Should aerobic exercise come before or after weight training?
ANSWER
If you’re reasonably fit, I suggest 15 to 20 minutes of aerobics first, followed by 10 minutes of midsection exercise, then finish up, unpressured and focused, with your weight routine. Less-fit people prefer to warm up only for five minutes before weight training in order to conserve energy, doing the remainder of their cardio upon completion. Some reserve their cardio for the end of their workout, aiming to burn their excess calories. There are good arguments for all. You chose as you become familiar with your training.
QUESTION
How do I get a flat stomach?
ANSWER
To tone the muscle and reduce the size of your midsection, plan to do a basic 10-minute routine of stomach crunches and leg raises, three to four times a week. Fifteen to 20 minutes of intense cardio will help overall tone and introduce metabolic improvements to burn body fat, much of which is stored in the hips and midsection. Plan on a sound high-protein, low-fat menu. Note: Overall weight training contributes to the tone of the stomach and the burning of body fat.
QUESTION
My shoulder hurts when I bench-press. What should I do?
ANSWER
As shoulders endure overuse and misuse, injury and pain are not uncommon. Warm up the shoulders with light weight and high reps. This will align mechanics, bring supportive blood to the muscles, arouse synovial fluid in the joint, and provide warmth for movement ease. If pain persists in your bench as you add weight, try changing your grip (a hand in or a hand out), try the Smith press, or go directly to dumbbells. Dumbbells give you freedom to alter the position of the resisting weight with hand rotation and reestablishment of groove to avoid muscle aggravation. Perhaps a change of angle will allow pain-free movement. You need to listen to the pain and work around it. I prefer this to laying off.
QUESTION
Are supplements a waste of money?
ANSWER
A good-quality timerelease vitamin-mineral is very important. The nutrients needed for muscle repair, resistance, internal health, skin, bone, and energy are required regularly in abundance and often cannot be stored or produced by the body. We rarely eat enough of the right foods to get what we need for minimum health, much less high performance. We are composed largely of protein; protein is the major ingredient for muscle building, hormone structure, energy, and much more. Again, as high performers, we want high-quality protein in abundance throughout the day to build muscle and grow strong with great vitality. A quality protein supplement from whey and casein will ensure this for those times when consumption of solid food is not convenient or desirable. These are the basics you really need. They are not a waste of money; instead, they are a good investment in long life and good health.
QUESTION
How many days per week should beginners work out?
ANSWER
Allow yourself 60 to 90 minutes, three or four days a week. This will allow you to do 15 to 20 minutes of cardio, 10 minutes to work your midsection, and 45 to 60 minutes for weight training. Pick one exercise per muscle group and do three or four sets of 10 to 12 reps for each exercises. Do this for six weeks, then alter your routine to suit your progress.
QUESTION
Do I need a lifting belt?
ANSWER
It’s imperative to use a high-quality leather lifting belt to support your lower back when lifting overhead, deadlifting, squatting, or performing intense standing curls and lateral raises. When lifting where there is no excessive demand on the lower spine, train without the belt to allow the muscles to do their job freely. It’s a good idea to do specific exercises to strengthen the lower-back area, like hyperextensions, stiff-leg deadlifts, and power deadlifts. – FLEX
