We all know these people who are into too much exercise. Some of us are in relationships with them.
They get up, and first thing in the morning and (horror of horrors) before they even grab a cup of coffee, they’re starting an excessive exercise routine. They’ve got their exercise ball and they’re doing planks. Their music is all turned up and it’s only 5:30 A.M. for crying out loud!
They’ve got their yoga mat spread out on the kitchen floor. They’re stretching (which, admittedly, can be a turn on … but we digress) and they’re already sweating. While some of us, on the other hand, are staggering out of bed. We’re bleary eyed. We’re desperate to find and shut off the music blaring from the new iPhone 7 as it lies there, seemingly so innocent, on the kitchen counter.
Yes …
We know our enemy.
The truth is though, these workout fanatics may be acting out an addiction. There is a difference, you see, between dedication and addiction.
In this article, we take a look at those differences, and we give the information that will allow you to see if you, or someone you love, has an unhealthy, secret obsession with punishing workouts. We help you determine if you, or they, are trying so hard to crush it, merely in order to be seen by others as “better than.”
With that said, let’s discuss the ins and outs of too much exercise.
1. What Happens If You Exercise Too Much?
2. Stop Glorifying Too Much Exercise
This article comes to you from Angie Viets, LCP a clinical psychotherapist, and author. This was originally published over at psychologytoday.com. Come see how “admiration and compliments from others’ fuel the already obsessive mind of the person with an exercise addiction.”
This article comes to you from Gretchen Reynolds, in a blog for the New York Times. Exercise scientists have long been intrigued – and worried – by the question of whether, over months and years, someone can exercise too much. This article takes on this question.
Just about every fitness guru talks about the marvelous benefits of exercise, but has anyone ever mentioned that exercise can hasten the ageing process? Believe it or not.
5. Excessive Exercise May Harm Athlete’s Gut Health
We’ve all heard the saying, “Too much of a good thing can be bad for you.” Yes, that includes exercise. Click here to see exactly why Excessive Exercise May Be Bad for Your Gut.
Now, whether you are the one who exercises until you’re literally ready to drop dead, or you have someone in your life who is … hopefully you have some idea about what you ought to do to start creating some balance.
In the meantime, why not sign up to get daily tips and secrets from the fitness industry? You can do that by filling out the form at the bottom of this article.
And if you have questions, we’re easy to reach and will be happy to answer them. Just E-mail us at:answers (AT) fitnessxtremes DOT org.
Whether you are a warrior or a shield maiden in your fantasies, one thing is certain. Your body is the stuff of legend. The sort of physique that Odin, Thor, or Freyja could not help but be pleased by.
Right?
Strength is what you respect, and powerful muscles that allow you to be unstoppable in battle are your prize. After all, you must always be prepared to send your enemies (and sometimes even your friends) to Valhalla.
As the famous Viking, Floki in the television series, “Vikings” suggested, “Who needs a reason for betrayal? One must always think the worst Ragnar, even of your own kin. That way, you avoid too much disappointment in life.”
If that’s not you yet, well … most of all, you have to learn the Viking Press.
In this article, we’ll run down info on the Viking Shoulder Press, and share some other shoulder workout techniques that will enhance you (probably) already powerful Viking shoulders.
We’ll start with one for beginners on the off chance that your physique isn’t quite up to the stuff of legends … yet. So, the following article comes to you from bodybuilding.com, and was written by the good man, Alex Stewart.
5 Shoulder Workouts For Mass: A Beginner’s Guide
“The shoulders are the most widely used muscle in the upper body in my opinion. They function in almost every action that comes your way. Also, the shoulders have almost 360 degrees of rotation, not to mention the fact that a broad, thick set of shoulders looks impressive on stage—and even better in the eyes of the ladies.
Shoulders are an important muscle, so why is it that so many people can’t seem to develop a thick, well-balanced set of shoulders? The first step is to make sure you’re eating enough calories to build mass. Take a look at your diet, and add in a whey protein supplement to your regimen if necessary.
