Have you made your New Year’s Resolutions for 2018 yet? Better yet, have you kept your resolutions? Halfway through January is a good checkpoint to see if you’ve been sticking with the promises you made yourself at the beginning of the year. Most people have improved fitness on their list of resolutions, but even if you’ve fallen off the bandwagon, it’s easy to get back on track with the help of these tips.
Step 1: Define Your Goals
Before you stock up on Lululemon and sign a gym contract, you need to define your fitness goals. This goes beyond simply “getting in shape.” There are three categories that people generally fall into: losing fat, building muscle, or keeping fit. A lot of times, your goals may involve a mix of the aforementioned. For example, perhaps you’re overweight and you’d like to both lose fat and build muscle. Each person’s fitness situation is unique, and the answer is rarely cut and dry. Read on to find out where to start for your specific goals.
Losing Weight
To lose weight, you must burn more calories than you consume. That’s it. This can be accomplished by dieting alone, but adding in exercise lets you eat a little more, and you can use it to build strength and muscle mass at the same time. To start, find a gym with ample cardio equipment and enough resistance equipment for a full-body workout. Then, ask the gym staff about meal plans. Most gyms offer diet advice and meal planning as a service to members.
Building Muscle
If your goal is to pack on muscle, then you’ve got to eat more than you burn. Use this tool to calculate your daily caloric requirements, then add 500 calories on top of that, and make sure to eat 1g of protein per 1lb of bodyweight. You may have to adjust depending on your metabolism, but you’re aiming for an average gain of 1lb per week. This will maximize muscle gain while minimizing fat gain.
Next, find a workout program that you like. Look for one that includes reps in the 8-12 range and features the squat, bench press, deadlift, and shoulder press. In your first six months of training, you’ll gain more muscle in less time than you will at any other point in your lifting career (assuming you’re eating enough). So, don’t let up!
Staying in Shape
If you’re already pretty fit, you’ve still got work to do! Maybe your endurance could use some work, so you can focus on cardio. Another oft-overlooked area is flexibility. Spend some time learning how to stretch or do yoga, and you’ll see improvements in your lifts, sports, and day-to-day life.
FWB’s Favorite Fitness Center
How you work out comes down to preference. At Gold’s Gym in Fort Walton Beach, you can choose from group classes to personal training to doing your own thing. The gym offers everything you need, including free weights, machines, a kids club, and nutrition counseling. Check it out today!
FWB’s Favorite Nissan Dealer
While you’re upgrading your fitness, upgrade your ride with a trip to Lee Nissan in Fort Walton Beach. We have new and pre-owned vehicles ready to test drive today.
Disclaimer: The stock image is being used for illustrative purposes only, and it is not a direct representation of the business, recipe, or activity listed. Any person depicted in the stock image is a model.