Lighter methods of exercise , such as walking, swimming and cycling , not to mention everyday activities such as walking the stairs, gardening etc. Which all have their place in calorie charts.

It seems that we do engage ourselves in a variety of physical activities ,although most of them are rather easy on our bodies.On the other hand we now have the generation of young people who want to take a lift to the first floor and are expelled from the military service because of the poor physical condition.

On the other end of scale are people who are either very strong, very fast or very limber.Pilates, powerlifting, yoga and weightlifting are all very popular nowadays.Of course many people want to find the form of exercise which suits them best and therefore their personal development depends on which specific qualities their chosen sport emphasises.How many people are flexible and have good motor skills , are strong,fast ,agile and have good level of endurance? Not many mainly due to the programs which do not allow multiple attributes to develop equally.

The Ultimate Paradox

It is paradoxical that today when we have more free time than ever before in our society and the variety of different exercise systems is abundant , our health is deteriorateing very fast on a national level and obesity has grown into epidemic proportions.

Paradox gets even bigger when we take into account that our knowledge of human health is better than ever, we are overwhelmed by the amount of different prescription drugs and cutting-edge nutritional supplements,low-calorie products and artificial sweeteners .Yet the nation is getting fatter all the time Obesity increases the likelihood of type II diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and osteoarthritis and related conditions.It is also important to remember that accumulated fat itself is not dead , inactive tissue , nor is it some kind of conspiracy generated by university scientists and diet gurus.

Fat is active tissue that has multiple functions on different body systems, such as energy expenditure and it's source (from carbs or fat storage).Exercise itself affects hormones so nutrition and exercise should always be thought as an unseperable unity.

The Big Picture

There is nothing wrong with walking or gardening but the harsh truth is that light exercise gives light results.Jogging lanes and swimming halls are overcrowded , nothing wrong with that but I am focusing the criticism on the way these sports/exercises are performed, that is a way that is ineffective and has too little variety.Also the idea of "fat burning zone" when talking about the optimal heatr rate is one of the biggest scams as it gives people the wrong idea of what kind of trainig actually is effective.

It is true that your body uses more fat as an energy source when the intensity of training is guite low but when we consider the total expenditure of energy in high.intensity training the metabolism is greatly speeded up , therefore the body uses much more calories for hours even after the training session is ended.Also the stimulus given to the nervous system and hormone production affects muscle growth, strength development and fat burning in a downright superior way when compared to a low-intensity training.If we would calculate the bare percentage of fat expenditure in terms of using fat as an energy source the highest rated activities wuolde be sleeping and watching tv.

The contributing factors to fatburning are also the amount of food and what kind of food exactly have we eaten.Our energy reserves are usually so loaded as result of continuous eating that our bodyfat doest not get a chance to be used as fuel, no matter how we exercise .Basic rule is: if you are overweight, reduce the amount of carbs and fat and drop the total calorie intake.Eat your lean protein and veggies first, then add some rice, potatoes etc. If you feel a need for those.Try to eat as nutrientdense food as possible while keeping the calories in control.Rotate the amount of calories between days and allow yourself a day of indulgence once a week.Add right kind of exercise(= intensive enough) !.By following these rules your body will learn to burn fat effectively.

Dropping by at the local swimming hall and chatting with friends,( even when done 3-4 times a week), or taking your dog for walk 5 times a day is not enough.The amount of activities and the time spent on them is not significant in terms of conditioning if the intensity is low all the time.It does promote feelings of accomplisment for many if they can say out loud that they go in for various forms of exercise several times a week; actually they do very little that does have a concrete effect on their fitness levels.

You can easily do various low-intensity activities for hours, every day.I do not consider that, however as part of an actual exercise regimen but as a normal function which is part of carrying out our everyday tasks.Nobody is ever going to get in peak condition by gardening, no matter how many hours he/she does that around the year.We have been falsely informed that doing chores of physical nature would somehow contribute to our physical condition.Unfortunately they are just that, physical chores that hold very little promise in helping us getting really fit.

