safety precautions

Safety Precautions and Basic Gym Safety

This article's main purpose is to assure your safety, so that you get the most out of
your workouts while avoiding injuries and/or other complications. It is imperative
that you understand and adhere to each of the following safety precautions.

1.) Get a complete physical checkup before you start a strength-training program.
You might have to modify or avoid weightlifting if you have muscle or joint problems, seizure disorders,
heart disease, high blood pressure, previous injuries or any other physical condition with potential for
danger.

2.) Be sure to always integrate warm-ups, stretching, and cooling- down into your program. This will reduce your risk of injury by increasing your blood flow and prepping your muscles for the work they are about to do. Using the proper lifting form is important not only to work your muscles correctly, but also to prevent injury. Always do your exercises through a full range of motion in a slow, controlled manner.


3.) When beginning a new weightlifting program--or any time you try a new exercise--always start out using light weights. It is far better to start out too light than too heavy. Choose a weight that you are sure is light and do a warm-up set of 15 repetitions, while perfecting the correct lifting technique. If the weight is too easy for 10 to 12 reps--in keeping with your goals--add a little more weight and gradually increase that weight within the next few weeks.


4.) Going to total muscle fatigue with a challenging weight is not useful objective in your first few weeks.
When trying a new lift or starting a new routine, the objective is to practice and perfect your technique, and
to learn how to concentrate on the muscle you are exercising.







5.) Proper breathing is essential in weightlifting. If you hold your breath while lifting a weight, you run the risk of raising your blood pressure and starving your brain of oxygen. You should try to exhale during the "positive," or main exertion phase, and inhale during the "negative," the phase in which you resist and come back slowly. If this becomes too confusing or takes away from your concentration on the lift, don't worry about it--just remember to breathe.



6.) Do not leave equipment lying around the weight room where someone could trip over it. Always use the
collars that prevent weights from falling off the barbells. Be sure to keep your hands away from the chains,
cams, pulleys, and weight plates of exercise machines when they are in use. Also, when selecting the weight
for a machine exercise, be sure to push the pin in all the way. Be sure to wear a weightlifting belt on
exercises that place stress on your lower back, such as bent-over lifts like squats, or barbell rows.


7.) Consider having a spotter. Having a spotter is important not only for safety reasons but also for
performance enhancement. Few things work as well as a conscientious, knowledgeable spotter or workout
partner who demands proper technique and full effort on every exercise set and repetition. An effective
spotter gives encouragement, technique, feedback, and just enough assistance to permit completion of that
final, difficult, repetition. No matter what your goal reps are, each set should end with the last repetition
being challenging; you should try to go to muscle fatigue. Given this goal, there is always the chance that
when trying for a final repetition, you just can't do it all on your own. This is where your spotter comes in--
helping you just barely finish that last rep, and assuring you of your safety.


8.) If you do not have a workout partner at first, we strongly recommend trying to find someone with similar
goals and interests to work out with you. This will not only help assure safety and motivation, it will also
help you make it to the gym more often. If you aren't working with a partner at a gym, either ask a staff
member or someone who looks experienced for a quick "spot". Most people will be happy to help you. Be
sure you and your spotter have a plan so that each of you knows exactly what the other will do in case you
need assistance.


9.) It is also important that you know how to correctly spot someone to assure his or her safety. When
spotting someone, always be prepared to give a little assistance when they reach muscle fatigue (cannot
complete the rep on their own). You don't want to help so much that the rep becomes easy for them to
complete--give just enough assistance so that they can complete the set, but it is still challenging for them.
Also, only provide assistance on the positive phase (the part that requires the pushing or pulling motion). Still
have your hands ready to help, but don't help with the negative phase (the part where you resist the weights
force)--the lifter should try to slowly resist the force of the weight all on his/her own.
-When spotting someone, who is using a barbell, be sure to use two hands and provide assistance evenly on
the bar so you don't throw off their balance or favor one side more than the other.
-When spotting someone, who is using a dumbbell, be sure to provide assistance in the same place for both
hands and the same amount of assistance on each side.
-When spotting someone who is using a machine provide assistance underneath the weight--be sure to
move hands on the negative phase (down phase with resistance) not only to promote effective results for
the lifter but also to assure your safety.
Strength training provides many important benefits that cannot be achieved by any other exercise or
activity. However, when enjoying this great form of exercise, be sure to adhere to these precautions so that
your program is not only effective, but safe as well.


