Are gym classes stunting your progress?
Short answer: yes, therefore, in this article I will explain a number of reasons why gym classes may be stunting your physical progress and also why training solo may be the next step for you to see some serious results.
Throughout this article I will be discussing a number of typical fitness classes that take place in most Irish gyms, such as Les mills, kettlebells, Bodypump and circuit classes and a number of issues that often arise with clients who only train gym classes and do not partake in any other form of individualised training.
Classes tend to be designed for the weakest of the class, rarely the strongest
Gyms as companies, put a lot of expectations on gym instructors to perform perfectly choreographed classes without any time to explain exercises thoroughly to participants or even to teach regressions and progressions of exercises. In light of this, put yourself in your gym instructors shoes before you enter a barbell, kettlebell or circuit style fitness class. He/She is going to have to choose a number of basic, introductory exercises that all ages and standards of fitness will reasonably be able to perform without a particularly high level of fitness or much prior physical experience. They will tend to choose a light weight as the instructor does not want to move the entire gym to set up one class, and also because that weight has to be light enough for the weakest, most immobile person in the class, least they should feel embarrassed or disturb the flow of the class as 45 minutes is a short length of time to manage the fitness of 15 different people. Therefore, the tendency will be towards regressing all exercises to ensure the most efficient, uninterrupted flow of a class.
A consistent tendency to regress exercises means you are most likely training exercises at an inappropriate, sub maximum weight and thereby reducing your likelihood of seeing physical progress and results.
Women, Gym Classes & Osteoporosis
Now that we can see how a gym class will tend towards the regression of intensities, weights and exercises, this fact must be reconciled with another set of facts. Firstly, that classes in the gym are female dominated and secondly, that women are statistically more likely to develop osteoporosis. To some people, but certainly not all, it is commonly understood that heavy weight training is of huge benefit to those who have been diagnosed with osteoporosis and also to those who wish to reduce the likelihood of ever being diagnosed with the condition. However, as I have outlined above, gym classes are very rarely at maximum load for each participant and this sub maximal load does not adequately maintain the density of your bones. This is one of the most pressing reasons to consider training solo and choosing your own weights, relevant to your own standard of fitness.
Point of Diminished Return, Stagnation and DOMS
You have started a new class, let’s take Spin as an example. You lost 8 pounds in your first 6 weeks of training. Success! Or maybe not, because it is now two years later and you are still spinning and no further weight has been lost and no further muscle has been produced. That is the point of diminished returns relevant to the gym and your results. The more you do one specific type of training, the less results that type of training will cause you as time progresses. Arguably all classes are worth participating in at some point in training, but to be married to one specific type of training or class, despite the lack of current results is folly. Additionally, too often, when I speak to a regular class goer, they tell me that it has been many moons since they last felt serious DOMS, delayed onset muscle soreness, probably the simplest indicator of progress or at least worthwhile training. A lack of DOMS and stagnating results is a sure sign that your current fitness classes may not be doing the job you want, this is another reason as to why it may be time to consider solo training.
Vertical Pulling: the No-Go Zone in a typical fitness class.
One of the most vital, and underapprecaited exercises that the body requires for all round health and fitness, is the vertical pulling.
Included in this is pullups, chin ups, lat pulldowns, neutral grip pull ups and many more exercises on machines, bars and rings.
However, you might have noticed that none of these exercises ever take place in a typical gym class. Kettlebell classes, bodyweight bootcamps, hiit, all of them fail to address the elephant in the room, the lack of vertical pulling throughout the workout.
This is detrimental to the health of your shoulders, and also your posture as strong pulling muscles help to maintain the correct position and stability in the scapula.
The old saying 'if you want to go fast, go alone and if you want to go far, go together' really does not apply in this context. To develop your pulling strength, you may have to forego the gym classes and train solo.
For more information on this idea, check out my article 'Are gym classes stunting your progress?', available via the link in my bio.
Schedule, Timing, Routine & Stress
Scheduling, timing and routine is often one of the most vital components of your training. Are you doing 2 sessions a week, or 5? Obviously this will make a considerable difference to your results and training. One issue I often encounter with clients, is that the gyms class schedule does not always line up with the schedule of the client in question. Therefore clients are forced to participate in classes they may not enjoy fully, classes that may not be optimal for the desired results and are forced to adhere to the schedule of the gym. Training solo offers clients of the gym the opportunity of creating their own weekly schedule, one that compliments their wellbeing, time management and personal lifestyles. Also, it would be nice to never have to worry about being late for a session. When you train solo, your session starts when you are ready, not when your gym instructor is ready. Train solo and reduce that cortisol level! A low cortisol and stress level will aid all forms of physical results.
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