This current generation of young people who practically exist only on Internet may have trouble drawing the line between the "normal chores" and "exercise".For many , it seems, dressing and going to the nearest Starbucks is arduous enough and this of course complicates the situation in the long run.In my own opinion the most effective forms of exercise are the ones that give the biggest bang for the buck, ie the benefit they give us is the biggest one considering the time we spent on them.

Common idea is to just concentrate on losing weight by dieting in a various ways but without combining the diet with proper types of exercise is like solving only half of the puzzle, same goes for exercise without a diet.

Consider all the numerous abilities a human body possesses and design your training program so that it serves all those equally and more importantly in way that offers the greatest benefits to our endurance, strength , mobility etc. The concept of general health , not just specific sport applications , should be an integral part of the program design. Strength training without any endurance and mobility speficific elements results in a well-built but stiff athlete whose cardiovascular levels are far from optimal.Those who specialize in Pilates-type of training by focusing on deep muscle tissue development will not train their general endurance or strength hard eneugh, no matter how effective Pilates for the midsection control admittedly is.Bones and ligaments require considerable amount of pressure in order to remain strong and supple.

Walking outside in fresh air does have an uplifting effect on our moods but it really is not a concrete form of exercise, just plain fun. Air on beaches and in mountains offer plenty of negative ions as a bonus, here in Finland the abundant areas of forests and fields are viable alternatives.

Is there a better way-my personal solution

Now that I have endlessly critizised certain disturbing faults in the fitness culture it is time to move on to possible solutions to improve the situation.My story began in 1996 , after my second back surgery.After having trained in martial arts and various forms of strentgh training nearly all my life I wanted to find something new, more comprehensive ; something that would enable me to remain injury free and give myself and my trainees something to chew on for the rest of our lives.While laying in the hospital bed I started to gather the scattered information together and eventually wrote it down in black notebooks.I also had the idea which effectively gathers together my philosophy of training in general:

" Each of us possesses the most potential exercise equipment available anywhere, our own body.Why not learn to use it!"

I had already been training using the gathered information but the results were rather one sided and focused on strength development.I had not realized the real value of different training methods , therefore the results were the direct result of the process."Why" was I doing something in a specific way, I had never asked myself that.The only value that I gave was the change in my body, the aesthetic value.Of course the true value was in the functuon of the body , the way it moves itself and objects as well.

Being beddridden and tormented by constant backpain I started to see things differently , more clearly.I started to look info from various books and made several training trips to Far -East.Little by little certain exercises that I had not considered to have real value,revealed their essence as well.I also bacame aware of ther fact that my journey was just beginning , so much valuable information to be discovered.Knowing that made (and still makes ) me feel small and humble, a kind of "student of life".Especially humbling experience was to realize that no matter how much info I would ever gather, that would be just drop in the ocean.The very same idea also positively maintains the continuous thirst for knowledge.While developing the training methods for myself and my clients I developed a comprehensive system which was eventually named Compact Training .

CT is a training philosophy which aims at developing all the physycal attributes with equal emphasis.Maybe ooking more skinny than buffy is also desirable; if your muscle mass does increase it is ok but the main idea is get as much endurance, strength, mobility etc. wrapped in the same package.The result is that the amount of relative strentgth is as high as possible and moving the body is easy.Smaller muscles do not need as much energy and oxygen in endurance feats,

One of the founding principals is that we always concentrate on practicing the movement and technique itself, not focusing on muscles themselves as in bodybuilding.In every single type of physical training the aspect of technique is strongly associated with, endurance and strength training not excluded, therefore the correct technique is the key to success.

In real life the effectiveness on movement chain is crucial and also how effectively different qualities support its actions.Even though the practical, straight forward applications lay the foundation I do not think that details are irrelevant.By studying them it is possible to see how things

interlink and also get a broader view of the world.Sometimes some surprising observations can be made-like when the result in the end is something else than the sum of the parts making it!

