you to engage your core for weighted movements. How to do bootstrappers: Start by standing with your feet about hip-width apart. Bend down to touch your toes. Keep your spine as neutral as possible (don’t round) and clasp your fingers around the toe box of your shoe. Hang out in this position for a second. Still holding onto your toes, slowly lower yourself into a squat. Bring the crown of your head to the sky and look forward. Hold this bottom position for a few seconds. Maintain the hold on your toes and send your hips upward so you return to a forward fold. Downward Dog to Cobra Also known as: divers Downward dog to cobra combines two classic yoga movements that prime and prep your shoulders, as well as mobilize your upper spine and ankles. How to do downward dog to cobra: Start in the downward dog position. Your body should make a triangular shape with the ground. Bend your elbows to slowly lower your head to the ground. Just before your head touches the ground, extend your arms and push your torso up. Finish with your back arched, arms fully extended, and chest high. To get back into downward dog, straighten your spine, send your hips upward, and press your head through the window of your arms. Cossack Squats Also known as: deep side lunges For those looking to maximize hip and ankle mobility, cossack squats are a must-have in any warm-up routine. cossack squats also build your single-leg strength and prepare your knees for the stress of a loaded movement. How to do cossack squats: Start by standing with a wide stance, as if you were preparing to perform a sumo deadlift. Keep your toes forward or pointed out just slightly. Lower to one side, dropping into the squat as deeply as you can, breaking the parallel plane if possible. As you descend, keep the foot of your working leg planted firmly, but raise onto the heel of your non-working foot. The toes of your non-working foot should point to the sky. Pause and then push back to the starting position. Repeat on the opposite leg. Forward Fold With Spinal Rotation Also known as: folded windmill Forward folds alone are great for improving flexibility but adding a spinal rotation into the mix is better for improving mobility (yes, there’s a difference). How to do forward folds with spinal rotations: Stand with your feet together. Hinge at the hips and reach down to touch your toes, or as far down your leg as you can. It’s fine to grab your calves or ankles. Anchor your hands beneath your toes or around your legs. Take a deep breath. Exhale as you lift your right hand to the sky, following it with your gaze. Twist until you feel slight tension in your spine, keeping your left hand anchored to your body. Inhale when you reach your end range of motion. Then, exhale and bring your right hand back to center. Repeat on the opposite side.

1. Eat more calories and protein More protein is always a good thing when you’re trying to build muscle. Photo by Sarah Boudreau on Unsplash. Bodybuilders know the phrase “mass builds mass.” Muscle growth is an output, and all outputs require inputs. If you’re trying to build muscle, you need to eat more calories than you burn each day — ideally, many of those calories would come from high-quality sources of protein. Many people who say they can’t build muscle are really just afraid to eat more, fearing the “bulking” phase of muscle growth during which you gain weight. While it is somewhat possible to maintain a lean body composition while building muscle, you’ll have to come to terms with the fact that building muscle temporarily means gaining a little bit of body fat. Instead of focusing on weight gain, use your muscle-building phase to enjoy the strength and energy that come with extra calories. 2. Follow a structured training program A periodized training program developed by a personal trainer helps you build muscle faster. [this image came from the ShareFile). Do you walk into the gym with a plan, or do you blindly throw down weights each time? To build muscle (or to meet any fitness goal), you need to put intention behind all of your workouts. Without intention, there is no plan, and without a plan, you won’t build muscle — at least not as quickly or efficiently as you could with a plan. A periodized training program accounts for your fitness goals, training history, and current fitness level. Over the course of 6 to 12 weeks, a structured workout plan takes your physique from “clearly works out occasionally” to “wow, I want to look like that person.” Muscle comes quicker on a periodized plan because your trainer can carefully manipulate variables like intensity, volume, and frequency to keep you progressing. 3. Do less cardio Too much cardio can stall your muscle growth progress. [this image came from the ShareFile] Before getting into the details about cardio and muscle growth, let’s clear one thing up: Cardiovascular exercise has its place. It’s essential for your overall health and can help you lose body fat, among other benefits. However, too much cardio does have a negative effect on muscle growth. Muscle grows in response to activities that require strength and power, while on the flip side, muscle growth stalls when endurance is the necessary outcome. To visualize this, picture an Olympic sprinter and an Olympic marathoner — two phenomenal athletes with insane fitness. However, the sprinter typically has thicker, more defined muscles, while the marathoner typically has less definition. Both athletes run, so what’s the deal? Sprinting requires maximal output for a very short time (i.e., explosive strength) and a sprinter’s body reflects that. Running marathons requires submaximal output for a very long time (i.e., endurance), and because muscle takes up a lot of energy, a professional marathoner’s body will utilize as little muscle as possible to get them across the finish line. Moral of the story: If you’re hitting the treadmill every day, tone it down a notch if you want to build muscle. To learn more about building muscle, ask a World Gym personal trainer about workout plans and muscle growth strategies.

