Advice for a new exercise program

[Steerpike]

I'm planning on beginning a new exercise program next month. I have to be able to do it out of my dorm room where I have limited floorspace and with minimal equipment. The exectpion is an aerobics/acrobatics team I'm going to join that formed this year. They're basically a group that goes jogging all over campus and leaping over and across any wall or railing they come across.

I used to take martial arts so I'm brushing up on some of the exercises I learned there. I was also thinking of getting a couple of Pavel Tsatsouline's books. Basically, I'm just going for tone, strength and aerobics. Mass and anything else isn't that big a concern.

Anyone out there with any experience in the sort of things I described, if you could give me any advice or recommendations, I'd really appreciate it. I've been on this crusade for self-improvement for two years now, and it's only just recently that I've gotten around to being able to work in a program to whip myself back into shape.

[musicky_lover]

Firstly, hows your diet? It's no good running all over the place if your just going to eat a bag of chips afterwards.

How many times a week does this team train? To properly get in shape you'd need about an hour of cardio a day.If you can, start swimiming, this is the best cardio you can do.

Remember NO TAKEAWAYS! junk food is the devil. I recommend you eat about 5 pieces of fruit or vegetables a day.All breads you eat should be wholemeal.

Good luck on your excerise

[Lowend]

yeah, diet is a big one.

get protein!

[Trim vs. the System]

this is what i do for rugby (so it may not be particularly helpful to you but....meh)

press-ups (with feet elevated to around standing hip level) x25 4 sets
sit-ups (normal) x25
sit-ups (legs elevated to 90 degrees. no support) x20
run (find a sports field and do it as fast as possible running to each line and back to the start again. works best on a rugby pitch) approx 1500m

Monday
1. Pushups (2sets/20reps)
2. Dips (4sets/20reps)
3. Bicep Curls (4sets/25reps)
4. Lateral Shoulder Raise (2 sets/10reps)
5. Dumbell Benches (4 sets/15reps)

Tuesday
1. Benches (2sets/10reps)
2. Chest Swim (4sets/30reps)
3. Dumbell Flys (2sets/10reps)

Wednesday
1. Regular Crunch (4sets/20reps)
2. Reverse Crunch (4sets/15reps)
3. Side Crunch (2sets/20reps)
4. Bicycle Crunch (4sets/10reps)


Thursday
1. Squats (4sets/10reps)
2. Figure-4 Squats (4sets/10reps)
3. Hamstring Curls (4sets/25reps)
4. Lunges (4sets/15reps)


Friday
1. Bicep Curls (4sets/25reps)
2. Benches (2sets/10reps)
3. Bicycle Crunch (4sets/10reps)
4. Squats (4sets/10reps)
5. Lateral Shoulder Raise (2sets/10reps)

**************************
Definition of terms:
Pushups:
1. Hold your body above the ground with your weight resting on your toes and arms (shoulder width apart).
2. Slowly lower your body close to the ground by bending your arms at the elbow.
3. Slowly raise your elbows straight up to starting position.
Tip: Do not arch your back while doing push ups.

Dips:
1. Stand with your back to a bench, chair, or similar surface. Bend your legs, reach your arms back, and wrap your hands around the front edge of the bench. Move your feet outward until your body is comfortable. Start with your arms straightened.
2. Keeping your hands and feet in the same position, slowly lower your body straight down until your upper arms are perpendicular to the ground.
3. Slowly raise your body and arms to starting position.


Bicep Curls:
1. Stand or sit with a dumbbell in your hand. Your arm should be straight down at your sides with your palm facing you.
2. Keeping your elbow in a locked position, curl the dumbbell up towards your shoulder.
3. Slowly lower the dumbbell down to the starting position.
Tip: Do not swing the dumbbell up or down. Try to keep your arm steady and lift/lower the weight slowly.


Shoulder Lats:
1. Sit on an upright bench or chair and hold a dumbbell in each hand.
2. Start with your hands straight down by your side. Keeping you arms straight, lift your arms up and out to the side. Lift until your arms are just below the height of your shoulders.
3. Slowly bring your arms down to your side.