Good luck! We hope you enjoy all the wonderful benefits of a safe and effective strength training
program.

important guidelines

Important Guidelines

If you are planning to increase your physical activity or start an exercise program, you start with a sedentary activity—answering a few short questions, that is. The PAR-Q (Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire) is the gold standard in fitness safety, used by doctors, trainers and health clubs the world over. Usually comprised of 5-7 questions, it can help rule out any underlying health concerns that could worsen with exercise. Answer yes or no to the following questions.

Has your doctor ever said that you have a heart condition and that you should only do physical activity recommended by a doctor? 

1) Do you feel pain in your chest when you do physical activity?

2) In the past month, have you had chest pain when you were not doing physical activity?

3) Do you lose your balance because of dizziness or do you ever lose consciousness?

4) Do you have a bone or joint problem (for example, back, knee, or hip) that could be made worse by a change in your physical activity?

5) Is your doctor currently prescribing drugs (for example, water pills) for your blood pressure or heart condition?

6) Do you know of any other reason why you should not do physical activity?

If you answer YES to any of the questions on this list, you must check in with your doctor and get cleared for exercise before you start.

diet plan guidelines

I hear it all the time. People tell me all about their workout routines and what exercises and muscle groups they train on what days and how much weight they lift for how many sets and reps and blah blah blah, but when I ask them about their diet plan, the answer is usually “it’s okay” or “I think it’s pretty good.”
In reality however it’s often terrible, and it’s the #1 reason you’re not losing fat or building muscle or getting the results you want. The truth is, if your diet plan isn’t set up the way it needs to be for your goal to be reached, then your goal WILL NOT be reached. Simple as that.
So, how should you eat to support your goal? How do you figure out what your daily calorie, protein, fat and carb intake needs to be and what food sources those nutrients should and should not come from? How do you set up your ideal diet plan?

Daily Calorie Intake

Above everything else in your diet plan, your daily calorie intake is by far the most important part of it. As you will see, protein, fat and carbs definitely matter as well, but nothing influences your ability to lose weight, gain weight, build muscle or do anything similar as much as calories do.
This is because everything we eat and drink (besides obvious calorie-free items like water) contains calories, and everything we do (exercise, getting dressed, breathing, digesting food, etc.) burns calories. The difference between how many calories we consume and how many calories we burn is the most important factor in every diet plan. Here’s why…

How do you use calories to control your weight?

The way the human body works is pretty simple. There is a certain number of calories that your body requires every day in order for it to maintain your current weight. We call this your “daily calorie maintenance level.” It’s the amount of calories your body requires each day in order to do EVERYTHING it needs to do.
Now, if your diet plan is made up of more, less or the same amount of calories as your maintenance level, 1 of 3 things will always happen…

• If you eat MORE calories than your maintenance level, you will gain weight. This is a requirement for building muscle.
• If you eat LESS calories than your maintenance level, you will lose weight. This is a requirement for losing fat.
• If you eat the SAME amount of calories as your maintenance level, your weight will stay the same. This is a requirement for maintaining your current weight.

And these are really the most important things you need to know about your daily calorie intake and just creating a proper diet plan in general. These 3 simple facts are what most of the population fail to learn, understand, or just pay attention to, and it’s the #1 reason why their body isn’t doing what they want it to do.

How do you estimate your maintenance level?

The first step in figuring out what your daily calorie intake needs to be is estimating what your maintenance level is. There are quite a few ways to do this, but the easiest is to multiply your current body weight in pounds by 14 and 17. Somewhere between those 2 amounts will usually be your maintenance level.
Women, people who are less active, or people who think they have a slower metabolism should use the lower end of their range. Men, people who are more active, or people who think they have a faster metabolism should use the higher end of their range. People who are unsure should just pick a number in the middle.

How do you adjust your daily calorie intake for your goal?

Now that you have a good estimate of what your maintenance level is, it’s time to adjust it for your specific goal. Here’s how…

• If you want to lose weight, SUBTRACT about 500 calories from your estimated maintenance level and start eating this amount each day.
• If you want to build muscle or gain weight, ADD about 300-500 calories to your estimated maintenance level and start eating this amount each day.
• If you want to maintain your current weight, don’t make any adjustments. Just eat your maintenance level amount each day.

