This article is an introduction of sorts. It is dedicated to all those who are just about to plunge into the diverse world of fitness, to those who have finally decided to say to themselves: “I want - and I will!”, I will be as beautiful and healthy as I have always dreamed of.
It's important to take the first step. It will be much easier from now on!
So, you finally realized that the time for great achievements has come. You have nothing to lose except your complexes, you can’t put it off any longer, and it’s time to take care of yourself. You have been working towards this for a long time, but something always got in the way, you put it off, and came up with a wide variety of excuses.
But now your patience is full, your excuses are over, the mirror looks at you with silent reproach, and your beloved man runs from the kitchen to the TV, not noticing your presence.
"It's time to act!" - you said decisively to yourself. But where to start? Should you run to get a subscription to the nearest fitness club, go shopping, buy a tracksuit, or rush into the thick of the Internet in search of exercises to lose weight?
So, let's start in order. First of all, calm down, because you have already made the most important decision. Now think about what is happening.
Check your health
Do you have chronic diseases or contraindications to any types of physical activity? You may have recently had surgery or had the flu. If everything seems to be fine, but you are still not sure, do not be lazy and make an appointment with a doctor.
When starting classes, it is important to understand which loads will be useful for you and which ones you should refrain from.
Take your time, remember: you are doing this for yourself, and with every step you become closer to your own ideal, the main thing is to start. This is also a very important step.
In order to start playing sports, first of all, assess your physical condition.
How to behave
Put the equipment back in place
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This is one of the signs of good form: disassemble the barbell and return all the plates to their place, put the dumbbells on the rack, put away the yoga mat.
If everyone throws the equipment where they finished exercising, it will take a long time to search around the gym for the necessary dumbbells or jump rope.
Therefore, in order not to increase the chaos and not to catch the indignant glances of others, put everything that you took for training back in its place.
Exercise in the right area
Gyms are divided into zones that are the same in almost all establishments:
- cardio zone, where there is a treadmill, exercise bike, ellipse;
- area for exercise with free weights - next to the rack with dumbbells;
- area for stretching and relaxation - there are massage rollers and balls, mats, expanders;
- a platform where weightlifting exercises are performed;
- areas for group classes - as a rule, these are separate rooms with mirrors.
Try to perform exercises in areas that are designed for this. If you sit and stretch in an area where people are lifting dumbbells, you'll be in their way and look weird.
Share equipment
If a person is waiting for a machine or dumbbells that you work out with, you can invite him to do the exercise in between your approaches while you rest. This is normal practice, especially during peak hours when the gyms are constantly busy.
Don't leave puddles of sweat behind
When a puddle of sweat remains on the bench from the last person, it’s just awfully disgusting. So if you sweat a lot, always put a towel on the bench or at least wipe the sweat off after yourself - many gyms have wipes.
Always wash your clothes after training
Smelling good can be considered a rule of gym etiquette, but despite modern hygiene products, there are always those who break this rule.
If you wear clothes to workout, throw them in the washing machine as soon as you get home—no matter how intense the workout was, whether you sweated a lot or “just a little.”
By the way, this is another reason to buy normal sportswear: unlike cotton T-shirts and shorts, they do not fade or stretch due to frequent washing.
That's all. Do not violate the rules of good manners, be polite and do not hesitate to ask athletes and coaches how to exercise on exercise machines, where to get the necessary equipment and whether you are performing any exercises correctly - many will be happy to help you.
Select time
If you don’t have any health restrictions, think about your lifestyle and work schedule. Do you work five days a week, like most people, or perhaps work in shifts? What days and hours are you free from work? Just from work (after all, you cannot quit or cancel it), for now, abstract from homework.
Most fitness clubs are open from early morning until late evening.
Here I already foresee a wave of objections on the topic: “besides work, there are still a lot of things to do, many have a family, children...”. But I want to draw attention to one psychological fact that you most likely did not pay attention to. As a rule, we spend the bulk of our free time not on preparing family dinners. And, in general, for the most useless activities in their essence, such as, for example, viewing photos on the Internet or television series on TV.
