10 Beginner Tips for Safe Workouts

10 Beginner Tips for Safe Workouts
By Craig Ballantyne

When my client Carrie first came to me, she was injured. Only three weeks earlier she had made up her mind to lose weight and starting running for 45 minutes per day. But this was not a good idea, given that she hadn't run in years and was 20 pounds overweight.

After only a few workouts, she had developed a muscle strain in her upper thigh and it required weeks of rehabilitation to heal. This made our fat burning workouts more difficult because she couldn't do interval training and some of the bodyweight exercises I use with all of my clients.

Over time, Carrie healed and she lost fat with my short burst workouts. However, no one should have to get hurt like Carrie did using a traditional weight loss program.

It bugs me that so many trainers still recommend long, slow cardio workouts for fat loss, when research shows them to be relatively ineffective — and experience shows that cardio often just lands folks in the doctor's office.

If I could have met Carrie before she started running, here are 10 tips I would have given her to lose fat fast and without getting hurt.

It is very important for all of us to train conservatively and not overdo things. If you are doing resistance training, and everyone should, don't do any exercise that you aren't sure how to do. Always get personal instruction from a certified trainer.


Don't do anything that hurts or "doesn't feel right". There are plenty of alternative exercises for any exercise in every workout program. Just ask a qualified trainer for help.


Whenever you start a new resistance training program, use lighter weights than normal and perform only one set per exercise. This will minimize the muscle soreness that accompanies any new program.


If you need extra recovery within the workout or between workouts, don't hesitate to take it.


Check your ego at the gym door and start with the easier alternative exercises if appropriate, even if you have exercised in the past. The new exercises, and new style of movements will cause muscle soreness even from workouts you think "look easy". Surprisingly, this also goes for yoga. Many beginners over-stretch and end up with injuries often associated with weight training. So no matter what you do, be conservative.


Do not do interval training or hard cardio more than four times per week. Even pro athletes don't play hard every day, so why should you?


Never skip a warm-up. Also, instead of using a treadmill to warm-up (which is pointless), do a general bodyweight circuit of easy squats, easy pushups, and ab planks to better prepare your body for resistance training.


If you have any type of injury at all, get medical attention and have a professional therapist rehabilitate your injury before starting an exercise program.


Check with your doctor before starting any new exercise or diet program. All together now, Safety first!


If you decide to use running as your form of interval training, make sure you have good running shoes, always do an extra thorough warm-up, and choose a safe running surface (grass or trails rather than pavement/concrete). If you use a treadmill, please operate it safely.
Keep these 10 safety tips in mind before you start your new fat burning workout. Train safe!