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Basic Workout Tips
10 things you need to know to get lean and
gain muscle quickly.
Don't be surprised if you feel more like Mr.
Magoo than Mr. Universe the first time you pick
up a dumbbell. Learning proper technique can be
somewhat involved, considering that each
exercise movement has its own set of quirks.
Having said that, don't mistake "somewhat
involved" for rocket science. Just as you can
trade stocks profitably without a broker if
you're willing to educate yourself beforehand (a
lengthy education, mind you), you can learn how
to correctly perform exercises from any number
of sources, including a knowledgeable training
partner, a group seminar or a reputable media
source-like, ahem, Whole Fitness. (Hell, even
most machines in the gym come with written
instructions that Magoo himself couldn't
bungle.)
Well-designed training programs that arrange
those exercises into a coherent, comprehensive
system are equally accessible. But whether you
decide to do it yourself or to enlist the
services of a certified personal trainer, the
following tips apply to virtually everyone,
neophytes and grizzled veterans alike.
The Tips:
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Don't be a
workoutaholic. Many beginners train
feverishly under the assumption that more is
better, especially when results first
appear. However, you're much better off
easing into the process. "At first, your
muscles aren't ready to do a lot more than
they were doing before--they're ready to do
a little more," says Richard Cotton, M.A.,
chief exercise physiologist with First
Fitness Inc. in Salt Lake City and a
spokesperson for the American Council on
Exercise. "You increase your chances of
success by moderating your activity a little
bit. The morning after a workout, you want
to feel like you trained, but you don't want
to have to crawl to the bathroom."
-
The best rep range for
gaining size is eight to 20. "The optimum
results for muscle growth come from lifting
a weight that's between 60 percent and 80
percent of what you could lift for one, and
only one, rep," says Tudor Bompa, Ph.D.,
professor of theories of training at York
University in Toronto. "At 80 percent, the
average person can do eight to 10 reps; at
60 percent, he can do 15 to 20. Most people
say anywhere from six to 12 reps is best for
muscle growth, but six would be more than 80
percent."
-
The two most important
times to eat are when you wake up and after
you train. You need fuel in your tank to
train hard, and if you don't fill 'er up at
breakfast, you'll be running on fumes later.
"Make sure the majority of your breakfast
consists of carbs, with some protein, maybe
in the form of egg whites, thrown in for
good measure," says Jacqueline R. Berning,
Ph.D., R.D., an assistant professor at the
University of Colorado in Colorado Springs.
"Low-fat yogurt, or milk and cereal, would
also fit the bill." It's equally critical to
refuel immediately after you train, when
your body's cells are most receptive to
replenishing the energy they just spent. A
premade drink containing both carbs and
protein will satisfy immediate postworkout
needs in the short run. A more substantial
meal, however, consisting of complex carbs
and complete protein (chicken breast
contains a better amino-acid profile than
egg whites, for example) should be consumed
within 90 minutes of a workout.
-
Difficult exercises
are good for you, so resist the temptation
to avoid them. Most exercises can be
classified as either single-joint or
multijoint movements. The former includes
the barbell curl, in which only your elbow
joints move. Along with the deadlift and the
bench press, the latter includes the squat,
during which your ankles, knees and hips are
all being extended and flexed, while your
upper body works hard to keep the load
stable. Multijoint movements are the more
difficult of the two types to master, but
it's well worth the effort to learn their
proper execution, since they result in
maximum muscle growth of more complex muscle
groups like the chest or the legs. "People
often get too specific in their exercise
selection," says Thomas M. McLaughlin,
Ph.D., ceo of Biomechanics Inc. in Marietta,
Ga. "At some point, you really need to do
big multijoint exercises that involve large
amounts of muscle mass."
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