Category: Workout

5 Reasons You SHOULD Hire A Coach

So, you’ve made the decision to embark on your fitness journey? Fantastic! But hold your horses for a moment.

You might believe that going solo is the best route to achieving your fitness goals, but you’d be mistaken.

In fact, enlisting a coach is one of the smartest steps you can take to ensure your fitness success is virtually guaranteed.

Curious why? Here are five compelling reasons why hiring a coach is a must!

#1 Tailored Training Plans

Ever found yourself lost on the internet late at night, pondering how many sets and reps to tackle for those bicep curls?

If you have, you understand the frustration and confusion that comes with not having a clear workout plan. This is precisely where a fitness coach or personal trainer can make a world of difference. Certified professionals can craft effective training routines that eliminate guesswork.

Additionally, they offer valuable guidance on proper form and technique, safeguarding you from injuries while optimizing your workouts. If you’re feeling stuck in your fitness journey, this reason alone justifies hiring a PT!

#2 Customized Nutrition Plans

Beyond workouts, a fitness coach can curate a personalized nutrition plan tailored to your specific needs and objectives. They eliminate the guesswork by providing constant guidance and support.

Whether your goal is weight loss, muscle gain, or overall health enhancement, a fitness coach is your compass to success. You won’t have to navigate this journey alone – your coach will be your steadfast motivator every step of the way.

Moreover, they can closely monitor your progress and make necessary adjustments to the plan!

#3 Prevention of Costly Errors

Coaches are worth their weight in gold because they prevent expensive missteps. Their experience equips them to differentiate what works from what doesn’t.

They understand the significance of tracking progress, setting goals, and troubleshooting when things don’t go as planned. While you could learn from your mistakes, it would take longer and potentially cost more in terms of time and resources.

A coach ensures you stay on track, motivated, responsible, and injury-free!

#4 A Fresh Perspective

A fitness coach offers an outsider’s perspective on your training, noticing aspects you might overlook. They provide critique and feedback that foster improvement.

They’re adept at identifying errors in your form, technique, and even your mindset – then they work to rectify them.

Remember, an external viewpoint always adds value, and coaches excel in this department!

#5 Accountability

Boost Have you ever initiated a solo workout routine, only to gradually skip more sessions until quitting entirely? It’s a common predicament, but there’s a solution: hiring a fitness coach.

A great coach doesn’t merely devise an effective workout plan; they also hold you accountable. They ensure you attend your workouts and push you to persist even when fatigue or discouragement sets in.

In essence, a fitness coach can be the linchpin between success and failure!

But we understand that not everyone can afford a personal trainer. That’s why we’ve got you covered with our NSH FIT & Well Club.

It’s your all-in-one solution to learn everything you need to know about fitness, nutrition, mindset, and health, like having your personal trainer in your pocket. And its only €9.90/ month!

From fitness challenges, workout programs to nutrition, healthy recipes and mindset courses – we’ve got you covered!

Take a look at what our membership includes here:

NSH FIT & WELL CLUB

Benefits of Yoga

Benefits of Yoga through meditation works remarkably to accomplish harmony and helps the mind work in synchronization with the body. How often do we find that we are unable to perform our activities properly and in a satisfying manner because of the confusions and conflicts in our mind weigh down heavily upon us?

Stress is the number one suspect affecting all parts of our physical, endocrinal and emotional system. And with the help of yoga this things can be corrected. At the physical level, yoga and yoga poses have proven to be extremely effective for various disorders.

Listed below are just some of the benefits of yoga that you can get.

Benefits of Yoga 1:

Yoga is known to amplify flexibility; yoga has postures that trigger the different joints of the body. Including those joints that are not acted upon with regular exercises routines.

Benefits of Yoga 2:

Yoga also increases the lubrication of joints, ligament and tendons. The well-researched yoga positions exercise the different tendons and ligaments of the body.
It has also been found that the body which may have started doing yoga being a inflexible one may experience a quite remarkable flexibility in the end on those parts of the body which have not been consciously worked upon.

