I grew up in a health fanatic family. My Dad has a whole room dedicated to machines and if he doesn’t eat his 5 vegetables a day then he tells me his body is crying out for them. He even has salad for breakfast. It’s a bit of an obsession. As a result of this I grew up with a fair amount of knowledge regarding health and fitness.
What I’ve learnt since then is that even when you think you know about something, there is a lot more to learn. I’ve also learnt that the science and learnings regarding health and fitness are changing all the time. What was the latest and greatest exercise fad last week is now no longer relevant.
Here are 5 new exercise rules which may help you crush it in the gym this week and remain up to date with what is happening in the exercise arena.
Exercise Partners
We used to always say exercise partners, accountability partners and someone to drag you to the gym when you feel like spending at least 17 more hours sleeping is the BEST solution. This is true, don’t get me wrong. But it’s also only half of the truth. The truth is also that having your bestie at gym can mean that you end up discussing the cute new guy at work instead of putting in those extra reps at the rowing machine. Or she convinces you to grab a smoothie afterwards when you know you really don’t need the extra calories.
An exercise partner is good if that exercise partner will enhance your results, push you harder and make you better. Take care when you choose your exercise partner. Someone driven, better than you and consistent is the best way to go.
2. Athletic shoes
The rule used to be the more you cushion your little toes the better. Now, the powers that be have declared the lighter the shoe, the better the shoe. Essentially different sports also require a different kind of shoe.
This is not an excuse to go grab the newest Nike shoes which cost a fortune. This is an encouragement to invest wisely into your athletic gear and listen to your body. If you are getting injured then make sure you are careful with what you do and what you wear.
3. How to get a 6 pack
The old school way to get a 6 pack was to do a crazy amount of sit ups at the end of your work out. Now we know better, sit ups aren’t bad. But, if you are doing your work out correctly, then you should be working your abs all the way through the exercise routine.
Pay attention to your abs as you work out. Don’t be sloppy with your routine and your form (the way you hold your body). Make sure that the core is always engaged and you will find that you need a whole lot less sit ups to get the same results.
4. How to do a push up
Push ups are the worst. But also the best. They work your arms and your whole body. The thing is females are often wimps when it comes to push ups. I mean really… science now shows that if you do push ups on your knees you put extra pressure on all the wrong muscles.
Don’t do that. Instead do your push ups from the correct place. Do a half or even a quarter push up if you can’t go the whole way. Then, when you feel stronger you can go the whole way down and into the push up.
5. Starving yourself and then working out
This mentality is very last year. I mean seriously, have you tried to complete a workout when you feel like you are going to faint from hunger. It’s not a good idea. The best idea is to have a small healthy snack before you work out and make sure that you have taken in enough water.
If you eat correctly before a work out you will have enough energy to push yourself and make sure it’s tough. If you don’t then it could end horribly. We don’t want that.
So there you have it, all your updates on the new trends. Now head to the gym and crush it.