Hi there! I’m glad you made it to the second part of the Beginners Workout Series. Be sure to check out the Beginners Workout Part 1 before moving onto this part 2.
Now let’s finish up answering some of the biggest questions a beginner usually asks and then we can get to the actual workout routine itself by the end of this article.
Which muscles where?
When you begin working out, sometimes you don’t know which muscles are supposed to do what! Well for that matter, even where they are. You hear the fit folks saying, “Man did those bench presses ever blast my pecs!” But the problem for many is that you don’t have a clue what a pec is except that chickens do it when they are hungry! So instead of giving you the scientific name like pectoralis major (chest), I’m going to explain things like you would hear it in the gym or in the muscle magazines. No more mystery…
Just remember… I’ve done my best here to cover all the angles and answer all the questions I’ve heard over the years from those beginning to workout. However, there is always something that needs clarification. I’m always hanging out in the members forums answering questions.
How do I know its safe to begin working out?
I think the real question is “how safe is it for you not to workout?” Did you know that obesity has just replaced smoking as the number one cause of health related problems? That’s incredible! Sorry to say, but that mean North Americans are a bunch of fat, inactive people!
Back in the day when people milked cows and planted their own food you would never hear of something like this.
Think about that the next time you can’t work out because of a hard day at the office! O.k. before I tear off too far into my own little rant, lets look at some of the real concerns you should tend to before working out.
Go see your doctor-Get a check up. Make sure you get a blood pressure test and a blood test. Have your heart condition checked and make sure all the other stuff is done and o.k. Some people mistakenly hold back serious effort in the gym for too long because they are afraid something may be wrong with them. If you get a check up and receive a clean bill of health, that’s one more excuse gone!
Note your pains and past injuries before you start this beginners workout – Your trainer will need this to know how to design your routine. If you are going to do it on your own, you will be able to do some research as to which exercises are the safest and most beneficial for you and what you should avoid.
Medications – A large part of working out these days involves sports supplements. It’s a good thing to know if any medications you’re on will interact adversely with these supplements. I.E. Blood pressure meds mixed with ephedrine and caffeine is not a good idea!
There is also a form called the PAR-Q (physical activity readiness questionnaire). It covers most questions that should be addressed before starting an exercise program. Most gyms stock these forms for liability reasons and it shouldn’t be hard to get a hold of one.
Last point. If you are just starting out and have a lot of questions about exercise and your health, invest in a personal trainer. If you are in my area and need a personal trainer from Calgary. Give us a call and we’ll help you out. It is the most sure fire way to make sure that you are doing everything correctly. If you want a trainer online, I would be honored to be your trainer here.
Choosing a gym (if that’s the route you want to go)!
If you have never been to a gym, at first one may seem as good as the next. If you have been working out for some time, you probably already have a good idea of what to look for. Here are some of the things that you may want to take into account if you’re just a beginner.
1. Atmosphere-I like to train hard and fast. This is one of the major reasons I train my clients as well as myself in my home studio At gyms where there are a lot of first timers, things can get frustrating. It’s not their fault; it’s just that a lot of people that are new to the iron game are not aware of the unwritten gym protocol. They rest on benches reading between sets and sip coffee while holding up machines with long rest periods. The opposite is true if you’re just starting out. A hardcore gym may make you feel a little intimidated.
Find a gym where you feel comfortable (usually you can try a gym for free for a couple workouts). The main thing is that you look forward to going because you like the place and the people.
2. Gear – This doesn’t mean all the new sparkly machines and chrome dumbbells. What you need is a gym that has plenty of cardio machines and enough gear available at the time of day you have chosen to work out. Look to make sure the gear is well maintained. No frayed cables, loose dumbbells or bent bars. The state of the gear in a gym can say a lot about the professionalism of the management and what to expect from customer service.
Now remember, these are things you should get if you are giving up your hard earned cash for a gym membership. I prefer to buy the stuff once and have it ten feet away. I trained out of a gym for years and the amount of NO SHOWS that happen when people have to get to the gym after a long day at work is ridiculous even though they’ve already paid for the session!
3. Cost – Most gyms charge an initiation fee and then a set monthly fee for the full term of your membership. Simple is good. Don’t get talked into a gym on your first visit unless you know for sure it’s really what you want and like. Some of the sales people can be real smooth!
4. Location – Make sure the gym is a reasonable distance from your home. If the gym is out of the way, you probably will miss a lot of workouts in the beginning no matter how nice it is. In the beginning any excuse is a good excuse not to go! It’s best not to allow yourself any wiggle room in the beginning. I would usually take location over atmosphere or gear. If you don’t go, you won’t get fit! Make sure there is enough parking. It’s not a big deal, because even if you have to walk, you are there to exercise after all.
