Fitness Training Tips

Looking for some fitness training tips to get you started on the fast track to progress? Here are a number of suggestions for beginners and experienced trainers alike that will help you train harder, recover faster and maintain motivation.

1. Stay consistent.

If possible, make it a habit to work out the same time every day, even if you choose different types of exercise. Just like the body adjusts to going to bed and waking up at a certain time (and punishes you if you deviate too much), you can get conditioned to hitting peak performance around your workouts. This also has the benefit of establishing a firm routine -- having, for example, 5:30 PM be your sacred workout time makes it a lot harder to blow off a day than with the "when I have time" approach.

2. Mix things up.

Consistency is good in terms of actually going to the gym, but once there it's better to get imaginative. If you do the same old routine every week, your body is never pushed out of its comfort zone. Keep things interesting by alternating exercises, weights, cardio machines, classes and whatnot as often as you can. Doing ultralight weights/high reps one week and heavier-than-normal weights/low reps the next (though not so much you injure yourself) will keep the body guessing.

3. Train for your goals.

If you're trying to lose weight, do some weight training to maintain your metabolism but put the emphasis on calorie-burning cardio. Likewise, a skinny person looking to bulk up should do just the bare minimum cardio required to stay healthy and put the effort into weight training. Bottom line: don't pounce on a cookie-cutter recommendation out of a magazine just because some person with washboard abs recommends it -- read up on what's best for you or talk to a personal trainer.

4. Eat smart.

That doesn't just mean avoiding pizza and beer; you should also eat to maximize energy for your workouts and speed up recovery. Don't go to the gym either starved or stuffed -- having a small meal an hour or two beforehand will help keep your steam up. Also follow up with a small, fast-carb and protein rich meal or snack immediately after the workout to jump start the recovery process. A whey protein drink with a scoop or two of dextrose (sugar) takes mere seconds before hitting the shower, for example.

5. Never skimp on the warm up.

Being all pumped and eager to get started is a good state to be in, but don't let that translate to skipping those crucial 5-10 minutes on the treadmill. Nothing derails progress like a nasty injury that puts you on the sidelines for a month, but making sure to work up a bit of a sweat decreases the risk of that by miles.

6. Get a training partner.

If motivation is a problem and you find yourself coming up with excuses to postpone workouts, having someone waiting at the gym counter may be just the arm-twisting you need. Ideally, team up with someone slightly stronger and more fit than yourself to stay motivated. You can also benefit from each other's experience by exchanging fitness training tips.

7. Keep a log.

Simply note what exercises you do, poundage, times on the Stairmaster and so forth. Also note your pre-breakfast weight on Monday mornings, along with a measurement of your waist, chest, biceps and thighs. If you stop making progress, you can go back and see what you changed that led to this halt, and what you were doing when you were making rapid gains. Things change for many reasons so don't tout it as the gospel truth, but that log can at least provide some pretty accurate pointers as to what general direction you should be working toward. Good luck!

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