Are you as strong, flexible, and physically fit as you would like to be? If you are, good for you. However, if you want to make some improvements, here’s one piece of advice: Try to improve a little bit at a time.

The only way to walk a mile is to take 1 step at a time. The only way to improve your fitness level is to take it 1 step at a time.

• Pick 1 aspect of fitness (aerobic, strength, flexibility) you want to improve first.
• Pick an activity that you enjoy. Your more likely to keep doing something you like.
• Set a 1-month goal that you think you can reach. For example, plan to walk for 10 minutes at lunch 3 days a week, or stretch for 5 minutes each morning.
• Start today. Keep a record of what you do.
• When you reach your first goal, reward yourself! Then set a new one.

Consistency brings success. Each success may be a small one, but small successes can quickly add up to physical fitness that will make a big difference in your life.

How hard should I exercise?

Nice and easy does it. Exercise does not have to be intense to be of value. In fact, if you exercise too hard, you get less benefit than if you go at a moderate pace.

Above all, listen to your body. If the exercise feels too hard, slow down. You will reduce your risk of injury and enjoy the exercise much more.

Try the “talk-sing test” to determine your ideal exercise pace:

• If you can’t talk and exercise at the same time, you are going too fast.
• If you can talk while you exercise, you are doing fine.
• If you can sing while you exercise, it would be safe to exercise a little faster.

Your exercise is most effective when you can talk, but not sing, while doing it.

How Often should I Exercise?

Most studies show that exercising for at least 30 minutes a week is what it takes to improve fitness. However, sometimes it’s easier to make exercise a habit if you do it every day.

With aerobic exercise, harder is not better, but longer is. Although you can get good fitness benefits from as little as 10 minutes of aerobic exercise per day, extending your exercise time will increase your rewards. This is true for up to 1 hour of exercise per day. Beyond that, there may be diminishing health returns and increasing risk of injuries.

Warm Up and Cool Down

For the first 5 minutes of your exercise routine, start out slowly and easily so your muscles have a chance to warm up.

End your exercise with a little cool-down period. If you’ve been running or walking quickly, gradually slow your pace, then do a few light stretches to improve flexibility.

Drink some extra water before and after exercising.

Overcome Barriers to Exercise

There are 6 barriers to exercise are all easy to overcome

1. No time?
   Try shorter periods of activity spread out throughout the day, such as three 10-minute walks.
2. Too tired?
   It’s often lack of exercise that makes you tired. Exercise gives you energy, try it.
3. Embarrassed?
   Many people are, especially at first. Be proud that you’re taking care of your body.
4. No partner?
   Yes, it’s more fun to exercise with a friend. If your regular exercise partner quits, find another one. You could also join a fitness club, take a class, or exercise to a video.
5. Bad weather?
   Too hot, too cold, too wet, too windy-it never seems right for exercise. Lots of people exercise come rain or shine. Try a variety of indoor and outdoor activities.
6. Too costly?
   You had to let the fitness club expire. You can’t afford a mountain bike. You panic at the price of running shoes. It all costs money, but can you afford not to exercise? Try a low-cost option such as walking instead of driving.

Exercise CAUTIONS

Moderate exercise is safe for most people. To be safe, start slowly and gradually increase the intensity of your exercise. However, if you can answer “yes” to any of the following questions, talk with your physician before beginning an exercise program.

• Do you have heart trouble?
• Do you have undiagnosed chest pains?
• Do you have high blood pressure?
• Do you have arthritis or other bone or joint problems that might be aggravated by improper exercise?
• Do you  have diabetes? You may want to talk with your physician about how increased exercise affects your insulin needs.

Men over age 40 who have been inactive or who have 2 or more risk factors for heart disease* and who plan to start a vigorous exercise program (running or fast bicycling or swimming) may wish to talk with their physician about any possible risks.

