Exercise Quotes

According to scientific evidence, as a function of the individual, the training volume that generates the greatest benefits in muscle gain for the new athlete is between 3 and 8 series; each one of them should include between 6 and 12 repetitions, and one must consider small variations in this number of repetitions from time to time. The speed of execution of each repetition that evidences the greatest benefits swings between 1 and 6 seconds, with the negative phase being slower than the positive phase. The intensity of the work must be high; competing a series of between 6 and 12 repetitions must result in muscle failure. [2020] - Guillermo Seijas

Recommended training frequencies for the same muscle are two to three times per week, with various muscle groups being able to be trained in a single session. For the recommended training loads, it's a good idea to allow time between training sessions for the same muscle group of between 48 and 72 hours. It's also important to leave pauses between series. For hypertrophy training, these times swing between 60 and 120 seconds with the goal of finding a balance between metabolic stress and mechanical tension. [2020] - Guillermo Seijas

Training loads must be increased periodically in order to avoid any stagnation in the athlete's progression. This work load could be increased by acting on one of the two factors that determine it (volume and intensity), or on both of them at the same time and always progressively, in small increments. The usual approach is to act on intensity. In order to work in a sufficient range of intensities, they must arrive at muscle failure between the repetition 6 and 12. If it's impossible to reach 6 consecutive repetitions, it's likely that they are working too intensely. If, on the other hand, they exceed 12 repetitions easily, they should add difficulty to the exercise. Once your training exercises are included, these should be maintained between 4 and 8 weeks before introducing changes. [2020] - Guillermo Seijas

Regardless of how basic the experience and level of the athlete is, improvements and quicker results will be obtained through successive training sessions. As your physical condition and performance improve, your rate of improvement will slow down. The closer this rate gets to its maximum potential, the more difficult it will be to continue improving. When, despite hard training, diet and rest, you find that you have stagnated, or even lessened in your performance, the best options are to introduce variety or to take a break. The later option consists of not training for 1-2 weeks. [2020] - Guillermo Seijas

You shouldn't do alternating series that was used in the same exercise as the first. For example, if you train the triceps and then go to the chest, it will be difficult for the triceps to work with the chests muscle in exercise that push the chest, since they're already fatigued. The same happens when you train the biceps and then the back. If, in order to train a large muscle, you include mono-articular and bi-articular exercises, such as flies or flexions, do the mono-articular exercises first, so that the most powerful muscle (pectoralis major) is fatigued first, and you'll prevent the weaker muscle (brachial triceps) from being a limiting factor in the bi-articular exercise. [2020] - Guillermo Seijas

As we age, it’s also important to retain flexibility by stretching and doing practices like yoga and tai chi that help to maintain balance. Flexibility and a good sense of balance can also help to prevent injuries. As for how much you should exercise, the answer is that we don’t know yet. There’s a commonly held belief that 10,000 steps a day is the magic number for staying healthy, but I have to tell you there isn’t much scientific evidence to back that up. If your stride is a little longer than two feet, it will take a little more than two thousand steps to walk one mile. If you’re active with everyday activities on a regular basis, it’s possible that adding just one mile to your day could be enough to extend your life span and health span. [2020] - Nir Barzilai

If you're standing and waiting at the bus stop or watching a football match on the sidelines, and you have good balance, do some low-level jumps - just a few inches off the ground. Try a jog/walk - walk for 2 minutes, do 10 (or 20) jogging steps, walk for 2 minutes and so on. Aim for at least 50 joggings steps during your walk. If you have had spinal fractures or are breaking other bones easily, do lower-impact activities like brisk walking, especially if you still have pain. [2019] - Diana Moran

Muscle-strengthening exercise is also called resistance exercise. Lifting weights, using elastic bands, and lifting your own body weight when performing squats, sit-ups, and pushups are examples of resistance exercises. When you build muscle, you boost your metabolic rate. You are using the right weight if you can perform the exercise property 10-15 times, but reach the point of failure after that. Aim to perform 8-10 exercises targeting different body parts each exercise session. Strength train 2 days each week without targeting the same muscle groups two days in a row. [2018] - Joy Bauer

Qigong reduces depression and may improve diabetes. In a trial of Qigong on cell aging, researchers examined people with chronic fatigue syndrome. They found that people who practiced Qigong for four months had significantly greater increases in telomerase, and reductions in fatigue, than people who were assigned to a wait list. [2017] - Elizabeth Blackburn

Compared to couch potatoes, people who exercise regularly have lower inflammatory cytokine levels, respond more successfully to vaccinations, and enjoy a more robust immune system. Immunosenescence is a natural process that happens with age...but people who exercise may be able to delay it until the end of life.  [2017] - Elizabeth Blackburn

