Pulling It All Together

So you understand that there are a few different components of fitness. But where do you start?

Stretch every day. I have found that doing it in the morning works the best for me because my schedule is the most consistent in the morning and I usually am stiff when I get out of bed. If you are working out that day, you can either stretch in the morning, before your workout, or both, depending on how tight you are.

Eat healthy. There are probably at least 5 things that you can think of off the top of your head to improve your eating. It might be that you need to cut back on alcohol. It might be that you treat cheese like it’s own food group. It might be that you feel empty inside if you don’t have dessert every night. It could be that you don’t get enough protein or fruits and vegetables in your diet. Addressing those things can take you farther than you think. Start reading nutrition labels too and getting a sense of the nutritional makeup of different foods, especially your favorites.

Make sure that you’re getting the right amount of sleep. Shoot for around 7-9 hours.

Do some strength training. It doesn’t have to be the absolute perfect workout – start with the machines at your gym. Most of them have pictures on them that will show you how to use them. This allows you to start getting strong and putting on muscle. Ideally, you want to try and hit most of the different muscle groups. I generally use the “Push, Pull, Legs” rule for making sure that I am doing this. I do this by splitting my workouts into three groups that are roughly equal: pushing motions where you are pushing the weight away from you (bench press, shoulder press), pulling motions where you’re pulling the weight towards you (different types of rows), and exercises that work your legs (leg press, lunges). You can dedicate a workout to each group, or you can do a mix of all three groups during each workout – whichever you find works the best for you. Doing a dedicated day for each group tends to leave you more sore (especially when you do you leg day), but some people (myself included) get satisfaction from feeling extra sore. Shoot for 10-12 reps with a weight that you can do for 10-12 reps, but not many more. Do a set or two with lighter weight, and then move into your normal weight. Once you can do 12 reps consistently, increase the weight and shoot for 8-10 reps. Rinse and repeat as often as needed.

Do some cardio. It can be before your strength training, after your strength training, or on the days when you aren’t doing any strength training. Shoot for about 90-120 minutes of cardio per week, and try to rotate through different types and intensities.

This is not the most comprehensive guide to fitness. The purpose of this guide is to get you started. Keep reading and we’ll break down more info about fitness to help you continue your journey.

* We also offer personalized fitness coaching, including customized workout plans and video How-To’s for the different exercises, as well as nutrition advice. If you are interested or looking for more information, fill out the form below. As a bonus, we’ll be selecting 10 of the next 100 people to sign up and giving them 6 months of free training!*