Forum: Exercises

Set something other than an aesthetic goal. This can be a certain amount of weight you want to try to squat with, a distance you want to run, or maybe you just want to be able to do a push-up on your toes . The issue with aesthetic goals is that they're fleeting, and they won't keep you engaged...

I tell someone starting out to wear a heart rate monitor so they know how their body is responding to the physical stress of training. Workouts are much more fun if they make sense. That goes along with my motto: train smarter, not harder." Quick note: A heart rate monitor is a device you wear that...

Focus on the feels. Most fitness goals are long-term projects, but the one exception to this is how we feel, which can immediately and profoundly improve after a single workout. If you’re just starting out, tune into the positive vibes you feel after exercise and let that be your reward. Remember,...

People come in with the expectation of long-term results happening fast, but people should look at fitness as a big picture and making exercise a part of their life routine, as opposed to an acute, momentary mindset. Also remember that working out is multi-faceted, and it's the combination of...

Be willing to look silly and make mistakes without judging yourself. Keep trying, and with every workout you’ll get better and better. Remember, the goal is progress, not perfection. And in a group environment, don’t compare yourself to anyone else in the room. While others may move seamlessly and...

Keep it basic, and don’t over-complicate your workouts. Too often people skip foundational exercises for workouts that look cool and are trendy. Mastering the basics truly takes time, so don’t rush through. A progressive basic workout program including exercises like squats, rows, lunges, and chest...

Warm-up before starting your routine—a proper warm-up is important to get the body ready for injury-free movement. Take time to stretch after your workout, and take rest days. There's plenty of time to build and progress. My other tips: Go into your new venture with a fun, can-do mentality. Set...

I always want my new clients to know that the journey they're about to embark upon tends to be the road less traveled. Those mental battles are hardest to deal with in the beginning stages so stay humble, stay committed, and know that the benefits far outweigh any difficulties. Wake up every day...

Be patient with yourself—you will have setbacks, and every day will not be perfect. The key is to be persistent and keep moving forward. The only thing constant in life is change, so we should be prepared to make changes to be the best version of ourselves. ...

Start slow, set realistic goals, be gentle with your body and take breaks as often as necessary. Making the commitment to begin a new workout is hard enough, so if you’re not honest about your physical fitness level and go too hard, you’re setting yourself up to potentially burn out or get injured,...

Wearing old, broken-down shoes can negatively impact your joints and ligaments, especially if you're running, sprinting, or doing plyometrics. So selecting the correct shoes for your workout is important: For instance, tennis shoes are built for lateral movements. If you're lifting weights, you...

My best advice for beginners is to find something you enjoy and focus on small, incremental progress each day. I believe that we get the best results from consistency, and in order to be consistent we need to enjoy the journey. That’s why I like to focus on small daily goals—small goals completed...

Motivation is what gets you started, but making things a habit is how you keep the longevity of an active lifestyle. Having friends, family, and coworkers that exercise with you can help you to persevere. Try to find workout buddies to do healthy things together. Also, what you do outside the gym...

You are better off doing a 45-minute, moderate-intensity strength circuit three times per week than to do a two-hour, high-intensity workout six times a week, and then burning out in three weeks because it’s not sustainable. And remember that it takes time and consistency to build your body, but...

If you are just starting a new workout program, don't overcommit or over-perform! Try starting with three days a week, and schedule it into your week like a doctor's appointment. No need to take a full class—stay for 30 minutes, or try a short private training session or an at-home workout. You...

"The first step is truly taking the time to figure out your why, what, and how. The questions I ask my clients are: Why are you adding fitness and wellness into your life now? In what ways will your life be different when you have fitness in your life on a regular basis? And how are you going to...

Hi all, I have been dealing with lower back pain for a while and I’m looking for exercises that can help alleviate it. What are some effective exercises or stretches that have worked for you? Any advice on how to perform them safely would be appreciated.

An often-overlooked factor, and one stressed by Trink, is to make “sure that your GI tract is healthy, because that’s how you absorb all your nutrients.” Do so by consuming vitamins, fiber, minerals, a probiotic, and water. Cardiello suggests you drink “ice cold water first thing in the morning”...

To flatten your belly, “go below your navel,” Cardiello says. "In a Syracuse University study, people burned more calories the day after they did a lower-body resistance training exercise than after they worked their upper bodies, simply because legs have more mass." Here's our roster of lower-body...

Say it with us: Carbs are not the enemy. Unless you're on an extreme nutrition plan like the keto diet, carbs are an essential source of your body's energy. That said, you need to be mindful about how you consume those carbs, because eating too many carbs—or eating carbs at the wrong times—can...

Can’t get the scale to budge? It’s possible you’re gaining muscle and shedding body fat—and that means your net weight change will seem "stuck," even though you're making progress. “Take pictures on a weekly basis—front, back, (and) side pictures all from the same angle, same lighting, same...

Forget calorie counting, and start thinking of food as fuel for your body. Getting six-pack abs is usually a function of fat loss, not a lack of muscle definition—and burning fat all boils down to a simple equation: Calories in versus calories burned. That means going beyond calories and studying...

If you want to make progress, sometimes you have to change things up. "Ensure your body never gets adapted to what's coming next,” LaCerte explains. Once that happens, you may notice diminishing strength gain results. To avoid this possibility, “switch up how heavy you’re lifting, your tempo of an...