By : Phil Mullins
One of my first, fondest memories was watching the Arnold Schwarzenegger classic “Conan the Barbarian” at an old school early 80’s drive-in movie theater. It was Arnold in his absolute physical prime, and my path was laid before me! In fact, Mom used to hide the weights because weight training allegedly stunted children’s growth during their developmental years. In short, lifting weights has been a lifelong obsession for me.
My dear Southenders, this journey is a marathon, not a sprint. Time is muscle, so I would like to discuss how to ease into a weight training program. Believe it or not, when it comes to starting a weight training program, LESS is MORE! In last month’s column I spoke about making a commitment to doing cardio. In the beginning of a fitness regimen, especially if you have been far removed from working out, cardio needs to remain your focus point even as you start dabbling with the weights. Never walk into a gym or a fitness session without a template.
The template should be simple and specific: what goes up must come down. I have been all over the pendulum and have tried countless exercising techniques with the ultimate goal of fighting gravity. I feel blessed that resistance training, my first true love, happens to be the most effective tool in doing so. You can build an incredible foundation by starting out with just two 45 minute organized resistance training sessions a week. Day one should focus solely on upper body movements, while the second day should focus on the lower body. There are many factors at play when beginning a weight training program so please take precautions, and seek out consultation or hire a personal trainer. Keep in mind that being observed and having an experienced set of eyes on you will ALWAYS prevail over a YouTube beginner’s tutorial.
