Quality Leads to Quantity

Pretend you're a TreadClimber® owner and you're excited about getting in shape.

You've seen the commercials that tell you that all you need to do is use the machine 3 times a week for 30 minutes each.

However, you haven't exercised in a long time and are unable to complete the full 30 minutes. What do you do?

As I scroll through the Bowflex Facebook page, I often see folks posting about having this problem and they are afraid they aren't going to get results because they can only complete 5-10 minutes before they are exhausted.  Sometimes, it's even as low as 2 minutes.

Is this going to cause a lack of results?  No.

Here's what you need to know – the quality of a workout is not determined by its length, but by its ability to make your body adapt.

Even after the very first workout, your body begins to adapt immediately. You will be burning calories at a higher rate for a short time. This is why it's important to exercise consistently.  (Hence, the recommendation for using your TreadClimber® 3 days per week.)

You should be determining the effectiveness of your workout by whether or not it's exhaustive.  If this happens in just 2, 5 or 10 minutes, great!  You've had a quality workout.

But isn't the goal to burn as many calories as possible during a workout?  Not at all!

Burning calories is important and necessary for fat loss. However, you are doing yourself a disservice if you're exercising for the sole purpose of burning calories. There are almost unlimited benefits to exercising, and you'll be missing out on them if you're only focused on the number displayed on the calorie counter.

In the end, it comes down to enjoying the process and gradually working yourself to the point where you can sustain your workouts. Doesn't that sound better then working yourself into the ground?