*Cholesterol over 200 mg/dl, blood pressure over 140/90, smoking, diabetes, or family history of heart disease before age 45

The Benefits of Exercise

No amount of exercise can guarantee a long life, however, even moderate amounts of physical activity can improve the likelihood of a healthy life. Along with a positive attitude and a healthful diet, your fitness level plays a major role in how well you feel, what illnesses you avoid, and how much you enjoy your life.

Consider the benefits of fitness presented here and find one or more reasons to to commit to your own fitness program:

• Relives tension and stress
• Provides enjoyment and fun
• Stimulates the mind
• Helps maintain a stable weight
• Controls appetite
• Boosts self-image
• Improves muscle tone and strength
• Improves flexibility
• Lowers blood pressure
• Relives insomnia
• Increases “good” (HDL) cholesterol
• Reduces risk of diabetes
• Increases energy and helps decrease fatigue
• Reduces anxiety and depression
• Improves balance and coordination
• Helps prevent constipation

Are you ready to get Started?

• Any activity is better than no activity…and you never have to run a marathon. You can start with a 5-minute walk today, and presto! You’re started!
• Then, you can look for ways to liven up every day with a few minutes of walking, gardening, bicycling, dancing, swimming, taking the stairs, playing games, etc….
• Some people like to write down all of their activity on their calendar. Then they can step back and say,
  “I did it!”

Your Personal Fitness Plan

No one can prescribe the perfect fitness plan for you. You have to figure it out based on what you enjoy doing and what you will continue to do.

Consistency is the most important, the most basic, and the most often neglected part of fitness. Consistency in regular exercise or moderate activity delivers all of the fitness benefits.

A good fitness plan has 3 parts: aerobic fitness, muscle strengthening, and flexibility.

AEROBIC  FITNESS

Aerobic conditioning strengthens your heart and lungs. Good aerobic exercises include brisk walking, running, stair climbing, biking, swimming aerobic dance, or anything else that raises your heart rate and keeps it up for a while.

MUSCLE STRENGTHENING

Strengthening your muscles improves your work and athletic performance and prevents fatigue.
Muscle-strengthening exercises will also improve your posture and help you feel more energetic.

Resistance training, with free weights, weight-training equipment, or inexpensive rubber tubing, can quickly increase your muscle strength.

Other simple, safe, and effective strengthening exercises include bent-knee curl-ups, chin-ups, push-ups, side leg-lifts, and other calisthenics to improve abdominal, neck, arm, shoulder, and leg strength.

FLEXIBILITY

Stretching can increase your range of motion and reduce stiffness and pain. Stretching is particularly important during the cool-down phase after exercising when your muscles are warm.

• Stretch slowly and gradually. Don’t bounce. Maintain a continuous tension on the muscle.
• Relax and hold each stretch for a count of 20.
• Exhale as you stretch, to further relax your muscles. If stretching hurts, you have gone too far or you are doing something incorrectly.

Identifying why your goals are important

You’re much more likely to stick to a plan of action if you remind yourself often why it’s important to you. For example, if you’re starting up a strength training program because you have borderline osteoporosis, increasing your bone density and preventing fractures is a huge motivator, not to mention avoiding looking like a hunchback. You know your life will be better if you don’t end up in the hospital with broken bones on a regular basis. Alternatively, you may be weight training because you want to tone up and have more energy to get through each day. The specific reasons need to be individual and relevant to your life.

Whatever inspires you is key to keeping you on track with your training. Remind yourself of all the benefits you want to enjoy as a result of continuing with your weight-training program. Post your goals (and what you gain from achieving them) on your refrigerator, desk, or computer terminal. Or post pictures of good role models of what you want to achieve. Studies show that the best way to keep you motivated is to remind yourself frequently of the benefits as well as the negative consequences if you don’t stay on track with your plans.

