A Beginner Guide to Strength Training

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So you want to get big and strong like the Hulk... Beginner Strength Training Guide

So you want to unleash your inner Hulk (rage optional) and get big and strong?

Does the thought of stepping into a gym and hitting the weights intimidate you? Do you wish you could pack muscle onto your skinny frame but don’t know where to start? Are you a bigger guy who’d rather have your chest and shoulders be broader than your waist? Are you a woman who’s tired of being “skinny fat” and wants to get that “toned” look? Maybe you just want to be stronger and faster?

No matter where you are starting from, I’m here to help with this beginner strength training guide!

The Basics

Strength training can be a vast, and scary, topic to try to come to grips with; so I want you to take a deep breath and let this guide take you through the process step-by-step.

“DON’T PANIC.” – The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

If you’re looking to start building muscle and becoming stronger, it takes three distinct things:

At the most basic level, that’s really all you need.

Of course, readers of The Jerd know we are all about training smarter, not harder (law #6 of the Jerd Herd!) so I’ve tried to assemble a simple, yet well thought out, guide to beginner’s strength training for you. Inside you will find our Total Body 3×5 Workout Plan, how to deal with plateaus, and the major keys to success!

This is strength training boiled down to the absolute basics.

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Nerd-Core Fitness 102 – Basic Workout (Day 3)

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Basic Workout for Geeks and Nerds to do at Home!

Here we are folks, the top floor of the Nerd-Core Fitness 102 Basic Workout Program!

Over the past couple of weeks I’ve laid out two at-home, body weight workouts (Basic Workout Day 1 & Basic Workout Day 2) for all you loyal Jerdlings which I’m sure you’ve added to your weekly routine… (you have started banging these out, right?!?)

Well it’s time to finish it out, so here is the final entry into the basic workout program!

Are you just starting out? Then give the Nerd-Core Fitness 101 beginner workouts (Upper Body, Lower Body, Total Body & Ab Workout) a shot first!

The 102 basic program is designed to help get you moving along your Heroes Transformation journey, get you used to the rigors of regular exercise and help to get your body into real-life superhero shape!

After 5-6 weeks of these workouts you should be feeling substantially more fit (assuming you are eating reasonably well; if you need some tips you can start here: The Basics of Healthy Eating)!

Now, are these workouts going to get you ripped like Batman? No, of course not… but remember that the caped crusader didn’t start off fighting the Joker on his first night of fighting crime, he built himself up slowly and methodically. It’s going to take a little while before you are punching evil in the face, but this is a great start.

All you need is a desire to improve yourself and the commitment of a little time and discipline.

Now let’s get to it, shall we?

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Nerd-Core Fitness 102 – Basic Workout (Day 2)

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Basic Workout for Geeks and Nerds to do at Home!Time to keep climbing the Heroes’ Transformation stairs and leveling up your fitness!

Last week we introduced the first workout in the new series of at-home, body weight exercises (Nerd-Core Fitness 102 – Basic Workout Day 1), and now it’s time to add another upgrade to your at-home workout routine!

Just starting out? Then be sure to give the Nerd-Core Fitness 101 beginner workouts (Upper Body, Lower Body, Total Body & Ab Workout) a shot first!

Assuming you’re eating right (if you need help with that, start here: Clean Eating 101), the 102 series of workouts will get you another step towards transforming yourself into a real-life superhero!

All you need is a desire to improve yourself and the commitment of a little time and discipline.

Now let’s get to it, shall we?

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Nerd-Core Fitness 102 – Basic Workout (Day 1)

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Basic Workout Routine for Geeks and Nerds to do at Home

It is time to level up your “Heroes Transformation” my loyal Jerdlings!

Already conquered the Nerd-Core Fitness 101 beginner workouts (Upper Body, Lower Body, Total Body & Ab Workout)? After 3-4 weeks you should be cruising through them with relative ease, and be ready to change things up.

This new series of exercises will keep you on your way to being a real life super-hero! (Let’s be honest; right now you are in fledgling sidekick territory, but you have to start somewhere! And no Robin, please put away the green underoos…)

If you dedicate a little time and couple the program with clean and healthy eating, desire, and some superheroic willpower and you will have the recipe for a Strengthening Solution worthy of Hogwart’s Alchemy class!

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Nerd-Core Fitness – Beginner Ab Workout

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Beginner Six Pack Ab Workout

Killer abs.

A shredded six pack.

The veritable Holy Grail of being in shape.

While I don’t necessarily agree with it being the pinnacle of fitness, I definitely get the appeal. Having a flat stomach or, even better yet, defined abdominal muscles definitely gives people a well-earned sense of accomplishment!

So what can you do to develop those little rolling hills of muscle across your stomach and those v-thingies on your hips?

First and foremost it is vital that you embrace the mantra “Abs are made in the kitchen.” Whether you are shoveling fast food into your face-hole or eating way too much healthy food it doesn’t matter how many crunches, roman chairs or obliques you do.

In fact, if you are really hitting the core workouts hard you might even look like you develop more of a belly!

