第1492期:Do it yourself exercise

It’s very common these days for people to have a gym regime. Whatever the drive behind it, whether health-related, performance-related or just plain vainglory, it is not uncommon for people to take some sort of regular exercise each week.

如今，人们拥有健身计划非常普遍。无论其背后的驱动力是什么，无论是与健康相关、与表现相关还是仅仅是虚荣，人们每周进行某种定期锻炼并不少见。

But if you’ve never done it before, what’s the best way to go about it? Well, many people make use of a PT – that’s a personal trainer. This might be because they’re wet behind the ears or maybe they just don’t want the aggro of designing their own workout plan. A PT will create a bespoke plan for you based on your aims. They will tailor it to your current abilities and, better still, they will teach you how to move in a way that won’t incapacitate you.

但是，如果您以前从未这样做过，那么最好的方法是什么？好吧，很多人都使用 PT——那就是私人教练。这可能是因为他们的耳朵后面湿透了，或者他们只是不想设计自己的锻炼计划。PT 将根据您的目标为您制定定制计划。他们会根据您当前的能力对其进行调整，而且更好的是，他们会教您如何以不会使您丧失能力的方式移动。

However, the trade-off with a PT is the price. Each hourly session can be steep considering the double whammy of having to pay both the PT and membership of the gym, too. If you are at all strapped for cash then regular sessions might be out of your budget.

然而，与 PT 的权衡是价格。考虑到必须同时支付 PT 和健身房会员费的双重打击，每个小时的课程可能会很陡峭。如果您手头拮据，那么定期会议可能超出您的预算。

So what’s left? Well, if you have the grit for it, you can make your own regime. It’s relatively easy to do if you have the know-how. But before you do, here are some basic pointers.

那么还剩下什么？好吧，如果你有勇气，你可以建立自己的政权。如果你有专业知识，这相对容易做到。但在你这样做之前，这里有一些基本的指示。

First, keep your fitness goal in mind. Are you looking to slim down, bulk up, get shredded or increase your abilities? Whatever it is, make sure the things you choose to do are in pursuit of that goal. Next, do your research. These days, social media is chock-full of fitness videos and advice. Watch as many of these as possible, but make sure to be a little critical of them – everyone has a different physique and what works for one may not work for another. Finally, keep your feet on the ground. Be patient with yourself and set realistic goals – it takes at least three months to see any realistic body changes. And don’t be overzealous – never work in pain – a good workout is difficult and challenging, but never painful. Pain means you are damaging yourself.

首先，牢记您的健身目标。您是想瘦身、增肥、瘦身还是提高能力？不管是什么，确保你选择做的事情是为了追求那个目标。接下来，做你的研究。如今，社交媒体上充斥着健身视频和建议。尽可能多地观看这些内容，但要确保对它们有点批评——每个人都有不同的体质，对一个人有用的东西可能对另一个人不起作用。最后，保持双脚着地。对自己要有耐心并设定现实的目标——至少需要三个月才能看到任何现实的身体变化。并且不要过分热心——永远不要在痛苦中工作——良好的锻炼是困难和具有挑战性的，但绝不会痛苦。疼痛意味着你在伤害自己。

If nothing else, focus on calisthenics – these are the basic body movements which everyone can do anywhere, even at home. They include squats, push-ups, pull-ups and crunches, among other things. Do as many of one exercise as you can without stopping, and then try and repeat that number twice more – make sure you sweat, and don’t forget to rest for a minute in between!

如果不出意外，请专注于健美操——这些是每个人都可以在任何地方甚至在家中进行的基本身体动作。它们包括深蹲、俯卧撑、引体向上和仰卧起坐等。尽可能多地做一个练习，不要停下来，然后试着再重复这个数字两次——确保你流汗，不要忘记在中间休息一分钟！

词汇表

gym regime 健身计划、健身方法
vainglory 虚荣心
wet behind the ears 无所适从的、毫无经验的
aggro 麻烦
bespoke 量身定制的
incapacitate 使人无法做…
trade-off 妥协、让步
steep 价格极高的（口语） 
double whammy 雪上加霜，双重打击
strapped for cash 手头紧
know-how 专业知识
slim down 变得苗条、瘦下来
bulk up 变得更壮
shredded 肌肉线条分明的（口语）
physique 体格
keep your feet on the ground 脚踏实地
overzealous 过度热衷的
calisthenics 健美操
squat 蹲起运动
push-up 俯卧撑
pull-up 引体向上
crunch 仰卧起坐