Fitness Resolutions for 2012
December 30, 2011 By: Victor Brick
Here are four fitness resolutions I recommend for 2012:
- Increase your weight. Many people simply do not use enough weight when weight training. Remember, the secret of weight training is the “Overload Principle”. This principle states that you must work a muscle to exhaustion so that when it builds itself back up, it is stronger, firmer and larger than before.
- Train slower. Most people train so quickly that the momentum of the weights does most of the work. You should move the weight at a two to four-second count on the concentric contraction, which is usually the raising of the weight. You should also move the weight at a two to four-second count on the eccentric contraction, or the lowering of the weight. If you clang your weights, you are training too quickly.
- Breathe. It is important to remember to breathe during each and every repetition when strength training. Holding your breath will prevent you from giving maximum effort during the exercise. It can also be dangerous and actually cause you to faint or feel light-headed. There are many ways to breathe, depending on the exercise but, when in doubt, breathe naturally.
- Keep moving between sets. Staying seated or inactive between sets will cause your energy to drop. Your blood will tend to pool in your extremities and, again, will prevent you from giving a maximum effort each set. Get up, walk around, shake your arms and legs, and take some deep breathes. You will be much better prepared to give it your best effort during the next set.
Be committed to these resolutions and see how much more you get out of your workouts!
See you at 100, years that is!
Corny joke for the day: What kind of coffee were they serving on the Titanic when they hit the iceberg? Why, Sanka, of course! Told you it was corny!