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[Article] Exercise Plan 1 - If You're Overweight

H

huski

Guest
1. Overcome Barriers

Before setting yourself an exercise program, you need to address all the reasons that will stop you from doing it!

I'm too busy - don't have enough time
It's all a matter of priorities really... If something is important enough to you, you will make time for it.

I am embarrassed about the way I look when exercising
Find a friend to do it with you. Exercise at home.

I'm afraid of injury
Many people start out and do too much in too little time. Find exercise that suits you - and begin with something gentle (i.e. walking).

I don't have access to any fitness equipment
Walking is something that can be done anywhere, as is home exercise videos.

I'm too overweight to exercise

Over time physical activity will become easier. Some exercises are more suited to larger bodies than others (such as swimming, walking, treadmills, and elliptical trainers).
2. Make A Plan

If possible, make a plan of exercise goals, a basic timetable of when, where, and how, you will stick to it.
3. Phasing In

Start with whatever you can achieve. Aim for 20 minutes of walking. If you can't achieve this, then stop when you can. Your goal is to walk 20 minutes a day for 5 days a week. Make sure you have good shoes! This can make all the difference. If you are not used to exercising, your joints and muscles will take a short while to get used to it.
4. Mixing It Up

The human body is remarkably adaptable. The best way to keep your exercise efforts functional is to add variety. Here are some other cardio alternatives:

Walking
Many people find that a pedometer is a useful tool to have while walking. A pedometer will track your steps and help you to set goals each walk. The pedometer can be strapped to your waistband, and will count your steps. Aim for a weekly increase of 500-1000 steps. Expect to pay between $20-40 for a reasonable pedometer.

Swimming
This can be a low-impact exercise that has minimal impact upon your joints. Swimming strengthens the upper body as well as involving the lower body.

Jogging
Very popular form of exercise, but not particularly well suited to you if you are a larger person. Jogging and running place significant stresses on bones and joints. However it is one way to fit more exercise in a shorter space of time! Stretching is essential.

Cardio Equipment
One of the most popular methods of exercise today is by using fitness equipment. Treadmills, rowing machines, elliptical trainers, and stationary bicycles are just some of the options available.

Most of this equipment is available in you local gym or fitness center. However for many of us, going to these places can be disconcerting. Purchasing your own equipment is an option.
 
Once your body is used to activity and movement , it is time to move on. You may have started with an activity such as walking or swimming. There is no need to stop this activity, but it is time to introduce something else.

If you are walking you should aim to keep your heart rate up. Try to walk briskly, so that you are making an effort to breathe. Aim for a heart rate of between 60-70% of maximum . Optimum cardio durations for fat loss are between 35-55 minutes. Many athletes believe that cardio for longer than 60 minutes can have a catabolic (muscle loss) effect.
Circuit Training

Circuit Training is carried out at a gym or fitness center. It will help you preserve muscle mass while you are trying to lose fat.

Circuit Training involves high repetition resistance exercises with little or no rest breaks in between each exercise. Most gyms have a circuit training room. The weights used are typically low.

When joining a gym, most instructors will create a program for you.

One popular circuit training program is Curves Fitness.
Mix It Up!

If you have been doing a single exercise (such as walking), try to introduce some more exercises into your plan, such as a rowing machine, or jogging, or cycling. Your body needs the variety to prevent it from adapting too quickly to your current program. This is essential during any weight loss plateau.
High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

As mentioned before, the body is very clever when it comes to adaptation and conserving fuel. If your goal is fat loss, applying some different techniques can be helpful. Studies have shown that when cardio sessions are maintained at exactly the same pace for a long duration, the body will adjust itself to the exercise, and will attempt to conserve energy.

This can be overcome by interval training. Exercise at a moderate pace for, say, 4-5 minutes, then go all out for 1 minute. Then bring the pace back down for a couple of minutes (until you feel you've recovered).

Continue this process throughout your cardio session and you will 'trick' your body into consuming more calories. The exact benefits (i.e. fat loss or muscle loss) of HIIT are hotly debated - if it works for you - use it! Other wise stick to lower intensity cardio (long duration).

This is useful when using cardio equipment, or running, swimming, cycling, etc.
 
A weight training program is an integral part of any fat loss program. It is for both women and men - and it does not make you grow big muscles !! (you need lots and lots of calories for that ).

The key component to burning calories, is increasing metabolism - the rate at which the body burns energy. A good weights or resistance training program not only boosts metabolism, but the increase in lean muscle itself also requires more calories to maintain!
Designing a program
The best you can do, is to get a fitness trainer to design a program just for you. If you cannot afford this, then the next best thing is to use an online customized fitness program - such as Global Health and Fitness.

There is a lot of information out there, such as technique, types of exercise (there are hundreds), how often you should train, how long you should train, etc. It is an enormous subject, and to get the best out of your workout time, you will need to learn about weight training, or have a program constructed for you.
Beginners Program

Train 3 times per week, with one rest day in between (for example, Monday, Wednesday, Friday).

Perform 10 minutes of warm up using cardio equipment (such as a rowing machine).

Perform 1 to 2 sets of the following exercises:

CHEST
Dumbbell Bench Press (1x12)
Dumbbell Flyes (1x12)

BACK
Wide Grip (Lat) Pulldown (1x12)
Seated Rows (1x12)

TRICEPS
Triceps PushDown (1x12)

BICEPS
Standing Dumbbell Curls (1x12)

LEGS
Leg Press (1x15)
Leg Extension (1x15)
Leg Curl (1x15)

Glossary

Workout - What you do every time you visit the gym. Includes cardio exercise, stretches, and weight training.

Set - Every time you lift a weight, it is called a set.

Reps - Short for repetitions. The number of times you lift the weight. Obviously the heavier the weight, the less reps you will be able to do. When doing a rep it is important to concentrate on good slow technique. You will often see people swinging around wildly... this is not the way to lift weights.

Example: (1x12) means 1 set of 12 repetitions

Rest Time - The amount of time you rest between sets. This is often around the 1 minute mark.
 
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