Are you in good shape but want to get into better shape for a 5K or perhaps a marathon? If so, then consider the pieces of advice in the below article. These tips can help you get into the top notch shape in order to compete in your particular race.
If you want to burn off that excess fat, you should work on doing strength training exercises. Not only will these exercises burn calories while you’re going them, but they’ll build up muscle. The more muscle you have, the more calories you’ll burn at a resting rate. It’s why when you don’t take in enough calories each day, your body starts to burn off your muscle rather than the excess fat. If you’re taking in less calories, your body tries to eliminate what it is using the most.
A great tip to stay fit is to follow a proven workout program. There are plenty of quality workout programs online and you can also find them in magazines such as Muscle & Fitness and Men’s Fitness. Don’t just blindly follow a workout program. You want to know that a workout program is effective.
Make sure that you drink a minimum of sixty-four ounces of water each day to insure that your body stays properly hydrated. You should also drink an additional sixteen ounces of water for every hour of moderate or high intensity workout that you perform. You don’t want to risk your body becoming dehydrated.
To help you perform your best during your workout, you need to stay hydrated. Losing even one percent of your body weight through sweat can place added stress to your cardiovascular system. Two hours before working out drink at least 16 ounces of water. During your workout drink five to ten ounces every 15 to 20 minutes. When you are finished with your workout drink at least 16 ounces of water for each pound of weight loss due to sweat.
Be accountable for the exercise you do. Try joining a gym just because spending the money makes you more likely to be there and using those resources. If you can’t join a gym, pair up with a friend or two so that you can support each other. Being accountable to someone or something makes you more likely to stick with your workouts.
When working out, use this order: dumbbells first, then barbells, then machines. This is because your small stabilizing muscles tire more quickly than your large muscles. Dumbbells and barbells require more use of these smaller stabilizing muscles, you should use them first and move onto machines, which rely more on your larger muscles instead.
To get great looking abs, only do abdominal muscles 3 days a week. While working your abs daily may seem like the right thing to do, your abs actually need time to recuperate in between workouts. Taking a break and working on another part of your body will give your muscles the rest they need to get toned.
Bench presses are a simple weighted exercise that you can do to work out your chest muscles. All gyms have bar weights for doing bench presses, but if you have one at home, you can do it there, or use dumb bells to replace a bar. Simply lay on your back on a weight platform and lift your arms into the air while holding the weight. Then lower your arms.
If you have a gym membership, use every piece of equipment offered. Try not to use just one or two different exercise machines. Using a variety of machines will not only prove more fun, but you’ll effectively work more parts of your body. Try to learn to use at least a dozen different machines in your gym.
Looking to get more out of your workout time? You can make yourself 20% stronger by stretching. While doing exercises in sets, just take about thirty seconds to focus on stretching out the muscles you were targeting. You can improve your exercise routine a bit by doing a few stretches.
It takes the body about a month to adapt to lifestyle changes. That’s why it’s recommended to stop or start something for 30 days to break or learn a new habit. So if you keep up your work outs for at least a month, you’ll be on your way to making a great lifestyle change.
Working out in the morning is a great idea, but it isn’t always easy to get up early. If you are determined to work out in the morning, try weaning yourself into getting up early. Get up ten to fifteen minutes earlier than normal and do any kind of physical activity. Continue to do this by getting up a little earlier each week until you are up early enough to do a complete workout.
Fitness experts recommend doing slow and sustained stretches three to seven days per week. To learn how to perform stretches correctly without the worry of harming the muscle, you may consider hiring a professional trainer for a few sessions in the beginning of your fitness program to learn how to perform these stretches correctly. Oftentimes, if you join a gym, these sessions are offered free to members.
If you are beginning an exercise routine, do not push yourself too hard. If you feel pain, take a break or sit out the remainder of the exercise. When beginning, your body needs to slowly get used to the exercises. You can seriously hurt yourself if you try to push yourself too hard. Just remember that your tolerence will increase with time.
A great fitness tip is to start performing preacher curls. Preacher curls are one of the best exercises you can do to build up your biceps. They help build up the lower portion of your biceps as well as your forearms. Good form while doing preacher curls is important.
Therefore, if you follow these tips, you will be well on your way to getting into the shape you need to be in for your race. These tips show that you don’t have to be in your teens or twenties in order to compete in a 5K or even a marathon. You just need to put in hard work, and the results will follow.