Say what?!?

What happens if you are really trying to pack on muscle without reducing the fat stores around them is that the muscles just push the fat out further as they grow! Definitely not the ideal scenario by any stretch of the imagination, so make sure you are cleaning up your diet first and foremost (if you need some tips you can start here – The Basics of Healthy Eating. Better yet, everything you need to know detailed in “The Heroes’ Transformation Guide“!).

“You walk into a video store, you see 8-Minute Abs sittin’ there, there’s 7-Minute Abs right beside it. Which one are you gonna pick, man?” – Hitchhiker, There’s Something About Mary

7 Minute Abs

Okay, not really.

But if you want to add a simple, ab-centric, workout into your routine I’ve got what you need right here! Let’s upgrade your “Heroes Transformation” with some core strengthening exercises my loyal Jerdlings!

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Nerd-Core Fitness: The Perfect Squat

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Last week I promised I would continue updating the original Nerd-Core Fitness 101 workouts with videos, instead of pictures, and here is your next installment of instructional video goodness!

This time around I am going to show you how to do another near perfect exercise, the squat! The foundation of any leg workout (including this beginner lower body workout), the squat is an exercise that you should be doing regularly; no skipping out on leg day! This particular exercise is so important because it:

  • Targets multiple muscle groups (quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves to name a few)
  • Requires no equipment at all to get started
  • Can be scaled to fit your fitness level easily (Just increase speed or quantity… or add weights! Stay tuned for how to incorporate dumbells and exercise bands to ratchet up the difficulty!)
  • Will help you develop a super-heroic backside (Looking good in a spandex and a cape is hard, so get to it!)

Bask in YouTube glory!

I will continue, over the next couple of weeks,  to edit all the past workout articles and embed videos detailing the proper form for each exercise. Keep working hard, and please let me know if there is any other way I can make your journey from geek to real-life superhero any easier!

I want you to try to work towards being able to do at least 20 proper squats in a row without stopping (I think that’s a reasonable first goal)! You might hate me a little bit at first, but once your legs start shaping up you will thank me. Also, if you have bad knees or an injury, check with your doctor to make sure that this exercise is right for you.

Let me know if there are any exercises you have questions about or want covered in the comments below, or just declare your squat goals for the world to see (public accountability is a wonderful thing!) Be sure to subscribe to the YouTube channel (there will definitely be videos that don’t appear in articles, so don’t miss out!) follow us on Facebook or Twitter and be sure to Sign up for our free newsletter! (No spam, I promise!)

Signed by the Jerd

 

 

 

Nerd-Core Fitness: The Perfect Pushup

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Never let it be said that I do not listen to my loyal Jerdlings!

Awhile back I asked what would make workout related articles more useful, and the resounding answer was videos!

So I have decided to go back and redo the original Nerd-Core Fitness 101 workouts with videos, instead of pictures, just for you!

First up is how to do a proper pushup (or the “perfect pushup” if you will), which is only exercise in the beginner upper body workout. There is a reason why in every 80s style training montage (be it Batman, American Ninja or Rocky) you will see people doing pushups. They are an amazing exercise! They:

  • Target multiple muscle groups (arms, chest and shoulders)
  • Require no equipment at all
  • Can be scaled to fit your fitness level easily (videos for advanced pushup techniques are coming; stay tuned!)

Bask in YouTube awesomeness!

Over the next couple of weeks I will be editing all the past workout articles and embedding videos detailing the proper form of each exercise. As well as using that platform to bring you new and exciting workouts and tips for you to try at home! Keep working hard, and please let me know if there is any other way I can make your journey from geek to real-life superhero any easier!

So let’s work towards being able to do at least 15 pushups in a row without stopping (I think that’s a reasonable first goal)! Your arms, chest and shoulders will thank you for it! Let me know if there are any exercises you have questions about or want covered in the comments below, or just declare your pushup goals for the world to see (public accountability is a wonderful thing!) Be sure to subscribe to the YouTube channel (there will definitely be videos that don’t appear in articles, so don’t miss out!) follow us on Facebook or Twitter and be sure to Sign up for our free newsletter! (No spam, I promise!)

Signed by the Jerd

 

 

 

Reader Mail Bag #1

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I think it is high time to introduce a new series of articles to the site.

*cue drumroll please*

*dramatic pause*

Reader MailThe Reader Mail Bag!

That whole lead-up, drumroll, dramatic pause thing really doesn’t work when you write it out does it? Oh well, let us not allow that fizzled intro to detract from the point of this post; answering some reader mail!

Today we have two great questions from some loyal readers, so let’s see what they want to know and if I have any advice for them.

“So, some girl friends of mine at work are all talking about eating healthier and being more active. We are each making small adjustments in our lifestyles. One of the topics we were debating on were supplements, is there a need to take supplements? If so which kinds? With all of the fads going on…I think the latest I heard was raspberry ketone???…is it something I should look into?

