Thursday, June 12, 2008

Tips for Workout Out Safely

I want to quickly cover a very serious topic today (not that all of my emails aren't serious, but this one even moreso...).

To make up for today's seriousness, tomorrow I'll send you a funny email featuring the 4 worst exercises I've ever watched a trainer give a client. Some of them I wouldn't have believed if I didn't see them with my own eyes.

But back to today's "seriousness"...

Lately, I've been talking about making workouts harder and more intense, but it is also very important for all of us to train
conservatively and not overdo things.

So here are 10 tips to train safe.

1) Don't do any exercise that you aren't sure how to do. Always get personal instruction from a certified trainer.

2) Don't do anything that hurts or "doesn't feel right". There are plenty of alternative exercises for every movement. Just ask us on the Turbulence Training forum for substitutions.

3) Whenever you start a new program, use lighter weights than normal, and do only 1 or 2 sets per exercise. You must always expect additional soreness when starting a new program just because of the new exercises, so don't try to set world records in a new program right away.

4) If you need extra recovery within the workout or between home fitness workouts, don't hesitate to take it. Safety first.

5) Use a spotter if you are training with heavy weights. If you train alone at home, follow my recommendations in the manual and do NOT train to failure.

6) Check your ego at the gym door and start with the Beginner or Intermediate TT workouts, even if you have been exercising in the past. The new exercises, and new style of movements will cause muscle soreness even from workouts you think "look easy".

7) Don't do interval training more than 4 times per week. Even pro athletes don't play hard everyday, so why should we?

8] Never skip a warm-up. Use the general bodyweight warmups and the specific warm-up sets in each TT workout.

9) If you want to start TT but think you have an injury, get medical attention and have a professional therapist rehabilitate
your injury before starting an exercise program.

10) Check with your doctor before starting any new exercise or diet program. All together now, "Safety first!"

Bonus 11) If you decide to use running as your form of interval training, make sure you have good running shoes, always do an extra thorough warmup, and choose a safe running surface (grass or trails rather than pavement/concrete). If you use a treadmill, please operate it safely.

So...as exciting as that was, it was very important.
 
Train hard BUT train safe,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training for Fat Loss

PS - Don't forget about taking TT for a test drive...

You can try Turbulence Training for only $4.95 for a 21-Day Trial run...if you don't like it, you can cancel and you'll get a refund,
and no additional charges will be made.

Click Here to TRY Turbulence Training for 21 Days

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