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Exercise has the potential to provide life-changing benefits for men, but there’s a lot of conflicting information on the best way to keep fit and support your wellbeing.
Gym Spot personal trainer Jamie Bisset says compound movements that use multiple muscles and joints at the same time have the greatest effect for men as they age. Compound movements include bench press, deadlift squats and shoulder presses.
“They maximise the amount of weight you can lift safely and stimulate growth and production of testosterone,” Jamie says. “The priority for men from age 30 onwards is to promote testosterone.
Without it you lose body mass, lower metabolism, store more weight and have a lower sex drive.”
Fit Factory Warkworth managing trainer Addy Garland says it’s also important to combine weightlifting with stretching and mobility training.
In particular, he points to a now popular device, just a foam cylinder, that helps people stretch out their lower back, bringing benefits to the hips and even shoulders.
“It’s like a deep tissue massage and I can’t emphasise enough how much it helps, along with stretching. The muscles are like a pulley system; if there is tension in one spot it will eventually hurt in other parts of your body.”
Both trainers are in complete agreement that gym-goers commonly run into trouble in benchmarking their progress, particularly because they rely on weight scales too much.
“In the first few weeks of exercise, the body gets a shock and stores glucose as a response to the stress-inhibiting fat loss. You also put on muscle which weighs more, but ultimately contributes to greater burning of energy and fat,” Jamie says.
Addy says progress should be tracked by measuring with callipers, before and after photos, and tape measurement of the chest, arms and quads (thighs).
“Track everything, because one person may lose 10kgs; another may only lose 4kgs but also lose 20cm of body circumference.
“Someone might come in and be able to do five push-ups and then five weeks later they can do 25.
They may have only lost 2kgs and feel cheated by the scales, but it’s still massive progress.”
It is generally accepted that what you do in the kitchen is as important for your fitness regime as what you do in the gym, but there are plenty of fads and conflicting advice.
Jamie cautions that fitness and men’s interest magazines have erroneously created the perception that gym-goers need bulking supplements, with some diets even recommending a protein shake every two hours.
“The average person looking at increasing fitness and anaerobic ability should get their protein requirements from three meals a day and snacks.”
Addy says that in general, the Kiwi male’s diet includes too much meat and consumption of refined sugar is also a problem.
“Meat is acidic and, along with processed or sugary junk food, it creates inflammation in the body, which interferes with muscle growth and fat loss. On the other hand, fruits and vegetables have alkalising effects.
“You don’t need to eat meat every day and certainly not every meal. Seventy per cent of your diet should be fruit and vegetables.”
Addy used to eat a kilogram of meat a day as a competitive bodybuilder, but now he swears by the effectiveness of a vegan diet.
With so much to consider, a man might feel confused as to where the best place is to start.
Gym Spot’s Jamie Bisset has trained in gyms for 20 years and is an ex-police officer.
“You literally just have to give it a try. Most gyms do a free trial, so try several and find one that suits you with similar clientele and staff that can communicate with you,” Jamie says.
“Once you find one, talk about your goals with the staff and have them write out a programme.
“Start slowly and build up to one hour sessions at least three times a week. But also include something from outside the gym, like a run, swim or walking the dog at the beach,” he says.
“Understand that you can take a day off here or there, and you need to enjoy exercise to make it a long-term habit.”
