How To Create A Grest Resistance Training Schedule

Let's start off with saying how AMAZING the human body is.  Everything inside of it is living, even your bones!  So every little thing that you add or take away from it really does make a big difference in your livelihood.

Resistance training helps with bone density (something that women are more likely to struggle with down the line), increasing oxygen to blood, as well as "neural recruitment" which basically means you build a better connection with your body through proprioception or body awareness.  Resistance training also helps to replace fat with muscle!  This means that not only will you loose some jiggly bits, but you also increase your metabolism.  A higher metabolism means you get to eat more food and that you have higher energy levels from day-to-day.

What happens during resistance development is your body increases its ability to adapt to stressors (weights, bands, medicine balls, etc.).  The great thing about this is that it really never ends as long as you're living and lifting.  The catch is that you can increase your strength in more ways than building muscle mass.  You can build endurance, length, recruitment abilities, and so forth, through increasing repetitions, stretching more, adding more instability to the workout setting, etc.

Today we will start with building strength in general, where all people who are building a workout program should start.  Once you're strong and stable you can build a very fancy and fun routine on that foundation.

So your first resistance experience should include a lot of slower reps that are on a more stable surface (if you're not training with a trainer).  This means that typically you are standing on both feet, knees slightly bent, core engaged and mind on the prize.  Your reps are usually "up two, down one" or "down two, up one" (the latter is actually better as you build strength).

You should definitely incorporate workouts where you use only one leg like single-leg squats, single-leg deadlifts, walking lunges.  Otherwise, take your time to build your mind body connection by sitting while you do bicep curls or using the bench press bench and bar.  When you master those things, next up is the stability ball (swiss ball...the big ball that you can sit on).  Please don't make the mistake of staying in the first level for too long or by moving on too soon!  The body typically takes 4-12 weeks to adjust to a new workout.  Part of this is confidence, as well.  Trust your body when it tells you that it's ready to move on but, it's better to start below and build than start too high and experience injury that you can't turn back from.

A nice pairing with the stabilization technique is building muscle endurance.  So along with your slower reps and muscle recruitment, as you strive to build that lean look, you do 2-3 set of up to 12-15 repetitions more than once a week allowing 24-48 hours between weightlifting sessions so that the muscles can heal.  

HERE'S probably THE MOST IMPORTANT THING:  Do NOT stop when you experience DOMS.  DOMS = delayed-onset muscle soreness!  DOMS is normal.  DOMS is good.  DOMS does not mean STOP.  Stretch, rest for 24-48 hrs MAX and repeat the same workout again.  As you continue, the DOMS subsides because the muscle react less with alarm but more with familiarity.  IT WILL GO AWAY!  Now, if you experience PAIN that's one thing, but it if just feels like your body is mad you made it do something new w/o asking then 9:10 it's simply a little soreness that is very manageable. 

We will revisit this topic in a few weeks and talk about the next steps which are:  hypertophy (enlarging muscle fibers), maximal strength building and then POWER.  Get excited!

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GREAT BASIC FULL-BODY STRENGTH WORKOUT:
Upper:

• push-ups
• bicep curls
• triceps dips/extensions
• lat-pulldowns
• rows (all types)
• chest press

Core:

• plank (variations)
• crunches
• rotational exercises
• sit-ups
• supermans

Lower:

• squats
• lunges (forward, backward, side)
• leg press
• deadlifts
• fire hydrants
• step-ups 

Each (or at least three from each group) 2-3 sets of 12-15 repetitions, 2-4 times per week.
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Get a free consultation today!  E-mail me at wellthandhealthcontact@gmail.com to set up your appointment.

**Always talk to your doctor about starting or changing a fitness routine.  Also speak with fitness professionals face-to-face so that they can assess your body and let you know if there are more ideal circumstances for you to start in.

How To Make A Workout Schedule

Dreaming is great, but doing is where it's really at.  A lot of women have dreams of being as healthy as possible.  What that health is can range from maintaining a vegan diet and practicing yoga seven days a week to, bodybuilding and becoming a professional weightlifter.  Whatever your "dream" body and ability is can be reached but it will not get done by wishing, watching other people who have it, or believing that it's a life for a certain type of person.

