01 Dec Five tips to winterize your workout program

With the colder weather about to hit many parts of the country, it if hasn’t already, it’s time to Winterize your workout program as well as your house.
Many of us will not be outside nearly as much, especially when it comes to exercising.
That doesn’t mean your fitness has to go into hibernation, though.
Here are five tips to set up a good winter exercise program (Note: Even if you live in a warmer climate, these are still some good tips to help you get in shape and stay that way):
1. Find time for fitness — During the holiday season we can all get extremely busy and stay that way through the winter. Schedule time to exercise – you can find time at least a few times a week if you really try.
2. Follow a set program — You’ll have better results if you research and establish a set program. What are your goals and how will you get there?
For strength training, consider using a split routine in which you work out different body parts on different days. Or work out the same basic body parts each time.
In a split routine, you might work chest and tri’s on Mondays and Thursdays, back and bi’s on Tuesdays and Fridays and legs on Wednesday.
If you’re doing an all encompassing workout, then hit all the body parts on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. You can work in cardio on lifting and non-lifting days.
3. Keep a log — By writing down your workout results in a training log it can help chart progress, set goals and help stay motivated.
4. Do compound lifts — Whenever you can, make sure to perform compound lifts that work out groups of muscles rather than just targeting an isolated group of muscles. Functional trainers are good machines to do these on.
Some examples of compound exercises include: Bench Presses, Deadlifts, Dips, Dumbbell Rows, Leg Presses, Pushups and Squats.
5. Push yourself — If your really want to see increases in your fitness and muscle mass, you’ll have to work for it. The winter is a great time to work out harder because you’ll likely have more recovery time depending on the climate. By that I mean you won’t have to worry about being sore from lifting for your golf game or softball game, etc.
Gradually increase the amount of weights you’re lifting and alternate the amount of reps you’re performing. Make sure to have a spotter on any Olympic style lifts. On the treadmill or elliptical machine, up the time and speed that you train at to push yourself.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com