Your
Personal Fitness Routine
by Greg Lipke
In order to live and enjoy your lifestyle to
the full, you need to be fit and healthy. And you want to look good. I
am going to give you a couple of fitness programs (below) you can use
if you feel like it and think it's appropriate for your goals.
By becoming more flexible, stronger and
having a fitter cardiovascular system, you look better, feel better,
move better and can have more fun for a longer period of time.
Life, after all, should be about having
fun. Read on to start your journey towards a better, healthier life.
1. Flexibility
Here is a daily routine you can follow to
increase your flexibility and loosen up your muscles and joints. This
can prevent injuries, aches and pains and generally makes movement
easier. Do these stretches every morning and before working out. Do not
bounce when you stretch and hold the stretch for 30 seconds.
Daily Stretching Routine:
Forearm stretch 1 - Hold your arm out in
front of you with your palm down then use your other hand to stretch
the top of your hand back towards your face. Then swap arms.
Forearm stretch 2 - Hold your arm out in
front of you with your palm down then use your other hand to stretch it
back towards your stomach. Then swap arms.
Calf stretch - Flex your foot towards you
as far as you can. Place your fully flexed foot against a wall or pole
and gently lean forward to stretch the calf and achilles tendon.
Thoracic stretch - Clasp your hands behind
your back. Now tighten up your back muscles backwards and downwards
stretching your hands towards the floor.
Lumbar roll - Lie on your back on the
floor. Extend your right arm out along the floor perpendicular to your
body. Bend your right knee up so the foot is in line with your left
knee. Now grab your right knee with your left hand and pull it across
your body . Keep your right arm on the floor at all times. Then do the
opposite side (left arm on floor, left knee pulled across body with
right hand).
Posterior deltoid stretch - Hold your arm
out in front of you with the palm up. Then pull the arm across your
body to stretch the rear of your shoulder. Then do the other side.
Tricep, upper side and deltoid stretch -
Extend your arm straight up with your palm facing backwards. Then bend
your arm at the elbow to place your palm on your upper back. Grab your
elbow with your other hand and pull it so as to move your palm on your
back downwards. Then do the other side.
Anterior deltoid stretch - Hang your arm
sraight down at your side with your palm facing backwards. Bend your
arm at the elbow to stretch your arm up behind your back towards your
head. Now grab your elbow with your other hand and pull it towards the
middle of your back. Then do the other side.
Quadricep stretch - Stand on one leg and
bend the other leg at the knee up behind you. Grab your foot with your
hands and pull up. Then do the other side.
Hamstring and back stretch - Sit down on
the floor with your legs out in front of you. Lean forward and grab
your toes pulling them back towards you. Now tuck your head in so your
chin touches your chest. Then lean forward until your forehead touches
your shins.
Lower side stretch - Stand with yourarms at
your side. Then stretch one arm over the top of your head. Now push the
other arm down your leg. Then do the other side.
Pectoral and bicep stretch - Reach your
arms back behind you grabbing the insides of a door frame with your
palms facing out. Lean forward.
2. Losing Weight and Cardiovascular Fitness
WARNING: Before you undertake any fitness
program, consult your doctor.
To lose fat and improve the fitness of your
heart and cardiovascular system you need low intensity exercise for 30
minutes a day 3 times a week. Walking is the best cardiovascular
exercise. To choose the right intensity, here is the rule. You want to
walk fast enough so that you are not happy about it but you should
still be able to hold a conversation with someone while you are doing
it. If you are too puffed to talk or if your muscles start burning, you
are working too hard. Here's why -
You have three energy systems in your body.
This explanation can get a bit technical but bear with me. Muscles are
fuelled by a chemical called ATP. There are three ways your body can
make ATP.
If you pick up a ball and throw it, your
body converts creatine phosphate stored in your muscles into ATP. This
is very fast but runs out quickly. You then need to rest for a moment
or so before you can pick up another ball and throw it at maximum
velocity.
If you are lifting weights or running, your
body converts glycogen (which is the stored version of carbohydrates
also stored in your muscles) into ATP. This is a fast process but not
as fast as creatine conversion. This process gives you energy to the
muscles for a moderate period of time. The byproduct produced by this
process is lactic acid. This is what causes your muscles to burn.
Lactic acid annoys your nerve endings whilst it is waiting to be
drained by your lymphatic system out of your muscles.
If you go for a long walk your body
initially converts glycogen while you are warming up and then converts
fat to ATP to power muscles. Burning fat requires the presence of
oxygen. It is an aerobic process. Burning creatinine and glycogen does
not require the presence of oxygen. They are anaerobic processes. If
you are trying to lose fat it is important to warm up slowly so you
don't produce lactic acid faster than you can dispose of it out of your
muscles. Then you must exercice at low intensity to use your aerobic
energy production system. You then burn fat and because you don't have
lactic acid building up in your muscles you can exercise longer which
will strengthen your heart, lungs and the rest of your cardiovascular
system. A strong and healthy cardiovascular system gives you greater
endurance.