Benefits of Yoga 3:

Yoga also massages all organs of the body. Yoga is perhaps the only exercise that can work on through your internal organs in a thorough manner, including those that hardly get externally stimulated during our entire lifetime.

Benefits of Yoga 4:

Yoga acts in a wholesome manner on the various body parts. This stimulation and massage of the organs in turn benefits us by keeping away disease and providing a forewarning at the first possible instance of a likely onset of disease or disorder.

One of the far-reaching benefits of yoga is the uncanny sense of awareness that it develops in the practitioner of an impending health disorder or infection.

Benefits of Yoga 5:

Yoga offers a total detoxification of the body. It gently stretches the muscles and joints as well as massaging the various organs.

Yoga ensures the optimum blood supply to various parts of the body.

Benefits of Yoga 6:

Yoga helps in the flushing out of toxins from every nook and cranny of your body as well, as providing nourishment up to the last point. This leads to benefits such as delayed ageing, energy and a remarkable zest for life.

Benefits of Yoga 7:

Yoga is also an excellent way to tone your muscles. Muscles which have been flaccid and weak are stimulated repeatedly to shed excess fats and flaccidity.

But these enormous physical benefits are just a side effect of this powerful practice. What yoga does is harmonize the mind with the body and these results in real quantum benefits.

It is now an open secret that the will of the mind has enabled people to achieve extraordinary physical feats, which proves beyond doubt the mind and body connection.

In fact yoga = meditation, because both work together in achieving the common goal of unity of mind, body and spirit which can lead to an experience of eternal bliss that you can only feel through yoga.

The meditative practices through yoga help in achieving an emotional balance through detachment.

This in turn creates a extraordinary calmness and a positive outlook, which also has tremendous benefits on the physical health of the body.

Dive into our Yoga Journey Course

Meticulously crafted to cater to both newcomers and seasoned yogis.

Experience 13 video guided Yoga sessions, from foundational poses to advanced sequences.

Our course ensures not only physical revitalization, but also mental clarity and holistic well-being.

Benefits of Yoga
Join Our Yoga Journey Course

Beginner Training: An Introduction

You’ve probably seen those crazy Crossfit people on social media, straining and sweating through impossible workouts.

You might have even thought to yourself, “How do they do that? I could never do something like that. Is that what I really need to be in shape? Impossible!”

But you don’t have to be a Crossfit enthusiast to reap the benefits of strength training.

In fact, beginner training is a simple and effective way to start improving your health and fitness levels.

This guide will introduce you to the basics of beginner training so that you can start getting in shape today.

And so, are you ready to learn? Let’s get started!

Setting Realistic Goals

You’ve just joined a gym, or maybe you’re thinking about joining one. You’re new to this whole working out thing, and you want to set some goals.

But where do you start?

Well, it’s important to set realistic goals as a beginner trainee, and the goals should be oriented towards building base levels of strength, endurance, and learning the proper exercise form on the main exercises.

This may seem like a lot to take in at first, but don’t worry – fitness training is not about setting the goals of “getting abs” or “big arms.”

Again – It’s all about establishing a strong base layer of physical properties and motion control.

Think of it as building the foundation of your house.

So again:

  1. Build some strength
  2. Build some endurance
  3. Learn proper exercise form

These are the basics that will yield way more results in the long term than just going flat-out reckless in your training as a beginner.

Compound Exercises

If you’re new to the gym, the array of equipment and exercises can be daunting.

But don’t worry, there is a ‘secret’ … Compound exercises!

Compound exercises are key for any fitness training regimen, especially for beginners.

These are exercises that involve multiple joints and muscle groups, and they provide a host of benefits.

For one, they help to build functional strength, which is the type of strength that you use in everyday activities.

Additionally, compound exercises are more efficient than isolation exercises, meaning you can get more bang for your buck in terms of time and effort.

In the section above, we mentioned that learning the proper exercise form for the main movements is a must for beginners.

So which are the main movements we’re talking about?

