Articles

K.I.S.S. By Rick Mayo, NPPT owner

“KISS” is a term that I heard often from various coaches during my short-lived sports career. It means “Keep it simple stupid.” Though it sounds harsh, it was often the perfect advice for the situation at hand.

I believe the “KISS” theory to be invaluable in several areas of life, particularly as it relates to health and fitness. There is so much conflicting health information out these days it can make your head spin. One article will tell you that you must do hot yoga to be lean and flexible and the next will have you convinced that you will catch a horrible infection just walking near others that are exercising. In truth, the more basic your exercise program, the more effective it will be.

Luckily, we have the technology these days to be able to determine which exercises are best for certain areas of our bodies. In one study, small muscle electrodes were implanted into test subjects and then the subjects were asked to perform every conceivable exercise for a certain body part. Guess what? The “old school” exercises that we at NPPT have been using for years produced the strongest muscle contractions thus proving to be the most effective.

Examples:

• Best exercise for the buttocks- Squats followed closely by lunges
• Best exercise for the chest- Bench Presses and Push ups are tied for 1st
• Best exercise for the upper back- Pull ups

Note the lack of any exercise machines or “as seen on TV” gimmicks. All of these exercises could be performed at the gym or in your own basement or garage.

The same simple theory could be applied to your cardiovascular program. Which cardio activity burns the most calories in the least time? Running! Brisk walking over hilly terrain (Atlanta) is not far behind. Again, both activities are just a few steps away from you at any time and don’t require any equipment other than some decent athletic shoes.

I realize that there are lots of really cool exercise machines and huge health facilities with all types of classes and fancy machines. Don’t believe the hype! The absolute best exercise program is primarily comprised of basic strength training movements and simple cardio activities that have you on your feet supporting your body weight. Using a simple schedule of 3 days of weight training and 3 days of cardiovascular activity can produce all of the fitness and aesthetic results that you could ever want.

KISS!