Using S.M.A.R.T. goals

People who use a system of setting S.M.A.R.T. (see the following bulleted list for definitions) goals have a much better chance of success at achieving their goals. This system consists of taking small, specific steps toward a particular goal and focuses on changing your habits gradually. When you set your training goals, check to see if they meet the following criteria:

• Specific: If you’re having a tough time with consistent workouts, set a
  specific goal that you want to achieve that isn’t too extreme. For example,
  set a specific goal to go through your weight-training program each week.
• Measurable: A measurable goal is one that you can objectively determine
  whether or not you met the goal. For example, make a measurable
  goal be to train at least 2 times per week for at least 25 minutes per
  session.
• Achievable: If you’ve been having a hard time finding a spare hour to
  train, don’t plan to do a one-hour workout. Instead, set a more achievable
  goal for your schedule such as two 25-minute workouts.
• Reasonable: If you’re having a tough time training twice a week, don’t
  set a goal to train three times a week. First, master finding time to train
  twice a week and build from there. If even two times a week is tough,
  start out with a goal of once a week and build from there. Remember,
  you don’t have to achieve your fitness goals all in the first month.
• Timed: Give yourself a set time to meet your goal. For example, if you
  set the goal of training at least 2 times per week for a minimum of 25
  minutes per session, decide that you want to achieve this over a twomonth
  period. If two months seems too long to you, start with a goal of
  one-month.

Fifty percent of people typically drop out of a new exercise program within the first six weeks, according to research evidence. Studies also tell us that it takes about eight weeks of doing a new behavior to create a new habit. Know that after you’ve passed the first eight weeks of consistent training, you’re well on your way to successfully achieving your goals and maintaining a lifetime of fitness.

Keep in mind that life happens. If you fall off track, don’t waste precious time beating yourself up with negative thoughts. Simply assess what interfered with your regular training, benefit from the experience, and get right back into your program. As the ancient Chinese saying goes, “The journey of 10,000 miles begins with a single step.” This wisdom is applicable to your training. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other and believe in yourself.

Getting the support that you need

If you find that you’re having a hard time keeping up with your program on your own, consider working with a personal trainer or hiring a lifestyle coach to support you. We have an article planned that will provide you with good tips on how to select a personal trainer or group fitness instructor.

Find ways to get the support of friends, family members, co-workers, and training partners. Studies show that social support is the single most important factor for sticking to a workout program. Share your goals with people you’re close to and who care about you. Beware of those who may try to sabotage your goals. Let people know how important your training is and why you want to succeed. Share what benefits you expect to achieve and show your appreciation to those around you who do help you to succeed.

Studies show that the most effective method to progress your program is through a process called periodization (another bit of weight training jargon that we feel compelled to foist upon you). Periodization involves varying volume and training intensity and simply means organizing your program into different periods, each lasting about four to eight weeks. Each period has a different theme. For example, one month you may use weight machines, and the next month you may switch to dumbbells and barbells. Or you can change the number of sets, repetitions, and exercises you perform from one period to the next. Athletes use periodization to vary their weight lifting (and other types of training) from their off-season to their competitive season.

Periodization is more than a fun diversion; this strategy gives you better results. The ACSM recommends periodization for experienced exercisers based on the number of research studies that show its benefits. Consider this study of more than 30 women conducted at Penn State University. Half the women did a typical circuit of 12 weight machines (see Chapter 18 for a definition of circuit), performing one set of 8 to 10 repetitions per machine. They continued this workout three times a week for nine months. The second group engaged in periodized training, systematically changing the number of sets, reps, and exercises they performed. Initially, the groups showed comparable strength gains. But after four months, the circuit group hit a plateau. The periodization group continued to make steady progress throughout the
nine months.