Moderate aerobic endurance exercise, performed 3 times a week for 45 minutes at a time, for 6 months, increases telomerase activity twofold. So does high-intensity interval training (HIIT), in which short bust of heart-pounding activity are alternated with periods of recovery. Resistance exercise has no significant effect on telomerase activity (although it has other benefits--it helps maintain or improve bone density, muscle mass, balance, and coordination--all of which are vital for aging well). [2017] - Elizabeth Blackburn

Yoga is for anybody who’s interested in gaining flexibility, strength, and balance. If you are a beginner, try hatha yoga (preferably at a smaller studio rather than a gym), which is a broad category of practice that focuses on learning yoga poses that promote stability, strength, and controlled breathing. Of these, the Iyengar style emphasizes proper alignment, which is crucial to master if you want to progress to more advanced practice, including the popular Vinyasa or Bikram variations. As a person with acid reflux, you must avoid certain poses, such as inversions. You should also pay attention to the most ubiquitous pose, the downward dog, to see if you notice any reflux symptoms. [2017] - Jonathan Aviv

If you try to exercise on a full or even partly full stomach, there is a greater risk that certain movements or types of movement will lead to increased pressure on the Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LES), which if compromised will let in gastric acid and tissue-damaging pepsin. To prevent this from happening, be sure to exercise only after at least two hours have passed since you’ve eaten, and three hours for larger meals. Depending on your schedule, this may require you to work out on an empty stomach before breakfast. Try to drink 16 ounces of water (about two glasses) upon rising to ensure that your body is hydrated before you start exercising. [2017] - Jonathan Aviv

When it comes to preventing reflux, the type of exercise you do is important. Movements that require intense strain of the abdominal wall, which is essentially your core, should be avoided, as should those that require a sustained crouched position and others that repeatedly put your head below your waist. These include heavy weight lifting, sit-ups, crunches, leg lifts, and similar abdominal exercises (though a properly done “plank” exercise may be well tolerated). Some reflux-safe exercises include cycling; brisk walking; gentle yoga; strength training (no heavy weights); and bodyweight training with short bouts of moderate to vigorous activity. [2017] - Jonathan Aviv

F.A.C.E. is an acronym I use to help my patients remember the four components of fitness after 40 that you must include in your daily regimen: Flexibility, Aerobic Exercise, Carry a Load, and Equilibrium/Balance. [2015] - Vonda Wright

Foam rolling is a marvelous way to stretch your tight tendons and muscles and work out your problem areas before activity (or at any time at all). The most common areas to foam roll are the ITBs (iliotibial bands), quadriceps, hamstrings, adductors, buttocks, and calves. 1. Place the foam roller directly under the muscle group to be rolled. 2. Place your full body weight on the roller. 3. Pull your body back and forth slowly over the roller using your upper body. 4. Roll five times over each muscle group. [2015] - Vonda Wright

The most common way to calculate maximum heart rate (or MaxHR) is simply to subtract your age from 220. However, this is an inaccurate method. A more accurate method is determined by the following formula: 211 – (.64 x Age). Multiply your MaxHR by 0.85 - this is your maximum target rate. Multiply your MaxHR by 0.50 - this is your minimum target rate. Exercise within your target heart rate and stay there for 20 minutes or more. Working out at 60–70 percent of your MaxHR is best for weight management and a fit appearance; 70–80 percent puts you in the heart-healthy aerobic zone; and 80–100 percent gives you the competitive edge for peak performance. [2015] - Vonda Wright

Wear the pedometer when you go out the door in the morning, and keep it on as you do your usual activities. When you go to bed at night, take it off and record the number of steps you took. Do this for a week. I think you will be surprised to learn how much or how little you actually travel in one day using your own two feet. To become more fit and control chronic disease, we need to take 10,000 steps a day (about five miles of activity). This can include your 30 minutes of aerobic activity and usually must in order to get that many steps in. [2015] - Vonda Wright

Research has shown that you can receive 60 percent of the total benefit from resistance training by doing one set of eight to 10 repetitions per muscle group two to three times per week. And you can receive more than 80 percent of the benefit by doing two sets. Each repetition should be between 60 and 85 percent of the maximum weight you are able to lift one time, or your “one-rep max.” When you have been using one weight level for a while, lifting may become easy. This is called adaptation. To continue getting stronger, you must increase the weight you are lifting. It is time to increase the weight when you can easily lift your current weight 12 times. You can then progress your weight by 5 percent and decrease your number of repetitions to eight. [2015] - Vonda Wright

You should take twice as long to lower the weight as you do to lift it. For instance, you can do Biceps Curls with either a free weight or tubing. If you lift the weight by bending your elbow for two seconds, then you should take four seconds to extend your elbow and lower the weight. Do not jerk the weight up; this is a good way to tear your musculotendonous junction (the connection between your muscles and your tendons). [2015] - Vonda Wright