by Megan Sheckells
You just reached the top of the stairs feeling winded, as per usual, but somehow today it feels worse than usual. As you try to mask your heavy breathing from by-passers, you start wondering about how nice it would be if you reached the top of those steps and didn’t feel like you just went on a mountain hike.
So, you make a decision, you’re getting back to the gym, and starting a workout routine. Take that, stairs! But now what? It’s not as simple as getting a membership and getting there, you need a plan for how you’re going to get into shape. There are some staple types of exercise that you’ll want to be sure to incorporate. But what exactly are they?
Kate Meier offered some advice on some of the biggest first steps towards getting active again. Kate Meier has more than a decade of experience training both adults and children. She is a certified USA Weightlifting L1 Trainer, certified CrossFit L1 Trainer, and a senior editor for Garage Gym Reviews (Garagegymreviews.com).
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Additionally, she is a personal trainer and co-owner of CrossFit Doors of Daring in North Carolina. Before finding the barbell, Kate was a runner who raced full and half marathons. She played soccer year-round for about 15 years, including playing competitive club soccer in college. Needless to say, she has the experience to offer us a good idea of where to get started.
On the topic of basic elements of a back to the gym workout routine, Meier stated, “When creating a workout routine to return to the gym it’s important to have a balanced plan. You’ll want to focus on full-body strength training routines that work for all the different muscle groups as well as challenging cardio pieces.” So it’s important to have that variety and not just jump to one specific type of exercise over the others, i.e. just doing cardio.
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While cardio is one of our go-to’s in getting back to the gym, Meier pointed out that it can be challenging because “many times people do their cardio at too comfortable of a pace that doesn’t allow the cardiovascular system to have to improve. One of the best ways to do cardio is to alternate between high intensity where you’re pushing the pace and low intensity where you’re working to recover and catch your breath.”
Thea Lazarides who is also a fitness professional and trainer offered advice on the basics of getting back to the gym. Lazarides argues “the most basic workout routines that you should incorporate into your routine are compound movements, such as squats, deadlifts, etc. Those are seen to be the basics at the gym and should be incorporated when working out.” If you’re anything like me you’ll find her explanation of what a compound movement is, helpful.
She stated, “Compound movements like e.g. a squat are named as such because this one simple motion engages multiple muscles groups, such as the core, quads, hamstrings, glutes, and hip flexors.” Lazarides went on to say that compound movement isn’t all you need. She said, “doing only squats won’t give you the results you are aiming for. You have to combine them with some isolation movements such as e.g. leg curls, leg extensions, biceps curls, etc.”
So, it seems like overall, we need to be doing a little bit of everything in our full-body workouts at the gym if we want to see overall fitness results. So make sure you incorporate some kind of cardio, as well as compound movements (squats, etc.) and isolation movements (leg curls, etc.) as well as making sure those incorporate many of your muscles. Don’t stick with just leg exercises, make sure you include your arms, and core as well.
The good news is, while we can build routines for ourselves, there are other options out there. Get a personal trainer who can help you at least to get started on learning what you need to do, and form, etc. Or if you don’t have access to a gym, there are apps you can download that will give you full-body workouts right from the comfort of your own house or apartment. So don’t feel afraid to get started by seeking more professional routines online or through a trainer or gym program.
Lazarides and Meier also recommended, designating a workout area in your home that is distraction-free. In terms of staying motivated they also both suggested finding a partner to hold you accountable. Lazarides also said, “The key ingredient to a stable routine in the gym is NOT motivation, but consistency and discipline. Going to the gym has to become a habit, such that you just go no matter what - you will never regret a training, no matter if it was good or bad.”
These are some good factors to think about in getting your back to the gym routine going. But it’s important to note we are all different and our individual workout goals will affect the workouts and exercises we choose to do when we get to work. So, just get started and don’t be afraid to try a new routine than you have in the past. You got this, and future you will appreciate your hard work!
Sources:
Lazarides, Thea. Personal Interview, 2 Aug. 2021.
Meier, Kate. Personal Interview, 2 Aug. 2021.