Training tips

(scroll down to the previous post for this week's Half Nekkid Thursday pic!)

I bet you thought by the title I was going to talk about BDSM training huh.

*grin*

NOPE! Not this time.

I've had several people email me and ask for fitness tips lately. I talked to the Wee General, aka my evil trainer/neighbor, and we put together some stuff for you, my lovely Flowers.

* When working out on machines or with free weights, maintaining the proper form is extremely important. If you break form, you will not be working out the proper muscle group, but more importantly, you could injure yourself - damage your joints, pull a muscle, etc...

If you are working out at a gym and are not sure about the proper form on an exercise, don't be a ninny. Ask someone who works there.

* Do at least three sets of each exercise. Remember, it is that last set that does the most work. We vary my reps each week - sometimes I do higher reps with lower weights, sometimes I go up in weights each set but down in the number I do, usually 20/18/16 or 16/14/12, depending on what we are doing. You've got to change things up, because if you do the same thing every single week the exercises you are doing will lose their effectiveness. Don't do the same cardio every time. Don't lift the same weights or the use the same machines every time. You've gotta change it up!

TWG makes small adjustments each week, but completely changes my program every month. We just went from "Body sculpting" to "Circuit Training". Body Sculpting is working with specific muscle groups each visit. We would break it up in to biceps/triceps day, chest/back/shoulders day, legs day, and then on my fourth work out day go back to biceps/triceps. It's basically a loop. Now that I am a lot stronger, we have started this "Circuit Training" stuff. Uuuuuuugh is it hard. It is a full body, timed work out. We'll do four machines at a time. I go straight from one to the other (literally running from machine to machine with TWG barking at me to run faster), and then once I complete a round of all four, I get a whopping one minute rest. Then we go again. And again. And again. And then we switch to four different machines. Uuuughhhhh.....the pain....the pain..... It is the hardest workout I have ever done in my life.

It works though. *flex*

By the way, though every muscle group needs a rest if you get sore, you can do abs each work out as long as you don't have a super deep soreness there. A little sore is ok. Barely being able to breath would classify as not ok.

* Failure....uuuuugh.......reaching "failure"......when I am to the point where I am about to crash, burn and die, TWG makes me go at least two more reps. Evil, isn't she? On that last round, you are supposed to be pretty much toast. If you aren't, you either didn't do high enough weights or didn't do high enough reps.

* You've got to dedicate yourself to it. No matter how bad a day you had, no matter how tired you feel, you have got to get up off your ass and do it. I promise, if you stick with it, you will be so glad you did.

**rubs her abs and sighs happily**

* Don't rush a movement when you are doing weights/machines. Go slow, make it burn. Yes, I know it is harder that way, but you'll see results faster too. TWG literally slaps my hand if I go too fast.

I swear that girl is a Domme.....

One more thing....start small! I started maybe....eight or nine months ago with just walking on a treadmill that we bought for our game room. After a few months of cardio, I started working out with TWG. It has been a gradual increase. You don't just throw yourself in to the deep end of the ocean. Work up to it or you'll hurt yourself.

* Diet stuff - you've got to feed your muscles, especially you men when you start to get bigger. Lean proteins, lower carb fruits like berries, fresh veggies, complex carbs. You need to have a little bit of fat each day, and it is better to have it in the morning.

We keep changing up my diet. Right now I am doing breakfast with lean protein, like egg whites, egg beaters, canadian bacon, a complex carb like a whole wheat muffin or a corn tortilla, and usually a piece of fruit. I change it up with yogurt, cottage cheese, maybe a whole wheat waffle with sugar free peanut butter...stuff like that.

You should be eating five times a day. I mentioned what I have for breakfast. Even if I am not hungry, I have a snack a few hours later. One of the big keys is, never let yourself get hungry! Your muscles need the food when you work them out!

My snack is usually a piece of fruit or a Matrix protein shake. For lunch this week while I have been on vacay, I have been doing Tony Labrada high protein/low carb shakes. STAY AWAY FROM THE CHOCOLATE FLAVOR! *gag* The vanilla is much better.

If I go out to lunch at work, I try to stick to a salad with protein like chicken, or protein and veggies. About an hour before I work out, I try to do a Matrix (that is a brand by the way, and it is a supplement, not a meal replacement) protein shake. I love that burst of energy. Then after I work out I will either do lean protein and veggies (I made turkey chili tonight....Yummmm....) or another Labrada shake.

As long as I don't let myself get hungry, I have no trouble sticking with the strict training regimen. If I get hungry, I want to dive in to a box of godiva truffles.

MMmmmmmMMMMMmmm.......chooooooocolate.......

Speaking of chocolate...let yourself have a treat. I allow myself one meal a week where I am a bit naughty. You can't deny yourself all the time. You'll make yourself miserable and set yourself up to fail.

Good god. I am waaaaay to into this. *giggling*

Any more questions? Send 'em my way Darlings....