We gathered tried-and-true advice from WH over the years and asked five trainers for their top fitness advice. No matter where you are in your fitness journey or what you’re aiming to improve on, this list will help you reach your objectives because they collectively cover everything from warming up to pre-workout supplements.
Kehinde Anjorin, a certified functional strength coach, personal trainer, and the founder of Power In Movement, offers this advice to all newcomers. Here, the goal is to create a fitness habit that you can maintain and subsequently expand upon. When beginning your fitness adventure, Anjorin advises that you take a close look at your lifestyle and try not to overextend yourself—even if it means beginning with a once-per-week workout or committing to 10 minutes of movement twice a week.
2. Develop a healthy lifestyle.
In a similar vein, NCSF-certified personal trainer Elise Young asserts that “the fitness journey is all about developing consistency and finding a method to make activity fit into your lifestyle.” She advises beginning gradually and building on your foundation each day, much like Anjorin. She continues, and do a self-inventory in the morning, asking yourself what you can commit to for the day—a walk? A run? A lift? Make it a habit to move and meet yourself where you are right now, advises Young.
3. You should always warm up.
No exclusions, adds Taylor Rae Almonte, a personal trainer with NASM certification who is also an actor and an activist, “Warm up before every workout.” Injury can be avoided by doing this. Almonte’s favorite exercises to perform during a warm-up include plank walkouts, cat cows, and lateral lunges.
4. Also, make the warm-ups lively.
Almonte emphasizes that static stretching shouldn’t be done before to exercise. (Physical therapist Christina Ciccione, CSCS, previously informed WH that it actually lowers muscle strength and affects explosive muscle function.) All of the dynamic stretches mentioned by Almonte, as well as t-spine rotations, the world’s greatest stretch, and forward fold to squat, are included in her list of favorites.
5. Don’t completely stop static stretching.
Stretching that is static is OK after exercise. In fact, the Cleveland Clinic claims that it can aid in preventing muscle stiffness. Almonte recommends that you hold each stretch for at least 30 seconds and no longer than one minute.
6. Include mobility drills in your warm-up as well.
Mobility exercises shouldn’t be done separately from your strength and conditioning exercises, according to personal trainer and coach Kristina Centenari. If you warm up your joints by going through their complete ranges of motion and managing that range, it can greatly benefit your workouts. She then recommends combining that dynamic movement with some minor plyometrics (a.k.a. jump training).
7. Work out your muscles at least twice every week.
Young asserts that the answer is strength training. After all, there are several advantages to this kind of training. Strength exercise, according to her, keeps us feeling powerful and strong. She continues by saying that it strengthens your bones, lowers your risk of injury, and enhances cardiovascular health.
8. To advance your strength training, use an aerobic stepper.
According to WH, the workout from the 1980s is excellent for exercises like Bulgarian split squats that call for a raised surface. Additionally, you can use it to intensify exercises like lunges, pushups, and planks. Plus, according to NASM-certified trainer Stephanie Reyes, it may be a wonderful bench for workouts like chest presses and rows. In conclusion, there are many benefits to adding a stepper to your equipment lineup.
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9. Maintain a varied cardio routine.
There are numerous activities that can get your heart rate up without using a treadmill (or an elliptical, for that matter). For instance, Anjorin recently wrote for Women’s Health that you can perform an HIIT workout or circuit that includes exercises like high knees and butt kicks. Jumping rope and kettlebell swings are two more excellent aerobic activities.
10. Properly combine aerobic and strength training.
Your objectives will determine the best method to use. Basically, the order in which you perform cardio and strength training should be determined by your priorities. According to the American Council on Exercise, starting with cardio will help you build endurance more effectively than starting with strength training if your goal is to become stronger.
11. Continue to push yourself.
The body changes, claims Anjorin. She advises continuing to advance in your strength training program in order to make your physique alter. For instance, if you’re performing three sets of eight to ten repetitions of a particular exercise one week, you might advance to four sets of twelve the next week. Basically, keep working hard—whether you decide to use more weight or perform more sets and reps.
According to NASM-certified personal trainer Angela Gargano, more isn’t necessarily better. Better always wins. In other words, perfect your form while performing simple exercises before adding weight or making the activities more difficult.
13. Invest your time in healing.
The advice from Centenari is to “commit to your rehabilitation as hard as you would commit to training.” According to Gargano, your muscles require it to recover and grow stronger.