To ensure your daily calorie intake is indeed what it should be, all you need to do is weigh yourself about once per week first thing in the morning before eating or drinking anything, and monitor if your weight is moving in the right direction at the ideal rate.
For losing weight, 1-2lbs lost per week is usually perfect. For gaining weight or building muscle, 0.5-1lb gained per week is usually perfect. So, if that’s happening, you’re perfect. Continue eating this daily calorie intake from that point on.
But if it’s not, then you just need to adjust up or down in small 250 calorie increments until it is. Yup, just that simple.
Now that your daily calorie intake is set up, it’s time to set up the protein, fat and carbs that will supply these calories.

Daily Protein Intake

The next most important part of your diet plan is your daily protein intake. Why? Because as I explain in my article about the high protein diet, protein is the building block of muscle, it plays a huge role in controlling your hunger and keeping you satisfied, and, if weight loss is your goal, it’s the dietary key to ensuring that the weight you lose is fat and not muscle.
These benefits are the reason why protein supplements are so damn popular and you’ll never hear anyone recommend a low protein diet. The question is, what does your daily protein intake need to be to get all of these benefits?

What is your ideal daily protein intake?

My article about finding your ideal amount of protein per day answers this question in detail, but the quick and simple answer is that most people looking to improve their body should usually be eating between 0.8-1.2 grams of protein per pound of body weight, with an even 1 gram of protein per pound being the most common recommendation.
Most people should use their current body weight when doing this calculation (so a 180lb person would eat 180 grams of protein per day), but people who are truly obese should use their goal body weight instead (so a 300lb person trying to get down to 200lbs would eat about 200 grams of protein per day).

What are the best sources of protein?

Some common high quality sources of protein include…

• Chicken
• Turkey
• Fish
• Meat
• Eggs/Egg Whites
• Milk
• Protein Supplements

Daily Fat Intake

After your daily calorie and protein intake, your daily fat intake is the next part of your diet plan that needs to be set up. There are primarily 4 different types of fat (trans, saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated), and each has a significantly different effect on the human body. My article about Good Fats vs Bad Fats explains this in detail.
The short version is that trans fat should be avoided completely, saturated fat should typically be limited to no more than 1/3 of your total daily fat intake, and monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats should comprise the majority of it.
A definite extra emphasis should be placed on getting enough of a specific polyunsaturated fatty acid… the omega-3. My article about Omega-3 Fish Oil Supplements explains why it’s so important.

What is your ideal daily fat intake?

In most cases, somewhere between 20-30% of your total daily calorie intake should come from fat, with an even 25% often being just right for most people.
So, just figure out what 25% of your total daily calorie intake is, and then divide that amount by 9 (because 1g of fat contains 9 calories) to figure out how many grams you’d need to eat per day. I’ll show you a full example of how to do this in a minute.

What are the best sources of fat?

Some common high quality sources of fat include…

• Fish
• Fish Oil Supplements (highly recommended)
• Nuts
• Olive Oil
• Avocados

Daily Carb Intake

With calories, protein and fat all set up, the last part of your diet that needs to be figured out is your daily carb intake. The reason we left carbs for last is because out of the 3 macronutrients that supply our daily calories (protein, fat and carbs), carbs are the least important.
As my article about how many grams of carbs you should eat per day explains, carbs are extremely useful and a sufficient amount should definitely be eaten. However, protein and fat are the only macronutrients that are truly essential to the human body and MUST be present in our diet plan in order to live and function. Carbs aren’t, although we definitely live and function much better when we eat them.
Here’s why this is important…

What is your ideal daily carb intake?

Simply put, your ideal daily carb intake is whatever is left over to meet your daily calorie intake after your daily protein and fat intakes have been factored in. That might sound confusing, but it’s not.
Remember the daily calorie intake you calculated before? Subtract calories from protein and calories from fat from that amount. Whatever amount of calories are still left over, those calories will come from carbs.
Here’s a step-by-step example…

1. Let’s pretend you calculated that you need to eat 2000 calories per day to lose weight or build muscle or whatever your goal is.
2. Next let’s pretend you figured out that you need to eat 150 grams of protein per day. Since 1 gram of protein contains 4 calories, that means 600 of this example person’s daily calories will come from protein.
3. Next, since 25% of your calories should come from fat, this example person can calculate that 500 of their 2000 daily calories will come from fat (2000 x 0.25 = 500). To figure out how many grams of fat that would be, they’d just divide 500 by 9 (since there’s 9 calories per gram of fat) and get about 55 grams of fat per day.
4. So that’s 600 calories from protein plus 500 calories from fat which gives this person 1100 calories accounted for so far (600 + 500 = 1100).
5. Now they’d just subtract 1100 from their 2000 total and get 900 left over calories. Since 1 gram of carbs contains 4 calories, this example person can see that they should eat 225 grams of carbs per day (900 divided by 4 = 225).

