Choosing
the right exercise plan for you can be a daunting task. There are so many
available, so before overloading yourself with the endless information, you need
to consider the following:
Your
Skill Level: To prevent injury, you need to seriously think about what your body
is capable of. If you are brand new to exercise, or coming back after a long time,
you’ll want to introduce your body slowly.
Consider this beginner routine for your first day:
Workout:
Warm
Up Stretches
Squats
– 10 Reps
Bench
Presses – 10 Reps
Chin
Pulldowns – 10 Reps
Standing
Calf Raises – 10 Reps
Back
Extensions – 10 Reps
Crunches
– 10 Reps
Lunges
– 10 Reps
Cool
Down Cardio – 20 minutes walking.
The
cardio, warm-up stretches and cool-down exercises are extremely important –
this cannot be stressed enough. If you don’t complete this part of your workout,
you risk injury and your recovery time will be much longer. Walking is preferred
to running, because running uses up your energy in the wrong places.
Your
Recover-ability: This will improve the more exercise you do,
but as a starting point you will need to consider the last time you did
anything active – did it affect you for a couple of days afterwards or were you
fine the next day?
This
should give you an indication of how often your body will be able to tolerate
working out. Bodybuilder’s workouts are short, but intense and if you don’t
give yourself enough time to rest, you will cause yourself an injury.
Your
Goal: Is you aim to bulk up, lose weight or gain strength? There are programs
designed for a large range of goals so once you have decided what you want to
do, a workout and eating plan will be easy to find.
Your
Availability: You need to take a realistic look at how much time you have to
spend in the gym. If you pick a program that requires more than you can do, you
are doomed from the start. It is best to start off with a 3 to 4-day program,
so you are kept motivated but aren’t overwhelmed by your new lifestyle.
The
Equipment: You will need to take a look at what your gym has on offer, or if you
can’t get to a gym regularly, what you can afford to have at home. Including equipment
in your plan that you have no access to will spell disaster.
Your
Preferences: You want to enjoy working out, so consider exercises that appeal
to you, to ensure that you’ll stick at your bodybuilding plan.