How to choose the right training plan

At Tallinn's largest sports club, Reval-Sport, you'll find a wide selection of different types of exercise that will help you lose weight, get in better shape, or simply feel better. But how do you choose the right exercise that will motivate you to do it every day?

To find the right workout, we have put together some tips to make your workout selection easier and improve your results.

It all starts with setting goals

We all have a limited number of hours in a day that we can use for our own good, between work, school, and home. If you've decided to start exercising, you should first set long-term goals.

Setting goals isn't always easy - for example, a plan to "lose weight" is good, but too general. You also need to take into account your current health, past injuries, eating habits, etc. In this case, you set goals that are also realistic.

Consulting a personal trainer is a great help in setting goals. Our professional trainers know how to pay attention to the little things that would otherwise go unnoticed. For help, click on this link and contact our personal trainers.

We recommend Before setting goals and starting training, be sure to check your overall fitness level by completing Fitness testWith the annual Reval-Sports club package, your initial consultation with a personal trainer is free.

The fitness test shows your aerobic capacity and current health status. Based on this, you can decide at what level you can train and which training styles are most suitable for you. You can get information about the fitness test read here.

In addition, it is possible to measure your body fat and muscle mass percentage, based on the results of which our advisors can provide recommendations for both exercise and nutrition. You can get information about the test read here.

Measuring goals

Goals are like dreams with deadlines. There's no point in setting them if you can't control and track their achievement.

When setting goals, they must be:

Measurable: Whether your goal is to lose weight or body fat, increase endurance, or build muscle mass, it can all be measured. The results provide a benchmark against which you can compare the effectiveness of your training plan. Periodically record your results and see if you are moving in the right direction to achieve your goals.

For continuous training, we recommend performing a stress test every six months to monitor progress and adjust the training plan.

Achievable: Keep your goals realistic. Goals that are too high may seem motivating, but only until you realize that they are impossible to achieve.

Scheduled: Setting a deadline is a good way to increase motivation. When the deadline arrives, we definitely recommend measuring your training results to see the results for the period.

Choosing workouts

Next, you need to choose a suitable training method based on your goals. At Reval-Sport, you can choose from a wide range of group and personal training options. To learn more about all the options, click here.

The goal of most workouts is to lose weight and increase muscle tone. However, the way to achieve this varies greatly. For example, you can join a Pilates workout at a relaxed and enjoyable pace or challenge yourself with a very intense interval workout. GRIT Strength.

To get the best overall physical training load, we recommend choosing more than one workout so that all muscles receive equal effort.

We've outlined some suggestions on how to reach your goal, whether it's weight loss, stretching, or relaxation.

Losing weight

Studies have shown that the best way to lose weight is to combine cardio with strength training. Ideally, you should do this three to four times a week.

The workout should consist of at least 20 minutes of cardio and the same amount of strength training, plus about 10 minutes for abdominal exercises.

Cardio training

We recommend doing cardio training on a machine while standing. The reason for this is simple – sitting reduces the load on your heart because you don't have to support your body weight and the efficiency of the training is lower. In this way, walking and running should be preferred to rowing and cycling.

• First, do a 5-minute warm-up at a low pace to allow your muscles to adapt to the increasing load and your joints to start producing protective connective tissue fluid. Be sure not to start your cardio training at maximum speed right away, otherwise you will break your joints and make it difficult to breathe.
• For the next 5 minutes, do the exercise at a moderate intensity. The best way to measure this is to try to talk. If you can say one full sentence but no more, then the pace is right. In this intensity range, the body burns mainly fat.
• Increase the intensity of your workout for the next 2-3 minutes. You may feel out of breath for a moment, but the increased intensity will help you burn calories.
• Bring the pace back to medium for five minutes.
• Next, alternate the pace between fast and medium in short intervals.

Strength training

For weight loss, we recommend strength training for at least 20 minutes in addition to cardio. It is advisable to do each exercise three times, with about 15 repetitions each time. To achieve the best overall physical load, strength training should include:

• Two or three different exercises for the legs;
• One exercise for the chest muscles;
• One exercise for the arms;
• One exercise for the back that would put a load on the entire back.