Second basic principle is that the high-intensity movements that exercise all the major muscle groups are prioritized in the program design.The session does not have to be long to be effective, 10-20 min. is usually enough.

The primary objective in CT is to maintain or improve general health The methods that are used develop body co-ordination , agility, endurance, strentgth and speed.The second level is to make those qualities as effective as possible without compromising any of them.The best thing in CT is that training is constantly evolving , there are new challenges in the program indefinetely.Programs are easily carried out at home, in the gym, in the form of group session etc.Time and place are not limiting factors.

You do not need a lot of fancy equipment either; as a storage space a bottom shelf of your clothes closet should do.Kettlebells, resistance bands, rings and fitballs are the most commonly used ones but in the beginning you will do quite well without any equipment orjust with a single kettlebell.Many aerobic exercise equipment(rowing machines etc)are easily compatible with resistance bands and freeweights when thinking about a program for a single training session.

There are 5 areas of training in the Compact training-philosophy, each of which can be combined with oneanother and carried out indoors or outdoors, weather permitting

1.Breathing exercises

These methods enable you to gain better control of the muscles of your midsection and generate maximum ,short term explosive force when needed.They are also very helpful in maintaining the oxygen-carbon dioxide ratios correct during endurance training.

2. Mobility and stretching

Stretching and mobility training could be described as your maintenance exercises.They increase the range of motion in our joints,maintain our general exercise capacity and prevent injuries from occurring.We use 3 different methods: relaxing type, SMT(speed mobility training)and strength based exercises.They can act as a stand-alone cardiovascular enhancing exercises or as a more concentrated form of muscle endurance exercise.

3.Strength training

Development of maximum strentght, strentgh endurance, speed and isometric strength is emphasized here.Bodyweight, resistance bands and free weights provide the needed resistance.

Right from the beginning I knew that I wanted this section to include varied types of throwing techniques for the kettlebells which later turned out to be very popular among my trainees.They considered this type of training new and challenging and nowadays many of my clients and training partners have integrated throwing into their training programs for speed and endurance.

1.

Jumping/running/pulling the sledge /bag training

Runnig up the hill, jumping over obstacles, pulling sledge or kettlebells on a field,kicking and punching sets with a bag etc.

5. Agility/coordination/balance and motor function

Using 1-4 fulcrums ; the use of equipment here is not necessary but fitballs, rings and weights do give some extra flavour!

Gym or home?

Even though it is possilbe to carry out Compact Training workouts in the corner of your livingroom it may not be the most enjoyable alternative in the long run .Naturally our taste for training environment is different for everyone but I think drawing a very strict line between home and gym training is not necessary; the combination of these both seems to work quite well for most people.It is very handy to have the possibility to train at home when you do not have the time to go to the gym, on the other hand gym does have a tendency to maintain and increase inspiration which is a very important contributing factor to the training results which is why I usually recommend doing so to even the most enthuastic home trainers.Varied training program is important and so is the place where you work out!

Compact Training-beginners guide

What is Compact Training?

Compact-philosophy is based on an idea of comprehensive development that takes into account both the physical and mental aspects.It's roots lay on a holistic view of training and life in general, that is the sum is actually more than the parts forming it.Most essential is to continuously explore how different concepts and methods interact with each other .Most challenging is to try to understand and master the complexity of methods and also make the whole package work for You.

In the beginning CT(Compact Training)focuses only on the physical aspects of training which works as gateway to general development .It aims at maintaining and improving health which in turn enables You to keep on regular training and improvement.Proper diet and weight control are also playing a big role at this stage.

Breathing methods, isometric tension , mobility and coordination exercises form the first level. CMT(Compact Mobility Training)principles dictate that part of the exercises are performed in a relaxed way, some in more aggressive and speedy way ,emphasizing loading the ligaments with considerable force , of course increasing the pressure gradually as the practitioner becomes more skillful.

