The most loaded fitness question of all time. How should I be working out? Here is the problem with that question. You are a 10,000 piece 3D puzzle. That means there are 10,000 ways to start and millions of different ways to do the puzzle. I am here to tell you that there is no wrong way to work out if you have good form and it’s sustainable. Yes there are better forms of exercise than others and I am going to make an argument for strength training as being the best form of exercise every day of the week but that might not be right for you. If I told you the best way to lose fat is to wake up at 4am and go swim in a 40 degree lake for an hour would you do it? Hell no!
First and foremost. How you should be working out should match up with your goals. Someone who is trying to improve their cardiovascular health should be working out completely different than the person who is trying to improve their mobility. First figure out your goal. If you are not sure where to start with your goal check out this blog. Once you know your goal you can start to narrow down the forms of exercise that will benefit you the most.
Once you know your goals and the form of exercise you want to try you can move to the next step. The most important part of working out is form. If you have bad form you are going to hurt yourself. Most people think they can just go running. Running is very technical. There are a lot of mechanics that go into it. Weight lifting is the same thing. You can’t just go and put a barbell on your back and squat and hope for the best. If your knees are collapsing when you squat you are heading for a disaster with injury. Learn the mechanics of the exercises you are going to perform and perfect them. Practice them until you are ready. I cannot stress this enough. Practice makes perfect. Once you get good at your movements that’s when you can start pushing yourself.
Once you know the form of exercise you plan to perform and you have practiced and got good at it, you have to ask yourself “Is this something I can see myself doing for the rest of my life?” If the answer is no you are not going to be successful. Why? If you don’t like doing something you are more than likely to not do it unless it is completely necessary. That’s why you stay at a job you dislike for years or maybe ever but don’t eat rocky mountain oysters. Working is essential so you can make money. You can eat so many other things you like other than a rocky mountain oyster. Exercise is the same way.
So what is our recommendation on how you should be working out? Strength training, like I said above. Strength training has way more benefits than just having nice looking muscles. It helps you permanently boost your metabolism to aid in weight loss. Strength Training improves your cardiovascular health. It builds insulin resistance. The only method to improve bone density. Reduces your risks of injury. Keeps you mobile for longer in life. This is just a short list. If you are looking for even more benefits check out this link. Strength training can accomplish what any other form of exercise can do with the exception of mobility and correctional work but I would categorize that as strength training. The biggest piece of advice is find what works for you.
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