We recommend that an introductory periodization program include five distinct phases, each lasting about a month. (However, depending on your goals, each phase can be as short as two weeks or as long as eight weeks.) You can repeat this cycle over and over again. Here’s a look at each phase:

• Prep Phase: During this period, you prepare your body for the challenges
  ahead with a basic workout. Use light weights, perform one to
  four sets per muscle, do 12 to 15 repetitions per set, and rest 90 seconds
  between sets.
• Pump Phase: In this phase, you step up your efforts a bit. You lift
  slightly heavier weight, perform 10 to 12 reps per set, do three to eight
  sets per muscle group, and rest only 60 seconds between sets. The
  pump phase is a good time to introduce a few of the advanced training
  techniques we describe later in this chapter, such as super sets and
  giant sets.
• Push Phase: In this period, you do 8 to 10 reps per set, resting 30 seconds
  between sets. You do only two or three different exercises per
  muscle group, but you do several sets of each so you can use the
  advanced training techniques, such as pyramids, that we describe later.
• Peak Phase: In this phase, you focus on building maximum strength. Do
  6 to 8 reps per set, 15 to 20 sets per muscle group, but fewer different
  exercises. For instance, you may only do one or two leg exercises, but
  you do multiple sets of each exercise and six to eight repetitions per set.
  Rest a full two minutes between sets so that you can lift more weight.
  This phase is your last big effort before you take a break from heavy
  training.
• Rest Phase: In this phase, either you drop back to the light workouts
  you did in the prep phase, or you take a break from weight training altogether.
  Yes, that’s right, we’re giving you permission to stop lifting
  weights — for as long as two weeks. Resting gives your body (and your
  mind) a chance to recover from all the hard work you’ve been putting in.
  After your break, you move back into your next periodization cycle with
  fresh muscles and a renewed enthusiasm for your training.

  If you’re hell-bent on toning or building up your body, you may be
  tempted to skip the rest phase. Don’t. If you never rest, at some point your
  body starts to break down. You stop making progress, and you may get
  injured. If you want to get fit, resting is just as important as working out.

We present just one model of periodized training. The possibilities are endless. Depending on your goals, you may want to emphasize or play down a particular phase. For example, if you aim to get as strong as possible, spend more time in the peak phase; if you’ve been lifting weights for years, shorten the prep phase or skip it altogether. An experienced and well-educated personal trainer helps you design a periodization program to meet your needs.

If you want to continue to increase your strength over time, studies show that trained individuals require multiple-set training of at least three or more. A trained person is someone who’s been lifting consistently for at least three months. In addition to increasing the number of sets, you should also vary your training volume and intensity over time with periodized training as explained later in this chapter. Increases in training should be gradual to avoid injury from overtraining.

However, if your goal is to become as strong as you can or reshape an area of your body, you need to perform more than three sets per muscle group. Some serious weight lifters perform as many as 20. (However, they don’t do 20 sets of the same exercise; they may do 5 sets each of 4 different exercises that work the same muscle.) See Chapter 21 for more guidelines on how many sets to perform if you’re an experienced lifter.

The principle of specificity of training determines how much rest you should take in between sets. Beginners should take all the rest they need because you’re just becoming acquainted with your body and want to avoid injury. New exercisers may take up to twice as long to rest as those who’re more experienced. The National Strength and Conditioning Association recommends that your rest period be based on your training goal. If your goal is to increase endurance and you’re lifting 12 or more reps, your rest period should be up to 30 seconds. If your goal is to increase size, and you’re lifting between 6 to 12 reps, you should rest between 30 to 90 seconds. If your goal is to increase strength and you’re lifting fewer than six reps, you should rest between two to five minutes. People who train for pure strength are going for all-out lifts — a very intense approach. Circuit training, which emphasizes muscular endurance or what is sometimes described as cardio-resistance  involves taking little or no rest between sets.

• Strength: Muscular strength is the maximum amount of weight that you
  can lift one time — also called your one-rep max. For example, if you can
  squeeze out only one shoulder press with 45 pounds, that’s your one-rep
  max for that exercise.

• Endurance: Muscular endurance refers to how many times you can
  lift a sub-maximal weight over a period of time. Muscular strength and
  endurance are related, but aren’t the same. Muscular endurance is handy
  for everyday tasks like carrying a heavy box from your house to the car.
  Don’t confuse muscular endurance with cardiovascular endurance, which
  is the stamina of your heart and lungs. Muscular endurance affects only
  the muscle in question and lasts only a minute or two; you improve the
  staying power of one muscle rather than the stamina of your entire body.

