Following Richard, Part 2
Friday, April 3, 2009 at 1:11PM By Dennis Mason, C.P.T.
Richard and I have been working together now, for several weeks. During that time, he has made steady progress toward the personal goals he has set for himself. The three chief objectives are to drop some body fat, tone and tighten the muscle culture of his body overall and of primary focus, develop the muscles of the upper front torso which make up the general chest region.
We have been using a technique called Functional Integrated Training. This system uses movements that are designed to mimic motions that the body goes through on a regular daily basis. Some of the movements include calisthenics, power walking in a variety of directions and intensities, free weight exercises and cycling. Each workout is different from the previous one in form, intensity and interval duration. The object is to move Richard’s body out of its ‘comfort zone’ to enable it to respond favorably to the challenges and stresses placed upon it.
The human body is an amazing living, breathing machine. Tapping into its natural abilities, we can raise and lower metabolism, create new muscle and burn stored body fat. In doing so, we will be able to encourage the changes Richard desires to make. This process takes desire, determination and dedication. It also takes time and patience. That is especially so when the body catches the common cold. The best prescription for a cold is to rest, drink plenty of liquids and wait for the ‘storm to blow over.’ But, that’s not an easy thing to do.
Richard wrote in his journal, “At first, it bummed me out, for I have really been enjoying my work out times. Then, the lazy side of me wanted to kick back and not start back up again. But, by having someone working with me, I find that I can actually push those thoughts away.
We began working out again and even though I did not ride my bike to and from the work outs, I am happy that I am back. My body is just a little sore from restarting the program, but I am totally thrilled to be on schedule again and a lot sooner than I thought.”