If You Do ONE Thing in the Gym...

By , Jaimie La Bella

Published February 17, 2017

Summer’s right around the corner. For some of us, that means it's time to stop avoiding the gym.

Getting back into shape can be tough, especially after months of hiding under baggy clothes and sweaters. And sometimes the hardest part about getting into a fitness routine is just getting started.

We asked some of the best trainers in the business to tell us just ONE thing to do at the gym. After all, we have to start somewhere.

Here’s what they said:

"Resistance training. Forget spin classes and boot camps — they just make you hungrier and increase your likelihood of injury. Your aerobic activity can be done throughout the day by walking and moving more." - Harley Pasternak, celebrity trainer and author of "The Body Reset Diet"
"Medicine ball throws, twists or power cleans — an exercise that incorporates all of your muscle groups and increases your caloric burn." - Jerry Palmieri, strength and conditioning coach for the New York Giants
"A squat thrust! It incorporates most of the major muscles and gets your heart rate up!" - Juris Kupris, celebrity trainer and founder of The Fit Company

"Planks. Simple, effective, and all you have to do is hold longer to make it harder." - Rupa Mehta, Nalini Method founder
"The rowing machine. It gets your heart rate up and torches calories! I recommend starting by rowing as fast as you can for one minute. Gradually build up your time and speed, and use the rower as a part of your circuit training." - David Kirsch, celebrity personal trainer and author of five fitness books, including the best-selling "The Ultimate New York Diet"
"Chin-ups and pull-ups. If you are a woman, these age-old exercises will do wonders for your physique … Even if you can only do a half chin-up, trust me, if you keep it up approximately 3 times a week, you'll soon work your way to an ideal goal of 8-10 unassisted pull-ups and chin-ups." - Cara Castronuova, Golden Gloves champ and "The Biggest Loser" coach

“HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). Short bursts of high-intensity exercise followed by a recovery period and then repeated. Mountain Climbers (30 seconds at the fastest pace possible, followed by 60 second recovery.) Then repeat that for 7-10 minutes. Burpees (10 burpees at the fastest pace possible followed by 20 second recovery.) Then repeat that for 5-7 minutes and you'll be more tired than your normal 30 minute gym routine." - Drew Manning, personal trainer and author of "Fit2Fat2Fit"
“Squats. Everyone wants a tighter butt, toned legs and a flat stomach, and the best movement to achieving that is squats. Simply do squats twice a week, 4-5 sets per session with about 10-15 reps per set, making sure your technique is solid. Weight on heals, butt out, just like sitting in a chair." - Mark Macdonald, celebrity fitness trainer and author of New York Times best-seller "BODY CONFIDENCE"
"Hit the weights! Both men and woman can benefit from lifting; even if it's just a few reps, lifting increases your core strength and can improve your overall fitness." - Derrick Fish, owner of CrossFit OneLife
“Warm up. It is easy to jump into a class or onto a treadmill just to get your workout in and skip warming up. Getting your muscles warm is the best way to reduce your risk for injury which we all would like to avoid.” Kathy Kaehler, celebrity trainer, health and wellness author and fitness expert

URL

https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/if-you-do-one-thing-in-the-gym