Get checked out

If you have any worries at all about your readiness, get yourself checked by a GP, especially if you have a history of heart trouble.

Warm-up properly

Before doing any of the workouts, raise your body temperature by doing gentle cardio work, such as running or cycling, and prepare your muscles by doing squats, bends and presses. It will help to prevent strains or muscle tears.

Stretch afterwards

Stretching helps flush lactic acid out of your muscles, which can prevent some muscle soreness. Good flexibility also allows you to work your muscles through a bigger range of motion, which will help you to get fitter and stronger faster.

Listen to your body

If you feel pain at any time during your workout, stop immediately. Don’t work through it. You could do serious damage to muscles, joints or tendons.

Watch your form

Check the form guides for each exercise and follow them to the letter. Good form will not only help you to avoid injury, but will ensure the best results in terms of your fitness gains.

Choose the right weight

Pick a weight you can manage easily the first time you perform any lifting exercise. This way you can focus on performing the exercise perfectly, then build up the weight once you’ve mastered the move. The correct weight is one that is challenging but still allows you to perform all the stated reps.

Keep your core muscles tight

Before any heavy lift or dynamic movement, you should tighten your core muscles to protect your lower back from injury. Imagine that someone is going to punch you in the stomach and brace your abs. Now hold it like that for the duration of the lift.

Always keep breathing

Never hold your breath during a lift. The general rule is to breathe in as you lower the weight, and breathe out through pursed lips as you lift.

Make it regular

How often you work out is up to you, but for best results try to train between three and five times a week. Exercise is most effective when done in small, regular bursts. Don’t be tempted to train every day.

Get your rest

Your body doesn’t get stronger during a workout it gets stronger while it recovers after a workout. That’s why you need to give yourself plenty of rest time between sessions and aim to get a good kip every night.

Make your workouts progressive

Aim to increase the resistance you use for an exercise by around 10% every three or four weeks, or try to improve on the number of reps you perform in a particular time. You can’t get fitter by doing the same workout with the same weight every time.

Drink more

Keep a water bottle handy and drink regularly. Dehydration will affect your performance and your workout won’t be as effective.

Always eat after your workout

The 40 minutes immediately after you finish your last rep is a vital time to get muscle replenishing nutrients. A snack that mixes fast-acting carbs and protein (for example a bagel with cream cheese) is best.

Keep your body guessing

Your body adapts to stresses placed upon it. So, if you always do the same workout your body will adapt to it and stop growing new muscle. Keep altering your workout every few weeks to keep your body responding by building muscle and burning fat.