Dumbell Benches:
1. Lay down on a flat or incline bench. Hold a dumbbell in each hand. Begins with your elbows out and weights in a position just above you shoulders.
2. Raise your arms straight up. Try to keep the dumbbells steady.
3. Slowly lower the dumbbells down to starting position.

Benches:
1. Lay down on a flat or incline bench. Hold the bar with both hands. Begins with your elbows out and weights in a position just above you shoulders.
2. Raise your arms straight up. Try to keep the bar steady.
3. Slowly lower the bar down to starting position.

Chest Swims:
1. Stand straight with your legs shoulder width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand. Position the weights so that your elbows are out to the side and the weights are close to your chest.
2. Begin the swim stroke by pushing your arms out and in. Your arms should make two circles (parallel to the ground) that cross eachother. This movement is done as if you were doing the breast swimming stroke.
3. Continue bringing your arms out and in until the desired number of reps is complete.

Dumbbell Flyes:
1. Lay down on a flat or incline bench. Hold a dumbbell in each hand. Start with your arms lifted straight above your chest. Your palms should be facing each other and weights should be parallel.
2. Keeping your elbows slightly bent, extend your arms down and out.
3. Once the weights are parallel to the bench, slowly lift them back up to the starting position.

Regular Crunch:
1. Lay on the ground with your feet firmly on the ground and your knees in the air. Place your arms behind your head for support.
2. While keeping your stomach tight, light your head up off the ground.
3. Lower your head back down so it almost touches the ground.
Tip: To avoid bending your neck forward and straining it, try keeping your eyes on the ceiling while doing the crunches.

Reverse Crunch:
1. Lay on the floor with your arms supporting your neck. Keeping your legs together, bring your knees up so your legs form a 90 angle.
2. In a slow movement, bring your knees in towards your chest.
3. Move your knees away from your chest, bringing them down a little past the starting position.

Side Crunch:
1. Lay on the floor as if you were doing regular crunches. Starting at your waist, turn your legs completely to the left side. Place your hands behind your head for support.
2. Lift your head up slightly off the ground as if you were doing a regular crunch.
3. Lower your head back down so it almost touches the ground. After desired number of reps is achieved, repeat exercise on other side.
Tip: To avoid bending your neck forward and straining it, try keeping your eyes on the ceiling while doing the crunches.

Bicycle Crunch:
1. Lie on your back placing your hands behind your head for support. Lift your legs in the air so that your legs form a 90° angle.
2. Move your legs in a bicycle motion. When your left knee is closer to your body, reach your right elbow to it. When your right knee gets closer to your body, bring your left eblow to it.

Squats:
1. Stand up straight with your feet shoulder width apart and your hands at your hips.
2. With butt and thigh muscles slightly tightened, bend your knees and lower your body about a foot to two feet downward.
3. Keeping muscles tight, lift your body back to starting position.

Figure-4 Squats:
1. Stand up straight with your hands on your hips. Slightly bend your right knee and rest your left foot on it.
2. As you tighten your abs and legs, slowly lower your body as if you were doing a regular squat (about a foot to a foot or two down).
3. Raise your body to starting position and repeat.

Hamstring Curls:
1. Lay on the floor, supporting your body by resting your arms and knees on the ground.
2. Keeping your knee bent, raise it off of the ground until you reach about shoulder height.
3. Slowly lower your knee to the ground (don't let it touch). When desired number of reps is achieved, repeat for other leg.

Lunges:
1. Stand straight with your feet slightly apart. With your left leg, take a step forward.
2. Bring your right leg down with your knee almost touching the ground.
3. Return to starting position. Repeat on other side after desired number of reps is achieved.
Tip: For added resistance, hold a dumbbell in each hand.

...Ran out of room...