Here’s a list for you:

  1. The Squat (Barbell, dumbbell, machine) – Targets the quadriceps primarily, but also the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back
  2. The Bench Press (Barbell, dumbbell, machine) – Targets the chest primarily, but also the shoulders and triceps
  3. The Deadlift (Barbell, dumbbell, conventional, Romanian) – Targets the hamstrings/glutes/lower back primarily, but also the forearms and trapezius
  4. The Overhead Press (Barbell, dumbbell, machine) – Targets the shoulders primarily, but also the triceps and upper chest
  5. The Pull-Up (Wide grip, narrow grip, neutral grip) – Targets primarily the back but also the biceps and forearms
  6. The Parallel Bar Dip – Targets the chest primarily but also the triceps and shoulders
  7. The Row (Barbell, dumbbell, machine) – Targets the back primarily, but also the biceps and forearms
  8. The Lat Pulldown – Targets the back primarily, but also the biceps and forearms, just like the row does

At the very beginning of your training process, it would be best for these exercises to be the sole focus of your workouts.

As you advance, you can (and should) include accessory exercises, such as machine and cable movements.

Rest Times

Nothing is more frustrating than feeling like you’ve hit a plateau in your weight training.

You add more weight, you up your reps, but you just can’t seem to break through to the next level.

The answer, it turns out, may be as simple as taking longer breaks between sets.

That’s right – in any weight training workout, rest times between sets are of the essence because they allow you to maintain performance and create greater overall training volume.

By taking longer breaks (up to 2.5-3 minutes,) you can keep your muscles fresh and prevent them from becoming fatigued too early in the workout.

As a result, you’ll be able to push yourself harder and achieve better results.

So next time you’re struggling to break through a plateau, remember that a little rest may be all you need.

Again, 2 minutes minimum between your working (high-exertion) sets.

Rest Days

Just like you wouldn’t want to drive your car without taking a break now and then to refuel, your body also needs time to recover after working out.

When you work out, you’re actually breaking down your muscle tissue, and in order for it to grow back stronger, you need to give it time to rest.

This is why it’s important to only work out each muscle group every 72 to 96 hours.

By giving your muscles time to recover between workouts, you’ll be able to build stronger, healthier muscles.

Time is just the fundament, though.

During that time of 72-96 hours, you should focus on other important aspects of recovery, mainly:

  • High-quality food
  • Hydration
  • Sleep
  • Stress management

Throw in a sports massage session once a week, and you will be good to go, workout after workout!

Beginner Training: Conclusion

Weightlifting is a great way to get fit and improve overall health, but it can be intimidating for beginners.

It’s important to set realistic goals and pick the right exercises to start with.

Beginners should focus on mastering exercise form and nailing the rest times between sets and between workouts.

Working out at a gym for less than 3 years?

Our Beginner’s Program is perfect for anyone with 0-3 years of experience in the gym.

Included, you get a workout plan and instructions for 3 sessions a week and one for 4 sessions a week. Choose the one that suits your lifestyle best.

All the exercises are fully explained with individual instructional videos.

See Our Beginner’s Program Here

What happens when you skip a workout?

What happens when you skip a workout or two? Ever wonder what happens?

I have a good news-bad news answer for you …

First of all, missing a couple of scheduled workouts isn’t a huge deal… at least not physically.

The problem is that it can get you into a cycle that can turn INTO a very big deal.

(And I’m not talking about planned rest days here – those are an important part of the process.)

I’m talking about the workouts you miss because your schedule gets crazy or you just aren’t in the mood.

When you miss THOSE workouts, it gets easier and easier to skip future workouts, until you fall off the bandwagon altogether.

What happens when you skip a workout:

  • Within the first week, you lose endurance, and your heart rate may be higher when you’re active. You might find yourself huffing and puffing when you do your next cardio workout, and it’ll take a few workouts to get your cardio fitness back.
  • Within the first couple weeks, you start to lose strength and your muscles start to shrink in size, which can lead to weight gain.
  • During the next few months, you can lose even MORE cardio endurance and strength — and you will notice your energy level dropping, too, which can lead to being even less active.
  • Over the long run, this can set you up for all the ailments and diseases that are linked with low activity levels including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, several types of cancer, and obesity.
  •  Plus it can affect your mood, your sleep, your mobility, and so much more!