• Specificity: Your muscles develop specifically in response to how you
  train them. For example, if you want to get stronger hips and legs, you
  should do squats, not push-ups. Similarly, if you want to become a better
  runner, ultimately you need to practice running. Weight training can
  complement your running program, but can’t replace the hours you
  need to spend at the track.

• Overload: To increase your strength or endurance, you need to train by
  pushing your muscles to do more than what they’re used to. You can
  overload your muscles by lifting a challenging weight load, doing a lot of
  reps and sets, or increasing how many times per week that you train.

• Repetition: This term, often shortened to rep, refers to a single rendition
  of an exercise. For example, pressing two dumbbells straight above your
  head and then lowering them back down to your shoulders constitutes
  one complete repetition of the dumbbell shoulder press.

• ROM and movement speed: Perform most of your exercises through the
  fullest range of motion (ROM) possible of your working joints to stimulate
  the muscles most effectively. Movement speed should be slow and
  controlled. Anyone who lifts weight for general fitness should perform
  four-second repetitions — two seconds to lift the weight, stop the motion,
  and two seconds to lower it. Stop for a moment at the mid-point of a rep
  to avoid using momentum, instead of your muscles, to power you through.
  Don’t pause for more than a split second at the end of a repetition —
  otherwise, it becomes a rest. Each rep should flow seamlessly into the
  next. Athletes and those who’re lifting for extreme strength or bulk may
  do slower or faster reps depending on their goals.
• Failure: To achieve overload, you need to take your muscles to failure.
  That is the level of fatigue where you can’t do one more repetition with
  good form. For instance, when you can’t complete the full ROM or lift
  your fist all the way up one more time when performing biceps curls,
  you can’t do one more rep. Time to end your set.
• Recovery: When your muscles reach failure at the end of a set, you need
  to recover or rest before you can challenge that muscle to work again.
  This is also referred to as the rest period. Similarly, after you’ve worked
  a muscle group in your workout, you need to allow it to recover for at
  least 48 hours before you train it again.
• Set: A set is a group of consecutive reps that you perform without resting.
  When you’ve done 12 repetitions of the dumbbell shoulder press to
  failure and then put the weights down, you’ve completed one set. If you
  rest for a minute and then perform 12 more repetitions, you’ve done
  two sets.
• Routine: This term encompasses virtually every aspect of what you do
  in one weight lifting session, including the type of equipment you use;
  the number of exercises, sets, and repetitions you perform; the order in
  which you do your exercises; and how much rest you take between sets.
  By varying the elements of your routine — say, decreasing the number
  of reps or adding new exercises — you can significantly change the
  results you get from weight training because of the principle of specificity.
  Your routine (also referred to as your program or your workout)
  can change from one exercise session to the next, or it can stay the same
  over a period of weeks or months.
• Progression: Overloading your muscles by lifting a weight to muscular
  failure stimulates your muscles to get stronger. This is the principle of
  specificity in action. To continue to overload your muscles and keep
  making progress, you need to find new ways to challenge your muscles.
  This is why you need to change up your program or routine. In general,
  wait six to eight weeks to see visible results from your training when
  you’re new. Internal changes start to occur immediately in response to
  your first training session.

Keep in mind that understanding how to train your muscles is like studying a new skill. You aren’t born with this knowledge, in spite of the fact that you were born with a body. Many people have the misconception that because they live in a body, they know how to train it. You’ll benefit significantly by taking the time to study and acquire the skills from qualified professionals. Finding out how to use equipment properly is an early step in this process. We do our best to break this information down in a way that is complete and easy to follow. Take your time. Be patient with yourself. Soon, you’ll be lifting
like a pro.