Anyway- that should help alot, it'll work your upperbody VERY well, for your lower body, just stick with cardio stuff like jogging, walking and stuff

Any questions, just post em here and i'll answer

[hex135]

if you have limited space/equipment, and you dont wanna go for size, then heres ur best bet:

-lots of cardio (running, swimming, hiking (i think thats the best), or bicycling).
-sleep early, sleep plenty, wake up early. people tend to discredit how important sleep is in overall health. but as a firefighter whos been waking up at 530-6 AM almost everyday for 2 years, i'll tell you that its the best thing your body can get. lack of sleep and sleeping in too often are both great ways to screw up the balance of how much energy ur body can build up. running or swimming in the morning is a great energizer for the day too. not to mention it'll take care of ur daily cardio requirement.
-waking up early is important, but so is a good breakfast. in your situation, id say eat fruit, yogurt, some cereal, OJ, oatmeal, stuff like that. keep the 3 eggs, bacon, sausage, and a half stack of pancakes for special occasions. also try taking a granola bar or cereal bar with u as a snack during the day. and drink water ALL DAY LONG.
-as a workout, pushups, pullups, and chinups are all great if u wanna stay in ur dorm. if you have a gym closeby, and you wanna workout for strength, do 75% of ur max weight for 3 sets of 8-10 reps on whatever exercises u feel u need to work.
-stay away from junk food, dont smoke (anything), and drink sparingly.
-eat good meals throughout the day, but cut down on greasy foods and fast food for lunch and dinner. esp fast food, try to cut that out as much as possible.

if you still need help (which i doubt it after this and the book the guy above me wrote) post here or go ask a trainer at a gym for some ideas

[Steerpike]

Originally Posted by hex135

if you have limited space/equipment, and you dont wanna go for size, then heres ur best bet:

-lots of cardio (running, swimming, hiking (i think thats the best), or bicycling).

Swimming shouldn't be hard. There's a pool on campus.

-sleep early, sleep plenty, wake up early. people tend to discredit how important sleep is in overall health. but as a firefighter whos been waking up at 530-6 AM almost everyday for 2 years, i'll tell you that its the best thing your body can get. lack of sleep and sleeping in too often are both great ways to screw up the balance of how much energy ur body can build up. running or swimming in the morning is a great energizer for the day too. not to mention it'll take care of ur daily cardio requirement.

I'll need to work on that. Last year, I was getting 8-9 hours of sleep a day and waking up around 5 every morning. This semester, I tend to be up late and sleeping in.

-waking up early is important, but so is a good breakfast. in your situation, id say eat fruit, yogurt, some cereal, OJ, oatmeal, stuff like that. keep the 3 eggs, bacon, sausage, and a half stack of pancakes for special occasions. also try taking a granola bar or cereal bar with u as a snack during the day. and drink water ALL DAY LONG.

Here's where the problem comes in. The dining hall isn't exactly a bastion of health. It's going to be tough getting the right kind of food.

-as a workout, pushups, pullups, and chinups are all great if u wanna stay in ur dorm. if you have a gym closeby, and you wanna workout for strength, do 75% of ur max weight for 3 sets of 8-10 reps on whatever exercises u feel u need to work.

Okay, I'll keept that in mind. I was considering picking up Pavel Tsatsouline's book The Naked Warrior, since it's all about strength training without equipment. Would it be worth it to pick it up? I've gathered as much information as I can, but I still would like a few more voices of advice before I buy it.

-stay away from junk food, dont smoke (anything), and drink sparingly.

The junk food isn't as big a problem as the dining hall. And fortunately, I don't drink or smoke at all.

-eat good meals throughout the day, but cut down on greasy foods and fast food for lunch and dinner. esp fast food, try to cut that out as much as possible.

Again, it goes back to the dining hall. You can only have a turkey sandwich and a salad so many times in a week before you get sick of it (as I learned).

[Steerpike]

Originally Posted by FourTouchCombination

...Ran out of room...

Anyway- that should help alot, it'll work your upperbody VERY well, for your lower body, just stick with cardio stuff like jogging, walking and stuff

Any questions, just post em here and i'll answer

I'll have to buy a set of weights for some of those, but for the msot part, I can probably do most of those in my dorm. Just need to clear a little more floor space. I have a very small single room, so I have to make the most of what space I have.