It is Thursday!
As promised I am going to provide a beginner exercise program and some motivational tips to get you started or to keep you going when times get tough.
If you are unsure how to safely perform any of the workouts I mention on this blog please feel free to message me or leave a comment. Nothing is worse and de-motivating than getting injured as soon or very shortly after beginning a workout routine.
To start out do this program 2-3 times a week for 2-3 weeks. If you keep reading in 3 weeks from now I will provide a more intensive routine. The goal is to start small and work your way up. A lot of people make the mistake of taking on too much, too quick, which has been found to decrease motivation, satisfaction and enjoyment while increasing the change for injury and dropout.
Try this....
Warm Up: 5-10 minutes on a piece of cardio equipment, it should feel like you are working at a 5 or 6/10 (Rate of Perceived Exertion or RPE) by 2-3 minutes in.
*At this point you can continue to complete your cardio session for the day or do your weight training. Some evidence has shown that doing cardio after weight training will accelerate weight loss and boost metabolism.
*Also, you can break up your cardio and resistance, for example you can do your cardio on a different day, earlier or later in the day than your resistance training. As long as you get 2-3 times a week in.
Bike Cardio Workout:
I'm a firm believer in interval training, especially if you are a beginner. Why? Because you can slowly push yourself to do more without feeling like a failure or out of shape. I used to make this mistake all the time when first starting cardio, I'd try and run as long as I could then would beat myself up when I'd quit after 15 minutes.
Here's a cardio work out for the bike (not spin bike) since I provided an outline for the treadmill in a previous blog.
Setting Up the Bike: You can really do damage to your knees if you do not set a bike up properly, and I unfortunately see people do it all the time in the gym. I get all awkward and don’t know if I should say something or not (every time I have it has backfired).
Spin bikes are different ( to be discussed in a later blog) but with normal gym bikes you essentially need to make sure your seat is high enough that you have a 10-30 degree bend in your knee when fully extended, or 6 o clock as I call it, in the bike peddle rotation.
If you are unsure if you are high enough put the bike seat high enough to lock your knees on the bottom of the rotation. Then put it one or 2 lower than that. Tell your friends about this… please and thank you ha ha.
5-6 minutes (after warm up): RPM: 95 Resistance/Level: 4-5
6-7 min: RPM: 100-115 Level: 4-5
7-8 min: RPM: 90-95 Level: 4-5
8-9 min: RPM: 90-95 Level: 8 (hill)
9-10 min: RPM: >85 Level: 9
10-11min: RPM: >80 Level: 10
11-12 min: RPM: >75 Level: 11-12
12-13 min: RPM: >80 Level: 2-3 (recover)
13-13:30 min: RPM: 100-120 Level: 2-4 (30 sec sprints)
13:30-14 min: RPM: 9-95 Level: 2-4 (recovery)
14-20 min: Repeat 30 sec sprint with 30 sec rest at RPM: 100-120 and Level: 2-4
20-24 min: Repeat hill from minute 8-13
24-30 min: Cool Down
Beginner Resistance Training
As for resistance training, do these exercises 3 sets of 15 reps. I tried to make these exercises so they could be performed at home.
Squat with Biceps Curl: Holding small weights (soup cans even work) place feet hip width apart and squat focusing on your heels as if you are sitting in a chair while curling the weights up at the same time and breathe out. Then breathe in and return to standing position while inhaling. While in the squat your knees should not be passing your toes and your thighs should be parallel to the floor at the bottom of the squat.
*To make this exercise harder hold the squat at the bottom for 5- 10 seconds each rep.
*To make this exercise easier place a yoga ball between your back and the wall.
Push Up: A very good exercise for core and chest. Go into a straight leg pushup position and drop the knees. Bend your elbows until your chest hits the ground, if your hips hit the floor first you are doing the exercise incorrectly. Make sure to keep your core engaged (i.e. flexed) to support your lower back.
*To make harder do straight leg pushups
*To make easier do pushups leaning against a wall.