In the article below I will discuss the anatomy of the shoulder, its function, it’s location in the body, and some exercises for each area of the shoulder. Finally—and what you have been waiting for—I will include five of my favorite workout programs to help turn your baseball-sized shoulders into massive bowling balls of muscle.
Shoulders-Deltoids
First, the Anterior Head
Function: Flexion, Medial Rotation
Location: Front portion of the shoulder girdle
Exercise: Barbell Shoulder Press
Then, the Middle Head
Function: Abduction
Location: Middle/Side of the shoulder
Exercise: Dumbbell Side Laterals
Finally, the Posterior Head
Function: Extension, Lateral Rotation
Location: Back of the shoulder
Exercise: Bent Over Dumbbell Rear Delt Raise With Head On Bench
Rep Ranges
What you can see from the anatomy information above is the shoulder is really made up of 3 different small muscle groups. Many beginners treat the shoulder as one muscle group, and train it like the chest: presses, presses and more presses.
The only problem with this training approach is presses for the shoulders will heavily recruit the anterior head (front portion) with little work to the middle and posterior head (back portion) of the shoulder girdle. Consequently, this builds a terrible imbalance and also can result in injury.
Without middle and posterior development the shoulders look narrow from both the front and the side. Many times injury is a result of imbalances like this. As a whole the shoulder is a moderate-sized muscle, it is made up of three small muscles. Finally, each muscle should receive an adequate workload and nothing more.
The shoulder girdle can rotate almost 360 degrees, so exercises will be performed in many different angles with the use of free weights, machines and cables. I like to use a low (4-6) rep range with the compound pressing exercises and a moderate (8-12) rep range for all the isolation work.
All exercises should be performed in perfect form because bad form or habits that you start now will follow you and will lead to lack of progress—or worse, injury—in the future.”
To read the full article, check out the link in the resources section below.
Next, let’s take a look at working out like the Viking Maiden you know you are at heart! The next article was written by Melissa Greer for BestHealthMag.ca. As a result, this is for those shield maidens among us.
Why You Should Workout Like a Viking
“The Viking Method is a full-body workout designed with a focus on power, agility and strength. After sweating through a class, we asked founder Svava Sigbertsdottir for her advice on finding your inner Viking.
Tell us about The Viking Method.
It’s all about functional training (think planking, crawling, jumping). I pair specific exercises together in a certain way where it’s forcing your body to use more muscle fibres and burn more energy. Also, we train for fitness performance. [With my clients], I don’t do before and after photos, we do before and after performances, so it’s more about setting goals, not giving up and feeling the benefits of that. I love making people feel a bit invincible and like they can do whatever they want to.
What does a workout involve?
You don’t need a lot of equipment. You just need dumbbells, a mat and your own body weight. I also use towels a lot. You can do loads of moves [with just a towel].”
The next article up is for the men! Therefore, this one’s from Tony Gentilcore over at http://tonygentilcore.com. It’s all about the Viking Press.
Exercises You Should Be Doing: Viking Chest Supported Row
“The Viking Press
Anyone who’s read this site for any length of time knows I’m a huge fan of landmine pressing variations as I feel they’re a more joint friendly less vomit in my mouthish way of performing “overhead” pressing.
The Viking Press is an old-school strongman event that people the size of Mack trucks perform with an insanely absurd amount of weight.
Finally, this is not a practical exercise to perform in a commercial gym setting. It can be done, it’s just cumbersome, usually ends up annoying a bunch of people because it takes up a lot of space and equipment, and the asshats who like performing it are obnoxious and wear way too much Axe Body Spray …”
Check out the video below for an example of the Viking Chest Supported Row.
Let’s say thanks to Christina for giving us that demonstration of a Viking Press, shall we? And you can check out the rest of the article by taking a look at the links in the resource section below.