I love reading your articles, I find them very helpful and have recommended your page to my friends.” – Tammy

Thanks so much for the feedback Tammy! I’m both glad that you are trying to get healthier and that you are finding the advice here helpful!

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Nerd-Core Fitness 101 – Beginner Workout Mistakes

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Happy #FitnessFriday loyal readers!

Today we are going to look at some common mistakes with the exercises contained with the Nerd-Core Fitness 101 series. As I have mentioned before, when you are performing these exercises proper form is paramount! Of course, no matter what you are doing you want to have good form but in the beginning we are trying to teach our skeleton and musculature good habits.

This isn’t easy, especially at first! As you are strengthening your major muscle groups you are also conditioning all your tendons and small stabilizer muscles at the same time. Everyone is different, and everyone will have weaker and stronger spots, but the constant is that everyone will sacrifice form subconsciously to make an exercise easier! You just have to be mindful when working out so that you can avoid putting reps of an exercise with shoddy form.

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Nerd-Core Fitness 101 – Beginner Workout (Total Body)

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We are now two full weeks into your “Heroes Transformation” my loyal followers! Hopefully you have been experiencing success with the previous Upper-Body and Lower-Body workouts and are now into a routine of setting aside 15-20 minutes three times a week to get superhero fit (Having a hard time finding the time? Look closer!) Now it is time put in place the last 101 level workout; the total body circuit!

I know I keep harping on this but remember, these workouts are the foundation from which all other workouts evolve. In order to jump into more difficult (and rewarding) workouts you have to get the right muscles groups acclimated to the rigors of exercise and working in the proper range of motion. This isn’t to say that if you only did these three core circuits that you wouldn’t get significantly more fit over time (because you most definitely would) but it will become imperative over time that you keep our workouts fresh and new!

Just having strong legs or bulging biceps isn’t enough, it’s how you connect them all which allows for explosive and heroic feats of strength! Being able to functionally utilize all your muscle groups as an efficient machine is what we are looking for. Do you think Captain America hurls that shield of his with just his arm? Of course not; he draws the power from the floor up! All the way from his legs, through his torso and down his arm to the release of that swirling disc of patriotism… and that is what we are going to work on today with this beginner workout. How to link it all together.

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Nerd-Core Fitness 101 – Beginner Workout (Upper Body)

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Alright loyal readers, you have had a week to start getting those legs conditioned with the first beginner workout I laid out for you. So time to introduce a new routine into the mix!

Remember, these workouts are the foundation from which all other workouts evolve. If you give Nerd-Core Fitness 101 a month or two and get these beginner workouts on farm status, I promise that not only will you be healthier and in better shape but you will be ready to tackle more intense and challenging workouts. As you go through this process just keep reminding yourself that we don’t have the luxury of being from a galaxy with a red Sun. We have to build our bodies from scratch without relying on Kryptonian genes.

Just as all your favorite characters can leap around without breaking a sweat, they also have spectacular muscle definition. As you head down your “Heroes Transformation” path we are going to sculpt your upper body as well. Have faith true believers, change is imminent!

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Nerd-Core Fitness 101 – Beginner Workout (Lower Body)

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So as I stated in the first Nerd-Core Fitness article I want to give you, my aspiring Jerdlings, the tools necessary to live a healthier lifestyle!  Do you think Batman is in such amazing shape, and able to beat down cadres of goons, because he sits in front of that giant supercomputer in the Bat-Cave all day? Is Green Arrow able to pull back that monster longbow and fire off volley after volley of trick arrows because he exercises his thumbs during hours of Xbox gaming? Hell no! They also didn’t start as the buff action heroes of your favorite comics either… They weren’t flooded with gamma radiation, they weren’t bitten by radioactive groundhogs, they just dedicated themselves to building their bodies up until they achieved physical perfection. And it all started somewhere with a beginner workout.

Just like the archetypical heroes journey these favorite characters have undergone, I am going to provide you a path to your own “Heroes Transformation“.

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Nerdcore Fitness 101 – Finding Time to Workout

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Finding Time to WorkoutSaying to yourself “I want to get in better shape” is one thing, actually finding time to workout during your busy schedule is another! With pesky things like family, careers and hobbies it becomes increasingly difficult to put aside the time to get fit, especially when you are starting out and confused as to how to approach this new focus in your life. Time management is one of the four legs of a successful and healthy life (motivation, diet and exercise are the other three) and often can be the hardest to take control of. I get it, and I am here to help!

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Nerdcore Fitness 101 – The Intro

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When I started this blog I wasn’t sure how much fitness advice I wanted to dole out, as there are so many magazines/books/Internet sites out there that are better positioned to offer that sort of content.  After thinking about it though I realized that so many programs and articles are written for people who already have a background in physical activities (Honestly it can be a bit intimidating picking up a Men Fitness magazine, even if it advertises a beginners workout, if you aren’t already partially in shape.  It looks like too daunting a task especially with the ever-present Adonis-like model on the cover.  I get it, trust me.); and as I have said in other posts, I am focusing my efforts on helping those not so physically inclined.

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