So, what do you do instead of skipping workouts?

1) If you legit can’t squeeze in your workout because something important came up, do some intentional movement anyway.

Go for a walk, crank out some squats and push-ups, have a dance party in the kitchen, flow through some sun salutations… basically get in some intentional movement, even if it’s just for 5-10 minutes.

2) If you don’t feel well, listen to your body and take the rest you need.

3) But on days you don’t “feel like it” — keep the promises you make to yourself. These are the days you probably need it the most. Just show up and go for a few minutes.

Move yourself to get motivated — because the motivation doesn’t always show up first.

This will reinforce your commitment to yourself and your goals, and it’ll help you build more self-confidence and bulletproof habits.

It’ll also protect you from that awful feeling that you’re back to square one when you start working out again.

What happens when you skip a workout? – now you know.

What happens when you skip a workout

– but feel you need motivation, inspiration and know-how – but you think perhaps a personal trainer and a dietitian will be too expensive?

Then our NSH FIT membership can help you!

As a member of NSH FIT, you get access to

  • Numerous Fitness Challenges with exercise programs
  • Mini courses that cover everything you need to know regarding diet, exercise, mindset and lifestyle
  • Exercise Library explaining 1,000s of exercises and stretches
  • A Recipe Vault with over 350 healthy, protein-rich and low-carb recipes,
  • Workout programs with explanatory videos – suitable for both beginners and pros!
  • A number of lifestyle courses such as Master Your Stress, Sleep Mastery Class, Ultimate Fat Loss Program, The Habit Blueprint and our popular lifestyle and nutrition course that teaches you everything to succeed in lasting weight loss.
  • .. and – the best part: Monthly updates!

Click on the link below to see more – and – to be inspired and motivated!

NSH FIT Member

Reference:

Lack of Physical Activity (cdc.gov)

If You Don’t Use It, Will You Lose It? (acefitness.org)

Jumping Back on the Fitness Bandwagon (acefitness.org)

Benefits Of High-Intensity Interval Training

The benefits of High-Intensity Interval Training are many:

Looking for a workout that can help you reach your fitness goals quickly and efficiently? Look no further than high-intensity interval training (HIIT).

This intense form of exercise involves alternating periods of all-out effort with periods of rest, making it a highly effective way to burn fat, increase endurance, and build lean muscle.

Whether you’re a seasoned athlete or a beginner looking to get in shape, the benefits of HIIT are numerous and well-documented.

By pushing your body to the limit and challenging your fitness in new ways, you can achieve your goals faster and more effectively than ever before.

So if you’re ready to take your training to the next level and unlock the many benefits of high-intensity interval training, read on to discover how this popular workout style can help you transform your body and achieve your fitness dreams.

What Is High-Intensity Interval Training?

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a type of workout that involves short bursts of high-intensity exercise interspersed with periods of rest or low-intensity activity.

The idea is to push your body to the limit during the high-intensity intervals, allowing you to maximize your cardiovascular and muscle output.

HIIT can take many different forms, including running, cycling, or weightlifting, and can be adapted to suit a wide range of fitness levels and abilities.

For example, a simple HIIT workout might involve alternating 30 seconds of all-out sprinting with 30 seconds of walking or slow jogging, repeated for a total of 10-20 minutes.

This type of workout can be done on a treadmill, outdoors, or even with a jump rope or other equipment.

The beauty of HIIT is that it can be adapted to suit your preferences and fitness level, allowing you to challenge yourself and push your limits while still achieving great results.

And, practically, it can be adapted to any sort of exercise, from jogging to hiking and even swimming.

The premise is always the same – 10-20 seconds of all-out, intense effort, followed by up to 60 seconds of rest or very low-intensity work.

How The Body Fuels Movement

In order to fuel movement during exercise, the body relies on a variety of energy production mechanisms.

Those include aerobic and anaerobic mechanisms, as well as a mix between the two.

Aerobic mechanisms primarily engage oxygen to help break down glucose and fat for energy.

These mechanisms are primarily engaged during low-intensity exercise that is long in duration (4+ minutes.)

