It’s officially the new year and many of us will be embarking on a mission of self evolution in the form of “resolutions”. I wanted to put together a workout for those who haven’t been to the gym or worked out in a while.  This particular workout is designed to give you some direction and get you moving again. It will serve to prepare you for more work in the coming weeks and months. According to the University College of London it takes 66 days (on average) to create a new behavioral pattern–this workout will carry you through the first 2-3 weeks of that stretch.  

It’s important to acknowledge that our internal state is often a direct reflection of the physical state of our body. If we are taking care of the organism which houses us, it necessarily follows that we are also taking care of our mental and emotional states to the same degree. Exercise is a creative and productive process, and ANY exercise is better than none at all. 

It doesn’t matter how long it’s been since you exercised. What matters is that you draw a line in the sand NOW and reclaim the direction and quality of your life by taking that first step.  

We need to begin at a point of origin unique to our own set of circumstances, accounting for our current weight, physiological age and the condition of our body. If we aim to become a better version of ourselves, that version MUST involve exercise.  Essentially who we are is an assemblage of several integrated systems: the cardiovascular, endocrine, skeletal, neuromuscular, respiratory, and  auto-immune systems (among others). Without exercise these systems cannot perform optimally. Our bodies were designed to move, plain and simple. 

All of us have 168 hours at our disposal each week. EVERYONE can find at least four hours in the week to sneak in a workout. Yes, it requires some planning and discipline. Yes, it’s easier to go home and flip on the television to numb your mind from the stresses that accumulate throughout the day. The difference is, at the end of a workout there is ALWAYS accomplishment and measurable gain. Television and inertia are equivalent, and neither enrich our existence in any way. Conversely, no matter how rough your day or week was, you will always feel better at the end of a workout because you have achieved something. Overcome the forces that are conspiring against you and keeping you down. Without movement and  exercise we slowly wither away. To move is to live.

Below is an entry-level workout which will increase your rate of metabolism, strengthen your body safely and truly enhance the quality of your life.  If you haven’t been moving, there is no better time than NOW and TODAY–because sometimes, tomorrow never comes.

General Instruction

Depending on your level of conditioning and how you feel:
1.  Perform 3-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions of each of these exercises.
2.  Use your judgment in regards to ranges of motion and weights used, increasing both as you become habituated to the movements.
3.  Group the exercises in “circuits” of 2-3 exercises with as little rest as possible between (:20-:45 unless you need more).
4.  For the “plank” (last exercise), try and make each rep. :30-:90  (I know that’s a wide range, but so are the levels of ability in the beginning).
5.  Go through this workout 2-3 times per week with one day of rest or aerobic activity (20-75 min) between the strength days.
6.  Let the repetition scheme guide your choice of weight. If you cannot perform 8-12 reps with proper form, your weight selection is too heavy.

We will address nutrition and nutritional issues in coming posts.

Questions? Please feel free to email me at I’ll be adding higher quality videos and more training content in the coming weeks and months, so if you have any suggestions or requests on specific topics, let me know.

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