Most people think personal trainers are just for fixing form and writing workouts, but they really do so much more than that. A good personal trainer becomes a consultant for all things fitness and nutrition, yes, but they also become a go-to source of healthy living advice, a confidant, and a teacher of many lessons.   Hiring a personal trainer can feel like a big commitment, but a good trainer is well worth your time, money, and effort. Whether you’re looking to push past a plateau, recover from an injury, or learn new ways to work out, a professional World Gym trainer has your back. 1. You don’t know where to start Personal trainers help you get started by providing safe and effective fitness plans. This might be the number one reason people seek personal trainers. Starting a fitness journey can feel daunting, to say the least, and much of the information online is overwhelming and hurts more than it helps. This is where a personal trainer can help. As a certified professional, your trainer can answer all of your initial questions about fitness and nutrition. They will get you started on a safe, effective program that matches your fitness level, lifestyle, and goals. 2. You need extra accountability External accountability helps us reach our fitness goals. Everyone can use an accountability partner at times — no one has unlimited stores of motivation and willpower. Hiring a personal trainer is perhaps the best way to ensure accountability. Your personal trainer is counting on you to show up for your sessions and do your “homework” in between sessions. You’ll get the best results by following your program to a T, and that alone is often enough motivation to stick to it. 3. You aren’t seeing results with your current routine Get better results with a personal trainer. If you’ve been working out for a while and seem to have hit a plateau, hiring a personal trainer could be the ticket to busting through your roadblocks. After asking questions about your current fitness routine, past routines, lifestyle, and other factors, a personal trainer can design an individualized, structured training program to get you back on the fast track to fitness. 4. You’re recovering from an injury (or want to avoid one) A trainer ensures you lift weights with good form. Professional personal trainers specialize in designing safe exercise programs for all populations; some trainers even pursue additional education in injury prevention and recovery. If you’re currently recovering from an injury or want to avoid getting injured in the first place, a personal trainer can help. Trainers design fitness programs specific to the individual with a constant emphasis on good exercise technique, which is essential to preventing injuries and avoiding aggravation of pre-existing injuries. 5. You’re bored with your workouts A personal trainer can help you discover new, fun exercises you didn’t even know existed. Without a goal in mind, you probably don’t have a plan to follow. And without a plan, working out can quickly become monotonous and boring. Squash boredom by hiring a personal trainer, who can provide exciting, detailed programs that inch you closer to your fitness goals with each workout. World Gym is home to hundreds of professional personal trainers. If any of those these reasons sound like you, stop by a World Gym and ask about personal training packages.