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Finally, and we mean this with all seriousness. It’s time to take a look at some Viking shoulder exercises demonstrated by “The Viking Brothers.”
And, let us just say … badassery hence forth ensues …
Ragnar, Rollo, Floki, the Christian priest …
Heck, even the King of Wessex would be impressed. We were!
Viking Bros Unreasonable Shoulder Workout
Did. You. See. The Viking Press On the Rings? Or the Headstand Pushups against the Wall?
No?
No. Stop.
Because you can’t leave this page until you go watch the video. Seriously.
Ok. Did that? Good.
Now go and put the information you learned in this article to use. And remember, you’re a Viking now. Do the Viking Press! Don’t stop when you’re tired.
You stop when you’re done. (Know anyone else who wants to become a Viking Warrior or Maiden? Yes? Share this article on the Viking Press with them on Facebook or Pinterest. Everyone could use a little more Viking spirit!)
You wanna jump up, jump up and get down and … prevent mistakes crossfitters make.
Oh hey! Glad you’re here.
This article is intended to help those new to crossfit to develop and maintain good crossfit habits. It’s to help prevent mistakes crossfitters make.
If that’s you, well howdy, hallo, privyet, salut, caio, kon’nichiwa, hāi, shalom and salaam!
You’re in the right place.
Well, that’s if you actually know what crossfit even is. Some of you out there may not. Thus, the first part of this article gives a brief overview of what crossfit is. Then afterward we get into the meat and potatoes and the actual subject of this article.
Which, funny as it may sound, is not really meat and potatoes. It’s more like … “a training philosophy that coaches people of all shapes and sizes to improve their physical well-being. It also improves cardiovascular fitness in a hardcore yet accepting and encouraging environment.”
If you’re a crossfit veteran, you can just scroll down to start learning whichoverrated crossfit exercises and mistakes to avoid.
To really nail down what crossfit is, we turn to the guys over at Nerdfitness.com. We’ll let them enlighten you in their excellent, nerdish way. (We love them because THEY would get our Celebrity Deathmatch reference.)
“CrossFit is advertised, in four words, as ‘the sport of fitness.’
With constantly varied, high-intensity functional movements, CrossFit is a training philosophy that coaches people of all shapes and sizes to improve their physical well-being and cardiovascular fitness in a hardcore yet accepting and encouraging environment.
Here’s the definition of CrossFit from the official site:
CrossFit is the principal strength and conditioning program for many police academies and tactical operations teams. It’s also the program used by military special operations units, champion martial artists, and hundreds of other elite and professional athletes worldwide.
Our program delivers a fitness that is, by design, broad, general, and inclusive. Our specialty is not specializing. Combat, survival, many sports, and life reward this kind of fitness. On average, it punishes the specialist.
CrossFit contends that a person is as fit as they are proficient in each of ten general physical skills. These are cardiovascular/respiratory endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, agility, balance, coordination, and accuracy.
Or, in nerd speak – CrossFit is a training program that builds strength and conditioning through extremely varied and challenging workouts. Each day the workout will test a different part of your functional strength. Or, it may test conditioning, not specializing in one particular thing, but rather with the goal of building a body that’s capable of practically anything and everything.
CrossFit is extremely different from a commercial gym…and not just because you won’t find any ellipticals, weight machines (gross), or Zumba classes …
… According to the CrossFit site, this program ‘is designed for universal scalability making it the perfect application for any committed individual regardless of experience. We’ve used our same routines for elderly individuals with heart disease and cage fighters one month out from televised bouts. We scale load and intensity; we don’t change programs.‘
What that means is that every day there is a particular workout prescribed (you’ll often see this written as Rx’ed) for everybody that comes to CrossFit. Rather than having one workout for older women and another for hardcore athletes – there’s ONE workout each day that is completely scalable based on your skill.
