Weight146;s over, Guys

It8217;s probably best to get a mem-bership for not more than a year. The gym may get too crowded for your liking at your favourite hour, or a better one may open closer to you. Be suspicious of lifetime memberships unless you8217;ve got a really sweet deal. Geetika is no expert, but she8217;s got at least three of the crucial ingredients of a good gym spot on8212;good trainers, good equipment, good hygiene.

It8217;s impor-tant that the gym you choose has all the equipment you8217;ll likely use, and has enough of them. If you like free weights, make sure the area is big enough for sev-eral people to work out. If you want weight machines, make sure your gym has them for all muscle groups. Most experts will agree that aside from the equipment, which some say are standard in big-name gyms, the most important thing to check for is the quality of trainers. Check if the trainers are certified by recognised bodies such as Talwalkars or BFY Sports and Fitness8212;if you8217;re entrust-ing them with your body, they had bet-ter be worth it. Check also if the trainer has time to put you through your paces. Says Deepak Singh, trainer with one of Delhi8217;s most well-known gyms, Powerhouse: 8220;Gyms are big business these days.

You find good equipment everywhere, what makes the difference is the staff. When you are ready to pay close to Rs 1,500 a month, you expect something in return in terms of the treatment you get. Agrees Dr Virendra Sherlekar, founding director of Tal-walkars: 8220;Unless your training is cor-rect, you can8217;t reach anywhere near the goal you have set for yourself. Also if your trainer is not good, the chances of injury are very high.8221; You can8217;t emphasise trainers, equip-ment and hygiene too much, but some of us overlook the make-or-break softer issues. Perhaps the most impor-tant of these is the location of your gym. Most people will not travel more than 20 minutes to work out. Not regu-larly. If it8217;s hard to find the right gym close to where you live or work, or on the way between these two points, consider working out at home. To help your gym selection, make a list of things important to you: location, price, clientele, trainers, equipment, parking, childcare etc. Score your long list of gyms on these counts8212;that way, you8217;ll have a better sense of the tradeoffs you have to make.

30:00 MINUTES WORKOUT
WARM-UP
THE ROUTINE

Marching, freehand exer-cises, push-ups, squats etc.

REMEMBER

The idea is to get the blood circulat-ing well8212;to your extremities and core muscle groups.
05:00

CARDIOVASCULAR
THE OPTIONS

Treadmill, cross-trainer, exercise cycle, stairmaster, arc trainer are some of the common options.
REMEMBER

Keep your heart rate in the target zone. Avoid high-impact activities that can cause wear and tear of the knees.
15:00

STRENGTH EXERCISES
UPPER BODY

The lat pull-down, the wide-grip row, the shoulder press and the bench press.
LOWER BODY

Squats and wide squats a.k.a. sumo squats will do for amateurs.
REMEMBER

Do these six exercises in the above sequence, and then repeat once. Increase resistance, as the exercise gets easier.

25:00
COOL DOWN
STRETCHES AND WIND DOWN

Stretches for ham-strings, shoulders, front thigh quads and hip flexor calf, and lower back are essential.
REMEMBER
Wind down with a minute in shavasana.
30:00

Courtesy Dr Virendra Sherlekar, founding director, Talwalkars

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