The Exercise Habit

Like most things, training is a habit, so, if you’re in the routine of exercising, it’s far easier to keep at it. “Keeping at it” is often thought as fanatical behavior and in many ways it is, but there are far worse things to be fanatical about.

I have to admit that I am fanatical about my own training and have been active in many sports since youth – wherever I’ve been in the world & whatever I’ve been doing, I’ve always made time to train – and largely enjoyed it! The thing I’ve found most difficult, but been disciplined enough to do, knowing when not to train – avoiding overtraining or trying to train through an injury. We all know this’ll only lead to a steady decline at best – sometimes it’s as difficult to stop yourself doing something as it is to start, but hopefully you’ll let commonsense prevail.

Although I’m in the habit of exercising, I know all too well it’s not the easiest habit for most people – easy to break, but far less easy to make – as I deal day-in-day-out with clients whose experiences have consisted of starting and stopping and starting again. In fact, the same is equally true regarding dieting – a subject that goes hand-in-hand with exercising and that we’ll cover in more detail in forthcoming newsletters.

For me, there are a few common pitfalls why most people have difficulty making exercise a regular habit. The overlapping main problem areas are:

1. Poor knowledge. A lack of understanding of how to structure a suitable training regime means not being able to attain objectives and an inevitable lack of motivation over time.

2. Haste. The over eagerness to look or feel a certain way can lead to an “all or nothing” approach. You want to train every night – running, weight training, team sports etc. – and it’s unsustainable, so you give up.

3. Unrealistic goals. Often you set out to do or achieve too much. The realization that you’re not going to achieve your goal/s leads to a lack of motivation.

4. Lack of motivation. As well as the problem areas mentioned above contributing to a lack of motivation, failure to enjoy your exercise can leave your exercising feeling like a chore, rather than a hobby.

So, how do we address these issues? Keep it simple. Here are the four measures to start the exercise habit (and keep it going!).

1.Seek advice. Consulting knowledgeable people within your exercise field is highly recommended. As the Gym Professor slogan suggests, “Knowledge is Power”. The Gym Professor website offers sensible sample process maps to aid your progression – use them!

2. Less haste, more speed! Following a gradual and consistent climb toward your goals, such as the process maps mentioned above, will ensure your progression.

3. Set an achievable course of action! Do not set out to do too much! Progress is the key, so take one step at a time and set both short-term and long-term goals that are achievable.

4. Commit to something. Making a start can be the most difficult thing, so creating a reason and a support group for your efforts can help wonders. For example, the reason may be a forthcoming wedding, holiday, charity race & the support network may be family or friends undertaking the same endeavours. It presents a great opportunity to socialize with family and friends whilst achieving your exercise goals at the same time.

For further information & ideas on structuring your training, please consider purchasing the forthcoming Gym Professor eBook (most likely titled "The Complete Weight Training Book"), which will provide easy-to-use process maps with hundreds of gym workout routines for you to follow (whatever your ability, sport or goal).

If you have found this information useful, please support the Gym Professor website by visiting our advertisers links.

Gym P.

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The Flat Bench Press

Probably the most familiar of chest exercises and the primary compound exercise for chest workouts - the Flat Bench Press. Below are a list of the key steps you should follow to mimic correct exercise technique and what muscles are at work.

If you're confused about what gym exercises to perform and when? You should consider reviewing the sample Gym Workouts and Gym Routines.

Key Steps to performing the Flat Bench Press correctly:

For this exercise, you require a spotter.

1) Ensure that gym equipment is set up correctly - bench, bar, weights etc. The bar should be empty (free of weight) at this stage.

2) Lie down flat on the bench, sliding underneath the barbell. The bar should be resting on the lift-offs directly above your eyes. The bar should be empty (free from weight) at this stage.

3) Grip the bar with your hands roughly shoulder-width plus one hand-width on either side. Remember this grip point in correlation with the bar's knurling.

4) Inhale as you lower the bar downward to touch your mid chest - a weight will typically be drawn or lowered to the area/ muscles being worked!. At this point your arms should form a right angle (ask your spotter to check). If your arms do not, you will need to adjust your grip width accordingly. Exhale, and the press the bar up.

5) Repeat the exercise for the given number of repetitions Do not lock your elbows out at the top of the movement and do not bounce the bar off your chest.

6) Warm Up. Warm up with little or no weight, performing 3 to 4 sets of 10 reps or more, in order to lubricate joints and raise local muscle temperature.

7) For your working sets, select an appropriate weight that allows you to achieve your target repetition range in a safe and controlled manner.

Muscle worked during the Flat Bench Press:

Primary Muscles: Pectoralis Major - Mid Sternal Fibres.

Secondary Muscles: Anterior Deltoids, Triceps, Serratus Anterior, Anconeus.

Stabilizing Muscles: Lateral Deltoids, Rectus Addominis, Transversus Abdominis, Forearm Flexors...

For further chest exercises, visit the Gym Professor exercise diagram library.

Best regards,

Gym P.