This article is an introduction of sorts. It is dedicated to all those who are just about to plunge into the diverse world of fitness, to those who have finally decided to say to themselves: “I want - and I will!”, I will be as beautiful and healthy as I have always dreamed of.
It's important to take the first step. It will be much easier from now on!
So, you finally realized that the time for great achievements has come. You have nothing to lose except your complexes, you can’t put it off any longer, and it’s time to take care of yourself. You have been working towards this for a long time, but something always got in the way, you put it off, and came up with a wide variety of excuses.
But now your patience is full, your excuses are over, the mirror looks at you with silent reproach, and your beloved man runs from the kitchen to the TV, not noticing your presence.
"It's time to act!" - you said decisively to yourself. But where to start? Should you run to get a subscription to the nearest fitness club, go shopping, buy a tracksuit, or rush into the thick of the Internet in search of exercises to lose weight?
So, let's start in order. First of all, calm down, because you have already made the most important decision. Now think about what is happening.
What does fitness include?!
In a broader sense, fitness is the general physical fitness of the human body.
This means that fitness includes a whole ensemble of training practices:
- Anaerobic training (workouts in the gym)
- aerobic training (running, cycling, swimming, dance, exercise to music and many others)
- Pilates
- yoga
- flexibility/stretching
- in short, anything...
Where to start with fitness?
As I said earlier, fitness is not a sport, and the goals are different. Never forget this!
IMPORTANT: fitness training should bring you joy, positive emotions from the process.
And in order for this to happen, you need to do the type of fitness that you like, and not me or anyone else, for example. This is the first point. Which I draw your attention to.
The second point: training should meet your goals and correspond to your physical capabilities.
- These are training programs that will not harm your health.
- And such training programs that simultaneously solve your goals.
Motivation
First of all, you need to understand why you need sports, what regular exercise will do and what your personal goals are.
Because if you are focused on creating a beautiful figure with pronounced relief, this is one story. But if your goal is to lose at least ten kilograms in order to move without shortness of breath, it’s completely different...
It is advisable to determine all the benefits of exercise: they will be your guiding star and the main motive on the thorny path of acquiring a good habit of playing sports.
Ideally, you write them down on paper: in this case, the brain will work in a very special way, using all types of your memory. And at the same time, you will unexpectedly find a lot of additional reasons for yourself to tightly hold on to the habit of being a sports person.
For example, when noting the benefits of regular exercise, remember that it helps you:
- to be strong and resilient, not to get tired in everyday life;
- become more disciplined and structure your day, building the right routine;
- become or remain slim and beautiful;
- develop flexibility and prolong youth;
- get rid of many diseases and prevent new ones;
- increase self-confidence and gain respect from others.
To make your notes extra powerful, do the following.
When you write down all the benefits, approach the process creatively and individually: formulate not “I will develop flexibility and prolong youth,” but “I will be able to easily bend over while tying my shoelaces” or “I will do the splits.” Speaking about self-confidence and respect for others, for example, write: “I will gain the respect of my friends and husband,” “I will easily put on clothes of any cut and confidently go out,” etc.
A set of exercises for beginners
We will now consider 3 areas:
- anaerobic training (in the gym)
- Aerobic workouts (running, swimming, cycling, elliptical and more)
- and, for example, some kind of statics, work on flexibility and stretching (yoga, stretching)
Basic recommendations before starting:
1. Before training, you need to eat 1.5 - 2 hours before training (this does not apply to aerobics)
What is? Optimal: complex carbohydrates + proteins + fiber.
For example: buckwheat (complex carbohydrates) with meat (protein) + salad (fiber).
2. Before any workout, a full, high-quality warm-up of the whole body is required.
This could be joint exercises, or walking-running on a treadmill, etc.
Purpose: to stretch the muscles, prepare ligaments and joints for exercise.
Warm-up is performed for 5 maximum 10 minutes until the forehead is covered with sweat.
3. During training and doing exercises, it is important to breathe correctly.
Under no circumstances should you hold your breath. As a rule, breathing is always EFFORT.
For example, you need to inhale through your nose (when you lower something), and exhale through your mouth (when you lift something).
4. Drink water during training, depending on how you feel. But under no circumstances should you abstain from water.
During training, water envelops the joints and penetrates the soft tissues, protecting them from injury.
In general, water has many properties, for example, lack of hydration (dehydration) will cause me fatigue, drowsiness, dizziness, and no amount of training will benefit me in such conditions.
Anaerobic training at home
You can train calmly and at home, without any sports equipment.
If there is a desire, there will always be opportunities.
Here's what an anaerobic training program for men might look like:
- Squats 6x15-20
- Lunges 3x15-20
- Push-ups 6x15-20
- Reverse push-ups 6x15-20
- Press crunches + reverse crunches 5x15-20
- Exercise Plank 3xMAX
For clarity, I will show each of the exercises + provide links to their detailed study.
