Once people figure out I'm in to that "hardcore lifting" game, I get asked quite a few questions. Yes, I'm the guy jacked up on pre workout, usually rocking some heavy metal, and I do get a little loud on max effort lifts (hence why I dropped nearly $2500 to equip my garage with every thing I would need to be successful, commercial gyms just aren't my thing).
One of the most frequent and toughest questions I've come across is, "How do I get started on a workout routine?"
To me that's tough because, it's so individualized. I can set someone up on a program that I write, and that I do myself, but would they stick to it? Likely not, as a beginner it would leave them fatigued and too tired to complete the following workouts throughout the week. It's like me asking an ultra marathon runner what he does to train, and then trying to mirror that on my own. Just Not.Going.To.Happen. So, for those looking to just get in the gym, build some muscle, maybe drop some body fat, here are some suggestions I can give.
1. Stay out of the magazines and off the internet sites with pro's or wanna be pro's who think they can write you a program to get cut and stacked in 6 weeks. Sure, Flex magazine is fun to look at, and has good information, but those workout programs aren't what the pro's are actually doing day in day out. KISS method applies here, especially to a new lifter or runner. It's like those fat burners that are advertised on every page, yeah, they're not going to get your shredded. They may give you a little kick in the butt in the gym, but their actual ability to burn fat off of you is nil. A few good starter programs for lifting are: Starting Strength, 5/3/1. Those are just two of the more well known programs that are easily obtained and started.
2. Consistency. My favorite quote from Dorian Yates, "It's all about consistency. It's like building a house, every day I'm adding a brick." You have to put in the time, over and over again to make the progress you want. If you can break through feeling like complete crap, drag yourself out of bed and get to the gym, or garage, to workout you'll start to see that trait bleed over in to other aspects of your life. Procrastination kills. Dedication. Hard Work. We've all heard that time and time again.
3. Goal setting. Like anything else, keeping clear, concise and ATTAINABLE goals are key. My nephew always wanted to be a body builder. The kid had genetics, where he got them from who knows, but in high school he was cut. He lifted occasionally, but he easily could have built his body in to one of those fitness models you see walking around with no shirt on in the winter time just to show their abs. But...he never set attainable goals. He wanted to go from zero to hero in 4 weeks. Along with the bad goal setting, he didn't follow number 2...consistency. If you're 300 pounds, your goal should be to start with just getting on a good nutrition plan to drop weight. Set your goal at lets say, 250. And idea of abs is ok, but the goal needs to be something short term enough to push yourself to success.
4. Do work that gets you closer to your goals. If your goal is to lose 25 pounds, busting your rear end in the gym is great, but eating 3000 calories of processed carbs, sweets, sugars, is going to negate that gym time. Diet and nutrition are upwards to 90% of your success in losing weight. Cutting out bad carbs, sugars, processed foods and going to a clean, natural diet is going to yield great results on the scale when coupled with a consistent workout plan.
I could go on listing things but getting down to the basics of it all, that's the ground level. In short, have a clear image and goal of what you want to get out of your workouts, be consistent, and do what works. I don't know how many times I see people doing something that's contradictory to what their said goals are. If you want to drop weight, stop eating and drinking crap all the time, if you want to get stronger, start lifting more and supply proper nutrition to your body. Too many people out there are trying to reinvent the wheel. Bodybuilding and power lifting have been around for years and years, if you take a look at those who are or who have been successful in the past, they're sticking to old, tried and true methods to get what they want.
Again, no details listed because I really do feel that we're all pretty different. Some look at what I do as taboo or not normal. I look at treadmill bunnies as lame and boring. We all have our thing, part of the journey is actually taking the time to sit down and find out what makes us tick. What's going to be that thing that gets you going, and keeps you going. If I went to a trainer that was all about cardio and running on a treadmill, I'd probably throw him the bird on my way out the door. There's nothing wrong with that, it's just not my cup of tea. Just like if someone saw how we workout, and how intense we get they'd likely think of me completely different than they do now. Find what works for you, and roll with it.
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