by Wesley Schetrom

Created on: November 18, 2009

When you talk about improving your physique a lot of people automatically think that you must lift weights. Even though weights do have some good benefits, it isn't the only way. Diet is the secret to any good physique, but you will have better results if you mix it with some exercise. But this doesn't mean you need to lift weights. There are many different alternatives, for example when I began working out I didn't have any form of weights. All I had was my body weight. And this my friends is all you need to build a well balanced body. Eat high protein low fat meals (chicken, fish etc.) and mix in push-ups, sit-up, pull-ups, and lunges. And I guarantee you will look better than you ever have before. Sounds too easy to be true am I right?... nope. It's that easy, but then why doesn't everyone have six pack abs and strong arms. Well it's simply.... DEDICATION. It may sound easy but sticking with it day in and day out is what makes it hard for people. I mean lets face it, eating chicken and fish and rice all the time gets old... we want our hamburgers.. steaks and our party nights. And that's fine, you can have those things as long as you put in the extra work afterwards.

Now we talked about how body weight exercises can be effective in building a strong physique. But there are some machines out there that can help as well. When I began lifting weights I was given a Total Gym 1000... the small $100 total gym. The thing was trashed but that doesn't matter. It helped me increase my strength so I could perform my body weight workouts better. But it isn't needed.

Now when doing your workouts I try to split them up. We want to give your muscles the time they need to recover... otherwise you could over train them. To do this set up a routine that you can complete easily.

Example:

Monday: Upper body

Push-ups x 10

Pull-ups x 10

Sit-ups x 10

Triangle Push-ups x 10

Tuesday: Cardio

A mild walk, jog or even run.

Wednesday: Lower body

Standing calf raises x 10

Lunges x 10

Squats x 10

Thursday: Cardio

A mild walk, jog or even run.

Something like that if your a beginner. I mean that's just an example, make a routine that fits to your body and schedule.

But remember it's 10% exercise.. 90% diet. And remember to get plenty of protein to repair those muscles. And dont be afraid of carbs... they are what's going to give you the energy you need to do these workouts. And the less energy you have the less workouts your gonna do and the less of a physique you will have. Enjoy!

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