Proper breathing serves the practitioner by aiding in relaxation and restoration and also helping to create a correct rhythm for exercises and increasing the level of maximun attainable muscle tension, which of course means more short term force.

Mobility training,stretching , balance and coordination exercises form the foundation for all body skills , , they are also the "ingredient" that make any kind of movement possible by taking care of skeletal and muscle functions .These 1st level exercises should be done every day if possible in any way.

Strength and endurance are developed in different combinations so that diversity of training sessions is prioritized .Free weights,resistance bands ,and rings are again utilized .

Developing different qualities simoltaneously-why?

In case your goal is to develop a single attribute to a highest possible level, the program design is very clear as it automatically rules out all the training that does not contribute directly to Your chosen skill/attribute.When developing maximumg strength it is useless to run 20 kilometers, neither can you increase your cardiovascular condition and muscle endurance by doing sets of 1-3 reps.Despite of that it is however useful for an endurance athlete to do some specific (to his/her chosen sport)strength training and some type of strentgh training that is tailored to work as an insurance to prevent possible injuries from occurring in the first place.Likewise some basic endurance training is beneficial for strentgh athletes .

Endurance training, both sport specific and general kind, is very valuable as it aids in recovery and helps to maintain heavier training loads by enhancing the effectiveness of mitochondria which are a kind of "power plant" in the cells.Unfortunately there are many athletes who do not want to engage thmeselves in any activities other than their "own specialty".When the development of skill,power and endurance is the goal, it is inevitable that compromises must be done both in the terms of training and single qualities.At this point is must be accepted that almost all physical attributes will improve quite well but not at maximum rate.There are individuals who recommend and also follow at their own workouts a program which includes both short and long sets for the same muscle group.A fine example of this is B. Jeffriess who has included bodyweight squats with sets as long as 500 reps combined with single reps of 350-400 kilos.Compact Training could be described as a sort of a decathlon.It is actually all about the kind of movement that man was created for, we have systematized it into a "modern sport" quite recently.Historically our ancestors who were hunters and gatherers were on the move all the time simply beacause they had to.Jumping, fighting, throwing and running .Hunting and simply trying to survive required a lot of effort and energy , not to mention endurance, speed, strentght and skill.Later on in history, large war parties trained their soldiers during long marches during which various qualities, both mental and physical , were trained simoltaneously.For example legionaries were accustomed to carrying heavy loads and were required to mount a camp after each arduous leg of the march.As if this were not enough, the soldiers had to be aware of contstant threat taht was lurking them in a hostile environment and of course the actual fights were extremy" limit testing "by nature.

There really is not anything new in CT, it picks up different concepts and methods from various training philosophies in order to sum them up in away that develops necessary qualities to survive.

Specific reason for doing is very important

What gives You pleasure, what does not?What do You really like to do, what is a big no no?

Nobody likes to do boring things, things that do not give You that special feeling of accomplishment.The word special here does not need to mean anything astronomically special, it can have something to do with improved appearance, increased numbers on Your results chart or a generally good feeling.The most important single factor in the terms of maintaing a consistently advancing training program is that it MUST be enjoyable to follow.The result is that the training indivudual feels having mastered something that affects his/her life , and that something is something that cannot be directly compared to the results.

Measurable results are actually of secondary importance when the goals of the training programs are set .Make no mistake, setting goals is important but if the emphasis is placed strictly on the numbers the result is quite inevitably that the interest and motivation are quickly dimished,making training more of project than a part of everyday life .Excellent example of this are various miracle diets that people desperately follow each spring trying to achieve the coveted beach look.Training methods should offer people a wide variety of choices , both in the actual methods and with the places to carry them out.Physical training should not be separated from this chain of development.When You give the body different kinds of neurological stimuli it is like feeding he body with nourishing food which affects various systems, ie hormone metabolism, vascular functions, muscles, reaction speed, blood pressure etc. Details, although recognized, are not meant to be sticked to.The enjoyment of movement should be number one on Your "why-list".Also the interaction between mind and bodily functions exist very strongly and should be consired a major force.

