How to Not Lose Your Fitness
To maximize your fitness, sleep and lift heavy things. Get-Fit Guy explains.
Ben Greenfield
I was talking to a friend of mine the other day, and he asked, “If there were two things you could do to maximize your fitness, what would they be?”
Naturally, because it has so much research behind it, my first response was “sleep more.”
But my second response was “…and lift heavy stuff.”
Why that second response? Why didn’t I say “run more” or “do more burpees” or “stretch more”?
I was influenced heavily by this recent study, which compared how long it takes to lose your fitness when you lift weights three times per week at a high intensity and a low volume (5 sets of 5 reps) compared to a low intensity and a high volume (3 sets of 12-15 reps). Both groups performed bench press, squat, arm curls, triceps, biceps, and shoulder press. The results were significant: after 2 weeks of not doing anything at all, the high intensity group had retained much more of their fitness.
So what is the take-away message for you?
If you really want the best fitness maintenance, lift heavy stuff a few times a week, and check out my episode on “How To Build Muscle” to maximize your knowledge of exactly how to lift and which exercises to do. Simple, eh?
Do you have questions about how to not lose your fitness? Leave your thoughts over at https://www.Facebook.com/GetFitGuy.
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About the Author
Ben Greenfield received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from University of Idaho in sports science and exercise physiology; personal training and strength and conditioning certifications from the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA); a sports nutrition certification from the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN), an advanced bicycle fitting certification from Serotta. He has over 11 years’ experience in coaching professional, collegiate, and recreational athletes from all sports, and as helped hundreds of clients achieve weight loss and fitness success.