1. How long should a weight training session last?

Unless you’re training for a competition or a Sylvester Stallone movie, a typical workout is 30 to 60 minutes. When done correctly, a 30 minute session can be very effective. If you are lifting weights incorrectly or standing around talking, you better go home.

2. How often should I do aerobic exercise?

This depends on the objective of each one. If you want to lose fat, then you need more aerobic exercise than someone looking to bulk up or just tone their muscles. People who want to lose weight must be willing to get 20 to 30 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise four to six days a week. This is essential to burn fat.

3. I have been exercising for two weeks and only lost four pounds.

If you’re on a fat loss regimen, you should congratulate yourself. The fact is that a person can only lose a maximum of two pounds of fat per week. You must remember that weight loss occurs from three sources: fat, water and muscle. The fat is what you want to drop. Water weight fluctuates, for some women as much as eight pounds a month. Learn not to panic about cyclical water weight gain or get excited about dehydration weight loss. You don’t want to lose lean muscle because it will lower your metabolism and burn less energy than before you lost weight. Rest assured, to lose weight permanently, you need to do it slowly.

4. I heard that if I stop weight training, my muscles will turn to fat.

People still believe in this myth. When you stop exercising, your muscles begin to atrophy or shrink. When muscles shrink, metabolism slows down and burns fewer calories in its resting state. If you’ve been used to eating 2,000 calories a day while lifting weights, continue the level without burning calories from your muscles and you’ll have to do something with the excess calories. Bad news: the excess accumulates in the body in the form of fat, which is placed around the atrophied muscle. The appearance is that his muscle has become flaccid. It is an illusion. Muscle can’t be turned into fat or vice versa any more than an apple can be turned into an orange.

5. I just want to tone my muscles and I don’t want to become the Hulk

The word “tone” is misleading. Pure and simple, when you tone a muscle, you are making it stronger. The testosterone hormone is responsible for massive muscles. On average, men have 10 times more men’s things than women. It is almost impossible for women to achieve that bulky muscular look unless they are taking anabolic steroids.

6. Won’t weight training make me less flexible?

On the contrary, it will make you more flexible, if you are doing it correctly. If you are lifting incorrectly, the strains and pulls will have a negative impact on your joints. With some initial instruction and follow-up, weight training is not difficult to master. People in their 90s use resistance training as part of their fitness programs. As long as you perform the full range of motion in your weightlifting movements, you’ll add flexibility. Include a regular stretching routine in your regimen and you’ll double your flexibility.

7. Why do I repeatedly pull the muscles on the back of my thighs?

Hamstring injuries are common and are susceptible to re-injury. In most people, the quadriceps or muscle in front of the thigh is stronger than the hamstrings. Imbalances can cause injury. Another reason this area can be a problem is that many people simply have tight hamstrings. My advice is if they are a problem; pay special attention to working the hamstrings in your training program. Maybe book a special session just for them or at least train them first in your leg workout. My other suggestion is to incorporate stretching into your training. Stretch after each set you do and again at the end of your leg workout.

8. Should I eat before or after exercising?

Never sit down to eat a full meal immediately before or after a workout. It does not mean that you should not eat anything, but that it is light. You don’t want to have a lot of food in your stomach when you’re trying to exercise. Next, you want to give your body plenty of time to recover before consuming a full meal. If you’re trying to digest a large meal, both your stomach and muscles will fight for a blood supply. The end result is that your heart will work twice as hard to deliver nutrients to your muscles and stomach. If you eat too much beforehand, you experience the unpleasant feeling of indigestion or you may end up sick. It is better to train on an empty stomach. Try a piece of fruit or half a bagel for energy. Remember, it’s not what you ate an hour earlier that maintains your energy level. It is what and how you have been eating or drinking the previous days.

9. How much water should I drink?

You should drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. There is a formula that is used especially in the hiking/biking/running world that says half your weight in ounces, so if you weigh 120 pounds, you would need 60 ounces of water a day. If you are a coffee drinker, you should add an extra glass of water for every cup of coffee.

10. How much is the mind involved in the exercise?

The mind is everything, be it in physical form or in anything else in life. If you know what you want, you WILL GET it. All you need is to set your mind to have it. Life is a mega store and it has everything you and I always wanted; just make a list… yes, even a perfect body, you can find it there in the mega store of your mind.