You’d just repeat this same process using your actual daily calorie, protein, fat and carb intake instead of the example amounts I just used.

What are the best sources of carbs?

Some common high quality sources of carbs include…

• Vegetables
• Fruits
• Oatmeal
• Brown Rice
• Beans
• Potatoes
• Whole Grains

Organizing Your Diet Plan

Now that you know how many calories and grams of protein, fat and carbs to eat per day and which foods they should usually come from, you’re probably wondering how it should all be put together and organized.
You know, like what times should you eat, how many meals should you eat, and how big or small should each meal be? Well, I can explain all of those answers in just 3 simple words: it doesn’t matter.
Everything you’ve heard about a certain type of diet organization being beneficial for losing weight or building muscle is either a lie, a myth, or complete crap. Ignore it all. My articles about why eating 5-6 small meals per day is BS and why eating after 7 pm at night is fine explain why.
So, the real answer to every question you have about how to best put your diet plan together is this…
Eat the right total amount of calories, protein, fat and carbs each day, get them from mostly higher quality sources, eat a proper post workout meal, and then do EVERYTHING else in your diet in whatever way is most enjoyable and convenient for you. Whatever is most likely to cause you to consistently get the important stuff right… that’s what you should do.

so best of luck...............

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Five major types of fitness training

Five major types of fitness training include flexibility exercise, dynamic strength-training, static strength-training, aerobic exercise and circuit training. A solid workout plan will incorporate all five of these major fitness training types to improve your health.

Flexibility Training

Flexibility training is among the most important types of fitness training because it provides a foundation for all your other exercise types. These stretching exercises reduce your risk of injury, improve your flexibility and range of motion, and serve as a solid warm-up for more vigorous exercise. Additionally, yoga can strengthen and relax your muscles, while tai chi can reduce stress and improve your balance. Flexibility exercises are an excellent way to improve your posture and breathing..

Dynamic Strength-training

Dynamic strength training is considered an anaerobic exercise, and is also known as isotonic exercise. This type of exercise strengthens your muscles over a full-range of motion. Weightlifting and calisthenics are examples of dynamic strength-training. This type of exercise uses resistance to work your muscles through a completed motion, such as performing a bench press, leg press or Training Benefits..

Static Strength-training

Static strength-training is also considered an anaerobic exercise, and is also known as isometric exercise. This type of exercise helps you to maintain muscle strength and tone. Isometrics involve contracting a muscle without moving any joints. Isometric exercises come in two types: submaximal and maximal. Submaximal exercises involve contracting your muscles with less than your maximum strength, such as holding a dumbbell steady with your arm fully extended outward. Maximal exercises involve contracting your muscles with all your strength, such as pushing against an immovable object..

Aerobic Training

Aerobic training

Aerobic training strengthens your cardiovascular system by increasing your heart rate and breathing. These exercises use large muscle groups to perform rhythmic actions for a sustained period of time. Typically, they are performed for longer than 15 minutes and should maintain your heart rate at between 60 percent to 80 percent of your maximum heart rate. Examples of aerobic exercise include fast walking, jogging, running, stair steppers, elliptical and swimming.

Circuit Training

Circuit training combines strength-training with aerobic exercise. This type of exercise involves jogging between exercise stations. At individual stations, you perform different flexibility, dynamic strength training and static strength training exercises. By jogging between the stations, you maintain an elevated heart rate throughout the duration of the circuit. Typically, you perform each station for 30 to 60 seconds and continue the overall circuit for 30 to 60 minutes. This is an effective option to break-up the monotony of your usual workout routine and can be performed indoors during poor weather. To save on space indoors, you can simply run in place for 30 to 60 seconds between exercises.

points to remember

1 / Have Fun

If you're not having fun with your fitness, it's easy to lose interest. If the idea of walking on the treadmill bores you to tears, don't do it!

Find an activity you enjoy doing: start hiking, begin powerlifting, join a running club, take up yoga, or even try trapeze lessons. As long as you have fun with your fitness, you're more apt to stay consistent.