If you are uncomfortable walking around the
block, get yourself a treadmill, then you can walk in front of the TV.
This is what I do because walking is so boring. Boring but life saving.
3. Building Muscle
Before you start lifting weights you have
to decide what your goals are. What do you want to achieve? Do you want
to increase your strength? Do you want to build up your muscles like a
bodybuilder? Do you want to increase the endurance of your muscles? Or,
do you want to increase your muscle tone?
I hate that term 'muscle tone', but it is
commonly used. Your muscles are always toned, if they weren't you would
collapse in a heap. But I know what you mean. 'Toning' your muscles
requires you to build them larger and to remove the fat from on top of
them so they are more defined.
If you want greater strength you lift
heavier weights for less repititions. You choose a weight that you can
lift approximately 6 times before you can't lift it anymore. You want
to do 3 sets of 6 repititions per exercise.
A quick but important word on breathing.
This is important. When you contract the muscle you are working on
breath in. It should take you 2 seconds (or the count of "1 and 2 and")
to fully contract the muscle when you breath in. When you lower the
weights you breath out. It should take you 3 seconds (or the count of
"1 and 2 and 3 and") to fully lower the weight when you breath out.
Whatever your goal, this is the breathing pattern and the speed at
which you lift weights. Do not go any faster if you want maximum
results.
If you want to build the size of your
muscles to their fullest you lift moderate weights for approximately 10
repititions. You want to choose a weight that you can't lift anymore on
rep 10. Again you want to do 3 sets per exercise.
If you want to build muscular endurance you
lift light weights for approximately 15 repititions. You choose a
weight that you can't lift anymore on rep 15. Again do 3 sets per
exercise.
I will give you a basic weight lifting
routine below but it is vitally important that you go to a gym and talk
to a personal trainer about how to fine tune this basic routine to your
circumstances and also to get the trainer to show you the correct form
to use when lifting the weights. Poor form leads to poor results and
injuries. If you then want to set up your own home gym after you are
comfortable that you know what you are doing, that's fine, but get
professional advice on your form as well.
Your basic weight lifting routine - do this
3 times a week leaving a full day at least between workouts.
Bench press - for building the chest
(pectorals) primarily and the triceps (on the upper arm facing behind
you) and anterior deltoids (front shoulders) secondarily.
Chins - for building the back (latissimus
dorsi) primarily and the biceps (on the upper arm facing the front) and
lower pectorals secondarily. This is also great for the grip.
Military press - for building the anterior
deltoids primarily and the triceps secondarily.
Lateral side raises - for building the
medial deltoids (side of the shoulders).
Posterior deltoid raises - for building the
posterior deltoids (rear of the shoulders) and the upper back.
Bicep curls - for building the biceps.
Tricep extensions - for building the
triceps.
Crunches - for building the abdominal
muscles.
Squats - for building the quadriceps (front
of upper leg) primarily but also works the back and buttocks.
Hamstring curls - for building the
hamstrings (rear of upper leg).
Calf raises - for building the calf muscles
(rear of lower leg).
This routine is a basic start that will
build a balanced physique. It is vitally important though with weight
training that you talk to a trainer and have them show you the correct
form or you will hurt yourself. I have deliberately not given you
explanations on how to do these exercises for that very reason.
4. Healthy Diet
The key to building muscle, burning fat and
remaining healthy is to eat frequent small meals (6 per day). Eating
frequent small meals keeps a constant flow of nutrients to growing
muscles and keeps your metabolism high which helps to burn fat. A high
metabolism means that you burn more fat whilst resting.
To lose weight remember you need to burn
more calories than you take in through food. To gain weight in the form
of lean muscle you need to take in more calories through lean quality
food than you burn. You may also want to consider supplementation as
well.
Your meals should be high in lean protein
(chicken, fish and lean red meat), with moderate amounts of fruits and
vegetables (the more variety of colors the better) and low amounts of
fat. You do need fat to be healthy but you should try to get it from
olive oil, fish and avocados. You will also get fat from the lean red
meat no matter how lean it is.
Stay away from take away foods, snack
foods, refined foods, sugar and alcohol. Some red wine is OK but don't
over do it. If you are feeling a little drunk you had too much.
You may have heard the saying "everything
is OK in moderation". Remember, crap is still crap, even in moderation.
Every time you eat rubbish you move yourself further away from
achieving your goals and make it harder for yourself.
If you are going to use supplementation to
assist your efforts consult a professional health food store or
pharmacy.
Dr Gregory Lipke is the CEO of Cyber
Publishing Ltd. He is the author of Your Luxury Guide &
www.yourluxuryguide.com . He has a Doctorate of Business Administration
& Bachelor of Science as well as years of industry experience in
Private Investigations, Personal Protection & Security.
Greg Lipke may be contacted at http://www.yourluxuryguide.com
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