Look Good Naked - Part 3

EXERCISE. The fun part! The part where you get to change your body and mold it into whatever you want. Exciting, right?! Weights, machines, bands, kettlebells, bodyweight, inside, outside, with a buddy or by yourself--the possibilities are endless! But, more is NOT better--do not overtrain! A total body workout two times a week is all you need. What that means is an exercise per bodypart--legs (you can do several different types of exercises for the different parts of your legs), back, chest, shoulders, biceps (front of arm), triceps (back of arm) and abs. You need a day of rest in between--don't work the same muscle two days in a row. Muscles grow during the rest time, not when you are working out. When you workout, you are actually breaking down the muscle and it builds back up bigger and stronger. (I need to mention here that it is impossible for women to turn into men. Working out does not change your physiology. Apples can't turn into oranges!) You can also do it three days a week but that is enough. You want to get in, get out and get on with your day. The problem I see in the gym is that people spend more time yapping than working out. "I've been at the gym for 2 hours." Doing what? If you are really working out, you won't be in there that long. A total body workout shouldn't take more than 45 minutes. An exercise per body part, three sets of no more than 15 reps with about 30 seconds in between--use a stop watch. By the time you get to the last set, the last few reps should be hard. If you can blow through 20+ reps, you aren't using enough weight/resistance. A rule of thumb I use is on a scale of 1 - 10, work about level 7. Focus on the muscle you are working, if you don't feel it in that muscle--you are doing it wrong. Your goal is what determines the number of reps and weight/resistance used. If you are trying to build, you will use heavier weights with fewer reps. If you just want to tone, go for lighter weight and reps from 10 - 15. Form is key people. Let me say that again--FORM is key. If you are new to the workout scene--hire a personal trainer to get you started. If your form isn't good, you will end up hurting yourself and then not be able to workout. Who wants that? After you get your form down, you will be able to build your exercise repertoire. Start out with a routine and then after a month, change it up--get some new exercises. I will show people a routine and they do it for a month then come back and get a new one and again, and again. You don't have to have a trainer with you the whole time. Get a workout and do it and then come back and change it up. Most of my clients over the years only come to the gym because I am there waiting on them. Whatever motivation you need, use it. And joining a gym isn't enough--you do actually have to go...


Just like with cardio, you have to change up your workouts--the exercises, the number of sets, number of reps, amount of weight/resistance, speed of reps. You can't just go in and do the same thing every time and expect results. That is why I suggest you do a routine for a month and then change it up. After you get some experience, you will have enough exercises in your library to be able to change it up every time. And, how do you know what you did last time if you don't keep track of it and WRITE IT DOWN?! I have YEARS worth of workout books. I write EVERYthing down. In your little notebook, you can note your weight, notes about how you feel--like a sore elbow, headache, etc.--because all of that affects your workout. Write down your weight, reps, sets--you can make notes to go up in weight for next time. Write it down!


ABS. I have to add this section in here. Everyone wants a "six pack". Guess what? You already have it--you just have to uncover it. Abs are muscles like all the others. Doing 900 ab exercises won't get it for you. You have to burn the fat off to get to them. One exercise for abs per workout is plenty. If you are doing them right--you won't be able to do that many. And, adding weight just makes your abs bigger...it will build them out--make them thicker. Just like your biceps grow, your abs will get bigger too. Just keep that in mind...


And one more thing... I want to add a few comments about being sore. I have been lifting myself since 1983. I get sore after EVERY workout--still. Sometimes more than others but always sore. If you don't get a little sore, you aren't pushing yourself. The whole point of working out is to make a change in your body. If you are just going to the gym and going through the motions, you are wasting your time. Go to the gym, be focused, get in, get out and make it count.


Change your body, change your life!