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Why We Train This Way at Maximise Fitness

19th of January, 2026

Why We Train This Way at Maximise Fitness

From me to you.

I’m your coach, but I’m also on the same path as you. I want to be strong, capable, pain-free and confident in my body for decades to come. Everything we do at Maximise Fitness is built around one simple idea:

Train today so life stays easy tomorrow.

This document explains why we train the way we do, why the sessions are structured in a certain order, and how this training helps you stay strong, fit and healthy long term — not just look good for a few months.

 

The Big Picture: Training for Life, Not Just the Gym

As we age, the biggest threats to quality of life are:

  • Loss of muscle
  • Weak legs
  • Poor heart health
  • Joint pain and stiffness
  • Fatigue
  • Poor sleep and high stress

Our training directly targets all of these. The goal isn’t to break you down — it’s to build a body that supports you for life.

 

Why Cardio Is Split Into Different Types

Not all cardio does the same job. Just like tools in a toolbox, each type has a purpose.

Zone 2 Cardio – Your Fitness Foundation

What it is: Steady, comfortable cardio where you can still hold a conversation.

What it does in simple terms:

  • Teaches your body to use fat as fuel
  • Makes your heart physically stronger and more efficient
  • Improves basic endurance

What’s happening inside your body: Your heart becomes slightly larger and stronger, so it pumps more blood with each beat. Think of it like upgrading from a small engine to a bigger one — same effort, more power.

Real-life benefits:

  • Keeping up on long walks with friends
  • Feeling less puffed on holidays
  • Better energy throughout the day
  • Improved long-term heart health

This is the base layer of fitness everything else sits on.

 

Sprint Work – Short Bursts of Power

What it is: Very short, hard efforts with full recovery.

What it does in simple terms:

  • Trains your “emergency power system”
  • Stimulates hormones that help maintain muscle and tissue health
  • Maintains speed and explosiveness

What’s happening inside your body: You’re using the ATP-PC system — the same system you rely on for quick reactions. This is the system that fades fastest if we don’t train it.

Real-life benefits:

  • Quickly reacting to a slip or trip
  • Sprinting after a bus (or a robber)
  • Staying sharp and reactive as you age

We don’t do this often, but we do it on purpose.

 

Aerobic Conditioning Intervals – Real-World Fitness

What it is: Moderate-hard efforts repeated with rest in between.

What it does in simple terms:

  • Improves your ability to handle effort without panicking or fatiguing
  • Bridges the gap between easy cardio and sprints

Real-life benefits:

  • Walking uphill without stopping
  • Climbing lots of stairs in a train station
  • Carrying shopping while slightly out of breath but still in control

This is everyday fitness — the ability to work, recover, and keep going.

 

Why We Lift Weights the Way We Do

Why We Don’t Lift Below 5 Reps

Very heavy lifting for very low reps puts high stress on joints and connective tissue for relatively little extra benefit.

The risk-to-reward ratio isn’t worth it for long-term health.

Our goal is:

  • Strong muscles
  • Healthy joints
  • Longevity

Not bragging rights.

 

You Can Build Muscle From 5–30 Reps

Muscle doesn’t count reps — it responds to effort.

As long as:

  • The weight is challenging
  • The last few reps feel hard

Your muscles get the signal to grow and stay strong.

In real life terms: We’re training your body to keep muscle as the years go on — because higher muscle mass is strongly linked to living longer and staying independent.

 

Why We Emphasise Push, Pull and Leg Movements

Push Movements

Why they matter:

  • Getting up off the floor
  • Pushing yourself out of a chair
  • Catching yourself during a fall

If you can’t push your own body, life gets hard very quickly.

 

Pull Movements

Why they matter:

  • Strengthen the back of the body
  • Improve posture
  • Reduce rounded shoulders and spinal curvature

Real-life benefits:

  • Standing taller as you age
  • Less neck and back pain
  • Looking and feeling more confident

 

Leg Training – Non-Negotiable

Strong legs are one of the best predictors of long life.

Your legs:

  • Support your joints
  • Protect your hips and knees
  • Allow independence

If your legs are strong, everything else becomes easier.

 

Why We Use Full Range of Motion

Training through a full range of motion:

  • Keeps muscles long and strong
  • Reduces joint stress in daily life
  • Improves mobility without endless stretching

In simple terms: Strong muscles that move well protect your joints every time you bend, lift or reach.

 

Training, Fat Loss, Sleep and Stress

Burning Calories and Supporting Sleep

Regular training:

  • Increases daily calorie use
  • Improves sleep quality

Good, deep sleep is when your body:

  • Repairs muscles
  • Balances hormones
  • Recovers properly

Better sleep = better health.

 

Mental Health and Stress Reduction

Training acts like a pressure valve for the nervous system.

Regular movement:

  • Reduces anxiety
  • Improves mood
  • Helps you handle daily stress better

A calm nervous system is a healthy nervous system.

 

A Simple Weekly Training Outline (General Guidance)

This is not age-specific, just a sensible structure for long-term health.

Strength Training – 3 sessions per week

  • Push, Pull and Mix
  • Legs in each session
  • Moderate weights, controlled reps

Zone 2 Cardio – 2 sessions per week

  • 45-60 minutes
  • Comfortable, steady pace

Conditioning / Intervals – 1 session per week

  • Hills, intervals, circuits
  • Controlled discomfort

Sprint or Power Work – Optional / Short

  • Very brief
  • Fully recovered between efforts

Daily movement encouraged:

  • Walks
  • Mobility
  • Staying generally active

 

Final Thought

We don’t train to punish the body.

We train to:

  • Stay capable
  • Stay confident
  • Stay independent
  • Enjoy life longer

This is training with purpose.

Welcome to Maximise Fitness.

 

References (for those interested)

  • American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Guidelines
  • Harvard Health Publishing – Strength Training & Longevity
  • British Journal of Sports Medicine – Muscle Mass & Mortality
  • Journal of Physiology – Cardiac Adaptations to Endurance Training
  • National Institute on Aging – Exercise and Aging