Getting settled in?
If you have begun going to the gym, you are probably still getting cozy finding your way around the weight room while trying to figure out what exercises you enjoy doing. You probably also have a lot of questions about different exercises and how to do them.
Gyms have mirrors so you can watch your form while performing an exercise. Form affects results, and good form avoids strains. For instance, when you curl a weight it's easy to start using your shoulders to move the weight, and it's also easy to put strain on your back even though the weight is in front of you. Correct form prevents those issues.
Help is everywhere
There are probably hundreds of thousands of exercise videos on the Internet. The problem is picking through them and finding something you can use.
I won't go off on the awful quality of many online videos, to say nothing about the people making the presentations. But you can burn up a lot time trying to find something usable.
I believe everyone should put together their own workouts based on what they would like to try. The problem is you can see a workout video, but you don't know for sure how to perform an exercise, because the demonstrator doesn't really explain it to you.
I love to find videos that are to the point and brief so I can watch over and over to digest the important stuff. In that connection I have a good website for you.
This link is to the video page on the site, but you can click back to the other sections and check out those areas as well. There's a lot of information on the site.
You're doing a full body workout, did you know that?
If you followed the suggestions during the past 18 days you are doing what's known as a full-body workout, which means you're hitting the major muscle groups each time you train:
- back
- arms
- shoulders
- chest
- legs.
Full-body is a good workout strategy when you are getting started, because it's easy to remember and doesn't tire out a particular muscle group.
You'll change to a one or two body parts-per-day workout after you've been at it for awhile. And then you'll start doing a couple exercises per body part. It will be up to you to put your workout together, but I'll help.
Take a break
I'd say next week you might like to do your full-body workout for three days, and then do only cardio the other two days. The remaining two days of the week don't do anything workout-wise.
End note
You should also take off Saturday and Sunday this week, or take any two days you want. Don't workout every day unless you just feel like it. Start listening for what your body tells you.
Make sure you have an annual physical. Information presented by Thomas Amshay is for education only and not meant to cure, guide treatment, or take the place of a licensed health practitioner. Consult your health care team before starting any diet, exercise program, or nutritional supplement.
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