Skip the Weights

All things fitness, especially if your a beginner, starts with making a commitment to yourself and keeping it. It's simple enough to join Health Club and create a routine. But, understandably, it's just as easy to skip days that often turn into weeks and months.

There are life commitments that get in the way. But, in my opinion, fitness should be viewed the same way as eating and sleeping. We need it in our lives to sustain not only our physical but mental well-being.

It doesn't necessarily mean you need to train like a fitness competitor, but catching a spin class or a body sculpt class for 45 minutes a few times per week is going to pay dividends by year's end. If the health club is not your thing, there are plenty of ways to get some fitness. Full-body workouts without weights at home, your local park, or school football field are an excellent alternative.

When I wrestled in high school & college, both of my coaches didn't use the weight room as part of our season fitness regiment. It was all about bodyweight exercises, Marine Squat thrusts, burpees, push-ups, and let's not forget mountain climbers Och, just thinking about it. Bodyweight exercises work well when performed with a timer for each set, rather than counting reps. Start 30 seconds to 2-minute sets; the idea is to keep it moving. A total of 25-30 minute workout should do the trick.

These types of bodyweight exercise routines will get your heart rate up and kick your metabolism into high gear to help burn calories long after you finished. A few times a week of a disciplined routine will also break up the monotony of working out on machines and free weights. The overall changes in your appearance and mind will be highly noticeable.

Please give it a go. You'll be happy that you did.