Remember: ‘It is a marathon, not a sprint!’
DESIblitz.com and Pure Gym (UK) are proud to present a series of articles and videos related to a specially created Desi Fiteness Programme. A health and fitness programme targeting British Asian and Desi communities.
With the support of highly qualified fitness trainer Paul Simpson from Pure Gym, we shall be bringing you articles to help you get real results. As proven by Paul himself who lost an incredible 5 stones using his specific regime.
As an introduction to the Desi Fitness Programme, this first article highlights what you need to do as a beginner embarking on a fitness programme at the gym.
Before you have entered the gym, have you checked to make sure you have all of your essential gym items? You will need:
- A comfortable pair of trainers: Try to make sure they have been worn around the house a few times if you have recently bought them. You don’t want to have to stop exercising because you have blisters!
- A water bottle: It’s really important to keep hydrated when you work out, as you lose a lot of water through sweat.
- A fitness programme: Without direction, you are far more likely to give up or not know what to do. So read our beginners programme, devised to help you start to get fit!
1. Warm Up (Pulse Raiser)
It’s really important to warm up before you exercise. It gets you and your body prepared and ready for a good workout.
This warm up should be performed on a static bike or a treadmill.
If you have used the gym before and are confident on the machines, you could do this warm up on a cross trainer or a rowing machine.
You should aim to elevate your heart rate so you feel slightly breathless but not to the point where you feel dizzy or disoriented.
Spend 10 minutes on the chosen piece of equipment elevating your heart rate to no more than 130 Beats Per Minute.
Most fitness equipment will have a built in heart rate monitor and training zones. If they don’t, then ask your fitness instructor for help.
If you aren’t sure what heart rate training zones are, then do this sum:
(220) Beats Per Minute (minus) – (your age) = Your Generalised Maximum Heart Rate.
For example, 220 BPM – AGE (20) = 200 BPM
You will then work at the lower end of this Heart Rate starting from 100 BPM. If your heart rate gets too high during the ten minutes warm up, slow down or take a thirty second rest.
2. Stretch
You should then mobilise stretches to loosen all your joints.
This will include rolling your arms – performing leg lifts – and waist twists. Perform all of these twice, holding each stretch for 15 seconds.
The aim is to feel supple and ready to begin the next steps.
3. Main Workload
Work your way through the cardio machines of the treadmill, cross trainer, static bike and rowing machine.
Aim to spend about 10 – 20 minutes on this piece of the equipment, but do not forget this is your first time! This means that you should do what you can and take it easy.
The objective is to get you ready for the weeks ahead on your new fitness programme, rather than to exhaust yourself.
If at any point you feel dizzy, stop exercising and take a break. Make sure to sip small amounts of water as you exercise to replace the sweat you are losing.
4. Compound Exercise
You should then perform one Compound Exercise. For instance, The Lateral Pull Down, which works out your Latissimus Dorsi (back).
Aim to do 2-3 sets of 8-12 repetitions. You should rest for 30 seconds to 1 minute in between sets.
There will be a feature video which explains how to perform this exercise.
5. Warm Down (Pulse Reducer)
At the end of your workout, it is equally important to warm down, to recover faster and avoid injury.
Your heart rate will now be elevated, and it is time to reduce it using a static bike or treadmill.
Start to slow walk or cycle for 5-7 minutes, and this will help you to decrease your Heart Rate back to a comfortable Rate.
You should aim to slow your breathing down and feel relaxed.
6. Stretches
Stretch all the parts of your body that you have worked out. Hold each stretch for 20 seconds and repeat twice.
There are many ways to stretch your muscles, from a sitting, standing or lying position. If you are still unsure of what to do, ask a fitness instructor at your Gym, and they will be able to assist you.
We hope this has helped you to begin your Desi Fitness Programme regime.
Remember, keep hydrated, wear the right footwear, maintain good posture at all times, and keep your heart rate and breathing controlled.
Stay tuned for our series of features on how to improve your fitness, and finally, remember: ‘It is a marathon, not a sprint!’
Loading ...