Bridge: This is really good for your bum. Lie on your back with you feet planted hip width apart and your hands at your side for support. Squeeze your bum and lift your hips into the air holding for 10 seconds.
*To make harder place your feet on a yoga ball, raise your hands, do one leg at a time or all 3!
*To make easier do not hold for 10 seconds.
Bent Over Row: This is for your back. If you are unsure how to do this exercise please ask or Google it as technique can be tricky. Holding a barbell or two dumbbells stand with your feet hip width apart and bend forward at 45 degrees (imagine your riding a bike). Then bring the elbows back and together squeezing the shoulder blades. Imagine you are trying to grasp a pencil in between your shoulder blades then return to the starting position. Your torso does not move.
Crunch: Engage your core (i.e. flex) while lying on your back, curl up and breathe out and lye back and breath in.
There you go, nice and simple. There will be harder workouts to come if you're looking for something a little more advanced. The purpose of this post is to motivate those who don't know where to start. Also see my earlier cardio sculpt post for a more advanced circuit.
Time for Some Motivation Tips (YAY)
Tip 1: Join a Class: I highly recommend joining a class for 10 weeks in supplementation or instead of hiring a personal trainer. I'm not being biased here because I was a personal trainer before a fitness instructor. I find paying and joining a class gives people more support and accountability than a personal trainer. It's easier to say "I'm sick or busy" to 1 person than 20.
Tip 2: Buy Some Workout Clothes: I find a new pair of shoes, a new top or new capris make me want to go to the gym. Even a new headband might give you some motivation to go use it. The same works for water bottles and heart rate monitors.
Tip 3: Tell Everyone You Know What You’re Doing: I find this works very well for me. If you tell your spouse, your friends and your co-workers you joined this awesome new bootcamp class you’re more likely to go. Also, you may inspire others to join you.
Tip 4: Make a Playlist: If you're musically motivated like me, download some kick ass songs and make a workout playlist. Think about what you’re doing in the gym that day, i.e. make a bike playlist to accompany my bike program above. For example, you can do fast songs for the sprints and slower songs for the climbs. This may sound lame but I will also download what I consider "sexy songs" for when I'm weight lifting. This would include Christina Aguilera song "Not Myself Tonight”.
Tip 5: Say Hello To At Least One New Person At the Gym: In your class, after your personal training session or on your way in say "Hi" to at least one NEW person. This will make you familiar with the regulars and you might find a new workout buddy.
Tip 6: Drive by the Gym: On your way home physically drive by the gym and look at all those cars. If they can do it you can to!
Tip 7: Go Online: During the day if your work permits it or during the morning go online and check out your gyms fitness classes. Make a plan to go to one that day.
Tip 8: Keep a Log: I've never been good at this one, but it works for some people. Write down what you do or what you are going to do. One of my most successful clients prints out a calendar and fills in what days she's going to work out, what she's going to do and posts it on her fridge.
Tip 9: Make a Goal: This should be specific and measurable. Saying "I want to feel better" is an awesome goal to have, but something you can actually measure will be more motivating. Start small to work towards a bigger goal. For example I started with "I want to be able to run without stopping for 5 minutes at 5.5 mph" when I first starting running and I worked up to "I want to run 2 hours today". Just to give you a time frame I did this over a year and a half.
Tip 10: Be Patient and Understanding with Yourself: This is probably the most important tip to your ultimate success in the long term. Things will come up, you will get sick and you will have bad days. The important thing is to not give up. I was stuck in a cycle for years of going to the gym for 3 months, getting sick and not going back because I would beat myself up for not going for 2 weeks. The truth is it's actually good to take a week off every 6 months to allow your body to heal. I usually schedule this around exams if I haven't been sick in awhile. If things happen make a plan to make it up the next week or on your scheduled rest day.
I think I'll end my blog here. Tomorrow I will update on my training for the week and my thoughts on my upcoming tour de bloc competition and my birthday :D
Stay Strong People
Byn
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