So now that I’ve left you hanging for a few weeks (hurricane, power outages, midterms – you know the deal), it’s time to actually get to the gym and work out. We Stony Brook students are lucky – the new campus recreation center is a facility that ranks high among similar facilities. It’s time to dust off those old sneakers and get to the gym.
The Warm Up:
You’ll need a little bit of equipment for this. Go out and find a tennis ball and buy yourself a foam roller or a PVC pipe if you’re feeling particularly masochistic. I’ll let Joe Defranco (scroll down a bit), a very respected coach, give you the rundown. I incorporate many of these exercises into my warm up and daily routine. Without proper mobility you will never be able to move through the range of motion required to properly work out and you’ll be prone to injury. On your upper body days do this warm-up
The Strength Training:
No matter if your goals involve becoming a beefcake or a ballerina – strength training will help you accomplish them. Get in there at least 2 days a week, spend about 10-15 minutes warming up and around 45 minutes to an hour lifting. There are a lot of great beginner programs (Starting Strength, is a popular one), but I’m a fan of an upper body/lower body split.
In the below workout, where it says “pair with,” do one set of the first exercise and immediately move on to one set of the next exercise. The numbers are sets followed by reps – for example, 3×10 means 3 sets of 10 reps.
Lower Body:
Squat: 3×5
DB Lunge: 3×10
Stiff-Legged Deadlift: 2×10
DB Step-Up: 2×10 (each leg)
Upper Body:
DB Bench Press, Barbell Bench Press or Push-ups: 3×5
pair with- DB Row: 3×10
DB Shoulder Press: 3×5
pair with- Chin-ups or Lat Pull-down: 3×10
DB Curl: 2×10
Tricep Extension (these can be done standing): 2×10
Get to it, do it 2-4 days a week. A run down on the different types of cardio is coming soon.
