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Given
the amount of information and
misinformation floating around,
we understand how overwhelming
and confusing your new fitness
journey may seem. We're here to
help clear up that confusion by
offering a few free tips specifically
aimed at beginners!
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Sit-ups
don't help weight loss!
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The
most common mistake we see is people
doing sit-ups in hopes of slimming
their waist and developing a "six-pack."
Sit-ups, however, do not slim your
waist and are only useful for toning
abdominal muscles that are already
visible. For your abdominal muscles
to be visible, you need to reduce
your overall body fat to around
10-12% body fat for men, and 16-20%
for women. Unfortunately, performing
sit-ups doesn't burn enough calories
to decrease body fat, so the time
spent doing them would be much better
utilized performing an exercise
or activity with a greater caloric
expenditure. A five-minute jog,
for example, would burn far more
calories than doing sit-ups for
five minutes. This segues beautifully
into our next tip...
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Spot
reduction isn't a real thing!
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Many
beginners believe that sit-ups will
help burn belly fat, which simply
isn't true. A common misconception
among newcomers is that you can
reduce the fat in a problem area
by specifically targeting it. For
example, doing biceps and triceps
exercises in hopes of reducing just
the excess fat in your arms. Your
body burns fat from genetically
predetermined areas throughout your
entire body, not just the area you're
targeting. This means that doing
squats, for instance, will burn
fat from all over your body, including
your arms! To expound on this, since
squats are a compound movement (a
movement that uses several muscle
groups collaboratively to perform),
they'll burn far more calories than
a simple bicep curl or tricep extension.
This means if you're looking to
lose belly fat, specifically targeting
it via sit-ups isn't the way to
go about it. Instead, you should
focus on aerobic exercises such
as walking, jogging, running, cycling,
or swimming, and/or compound resistance
movements such as squats and deadlifts.
Aerobic training along with resistance
training will help reduce fat from
all over your body, including the
stubborn fat around your belly.
Circling back to our example, if
you want to reduce fat from your
arms, go for a jog and do some squats!
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Stay
consistent!
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Consistency
is the key to success but seems
to be where most people struggle.
If you want results, you have to
put in the work on a consistent
basis! This means engaging in some
form of exercise at least four days
a week, regardless of weather or
mood. We understand there will be
days you simply don't want to work
out. We have those days, too! However,
you need to push yourself to get
that workout in anyhow, and we guarantee
that if you do, you'll feel much
better having done so. We've seen
far too many people begin a workout
program just to abandon it within
the first few weeks. We've also
seen far too many people take weeks
off at a time, and have heard every
excuse in the book. While some of
those excuses are valid, most are
little more than an inability to
commit to a long-term exercise program.
If you don't want to drive to the
gym because it's raining out, you're
simply not serious about your health
and fitness goals. If you claim
you can't work out because of an
ache, pain, or minor injury, you're
not serious either. "I can't
work out today because I hurt my
foot" is a poor excuse when
there are plenty of workouts you
can do using other parts of your
body. If you make your workout a
priority and not an afterthought,
and you can maintain consistency
long-term, you can and will see
the results you've dreamed about.
Yes, life may throw unexpected obstacles
your way, but you should still be
able to squeeze a workout in around
them. A bad break-up, for example,
doesn't justify missing four weeks
of workouts. Half of your exercise
program is mental. If you're mentally
strong enough to suck it up and
get those workouts in even when
life isn't going your way, the results
will speak for themselves!
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Don't
be afraid of lifting weights!
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We
get that weights can be a bit intimidating
to beginners. We assure you, they're
nothing to be afraid of! Getting
"too bulky" is a common
fear among newcomers of all ages,
sizes, and genders. However, becoming
too muscular is nothing you need
to worry about, nor is it something
most people are even genetically
capable of. When told "I would
never want to look like you,"
bodybuilding legend Arnold Schwarzenegger
would famously reply, "Don't
worry, you never will." It
takes years of hard, disciplined
weight training to achieve that
level of muscularity, so don't shy
away from its numerous benefits
over an irrational fear of appearing
"too buff." Resistance
training is essential for men and
women alike as it reduces the risk
of age-related skeletal muscle loss
known as "sarcopenia."
By weight training now, you'll find
yourself able to enjoy a much more
functional life in your later years.
Weight training also helps build
power, which is essential for everyday
tasks such as standing up, or lifting
a gallon of milk. While these tasks
may seem simple now, they become
increasingly difficult with age.
However, developing power now will
help counter the functional decline
you'd experience otherwise later
on in life. Grab some dumbbells
and get to work! Your body will
thank you in the years to come.
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Wake
up and move!
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Waking
up and immediately engaging in some
form of physical activity is incredible
for your metabolic health. Before
grabbing a bite to eat, we recommend
at least twenty minutes of aerobic
activity to start your day off right.
Whether it's walking, jogging, running,
cycling, or swimming, engaging in
some form of aerobic exercise after
waking will increase your metabolism
while giving you a boost of natural
energy for the day to come. It's
easy to get distracted by technology,
so ignore your television, phone,
or computer and put those shoes
on the moment you climb out of bed!
We realize this is easier said than
done, but if you stick with it,
you'll find it becomes easier with
time. If you keep at it, you'll
find it quickly becomes a healthy
habit that will have you looking
and feeling much better! For you
middle-of-the-night snackers, it's
also a great way to burn a few of
the calories you might have consumed
while raiding the kitchen when you
were half asleep. If you can make
waking up and engaging in aerobic
activity a part of your daily routine,
your body and mind will surely thank
you for it. This simple tip is another
great way to help burn body fat!
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Stay
active throughout the day!
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While
engaging in some form of aerobic
activity upon waking is important,
it's also important to stay active
throughout the day. Ten to twenty-minute
walks two or three times a day
in addition to your waking aerobic
activity is a great way to keep
your metabolism active, in turn
burning more calories throughout
the day and helping you lose those
unwanted pounds. We recommend
taking these walks after a meal,
which will aid in digestion as
well as improving your metabolic
efficiency. A healthy, active
metabolism is essential for countering
body fat, so try to squeeze in
some form of aerobic activity
every few hours. It doesn't have
to be anything too intense, as
even a brisk walk around the block
will help improve your overall
health.
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Beginner
Training - Intermediate Training
- Advanced Training - Proper Form
- Proper Technique - Proper Diet
and Nutrition - Proper Workout Structure
- Weight Loss Assistance - Weight
Gain Assistance - General Fitness
- Bodybuilding - Powerlifting -
Contest Prep
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