It's the start of the New Year and you're all excited to start exercising! But where do you start? What do you do? What don't you do?
1.) Resistance or Cardio?
The answer... both! Resistance training will help improve muscle tone (strength), posture, and bone density while cardio will help burn calories and develop the systems in your body that give you energy and STAMINA! Without resistance training, you don't get much stronger and therefore you won't tone. Without cardio, you don't get much more stamina and you won't burn the calories needed to drop fat.
2.) What Diet Should I Follow?
NONE! A diet has the mindset that there is an end. Instead, simply make minor habit changes that you can sustain over time. Following these principles alone will get you very far:
- Keep calories in the right range
- Eat 10 - 30 grams of protein with each meal
- Eat every 3-4 hours
- Eat some vegetables at each meal (about the size of your fist)
Using tracking apps like MyFitnessPal can help keep calories in check. They will also give you a calorie range based on your age, gender, weight, activity level, and goals. Divy up the calories however you like. At this point, don't worry about minute details, just eat every 3-4 hours and make sure your calories end up in the right range at the end of the day.
3.) Start Small Then Progress
Being a trainer, I see this all the time. We start exercising, go all out, and never leave room to progress. In the beginning, you will make progress with 1-2 sets of a simple resistance circuit and 20 minutes of cardio 3 times per week.
If you try to do everything at once from the get-go, you will have no room to progress. Start small and increase little by little.
Here's a great starting place:
After 5 minutes of walking on treadmill, perform 1-2 rounds with 1-2 minutes rest between rounds
1.) 2 minute walk on treadmill
2.) 10 bodyweight squats (sit in a chair and stand up)
3.) 2 minute walk on treadmill
4.) 5 push ups (on knees or toes, try to balance on your hands and go down as far as you can under control)
5.) 2 minute walk on treadmill
6.) 10 crunches
7.) 2 minute walk on treadmill
8.) 10 cobras (lay on stomach with arms by sides, lift chest and squeeze upper back like you're cracking a walnut between your shoulder blades)
9.) 2 minute walk on treadmill
From here, add 1 repetition to each exercise and 10 seconds to each treadmill walk per week. For example, week 1 you'll do 10 bodyweight squats and 2 minutes of walking on the treadmill. The following week, you'll do 11 squats and 2 minutes 10 seconds of walking on the treadmill. By the end of 3 months you'll be performing 22 squats and 4 minutes of walking.
Do this workout 3 times per week separated by 1 day of rest. For example, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Allot about 30-40 minutes per session.
Customize your cardio, if you don't like the treadmill, do the elliptical, walk up and down a hill, do 2 minutes on the bike... whatever gets your heart rate and breathing up.
Whatever you do, start with something you can sustain and progress from there. If God won't give you more than you can handle, why would you?
4.) Seek a Coach
Sometimes we need help. Even though I am a personal trainer and going to school with the goal of being a physical therapist, I still hired a coach! There's no shame in asking for help.
Here are some of the benefits of having a coach:
- You don't have to get a bachelor's degree to know what you're doing (that's what your coach is for).
- There's someone to keep you accountable. Even if you know what to do, it helps to have someone in your corner.
- They'll show you how to do things correctly.
- Your coach will keep you focused on what matters.
- Your coach will help weed out all the myths and junk in the fitness industry.
- You'll have support from someone who knows how to get results.
- Your coach can customize your plan on the fly. Sometimes plans change in life and you need your exercise and nutrition plan to change with you.
Don't forget God is in your corner too!
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding" (Proverbs 3:5 NIV)
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." (Philippians 4:6 NIV)
The Gist
When you're first starting, keep it simple and don't become overwhelmed. Always ask yourself, can I maintain this? Start with what fits into your life and progress from there adding little bits at a time. And don't be afraid to ask for help!
If you like this article, please share it with those around you and help them honor God be taking care of the body He gave them!
Love God, love people.
- Chris
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