Monday January1, 2001

Workout Do's and Don'ts

What if we told you that workout you do is a waste of time? It really is if you're not doing it right. So we sent our Steve Santagati to the gym in search of some workout wisdom in today's RXtra.

You work hard in your quest for the perfect body. But what if you're doing it... all wrong?

Karen Voigt says, "Form is really important and also consistency. Your body likes a routine."

So to help you make sure you're not wasting your workout with the wrong moves, we turned to the Hollywood fitness guru who's buffed bodies like Elle McPherson, Helen Hunt and Tina Turner. Karen Voigt has done it all; books, magazines and over a dozen cutting-edge exercise videos.

To get the biggest bang for your butt, we focused on three of the most popular exercise routines. Karen was quick to point out that a lot of weight isn't always the best idea.

Karen explains, "That's one of the biggest don'ts when it comes to weight training. You don't want to lift weight that's too heavy for you to handle. The other thing is you want to work with it really slow and controlled.

"Always exhale when you push the weights up or out because you always have a little more strength."

Karen also says, "Stairmaster is a very good activity for your lower body strength and it also burns a lot of calories."

But to keep the Stairmaster from mastering you… Karen says, "Don't crank up the resistance so high that you have to lean on the arm posts. Pump with your legs, get your heart rate up and progress slowly as you feel more comfortable."

Maybe your road to fitness is the treadmill. But it's not always a walk in the park. Karen says, "A lot of people use hand weights and I don't recommend this because I think it's hard on your shoulders and it doesn't make it a more cardiovascular workout."

And to really get a wallop out of your walk Karen recommends, "Land squarely on the heel and push off the toes because that's going make your foot pattern and cadence correct for your spine and back."

Karen's other tips:

- If it's your first time working out, start slowly. Don't try to do more than your body's ready for.

- Build up gradually. Every time you workout, work it a little longer.

- And "be realistic." Make sure whatever exercise program you choose fits into your lifestyle.

And here's some EXTRA info from Karen. She says you should find a workout partner. Sweating together is safer, more fun, and a good motivation to get to the gym.