Think about it, analyze your own day. Don't waste your life in vain. Devote your time to truly useful and interesting activities. One of which is undoubtedly training. You yourself will understand this very soon.
So, with the time you can devote to studying, you've decided what's next?
Theory
Part 1. Warm-up
Strategy:
Warm up thoughtfully, preparing your body for the loads it will endure.
Time:
5 minutes
Performance:
For subsequent work with weights, instead of empty running around on cardio equipment, do calisthenics. Calisthenics are bodyweight exercises similar to what you're about to do next. They prepare your body to work with iron, refreshing neuromuscular connections, stretching and warming up the necessary muscles. You will find the exercises below in the “Very hot” section.
Part 2. Security
Strategy:
Try to eliminate any possibility of injury by working on weak points in the body.
Time:
4 minutes
Performance:
Major problems (including health problems) are always associated with the ass. And for good reason: weak buttocks lead to injuries to the hip and knee joints. And for the safety of your shoulder joints, you need to not forget about the pectoralis minor, rhomboids, trapezius and coracobrachialis muscles. There is no need to buy a detailed atlas of anatomy, just be sure to do the exercises described in the paragraph “Traumatic Center”, and years later your joints will thank you.
Part 3. Stability
Strategy:
Strong core muscles make the whole body strong. Thanks, Cap, but the main thing is that lumpy abs drive women crazy. Need more arguments?
Time:
8 minutes
Performance:
Train the muscles of the thigh, lower back and abdomen - the core muscles. Just load them at the very beginning of your workout, while you are still fresh, full of strength and able to calmly endure the skeptical smiles of future patients of the Sports Trauma Institute. For exercises for the core muscles, see the “Coral measures” paragraph.
Part 4. Strength and beauty
Strategy:
Lift more in less time for incredible gains in the muscles you need.
Time:
30 minutes
Performance:
Stop doing the same exercise set after set - it's the stone age! It’s better to alternate sets of two paired exercises, resting for about a minute between them. Thanks to this, you can cram 15-20 sets into half an hour versus the usual 10. If most of these exercises are variations of squats, deadlifts, pull-ups, push-ups and bench presses, you will be guaranteed a widespread muscle-building effect.
Part 5. Fat burning
Strategy:
Time your cardio workout while increasing its effectiveness.
Time:
4 minutes
Performance:
Of course, you’ve heard about interval cardio, but how do you imagine an interval that’s only 4 minutes long? And here it is: 20 seconds of push-ups, pull-ups or squats, 10 seconds of rest. And so all 4 minutes. Japanese researchers have found that this kind of training speeds up metabolism and strengthens the heart no worse than 30 minutes of cycling.
Part 6. Recovery
Strategy:
A good coach begins to take care of your recovery during the very training after which you will need to recover. Be the best coach in the world for yourself!
Time:
9 minutes
Performance:
If you don't want the morning after every workout to be truly gloomy, stretch. Take the time to ensure that all the muscles in your body are stretched at least once a week. If you don’t do this, you will leave them in a half-contracted, partially destroyed state, and in such muscles normal recovery processes simply cannot take place. See the exercises in the “Flexible approach” section.
At home or in a fitness club
Think about which activity option is preferable for you. A separate article is devoted to the topic of choosing a place for classes on our website.
Some people are comfortable working out on their own, while others, on the contrary, prefer to train in a group.
The main thing you should be guided by when choosing is your character and the comfort of this or that place of study for you personally.
Are you a sociable and cheerful person? Are you not tired of being around other people, do joint activities inspire you, and does anything become more fun if you do it together? Then you have a direct route to the fitness club. There you will receive a lot of positive emotions and a boost of energy after a hard day at work. Most fitness clubs will offer you both classes in the gym and a wide variety of group training, ranging from aerobics and Pilates to such exotic activities as Zumba or pole dancing.
