Getting back into the gym after an extended hiatus

Are you a former exerciser who has kind of fallen off the wagon for the past year or so? And if so, are you wondering how you can get back into a regular workout regimen after so long of a hiatus? Fear not - I will not lead you astray.

First and foremost, what you need to avoid is the gung-ho burnout. No, this has nothing to do with the 80s movie starring Michael Keaton, where he and his co-workers have to make 15,000 cars. It instead has everything to do with starting yourself off at a reasonable pace. All too often, people jump into a new workout with a tremendous amount of zeal, only to then give up weeks later because they're physically burnt. Avoid this from happening entirely by doing the following:

~ For the first two weeks, perform one total-body strength training workout. Use a weight that you can lift up to 15 times, performing just one set per exercise. Do this workout twice per week.

~ During this same initial 2 week period, perform cardio two or three days per week. The key is to keep the pace down a bit at first, allowing you to safely complete 15 to 20 minutes.

~ After two or three weeks, increase the amount of weight you've been using in your resistance training routine, as well as the number of total sets you are doing per exercise (upping your routine to 2 sets per exercise should be sufficient).

~ At this same two or three week mark, increase the intensity of your cardio. You don't necessarily need to add more time, as much as you should pick up the pace. A great option is to introduce intervals into your cardio training.

By the four week mark, you'll find that your body has become rather acclimated to your workout. This means that you are probably past the point of no return; that is, you most likely won't quit from feeling burnt out. Be sure at this point to change your workout -- something that you should try to do every 4-6 weeks on a going forward basis. Otherwise, you run the risk of your progress reaching a plateau.