......Diversity increases willingness,willingness feeds motivation.A good motivation improves results which in turn increase results .Pleasure improves health ; radiant health is a

part of happiness ...

What is not Compact training

Mind and body are inseparable in CT and therefore it is vital that mind is kept pure.Mind and behaviou is upright and avoids being malicious , and aims at patience and understanding without compromising its independence and value.If physical training focuses on developing only a single attribute it cannot be considered CT even though same methods are used.Powerlifter who does mobility training is not doing CT, just utilizing same methods.CT always includes the foundation idea of willingness and methods to multilevel development .

How much and how often?

That is the question only You can answer yourself.It all denpends on what kind of results You want and how do you give value to different things.3 times per week is the classical choice and is quite a workable solution for majority of people and gives satisfactory results if all aspects of training are carefully taken care of.If t your schedule permits is recommended that You train 4-5 times per week.This allows more variety in practised methods and better development in all areas.

New view

What physical training actually is?It seems that modern man is getting further apart from the original meaning of being physical.Taking care of one's condition has been handed out to so-called experts , making health and it's maintanance their priviledge.Our responsibity on our own bodies has loosened and exercising has become something that must be done out of context with your "normal life".

In principal you should consider training a normal , natutal part of life, same as eating and sleeping.A training session of 15-30 minutes a day should not be too difficult to carry out, you get a break from daily chores and this of course is valuable to both mind and body.This is also the cheapest possible life insurance policy imaginable and will improve the quality of life almost immediately.Spending 15-30 minutes daily on the 1st level basic exercises and strength/cardiovascular training in different combinations.All the exercises do not need to be of "sweat breaking" nature or especially planned beforehand. It makes perfect sense for example to divide daily training into several parts which to follow during the day at work.All the physical activity done in addition to this is naturally even better.

To clarify things in the beginning I will deal with more common ways of designing the program

Periodization and training various attributes the Compact style

Peridiozation simply means splitting training into separate seasons.A year is didivided for example into 4 seasons, each lasting 3 months .All the seasons have a specific theme of training with a mutual goal, the fact which shoulb be evident both in actual training and seasonal program desing as well.Eachof 3 months seasons is further subdivided into one-week-long periods which enable better control overseeing the programand its effects on the athlete.These different periodizations are called micro,-macro,- and mesocycles.The principle can be used in various applications and again it must be said that there really is not one true way to do it; all the pieces of the puzzle should serve the set goal and take into account the individual differences of each one of us.

Compact-Training utilizes the so called compressed training periods, in which a year-long training period is compressed into one week.Usually this program design is followed in a manner that has 3 weeks of training with normal intensity , followed by one week of light training.

Strength, speed, endurance ,flexibility, co-ordination and various other skills are practised on the same week.This method works fine with both beginning and advanced athletes ; psychologically this makes training both stimulating and challenging with abundancy of exercise options.

Within the basic frames the training can be carried out in way that emphasizes developing a sigle attribute in one season, remembering the foundational idea of the common goal.

Strethg development and general cardiovascular training should be kept separately from the technique training.Fatique should be avoided like plaque when learning new exercises and movements; however the total number of sets and reps should be high .The number of reps should be increased by increasing the number of sets .Pace should be kept very moderate and breaks long enough in order to really master the motor skills.Only after the technical element is perfected it is reasonable to increase tempo and therefore make the training more strenuous.Advanced athletes can combine both technically difficult elements with high-octane strenght endurance training.Balance and coordination exercises also serve You best when they are not trained to the point of exhaustion.

