Photo: Anna Berdnik (Shutterstock)

If you’re looking to lift weights, going to the gym (or home to your dumbbells) is a good place to start. But if you want to get stronger over time, you have to worry a little more. And that’s why you need a weight lifting program.

A program is a recipe for exactly what to do and when to do it, and most lifting programs last weeks to months. (I would say a four week program is the shortest I’ve ever seen, and 12 weeks is the longer.) During that time, you train a certain number of days each week, you do specific exercises that the program requires, and You will follow the program’s directions to gain weight as you get stronger. This is all a good thing, especially if you are a beginner.

While some advanced and intermediate strength athletes can code themselves, many still use proven programs or ask a trainer to write a program for them. Where can you find a program? Well, to get started, there are tons of free programs you can use download online. If you do, read reviews – focus on those from people who have done them and can comment on whether they are effective. There are also programs you can download, programs you can find in a book, and trainers and clubs that offer programs for a monthly fee, be it online or through a personal gym.

If you are new to training, writing your own program probably isn’t your best option. This is where you can learn more about what a good program can do for you and why you should use one that was developed by someone with more experience than you.

You can’t work on everything at the same time. “

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Do one thing at a time

We often have more than one goal for our lifts, but you can’t work on all of them at the same time. Maybe you want to get stronger and build more muscle, but you also want to lose some fat, and you want to Prevent Injury While Playing Pickup Soccer, and you might be thinking Powerlifting competition as soon as you feel strong enough.

It is perfectly reasonable to have all of these goals, but you cannot fully tackle all of them at the same time. You need to highlight something that you want to highlight first. In this case, you will likely want a program of high enough volume to start building muscle, which (if rounded enough) will also help in injury prevention and will make you get stronger.

Later, when you change your diet to shed some fat, you may want a program that is easier when you run on fewer calories (or that you can adjust based on how you feel that day). And when your first powerlifting meeting comes up, you should complete a training block that prepares you to be at your best on competition day.

If you just stroll to the gym every day and do what you feel like doing, you won’t necessarily be focusing on the right things at the right time. Choosing a specific program for each phase of your workout will keep you on track.

Go to the gym … ready to do a PR. “

Do the right amount of work

If you started exercising on your own, you probably know one of two Recovery strategies. Either you train a different part of the body every day (chest on Monday, legs on Tuesday, etc., the classic “bru split”) or you plan a rest day after each day that you work hard.

These are fine, however you don’t have to plan your rest like that when you have another way of managing all of your workload. For example, a 5-day lifting program can mix light, medium, and hard days so you only need a full day of rest twice a week.

In addition, a program often changes the amount of work you do each week. That can mean giving to you discharges or simple weeks every now and then and prepare to hit the gym on certain days ready to hire a PR.

Do the right exercises

Different goals require different exercise choices, and your program will accommodate this. As you prepare for this powerlifting meeting, your program will include many competitive standard squats, bench presses, and deadlifts. But in your base building stages, you may not be that focused on these three specific elevators.

Beginners often look at exercise selections to target all muscle groups they can think of, but this is not always a good strategy. You may be forgetting something that you really should be working on (see: all of these memes above Brothers skipping leg day); Or, perhaps you are simply not choosing the right exercises for your goals. A program will help you make sure you are doing what you have to do.

… to achieve a progressive overload, which is essential for improving your strength. “

making progress

A good program doesn’t just tell you which exercises to do; it will also tell you how hard they are to do. Some programs dictate that the weight you lift should be a certain percentage of your maximum weight when doing this exercise; use others RPE, a performance-based scale where you choose the weight that corresponds to the load you want the lift to feel.

There are also approaches that mix up or slightly tweak these ideas, such as programs that give you a percentage of a “training maximum” that is adjusted separately from your actual maximum, or programs that dictate a specific weight range for the day while They allow you to choose the exact number within this range depending on how you are feeling.

All of these encourage progress as they encourage you to notice how much weight you are lifting over time. In an RPE-based program, the weight that was “an 8” last year will be heavier than the weight that was “an 8” this year. With a percentage program, you are expected to achieve a new PR every now and then that increases all of your work weights for the next block of workouts.

And then there are programs that give you directions on how to add a certain amount of weight in a given time frame: 5 pounds per workout for a beginner program maybe, or 10 pounds to your training maximum every three weeks, or other cases they will test you how many reps you can do at a given weight to see if you gain weight over the following week. All of this gives you a way to accomplish progressive overloadwhich is essential for improving your strength.

Our brains respond really well to crappy rewards, and our bodies respond really well to persistence over time. “

Maintain consistency

If you give it wings, there is no particular reason to hit the gym on a Friday. Maybe you will, maybe not. But if you’re following a program and Friday is Deadlift Day, and you really have your heart set on improving your deadlift (or getting a bigger butt, or whatever your goals may be), you won’t be skipping Friday because you are know how important this is to you.

Having a program means you have a checklist of things to do. It means you have a process goal (do all of my workouts) in addition to your long-term goal (a bigger deadlift / butt). Our brain responds very well to crappy rewards like check marks on a schedule, and our bodies respond really well to Consistency over time.

So, if you want to actually get stronger and have some goals – whatever they are – find a program that works and start making more meaningful use of your time in the gym.

Photo: ARIMAG (Shutterstock)

In America’s “linear economy” where products are designed to be used once before they are thrown away, it is almost impossible to achieve “zero waste” without devoting your life to it. It’s an especially tricky suggestion for busy parents who don’t have time to make custom-made yogurt for picky kids who just protest that it’s “weird.”

So let’s manage expectations by first calling these tips “low-waste”, or better yet, “lower waste”. We’re not all going to successfully change our consumption habits overnight and produce a tiny trash can for the week (especially if you live with little gremlins who need goldfish crackers on demand).