14. Uphold proper (sleep) hygiene.
According to Anjorin, this is a very underappreciated aspect of fitness. Sleep is essential for muscular repair, and it naturally gives you the energy you need to push yourself during workouts. She takes a hot shower, dry brushes, and sets her thermostat to roughly 65 degrees in the evening to relax (which, BTW, is right in the ideal temp range for sleeping, according to the National Sleep Foundation). And I don’t use screens right before night, she adds.
15. Establish a routine for your downtime.
Young concurs that it’s crucial to develop healthy sleep patterns and advises attempting to go to bed at roughly the same time each day because sleep is essential for recuperation. To optimize your sleep health, the CDC also suggests waking up at the same time every day—even on weekends.
16. Focus on days of active healing.
I have wonderful news—you don’t have to perform anything strenuous on days when you don’t feel like it! says Centenari. Our bodies should move every day, but they don’t have to dig into the earth constantly, she claims. However, skipping that challenging HIIT session doesn’t mean you should watch Netflix nonstop in its instead. Just listen to your body when it tells you to calm down, advises Centenari, and find a happy medium by taking a stroll, finishing the laundry you’ve been putting off, or baking banana bread. “Keep things simple; move forward.”
Yoga helps Anjorin heal by keeping her active and allowing her to stretch out. Yoga is one of the greatest options for active recovery workouts because of its flexibility and low-intensity strength training.
18. Keep track of your objectives in a fitness notebook.
According to WH, keeping a journal is a fantastic method to monitor your emotional and physical well-being. In fact, a research from the Dominican University of California found that writing and expressing your goals increases your chances of success. Additionally, there are a ton of turinabol comprar fitness diaries available for purchase that are appropriate for a variety of goals and routines.
Young claims that she keeps a 12-ounce glass of water next to her bed and drinks the entire thing as soon as she wakes up. “That glass of water helps me get my recommended daily intake of water for the day by starting the day with it.” During exercise, water keeps you energized, hydrated, and aids in joint lubrication. Young says that while there are many various recommendations for how much water you should consume, you should choose a quantity that works for you and stay with it. Keep in mind that factors like your workout routine and your residence can influence how much water you should consume.
20. To keep on track, try habit stacking.
Stay with us—this tip from Almonte might make it simpler if you read the last tip and your mind immediately began to flood with memories of all your prior attempts to drink more water. She claims that habit stacking is really just combining new habits with ones you already have. For instance, you could encourage yourself to stretch every day by tying it into your morning coffee ritual, or you could encourage yourself to drink more water by making it a part of your email check-in routine.
21. and depend less on willpower and more on habits.
Nobody is flawless, adds Centenari. There will be times when using simply your willpower won’t be sufficient to accomplish your objectives. The good news is that you can still make yourself successful. For instance, Centenari advises laying out your clothes the night before if you plan on getting up early to work out. Make it a concrete activity, she advises, rather than just thinking about doing anything.
22. You are welcome to omit the pre-workout supplement.
According to Anjorin, you don’t need a pre-workout. The same is true of coffee before working out. Just make sure your sleep hygiene and nutrition are in order, she advises.
According to Almonte, the recommended daily intake of protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight. Aim for 1.4 to 2 grams per kilogram of body weight per day if you are really active. You might achieve that aim by eating foods high in protein like turkey, Greek yogurt, and tempeh.
23. But don’t worry about the anabolic window, says number 24.
Good news: After your final rep, you don’t have to run to the protein powder. It’s a bigger window, adds Anjorin. So long as you consume protein within an hour and a half of working out, you’ll be good. There won’t be any muscular atrophy in your body.
25. Keep in mind that there are various healthy eating methods.
As with exercise, Centenari advises, “think of eating like you would think of exercise—your training is reliant on your lifestyle and progress, not someone else’s.” To put it another way, avoid the trap of the one-size-fits-all diet. Of course, the trainer continues, there are basic rules to adhere to (like avoiding added sugars and highly processed foods). Instead than categorizing things as “good” or “bad,” she advocates considering what will feed your particular lifestyle. The best diet is one you can maintain, according to Anjorin, who agrees that there is no one perfect diet.
26. Use uplifting self-talk.
You’ll have days when you feel on top of the world, and other days when you’ll be overcome with self-doubt, says Young. She advises you to tell yourself that you are strong and beautiful and to have faith in your inner self. It is ultimately just you against yourself, she argues. “Own your power.”