Maximum strentgth and endurance should be trained primarily on separate occasions.Different strentgh-and endurance qualities can be trained on the same week or even on the same day as long as certain factors are considered: the closer the nature of strentgh- and endurance training is related, the more reasonable it is to combine them. Muscular endurance and anaerobic endurance can be developed eg by doing kettlebel snatches and cleans. Maximum strentght and speed-strentgh training are married to each other and can be fluidly combined.

Stretching at its best can work as a dynamic strentght exercise so weight traing and bodyweight training can increase both strentght and elasticity of muscles .Long,static stretches should be avoided before strength training.Weekly training period can be designed in a simple way and get really good results; all that is needed is to rotate heavy-light-medium sessions during a week and then every three weeks have a light training week and a few days of total rest.

As stated earlier , in CT all attributes are trained during one week and an example of a week could look like this:

Monday

Strength+ mobility(light)+ breathing(heavy)

Tuesday

Endurance+mobility(heavy)+ breathing(light)

Thursday

Skill/ speed+ mobility

Friday

Strength endurance+mobility (medium)

OR

Monday

Strength (kettlebells, rings, resistance bands)+ mobility .Maximum intensity.

Tuesday

Endurance(circuit training + weight vest)+ breathing training.Medium intensity.

Wednesday

Calisthenics, balance/skill training + mobility training(bodyweight)+power stretching.Light intensity.

Friday

Pulling a sledge(moderate tempo)+ power stretching.Light intensity

Saturday

Power endurance, fast tempo (kettlebells) + mobility (light +heavy).Maximum intensity.

OR

Monday

Maximum strength+jumping and throwing 50-60 min.+mobility and beathing 10-15 min.Maximum intensity

Tuesday

Walking with weighted west 30-45 minutes+ breathing .Light intensity

Wednesday

Calisthenics and power stretching 20-30 min. + power endurance exercises(dynamic/static) 20 min.Heavy intensity.

Friday

Sledge pulling, interval + weight throwing 25 min.Medium intensity. Mobility training 5-10min.Light intensity.

Saturday

Power-based mobility exercises 20 min.Heavy intensity+ jumping exercises 25 min.Light intensity.

Compact Training basic exercises

*

Breathing exercises, isometric tension and relaxation techniques

relaxing and power based
*

Mobility exercises : relaxing and power based

Body weight exercises

sun salutation

push-ups

hindu push-ups

bending forward from a horse stance

handstand, moving into and in a handstand position

pull-ups(also weighted)

lifting legs hig up while hanging from a bar

dips(bar/parallel bar /rings, also weighted)

squats:regular-casack-one legged

jumps, different variations

moving in a low stance (in all 8 directions)

rope climbing(legs on ground,legs assisting, using only hands)

Exercises using weights(kettlebells, sandbags, clubbells,barbells)

deadlift

swing

clean

snatch

bent press

press

halo

presses on the floor

half-moon

Sledge pulling and throwing weights

pulling backwards

pulling forwards

pulling alternating hands

Bodyweight and additional weight utilizing exercises have been put in separate groups for clarity but in practice the movement can be just the same.For example squatting and pull-ups , the question is do You move Your body or an object in a certain space.

Examples of bodyweight exerciseprogram:

Beginners

Powerbased mobility exercises.Start slowly and increase speed towards the end of the exercise , except with neck area which should always be done at moderate pace.Always begin the sessions with mobility exercises by doing 5-15 rotations per direction and 25-50 rotations total per movement.Train 3-4 times in a week.

bending the head forward and back

shoulder rotations forward and back

hands rotations forward and back

rounding upper back and extension

twisting elbows

hip circles

upper body circles

tilting the pelvis sideways-forward and backward

deep squatting and knee circling

calf stretching and ankle circling

For the first 3-4 months, for beginners it is recommended to focus on the basic strength and muscular endurance training as well as stretching and mobility , all of which contribute to the proper development of foundational physical skills.Only after this preparatory period should all the elements be included into the program.

Program

Do 3 rounds and 6-15 reps per exercise ,take a 30 to 60 s break between exercises and 1-2 minutes

.....to be continued....