Health and Safety Tips

• If you have a preexisting medical condition check with your doctor before beginning any new exercise routine
• Stay hydrated, drink before, during and after exercise.
• If you experience any of the following STOP exercising immediately and seek medical attention when necessary
  • dizzy
  • nauseous
  • loss of sight
  • pain or extreme discomfort
  • chest pain or tightness
  • difficulty breathing
• Workout at your own pace, make it challenging but manageable.
• Small incremental changes and challenges will lead to long term success.
• Sudden large increases in activity can lead to injury so be conservative at first and slowly increase your workout length and intensity level.
• It's OK to take breaks. If you haven't worked out in a while take it slow and build a base.
• It's OK to substitute exercises. If you are struggling with one exercise switch it with one in the same exercise category. If you can't do a lunge try a body weight squat, there both leg exercises. These workouts are just suggestions do what you can and try to have fun.
• Jumping, if you are new to exercise skip the jumping exercises and substitute them with leg pressing exercises such as squats, step ups or reverse lunges.
• Shoulder pain, if you have a history of shoulder injuries or shoulder pain skip the push ups and dips substitute with a shoulder raise exercise.
• Knee and/or back pain. If you have a history of knee or back pain skip the jumping and the lunges. stick with more controlled movements like the body weight squats and step ups.
• Perceived exertion: on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being sitting on your couch eating some ice cream and 10 being you are working so hard you think you are going to pass out, you want to be a 5 to a 7. Challenging but not going to kill you or get you hurt, If you are new to exercise start of slow and master the movements then raise the intensity slowly.

It is important to invest the time into warming up and preparing your body for the movement patterns in your lift. Make sure you do a general warm up to increase body temperature and warm up joints, then a specific warm up that will use the motion patterns you are using in the lift, for example if you are going to bench make sure you perform some warm up sets with an empty bar and warm up to your work sets.

• Move furniture so you have a clear space of at least 6ft by 6ft
• Move all breakable items away from the edge of shelves and tables. Vibrations can easily cause items to fall off a shelf
• Move any small area rugs you could trip over
• If you have the choice between a concrete floor and a wood floor pick the wood, it will be easier on your knees
• Make sure any objects you to step up on are sturdy and can handle a persons body weight avoid any small tables that may wobble or furniture with soft cushions.
• Clear small children and animals out of your workout area before you begin.

• Pick pants or shorts that are breathable and stretchy materials. It is not unheard of splitting your pants while squatting if the material is unforgiving such as cotton khakis.
• Shoes should have :
  • Rubber non slip soles that provides protection for your feet.
  • A shoe that has a good shock absorbing foam rubber sole if you are performing any jumping or lunges.
  • Secure to the foot
  • Be supportive, poor support can lead to foot and shin pain.
• If you are prone to knee tendonitis try wearing pants to keep your knees warm and warm knees are happy knees.
• Avoid wearing rings, bracelets, hoop ear rings, or long necklaces. They may get caught on something while your moving around.