For example, if the workout calls for squats with 135 pounds but you can only do squats with the bar (45 pounds), then that’s where you’ll start. If you’re injured and can’t do squats at all, a similar movement will be substituted. As well, if the number of reps is too many for your current ability, that will be reduced. As you get stronger and more experienced you’ll work your way towards eventually doing the workouts as prescribed.
Now, although CrossFit can be for everybody, it certainly ISN’T for everybody. In this blogger’s humble opinion, CrossFit is perfect for a few types of people:
Beginners to weight training – If you have NEVER weight trained before (or trained only on machines), CrossFit is a great place for you to start. That’s true provided you have a great coach, which I’ll cover shortly. You’ll learn how to do all of the important lifts in a super supportive and nonjudgmental environment. You might even find that…GASP…you love strength training!
People looking for support and community – This is the appeal to CrossFit for me…every CrossFit gym has a really tight knit community feel to it. You’re not just a membership payment to them. You’re a person that needs help. When Nerd Fitness gyms start popping up (don’t think it won’t happen!) I’ll be drawing a lot of inspiration from CF as to how members are so supportive and inclusive of each other.
Fitness fanatics – You know those people that love to work out every day and feel like something is missing if they don’t? The way CrossFit is structured, you are working out with regular consistency. The general protocol is 3 days on, 1 day off…but many CrossFitters (cough Staci cough) end up at the gym every day, or sometimes even twice a day. It’s addicting.
Masochists – and I mean that in the nicest way possible. CrossFit rewards people for finishing workouts in the least amount of time possible. This means that you’ll often be in situations where you are using 100% of your effort to finish a workout. You’re exhausting yourself, and forcing yourself through incredible amounts of pain.
Former athletes – CrossFit has built-in teamwork, camaraderie, and competition. Almost all workouts have a time component to them. You either have to finish a certain number of repetitions of exercises in a certain amount of time, or the time is fixed and you need to see how many repetitions you can do of an exercise. You get to compete with people in your class. You can also go online to see how you did against the world’s elite CrossFit athletes. There are even nationwide competitions for those that become truly dedicated ….”
There is a LOT more information on the origins of crossfit training in the article above. In fact, the Nerd Fitness peeps mention that their article on “what is crossfit” is pretty much their longest article ever. If you’d like to read it in its entirety (at something like 6,000 words) and have the patience, head over there. You can check out more on that and how to prevent mistakes crossfitters make.
You can do so by clicking the title of the article above, or by clicking on the image immediately below it.
The short version is spelled out in the video below. 😉
What is CrossFit?
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Watched that? Great. Time to move on. We’ll now cover five common eating mistakes crossfitters make. Then we’ll go over the ten most common mistakes, period.
The article below comes to you originally via Chris Skafidas and the good folks over at Crossfit Chicago. It’s not for crossfitters alone, but it does apply. It’s all about dietary mistakes crossfitters make. (Their link has gone dead and the article doesn’t seem to be live anymore. BUT! It was when we first wrote this. Anyway, read on.)
Five Common Nutritional & Dietary Mistakes Crossfitters Make
“Given that we’re wrapping up the Paleo Challenge, I thought it would be a good idea to put out a short list of common nutritional mistakes many people make. Whether you are just ending the challenge, are new to Paleo, or don’t follow it at all, keep these things in mind when you’re attempting to make smart choices regarding food. Some of this may be old hat to many of you, but a refresher never hurts.
Relying on labels such as “natural” or “organic” to determine whether a food is actually healthy.
Many people trip up here because they read natural and/or organic and automatically assume the food is healthy. A lot of the time, these are just buzzwords. They’re used effectively to advertise the food and sell product. Think about it – if you read “organic sugar” on a label, is that a whole hell of a lot different than regular sugar with respect to nutritional value?
This is where reading the label and understanding the ingredient list is key. A lot of foods with labels like this may still contain highly processed ingredients and/or additives. Read your labels and make informed decisions. If it looks suspect, walk away. Also, products labeled “natural” or “organic” are inherently more expensive.
The thought that being thin or using weight as a test of health.
