Exercise and Leisure

Whether you are only trying to lose those love handles or want to tone and shape yourself into the proverbial "hard-body" there are some very important considerations when exercising. This is even truer when you are trying to cut and sculpt your body. Your workout is a very big part of this but giving yourself time off is also equally necessary if you want to see any real progress.

If you have ever been to a gym on a regular basis, you have probably seen those people that are disgustingly healthy working out every day and always pushing themselves to the limit. What you may not realize is that they have worked on trimming and toning before they worked on just getting bigger and stronger. When you start working out, it is not only unnecessary but also unhealthy to try to maximize the weights with which you work out.

To tone your body effectively, the repetitions or number of times you perform each exercise is more important than the actual weight. When first beginning your workout routine, try finding a weight that you are comfortable with and then take just a little bit more weight off. When you tone your body, you are actually ripping your muscles during your workout. Too much weight will easily tear the muscle tissue instead of just ripping it. Not only will this prevent you from toning your body very well, it can create serious and expensive medical problems.

When you have finished your workout, you want to give your body at least one and preferably two days to heal. Being a little bit sore is normal. If you experience any severe pain at all, you should seek professional medical assistance as quickly as possible. Working out is a healthy part of any diet within your personal limitations but it must be conducted properly if you are to benefit from it. Like dieting, there are many misconceptions about physical exercise as well. It is always best to get an approved workout plan before you start going to the gym or working out even at home.

After you have gotten your body into the physical shape you hoped to attain, then you can work on building up your strength. Working out too much is every bit as bad and sometimes worse than not working out enough. Regular exercise with light weights is going to be much more effective than going into the gym once a week and trying to compete with people who are already doing it every day. More likely than not you will only end up spending the rest of the week trying to recover and you will not enjoy any long term gains from your workout.

The fact that you should have a certified professional assist you with your workouts, especially if you are dieting at the same time, cannot be emphasized enough. Mixing the two can and should be beneficial but everything according to its desired effect. When your body is sore it is telling you that something is wrong. When it is sore because of a good workout, it should not last for a full day, when it is because you have seriously strained something, there is no benefit at all for you.

By: Ward Tipton