In addition, in the fitness club you can always get advice from a qualified trainer, which is especially important for beginners.
If you are a calm and balanced person and you are more comfortable in silence, alone with yourself, or with very close people, then we can recommend that you start your path to perfection with home exercises. Most likely, the bustle and noise of the fitness room will tire you, and you are already used to handling various tasks on your own without outside help. Then home exercise is perfect for you.
Choose exactly what you personally like.
In fact, training at home can be no less effective and varied than in a fitness club. But if at the club specially trained people will think about how to entertain you and benefit your body, and all you have to do is do what they say and have fun, then at home you will have to develop a training program yourself. Of course, we will be happy to share some exercise options for home fitness that you can use.
What to do
The answer to this question, oddly enough, is very simple. Wear any clothes that do not restrict your movements and fit your size. If you work out in the gym, it is better to avoid ultra short shorts or overly open tops. This is not even due to the fact that you come to the gym to work out, and not to demonstrate your forms to others. The fact is that any public place, no matter how carefully it is kept clean, is still a collection of germs.
Hygiene in the gym is a separate topic for discussion. The less your skin comes into contact with mats on which dozens of people have worked out before you, with exercise equipment, the floor and benches in the locker room, the calmer it will be for you.
Even if you work out at home, it is advisable to have a separate set of clothes for training.
The ideal option would be a T-shirt and breeches, or leggings or sweatpants. On your feet, a universal option is sneakers. For beginners, it doesn’t matter which ones, the main thing is that you feel comfortable in them. Next, depending on what exactly you will be doing, you can choose special shoes for yourself.
Practice
These exercises will help you implement all your new strategies in exactly 60 minutes a day. As you master them, you can replace them with any others.
Very hot
Performed early in your workout, your shoulders, back, hips, knees and ankles will be ready for intense exercise.
Excellent student's lunge
- Place your feet hip-width apart. Take half a step forward with your left and half a step back with your right.
- Raise your arms above your head and squat down, feeling the stretch in the front of your left leg.
- Stay in this position for 3-5 seconds and return to the starting position.
- After doing 3-5 repetitions, change legs.
Sumo lifts
- Place your legs wide, with your feet slightly apart. Lean forward and grab your toes with your hands.
- Now squat down, bringing your buttocks closer to your heels and at the same time pushing your chest and shoulders up.
- Without releasing your toes, straighten your legs as much as possible, keeping your back perfectly straight.
- Moving slowly, do 12–15 repetitions.
Emergency room
Do 1-2 sets of 8-10 repetitions of each of these exercises.
Gluteal Bridge
- Lie on the floor with your knees bent and your toes pointed towards you.
- Hold a rolled towel between your knees and lift your pelvis up, tensing your buttocks.
- Lower yourself down without touching the floor with your pelvis and repeat.
Club Lunge
- Wrap a rubber band around your thighs or ankles, bend your knees slightly and place your hands on your waist.
- Take a step to the right and then to the left - this will be one repetition.
L-leads on the ball
- Lie on the exercise ball with your stomach.
- Bend your elbows so that they form a Latin L and turn your fists up.
- Without changing the angle of bend at the elbow, rotate your arms to their original position.
Flexible approach
At the end of your workout, be sure to stretch every muscle that was involved in the workout. And stretch your chest muscles and hip flexors daily.
Hip flexor stretch
- Stand with your back to the gymnastics bench, put your left foot forward, and place your right toe on the bench.
- Bend your front leg and lower yourself down, trying to touch your knee to the floor.
- Hold this position for 30 seconds, then change legs.
Stretching the pectoral muscles
- Lie on your back, having first laid a rolled towel along the position of your spine.
- Bend your legs, pressing your pelvis to the floor, and spread your arms bent at the elbows to the sides.
