It's Simple To Get In Shape

 I had a conversation with my wife the other day where we both knew someone looking to lose weight by running on the treadmill. The one person deals with pain issues and the other motivation. It struck me that many skip the obvious.  Many people give no thought to basic calisthenics and simple dumbbell work. This kind of - what I call basic - training is simple and efficient to implement, has a greater return on investment, and is great for building a strong and resilient body.

 Many people fail to realize they need strength. Strength is the foundation to build everything else on.

 The stronger you become, the bigger your engine, and, therefore, your capability. Strength training is metabolically efficient, meaning that you’re creating a large caloric expenditure, and you’re building muscle, which is very metabolic. Also, That strength and muscle will support other, future activity, both inside and outside of fitness.

 Don’t get me wrong - conditioning is important. You can’t go through life breathing heavy going up a flight of stairs or doing a little bit of work. For the person getting started or starting back up, though, we can address the immediate needs with some strength basics. For most untrained people, running anything circuit style is going to provide enough conditioning for where they're at.

 Here's one example:

 PUSHUPS can be done anywhere.
 If you can’t do a full pushup on the floor, you can do them elevated with your hands on a bench, table, couch, bed, etc. Find the height that’s right for you to get a solid set of at least 5.

 SQUATS can be done anywhere.
 If you can’t do a full squat - bringing your butt below your knees, you can squat to a chair, stool, or anything else that allows you to sit down and stand up with good form.

 CRUNCHES and REVERSE CRUNCHES can be done anywhere.

 DUMBBELL BICEP CURLS
 Most people have a set of dumbbells laying around somewhere. If not, they can be found cheap on Craigslist, eBay, or bought in Walmart or any sporting goods store.

 There’s four exercises that can be done at home, at any time, that when run together as a circuit, can go a long way to building a base level of strength and conditioning in a minimal amount of time per session.

 The internet is filled with how to videos on these exercises. Watch 2 or 3 to be sure. There’s no reason to not know how to do these basics.

 Once you’ve figured out the movements, a simple circuit can be done for 3 - 5 sets.

 Pushups x 5
 Squats    x 5
 Curls       x 5/5
 Abs         x 5

 Sets and reps can vary based on strength and ability, but at the very least, this would take no more than 10 - 15 min at the start, and done 3x per week, would go a lot farther toward changing your body, your mind, and your life, than getting on the treadmill.

 An easy way to start is with the minimum 5 reps per exercise done for 3-5 sets, again depending on ability. As you get stronger, add an extra set or rep.

 When you get to the point where 5 sets of 10 reps isn’t too much trouble, you can increase the demand by lowering your the platform on the pushup and squat and increasing weight on the curls.

 That’s a simple to implement beginner’s program that can be done before hitting the shower in the morning or while watching tv at night. You could literally start that today.

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