The most common FAQs at the gym...

As a personal trainer I'm often approached by clients who ask a variety of questions particularly for those who are new to exercise and haven't had much experience in a gym environment. With an endless amount of information out there it is no wonder why some people may feel somewhat confused by it all and often don't know where to begin. This blog will hopefully give you the information you need to some of the most frequently asked questions.

What is the best time of day to workout?

This ultimately depends on your preferred time of the day and when you have the time to train. There is no set time of day which will impact on your results, you will still achieve results regardless. However, finding the right time where you feel that you have the most energy will certainly help. Some clients prefer morning workouts as it can be a great way to start the day, and some prefer training in the evening because it can be a great stress relief from a hard day at work. It is all down to personal preference and your availability. As long as you put the work and effort in and that the time of day works for you.

How much weight do I need to lift?

This is not such an easy question to answer because there are a lot of factors to consider. Whether you're a beginner or a regular gym goer, it is important that you have established good form and that you are lifting to what is appropriate to your current fitness levels and abilities. When performing an exercise, whether you're using free weights or machines, you generally need to focus on how the last 1-2 reps feel. If for example you complete 3-4 sets of an exercise and feel no struggle towards the end of each set, then that would indicate that the weight isn't heavy enough. You don't want to feel like you are at complete failure on your first set, but more of a moderate struggle and still have enough fuel in the tank to complete the remainder of your sets. By set 3 or 4 those last 1-2 reps should almost feel like you are at failure but you are still able to perform them while maintaining correct form. Ensuring you allocate the appropriate recovery time in between your sets will also allow for each set to be performed with maximum effort in order to gain the most out of your workout. What is also vital and is the fundamental rule of training in order to gain results, is that you must apply progressive overload. This basically means you gradually increase the intensity of your workouts either by increasing the weight being lifted, adding more reps or sets, reducing the recovery time, or changing up the tempo.

Will ab exercises help me lose fat around my tummy?

I have been asked this many times over the years and what most people don't realise is that doing 1000 sit ups everyday isn't the solution in eliminating that stubborn tummy fat. Reducing fat in one particular area of the body, also know as "spot reduction" is in fact impossible to achieve and although performing crunches regularly will help to strengthen your abdominals, you will find there are more effective ways to lose that excess body fat.

If fat loss is your goal, whether it's for a particular area of the body or not, you need to implement some form of resistance training and cardiovascular training as part of your weekly training regime. Performing compound exercises such as squats, deadlifts and burpees, will place much more physical demand on the body and are therefore very effective in aiding fat loss. While regular exercise and movement is vital to our health and can aesthetically alter how we look, you cannot expect to see results if your diet and general lifestyle are not taken into account. You can train regularly in the gym week in week out, but if you are not implementing other necessary changes that are needed in order to shift excess fat, then you will struggle to see any progress.

Can I do cardio and weights on the same day?

This will depend on how much cardio and how much time you can allocate for that session and also your fitness goals. To keep it simple, I would recommend that you focus your weight training and cardio training on separate days where possible. Your body will need as much energy and fuel to last you the entire session so that you don't become completely fatigued simply because you are cramming in too much in one session. The demand that is placed on the body during weight training will require as much energy so that your technique and effort is maintained throughout. Allocating enough time for a warm up and cool down is necessary on your weight training days, however blitzing tons of cardio prior to strength training may just leave you feeling too exhausted to then train effectively when it's time to lift those weights.

If you are not in a position to allocate separate days for cardio and strength, then yes, include them both in the same session! It all depends on what works best for you as an individual and whether or not you can physically meet the demands for that session; more importantly, you are able to train safely and effectively. For more experienced gym goers this may well be the case, but for those who are less experienced, it is important that you don't overwhelm yourself by trying to do everything in a single gym session.