The way we will get you from present you to greater you is putting you on a "planning plan".

Let's start with workouts this month...

I personally feel like it's best to commit to a new workout for at least 4-weeks.  This will get you into a flow, it's a bite you can really chew, and it gives you room to change your mind in a month or so.

In general, a good workout schedule incorporates cardio, resistance training, rest and stretching.  Yes, cardio is great, but there are so many more results when stretch and strength are built on top of that foundation.

In case you don't know, Cardio, is high intensity exercise (relative person-by-person) that raises the heart rate through physical activity.  Good examples of cardio are:  running, Tae Bo (yes, BILLY BLANKS, Tae Bo), and jumping jacks.  There typically is no additional resistance as in weight or any type of bondage, but these are options.

Resistance training is when you add resistance through movement (squatting down and then standing up) or additional outside factors (read: weights, stretchy bands, etc.).  This type of workout is great for a lot of reasons that will be covered in future newsletters.  For examples of resistance training, think of picking a toddler up off the ground and above your head, doing a bicep curl or pushing a heavy box to the back of the closet. 

Rest is key.  Rest means exactly what it looks like... IT'S A DAY OFF!  Some people like to do active rest ( example:  rent a tandem bike and cruise along the lakefront) and others like veg-out by sleeping all day.  Whichever you prefer is fine.  You need rest because your muscles need time to rebuild and repair themselves so that you can get better at being great.   Rest is not for the weak.  Rest is for the brilliant!

The "stretch" portion of a good workout schedule is essential.  Another way to think stretch is to think flexibility.  Usually you pull and tug at your body parts when you feel a little tight, right?  THAT'S what stretch is.  A lot of people do this through yoga and others do it through a nice warm-up before and after their daily workout routine.  There are a lot of different ways to stretch.  Some examples are yoga, all those moves that the Ravens & 49ers were doing during the blackout at the Super Bowl this year, and simply circling your neck from left to right.

Here is a great example for a person who just wants to lead a more active lifestyle with no goals to lose weight:

MONDAY -- Yoga DVD at home (stretch)

TUESDAY -- 30 minute walk after dinner (cardio)

WEDNESDAY -- day off

THURDAY -- day off

FRIDAY -- Class at local studio (strength)

SATURDAY -- Walk along lake with friends (active rest)

SUNDAY -- day off

Here is an example for a person who wants to lose 10 lbs or more:

MONDAY -- Fully-Body strength session with a personal trainer (strength)

TUESDAY -- 3 mile run (cardio)

WEDNESDAY -- Pilates class (strength)

THURSDAY -- Cardio Kick class (cardio)

FRIDAY -- Yoga DVD at home (stretch)

SATURDAY -- 1-3 mile run w/ local running group (cardio)

SUNDAY -- Rest Day

Finally, here is an example for someone who wants to maintain their current weight and add more activity to their life:

MONDAY -- day off

TUESDAY -- Full-Body strength DVD at home (strength)

WEDNESDAY -- Run 3 miles on the treadmill at the gym (cardio)

THURSDAY -- Yoga class at the gym (stretch)

FRIDAY -- Full-Body strength session at the gym followed by 3 mile run (strength/cardio)

SATURDAY -- 15-minute workout blast found in health magazine

SUNDAY --  day off

In a way, these are suggestions for you as readers as well, but we have a lot of time together so I will go into detail about various ways to reach goals like the ladies used as examples above.

Regardless, some people handle their health alone in the home and others exhibitionists when it comes to how they get things done when it comes to their health.  The only thing that matters is that all of these ladies have goals and plans on how to get there.

Take 20 minutes to look at your schedule.  Write out the non-negotiable appointments you have every day of the week and then put your workouts in where you have anywhere from 45 mins-2 hours of time available for some alone time that's focused on being a better you.  Do it as soon as possible.  As a matter of fact... WRITE IT IN YOUR PLANNER TO SIT AND MAKE YOUR WORKOUT SCHEDULE THIS WEEK!

Your dream body can be your real body.  Make a plan and plan to win today!

Get a free consultation today!  E-mail me at wellthandhealthcontact@gmail.com to set up your appointment.