How To Get Ready For A Fitness Competition When You're Out Of Shape

But first, the hard part...

If you haven't exercised in a while or are recovering from an injury, you got to get back into a reasonable shape. This is hard because you might have been stagnant for a while and done little to no exercise. We've all been there and we suggest the following simple exercises:

Walking
Slow yoga
Stretching and moving your body
Swimming
Using workout videos

Try this simple routine about 20 weeks out from the competition to get your body into proper working order. Getting the cracks out of your joints and the ache out of your muscles will take some time, but it's more than worth it when you start your harder routine about 12 weeks from the competition.

How do you get started at this point?

At about 12 weeks until the competition, it's a good idea to split up your routine into muscle-building workouts and cardio. This will tone your body, decrease your body fat, and help you look even better for the fitness competition. Try this simple routine to get in shape quickly:

Monday – Cardio for half an hour and work your chest, triceps, and quads.
Tuesday – No cardio but work your shoulders, hamstring, and calves.
Wednesday – 30 minutes of cardio but no strength routine.
Thursday – Work your core muscles but take a break from cardio.
Friday – Back and bicep building with 30 minutes of cardio.

Later on, you can increase your cardio to about 30 minutes every day while performing the same muscle-building routines listed above. Continue to increase your cardio time as the weeks wind down: by the end of your prep period, you should be doing anywhere from 55-60 minutes a day.

When is enough exercise too much?

These routines are easy for just about anybody to perform, but you don't want to burn yourself out as it will decrease the effectiveness of your training and can even hurt you.

How do you avoid this problematic scenario? By following a few simple steps:

Work very hard for short periods – this decreases the chance of getting hurt.
Take breaks every few days to allow your body to recover.
Hydrate your body when it needs water, but don't drink more than you can handle.
Listen to your body – when it's screaming for you to stop, take a break to avoid hurting yourself.

Avoiding this problem may be difficult if you're trying to prepare for a fitness routine on short notice. It's not a bad idea to get a bit of help to avoid getting injured or seriously exhausted during your routines.

We're Ready To Help You!

Don't ignore the positive possibilities of working out with our inKin Social Fitness Platform. We offer users a way to gauge their exercise routine, track their success for the day, link up with friends with fitness devices, compete with each other, help each other focus, and create fun and interesting challenges and activities.

Getting to your peak physical fitness level doesn't have to be a lonely process. With our social platform, you can reach out to other workout junkies and maximize your workout effectiveness in a fun way.

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