Celebrity trainer Shivoham shares tips for working out

Too lazy to hit the gym floor? Motivate yourself with celebrity trainer Shivoham's pointers on the art of working out.

DON'T UNDERESTIMATE THE WARM-UP

No matter how much you may want to dive straight into the heavy stuff, a warm-up is imperative before you commence on your workout routine. I would recommend dynamic stretching, which induces mobility in joints and flexibility in muscles. Try this over static stretching to get the most out of your warm-up routine.

A COMBINATION OF BASICS

Your workout should cover the 10 areas of fitness - endurance, strength, stamina, power, speed, flexibility, agility, coordination, balance and accuracy. A comprehensive workout routine incorporating bench work and cardio touches upon all these elements.

TRACK YOUR PROGRESS

As your performance in the gym improves, push yourself harder. Basic toe-touching and the duration for which you hold a plank give you an insight into the measure of your fitness. Focus on free-hand exercises - push-ups and squats - before moving on to bodyweight exercises. The latter are probably the most important part of the male workout routine. Do some research on which moves target your muscles and try out variations of those, for instance - an incline bench press is better than a flat bench press.

BE PATIENT

Do not expect immediate results. It takes about 12 weeks for results to start showing, so give yourself that much time. As you begin to perceive an awareness of your own body, you instinctively identify the techniques that work for you. Analyse your form every few weeks and then push on the intensity.

KEEP AWAY FROM THE SCALES

Let the mirror be your guide. When you're into weight training, the conversion of flab into muscle may not reflect immediately on your weighing scale.

- Shivoham was at The Park, New Delhi, for a fitness boot camp