Part I - Strength

A good, balanced exercise program generally consists of strength work twice per week, and cardiovascular work four times per week at varying intensities. This may be a lot of volume for you as a beginner, so try starting with one strength workout and two cardiovascular days in a week and build your way up to the six workouts, adding one session every one to two weeks.

In today’s tip, we will discuss the strength aspect of a program. It is a good idea to enlist a professional when it comes to strength work, as it is easy to perform exercises incorrectly and this could lead to injury. You will also get an idea of where to start in terms of sets and repetitions, and how to continually improve without progressing too quickly. Get someone who definitely knows what they are doing — many people lift weights, but not all of them have been shown how to do it correctly.

Choose around seven to 10 exercises that, in combination, address all of the joints and muscles of the body. Some people enjoy one lower body day and one upper body day with some core thrown in there, or a full body day that they will perform twice per week. Whichever you choose, both will be beneficial to the health of your body. Avoid choosing only exercises that you like doing and find easy. Often, it is the movements that are challenging, or that we don’t like, that we should be doing more often.

It is recommended that you take at least 48 hours off between strength-training days, so make sure to space out your workouts accordingly. Always ensure that you perform five to 10 minutes of general warmup work and a minimum of five dynamic movements before your strength session, and finish with some stretching and mobility work after your session. The warmup and cool down will be described in greater detail in future TC Health Challenge weekly tips.

Pacific Institute for Sport Excellence

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