Fitness training can improve your health in many ways. Combining resistance training with cardiovascular exercises that you enjoy has many health benefits. These activities improve bone density, increase lean muscle and may even extend your life. Add a few simple fitness training tips to your program to get the most out of every single workout.
Resistance Training
Add resistance training to your fitness program on three to five days out of the week. Resistance training improves bone density, increases muscle mass and cranks up your metabolism. Everyone can derive significant benefit from even low intensity training three days per week.
Warm-ups
Warm-up properly to avoid injury and improve your performance. For athletic evens, activities or cardiovascular training, this could mean simply doing some light jogging or walking on the treadmill for five to 10 minutes to loosen up your muscles. Before resistance training, you may want to do two light sets of an exercise with 50 and 75 percent of the weight you will use for the more challenging sets to come.
Compound Exercises
When resistance training, focus on compound, multi-joint movements first. These exercises give you the most efficient workout because they target a lot of muscle fibers all at once. Examples include squats for legs, pull ups for back, bench presses for chest, upright rows for shoulders, bar curls for biceps and dips for triceps (see Exercise Guide in Resources).
Repetition Ranges
Use a repetition range that suits your fitness goals. For power and strength, lift weights for three to five repetitions. If you want to build muscle, stick to the hypertrophy repetition range from six to 12 reps. For training the endurance components of muscles, use 12 or more reps.
Cardiovascular Training
No matter what your fitness goal, add cardiovascular training to maintain a healthy body weight and strengthen your heart. As little as 30 minutes, three times per week, of cardio has a significant benefit for overall health and wellness, fat burning and energy levels.
Nutrition
Eat for success when you follow a training program. Have a pre-workout meal one or two hours before training. Include protein and low-glycemic (slow-digesting) carbohydrates to fuel your workouts. After your training, be sure to get proper nutrition for muscle recovery. Whey protein makes great fast-digesting source of protein for post-workout nutrition. Do not forget to take in some carbs as well to replace muscle glycogen.
Hydration
Drink eight 12 to 16 oz. glasses of water every day. Sip water regularly while working out or engaging in any physical activity to avoid dehydration. Water acts as a natural energizer and fat burner, and plays a role in nearly ever chemical process in your body.
Have Fun
Choose fitness activities that you enjoy. Dreading your trip to the local gym will not lead to positive results. If you like to get outdoors, try jogging or walking rather than the boring treadmill. Everyone can find a physical activity that they enjoy and that will promote healthy living.
About this Author
Andrew Bennett enjoys exploring health and fitness through his personal workouts, as well as researching the latest about the subject. As a natural body builder, Bennett enjoys the ongoing pursuit of health and wellness in all aspects of life. He writes articles, blogs, copy, and even award-winning screenplays.
