Getting started

Since I'm just getting started on here, maybe it'll be a good place to also start on suggesting how someone DOES get fit. Looking on multiple fitness boards and websites, I see a lot of people either ask how to start, or they just start with cardio for fat loss. Cardio is good for cardio and leg fitness, but like all workouts and exercises, if you load up too much on it you'll burn out or actually hurt yourself more than help. Also, research has shown that a woman that does light to moderate weight lifting (doesn't have to be heavy) will lose more FAT than a woman that runs all the time. Now let's think about that. Why on earth would someone that lifts weights lose fat more than someone that runs all the time? Remember this is if she maintains the same diet, as well. Here's why: when you lift weights, you're tearing down the muscle fibers in the area you're working out (i.e. Biceps). When you tear it down, it builds a little bit more each time. A pound of muscle burns about 7 calories a minute at rest, while a pound of fat only burns 3 calories a minute. Now you WILL build a little muscle in the legs from running. BUT when you do a full body workout, you're incorporating ALL the muscles in the body and tearing them down. And for people that aren't so good at basic logistics, that means cardio with one muscle group focused on < multiple muscles being focused on and needing more calories to function a day. Another common issue I see with women is they think "Well I don't want to look like Sylvester Stallone or a bodybuilder like those gross women in bodybuilding competitions." Women, you will NEVER get that big unless you take testosterone shots, or your body makes as much of it as a man, which genetically is a very slim chance! You'll get some size, sure, but you won't get as big as my 17 inch arms, or 43 inch chest (that's mostly muscle anyways). As for starting a workout regimen I'd suggest 3 days a week for maybe the first 2 weeks, and maybe add an extra day after that when your body has adjusted to the change. Also I keep my workouts simple but intense, and depending on your goal it may differ, but I only use about 3-4 exercises for every set and do only 3-5 sets. It's simple, and basic, but it has never steered me wrong. I think this will be a basic good start, and for the next post I will discuss the most important part of getting fit-eating right! If anybody has questions please feel free to ask by e-mail and I will post on here or just email back when I have found the answer or I already know it! Again, thank you for reading!