Jan. 2, 2012
Overland Park Personal Trainer – 5 Steps to Getting Started With a Workout Routine
Brand new to fitness? Just decided that you want to make some positive changes in your body? It’s time to get an action plan together. Far too many people dive in headfirst without really taking the time to map out their steps to be sure they start out on the right foot.
Let’s look at five steps that you should take to get started with your very own fitness routine.
Step 1: Choose Your Goals
The very first step that you need to take is to set your workout goals. What is it, specifically, that you want to accomplish? Those who randomly choose their goals without a lot of thought, or whose goals aren’t very specific are likely not going to be committed and will have trouble staying motivated. Have a CLEAR GOAL in mind (and WRITE IT DOWN) so that you always know exactly what it is that you’re working toward. There is a big difference between “I want to lose weight” and “I want to lose 10 pounds by the end of the month”!!
Step 2: Consult a Personal Trainer
Second, consider consulting with a personal trainer. Since you are new to fitness and might not fully understand what exercises you should be doing - and how to do them properly, a personal trainer will help you get this figured out. A trainer will be able to teach proper form, and ensure that you are executing your program efficiently, using the right number of sets, reps, and so on. Everyone is different, so very few workout programs are identical. Doing what might not be best for YOUR GOALS could quickly destroy your hopes of success, so this is one step that you don’t want to overlook.
Step 3: Schedule Your Workouts
Once you have your workouts figured out, the next step is to schedule these into your week. Make the time. Put it on your calendar and stick to it like glue. If you don’t schedule your workouts, you are far more likely to skip them….and then fall off the workout bandwagon.
Step 4: Plan Your Nutrition
Next, take the time to figure out your nutrition. If you truly want to reach your goal, know that proper nutrition is the key to making it happen (you cannot out-work a bad diet!). It can be a real eye opener to keep track of everything you eat (EVERYTHING). Start writing it down – the serving size, and how much protein, carbs, fat, fiber and calories you’re consuming. You might be surprised. A personal trainer or nutritionist will be able to help you learn how to eat to fuel your body – without “dieting”, and without feeling hungry. WHAT you eat – and HOW OFTEN you eat – play a HUGE role in any fitness and weight loss plan. (Not to mention you’ll feel a whole lot better and you’ll be READY to tackle your workouts!)
Step 5: Assess, Assess, Assess
Finally, once everything is in place and you’re diligently executing your program, make sure that you continually assess your progress. Typical, healthy weight loss should be about 2 pounds per week. Check your weight once a week (not every day!!), in the morning. Keep track. If you think you might have hit a plateau, then it’s time to change it up. Might be a tweak to your nutrition plan, might be a tweak to your workout routine. Stay on top of your routine – monitor your progress. If you don’t, you might end up spinning your wheels.
If you really want to see results, these five tips should help you get there.
~To your health!
Posted in Fat Loss, Nutrition & Diet, Weight Loss by |
