Training the mind before the muscles, the key to being fitness

Experts expressed their opinion on the importance of having a healthy life through physical activity.

Colombia and the world in general are changing their ways of living and it is undoubtedly through physical activity. However, there are still many people who are still unable to take that step and others who risk cutting their lives short by changing from improving their health to looking better aesthetically.

National and international experts discussed these issues at an event organized by the chain of gyms body tech at the Compensar club in Bogotá, in which the Brazilian Christian Parent, the Colombian Henry Leon and the Colombian-Venezuelan Teo Hernandez They were some who presented their ideas on how people can improve their lives and, in addition, the limits that they must take into account so as not to affect their physical condition in the future.

For FUTBOLRED, the first to give his opinion and perception on physical activity was the Brazilian Cristiano Parente, who analyzed the importance of the psychological issue in people as the first step to have a fitness life. Similarly, coach Henry León on types of training that are being implemented to improve exercise, while nutritionist and doctor Teo Pérez gave his perception of good practices with supplements and how changing habits can help achieve goals.

The terrible study that reveals the small population that exercises according to Cristiano Parente

“We have many gyms that are there around the world, but if we go to see the people that are inside those places, it is very small. The numbers are impressive. In 1980 they found that those who exercised regularly were 4% of the population. That is, 96% did not. Those who do it do it because they are healthy, but to achieve that you have to do it throughout your life, not for a month or a year”.

How to start instilling in the little ones the practice of sport?

“For us who like sports or movement it is easy, as is understanding and putting this on a regular basis. When I studied this topic, I realized that this is like 0.0001 because we see that in physical education classes, where in soccer, basketball or other sports there is a chubby guy who does not want to participate, others who do not have skill with a ball . From there it is the first contact with a movement professional, but what can a school teacher do, almost nothing and all because in this type of education at school it is more of a game all the time. We are not giving boys from 8 to 12 years old the success of winning or the feeling of improvement and in the end those four good ones later become that 4% of the population that exercises”.

Mentality, an important aspect when starting to train

“Rapid behavior change only works for one in a hundred people. So, for 99% of the population it is possible to change, but not everything because if there is no time. Sometimes they walk for a short time, but this is more to generate a mental change and people see that nothing physically changes. It is clear that it will not change, but in the brain it says that a little movement has already started in my life in a way that does not bore me and that does not take me away from work. If you didn’t walk before and now you walk, that’s the first thing because the change is mental.

When would a body and mind be ready to see results?

“To leave a body ready with four months, that’s it if you do something good in the physiological part, but for the mental part it is 5% per month, that is, it takes a total of 20 months for a brain to be ready to become fitness” .

“The gyms know who is going to enter, but they are clear that from 20 to 35 years old they will do it and they will be there. Very few are over that age who enter because they have another culture or other environments. There will only be people with electronic music, hypertrophy and few clothes, so that older population will not enter, because the gyms are there to sell aesthetics.

“When we already go to the other side of testosterones or drugs and this is obviously not healthy. Today we see that there is talk of hormonal replacement. What’s that? That a body may need 200 replacement and there are some that put up to 1200, that is, they put twice what is required. This is no longer health, it is purely aesthetic and we are going to another issue that is not wanting more health because it is not part of a person’s normal physiology and I would not register it or recommend it ”.

Should we get frustrated with little muscle growth in other areas of the body?

“You always see women with super legs and men with super arms. One issue is how much you are training in the leg because the vast majority do not train that muscular part in the same way. The second point is genetics because if you can’t grow as much despite having good training, correct nutrition or supplements and you don’t grow more, it’s better to stay calm because you’re healthy, but you have to analyze how your family genetics is and It’s not good to be comparing yourself”

What should the correct way of eating be?

“Food is quantity. It is good not to refuse to eat what you want, whether because you like chocolate, beer, fat or something else, the key is the quantity. You have to keep that taste in your mouth, because if you eat too quickly, you will want more and it is already something that gets out of control. It is not that he is not going to eat anything, it is to go down little by little the units until reaching a balance ”.

The growth of coaching as a new way of training

“The coach is the one who understands the techniques of psychology and it is something that the great directors of the companies started and it is to guide them to find new ways, solutions and bring that psychological test to prepare the coaches. That is the change that is needed to be a support and not a rigid or strict training.

Another expert explained the issue of obesity and muscle growth

Henry León affirmed the importance of how muscles grow until reaching a good point, but he also highlighted the importance of obesity, since it is a subject that has gradually decreased.

“Muscle growth is quite important, how hypertrophy is generated and we are focusing on types of improvement training such as the hit type that has become popular in the world and that has many elements that people still do not understand, but that improves the health. Similarly, the issue of obesity, how this concept has been changing in recent years and must be adapted in order to better understand people with this problem. Also, fitness is not only aesthetic because sometimes people think it is having big and marked muscles, but in reality that definition is more towards health. It is talking about how people can reduce the possibility of fat, improve cardiovascular, cholesterol levels among others. That will guarantee us a longer and healthier life.”

The importance of nutrition and supplements to improve health

Finally, Teo Pérez, a doctor and nutrition specialist, also gave his opinion regarding the improvement of people’s health, as well as recommendations to increase performance without affecting the health of those who choose to look better.

“Medicine and sports came from a personal motivation because I realized that I could help other people through physical activity and nutrition because many times there are chronic diseases such as high blood pressure or diabetes, we never have a prescription for what should be done. do. The most important thing is to feel good about oneself with how much or little physical activity can give and after how one looks to other people gives a potential for security. Many can change in the long term through small changes in habits. Regarding supplements, they must be formulated by doctors and there is a wrong image that this can be harmful to health, but there are proteins or creatine that can contribute to treating diseases and the latter has an important neurocognitive development, but it must be taken responsibly and we must educate about supplementation that it is a safe practice”.