The Official Blog of Tara Marie Segundo, M.A.
TARA MARIE’S TOP TEN WAYS TO SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS!
FOUR: Give yourself a break.
I always get nervous when people describe their weekly exercise routine as though it is set in stone: “I do chest and triceps on Mondays, half of legs on Tuesdays, I rest on Wednesdays, do back and biceps on Thursdays, the other half of legs on Fridays, and shoulders on Saturdays. I also do abdominal training on Tuesdays and Fridays and cardio for exactly 45 minutes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Sundays.”
While I admire their commitment, I wonder how they handle it when life gets in the way. I used to be very rigid with respect to my exercise routine—so much so that if I had planned to do a certain workout on any given day and I ran late or I could not be at the gym to perform my predetermined routine, I would skip the workout altogether. This is faulty thinking and I always felt frustrated because life rarely goes as planned (at least mine does not.)
I have learned two lessons that have served me well, both in the gym and in other areas of my life: remain flexible at all times and do the best you can with the circumstances you are given.
Hi Tara Marie,
I am 57 years old, and I started weight training about two years ago. If I exercise one part of the body, how many days should I rest before I exercise the same body part again?
Thanks, Elena
Hello, Elena!
Thanks for writing! This is a great question and it’s one that I am often asked. There are three basic components that must be considered for muscle growth:
- Work the muscle.
- Feed the muscle (this includes supplements, water, and food).
- Rest the muscle.
If, for instance, you work your chest on Monday, wait at least 24 hours before repeating a chest workout. I say “at least” because, if you are sore, I recommend waiting until the soreness has calmed.
You can do a great job working your muscles, and you can give your body great nutrition in the form of supplementation, water, and food, yet you can still hamper your development if you do not give your muscles proper rest.
Dear Tara Marie,
I just began an exercise program. I have always heard about the aerobic “target heart rate range,” but I don’t know how to find my range or what it represents. Please help!
Laurie, Staten Island, NY
Dear Laurie,
I totally understand your confusion! The “target heart rate range” is considered the range in which you can do your cardiovascular activity “aerobically,” meaning depending primarily on the aerobic energy-generating process. The term aerobic literally means “living in air” and refers to the use of oxygen to meet energy demands during exercise via aerobic metabolism. Generally, light-to-moderate intensity activities that are supported by aerobic metabolism can be performed for extended periods of time.
Some people must monitor their heart rate diligently due to a past cardiac event or another health issue. These people should wear a heart rate monitor, which will provide an accurate, up-to-the-minute reading of their heart rate.
For people for whom there is no cardiac concern, there are 3 easy ways to gauge exercise intensity, and I teach all 3 methods to my clients.
TARA MARIE’S TOP TEN WAYS TO SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS!
THREE: Structure your time.
If you want to truly transform your life by making a plan of exercise and healthy nutrition a priority, you will literally need to MAKE it a priority. Many of us have good intentions, but the truth is we end up doing the things that we deem most important. Everything else gets done if we can fit it into our already-over-scheduled lives. I have found that when my schedule is too unstructured, I get much less done. I do what is in front of me at the moment and before I know it, the day is over and tasks remain unfinished. The best way to manage your time is to schedule blocks during which you will work on specific tasks.
When it comes to exercise, you must apply this same kind of structure to your plan. This is largely why working with a trainer is so effective. My clients have to book appointments with me in advance and without 24 hours notice, they are charged whether or not they keep a scheduled appointment. Once they book an appointment with me, they book the rest of their day around it.