Oppositely, anaerobic mechanisms do not rely on oxygen and utilize muscle creatine & glucose for energy.

These mechanisms are primarily engaged during high-intensity, short-burst output, such as sprinting or weight lifting.

During high-intensity interval training (HIIT), the body primarily relies on the anaerobic system, which involves the breakdown of glucose to create energy without the use of oxygen.

However, due to the prolonged duration of this type of training, aerobic mechanisms are also involved, making it a mixed aerobic-anaerobic workout.

By alternating between periods of high-intensity activity and rest or low-intensity activity, HIIT workouts allow the body to tap into both energy production mechanisms, maximizing the benefits of both systems and helping to improve overall fitness and endurance.

What Does HIIT Lead To?

One of the major advantages of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is that it can lead to improvements in both endurance and explosive power.

This is due to the fact that HIIT utilizes both the anaerobic and aerobic energy systems in the body, as it involves alternating periods of high-intensity activity with rest or low-intensity activity.

By challenging the anaerobic system, HIIT can help to build explosive power and speed.

At the same time, by challenging the aerobic system, HIIT can also improve endurance and overall cardiovascular fitness.

This unique combination of benefits makes HIIT a highly effective form of training for athletes and fitness enthusiasts alike, helping to improve both speed and stamina.

So whether you’re looking to improve your overall fitness or take your athletic performance to the next level, incorporating high-intensity interval training into your routine could be just the ticket to unlocking your full potential.

The Afterburn

One additional benefit of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is the afterburn effect, also known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC).

This phenomenon refers to the increased calorie burn and metabolic rate that can occur in the hours following an intense anaerobic workout like HIIT.

During these recovery periods, the body must work to restore oxygen levels, remove waste products, and repair damaged tissues.

This process requires energy, which means that the body continues to burn calories at an elevated rate even after the workout has ended.

This effect can last for several hours after a HIIT session, leading to increased calorie burn and improved fat loss over time.

That is, of course, if the workouts are paired with a good nutrition plan.

So not only can HIIT help to improve strength, endurance, and explosiveness, but it can also help you continue to burn calories and lose weight long after your workout is over.

This makes HIIT a highly efficient and effective form of exercise for anyone looking to get the most out of their fitness routine.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is an incredibly effective and versatile form of exercise that can offer a wide range of benefits to people of all fitness levels.

By pushing the body to its limits and challenging both the anaerobic and aerobic energy systems, HIIT can lead to improvements in endurance, explosive power, speed, and overall fitness.

Additionally, the afterburn effect of HIIT can help to continue burning calories long after the workout has ended, leading to better weight loss results over time.

With so many benefits on offer, it’s no wonder that HIIT has become such a popular and well-regarded form of training.

Whether you’re a seasoned athlete looking to take your performance to the next level or simply someone looking to improve your overall fitness and health, incorporating HIIT into your routine could be the key to unlocking your full potential.

So why not give it a try today and see what HIIT can do for you?

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Benefits Of High-Intensity Interval Training
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The 5 Exercises You MUST Do

We all know we should exercise, but sometimes it’s hard to motivate ourselves to get moving.

After all, there are so many different exercises out there, and it can be tough to decide which ones are worth our time.

That’s why we’ve put together a list of the five exercises you absolutely MUST do.

Trust us, these moves are worth the effort, and they will get you the most bang for your buck!

But before we check out the specific exercises, let’s briefly talk about the two types of exercises.

Compound VS Isolated

It’s the age-old question: compound exercises vs. isolated exercises – which is better?

Both have their merits, but it really depends on your goals.

If you’re looking to get the most bang for your buck, compound exercises are your best bet.

These exercises are highly engaging for multiple muscle groups at once, meaning you can lift heavier weights and add more training in less time (hence why it’s a bang for your buck!)

However, if you’re trying to improve certain lacking muscle groups and focus on them, primarily, isolated exercises may be more effective.

These exercises primarily target one muscle group at a time, allowing you to really tax that muscle and improve it from the inside out.