This one bugs me. I know plenty of thin people who can’t run, lift any kind of reasonably heavy weight or do a pull-up. I also know plenty of chain smokers who are thin. Does this make them healthy? Definitely not. Although it’s better not to be overweight, just because your physical appearance is pleasing to the eye does not mean everything on the inside is in good working order.
For example, people that appear slim can be diabetic or get cancer. While all of us are inherently vain to some degree, superficial image isn’t everything. This is a significant problem in our culture. Most “fad” diet programs typically focus on low calories or low fat. This is often to the point of the exclusion of quality health or nutrition – “look, you can eat chocolate cake and STILL lose weight!” Give me a break. Please realize that the food you do, or don’t, put into your body determines not just your physical appearance, but your internal and mental health. It also determines quality of sleep and your performance in the gym.
Many people experience their best performance athletically when they’re carrying a few extra pounds than they might like. Still not convinced? Try Paleo for 8 weeks, and go get a full physical and blood test and report back on the results.
The misconception that exercise can correct unhealthy eating habits.
I had a friend say this the other day in regards to just beginning P90X: “Well, I’m doing it so I can eat whatever I want. If I work out for an hour a day I figure I can get away with eating anything.” Kind of made me cringe when I heard this…and she’s in med school! Listen, this is just a way for too many people to justify extremely unhealthy dietary habits. Diet is the main determinant of body composition, not exercise (another thing few people realize).
Obviously, exercise has many important health benefits, such as the improvement of insulin sensitivity. But why work so hard in the gym just to give it all back with that pint of ice cream you wolfed down before bed? Yes, we can burn off sugar through exercise, but not the insulin or the trans-fats. So they next time you hear someone justify their shitty diet with exercise, remind them that exercise is a part of a healthy diet. It’s not a substitute for one.”
As always, there are more points to the article above. If you’re interested in reading more, just click on the article’s title or the image immediately beneath it.
The next article is specific to crossfitters and mistakes crossfitters make. So pay attention! This one comes from one of the top fitness blogs of 2017, tabatatimes.com and was written by Talayna Fortunato, a crossfitter and professional physical therapist.
The Top Ten Mistakes CrossFitters Make
“ 1. Not Warming Up Properly
Every day it takes me around 30 minutes to warm-up. I start with easy cardio for 5-10 min. then do some light foam rolling and stretching, leg swings, lunges, rotator cuff exercises, and finally movements specific to the workout I’m about to do.
My warm-up has gotten more extensive (and longer) with each year I do CrossFit. Almost to the point that it started to annoy me, and then I remembered back to my gymnastics days: Ever since I was on team at age 8, I remember our warm-ups taking us at least 30 minutes with all of the stretching and other calisthenics we did.
Even though we were young and healthy I believe the gymnastics coaches knew what they were doing to keep us that way. With the intensity of competitive CrossFit, it’s imperative to put in the time for an adequate warm-up and mobility work. If you don’t put in the time now you’ll put it in later when you have an injury.
Eating Too Strict of a Paleo Diet
If you are a recreational CrossFitter, following a Paleo lifestyle is probably nutritionally adequate. It’s also a good way of maintaining longevity and health. However, if you are a competitive-level athlete and training intensely more than an hour a day, your main source of energy is carbohydrates. Also, strict Paleo simply does not provide enough sources of them.
Now I’m not saying to go out and carb-load on pasta, bread, or sugar. That’s just an inflammatory insulin bomb. I am saying look for complex sources of carbohydrates from plants and low glycemic grains to add into your diet, especially when training is at its peak.
During an interview at the Games, every individual athlete was asked who follows a Paleo diet, and not a single one raised their hand.
Sacrificing Technique and Movement Efficiency for Intensity and Eventual Technical Breakdown
CrossFit gets results due to the intensity of the workouts, but that doesn’t mean throw all good form out the window. For example, if your back starts rounding when you’re pulling from the ground or you’re chasing wildly after snatches, it’s time to put the bar down until you can regain efficiency. Your back and other body parts will thank you later!
