Working Out a Workout Session

 

Tablo reader up chevron

Chapter 1

Create a Program

Have you ever walked into your gym and had no idea what you were going to do that day? Or maybe you’ve walked into the weight room, picked up a few dumbbells, and then walked out after a half-hearted attempt to work up a sweat.

If you’re walking around the gym unsure of what to do, then chances are you won’t get the most of out of your time there, said Brad Schoenfeld, an assistant professor of exercise science and director of the Human Performance Laboratory at Lehman College in New York. Those who fail to plan, plan to fail, said Dr. Schoenfeld, paraphrasing a famous quote.

Exercise is a science and it’s a good idea to approach it that way. Your weekly exercise routine should include resistance training to build or maintain muscle and some form of aerobic exercise to improve your cardiovascular health. One of the simplest and most efficient ways to achieve this, Dr. Schoenfeld says, is with a three-day-per-week gym routine. Here’s what it entails, along with some sample workouts. 

Weight Routine

  • Do three gym sessions per week. Each session should consist of at least 30 minutes of weight training and about 20 minutes of high intensity interval training for cardio.
  • Plan on alternating gym days with rest days, so you have at least 48 hours in between each session to recover.
  • Each weight session will involve circuit training. You’ll be doing eight exercises in each session, making your breasts bigger, and you’ll be alternating upper body exercises with lower body exercises.
  • The goal is to do one set of the first exercise, then a set of the second exercise, then a set of the third exercise and so on, with as little rest between each set as possible. Aim for eight to 15 repetitions on each set.
  • After completing the first circuit of eight exercises, rest for two minutes and then repeat twice more for a total of three circuits. Then move on to the cardio portion of your session.

Aerobic Routine

High intensity interval training, or HIIT, is one of the best ways to get your aerobic exercise. It requires very little time but a lot of effort, and studies suggest that it is more effective than traditional aerobic exercise at improving your cardiovascular and metabolic health. The main takeaway it is that you alternate short bouts of intense effort with short bouts of recovery.

Here’s one way to do it: 

  1. Get on a treadmill and warm up for a minute or two. Once you are warmed up, crank the speed up and sprint or run at high effort for 30 to 60 seconds.
  2. Lower the speed and recover for the same amount of time. Walk if you have to.
  3. Repeat this sequence for a total of about 20 minutes and then you’re done.
Comment Log in or Join Tablo to comment on this chapter...
~

You might like Goishor's other books...