When you walk into the gym, do you enter with a plan? Workouts that reflect your goal will propel you to success. Whether you want to build muscle, get stronger, or improve your endurance, knowing how many reps to lift is key to getting there — consider this your one-stop guide. How many reps to lift to build muscle If your main goal is to build muscle, you’ll want to lift in the 8 to 12 rep range. This is the proven “hypertrophy rep range” according to the American Council on Exercise (ACE), and several scientific studies support this. To build muscle, you need to hit that sweet spot between volume and weight — volume is the number-one variable for increasing muscle mass, and load comes in a close second. The absolute best way to put on size is to take a hybrid approach known as “powerbuilding.” A powerbuilding plan includes high-volume days and lower-volume, heavier days to build strength (since more strength usually correlates to more muscle). How many reps to lift for strength Heavy lifters get strong. Photo by Sven Mieke on Unsplash. Speaking of strength, lower your rep count and increase your weight if you want to get stronger. Studies show that lifting heavy weights to fatigue (meaning on the brink of failure) is the most effective way to build strength. The ACE recommends lifting one to six reps, while the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) recommends up to five. How many reps to lift for power To get good at Olympic lifts, train for power. Photo by Victor Freitas on Unsplash. Mastering the power clean, snatch, and overhead jerk (AKA the Olympic lifts) requires extreme power in the posterior chain. To develop such power, lifters need to focus on explosive lifts at high loads. The ACE suggests limiting sets to just one or two reps in order to maximize your power output, while NASM recommends up to five reps for power. The other key to developing power is implementing high sets. For example, five or six sets of one to two reps (rather than just two or three sets) gives you more overall volume but still allows you to focus on explosivity at heavy loads. How many reps to lift for endurance Training for endurance means high-volume sets at low weights. Photo by Karsten Winegeart on Unsplash.  If you’re training for endurance, lifting 15 or more reps per set is your best bet. Improving your endurance requires improving your aerobic capacity, or how long your body can sustain a rhythmic, repeated motion under duress. Lifting weights for endurance can help runners, hikers, cyclists, and other distance-based athletes get better at their sport. It’s also a phenomenal training modality for general health and translates well to everyday activities, such as walking up long flights of stairs. Knowing exactly how many reps to lift when you work out is key to meeting your fitness goals. If you want help developing the right goals and training program for you, talk to a World Gym personal trainer.

Get stronger without getting bulky. Weight and strength training are often the best way for women to achieve their fitness goals. Some people believe they will get too bulky if they lift weights and that’s just not true!  Here are five great benefits to weight training for women and 3 reasons why you won’t “get bulky.” When you lift weights, you’ll get stronger, more mobile, have more energy, and feel more confident.  1. Stronger bones: For women, a primary benefit of weightlifting is bone strength and maintenance. As you get older, your bones stop remodeling and can become brittle and weak. Resistance training can increase or maintain your bone mineral density, a key factor in preventing osteoporosis. 2. Reduced risk of disease: Studies show that resistance training can reduce your risk of certain chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Other research shows that strength training can decrease “mobility disability” and even your risk of some cancers. 3. Improved body composition: An enhanced physique isn’t the only benefit of a healthy body composition. Achieving and maintaining a healthy body fat percentage is one of the best things you could ever do for your health. 4. Strength and endurance: If you want to feel strong, fast, and fit, start lifting weights. Weight training makes you stronger for everyday activities, such as carrying groceries, and recreational ones, such as hiking other outdoor adventures. 5. Confidence and empowerment: Women can become empowered and confident through weightlifting. Every woman who lifts weights can tell you it feels phenomenal to experience yourself getting stronger and set personal records. Some women worry they will get too “bulky” if they lift weights. It’s time we ended this myth.  First of all, who cares if women put on muscle, anyway? It’s outdated and silly that people think women shouldn't have muscular physiques. Women can and should look the way they want.   Second, it’s not as common as people think for women to “bulk up.” I’ve been lifting weights in some way or form for eight years, and I wouldn’t call myself bulky. Here are just a few reasons why women won’t automatically bulk up if they lift weights. 1. Calorie and protein intake: To build muscle, you must eat more calories than you burn, and many of those calories must come from protein. If you don’t eat above your maintenance calorie intake, don’t worry about packing on more muscle than you want. 2. Testosterone production: Women who lift weights don’t look like men who lift weights because of genetic and hormonal differences. Testosterone largely contributes to your muscle-building potential, so naturally, because women have less testosterone, they won’t build as much muscle as men. 3. Workout routine: Lifting weights for health isn’t the same as lifting weights for muscle. You’ll build some muscle by lifting light to moderate weights, but unless you hit the gym with the express intent of becoming extremely muscular, you won’t get bulky. If you’re unsure where to start in the weight room, a World Gym personal trainer can help you find a fitness plan that works for you.  

