For example, if your main interest is general fitness,
choose a program which involves all the major muscle groups, endurance and flexibility exercises. If you want to be a marathoner, you would concentrate solely on endurance.
Eat a well-balanced diet
Training is half the battle. Proper nutrition along with training is
crucial in achieving a specific fitness goal. Training and nutrition
complement each other. It's like flying a plane with one or two
engines. You can get to a specific destination with one engine
( just training alone), but two engines (training and proper nutrition)
will get you there faster.
Train all year round
Taking too much time off , lead to losing the gains you've
made and can create more susceptibility to injury if you try to
get back in shape rapidly.
Get in shape gradually
Your body must adapt to stress gradually and training is considered
a stress. Overzealous training can lead to burnout and possible
injury. Rome wasn't built in a day and you can't expect your
physique to change rapidly. Be patient and allow time for your
body to adapt.
Don't train when you're ill or seriously injured.
Your body has problems fighting multiple stresses simultaneously.
Training (a stress) along with fighting an illness or recuperating
from a injury can be very counter-productive and possibly
dangerous.
Listen to your body
If the workout doesn't feel right, change it! Chances are if the
workout is not achieving the specific effect and it doesn't
feel like its doing anything, it probably isn't.
Don't over train
Your body needs time to adapt to the stress (workout), and
the way it does this is with proper rest. If you are always training,
you're not giving your body a chance to recuperate itself, thus
leading to possible injury and burnout.
Vary your workouts
After a while, your body adapts to the workout and the training
effect you originally had begins to slow down and plateau. You
must constantly change your workouts to minimize this adaptation
which can eventually lead to staleness. Vary the volume and
intensity of your workouts to minimize this type of plateau effect.
Train your mind
Your mind is a very powerful tool. If you are going to succeed
in achieving a goal, belief in yourself and your potential, is very
crucial. Set short-term goals which will lead to long-term goals
and truly believe in them in order for them to be effective.
Learn all you can about exercise
Learning how to exercise properly can speed up the path to
your fitness goal, minimize staleness, and prevent possible
injury. If you are not sure of how to exercise properly, read up on it
or seek a qualified fitness professional. Misinformation can
destroy the path to a fitness goal.
Don't believe every thing you hear and see
Often, people in their quest to achieving their fitness goals
may be lured into believing a lot of advertising which preys on
on one's emotions. For example, Joe Body, on an infomercial,
most likely didn't get his physique from the piece of equipment
he is trying to sell to you. Dedication and hard work is the
only and sure fire road to success.
Keep exercise and the fitness goal in its proper perspective
Exercise is important but not everything. Seek out to also
improve other aspects of your life and try to make it more well-
rounded. A well-rounded life can further improve your chances
of achieving your fitness goal and make the road to achieving it
more enjoyable.
