New Year, New You
Whelp, it's here. The new year. The big 2017.
What's continuously one of the biggest New Year's Resolutions? Losing weight. This edition of the Totally Awesome Blog, I'd like to smash out some easy to do exercises that'll have you ripping off your shirt and screaming, courtesy of Hulk Hogan. They're easy and make you feel really good after every session (thanks, endorphins). I can attest to this personally, though I will also admit I'm no Brad Pitt in "Fight Club", just a few months straight of doing these most basic and effective workouts has made me noticeably stronger and given me more stamina.
Before we get into what you should do, we gotta talk about one of the most important factors in all of this. Your motivation. It'll make you and it'll break you. Personally, I feel like a New Year's Resolution isn't the best beginning motivation for wanting to lose weight, which is evident by how many people you will not see at the gym after a few weeks. That's not gonna be us, though, right? We're in it for the lifestyle change. We're sick of hanging out on the couch and feeling bored, but also not wanting to do anything about it. We're motivated, dammit! What's your reason? Doing it for someone? To look better in that dress or those jeans? Want to be the next Mr./Mrs. Universe? Whatever it is, print it out on a piece of paper and tape it to your bathroom mirror. See it every day when you wake up and every night before you hit the hay. Take it to the extreme like I did; I tattoo'd my reason right on my body. Having a constant reminder around will keep your mind focused on the end goal and what needs to be done to get there.
Now, let's start with the most obvious exercise: cardio. Running, biking, walking... anything that you can do to keep your heart rate up and breaks a sweat is good. Seriously. Walk the dogs, maybe. That kills two birds with one stone easily. Each time you do cardio, you are going to want to increase the intensity of whatever you are doing, as your body needs that increase to improve. This includes things like running faster and/or longer outside, or increase the speed/elevation on a treadmill. You want your body to feel it each time.
Here is a cool cardio plan called "Couch to 5k", I suggest checking it out if this is something that would interest you.
Alright, let's get into the fun stuff: the weight lifting! Pick things up, put them down. Repeatedly. Whether you're looking to lose weight or just tone up, this will burn fat no matter what (with the proper diet)! We're going to focus on mostly compound movements, because those have the most impact for beginners.
First, we've got the barbell squat. Focuses mainly on the quadriceps--the portion on the front side of your legs above your knee. But it also hits... just about everything else in your leg. It's one of the favorites for those looking for a new booty!
Next, we've got the deadlift. It's another popular option for working on your butt, targeting your gluteus mainly. It, like the barbell squat, works just about everything else in your legs. This is extremely useful in building up your stabilizer muscles!
Click here for the video on proper form for this lift!
It all seems pretty simple, doesn't it? Luckily, that's because it is!
Here is the link to get a little explanation on proper form!
Up next, the tried and true bench press! Want a bigger chest, brah? Yea you do! Also bigger delts and triceps; no matter, this'll have you covered. This is also another you should do with just the bar a few times first, by the way! You gotta catch a feel for it before you pack on the weight!
It all seems pretty simple, doesn't it? Luckily, that's because it is!
Here are some more lifts that are simple and effective:
And to put it all together, here's an incredibly well-made plan that only takes three days out of your week!
Good luck, future fitness junkies! I believe in you!