Stop Ignoring Mobility Work: The Importance of Mobility for Fitness I have a confession to make: For years, I discredited mobility work as an important part of a fitness routine. Whether you like HIIT, weightlifting, running, or literally anything else, you will be stronger and hit your goals faster with regular mobility work. My own coaches continually told me mobility was important and I refused to believe them...until I found myself unable to squat because of severe back pain. My squat form sucked, and I was paying the price. One morning during a 5:30 a.m. session, underneath a barbell and in searing pain, I thought to myself: I am not squatting with weight ever again until I perfect the technique. I kept my promise and got to work improving my range of motion. Meanwhile, I stuck to lower body moves that didn’t require quite as much mobility as the squat. Fast-forward about a year, and I’m proud to say I now squat more weight than I ever could before because I have far better form.  If you’re like I was and think mobility training isn’t important, here are three reasons why you need to start doing mobility work — now! Better Mobility, Better Lifts Form first, load second. Most weightlifters have heard this. Many have dismissed it. However, the moment you begin prioritizing your mobility is the moment you begin getting stronger. The deeper your range of motion in a given lift, the more you challenge your muscles during that lift. An example: Tom does half squats and Bill does full squats. Who’s stronger? Tom or Bill? Thought so. Plus, when you have good mobility, you won’t have to spend as much time warming up for your workouts. Your body will already be halfway primed — no more, “Ah, I just have to ease into it first.” And boom, you automatically have more minutes allocated to building strength. Better Mobility, Better Life While many people start working out for aesthetic reasons, most are quick to learn that hitting the gym not only makes them look better, but it makes them feel better, too. Adding mobility work to your workout routine can enhance those feel-good effects even more. When you have good mobility, you’ll encounter fewer aches and pains and wake up feeling more limber.  And when you feel good, everything — from daily chores to recreational activities to hanging with your kids — is more enjoyable. Better Mobility, Better Body I don’t mean better in an aesthetic sense, although that’s a possibility thanks to the strengthening aspect of mobility. What I mean by “better body” is a body with a low risk for injuries. When you stay mobile, you’re less likely to hurt yourself in the gym, while engaging in recreational activities, and during everyday activities. We all know someone who’s blown out their back while trying to move furniture or otherwise lift a heavy odd object. You can skirt that scenario by improving your mobility, which would allow you to lift the couch with your legs and spare your lower back. If you want help improving your mobility, contact a personal trainer at your local World Gym.

This One Fitness Rule Will Change Your Life (and Your Body) Progressive overload: It’s the technical term for continuously challenging your body and how our muscles get stronger. Most people immediately think about adding weight, but that’s not the only way to get stronger — here are six ways to make your workouts more effective, no heavy loads needed.  Technique You can’t progressively overload without faultless form. If you already lift heavy and you’re trying to get stronger without packing more pounds on the barbell, analyze your technique before doing anything else. If you have faulty movement patterns, fixing them allows you to overcome compensations (like recruiting too much of your lower back during squats) and make every exercise more targeted. Range of motion Ever notice how changing an exercise just slightly — like a narrow-grip versus a standard-grip bench press — can make you sore for days? The same premise applies to range of motion. If you aren’t reaching the full range of motion on compound lifts, you aren’t getting the most out of them. For example: A full-depth squat will increase your strength significantly more than a half-depth squat (and you’ll definitely get sore if you’re not used to hitting full depth).  Tempo After perfecting form and increasing range of motion, try utilizing tempos. Adding tempos to weightlifting workouts is a proven tactic to increase results. To implement tempos, intentionally slow down your lifts. Tempos can also include pauses and explosiveness, such as in the example above.  Volume This one should be obvious: The more you do something, the better you get at doing it. You can increase volume by manipulating three variables: weight, reps, and sets. Let’s say you can squat 150 pounds for three sets of 10 reps. Instead of attempting 160 pounds for three sets of 10 reps, stay at 150 pounds and do four sets of 10 reps, or three sets of 12 reps. Either way, your total volume increases without adding weight. Even when adding volume, make sure to get a full range of motion on each rep. Frequency People often confuse frequency with volume, but they aren’t the same: Volume is the total load you move for a specific exercise within a workout. Frequency is how often you perform a specific exercise or train a particular body part. For example, if you currently do push-ups once a week, increasing that two two times per week can improve your push-up strength with no other alterations to your routine.  Rest intervals Finally, you can manipulate rest intervals to gain strength and muscular endurance. If you typically rest for two to three minutes between sets, try cutting your rest period down to 90 seconds — guarantee your usual weight for a given lift will feel much heavier. Consult a Trainer at Your World Gym Looking for ways to make your workouts more effective? A World Gym personal trainer can help you implement progressive overload to get stronger, even if you don’t want to add more weight to your lifts.  

