Hopefully by now you have decided that a little exercise could do your body good. (If you haven’t – check out Part One, Two, and Three for inspiration) So let’s talk about your workout plan – what can you do to become a Greek God(ess) fitness master? Like any good Khakian – it starts with a different way of thinking and a good plan.
Any good fitness plan is about balance – the proper weight training regiment and cardiovascular combo. Of course, according to your goals your particular plan may change. For example, if you are only solely worried about building strength the key is low repetitions and heavy weight. That means, if you are doing bench press – you might do 6 repetitions of 250lbs vs. another guy who might do 12 reps of 150lbs.
In any case, for the purposes of our Khakian fitness plan, we will focus on overall health and well-being. We’ll make you look like a super-model and feel like a champ – all in Khakis, of course. Later in the series, I’ll talk about adjusting your fitness program for specific weight training goals.
A few fitness best practices:
Write it down:
The key to any good plan is information. That is why keeping a detailed log of your weight training progress is paramount. That means writing down what you did, how much weight you used, how many reps you achieved, and where you failed. Over time, this will allow you to examine your strengths, weaknesses, and areas you might want to focus on and improve.
Writing down your weight training progress also ensures that you do not fall into the bad habit of doing the same exact thing week in and week out. When lifting weights – progress stops when you stop pushing yourself. So if bench pressing 150lbs in week one seems almost impossible and by week six it’s relatively easy – tracking your progress will help you realize it’s time to consider increasing the weight. That’s a good thing!
Weight training is also about keeping your body guessing via variety. A healthy variety of exercises ensures each muscle receives proper attention and that your body is constantly challenged. Even if it seems silly, write EVERYTHING down – that means carrying a notebook around at the gym.
Change it up:
As I alluded to above, weight training is all about keeping your body guessing. That means not doing the same exercise routine for a year and expecting gains. Change your routine up about every 6 weeks to optimize results and to keep exercise fun.
The last few reps:
The last few repetitions in any weight training routine are where almost all of progress is made. You know, that last 5 minutes on the treadmill when you want to quite or those last 2 repetitions when you can’t get the weight off your chest and have to ask for help – that’s where it counts – and scientifically those reps are what cause your muscles to grow and become more toned.
So remember, when you want to quit – don’t! You’ll simply be cheating yourself!
Accountability:
If you can, get a workout partner. Someone to drag you out of bed or off the couch when you would really like to skip the gym makes all the difference. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been sitting at home and seriously considering just watching TV, but when you are accountable to a friend who will give you a hard time about not going to the gym you have all the more incentive. It’s also nice to have someone to spot you when your chest is being crushed by weight you thought you could do. Group classes and personal trainings are also a great way to hold yourself accountable if that is an option for you.
Rest:
Don’t kill yourself. Your body and mind needs time to recover. Rest is also a big part of staying motivated and preventing injury. Instead of learning to hate exercise because you can barely get out of bed the morning after a tough workout– take a day off and pick back up the next day.
Downloadable Resources and Routines:
I am including a few whole body weekly training guides to get you started. Feel free to share with friends.I will post a few routines for targeting certain fitness goals in the coming weeks. We are always open to suggestions!
*files are in pdf format.
Want to tell us how awesome the guys in Khakis are? Want to tell us how full of crap we are? Question, comment, or concern? Let us hear about it in the comments!
**DISCLAIMER: We aren’t medical doctors, dietitians or even weight loss experts. We are just a couple guys in Khakis who coincidentally used to both be giant fat asses and decided to take action and make lasting change in our lives. These are our stories and point of views on how to lose the weight the right way, and shouldn’t be considered medical or professional advice. **
