Saturday, July 7, 2012

Weight Not, Want Not

I wrote about my journey with working out in a very general and positive manner. I thought that it would also be good to put in some tips, beyond stretching, for anyone starting a new work out that would help them follow through and remain dedicated.

1 Proper Form
Proper form in exercises is very important. One of the many reasons that I chose the regime I use is that I work out nude at home without anyone to spot me. My endurance training allows me to keep an eye on my form without having the need of another person to correct what I might be doing wrong. I am able to keep my motions going in the proper directions; make certain you research position and direction before starting. A mirror and/or a recording devise are wonderful tools in making certain you are using proper positioning and direction.

Form is more than just direction and position, though. Form is also about control and speed. You cannot move so fast that you lose control; an accident is bound to happen. You are in control of your work out so long as you are able to keep your movements smooth, full and fluid. If at any point your motions become jerky or lack the proper breadth of motion, then it is a fairly good indicator that you have lost control due to too much weight, speed, or usage. A general rule of thumb for speed is that the lifting motion should always take an equal or shorter amount of time than the releasing motion. Never use the releasing motion as a slingshot to build momentum for a lifting motion. It is something many are tempted into due to the lure of gravity, but the potential damage is not worth it. If you are unbalanced, reduce the weight so your speed throughout is equal again.

2. Rest
Workouts only work if you give the muscles time to rest and rebuild. If you continually wear your muscles out without allowing them rest or giving them proper nourishment to rebuild then you will only make your life painful. If you are barely fatiguing your muscles, you can perform an exercise with a particular group two to three times a week. If you are going to the point of failure and beyond with your workouts, you MUST let those muscles rest for at least a week between workouts.

3. Soreness and New Exercises
When starting a new exercise you will find that those muscles will become rather sore rather quick. The initial thought is to let these muscles rest because of how sore they might become after their first work out. While rest for those muscles that we're just initiated into your workout regime is good, not moving them at all can have dire consequences. You must continually stretch muscles and move them in full fluid motions after an initial workout. If you don't move those muscles willingly, soon they will bind up to the point that you will not be able to move any muscles in that set for some time. Incorporate stretching during and after the workouts.

4. Pushing Too Far
Pushing oneself to the limit is a strategy that only works when done properly. There is a yin and yang component to everything; the more you push yourself, the more you must rest to reap the full benefit. If you don't keep that balance one of two things will happen: you will damage your muscles beyond repair or you will have a flare up. Either way you will end up in the hospital.

5. Location
The last thing to consider is where you workout. I am much happier working out at home. I have the capacity and ability to manage my workouts without the need for machines -- at the moment. There was a point I had a gym membership, but I never went due to the hours I spent working and traveling. You might find you do better at a gym than at home. Perhaps a friend's condo has a gym you can use or there is a public park nearby that just makes it easy for you to not only start working out, but continue working out. You need to find that location that becomes your zen spot, if it feels like work rather than a workout then chances are you won't stick with it

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