Also if you’re compromising range of motion enough to miss consecutive reps, take a quick rest before you go again. Otherwise you are ingraining poor habits and when you reach that place of pain and fatigue again in competition guess what’ll happen… No Rep!
Doing Volume for Volume’s Sake Without Intent
Have a purpose! More is not better; better is better.
CrossFitters are notorious for thinking that when they are getting ready to compete, more is better. This mindset leads to the performance of multiple hero WODs in a day with the intent of “loading.” However, what it really does is break the athlete down with laborious repetition and impede lasting gains.
More is not better; better is better. Having a purpose, i.e. knowing the energy system and muscular groups you’re trying to tax during a workout allows you to work smart and hard, not just hard. Again, your body will also thank you later!
Cherry Picking Workouts and/or Jumping Around Programs
This is for the CrossFitter who walks into the gym and decides when they get there what workout they’re going to do based on what their gym posts and which one of the blogs they follow appears best that day. Blogs are written for a reason, with progressive intent to allow your workouts to build upon themselves for measurable improvements in your numbers.
If you jump from program to program, weekly or even daily, that progress is completely short-circuited. Not to mention you’re probably doing mostly what you’re good at and not working your weaknesses enough.
Following a Strength Progression that Doesn’t Makes Sense or One Without Any Progression at All
The body adapts to load by responding to meet the load in the form of muscular hypertrophy. There have been many studies showing the best percentages of max load, sets, reps, and frequency to produce optimal gains without under- or overloading the athlete. These studies have produced named strength progression tables, squat cycles, and the like.
If you jump from program to program, weekly or even daily, that progress is completely short-circuited.
You can reinvent the wheel and use yourself as a guinea pig to do your own research, or you can find a viable progression and just follow it. I’ll give you one guess what most long-term successful athletes do.
One other thought to keep in mind is how much loading your conditioning work is providing. An example would be making your conditioning heavy on the weights during the heaviest week of a strength loading cycle (no bueno).”
Finally, the moment you’ve been waiting for … that is if you are someone who loves breathing fire …
Immediately below is a:
Full Body CrossFit Workout
All done?
We hope you enjoyed this article on crossfit, and mistakes crossfitters make. If you did, please share it on Facebook and be a good neighbor. (You could do that on Pinterest too.)
And, now, as Jim Carry opined in the Truman Show …
Listen up ladies and gents, because this article is all about how to build muscle. This is for those who want to get big, as well as for those who want to see modest increases without becoming “bulky.”
So, we’re going to bring you information on how to build muscle mass, as always straight from the experts. That means people, like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lou Ferrigno, and modern day fitness trainer, Kayla Itsines.
Now, we want to start off with some powerful, proven techniques on how to build muscle for mass from an iconic man who needs no introduction.
How To Train For Mass
Next, we’re going to share a great video and then the actual workout routine of the man who became mean and green. 🙂
Lou Ferrigno “The Hulk” Profile and Gym Workout
Now that you’ve seen the video, let’s get into some details where Lou shares effective tips that will show you how to build muscle and the mass you want.