- Squeezing your shoulder blades together, touch your shoulders and forearms to the floor and hold in this position for 30 seconds.
Gym workout schedule for beginners that ensures rapid muscle growth
Program effectiveness "1+1
"is that it allows beginners to increase their muscle mass in a short period of time. Its essence is as follows: the loads during training are distributed over two halves of your body, that is, on the 1st day you use exercises on one half, then you rest one day, the next day you exercise the other half of the body. This system will be discussed in the article, since I believe that it is optimal for muscle development for beginners.
The point of this training schedule is this: to begin with, we “divide” our body into two parts, and exercise only one part during training in the gym. This is followed by a day of rest. But if your age or busyness at work does not allow you, then you can use two days instead of one day of rest. This means that there will be either 3-4 or 2 workouts per week in the gym.
First day: leg, back and abdominal muscles Second day: pectoral and shoulder muscles, arm muscles
After starting regular training with this program, it is recommended to stick to it for at least six months. Both beginners and advanced and experienced bodybuilders are accustomed to frequently changing their gym schedule because they believe that they find something better to strengthen their body. But, unfortunately, this is not the case. Frequently changing programs carries the risk of disrupting the training system, which is important. Therefore, I advise you to follow this program until you notice any progress.
In general, this training schedule should look like this:
First day:
no exercise
Second day:
a) leg, back and abdominal muscles
Third day:
no exercise
Fourth day: Fifth day:
no exercise
Sixth day:
a) leg, back and abdominal muscles
Seventh day:
no exercise
Eighth day:
b) chest and shoulder muscles, arm muscles
Regarding the choice of a set of exercises in the gym, I would advise you to choose the basic options, since mainly with their help you can gain a large amount of muscle mass. There are a great variety of different exercises, both with the use of simulators and with the use of sports equipment, but the set of basic exercises that form the basis is unlikely to ever change. My advice to you is to practice these exercises at home without sports equipment in order to feel the load on the target muscles and learn the technique of performing them.
I suggest you choose the following set of exercises to strengthen your body:
A) muscles of the legs, back and abdomen
1.
: workers - 4 sets, number of repetitions: maximum
2
. : warm-up - 2 sets of 20 times, working - 3 sets of 10 times
3.
: warm-up - 20 times, working - 3 sets of 10 times
4.
5.
: workers - 4 sets of 10 times
How often to exercise
The optimal training frequency depends on your fitness level, as well as the content and intensity of your training. It's worth starting with 2-3 times a week. The main thing is that this is done regularly, this is a prerequisite. Every missed workout is a setback. If you miss one lesson, consider yourself going back two.
Therefore, if you want results, try to make sure that nothing interferes with your training. It will be difficult at first, be prepared for it. But when you see the result, you will want to jump for joy. So don’t be afraid of anything, everything will work out. You just need to want it.
How to do fitness in the gym for men
The main rule for guys is to balance their capabilities with their desires. The main thing is not to overdo it during the starting workouts, do not load the muscles to failure. At first, a bodyweight training program will help you. Then beginners’ fitness classes include:
- Upper block traction.
- Exercises for brachialis, triceps and biceps for arm volume.
- Squats with a barbell to pump up the lower body.
- Techniques on the back, shoulder array.
You can get acquainted with the types of exercises and see the sequence of performing exercises in the section of the site: bodybuilding in the gym.
Where to start bodybuilding at home? Use:
- A set of exercises with a barbell at home.
- Pullover with dumbbell lying down.
- Seated dumbbell press.
- Deadlift.
- French press.
- Pump up your abs and arms on the horizontal bar.
When will the results be available?
Perhaps this is the most pressing question that concerns not only beginner fitness enthusiasts, but also experienced athletes. The only difference is that athletes know what this very result depends on, and they know how to predict it. Precisely to predict with some degree of probability. Because even professionals cannot predict one hundred percent the exact time for the appearance of the result.