Understanding Macronutrients is the Key to Unlocking Your Fitness Potential Understanding macros can help you get stronger and leaner. Tracking macronutrients is the most basic way to manage and monitor your nutrition: It simply means counting the number of calories you eat each day from different sources of food. The reason so many gym junkies track their macros? Put simply, it works: Tracking macros can be the key to unlocking fitness potential you didn’t even know you had. What are macronutrients? Macronutrients are essential nutrients your body needs in large quantities (micronutrients, in contrast, are those that you need in small amounts). There are three macronutrients: carbohydrates, protein, and fat. All three are equally important and, yes, you can eat all three and be healthy and fit. Carbs 101 Carbs from foods like rice, bread, and starchy vegetables provide you with mental and physical energy. While some people can thrive on a low-carb diet, going keto isn’t the right route for most people, because let’s face it: Carb-heavy foods are delicious, and your body is designed to process carbs for energy. Aside from physical and mental energy, carbs help with post-workout recovery and muscle preservation. Just remember that not all carbs are created equal. Sure, you can fit an ounce of jellybeans into your diet, but an ounce of sweet potato sure will make you feel a lot better (and you won’t come crashing down in an hour). Protein 101 Protein is critical for muscle recovery and growth. Most people get the majority of their protein from animal sources, such as chicken, pork, and beef, although many plant-based foods contain ample protein (but not complete proteins). Protein is important for muscle repair, growth and maintenance, as well as satiety, which can help you reach your body composition goals. Fats 101 Avocados are good for more than just pretty toast: Healthy fats set you up for fitness success. Fat supports several body functions, and keeping your focus on fats can improve your overall health, which contributes, in turn, to your fitness. Dietary fat is important for nutrient absorption and sustained energy, both of which can help you power through workouts. Try to get most of your dietary fat from healthy sources of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. It’s best to keep saturated fats to a minimum (not because saturated fat alone is bad, but because most foods with saturated fat are highly processed). Stick to whole-food fats like avocados, olives, vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, and fish. Calories in macronutrients Each macronutrient has its own calorie value per gram. Carbohydrates and protein both contain four calories per gram, while fat contains nine calories per gram. While alcohol isn’t technically considered a macronutrient (because it’s not essential for survival), you should know that every gram of alcohol contains seven calories. Tracking macronutrients for fitness People generally track macros to either build muscle or lose fat. With the right macronutrient ratio, you can better manage your lean mass, strength, energy, performance, and even your sleep.  Every athlete is different but here are some general guidelines for using macros to lose fat and gain muscle. Do you really need to track macros? The hard truth is that there’s no “best” macronutrient ratio. For people who exercise regularly (especially people who lift weights), it’s beneficial to shift the ratio to something more protein-heavy: Your muscles can’t recover from your workouts without adequate protein. In reality, the principles of a healthy diet are pretty simple: Eat mostly whole foods and balance your calorie intake (or eat in a surplus or deficit depending on your goals). Macro-tracking is just one tool of many that you can use to improve your fitness. For help with your own personalized training and nutrition program, contact a personal trainer at your local World Gym.