Reval-Sport solutions for weight loss

At REVAL-SPORT, we offer a wide range of group training programs that allow you to easily lose weight and increase muscle strength. Although almost any exercise program helps you lose weight, the best results are achieved by combining cardio and muscle training: BodyJam, Pole Dance, Zumba, RevalJump, BodyCombat, BodyAttack, BodyPump, Step Fatburn, Abdominal-Back-Buttocks, BodyVive, BOSU, Striding + Abdominal-Back-Buttocks, Muscle training with a Pilates roller, GRIT Strength and Circuit training.

If you want to lose weight by working alone, visit our large cardio and gymHowever, we definitely recommend consulting with a personal trainer first, who will help you put together a training plan that will give you the best results.

Increasing flexibility

Most office workers have experienced fatigue or pain in their backs and legs. Spending all day at a desk puts us in a forced position, which can lead to serious posture problems.

Sitting at a desk with your knees bent for long periods of time shortens the tendons behind your knees, which in turn puts strain on your pelvic area and lower back muscles. Similarly, working at a computer puts strain on your shoulder blades and shoulders, which can lead to back and neck pain.

The best solution is to join our strength or group training sessions, which focus on muscle stretching and strengthening of the core muscles. As group training sessions, we recommend various Pilates and yoga exercise programs and stretching-oriented training sessions such as Stretching, BodyBalance ja bodyART.

Exercises for the gym

By working out regularly in the gym, you will see big changes in just a month. When working out in the gym, try to hold each pose for about 30 seconds, followed by stretching. The exercises we recommend doing in the gym are:

• Chest press or pectoral machine. These exercises shorten your chest muscles, thereby lengthening your back muscles. The result is relief from muscle tension in your back.
• Biceps workoutSimilarly to the previous example, the biceps muscles become shorter as a result of training, while the triceps muscles, which are under tension, become longer by stretching.

Reval-Sport trainers have put together a training plan introducing the gym's machines and equipment. ABC of using the gym.  Training is free for club members with a valid monthly card.

Pilates group training

Pilates was originally designed to help injured athletes and dancers, where strengthening the core muscles leads to better posture, a stronger spine, and looser joints. Pilates group training is a great solution for relieving muscle and joint tension.

See also

Yoga group training

Yoga is a very peaceful exercise, where you slowly move your bones, joints, and muscles back into place. In addition, the calm and meditative atmosphere of yoga helps to relieve mental stress.

See also

Stress relief

During the long, dark Estonian winter months, it's easy to get stressed, whether it's because of the weather, work, or something else. While your first instinct may be to hide from the world, exercising is a proven stress reliever.

Group training to relieve stress

Although most exercise programs based on bending and stretching are good for stress relief, you will get the best results from the following group workouts:

BodyBalance

BodyBalance is a gentle exercise and stretching program based on yoga, pilates, and Tai Chi. Both Tai Chi and yoga force you to immerse yourself in the slow, precise movements of the workout, taking your mind off the worries of everyday life.

Read more about BodyBalancy

Yoga

Thanks to its long bends, rhythmic breathing, and calm atmosphere, yoga is a good tool for combating stress.

Read more about yoga

Exercises for the gym

In the gym, we recommend using cardio machines such as running, rowing, and stationary bikes. When exercising on cardio machines, the body releases endorphins, or hormones that create a feeling of well-being in the body and turn off adrenaline, which causes stress.

We recommend visiting the cardio room three to four times a week, and each workout should last at least 40 minutes to give your body enough exercise.

Fight stress with a water park

The healing effects of water and sauna have long been known. One great way to combat stress is to visit our cozy water center, where you will find several relaxing warm water pools and hot saunas.

The hot air in the sauna helps to relax the muscles, relieving muscle tension and making them more stretchable. It is wise to gently stretch yourself while in the sauna to get even better results.

Yoga in the sauna

At REVAL-SPORT, you can easily relieve stress by joining a sauna yoga workout. The workout takes place in a 45-55°C sauna, where you will do 5-7 muscle-stretching and stress-relieving exercises. You will definitely be satisfied with the results.

Summary

As you can see, there are many different ways to achieve your goals. However, before starting to train, we definitely recommend consulting with our personal trainers and, if necessary, your doctor to get the best results.

See you at training!