8 Ways You Should Be Working Out In 2013

The new year is upon us and with the new year comes resolutions. Unfortunately for many people these resolutions will not become a reality. There are many reasons why, but one of the big ones is that they are not working out effectively and getting the most out of their time in the gym.

Here are 8 ways that you should be working out in 2013 to get the best results and the best body.

1. Lift Heavy - Light weights and high reps is a thing of the 90's. To get your body to change you need to be lifting weight that is heavy and challenging for low reps. Yes, this means getting out of your comfort zone. This will recruit more muscle fibers, which means a greater calorie burn and a bigger boost to the metabolism. And as a result give you that lean, toned, sculpted, muscular body you've been looking for. Little light weights for high reps on the other hand will keep you flabby.
2. Train Upright on Two Feet - If you are like most people you probably spend a good portion of your day sitting, whether it's behind a desk, in the car, or on the couch. All this sitting leads to muscular imbalances and poor posture, which is why you need to be up on two feet when working out. This will get the muscles of the core involved along with more muscles overall leading to an increase in calorie burn and metabolism. So get off the machines and up on your feet and start doing some real exercise.
3. Train the Body As One Unit - If you are like most you probably aren't aspiring to become the next Mr. or Mrs. Universe, so why are you training like him/her. Focusing on one area of the body is another dated approach to fitness and is actually the product of the bodybuilding world. Instead focus on training your entire body every time your are in the gym. This means total body movements, such as a squat and press, rather that isolation exercises like bicep curls and leg extensions.
4. 45 minutes, 3 Times Per Week - Time is valuable and probably in short supply for most, but the good news is that you only need to get in 45 minutes three times per week to see results. If fact, recent research has shown that shorter more intense workouts of around 45 minutes produce greater workouts than workouts that last longer. Also, if you are working out more than three days per week you are not getting the most out of your workouts because your body is not fully recovered and as a result not able to work as hard each time you workout. Results are achieved through intensity, not length or amount of time.
5. Dynamic Warm Up - Warming up is more than jumping on the treadmill for a few minutes and then doing some stretches. A good warm up is going to take 12-15 minutes and will increase heart rate, lather up a light sweat, warm up the core temperature of muscles, and include movements that not only stretch your muscles, but take them through movements that you will be performing later in your workout.
6. Train Explosively - The faster a muscle can contract the stronger that muscle is and the stronger your muscles are the leaned your body is. Training explosively means any movement that is performed as fast as possible without compromising form. On a side note, when our bodies are able to move quicker and react quicker they help us to recover from life's trip, slips, and falls by regaining our balance and/or falling gracefully, which means less chance of injuring something.
7. Train the Core - By now everyone knows that they need to be strengthening their core, but what most don't know is how to do it correctly. Many people try to strengthen their core with sit ups and crunches, but this is not the most effective way to improve core strength. Instead, if we focus on core exercises that prevent extension and rotation we will build a stronger and more defined midsection.
8. Have Fun - Exercise should not feel like a chore. You should enjoy it and have fun. This does not mean that you don't have to work hard and get out of your comfort zone, you do. But, you should change up exercises often, workout with a group of people, and challenge yourself each time. This will all create an enjoyable workout environment.

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• Starts February 11th, 2013
• 3 ppl per team
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• Weekly weigh-ins
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