Fitness Tips

ALWAYS CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN BEFORE BEGINNING ANY EXERCISE PROGRAM

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FREE FITNESS SUCCESS INFORMATION FOR YOU

By Rod Dabney (Training in fitness for 40 years)

Note: This information is free. Rod is not an accredited fitness trainer. He's simply sharing valuable and proven information that he's acquired from consistently working out for a span of 40 years.

Mindset

The first order of business is to get yourself in the right mindset. It's imperative that you tell yourself you're going to work out, no-matter what. Except for serious illness or injury, this should be your mindset.  If you need help with your mindset, please read our Living Successfully book, pages 9-27.

Again, always consult your physician before beginning any exercise routine. But, once you have the go ahead, get it in your mind that you are going to stick with it for good. It's a life long journey, so make it fun and enjoyable!

Workout Schedule

It's important that you pick the time of the day and the days of the week to work out when you feel the most awake and energized. You'll want to schedule your workouts during these times so you don't end up dreading them and you actually start looking forward to your workouts. 

We are all very unique individuals, so workout days and times will undoubtedly vary from person to person. Make your exercise routines fun and exciting and pick the days and times that work best for you.

Technique/Safety

If you've been around long enough, you've probably heard people talking about the importance of periodically changing up your workout routines. This is true. You don't want your exercises to be the same day in and day out, all the time. Your muscles and cardiovascular system need variety in order to get the most benefit from your physical activity.

This doesn't mean you have to constantly do something different every day. It only means to keep your muscles and heart guessing and, therefore, growing in strength and health. Also, to keep them from becoming stagnant, your workout routines should evolve and change from time to time.

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These changes can even be slight. For example, say that you normally work out your biceps and back one day and your triceps and legs another day. Well, maybe you can alter it the next month so that you work out your back and legs one day and your triceps and biceps another day. Or, simply use lighter weights with more reps the next month.

When it comes to any type of physical activity, including sports, exercise and life in general, the techniques you use to accomplish your goals should mirror those of top athletes. To lessen the chances of injury to yourself and those around you, great care should be taken to adhere to all safety precautions.

Take note of movement and other workout techniques of athletes that have been thoroughly trained and have tons of experience in their respective fields.

Variety

Muscle Targeting

Do you want to build up your shoulder, back, arm or leg muscles? Great! There are specific workouts that target each of these muscles individually and sometimes all of them at once. For example, when you swim, you are virtually using your whole body, and, therefore, most of your muscles at once, to get from point A to point B.

The point is, the variety of workout routines to build specific muscles in your body is endless. When you use extra weight while moving the various parts of your body, specific muscles will constrict and expand and you'll know which muscles are in use at the time because you'll feel it and even see it. So, it's not hard to figure out which workout routines to perform in order to target muscle groups that you want to improve upon.

Home Workouts

If money is an issue, you don't have the time or you simply don't like working out around other people, there's no need to pay for a gym membership. Working out at home is an excellent option for anybody with the desire to stay fit and healthy.

Rod has been working out at home for many years and stays in top form and excellent health. Without spending a dime, there are countless workout routines you can enjoy to keep yourself in the best shape of your life. Remember those push-ups and jumping jacks during grade school gym class? Well, they still work! And those are just two of many examples.