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Fitness Made Simple

By Chad Cannon

Put together three different 30 minute resistance training workouts, where you train the entire body, using stability balls, bands, tubing, free weights, machines and of course your own body weight. Do one workout on Monday, the second workout on Wednesday and the third on Friday. This is called Progression. Basically, never repeat the same workout two times in a row. Change it up as much as possible. You can work the same muscle groups, just with different exercises. This is why you will have three separate workouts. If you do the same workout over and over again, you will soon plateau! No one wants to plateau! To keep getting the results you want, switch things up as much as possible. If you want to completely change every workout, feel free. The more change, the better.

Now come up with two to three cardiovascular exercises such as walking, biking and playing tennis. The easiest is walking and biking, but you choose something that you know you will enjoy doing. Pick anything that gets your heart rate up a little. On Monday, after the resistance program, go for a 30 minute power walk (or the first cardiovascular exercise you came up with). On Wednesday, after the resistance program, go for a 30 minute bike ride (or the second cardiovascular exercise you chose). On Friday, after the resistance program, play 30 minutes of tennis (or do the third cardiovascular exercise, or repeat the first again).

If time is a factor where a full hour cannot be done, then break up the resistance program and the cardiovascular activity into separate days, so Monday, Wednesday and Friday are the resistance, and Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday are the cardio activities. Only 30 minutes each day. I know everyone has at least 30 minutes a day! Again, NEVER do the same cardiovascular exercise twice in a row, even if you are skipping days! You WILL hit a plateau if you keep doing the same thing! Proper Progression is VERY important!

When doing a cardiovascular activity such as walking, biking, swimming or running, make it into an interval program. A slow walk to one mail box, then fast to the next, or a 30 second fast bike ride into a slow 30 second ride. An activity such as tennis is interval oriented already so no need to change anything.

Again it's only a total of three hours each week! That's it! If you cannot do that, you have not given yourself any chance. You owe it to yourself to at least try this. You would not have this program in front of you if you didn't really want to do it!

About the Author:

Chad Cannon is a certified personal trainer, weight loss expert, author, speaker, and director of Shaing Concepts in Hilton Head, South Carolina. His website is www.shapingconcepts.com