- squats
More details about this exercise in the main article: “Squats from A to Z.”
- Lunges
- pushups
More details in the main article: “How to do push-ups correctly.”
- reverse push-ups for triceps
More details about this exercise in the main article: “Reverse push-ups.”
- Ab exercises (lying crunches/reverse crunches)
Learn more about “Lying Crunches” and “Reverse Crunches.”
- plank exercise
Here's what an anaerobic training program for girls/women might look like:
- Sumo squats 3x15-20
- Lunges 3x15-20
- Pelvic lift lying on the floor 3x15-20
- Leg abduction while standing on all fours 3x15-20
- Push-ups 3x15-20
- Press crunches + reverse crunches 3x15-20
- Exercise Plank 3xMAX
For clarity, I will show each of the exercises + provide links to their detailed study:
- sumo squats
All the details of this exercise are in the main article: “Squats for the buttocks.”
- lunges
Read more in the main article: “Lunges for the buttocks.”
- pelvic lift while lying on the floor
More details from A to Z about this exercise in the main article: “Lying pelvic lift.”
- leg abduction on all fours
More details about this exercise in the main article: “Leg abduction while standing on all fours.”
- push-ups from the floor (can be done from the knees)
More details in the main article: “How to properly do push-ups from the floor”, “Push-ups from the knees”.
- plank exercise
More details in the main article: “Planck exercise.”
- Ab exercises (lying crunches/reverse crunches)
Learn more about “Lying Crunches” and “Reverse Crunches.”
How often to train according to these schemes? 3 times a week of anaerobic training will be a head start.
For example, Mon, Wed, Fri or Tue, Thu, Sat (whichever is more convenient for you).
Rest between approaches: depending on how you feel until your breathing and strength are completely restored.
Duration of strength training: 45-60 minutes.
What weights to work with: only light weights (relatively speaking), our goal is health, not achieving high athletic results = therefore the load should not be excessive, it should be sufficient, without bullying), we do not increase weight, that is, we do not we use the principle of load progression;
Each set of each exercise should be completed with ease (without exhaustion, pain, heaviness, etc.);
Number of approaches: a large number of repetitions, to acidify the muscles (from 10 to 20);
Goal: feel good during and after training;
How to find a fitness trainer?
Regular exercise does not always help in achieving the desired effect.
A good trainer will select the optimal load for you, support you during classes, and advise on any issue related to fitness. — Read reviews about trainers on the Internet.
— In the reception you can see the achievements of the coaches: diplomas, certificates.
A fitness instructor will help you find the optimal workout regimen
— The first impression of a coach should be pleasant. After talking with him, you should still have a desire to come to training again.
During your first free lesson, which is usually for beginners, watch the trainer teach the lesson.
Aerobic training: debriefing
When to conduct this type of training:
- in the morning on an empty stomach
- after strength training
- in the evening before bed (if there were no carbohydrates in the evening).
The choice of interval is based on your own considerations.
Why these particular time periods?
During these intervals, the body contains either a minimum of ENERGY or none at all = this allows you to purposefully burn fat to the maximum, thereby we not only train our body, muscles, heart, but also burn fat along the way, but this works primarily with the right diet for weight loss.
Training frequency: optimally 2 times a week on days when there is no aerobic training.
Duration of training: depends on the level, at the initial stage you can even start with 10-15 minutes (if it’s difficult), then depending on how you feel, it will be optimal for 30-45 minutes.
Goal: feel good during and after training;
A few more recommendations
When starting to play sports, it is worth remembering that a healthy lifestyle is a whole complex of activities. The benefits of physical activity will be much greater if, along with regular exercise, you remember such important aspects
- Daily regime. Sports or fitness classes are disciplined in themselves. But you still need to keep in mind the fact that those involved in sports need to alternate phases of activity and rest, including a good night’s rest.
- Proper nutrition. If you set yourself the task of improving the quality of your life through sports, then you cannot do without a healthy diet. By overeating before training, it is difficult to expect effective results from it. And consuming unnatural food, saturated with trans fats, preservatives, dyes and flavor enhancers and refined sugar, it is strange to assume that sports will significantly affect health and beauty. Therefore, by making healthy food the basis of your diet, you will quickly achieve athletic results.
- Drinking regime. A lot in the body depends on drinking enough clean drinking water. And with increased physical activity and increased metabolic levels, even more fluid is required. Moreover, its use should prevent the feeling of thirst, which already signals such a harmful and even dangerous phenomenon in the body as dehydration. Find out if you can pump up your abs during your period?
Using all these important elements of a healthy lifestyle together with sports, you will always achieve good sports results, feel healthy, strong, full of energy, your appearance will delight others, and give you even more self-confidence.