2 / Set Goals

Maybe you want to fit into a smaller dress size, decrease your body fat percentage, cut your mile time, or set a new lifting PR. Well, set a goal, map out a plan, and get to it! I always have clients set short-term (30-day) and long-term (3-6 months) goals. With these goals in mind, we can map out the necessary plan of attack. That plan will help you stay focused and on the path to success.

3 / Drink Enough Water!

Before you say, "Tell me something I don't know, Jen," allow me to elaborate. While the reminder to drink water may sound unnecessary and obvious, many people often mistake their thirst for hunger. If you just ate a meal and are still hungry, you could just be dehydrated.

Too often dieters attempting to lose weight think they're hungry when they're not. Don't mistake your thirst for hunger! If you feel hungry, drink more water first and then wait it out. After 10 minutes, you'll know if you're actually hungry.

4 / "Pass The Protein, Please"

While exact daily protein requirements vary by individual and goal, you need enough to maintain and build lean muscle mass. Aim to consume about one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight per day, divided among 4-6 meals. A diet this rich in protein will help you feel fuller for longer while refueling your muscles post-workout.

On that note, remember that proper supplementation is important and must fit your goals. Yes, I understand that supplements can seem a bit overwhelming, so start simple: protein, fish oil, and a multivitamin are great choices. Train hard and conduct your own research before using supplements.

Don't just buy something your friend touts as "the latest and greatest." It may not pertain directly to your goals or needs.

5 / Pile On The Greens

This tip applies regardless of your exact fitness goal. Adding vegetables to most meals brings fiber, vitamins,antioxidants, and minerals to your diet, and will help keep you full for a longer period of time. If you're new to the vegetable world, start by trying to add greens to half of your daily meals.

Don't think that adding veggies means you're done. You also need to make sure you eat a consistent, balanced diet. Your hard efforts in the gym will not be evident in your reflection if you don't consistently follow your meal program. The saying "abs are made in the kitchen" is not just a rumor created by the Food Network in an attempt to create more culinary wizards. If you want that lean, toned, or ripped appearance, you have to stay dedicated to both your training and your meal program.

6 / Prepare To Succeed

When it comes to meals, don't be caught off-guard. The more you can plan ahead, the better. Don't get me wrong, you don't need a week's worth of food proportioned out in Tupperware ahead of time in order to be successful. If I leave the house, even if just for a few errands, I always take my next meal or snack with me on the go. You just never know what can come up.

Prepare yourself with bars, shakes, almonds, and other packable, healthy snacks. That way, when you're starving and away from whole food, you won't stop a fast food joint.

7 / Sleep Sufficiently

Yes, you read that correctly—make sure to get your ZZZs! Rest is crucial to our fat-loss and muscle-building goals. Lack of sleep raises cortisol levels and hampers proper recovery. Aim for 6-8 hours of sleep each night.

8 / Mix It Up!

Many dedicated gym-goers fall into a workout rut. Break out of boredom by challenging yourself in new ways. Try new movements, set aside the dumbbells in favor of a barbell or cables, or grab a buddy and try a class. Don't just set up camp at your usual corner or elliptical. If you are bored with your workouts, chances are your body is, too. Make some changes for a new challenge and a more ripped you.

Although making changes to your workouts is important, make sure your changes are still going to help you reach your goals. If you're trying to improve your 10K time, I'm not sure doing a 5X5 squat regimen is going to help. Make smart adjustments to your program as they pertain to your goals. You don't have to drastically change your workouts every week. Make simple adjustments to keep making progress.

9 / Lift Weights

I constantly hear women say things like, "I just want to tone, so all I need to do is cardio." This could not be farther from the truth. Cardio without weight training will leave you "skinny fat."

You might have a thinner frame than when you started, but your physique won't be any tighter. Depending on your overall weight loss, you could end up with loose skin. Yikes.

Resistance training increases your metabolism by building lean muscle. The more muscles you have, the more calories you burn.

More muscle and less fat means you'll strengthen, tighten, shape, and "tone" your entire physique. Think twice before skimping over the free weight section!

10 / Stay Consistent

None of this information will be of much value if it's not done consistently. No matter your goal, consistent efforts are rewarded with hard-earned results. It's that simple. There's no replacement for consistent time under the bar, so get after it!

basics of gym

1 / Have Fun

If you're not having fun with your fitness, it's easy to lose interest. If the idea of walking on the treadmill bores you to tears, don't do it!