Resistance training equipment falls into many common categories:

• Free weights: Free weights include dumbbells, barbells, bars, and
  weight plates. These come in a variety of shapes, sizes, materials, and
  weights.

• Machines: Weight machines generally include a seat, a cable or pulley, a
  variety of weight plates for adjustable resistance, and movable bars.
  Similar to free weights, machines vary widely in design.
  Newer machines come equipped with computerized programming features
  and may even talk back at you while you’re training.

• Resistance bands and tubing: Rubber bands and tubes provide opportunities
  for strength training any time and any place. Bands are flat and
  wide. Tubes are round and were initially used by doctors in surgery.
  Cheap, lightweight, and portable bands and tubes are the training tool of
  choice for frequent travelers. Latex-free versions are available for people
  with allergies.

While not strictly in the category of resistance training equipment, the following tools provide means to enhance your weight training programs.

• Balls and foam rollers: Add balls and foam rollers into many exercises
  to provide an unstable surface on which to work. Incorporating this element
  of instability increases the difficulty of the exercise by requiring
  the use of deeper abdominal and back muscles.

• Body weight: Your body may not feel like a training tool, but use your
  own body weight to provide effective resistance in a number of exercises
  such as the squat and lunge, and the push-up.

• Yoga and Pilates: Yoga and Pilates aren’t styles of weight training; however,
  many yoga and Pilates moves involve challenges that strengthen
  muscles. The particular advantage of many of these exercises is that
  they also involve flexibility and encourage the development of strength,
  balance, and coordination through movement patterns.

The key to achieving your goals is really “mental”. Success is created in the mind first. All the fancy exercises, workout plans, pills, 30 min DVDs, or diets will not overpower a poor misguided mindset. All the best exercises we know already. All the best foods we know already. You have to change your belief system, attitude, and expectation’s about healthy living. There are no quick fixes or special exercises that will magically give you the body you desire. You didn’t just wake up overweight or obese one day. Your current body and current fitness level is the result of the choices you have made in the past, which are directly related to your thoughts, beliefs, and most importantly “practice” of healthy living. Now there are of some us who are fighting genetic, hormonal, and other limitations that make things more difficult, but lifestyle trumps all.

The process of changing your mindset begins by creating new thoughts, attitudes, and habits that point you in the right direction of the results you desire. Success is a direction – not a destination. Stop focusing so much on the results and focus on the actual steps and the process that lead to the results. Your workout in the gym is just the beginning of the process. Once you leave the gym you must continue to perform and do the things that are necessary to achieve the results. The work isn’t over after the cool down and stretch. You will not be able to out exercise the bad habits and behaviors. This simply does not work. It only leads to frustration and slow results.

So as I stated above focus more on the daily process. Its about winning the daily battles that lead to winning the war. Your not going to be able to go through this process without changing something. Mostly likely it will be something you are resistance to change, but this is part of the process. Becoming more aware of your food choices and where you can squeeze in more physical activity is the key.

Bottom line is you have to think, eat, live, and walk like the healthy and fit person you are and want to be. Do this and watch the magic take place.

Knowing is not enough; We must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do. ~ Bruce Lee.

EDUCATION and SAFETY always leads to RESULTS.

This list is not in any particular order of importance or value, just a few things I noticed daily in the gym. My goal is to educate you so you can be more aware and avoid them. Check it out.

