Carl Koenemann offers some fitness tips to get you started on your way to a healthier lifestyle. Anyone can get off the couch and start running down the street; there are certain guidelines, however, that you should follow - no matter how fit you are. These tips will help you get the most out of your exercises while also ensuring that you do not injure yourself. Give it a quick read.

1. Fitness Tips - Getting Started

2. If you're looking to get yourself in
the gym, there are a lot of things
that you should be aware of
beforehand.

3. While simply throughout some
shoes on and running out the door is
certainly healthier than sitting on
the couch all day, there are some
general guidelines to follow to make
sure that you are replenishing your
body and that you do not injure
yourself.

4. Follow these steps and you'll be on
your way to looking and feeling
better.

5. First Things First: Nutrition

6. Read up on my nutrition section
before grabbing your gym bag.

7. Nutrition is what fuels you - if you
do not have the proper foods in your
diet, you'll only be able to run so far
before you fall over or catch a
cramp.

8. Proper nutrition is crucial to
building muscle.

9. Make sure your balanced diet
consists of fruits, veggies, complex
carbs, proteins and fats.

10. It's also important to start eating
more often.

11. Instead of three large meals a day,
break it down into five or six meals.

12. This way you are continuing to
stimulate your metabolism
throughout the day.

13. As your activity levels decrease
throughout the day, eat less as the
day goes on.

14. Control portions and eat with a
purpose.

15. Everything should offer some
sort of nutritional value.

16. For portions - it's a good idea to
make sure that meats are smaller
than your palm and that pastas are
not larger than your fist.

17. How to Build Muscle

18. When it comes to building muscle,
there are some basics that you
should be aware of.

19. You need to increase your caloric
and complete protein intake - that's
the basics in terms of nutrition.

20. When in the gym, make sure you
are focusing on form.

21. Compound movements, weight
training four times a week.

22. You want as little movement as
possible - only target specific muscle
groups.

23. And rest, rest, rest! Muscle tissue
repairs when you're outside of the
gym.

24. Also, go for as much range of
motion as possible.

25. When it comes to how heavy the
weights should be, have each
exercise last 30 to 45 seconds; if it
lasts longer or shorter than that,
change the weight accordingly.

26. Finally, get the proper
supplements.

27. It's hard to meet the requirements
for protein intake - look into shakes
for after your workouts.

28. Endurance

29. Hydration and proper nutrition
are the basis for endurance.

30. This type of training is very draining
on your body - you'll be burning
calories like crazy, so you need to
make sure you've increased your
caloric intake.

31. When it comes to endurance, you're
trying to exhaust your muscles.

32. Work until you cannot push
yourself any further.

33. Reduce the rest between sets and
fight the fatigue that comes on
during endurance training.

34. Find Your Motivation

35. When you're stepping into the gym,
make sure that you are motivated to
perform each exercise to a certain
level of success.

36. If you're lifting weights, count down
your reps until you reach your goal.

37. Also, ask yourself why you're in
the gym in the first place.

38. To look good? To feel good? The
more effort you put in during your
time at the gym, the quicker you'll
reach those goals.

39. Change Things Up

40. Change your workout every
couple of weeks to ensure that
your body does not get used to
the exercises you're performing.

41. It's important to always keep the
body guessing.

42. Changing exercises, how heavy
the weights are, the order that
you perform exercises, your
tempo and your rep/set count
will all help keep you from
plateauing.

43. Even something as simple as the
time of day you train can cause
you to plateau.