The “How to Build Muscle” Lou Ferrigno Workout Routine
Monday (Day 1)
Chest and Back
5 sets of Flat Barbell Bench Press of 6-8 reps
Five sets of Incline Barbell Bench Press of 6-8 reps
5 sets of Dumbbell Pullovers of 6-8 reps
Five sets of Chest Flyes of 6-8 reps
5 sets of T-Bar Rows of 6-8 reps
Five sets of Dips of 6-8 reps
5 sets of dead lifts of 6-8 reps
Five sets of Bent Rows of 6-8 reps
5 sets of Chin ups of 6-8 reps
Five sets of Pull ups of 6-8 reps
Tuesday (Day 2)
Shoulders and Arms
Military Press of 8-10 reps – 4-5 sets
4-5 sets of Dumbbell Overhead Press of 8-10 reps
Bench Press of 8-10 reps – 4-5 sets
4-5 sets of Behind the Neck Press of 8-10 reps
Front Dumbbell Raises of 8-10 reps – 4-5 sets
4-5 sets of side dumbbell raises of 8-10 reps
Barbell Curls of 8-10 reps – 4-5 sets
4-5 sets of Scott Press of 8-10 reps
Dumbbell Curls of 8-10 reps – 4-5 sets
4-5 sets of concentration curls of 8-10 reps
Cable Pull downs of 8-10 reps – 4-5 sets
4-5 sets of cable pushdowns of 8-10 reps
Incline Dumbbell Curls of 8-10 reps – 4-5 sets
Standing French Press of 8-10 reps – 4-5 sets
4-5 sets of Skull crushers of 8-10 reps
To get the scoop on what Lou does for the REST of the week, simply click the image or title above.
Now, female bodybuilding and the way women build muscle fast is not always the same as the way men do it. But, since we’re not the experts we’ll let the folks over at howtobuildmuscle.com do the talking.
“It is a subculture that involves bulging biceps, protruding veins and never-ending workouts. And for many of the women who take up the sport, bodybuilding can involve being stared at, whispered about, and insulted to their faces.
In the world of female bodybuilding, not only do women spend grueling hours in the gym pumping iron, pushing genetics to the limit, but many pay an even higher price for their 60 seconds on stage – the toll on their bodies can be irreversible, and the subculture can be all-consuming, obsessive and dangerous.”
Sobering words of caution. The article does go on to discuss methods on how women can safely build muscle mass though, so you may wish to check it out despite its dire beginning.
To do so, just click the image above or the title of the article.
With that said, there are many women who want to have clearly defined muscles without necessarily bulking up. Fitness trainer and author, Kayla Itsines knows where these women are coming from.
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The following article shows how to get the muscle and the strength, without becoming She-Hulk.
“Many women are misguided on how to best workout for a lean and feminine physique. This results in the fear of using weights altogether, to avoid becoming “bulky,” which is not healthy! We need strong muscles to support our bodies, and of course increase our fat burning potential. So how can we increase muscle strength, without increasing muscle size?
Erase what you have previously thought about resistance training, and embrace a new way of thinking, and of course, exercising. Here is a secret for one of the BEST ways to train and achieve the lean bikini body you want!
Take a deep breath, and walk towards the weights area. Since the main goal is to get lean and strong, you have to use resistance training, aka lift some weights in some fashion. But, never fear! You are going to lift the right way, and with the proper technique to help you gain lean muscles and boost your confidence.”
Finally, the article includes a great video so if you’re a lady who wants to build muscle fast without the desire to increase muscle size, this one’s for you.
Click on the image or title above to grab your info now.
Finally, if you found value here … and come on. How could you not?
Go and share this article on Facebook or Pinterest.
This is it. This is where we discern the dumbells from the other … uh … weights.
This is where you may learn for the first time, terms like High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). If you have never heard this term before, don’t feel bad. We never heard it before starting to do some research into the subject of weight training routines for beginners either. (But hey, we are on the journey just like you. Check out our About Page to see why.)
Wikipedia notes that, HIIT is also called high-intensity intermittent exercise (HIIE) or sprint interval training (SIT), is a form of interval training, a cardiovascular exercise strategy alternating short periods of intense anaerobic exercise with less intense recovery periods. (You can read the full Wiki entry, HERE).
Now, why are we bringing this up?
Well, because there is some (apparent) disagreement among the experts as to whether you should, or should not, use HIIT when you lift weights.
For example, while Bodybuilding.com says maybe you shouldn’t … fitness celebrity, Joe Wicks says you should.
Let’s dive into what each has to say below, and then we’ll get right into some routines for beginners.
