For most of you our workout goal is to do at least 30 minutes of cardio 3 days a week and weight training 2 days a week. We will be increasing the cardio and weights as we become more fit but we don’t want to do too much too fast and injure ourselves. If you have already been working out, feel free to do more that 30 min. For this program to work you will have to push your self, just don't kill yourself on the first week. On the other hand don't take it too easy.
Cardio: The goal is to get your heart rate up! Find something you like to do. It can be swimming, walking, jogging, aerobics, yoga, biking, dancing or anything else you like. I have put a few links on the side of the page for ideas. If you are really just beginning I LOVE the beginning treadmill workout. I used it every time I am getting back into working out after having a baby. If you don’t have a treadmill, walk around the block or track. What I want you to be most concerned about is your heart rate.
Warm up: Always start out with a 5 min warm up. To warm up you can walk at an easy pace to get your body warmed up and moving.
Aerobic workout: (Aerobic in our case means you are burning fat for your body’s fuel.) After your warm up you want to get your heart rate into a “fat burring zone”. To measure or take your heart rate you need to be holding still. Place your right index finger and middle finger on the right side of your neck. Find your pulse. Once you have found your pulse time yourself for 10 seconds and count how many times your heart beats. Find your age on the chart. You should keep your heart rate at least in the 55% range for the first week and hopefully in the 70% range for the remainder of the 30 min. If your heart rate is low, work a little harder and take your heart rate again in 5 min. If your heart rate is too high slow it down and take it again in 5 min.
Cool down: Always cool down after a workout. Walk slower, bike slower, swim slower or tap side to side. Your heart rate should be back down when you are done with your cool down.
Strength Training: This should be done twice a week with at least 1 day between workouts. So if you do weights on Tuesday wait until Thursday to do it again. Warm up (walk) for 5 min then start the workout. If you are going to do weights and cardio in the same workout do the weights first so you will have good form and not be tired, then do your 30 min cardio.
Strength training program:
Exercise 1: Bench press
Exercise 2: Squat
Exercise 3: Dumbbell clean and press
Exercise 4: Bicep curl
Exercise 5: Lunges
Exercise 6: Lateral raise
Exercise 7: Barbell row
Exercise 8: Medicine ball abdominal crunches (with or without ball)
I will post this information tomorrow or you can take a look at the link I have placed on the right sidebar under Strength Training. In that link, beginning at the bottom of page 28, you will see a description of the workout. There are also picture starting on page 32 of the link. The link also has some eating and cardio ideas. This strength training workout is a great weights workout for beginners. It is simple and keeps you moving so you are burning calories and getting stronger. Remember muscle burns more calories even when you are at rest. By adding some lifting you will be burning more calories everyday and feeling stronger! We do not want to end up looking like body builders so this workout is perfect. Our goal is to keep it aerobic with long lean muscles, which means you should be able to do 3 sets of at least 10 of whatever strength training you decide to do. That means you should be able to lift the weight 10 times without stopping. Don’t get me wrong, I want you to have to put some effort out but I want you to have good form, not hurt your self and build LEAN muscle. You can start with a 3 or 5 lb weight but we will be going up! Do each of the lifts 10 times in the order on the list, then start back at the top of the list and do them all again 10 time, go through the list one more time at 10 times each to reach your 3 sets of 10. If it was supper easy the first set, go up to 8 lb barbells.
This is a lot of information so if you have questions ask away!
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