Fitness and Strength Testing for Weight Loss

You’re disgusted with the excess fat on your body and getting self-conscious about how you look naked or, even worse, with your clothes on. So, you decide enough is enough, and it’s time to go on a fitness kick to get rid of the excess fat and sharpen up your physique.

Suppose you’re like most of the population, including how most Wirral and other UK personal trainers operate. In that case, you follow an exercise plan to burn calories and start a diet drastically reducing your calorie intake.

Although this might sound like a logical good start, it isn’t!

In this blog, I will explain why the typical approach to weight loss is poor, to say the least, and offer you a far more robust approach to transforming your body. This approach will leave you with a Fit, Lean, Healthy, and Strong physique, giving you a renewed sense of confidence and optimism.

Here are the headlines:

1. Don’t put the cart before the horse – Focus and use metrics of fitness instead of the metrics on the scales
2. Fitness Metrics (Vo2 Max) - Why it’s important
3. Basic Functional Strength Metrics - The role strength plays in weight loss and life
4. Body Composition – Your fat-to-muscle ratio and why it’s more important than weight loss

Living on the Wirral, a place known for its active lifestyle and beautiful outdoor spaces, offers numerous opportunities for fitness enthusiasts and those looking to improve their health. As a personal trainer with a focus on clinical and professional standards, I'm dedicated to providing top-tier services that go beyond traditional weight loss programs.

My approach incorporates advanced fitness assessments, including VO2 Max testing, Functional Movement Screening (FMS), and basic strength tests. These assessments are not just about numbers but about better understanding your body. They provide insights into your current fitness level, potential areas for improvement, and the most effective ways to achieve your fitness goals. This allows me to create a personalised fitness plan that promotes longevity, fat loss, improved energy levels, and overall well-being.

If you focus on outcomes such as your weight moving down, you’re simply putting the cart before the horse. Although weight is a metric our National Health Service uses, it’s a poor metric for health, fitness, strength, and fat loss.

If you are physically fit and muscular, you can be classed as obese due to your muscle mass weight. Regardless of whether you look great and have a healthy heart and lungs, focusing on your weight ignores the most important aspects of a fit and healthy individual. Thus, the height and weight metric is useless when we want to aim for a fitter, stronger, leaner, and toned body.  

When a personal trainer drastically drops your calorific intake below your maintenance threshold and demands that you burn thousands of calories daily, you’ll soon feel fatigued and lose the will to continue. Diet is essential and needs to be managed well; side note: for more information on diet, read my blog on why 95% of diets fail.

So stop looking to change your weight as the outcome, look to focus on becoming fitter and getting stronger and healthy. By focusing on the metrics mentioned above you’ll dramatically reduce your body fat, gain lean muscle tissue, improve your cardiovascular function, look good, feel great, and be the best version of yourself!

Understanding VO2 Max and Its Benefits

What is VO2 Max?

VO2 Max, or maximal oxygen uptake, measures the maximum amount of oxygen your body can utilise during intense exercise. It's a key indicator of cardiovascular fitness and aerobic endurance. Essentially, the higher your VO2 Max, the more efficiently your body uses oxygen, which translates to better performance and stamina.

Benefits of VO2 Max Testing

1. Longevity: Research shows a strong correlation between high VO2 Max levels and increased lifespan. Improved cardiovascular fitness reduces the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, certain cancers, and dementia.
2. Fitness: VO2 Max is a direct indicator of your aerobic fitness level. By knowing your VO2 Max, I can tailor your training program to improve your cardiovascular health and endurance. This is crucial for any fitness goal, whether weight loss, muscle gain, or overall health improvement. It's like having a roadmap to your fitness journey, with your VO2 Max as the starting point.
3. Energy Levels: Higher VO2 Max means more oxygen is delivered to your muscles during exercise, enhancing your energy levels and reducing fatigue.
4. Fat Loss: Enhanced aerobic capacity helps your body burn fat more efficiently during and after workouts, aiding in fat loss and weight management. So, you become a better fat-burning machine!

The Importance of Strength Testing

What is Strength?

Strength refers to the ability of your muscles to exert force. It's not just about how much weight you can lift, but also how effectively you can use your strength in everyday activities. This is what we call 'functional strength', and it's a crucial component of overall fitness and functional health. Basic strength tests, such as pull-ups, press-ups, and full-range squats, are effective ways to gauge your muscle strength and endurance.

Benefits of Strength Testing

1. Longevity: Strength training has been linked to a longer life by improving muscle mass, bone density, and joint health. It also helps in preventing age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia). As we age, we want to gain strength as opposed to following most of the population that has become weak.
2. Fitness: Regular strength training enhances overall fitness by increasing muscle mass and improving your body's ability to perform everyday activities with ease. The stronger you become, the more able you are throughout life! It might be handy for parking, but keep away from the dreaded blue badge!
3. Energy Levels: Strength training boosts your metabolism and energy levels by promoting the growth of lean muscle mass, which requires more energy to maintain than fat. Thus, you turbo-charge your fat loss capability.
4. Fat Loss: Muscle is metabolically active tissue, meaning it burns more calories at rest compared to fat. Increasing your muscle mass through strength training can allow you to burn more calories at rest. Think about how advantageous it would be to burn more fat without moving

The Role of Body Composition Testing

What is Body Composition?

Body composition refers to the ratio of fat mass to lean muscle mass. Understanding your body composition is crucial for assessing your overall health and fitness level. Skinfold callipers are reliable for measuring body fat percentage and tracking changes over time, which I do for my clients.

Importance of Improving Body Composition

1. Health: A healthy body composition, with a higher ratio of lean muscle to fat, reduces the risk of chronic diseases such as obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.
2. Fitness: Improving your body composition enhances your physical performance and ability to engage in various activities, from sports to daily tasks.
3. Energy Levels: Lean muscle mass boosts metabolism, leading to higher energy levels and better overall health.
4. Fat Loss: Reducing body fat while increasing muscle mass creates a more efficient calorie-burning machine, aiding in long-term fat loss and weight management.

Why Choose My Personal Training Services?

As a seasoned personal trainer based on the Wirral, I offer a unique blend of biomechanics and mindset coaching, backed by my extensive experience. My military background as a British Army soldier and my journey as an amateur hybrid athlete equips me with a unique skill set to deliver a high standard of fitness training. Here's what sets my services apart:

1. Personalized VO2 Max Testing: Understand your cardiovascular fitness level and receive a tailored plan to improve it, enhancing your endurance and overall health.
2. Functional Movement Screening (FMS): Identify any movement limitations or asymmetries to prevent injuries and improve your body's functional strength.
3. Basic Strength Tests: Assess your muscle strength using bodyweight exercises like pull-ups, press-ups, and squats. This helps in creating a customised strength training program.
4. Body Composition Analysis: Measure your body fat percentage and track changes to ensure you’re on the right path to a healthier, fitter you.

Conclusion

Living a healthy and fit life requires more than just focusing on weight loss. It’s about understanding your body's capabilities and working towards improving them in a structured and scientifically backed manner. By incorporating VO2 Max testing, functional movement screening, and basic strength tests, my personal training services on the Wirral offer a comprehensive approach to fitness that promotes longevity, energy, and overall well-being.

Let's get started if you're ready to take your fitness to the next level and experience the benefits of a professional, clinical approach to personal training. We can build a stronger, healthier, and more resilient you.

Keep Fit, Lean & Strong

Your coach & trainer,
Lewis