First of all, “If you’ve been researching the best methods to torch fat quickly, there’s no question that you’ve come across something called high intensity interval training. Simply put, HIIT is the preferred method of most trainers right now to get their clients down to a very lean state of body fat.
Touted for it’s metabolic benefits and for allowing you to get in and out of the gym in record time, people everywhere are pushing the intensity barrier and giving this workout protocol a go. But, is HIIT all that it’s cracked up to be? After all, it isn’t exactly a walk in the park. If you’ve ever done HIIT yourself, you realize that this type of training is going to take it out of you in a major, major way. In fact, you may feel pretty much like all the life has been kicked right out of you and all you want to do is lie on the floor in the fetal position while your body attempts recovery …
… you must consider when deciding if HIIT is a wise decision for you what your weight workouts look like. One huge mistake that people make … is going into the gym and doing four very heavy, high volume weight lifting workouts. Then they try to add two more sessions of HIIT cardio on their off days. Then … another two sessions timed later on in the day after their upper body workouts.
That right there is a recipe for CNS destruction. Your central nervous system can only take so much intensity. In addition, once you surpass what it can handle, it doesn’t really matter what type of workout you’re doing. In conclusion, you’re still going to struggle.”
To check out the full article, just click on the title or image above.
To see the flip side, watch the following weight training video from Joe Wicks.
15 Minute Full Body Dumbbell HIIT Workout
Also, whether you choose to focus solely on a weight training regimen, or to include cardio and other elements of a HIIT workout, you need to think of a few things first.
For example, boxingscene.com gives the following good advice:
“Information About Weight Training Routines For Beginners
So you need to lose a few pounds? Perhaps you want to bulk up and strengthen and define your muscle tone? Maybe you just want to add a bit of variety to your exercise program? Weight training routines offer a great way to accomplish these goals. These types of training routines are used by professional athletes, fitness pros, and body builders. Many individuals work weight training into their overall exercise routine in combination with cardio workouts or other activities. In order for a weight training routine to be effective, it needs to be targeted to produce specific results. The exercises you include will be different depending on what you want to accomplish.
Basic Weight Training Workouts
When first getting started with weight training programs, it is important to learn proper technique before moving on to more difficult exercises or heavier weights. It is also a good idea to establish a pattern or routine to help you stick to your program and get consistent results. For beginners, training for a half hour or 45 minutes two to three times each week is recommended. As noted, the exercises you include in your routine will depend on the results desired.”
To check out the full article, just click on the title or image above.
Ok!
We promised we would get to actual weight training routines for beginners. So, without further ado …
We’ll cover the workout for ladies who want to lift weights first.
“It’s a myth that’s plagued weight training for women forever and is probably one of the most common excuses personal trainers hear: lifting weights will make me bulk up! I really wish I didn’t have to say this so often, but let me tell you this: you can lift weights without getting bulky!
I’m going to break it down for you so that you can get over the fear of ‘hulking out’ and understand it’s possible to lift weights AND stay lean.
Why you should add weight training to your routine
Most of all, a well-rounded fitness program doesn’t just include weight training. While cardio is great for overall fitness and weight loss, weight training can help shape and tone muscles, as well as helping to burn more fat. Using a combination of training styles can help to maximise weight loss, as well as helping to improve strength.
Also, resistance training can help your body to burn calories even after your workout has finished — this is known as Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption or EPOC …”
Read the rest of this article from women’s fitness expert, Kayla Itsines by clicking on the title or image above.
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Finally, for the guys (actually for the ladies too) the following comes from Bodybuilding.com. Note that we’re just giving the bare bones here. We’ll follow up on weight training routines for beginners with one last video.
Finally guys, read the rest of this article from bodybuilding.com on weight training routines for beginners by clicking on the title or image above.
Last bit:
Antagonist Machine Workout
That’s it for this article on weight training routines for beginners! Therefore … (Yes. We like transition words here.) … Take the time to share this article on Facebook or Pinterest if you think you got real value from it! 🙂
