Free Workout Tips

"Free fitness tips to help you get into shape!"

I've developed these free workout tips during my 20+ years of working out

and lifting weights. Here are what I think are important considerations for workouts.

I think one of the most important aspects of working out for a healthy lifestyle, is to find and use a workout program that you will enjoy doing.

After all, you are more apt to actually working out if you exercise doing something you like.

Here are some free workout tips of types of exercises you might enjoy doing. Get out and try one! Working out 30 minutes a day, 3 times a week will make you feel great and help to keep the waist line in check.

Be sure to check out a free weights workout program here.

1. Finding the Right Workout Plan

Although this site mainly focuses on free workout tips for bodybuilders, weight lifters, and gym-goers, a great workout is not limited to lifting weights. You may be here for weight loss tips, and staying active will help you achieve that. You may want to also consider the following activities as well:

Basketball

Baseball

Aerobic Exercises

Martial Arts

Jogging

Swimming

Skiing

Walking

Hiking

Skating

Volleyball

Whatever you enjoy doing...

Now before you try any of these exercise tips, please be sure to read our disclaimer.

Try to get your heart rate up so you are slightly out of breath after your workout, but not exhausted. Again, be sure to talk with your doctor before undertaking any exercise program or any of these free workout tips.

2. Workout Diet Tips

If you are into weight lifting or bodybuilding, by now you probably know how important your diet is.

It may not be one of the surprise free workout tips for you.

If not, then let me spell it out for you. Your bodybuilding success is 80% diet!

If you want to look like a bodybuilder, you need to eat like one.

If you are trying to gain size, you need to add more quality calories to your diet to add mass. If you are trying to lose weight to become more defined, you need to eat slightly less than your body needs to put yourself in a calorie deficit.

How do you do that? Everything you need to know is talked about on this weight lifting diet page.

3. Track Your Workouts to Optimize Progress

I find it kind of humorous that some of the people I've seen at the gym for the past few years look exactly the same as when they started. In their defense, I'm sure some are just there for general health and well being, but I know a lot of "bicep boys" that would like to be a lot bigger than they are.

So why haven't they grown any bigger?

For one, their diets are probably not up to par. Secondly, they don't track their weight lifting progress.

If you lift the same weight with the same intensity every time you hit the gym, you will stay the same size.

Your body has found it's comfort zone and it won't budge until you MAKE it grow.

To make your body grow, you need to lift a little heavier than you did the last time you worked out.

For instance, on Monday you did flat bench press for 165 lbs X 10 reps.

The following Monday, you should try to lift a little heavier than last time in order to force your body into progressive growth.

Try 170 lbs X 10 reps, or 165 lbs X 12 reps. I would lean towards increasing the weight over the reps, but whatever works for you. Always make sure you are using proper form to avoid injury.

Here's a link to a free downloadable weight lifting schedule that you can fill out each workout.

This will help you track your progress. I believe this to be one of the most important free workout tips

4. Scrap the Supplements, Concentrate on REAL Food

Some may find this surprising, but if you really think about it... supplements are just that; S U P P L E M E N T S!

Their sole purpose is to help you out when you can't get the real thing in, namely food.

In the grand scheme of things, if your diet is in check, training is on par, and you are getting plenty of rest... then supplements may help you out by 5%, if that.

If you had $40 bucks extra to spend on your bodybuilding budget, I would spend it on things like lean ground beef, chicken, green vegetables, natural peanut butter, eggs and real food for building muscle.

With that said, sometimes it's difficult to get all your protein and vitamins in every day from real food. Here is where I would supplement a meal or two (out of the 6 that I eat a day) with a protein shake and a good multi-vitamin.

I would do something like this for my off season diet on a training day:

Meal 1
1 cup egg whites, 1 whole egg
2 whole grain toast
multi-vitamin

Meal 2
2 scoops Whey Protein
2 TBSP Natural Peanut Butter

Meal 3 (Pre Workout)
180g extra lean ground beef
120g whole grain pasta
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
spices

TRAIN

Meal 4 (Post Workout)
2 Scoops Whey Protein
1 cup kids cereal
Multi-vitamin

Meal 5
180g chicken breast
120g brown rice
100g steamed broccoli

Meal 6
180g extra lean ground beef
1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
140g green beans

You can see above that my diet contains very little supplements and real food is where I get most of my calories.

Here is a more in depth look at some muscle building supplements I like to use.

Use the above weight training diet link to learn how to put together your protein and calorie needs.

For more help on keeping the waist line in check out this info on a healthy eating plan.

5. Stay Clear Of Over Training

More is not better; better is better ; )

If you think that lifting weights every day of the week for 2 hours a day is going to make you bigger and stronger, I have news for you. For most people, you will probably over train.

You may actually hinder your growth by over training. You will also need to take more time off for your body to recover properly from all the grueling workouts.

Do yourself a favor and get to know your body and it's needs.

This is one of the extremely important free workout tips; get to know your body and how it responds.

Some may need to workout only 2 to 3 times a week with weights to see good progress. Others may be able to get away with 4 days a week.

Test a few training protocols and find what works for you.

And don't be afraid to take a week or two off every 8 to 12 weeks of training. No, you will not shrivel up from a couple of weeks off. You need to conquer the mind as well as the body with bodybuilding and weight lifting.

Rest does the body good. And after you're rested, you can hit back the gym, crack open your log book and go to town!

Now, when you first head back after some time off... go easy. Don't kill yourself with brutal workouts the first few workouts back. It's ok if your weight numbers are a little less than where you left off last in your training log. In no time, you will be beating those previous numbers.

Remember, this is not a race; it's more like a marathon. It takes time to build your body. Have patience, eat properly, train intensely, and you will achieve your workout goals! I hope you enjoyed these free workout tips.

If supplements do interest you, be sure to check out these Muscle Building Supplements.

Check out the Cougar Fitness Club ... Be Fit. Be Fierce.

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