Fitness Barista

Be the man (or woman) with the plan..

Walk into the grocery store without a list and you leave the checkout counter with three bags of random foods from every aisle, but nothing for dinner. You did actually GO to the grocery store and you did SHOP for food, but with no plan of what to buy and no list of meal ingredients, you end up with bits and pieces, not a final product.
It’s the same with exercise. Sure you make the effort to get on the treadmill, walk into the gym, and even pick up a few dumbbells, but what are you working toward?
I know we’re supposed to applaud ourselves for taking the first steps and I commend you for doing that. But take a little time to figure out what you really want out of your workout. Just a few minutes of planning can help maximize the time you spend working out!
If you’ve been trying to rev up your cardio to really burn some calories, logging long stretches on the machines can be counterproductive. Get a heart rate monitor and see exactly how many calories you’re burning while you’re trudging along watching TV. And don’t depend on those lying calorie counters on the machines. Chances are you’re burning about half the calories racked up on the screen.
Strength training is essential as well, but just picking up a dumbbell and curling your arm won’t give you the results you want. What body parts are you working? What muscles will you strengthen? Have you allowed adequate time to rest the muscles between workouts? Are you using correct form or rushing through the movement? You can spend a lot of time in the gym throwing your “weight” around with no visible results.
Wouldn’t you rather spend less time with better results? Have a plan! It can be a personalized one from a trainer (recommended), or from a book or magazine. Skim through any major fitness magazine and you’ll find dozens of body specific workouts, ways to maximize your cardio, and pictures of proper form and technique.
I advise writing your daily workout plan on a 3x5 note card and carrying it with you as you work out. As you try out these plans, you can identify which ones garnered your best results. Stick with a plan for about 6 weeks to really see your results and then change it up again.