WEIGHT TRAINING FOR THE RELUCTANT / STARTING THE JOURNEY TO BETTER HEALTH

So you have FINALLY bought in to the fact that you are going to have to pick up some weights to improve your body. YES!! You have finally learned that cardio and diet alone are not going to have you looking as awesome as you thought it would. ABOUT TIME...Now you have joined a health club and have begun trying out the "machines" and watching everybody.

LOL - I'm sure you've learned a LOT! :)

I'm going to break things down for you and help make it as simple as possible for you to get started on the right path...

Most people have 1 of 2 GOALS. 

LOSE WEIGHT or GET BIGGER/STRONGER

Let me address those separately although they actually coincide with each other more than you might think....

Today's post is for people who have a goal to LOSE WEIGHT

The first thing is I want you working large muscles groups and doing multi-joint exercises that hit more than one muscle group at a time.

• The number one mistake I see for people wanted to lose stomach fat is doing crunches. 

That is the LAST thing you should be doing. Crunches do not burn fat in the stomach area. They build the muscle up underneath the fat. Believe it or not, you should be doing things like Leg Press, Bench Press, Seated Rows. These exercises are going to do much more for you. 

1. You will burn more calories since they are expending more energy. 
2. You will be breaking down more muscle fibers which your body will need energy to repair. (google AFTERBURN effect) 
3. Plus you will be building more muscle which believe it or not, should be your number one goal because extra muscle works for you in that it burns calories all day long just by having it. 

If you are just getting started, you are going to have to keep the weight light enough to not injure yourself while you practice getting your form right. I actually want you doing more free weights but initially the machines might be safer so that is where I typically start a lot of clients.

I also want to give your muscles time to get acclimated to being worked, so you will be doing what is considered an ENDURANCE PHASE.

• This is where you are doing high reps ~15 with little rest between sets ~:30
• You want to start off working out with weights 2-3 TIMES A WEEK doing full body workouts. 

Space your week out so you have at least 1 day of rest between workouts.

Here is a sample workout plan for someone just getting started:

MON /  FRI

2 SETS:

Stationary Bike 30 Second Sprint

Leg Press x 15

Flat Bench Press x 20

2 SETS:

Ball Slams 30 Sec

Deadlifts x 15

Seated Row x 20

2 SETS:

Wall Ball Body Weight Squat/Shd Press x 20

Bird Dogs x 20 Each Side

3 Point Twist x 15 Each Side

WED / SAT

30 Minutes of cardio on elliptical preferably. Again, I want you using as many body parts as possible and the elliptical with the moving hand rails is awesome for this, plus its low impact on your knees which probably aren't ready for running if you are overweight. 

You should be sweating. Its gonna burn. You're gonna be a little more sore for the first few weeks, but its going to grow on you. Once you start seeing the changes, I promise you will be hooked and looking for ways to improve even more.

I highly encourage you to HIRE A TRAINER to teach you how to do things correctly. 

These are people who actually LOVE doing what you might currently HATE with a passion. They can show you why. A good trainer is much more than just someone to show you proper form. A good trainer has been there and done the things they are talking about and really know how to communicate how things should feel and work along the way. A good trainer is not going to just let you stop a set just because you are starting to experience some burning in the muscles and they will also know the difference between a good and a bad hurting sensation. There is only so much you can learn from magazines and online articles. A trainer is going make sure you are on the correct plan for your goals and will help you put it into action and keep you motivated and on track. 

Little things like proper gym etiquette on how to cut into someone else hogging a machine and how to find alternative exercises on the fly are invaluable things you will learn. The really good ones become coaches and sometimes even mentors to others looking to really improve their life in other areas other than the gym. Many times strong relationships will develop and a client will become a lifelong friend.

CHECK BACK FOR THE NEXT PHASE ON GETTING STRONG