Here goes (in no particular order)...
Change is growth
The best workout is the one you're not on. A beginner can continue to see improvement from the same workout for 2-3 months, but elite athletes require constant change to appropriately stimulate their bodies into improving. Once an exercise program begins to get easy, it's already too late and your body has adapted. Move on.
Size does not equal strength
Make up your mind now - if size is the most important thing to you and you really couldn't care less about how strong you are, then train to be big, not strong and vice versa. There is one Russian fellow named Vladimir Zatsiorsky who called getting big without getting strong non-functional hypertrophy. It just means that if you use certain exercise parameters, the body will respond by increasing the size of the components in muscle that don't contribute to strength (i.e. the non-contractile components). It totally explains how I can bench press a car and only weigh 150lbs.
Diet is the Key to Fat Loss and Saving a Nation
I can't count the number of people who have come to me asking for a magic workout that will give them the perfect body. Then I ask them to tell me what they ate the past 3 days and I cringe through the utterances of 'cookie,' 'pizza,' 'burger,' 'pasta,' 'nutella.' and other unmentionables. I forgive them the nutella but berate them for the rest. There is nothing new to say - eat your small frequent meals; eat your protein and lots of it; eat your veggies and lots of them too; limit of take out starchy carbs. This information has been around for ages and it works. Then why on earth is fat loss such a mystery?? Stop spending your money on supplements and fix your awful eating habits.
Now if the Americans weren't running around all hopped up on sugar and beer, maybe they'd stop killing each other and their classmates.
Consistency is the Greatest Hurdle to Overcome
Starting an exercise program or a diet (or both) is easy. Being disciplined enough to remain consistent is the real problem. Once you deviate from the norm (as defined by your habits), your brain instinctively tries to convince you to go back to what you're used to by making up some pretty clever rationales -
"Stop going to the gym - you're so vain"
"Have the cake - just eat it. Life's short and you need to enjoy it"
"Working out won't be safe after you smoke up - you should definitely skip that workout."
"You only have 45 mins to workout - there's no way you'll get anything done in that time. Come back another day"
So before you seriously decide to commit yourself to a task - make the decision to turn your brain off. Don't let yourself convince you into giving up!
Compound Rules
Bench Press. Deadlift. Pull up. Squat. Enough said.
Individualization is All-Important
So you've been reading this blog that tells you that the bench press is a terrific exercise. Now you feel like a schmuck for doing your machine presses for so long. So you load up the weight on the bar and away you go. Sure you have a strained anterior shoulder capsule and a damaged rotator cuff, but who cares - you need to bench press!
Always remember that what you read in books or especially on the internet is targeted towards the general population. You may or may not fit into that group - so following a workout that is individualized for your needs is paramount. A properly designed workout should accomplish a target goal and prevent injury. In fact, it can even reduce your susceptibility to certain injuries. Even if you're following a workout you pulled off the internet, for the first week, try out the exercises to see if you can perform them correctly. If not, make small changes to adapt them to your body. Finally, remember: if it hurts (not from effort), then don't do it.
Feeling Sore? Do Something!
The soreness that is felt following a strenuous
workout can be pretty debilitating sometimes; and most people tend to flop over on the couch and watch TV the entire weekend to cope.
Bad move.
When you're sore, it's best to engage in some very light activity such as a stroll around the block (or on the beach in my case), a light bike ride, or even household chores. This increases the blood flow to your muscles, which subsequently nourishes the tissue with lots of good stuff and removes the bad stuff. You might also try other recovery methods like foam rolling or massage.
Finally there's your nutrition. Following a resistance training workout, consuming a liquid supplement with 3:1 ratio of carbohydrate:protein has been shown to help with recovery and promote muscle growth. For you endurance trainers out there, a 4:1 ratio would be favorable.
Timed Workouts Work for Fat Loss
They're brutal, but they work. Try picking 4 or 5 exercises and perform them for time. Here's an example
Bodyweight jump squats
Lat pulldown
Front plank
Push ups
Stability ball crunches
Perform each exercise for 30-90 seconds. After you finish all 4, relax for a couple of minutes and repeat for 3 sets. It won't take you very long, but you'll be knackered at the end of it. Combine this with a sound diet and some cardio - you'll be pleasantly surprised. Promise.
I'd like to leave this an open discussion. If you've been training for awhile, and have something to share, please do.
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