This chapter is going to be separated into sections because we have a lot to cover.

What does 3x5 (etc.) mean in terms of exercises?

The 3x5 or 6x4, basically any variation you can come up with, tells you how many reps and sets you want to do for his specific exercise.

A rep (short for repetition) is how many times you are doing an exercise before taking a minute/two minute break. A set is how many times you repeat that. So 3x5 push-ups would mean you do three push-ups, take a break, do three more etc. five more times.

Reps helps strengthen muscle. Failure of reps is good, this means that you fatigue your muscle and you can't do another rep. Sets help build bulk and make muscles bigger.

Which muscles are the easiest to workout?

This is a bit of a subjective thing. Some people will say quads, others will say bicep and so on. But! The one that's the "easiest" is the abdomen. There's a few reasons I say this and a few reasons why this is also wrong.

Everybody can work out their abdomen and fatigue their abdominal muscles and not be sore (in their abdominal muscles) the next day. Idk exactly why this is, but I think it has to do with your stomach muscles and a lot of other muscles in that area contacting almost constantly already. The abdomen is just built different I guess.

Despite this, abs are one of the hardest muscles to build (obliques aren't abs but I feel like it's worth mentioning that they're a bitch to exercise). Especially lower abs. Abs are so stubborn. For some context, I work out my abdominal muscles every time I work out (about 5 days a week) and I'm just starting to see my upper abs gain muscle. It's been two months.

Types of Exercises?

You might hear phrases like "compound exercises" or "cardio" thrown around, but what do those actually mean? And what are their benefits?

A compound exercise is an exercise that works out multiple muscles at the same time. A good example is a lot of gymnastics things. Those are often working out multiple muscles at the same time. A benefit to compound exercises is that you're working the muscle in motion so the muscle will be stronger is multiple areas.

An isometric exercise is an exercise that only works out one muscle and in only one way and area. These are good for building muscle in specific places where you are lacking (like the wrist). Isometric exercises are often used in physical therapy.

Cardio exercise is a type of exercise that raises your heart rate and burns the most calories and fat. Walking, running, biking, swimming are very common types of cardio. A benefit to cardio is it leans your muscles. So instead of building bulky muscles, like a body builder, cardio helps lean down your muscles and makes them slimmer while maintaining their strength. If you want to do the exercises I'm recommending which are mostly for bulk and strength, but you want to stay more lean, I recommend adding in some cardio to your exercise routine!

Why you should ditch sit-ups.

In addition to push-ups, sit-ups are a classic exercise. Everybody knows them, and everybody has had to do them in gym class. But actually sit-ups are one of the worst exercises you can do.

The weight put on your spine when doing sit-ups can actually cause whats called a discus hernia. The sitting up all the way done in a sit-up puts all of your upper body weight—and some of your lower body weight as well—directly on the base of your spine (when you do a sit-up, notice that your not sitting on your butt, but actually more on the bottom of your back).

For me, doing mandatory sit-ups every other day for a year and a half in gym class made it to where every time I did a sit-up, I would get shooting pain up my back.

Crunches are a great alternative! They work out the same muscle without putting all this weight on your spine. When I could do sit-ups I always found crunches easier to do, meaning I was able to fatigue my upper ab more.

Girl push-ups are amazing actually

Ah yes, the forbidden girl push-up. For those of you who don't know what that means, that's when you do a push-up while resting on your knees rather than your toes/feet.

Despite all the stigma around girl push-ups they're actually great, especially when you're just starting to work out and you can't do a full push-ups in correct form or at all. Half push-ups, as they're actually called, help you practice correct form while also building muscle. Doing a half push-up reduces the weight your "pushing up" and makes it easier for someone just starting.

As long as you look up the proper form and do it correctly they're amazing! (You can also do this technique for other kinds of push-ups such as diamond push-ups or decline push-ups!!)

Correct form!!

Before staring a new exercise watch videos and learn the correct form for it. Using incorrect form can result in an injury, or best case scenario, you just don't work out the desired muscle.