Find an activity you enjoy doing: start hiking, begin powerlifting, join a running club, take up yoga, or even try trapeze lessons. As long as you have fun with your fitness, you're more apt to stay consistent.

2 / Set Goals

Maybe you want to fit into a smaller dress size, decrease your body fat percentage, cut your mile time, or set a new lifting PR. Well, set a goal, map out a plan, and get to it! I always have clients set short-term (30-day) and long-term (3-6 months) goals. With these goals in mind, we can map out the necessary plan of attack. That plan will help you stay focused and on the path to success.

3 / Drink Enough Water!

Before you say, "Tell me something I don't know, Jen," allow me to elaborate. While the reminder to drink water may sound unnecessary and obvious, many people often mistake their thirst for hunger. If you just ate a meal and are still hungry, you could just be dehydrated.

Too often dieters attempting to lose weight think they're hungry when they're not. Don't mistake your thirst for hunger! If you feel hungry, drink more water first and then wait it out. After 10 minutes, you'll know if you're actually hungry.

4 / "Pass The Protein, Please"

While exact daily protein requirements vary by individual and goal, you need enough to maintain and build lean muscle mass. Aim to consume about one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight per day, divided among 4-6 meals. A diet this rich in protein will help you feel fuller for longer while refueling your muscles post-workout.

On that note, remember that proper supplementation is important and must fit your goals. Yes, I understand that supplements can seem a bit overwhelming, so start simple: protein, fish oil, and a multivitamin are great choices. Train hard and conduct your own research before using supplements.

Don't just buy something your friend touts as "the latest and greatest." It may not pertain directly to your goals or needs.

5 / Pile On The Greens

This tip applies regardless of your exact fitness goal. Adding vegetables to most meals brings fiber, vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals to your diet, and will help keep you full for a longer period of time. If you're new to the vegetable world, start by trying to add greens to half of your daily meals.
Don't think that adding veggies means you're done. You also need to make sure you eat a consistent, balanced diet. Your hard efforts in the gym will not be evident in your reflection if you don't consistently follow your meal program. The saying "abs are made in the kitchen" is not just a rumour created by the Food Network in an attempt to create more culinary wizards. If you want that lean, toned, or ripped appearance, you have to stay dedicated to both your training and your meal program.

6 / Prepare To Succeed

When it comes to meals, don't be caught off-guard. The more you can plan ahead, the better. Don't get me wrong, you don't need a week's worth of food proportioned out in Tupperware ahead of time in order to be successful. If I leave the house, even if just for a few errands, I always take my next meal or snack with me on the go. You just never know what can come up.

7 / Sleep Sufficiently

Yes, you read that correctly—make sure to get your ZZZs! Rest is crucial to our fat-loss and muscle-building goals. Lack of sleep raises cortisol levels and hampers proper recovery. Aim for 6-8 hours of sleep each night.




8 / Mix It Up!
Many dedicated gym-goers fall into a workout rut. Break out of boredom by challenging yourself in new ways. Try new movements, set aside the dumbbells in favor of a barbell or cables, or grab a buddy and try a class. Don't just set up camp at your usual corner or elliptical. If you are bored with your workouts, chances are your body is, too. Make some changes for a new challenge and a more ripped you.

Although making changes to your workouts is important, make sure your changes are still going to help you reach your goals. If you're trying to improve your 10K time, I'm not sure doing a 5X5 squat regimen is going to help. Make smart adjustments to your program as they pertain to your goals. You don't have to drastically change your workouts every week. Make simple adjustments to keep making progress.

9 / Lift Weights
I constantly hear women say things like, "I just want to tone, so all I need to do is cardio." This could not be farther from the truth. Cardio without weight training will leave you "skinny fat."


You might have a thinner frame than when you started, but your physique won't be any tighter. Depending on your overall weight loss, you could end up with loose skin. Yikes.

Resistance training increases your metabolism by building lean muscle. The more muscles you have, the more calories you burn.

More muscle and less fat means you'll strengthen, tighten, shape, and "tone" your entire physique. Think twice before skimping over the free weight section!

10 / Stay Consistent
None of this information will be of much value if it's not done consistently. No matter your goal, consistent efforts are rewarded with hard-earned results. It's that simple. There's no replacement for consistent time under the bar, so get after it!