Diet & Fitness Blog

By Raphael Calzadilla
eDiets Chief Fitness Pro

Failure -- that's the one word I think of when I see people trying to design their own fitness program. They either do too much, too little, there's no goal, or the workout just plain ol' stinks.

The result is burnout, boredom and an informal invitation to pig out.

Now let's take a look at what you need to do when beginning an exercise program.

-- Write down one to three specific goals you want to achieve with time frames.
-- Make sure you've had a physical within the last year.
-- Understand this isn't an overnight fix.
-- Structure just the right amount of cardio exercise to increase energy and burn fat.
-- Perform weight-training exercises to improve strength, create firmness, increase bone density and stimulate the metabolism.
-- Perform light stretching to increase flexibility.
-- Make sure you're having fun to achieve consistency.

If I didn't know anything about exercise, I might think the points above were a hassle. Let's be honest -- it does take thought, preparation and work. But who says you have to do all of this yourself?

I have good news. eDiets will do all of the work for you. Well, not so much the exercising -- you're still going to have to do that -- but we can do all the preparation and program design. All you have to do is believe in the famous quote by Woody Allen, "Eighty percent of success is showing up."

Just show up to the workout session, use our specially designed plans and reap the rewards.

The eDiets fitness program is a place where you can get great workouts, valuable information and build your level of progression quite naturally.

Let's take a quick look at how the eDiets fitness program can fulfill the needs of a beginning exerciser. I consider these the 5 Perks of the Perfect Fitness Plan.

1. Personal Profile -- Before you receive your online workout we'll need to know more about your health history, goals and available equipment. This easy-to-complete profile allows us to provide a safe yet efficient workout that makes sense. Your workout may not be like someone else's if you have back problems or if you only have access to certain types of equipment because we customize it for you.

2. Virtual Trainer -- This is one of the most popular features on the site. The Virtual Trainer provides more than 200 animated exercises with descriptions so you're never guessing how to perform an exercise. We understand that this is sort of a scary endeavor if you're just starting. Doing the exercises correctly, being comfortable and having fun is important to us.

3. Program Design -- Once we have all of your personal profile information, the system will create a program taking your goals, limitations and experience level into consideration. If you have more than 100 pounds to lose and get out of breath quickly, we may start you at just 5 minutes per day of cardiovascular exercise, and we'll make sure to build your capacity at a gradual rate. Even your strength-training exercises will be super easy to follow.

4. Personal Support -- If you're having trouble understanding your program, you can post on one of our popular support boards -- Exercise & Fitness. As an eDiets member, if you want a private answer, then you can even email me and I'll make sure to answer your question in a timely manner and provide a thorough solution.

5. Tracking Progress -- Tracking your body measurements can be a very effective assessment tool for monitoring your weight-loss progress and updating your fitness program. A measurement history log can also be a very effective motivational tool. eDiets encourages you to keep a log of your measurements, and we will prompt you every six weeks for an update of your measurements. We want you to succeed and we'll use every productive method possible to do that.

Along with all these great features you'll also receive support from eDiets experts in nutrition, health, news and, of course, fitness.

Now is the time to begin your resolution for a leaner, healthier body! Break away from the pack and start today.

Check with your doctor before starting any exercise program.

Looking for more information? Join eDiets and visit Raphael's support group (Exercise & Fitness) for interactive support! We all know fitness is a vital part of living a healthy lifestyle -- let Raphael and eDiets help you on your way!

A drug-free competitive bodybuilder and winner of the prestigious WNBF (World Natural Bodybuilding Federation) Pro Card, Raphael Calzadilla is a veteran of the health-and-fitness industry. He specializes in a holistic approach to body transformation, nutrition programs and personal training. He earned his B.A. in communications from Southern Connecticut State University and is certified as a personal trainer with ACE and APEX. In addition, he successfully completed the RTS1 program based on biomechanics.

Labels: beginner-fitness, beginner-workout, cardio, exercise, exercise motivation, fitness, fitness routine, fitness-routine, gym, Raphael, setting-goals, tips, weight loss, weight training, workout-routine