But while it may seem far-fetched at first, there are some relatively painless ways you can reduce waste while raising the little ones.

Save the glitter for school

One of our personal favorites, the suggestion to get “fun” art projects out of your home, is a breath of fresh air. (I didn’t do this personally, but other explanations about this technique made vicariously easier.) Consider a guideline that leaves art projects with glitter, scented stickers, pipe cleaners, felt balls, and confetti for school or friends’ homes. You can still let your child run around with scissors, paper (more on this below), and natural objects like leaves and pine cones. Just imagine lackluster floors and extra closet space.

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Recycled paper

This seems obvious, but: Don’t throw away any paper that has only been used on one side. Whenever the kids come home with piles of completed schoolwork, keep whatever you need and keep the rest in a paper drawer for year-round use. (The same goes for those annoying one-sided printouts from your office.)

Buying experiences, not things

Does your child really need another Twisty Pet or a 327-piece Lego set? Instead of the usual influx of toys on special occasions, consider purchasing membership in a local museum, aquarium, or amusement park. With age, experiences can shift to concerts and sports. (Note: It is helpful to forward a request to family members and friends to do the same.)

Use reusable plastic bags and containers

Using small plastic containers for your kids’ daily sandwiches and snacks (instead of a fresh ziploc) can go a long way in reducing your plastic bag waste. After lugging around apple slices, pretzels or cheez-its, all they need is a quick rinse at the end of the day.

Make your own cards and wrapping paper

Instead of spending $ 5 on kids’ birthday cards, which have a lifespan of around ten seconds, help your wallet and our landfill by letting your child make homemade cards. There is nothing sweeter or more appropriate for a five year old’s celebration anyway than a child’s crooked drawing of a birthday cake with infinity candles. (And a roll of brown butcher paper is the perfect backdrop for creative and functional gift wrapping paper for children.)

Buy used (or not buy at all)

In the case of toys, clothes, shoes and books (which children can grow out of within a few months), it does not make sense to buy new things from a waste-free or financial point of view. Browse your local thrift stores, flea markets, Goodwill, Craigslist, and Facebook Marketplace, or create a toy and clothes swap among friends to minimize the clutter and cost of all those Paw Patrol PJs and Magna-Tiles.

Use the collection canister scooper

This doesn’t mean breaking the aisle of pirate loot at Costco (although we don’t judge if you do). It means that you are using the bulk of the grocery store for all of your grains, nuts, legumes, flours, and snacks like sesame sticks and chocolate energy balls. (If you continue down the zero-waste path, you will find stores that sell everything from laundry detergent to honey in bulk.) Bonus? Kids love to use the Scooper in the bulk containers of grocery stores.

Bring your own bags to the supermarket

One of the easiest things you can do to reduce your environmental footprint is to cut down on the use of single-use plastic bags (which Americans use over 100 billion each year). Instead of packing two items in one oversized target bag, keep your own supply of plastic, paper, and cotton canvas bags handy to use with every purchase. (Extra points if you actually think of getting them out of your car before you go to the store.)

Make your own detergents

If you’re like me and the smell of strong bleach-based products irritates your nose and throat, now you have two reasons to make your own cleansers. Not only will you breathe better, but you’ll also reduce the amount of packaging in your home. Start small by ditching the store-bought counter spray and making your own using vinegar, water, and a few drops of lemon-scented essential oil. Click here for more information on natural detergents.

Without broader support from businesses and governments, it is difficult for individual consumers to truly be “zero waste”. But we can all make small changes to reduce our environmental footprint.

Photo: Aleksander_G Gwiazda (Shutterstock)

If you’ve misplaced your Android phone, it’s easy to find it again. Take a deep breath, exhale slowly, and follow these steps as we show you how to get back your lost Android device.

What you need to find a lost Android phone

Before you start looking for your lost phone, be aware that there are a few prerequisites. Your phone must be turned on, signed in to a Google account, connected to the internet, and have GPS and Find My Device (you can check this by clicking Settings> Security> Find my device) turned on. If your lost phone is turned off or doesn’t meet any of the above conditions, it will be difficult to find.

How to find your lost Android phone

After you’ve checked the basics, go to android.com/find and sign in with your Google account. Make sure to sign in with the same Google Account that was used on your lost phone.

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Screenshot: Pranay Parab

For those who only have one phone, you will be shown the location of your device when you log in to this website. If you have two or more phones, you can click the lost phone’s name at the top of the webpage to find it.

Notice that your phone’s location is shown on the map on the right side of the screen. This location, google Remarks, is approximate and cannot be entirely accurate. Note, of course, that if your phone has been stolen, it’s probably not a good idea to find it yourself.

How to play a sound on your lost Android phone

If you’ve forgotten your phone somewhere, its location on the map is useful for remembering where you forgot it. However, once you get to the location (and you are in a safe place), you can locate your phone by pinging it.

To do this, you can log in to android.com/find with your Google account and select the phone that you cannot find. Press the Play sound Button in the left pane that plays a tone on your phone continuously for five minutes, even when the device is in silent mode.

Here’s how to lock your lost Android phone and put a message on the lock screen

On the same android.com/find Page you can click Safe device in the left pane to lock your lost phone and sign out of your Google account to protect your data. This feature allows you to display a message on the screen along with a phone number. If you’re lucky and a friendly stranger finds your phone, your message and alternate number can help get it back to you. When you have entered the message and number, click Safe device again to lock it.

Here’s how to remotely erase all data from your Android phone

When all hope is gone and you’ve unfortunately lost your phone forever, you can click Delete device on the android.com/find Page to reset it to factory settings. You have to hit the green Delete device a second time to confirm that you want to erase everything on the device. Just be aware that this method will erase the data in the internal storage, but it may not erase the data on SD cards in your phone.