I need exercising & weight lifting tips

[bangsportscards]

Hey all,

I'l throw things out there as they come to mind.

I started getting interested in working out 2 months ago.

I've signed up at the gym and can make it pretty much 6 days a week if need be.

And I have 1-2 hours a day to invest in this.

All I can think of right now is I want to tone my body, build strength, & establish better endurance. I want to work out every area; cardiovascular, legs, chest, back, etc.

Right now I am mostly on machine weights as I am most familiar with these.

The only other time in my life that I exercised & lifted weights was in 2000 for a year.

I may not be "the biggest" person. I have very little body fat, weigh 160 pounds, am 6' 1" tall, and my lifestyle consist pretty much of water, whole foods (vegetables/greens), some fish and chicken, sea salt, olive oil, a nutritional "Green drink", etc. To note yes you can say I believe that providing your body with these type of things to me is a fairly safe and effective route in trying to maintain overall good health.





Ok so some questions are:

1. How do I go about finding out clearer work out goals and a more solid direction?

2. How should I set up a daily routine given my workout focus mentioned above?

3. Can you discuss the difference good and bad between free weights and machine weights?

4. What cardiovascular exercises provide the best workout; spinning, swimming, Zumba, etc.?

5. Are there any good websites or phone applications (I know of Fitness Buddy) covering these subjects?





Well that's 5 questions that quickly popped into mind.

So officially the discussion is open. :)

If you want to share your insight issuing these questions, plus other experiences or thoughts that may hold beneficial, I'd greatly appreciated your time and willingness to offer all.

Thanks much.

[centrehice]

You want to avoid routine. That is paramount. At the end of each exercise you want your body telling your brain ….

"That was nasty, I did not like that".

When the day comes that your body tells your brain …. "Oh ten reps of triceps curls kneeling over a bench, piece of cake". Your body is cheating and plateauing.

Proper exercise is all about tricking your muscle groups into using themselves in non-familiar ways.


These are tips to live by in the Gym:

1. Whenever you incorporate a bench, use a large Swiss Ball instead. This will engage your core at all times

2. Always use dexterity, and balance routines as part of your cardio, and lifting regimens

3. Avoid routine at all costs, other than as a warm-up. Muscle has easy memory and will cheat it's way out via the brain.

4. Watch muscle development. Not all of us have perfect genetics and some muscle groups grow and fire more quickly than others.

5. Above all else, make it fun.