There are no absolutes in fitness – workout programs are, on a whole, collections of anecdotal evidence, compiled by practitioners in the field, some qualified, others not as much. Fitness is not a recipe, more like a prescription – each individual has highly unique needs, wants and limitations. Everyone will have a different reaction to an exercise, a workout, a program. Just because it sounds good and has worked for an athlete/celebrity/formerly overweight person, does not necessarily mean it’s right for you. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t effective methods of exercise, nor that you are some bizarre case and can never get into shape. Simply put, there is no catch-all answer. One thing is clear, though: begin with the basics, learn proper technique and application, and go from there.
Challenge (read: effort), variation and technique: the most important aspects of an effective workout routine. No need for plodding, protracted workouts. Intensity over arbitrary volume – to use the cliché: quality over quantity, it truly applies here.
