Proper exercise will help u get in top physical condition & allow u to Change Ur Attitude!
U need to make exercise an important part of ur life. The values of exercise has been proven again & again. Make it a point to exercise at least 4 times a week & for a minimum of 30 minutes at a time. Never take more than 2 days off in a row unless u are sick or physically unable to exercise.
Throw out the'no pain, no gain' theory. It's wrong! Pain is ur body's way of telling u something is wrong. Don't ignore it. Obviously, when going beyond fitness & testing urself, u will encounter pain & need to overcome it. Eg: training for a marathon.
It's important to have the'base training' before getting into the advanced training. U don't start training for a marathon a month after u started running. The base training develops the body & gets it ready for extensive training.
More importantly, u learn to'read' ur body. Is the heavy breathing due to pushing ur body or could it be the beginning of a heart attack? U might want to know that.
The base training also allows u to go beyond regular training with less chance of injury.(Less chance - pushing into this type of training definitely increases the risk of injury)
Exercise is important. Do it correctly & u can do it for the rest of ur life.
Here are some general exercises to help keep the rest of ur body firm. U can choose the ones u like & combine them with some weight training. General firming type exercises are very important to runners.
Toe Raises
Want some impressive looking calves? Here's how to get them.
Start out simply standing on the ground flatfooted, toes pointing straight ahead. Hold on to something to balance urself, & begin raising up as high as u can on ur toes. As with most exercises here, u will do them slowly. Lower urself to the starting position, then repeat. High reps are best here. Try to work up to at least 25 reps. Then add sets, 2 - 3.
To make this a little tougher as u progress, do them 1 leg at a time. U can also turn ur feet in & out in order to work different parts of ur calves. A set of 25 reps with feet pointing forward, then out, then in, would give u a nice workout.
For an even tougher workout, & to really make those calves grow, place ur toes on the edge of a 2x4, or on the stairs, & lower the heels as far as possible. Then raise up on ur toes, again as high as u can, & repeat. Again, 25 reps is what u'll be shooting for. This will really make the calves burn.
But please, start out slowly. Don't do too many reps at 1 time in the beginning, or u won't be walking the next day or 2.
Wall Squat
(If this hurts your knees. discontinue!)
Stand straight with ur back pressed against a wall. Feet should be about shoulder width. Lower urself down into a sitting position, still leaning against the wall.(Be certain the front of ur feet are in front of ur knees. if not, move ur feet forward.) Hold this position for about 30 seconds, then return to the start. Gradually build up to 3 reps.
This will add some size & muscle to ur legs in a hurry!
Crunch
This is an exercise I personally hate. but it's a good 1 for those troublesome abs. Lie on the floor on ur back with ur feet up on the couch or a chair or something. Ur rear should be as close to the couch as possible. To ease the strain on ur neck, take a towel & fold it lengthwise, then place it behind ur head, grasping both ends. The back of ur head should lie comfortably in the towel. Lock ur elbows against ur side.
Now very slowly raise ur head & shoulders off the ground a few inches. Don't pull with the towel. Allow ur abs to do the work. And don't lift too high off the ground. u'll get a backache. Just a few inches will do. Squeeze ur stomach at the top & hold for a second or 2, then slowly lower urself back to the starting position. That's 1 rep. Work ur way up to about 25 reps. Remember to do these slowly & squeeze at the top. Ur goal will be 2-3 sets of 25 reps.
This sounds complicated the way I described it, but it's not. Grab the towel, put it behind ur head, lie down & get in position, & u'll figure out what I'm talking about. U'll hate me while u're doing these, but wait till u see the results.
Push-Ups
1 of the top overall exercises u can do with no equipment. But, do them correctly for best results.
Lie face down & place ur palms on the floor next to ur shoulders. Keeping ur back straight, push urself up until ur elbows are locked. Eyes look straight ahead. Tighten ur muscles & hold for a second or 2, then slowly lower urself down until ur body almost touches the floor. Repeat. Each time up & down counts as 1 repetition. Do as many as u can. Build yourself up to 3 sets of 20 to 25 repetitions.
Be sure to do this movement slowly & flex the muscles at the top of the movement. This will help build ur arm muscles, back muscles, shoulders, neck; what a terrific overall exercise!
Triceps Dips
I like this 1. It will tone up & build the triceps, (the back of the arms). Well defined triceps go a long way towards giving u that strong arm look.
A solid workout bench works out best; a chair works, but there's too much chance to topple over. I'll use a bench as an example; u can figure out what works best for u.
The bench is in back of u. Reach back & bend down until u can place ur hands on the bench, palms facing back, hands about shoulder width apart. Place ur feet in front of u; u'll be leaning on ur heels with ur toes pointing straight up in the air. Begin to slowly lower ur body as far as u can. U'll feel the strain on ur triceps. Push urself back up to the starting position, again, very slowly. That's 1 repetition. Do 3 sets of 10 - 12 repetitions. If u're ambitious & want to really get those triceps to grow, do 3 sets of 25 reps 3 times a week, with ur feet resting on a chair.
This is an outstanding exercise & 1 of my favorites. Remember, the secret is slow movements. If u don't feel pumped up after this 1, u are doing them wrong.
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Fitness Tip
Stop beating ur head against the wall! If u are serious about losing weight & getting fit, u need to combine 2 training methods; strength training & aerobics. Aerobics, such as walking, running, biking, etc., should be done a minimum of 30 minutes a session, 3 times a week. U'll build a healthy heart & circulatory system & lose weight in the process. Strength training, such as weight lifting, body resistant exercises, cables, etc., should be done at least twice a week. U'll firm up & build muscle. Here's the kicker. Muscle burns fat. Build muscle & u'll keep burning fat while u're watching ur favorite tv show.(Of course, don't gorge urself at the same time).
