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Gym attendance typically spikes in the months leading up to summer, according to industry data, as many Americans ramp up their fitness routines.
While fitness routines work differently for everyone, one expert offers simple advice for looking and feeling your best: Just move.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Kenny Santucci, fitness trainer, gym owner and host of the “Strong New York” podcast, shared advice on achieving fitness goals without dreading workouts.
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Santucci admitted that he dislikes certain types of exercises, like back squatting, and will opt for alternatives instead.
“I hate back squatting. I don’t like doing it,” he said. “But I squat every time I go to the gym, or every time I have a leg day … I’ll go use a pendulum squat. I’ll use a leg press. I will do lunges. It doesn’t matter.”
“Do I believe in [fitness] programming? Yes. For the average person who lives a normal life, do you have to adhere to a strict program? [No].”
When an exercise feels like a chore, Santucci said that could make it harder to stay consistent with workouts.
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“If you’re thinking in your head, ‘Oh, God, I’ve got to go do legs, I don’t want to…’ Go do something else,” he suggested. “Swing a kettlebell, push a sled, do something. Just move. I’d rather encourage people to move than anything else.”
“I want people to look forward to it,” Santucci added. “You should never question, ‘Should I go or should I not?’ You should go, and then what you do when you get there – sky’s the limit.”
While Santucci emphasizes general movement, he noted that not all forms of exercise will deliver the desired muscle-building results.
For a better outcome, he often encourages gym-goers to add more strength training to their routines and to lift “a little bit heavier.”
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“Strength training should be the basis of what you do, not cycling,” he said, as an example. “I don’t have anything against cycling … but if you’re telling me that that’s the basis of your training, and your goal is aesthetics, then you are not really helping yourself get to that point any easier.”
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Santucci recommends working at about 60% to 80% of capacity, pushing to a point of fatigue with moderate intensity.
“And if you’re not doing those things, then you’re probably not going to get out what you think you’re going to,” he said.
“There’s a science behind muscle growth, and if there’s no external force pushing against the muscle tissue, and you’re not fueling yourself with protein, then you’re probably not going to build muscle.”
Despite this, Santucci still encourages “everyone to do everything.”
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“Hard doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a better workout,” he said. “If you’re training at levels of intensity, then you’re reproducing good outcomes.”
“I don’t want it to be hard for the sake of it being hard,” he went on. “I want to progress at something. I want to get better at something. So, understanding your goal and working backwards from there will help you … design a better program for yourself.”
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