I started working out on 31st May 2017. Since then, I have logged over 450 Nike Training Club workouts on the app. There are many other workouts that I have not logged. I have primarily done body weight workouts. There are a few things about exercises and working out that I have learnt and want to share. These are my principles for working out.
Caution: These principles are helpful in the long duration, and might only apply to myself.
Consistency is key
If you exercise consistently, it's easier to exercise consistently. It gets built into your routine. For me, It's almost always better to exercise everyday than any other combination of alternate days, or changing times. Be consistent, then finding the time becomes easier. You and your body too become acclimated to working out at a certain time of day
Side note: What would it be like to work for 250 days a year and then to take 100 off? Instead of the 5 days on, 2 days off model we work continuously for 250 days then 100 off. We would be able to build a deep routine in both, work and rest. That should make our work better and rest deeper.
Simple is better
Use simple movements. Performing exercises with simple movements is better than exercises with complex movements. When you exercise simple, you have fewer chances to mess up. You also are at more freedom to observe your body and correct for any mistakes in movement, or form.
Additionally, with complex exercises and movements, you might feel like you're doing more than you actually are. That benefits nobody, and increases the chances of getting injured. How do you judge an exercise is complex or simple? You figure that through practice and your own judgement. Also, simple does not mean easy. Holding a plank is simple, not easy.
I've generally stuck to body-weight exercises based on this principle.
Routine is necessary
Set up a time-based rhythm for the difficulty and effort put in exercises. I've built a 3-day routine for myself where I'm supposed to do a certain type of exercise. Monday is mobility, Tuesday is strength with a focus on the core muscle group, Wednesday is a HIIT. Repeat for the next three days, and take Sunday off, or a simple set of exercises to keep the body moving, but not straining it at all.
Having a rest day in the week is necessary to be able to exercise well and maintain consistency over a long duration. Considering that Sundays generally have the most disruption for my schedule, placing the rest days on Sundays is most comfortable and rather convenient.
Know your limits
Go through the longest exercise/run you can possibly bare before you're completely exhausted. Then take that and on average do exercises that require half the effort of your maximum capacity. Generally that's a good benchmark to set and work up from there. It informs you where you should start pushing. A corollary is that you can perform your average twice over. That is, whatever your average is, you can double the effort/distance and in general be able to finish the exercise.
Strain in moderation
By strain I mean feeling the movement in your muscles. You know you're pushing your body to extend a bit more from where you are currently at.
Putting some strain and feeling it is important. But it should not be an everyday occurrence. Otherwise it tires you out, and maintaining consistency becomes really tough. But exercising without strain is tiring too. My mind wanders if I'm not pushing myself.
When injured, take rest
You are bound to get injured if you exercise. Whenever you're injured, take rest and a few days off. You can't exercise the injury away. You'll only prolong the duration of the injury and the associated pain.
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Wrote while listening to Giorgio by Moroder (feat. Giorgio Moroder) by Daft Punk. Great music.