5. Change rooms – This really depends on your level of demands and your lifestyle. To me, all you need is lockers, showers, toilets and that’s about it! The bottom line is clean! Change rooms can be gross and even if you’re hardcore, germs are still bad! You may want towel service or a steam room but these are not necessary and will drive up your monthly fee.
6. Food! – Not a big deal, but a juice bar is great if you’re on the run a lot. Its great to be able to finish you workout, have a shake and carry on with your day. The juice bar is also a great place to chat with friends and catch up on what’s going on. It’s a much better place to have a conversation than on the gym floor while people are waiting to use the equipment!
Why hire a personal trainer?
I know personal trainers can be expensive. The usual fee is anywhere from $45-$125/session, which is usually about an hour, depending on the circumstance and the depth of the routine and package. So the question is “why hire a personal trainer?” In one word: efficiency. A personal trainer will get you to where you want to be in the shortest possible time. How do they do that? Well most of the trainers have been on the scene for a while and know the ins and the outs of this working out thing much better than you do.
Like anything you want to succeed at, it’s always best to copy somebody who is already where you want to be. Why? Because they already have it all figured out. Let’s look at a few of the most obvious ways that a trainer can save you time and frustration.
1. Exercise technique – Sometimes the pictures in the magazines are a little abstract and can leave some question to the finer points of an exercise (this is why I use video in the members area). I can tell you from experience that unless you’re doing the exercise right and are feeling it in the right areas, your results will be dismal (or you’ll hurt yourself). This is why I put all the videos up online because I feel that videos are much better than pictures.
2. Time off due to injury – This is close to number one. When you move a weight in unaccustomed plains of movement, you have to do it right. It is almost painful to watch some of the exercises people think they are doing right in the weight room. Inside I know it’s only a matter of time before they have to push aside their goals and stay out of the gym in order to heal an injury caused by lack of knowledge or technique.
3. Proper Beginners Workout – So you have the proper technique, great. You feel it where you’re supposed to, awesome. Now you must know if you’re on the right beginners workout to reach your individual goals.
Are you in the right set and rep range? Are you using enough weight? How frequently are you training? Part of a proper beginners workout is your diet. (There are great recipes here for free) This is where I find that most people need a lot of help. One of the greatest things a trainer can do is pull all aspects of the “fitness approach” together. Then, to lay it all out for you in an easy to follow beginners program that includes both diet and exercise.
4. Commitment and motivation – Your trainer is going to be there and you are paying him whether you show up or not! Just knowing that someone’s there waiting for you and that the time is scheduled in, is a great help to keep you on track. The other thing trainers do is motivate. Trainers aren’t all about grunting and yelling. My clients have a personal side that sometimes needs attention too. My clients need to know that when they are down, I’ll do my best to have them “up” by the end of the workout. They need to know that when everything else is crap, there is someone they know who will always push them to be their personal best every time we meet.
These are the things that come to my mind and are the roles that I fill on a daily basis. The bottom line is that personal trainers are your gym teacher, guidance counselor, shrink and best friend all rolled into one. The mind, the body and the spirit are all things that the personal trainer can help you with on your path to true physical fitness.
How to pick a personal trainer for you
This is a great question, but a little hard to answer. Picking a personal trainer is like dating in a way. You both have to jive and also enjoy the company of each other. I like to push my clients to their personal limits. Now that doesn’t mean Mr. Olympia workouts all the time, but I want them to work as hard as they are capable of on any given day.
Some clients I have run into only want the status of saying that they have a famous personal trainer and never give their all or try hard to reach any personal goals. In this case, I would be the wrong trainer for this person.
Personalities also have to match. You have to like and have a certain “respect” for your trainer if you are going to listen to and do all the challenging things they thinks of!
Obviously your trainer should have the qualifications to provide you with the information you need to reach your goals.
Lastly and this is just my opinion, I think your trainer should walk the walk. I never ask my clients to do anything that have not done or have experienced myself. I feel that they have to know something is possible to be able to achieve it themselves. I like to be able to provide the resources needed from personal experience and it helps to have experienced the obstacles first hand.
A fat personal trainer is like a depressed motivational speaker.
I think it’s great if you can find a trainer that will sign you up for 1-3 sessions with the understanding that this new “relationship” is on a trial basis. That way you don’t get stuck with some schmuck that looked great at first but really has the skills of a cucumber when it comes to getting results for you.
In the next segment of the Beginners Workout Series we’ll cover the things you need and what I think about them… and then I promise you can actually start working out 
Check Out Part Three: Of The Beginners Workout Series
Talk to me.