First, let’s define what this very result is? For some, it’s losing a few kilograms of weight or the appearance of the treasured six-pack on their stomach, and for others, it’s a gold medal at international competitions. Good health, flexibility, energy and joint mobility are also significant results.
And, of course, it should be understood that the result is always the sum of factors. Unfortunately, many people forget about this. The result depends on the scale of the goal, on your initial data (physical condition, age, physique, lifestyle), on the correctness of the chosen training, and of course, first of all, on your desire.
Decide what result you want to get and follow your goal.
You will see the very first result, expressed in an improvement in your well-being and mood, after just a few workouts. So stop counting the days, just have fun, and know that the result will definitely come. The main thing is to be honest with yourself (after all, you are doing this primarily for yourself).
Home training program: day one
- Warm up
.
First of all, you need to do a warm-up, no matter how trivial the load may seem to you, to avoid injuries - warm up. Start from the very bottom, stretch your feet, then move higher - knees, pelvic area, lower back, chest, shoulders, elbows, hands, neck - all joints should be ready for loads, don’t skip anything. Oddly enough, it doesn’t take much time, literally 10 minutes
to prepare for the exercises. - We train calves.
Yes, today the main emphasis is on the legs.
Stand straight, feet together, and begin to rise on your toes. Yes, it seems frivolous and funny, but try to do two sets of fifty
and the next day you will feel how difficult it is for your legs to move. If the load seems insufficient to you, take dumbbells in your hands, this will increase it. - Squats
.
It will tone your hips and buttocks, promote blood circulation in the pelvic area, therefore it is recommended not only for women, but also for men. Especially men. We perform two approaches twenty times
, to begin with, in the future, the number of approaches and repetitions should be increased. Again, if the load is not enough for you, take dumbbells in your hands. - Stretching
.
An exercise with enormous benefits. Stimulates blood circulation, in just a couple of weeks you will notice the result, and believe me, it will not disappoint you. In addition, the exercise develops flexibility, and this is also very useful in some situations. However, you should know your capabilities and practice without fanaticism, otherwise you may get injured. Almost anything is suitable for studying - use a chest of drawers, for example. Allow 15 minutes
, this is enough to start with. - Press
.
Where would we be without it? If you want a flat stomach, pump up your abs; if you want six-pack, pump up your abs. Any closet, bed or chest of drawers that you can place your feet under is suitable for this exercise. We do three approaches twenty times
and watch how the cubes grow on our stomach. If you want to increase the load, dumbbells will help you. - Pushups.
Yes, it is a strength exercise, but it should be included in every workout because it develops a large group of muscles above the waist.
We press from the floor three sets of twenty-five times
with a break of thirty seconds; to increase the load, you can wear a backpack with books or use weights.
Don't shirk, read the program
Sport
Spring is not only a time to change your wardrobe. This is still a period of active preparation of the body for the summer season.
In the struggle for the perfect body
everyone pursues their own goals: someone wants to improve their health, while others want to meet the beach season slim and fit so that they can wear a new bikini or favorite shorts without hesitation.
Here are 5 almost magical exercises,
if performed correctly, your body will soon be transformed.
Just 10 minutes every day, and in a month you won’t recognize him.
Summarize
You have decided to go in for sports, which means that you have already taken the first step towards your own dream.
- Assess your health, physical condition, lifestyle, temperament, choose an activity to your liking. Modern fitness clubs offer a huge variety of activities. Try it, you will definitely like something. You can also practice at home, in a quiet, secluded environment.
- A T-shirt, pants and comfortable sneakers are more than enough for the first time. Don’t bother your head with unnecessary information about where to buy a tracksuit from the latest designer collection.
- You are ready - start. Don't procrastinate or skip classes. Regularity is the key to your success. Skipping a workout is a step back, always remember this. And then the desired result will not take long to arrive, and you will feel the first changes after just a few workouts.
- Enjoy working on yourself, because with each exercise your body becomes even healthier and your figure even more attractive!
