A good workout plan challenges you physically so that you achieve your fitness goals without overwhelming yourself. Proper nutrition is also essential. A healthy diet gives you the energy you need to complete workouts and the nutrients your body needs to develop and tone muscles. If you don't know what to eat, consult a nutritionist or use resources like the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Pyramid as a guide.
Set a Goal
Determine your fitness goals and a reasonable timeline for achieving them. If you want to lose weight, choose a fitness plan that incorporates aerobic activities, such as jogging, swimming or group exercise classes. If you want to gain muscle, design a workout program that incorporates weightlifting using free weights or strength training exercise machines. As for the timeline, don't overexert yourself trying to meet unreasonable goals, such as rapid weight loss or gain. Instead, plan on losing or gaining just a few pounds a week, a healthy rate for most people. As an added benefit, exercising just 30 minutes a day reduces the risk of many chronic diseases.
Choosing Aerobic Exercises
Any physical activity you perform burns calories, and most activities tone muscles. Vigorous activities have greater fitness benefits, but novices might benefit from more relaxed activities, such as brisk walking. If weight loss is your goal, research the caloric expenditures of various aerobic activities to find the right one for you. For example, Harvard Medical School provides a list of common activities and their calorie-burning potential. Choose exercise forms that are fun so you stay motivated and disciplined.
Choosing the Right Weight
Proper weight settings are essential for a good strength training workout. First, test your current limits. Make a list of the exercises you plan to complete in a normal workout. For each exercise, choose a weight and try to complete 12 to 15 repetitions. If your muscles tire before you reach that range, decrease the amount of weight. If you can perform more than 15, increase the weight. For each exercise, write down the optimal weight and consult the list for future workouts. As your muscles develop, the amount of repetitions you can perform will increase. At that point, you must increase the weight. If you don't, your results will plateau and you'll no longer build muscle.
Expert Insight
If you're falling short of your fitness goals, consult a fitness expert. Personal trainers, for example, help their clients design and implement workout plans that get results. If you like, you can hire a trainer temporarily to teach you fitness and nutrition basics and help you get started with a workout plan. Alternatively, you can hire a trainer to coach you during each workout and push you to work your hardest. Many commercial gyms offer free consultations with personal trainers so you can test their services without committing.
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