So Far, So Good!

ROUTINE FACTS

The larger, 'push' muscle groups should be worked on the same days, twice a week. What that means is that the chest and legs need to go together. My preference is to start with the chest press and then move to an incline press. I don't use the decline press, because it has a shorter stroke and fool many into thinking that they are doing more weight than they are capable of. Enough exercises in a decent workout, will stimulate that area of the chest effectively anyway.

One of the big, big, things that I am trying to get into is having a good warm up and stretch before I work out. Ideally, you would do a full warm up and stretch seesion immediately before and immediately after you move some weights. I am lazy and don't get a good stretch in most days. You are able to recruit more muscles and the advantages of a good stretching program can also be seen in faster muscle development.

I break my personal work out as follows: Four days of weight training with two days of moving 'heavy' weights and the other two days are spent doing lighter, 'shaping' exercises. For instance when I work the chest doing barbell press and leg squats, which I do on my heavy days, the next time I work my chest and legs, I will use dumbell presses and leg presses the next.

For the first time I have been walking on the treadmill ... just to see if it will add anything to my work. One of the reasons I haven't been a fan of treadmills before has been the computer simulation or whatever never translates into what happens when I do the same outside. I guess that I will need to get into a fitness class and have them explain that to me. But I have been making use of the treadmill, to see if there is any benefit for me. Perhaps it will help me walk faster and run more effectively.

Also, it acts as a 'bypass' for me. It takes away one of the dimesions to being a three dimesional figure to be concerned with. Holding on to the hand rails and grips keeps me from getting dizzy! I try to end every trip to the gym with a half hour on the treadmill or elliptical machine.

Finally, the stress should be getting a workout in, and it takes 45 min to an hour to get a full range of exercises in. I think people worry too much about things they have no business worrying about and defeat themselves before they even start. Being intimidated by the machine and how to work their body.

Six to eight movements and a minimum of three sets of each. Next time I will be more detailed with the workout I do, myself.