1. Over training – What in world is over training? Well it is exactly what it states – don’t over complicate it as it is really simple. It is the result of training too frequently, for too long, and with poor recovery. I think people feel like they have to really over work themselves in the gym in order to achieve the results they desire. However the exercise part of training is the smallest part of the whole puzzle. Focus more on making the changes you need to make outside of the gym for best results like eating and sleeping (resting). If you are putting in 2 hour killer training sessions day after day after day with poor nutrition habits and don’t allow for your body to recovery – is basically the equivalent to spinning your wheels – as in your going nowhere. Check out my previous post “Muscles Don’t Grow in the Gym…”. The goal should be to spend less time in the gym not more time. Focus on working harder not longer and giving your body ample time to recovery from the workout.
2. Isolating – Unless you are trying to compete as a body builder you should not be focusing on improving the size of one muscle at a time. In your daily life how many of muscles do you use to perform the many daily activities of life? Well why not train for how you live. Let me say that again – “…train how YOU live”. To achieve the best results you should be doing exercises and movements that train or involve the must muscles and movements as possible. They say we have 600+ muscles in our body but in my eyes I see it as just one, as it is a system. Your muscles in your body don’t’ just start and stop, as it is really a continuation from one area of body or bone segment to the next. Bottom line is you burn more calories when you incorporate as many muscles as possible. When you watch athletes performing during their sport – what muscles are they using? Focus on training movements not just muscles. Exercise is more about helping you maintain your ability to move better and strength as you age. In addition the added benefits is that you will be more likely to not be overweight and affected by preventable diseases.
3. No Intensity - You noticed I didn’t say low intensity as some of the activity I witness may not qualify as such. I see a lot of sitting around going on and TV watching. If you are not elevating your heart rate or challenging your respiratory system then what are you doing? By raising the intensity you could actually save yourself some time. You wouldn’t have to spend an hour on the treadmill doing long distance training. If you changed it to interval training then you could accomplish more in a shorter period of time. Overall if you put more effort into your training intensity this is a all-around win win for you. Training at a higher intensity requires more energy output which means more caloric expenditure. Put a little more gusto into your workout – you will notice the difference. Please keep in mind that high-intensity exercise requires a longer recovery period and isn’t for beginners.
4. Abs, Abs, and more Abs – Well what can I say. People have a extreme fascination with abdominal muscles. I have seen countless people crunching like their life depended on it on the ab machine. Crunching from the front and side ways in a attempt to develop a six-pack. Do this for me – next time your watching a sporting event watch to see if anyone of the athletes does a crunch or sit up. I doubt you will see even one. Check out my previous post “Everyone has a Six-Pack”. The muscles that make up the six-pack are just 1 of the 29 muscles that make up the core. The muscles of the core are responsible for movement and stabilization of the lumbo-pelvic-hip complex (LPHC) or the core. So your abs are just as responsible for movement as they are for stopping movement in various directions. So why do most people train their core in one direction or with one goal in mind. You can’t build a house on a unstable foundation. You must be able to control your body before you can set it in motion. Bottom line is a six-pack just means your body fat is low enough to see the muscles underneath. If you want to see these muscles, the best thing to do is to eat a lean and clean diet that is low in fat and calories. To see the side walk you have to shovel the snow. Its more about what your crunching in your mouth daily than crunching in the gym.
5. All Push, No Pull. All Front, No Back - Well the example scenario goes like this – Joe the gym guy is sitting at his desk (for most of the day) at work leaves to head to the gym. He sits in his car for a 45-60 min commute to gym. The first thing Joe does is head straight to the bench press machine and lie down on his back or some other sitting machine based exercise. Don’t see the problem with this, well neither does Joe? The problem is that he is training himself to be good at sitting and lying down. The larger muscles in legs, glutes, and core are very under trained and under developed due to being ignored during the workout. The other part of that is that bench press is a exercise that involves pushing the resistance away from the body. Most workouts I witness are dominated by pushing movements which leaves the posterior chain (back) of the body under trained and under developed. This is typical as most gym goers only work on the muscles they can see. I call this working on the “mirror” muscles. The problem with only working on the mirror muscles is its does not help you reach your goals, move better, decrease pain/injury, prevent pain/injury, or help in long term weight management. So make sure your exercise is well rounded and balanced. The back of your body is just as important as the front if not more.

So I hope this enlightened you a bit and made you aware of some common mistakes and how to address them. Always remember that EDUCATION and SAFETY always leads to RESULTS.

Stay tuned for the Top 5 Mistakes Outside the Gym which may be more important to help you reach your fitness goals.