Isolation training vs full body training

I'd like to preface this blog by saying that if you are up and at the gym good for you! Keep it up!

That said, I spend my days in and out of gyms, fitness classes, training clients and working out myself.

Nothing frustrates me more than watching people waste their time on ineffectual workouts. Sometimes they're on their own, but many times they are with a trainer! And i'm like...

I was at the gym today watching an overweight, 25ish women (with a trainer) go through a lack luster, dead eyed, boring workout.

They did standing dumbbell curls with 10 pounders, lateral dumbbell flys with what looked like 3 lb dumbbells,  and a series of other isolation lifts with weight that was way too light.

I wanted to run over and say HEY!!! Put that woman on the treadmill for 10 minutes then get her ass over to the SQUAT RACK!!!

Imagine your body is a huge block of rough granite. You want to sculpt it into a work of art RIGHT!?!

Well isolation exercises are sand paper. 

Squats, dead lifts, push-ups, and sprints are a hammer and chisel.

If you are one of the lucky few who are naturally lean and muscular then isolation, toning, and finishing exercises are fine. For the rest of us, hard cardio and full body movements that incorporate multiple muscle groups are a must. 

Squats work all the major and stabilizing muscles of your lower body.

 Do 5 heavy sets of squats to failure and you'll feel like you've just run a 5k

Dead lifts work all the same muscle as squats as well as your lats and traps

Push-ups work all the muscles of your upper body (directly and indirectly)

and finally, sprints are by far the ultimate fat burner

Running is great. Putting in the miles every week is great for your heart, body and mind. I run ON THE REG!

But how many over weight people do you know who run half and full marathons? I know plenty!

But I've never met an over weight sprinter.

The key to getting the most out of a sprint is to give 100 percent! Otherwise you're just running.

I incorporate these exercises and many, many more into my own work outs as well as my clients. They will get you where you want to be.

 Once you've gotten long and lean then maybe you can sand in the mirror at the gym and watch yourself do dumbbell curls.