Ready to exercise? Taking time to learn the fundamentals of what makes a good workout program is critical to experiencing success on whatever program you choose.
There are several ways you can go about structuring a workout protocol. The important thing is to choose what exercise program is right for you.
One huge mistake that many well-intentioned people make when choosing to begin an exercise program is to seek out the “hottest” trend in the fitness industry. Sadly, there are many gimmicky approaches out there that get lots of media attention but are not necessarily the best choice.
The very first thing you need to realize when choosing an exercise program especially if you are trying to take weight off and lose fat, is that you must include strength training. Forget the “what’s hot right now” myth and focus on proven, tried and true methods – strength training.
Strength training or Resistance training helps you:
Improve your lean muscle mass
Improve your functional strength capacity
Enhance bone strength
Increase insulin resistance, therefore fending off diabetes risk
Improve your mood
Regulate your hunger levels
Improve your ability to oxidize fats at rest
The list goes on and on. Really, there is no shortage of benefits that resistance training provides. It is the most critical form of exercise to get into your program plan and all it takes is 90 minutes per week or three sessions of 30 minutes’ total to reap the benefits.
Resistance training is so effective; you won’t even need to do additional cardio exercise to reap heart health.
Exercise Selection
When putting together your workout program and exercise selection, the primary thing you must focus on is compound movements. Compound movements are exercises that work more than one muscle group at once and often span across one or more joints.
Here are the main compound movements that you should be focusing on:
Bench press
Bent over rows
Push-ups
Pull-ups
Lat pull-downs
Shoulder press
Squats
Deadlifts
Lunges
Step-ups
Split squats
Leg press
Plank exercise
These exercises work many different muscle groups at once so they save time. Additionally, they are exercises that help ensure you are creating the greatest possible metabolic response in the body.
The more muscle fibers you use during any single movement, the more total calories you’ll burn and the faster you will spike your metabolism for hours to come after your session is complete
Because compound exercises are far more intense, you’ll get your heart rate up to a much higher level and keep it there thus providing some serious cardio vascular benefits.
Reps and Sets
Reps are the amount of times you move through the pattern of movement before resting thus creating one single “set.”
Ideally, you don’t want to take your rep range too high but you want it high enough to evoke the metabolic response you’re looking for. Eight to twelve is a good rep area to be at. It produces nice strength gains while still allowing you to tap into the fat burning potential that weight lifting offers.
Lift heavy…you won’t regret it. When you get to the end of your 12 reps and feel as though you could do more, that’s your first clue that you are not lifting heavy enough weight. Typically, 2-4 sets will be sufficient based on how many exercises you have in the workout program.
Always start each workout with a five-minute warm-up and end with a five-minute cool-down. And, don’t forget to rest. Rest is critical to recovery and making progress with your chosen program. You need rest to experience results.
Strength training works magic and does not have the time commitment many people believe it does. In fact, it is possible to see fantastic results doing very little exercise if you focus on choosing the right compound movements.
Combine your exercise program with a satisfying whole-foods nutrition plan that supports your strength training program and you have the perfect formula for sustaining a healthy slim body for life.
It’s time to throw away all the false statements you’ve accepted about dieting and exercise and learn what it really takes to take weight off and keep it off for good…
“Rebound Free Weight-Loss” can help you do just that…
For more tools and resources from Carolyn Hansen to assist you in attaining your health and fitness goals and achieving the success you desire in life, please visit:
Leave A Comment