Irving Henson, The Pit: How to work out right and keep fit during the festive season
The Pit
50 Tras Street. Tel: 6222 4860
www.pitpersonaltrainer.com.sg
Email: irving@pitpersonaltrainer.com.sg
Business established: Eight years
Niche: Personal and group training
Irving Henson launched The Pit, because he wanted a place where people could come to get fighting fit and receive proper instruction on exercise. Supported by a team of professional personal trainers, The Pit helps clients achieve their fitness goals or successfully rehabilitate from an injury through a variety of training programmes. This includes fat loss, core training, mobility, weight and strength training and regimes such as Kettlebells, TACFIT, Jeet Kune Do and Clubbell.
TF: Why is it better to work out with a personal trainer than flying solo?
IH: Apart from teaching how to do the exercises correctly, personal training is inherently about programming. A good personal trainer will plan your workout programme in a safe and progressive manner and keep it results oriented. Their purpose isn't to just point out what each machine is used for.
TF: How important is exercise for weight loss and a healthy lifestyle?
IH: Exercise and proper nutrition both play an important part in any fitness regime. The more you move, the more energy is expended. The fitter you get, the more calories your body utilises to function. And the more energy and calories it utilises, the more
fat is burned. So fat is basically stored and unutilised energy. It's that simple.
TF: How do you customise a training regime?
IH: It depends on your fitness levels and how well you move. For example, a person with tight hamstrings will not be able to do a squat properly. This will have to be taken into consideration and fixed before a squat is allocated into a client's programme. A person who can't squat won't be able to jump efficiently. So while jumps are a great exercise, it's not applicable for everyone.
TF: Best thing about your job?
IH: I help people - whether they intend to lose weight, improve their athleticism, gain mass or simply desire to move more efficiently. I also meet the nicest people!
TF: Common exercise misconceptions?
IH: • More is better Any fitness program has to be planned to achieve optimum results or it will lead to overtraining. Your body gets trained in the gym but it benefits from the training and improves when it recovers. Recovery is king in any fitness programme. Going to the gym every day and, in some cases, for multiple classes in a day, doesn't mean you'll get there faster.
• It will make women bulky Bulkiness is related to the male hormone testosterone.
• It always has to be highly intensive Training at high intensities might help you break a sweat but it doesn't equate to faster results. It can also lead to overtraining. Your training programme should be a mix of low, medium and high intensities and don't forgot to have rest days.
Keep fit during the festive season
• Eat everything in moderation
• Exercise. You only need to allocate three hours a week.
• Don't binge. When your friends say, "Come on have a drink, live a little," reply with, "No thanks, I'd rather
live a lot."
• Choose mains over desserts.
• Do medium intensity cardio first thing in the morning. This fixes two issues - it discourages you from drinking the night before and you get your workout out of the way earlier.
Posted Dec 2011
