Liz Eelkema (front) and Ron Marcum in the Resist-a-ball class at the Health Club at Southpointe

The intense athlete has his or her workout program down so precisely that he tracks the weight of every exercise repetition and monitors every calorie, every gram of protein and every ounce of fat consumed. But what about first-timers? Some people only want to master the exercise basics. What do they need to do to start working toward their goal?

Local fitness gurus offer some tips on getting started.

Set a Goal
This is always the first step. To get in shape you first have to establish a goal, then work toward that goal, say fitness experts. The goal varies with each participant. For some, it’s losing weight. For others, it’s getting stronger, bulking up or increasing stamina.

Lisa Troyer, the owner of Fitness Fanatics in Bridgeville, advises people to set “smart” goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-specific.

A common mistake of would-be athletes is to set initial goals too high. When they don’t attain the goal, they view it as a failure and give up. On the other hand, when a realistic goal is met, the athlete feels a sense of accomplishment which in turn increases their motivation.

Be Patient
Getting into shape – whether it’s slimming down or bulking up – takes time.

“I see a lot of people who want results overnight,” says Pete Valentino, head trainer at 84 Fitness Center, outside Canonsburg. “You have to give it time, at least two months to see results. It takes time, especially for someone new to working out.”

Big Picture
On its own working out won’t produce the best results. Neither will simply dieting. Experts suggest you should integrate both aspects of fitness when embarking on a program.
“It’s more than just lifting weights,” says Steve Nesbit, of Finelines Fitness, a personal training studio in Peters Township. “You have to learn about nutrition and cardio.”

Losing Weight
When embarking on a fitness regime, the goal of many people is to lose weight. Shedding a few pounds is relatively simple if you use some commonsense. “I’m a calories-in, calories-out person,” Troyer acknowledges. “To lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you’re taking in.”

And just when is the worst time to take in these calories? “Avoid eating a lot of carbohydrates at night,” Nesbit says.

Valentino suggests “Drinking a lot of water. Drinking water, alone, helps you lose weight.”

When trying to lose weight, a lifting regimen should be limited to light weights with higher repetitions so as to help tone the muscles but not add bulk.

Bulking Up
For those who want to add bulk, it’s important to add the right kind. This means eating more calories, but making sure they come from a balanced diet of lean protein combined with plenty of vitamin-rich fruits and vegetables.

Lifting weights is essential to stimulating muscle growth, and with a goal of adding mass, experts recommend lifting heavier weights with fewer repetitions.

“Concentrate on the large muscle groups: chest, back and legs,” Valentino declares.

Targeting
Some athletes want to focus on one particular body part. This is a difficult challenge.

“It’s almost impossible to target a specific area,” Valentino acknowledges. “If you lift, your arms will get bigger, but everything else will follow.”

And what about that washboard stomach? There’s more to it than just doing endless sit-ups. You can have a superbly strong stomach that’s still buried under layers of fat.

“People say, ‘I want six-pack abs,’” Valentino says. “You have to do cardio like crazy, and good-quality cardio.”

Quality vs. Quantity
“I’m working out, but I’m just not losing the weight.” That’s a complaint trainers hear frequently. This is because the workouts aren’t “quality” workouts. Exercise is supposed to be difficult and even a bit painful.

“Too many people stay in that comfort zone when working out,” Valentino notes. “You won’t see any results if you’re comfortable while working out. It’s about going to the pain threshold and stepping over. A lot of people are afraid to push themselves.”

Lisa Troyer emphasizes increasing the frequency, intensity and duration of workouts; avoid stagnating.

Change It Up
Doing the same workout routine day-in and day-out won’t produce maximum results. Fitness gurus emphasize changing the routine frequently. “Our bodies work up immunity to the same exercises,” Troyer observes.

Changing a workout could mean using dumbbells to develop biceps one week and a hammer strength machine the next. It can also mean simply changing the program on an elliptical machine or increasing the number of repetitions when concentrating on a particular area of the body.

“As trainers, we try to shock the body during every workout,” Nesbit states.

Dave Cavenaugh works his arms at Fitness Fanatics

Treat Yourself
When dieting, keep it realistic. As Troyer points out, you don’t have to give up all foods.

“Everything in moderation,” she says.

The trick is making sure that “treating yourself” stays just that, a treat. Candy, cakes, fried foods and the like need to be the exceptions, not the rule.

Remember that every calorie you take in, you eventually have to burn off if you hope to lose weight.

“I say you can have one bad day per week,” Nesbit says.

Occasionally veering from a diet can actually help a fitness program from a mental standpoint. “A lot of people who try to never have a bad day, diet wise, burn out in a month,” Nesbit points out. “Nobody is perfect. You won’t be able to have a perfect diet. It’s better to allow yourself that one bad day a week, just make sure it’s just one.”

Get Going
Whether you want to bulk up or slim down, get firm or be able to run faster, the ultimate key is to get on with the workouts. Trainers repeatedly point out that people need to make more excuses to get to the gym, instead of coming up with excuses not to go.

“Stop procrastinating,” Troyer says. People always talk about getting in shape at this “vague time in the future.” Make that time now. Take that first step. Make that phone call.