Ultimately, though, regardless of the goal, your main focus should be on compound movements and a progression through them (increasing the weights, reps, and sets.)

Here are the 5 fundamental compound exercises to focus on in your fitness routine!

#1 The Squat

If you’ve ever seen someone do a squat, you might have been impressed by the sheer strength required to complete the exercise.

However, you might not have realized that the squat is actually an incredibly effective way to work out a variety of different muscle groups.

In addition to targeting the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes, the squat also engages the lower back.

As a result, it can help to improve both strength and overall balance.

Additionally, squats can be easily modified to accommodate different fitness levels.

For instance, beginners may want to start with a bodyweight squat, while more advanced athletes can add weight by holding a dumbbell or barbell or doing a machine variation like the hack squat.

Regardless of your fitness level, incorporating squats into your workout routine is a great way to build strength, and endurance and experience the true intensity of training!

#2 The Deadlift

The deadlift. An exercise that often evokes dread in the hearts of even the most experienced gym-goers.

But what is this move that seems so simple yet offers such incredible results? The deadlift is a compound exercise that primarily targets the muscles of the posterior chain, including the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back.

When performed correctly, it can also help to improve core stability and posture.

Furthermore, the deadlift is an incredibly effective exercise for building strength and muscle mass.

In fact, it is one of the most efficient exercises for stimulating muscle growth and pulling strength.

Besides being a high-intensity exercise, the deadlift is flexible, offering a variety of variations, such as the barbell, dumbbell, Romanian and stiff-legged deadlift.

If you’re looking to maximize the development of your back, forearms, lower back, hamstrings, and glutes, the deadlift is a must-do!

#3 The Bench Press

The bench press is an exercise that targets several muscle groups in the upper body, including the pectoral muscles (chest), the triceps, and the front deltoids.

It is considered to be one of the best exercises for stimulating pushing strength, and as such, it is a mandatory constituent of any effective fitness routine.

The bench press can be performed with either a barbell or a pair of dumbbells, and there are also machine variations.

When using a barbell, the weight is evenly distributed across both sides of the body, allowing you to push the heaviest weight possible.

When using dumbbells, each arm must bear its own weight, which can help to improve muscular imbalances, both functional and visual.

The bench press can also be performed with different grips, including wide grip, close grip, and neutral grip.

Each grip places an emphasis on muscle groups and can offer different benefits.

For example, a wide grip bench press targets the pectoral muscles more than a close grip or neutral grip bench press, while the latter shifts the emphasis to the shoulders and triceps.

For all these reasons, the bench press is an essential exercise for any fitness routine because it offers a wide range of benefits and can be customized to target specific muscle groups.

#4 The Overhead Press

The overhead press is an excellent exercise for targeting the muscles of the shoulders.

It is also one of the best ways to stimulate shoulder strength.

The overhead press is a move that is often overlooked by many people when they are trying to get in shape.

This is because it requires a certain amount of coordination and balance.

However, once you have mastered the overhead press, it is an excellent way to work the muscles of the shoulders.

The overhead press targets the deltoids, which are the large muscles on the top of the shoulders.

The deltoids are responsible for raising the arm up above the head. The overhead press also works the triceps and the upper chest.

Last but not least, just like the other exercises on the list, the overhead press can be done either with a barbell, dumbbells or a machine.

#5 The Sprint

Sprinting is an amazing exercise that engages the entire body and places emphasis on the lower half like no other movement.

When done correctly, sprinting can torch calories, improve mood, increase energy and stamina levels, sculpt legs, and strengthen the heart.

For some, the idea of running can be daunting or even off-putting. That’s perfectly understandable.

But sprinting is a different animal altogether. It’s explosive, exhilarating, and empowering.

And once you get a taste of that endorphin high, you’ll be hooked.

So next time you’re looking for a leg workout that does not include weights, head outside for a sprint.

You won’t regret it.

Final Thoughts

If you want a time-efficient workout, compound exercises are a must for any fitness training routine.

They are simple, and effective, and the basic principles of fitness training (such as progressive overload) can easily be realized through them.

Do YOU do compound exercises? Which ones are your favorite?