The basis for managing body weight is founded upon energy balance which is influenced by energy intake and energy expenditure. A structured exercise program plays a key role in weight management because it contributes to long term weight loss by facilitating energy expenditure. The process of learning these new exercise programming methods and the science behind them seems relatively easy when each is considered individually.
If you can do an hour a day, that’s awesome. If you have a wife or husband, three kids, a dog and two jobs, then maybe you only have 30 minutes every other day. That’s fine too.
At the gym? At home? I suggest that you should work out at the gym where you have equipments, people and environment for serious training.
This will vary from person to person. I suggest that you should train at least three times a week and the best frequency is train five to six days a week. If you have time constraints, find some middle ground and train three-four times a week.
We are going to pick five exercises, and get really strong with those movements. Pick one exercise from each category below, and you will work almost every single muscle in your body.
I recommend doing between three to five sets per exercise. What you don’t need to do is multiple exercises for each body part with 10 sets. Unless you are a bodybuilder or an advanced athlete following a specific protocol prescribed to you by a coach, you can stick with three to five sets for each of the five exercises in your workout routine.
If you are looking for a simple answer: do each set of eight to 12 reps for each movement you’ve chosen, and see how your body responds. But don’t neglect your diet, that’s 90 per cent of the battle.
I recommend that the weight you lift should be challenging but it should be comfortable. Do not compromise on posture or technique while performing any exercise.
The goal is to wait the least amount of time you need, but still rest enough that you can perform all reps of the next set safely and properly.
Source: American College of Sports Medicine (2014)
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in the column are those of the author and are not in any way endorsed by the newspaper.