Grade 1 - Simple Upper Body Movements (Weights)

 Simple Upper Body Movements

Weights

What Muscles are Included in the Upper Body?

    In the upper body, we have 4 large muscle groups. The chest, back, shoulders, and arms. These muscles contain mainly smaller muscles but keeping things simple, these are the muscles to focus on. 

Chest

    Bench Press - The bench press is the most important chest movement. It's a compound movement and works your chest with help from your shoulders and triceps. Simply grab the bar lower it to your chest and press up. Don't overdo it and keep the weight safe. 

    Cable Flies - These flies help isolate the chest muscles. Simply find the cable machine at your nearest gym; grab both cables and act like you're giving a hug to someone in front of you. 

Back 

    Barbell Rows - This is the compound movement of your back, with assisting muscles coming from your biceps and shoulders. To do this movement grab a barbell with a weight you can handle, bend over slightly, and pull the bar to your chest. 

    Lat Pulldowns - This is another cable movement. This effectively simulates a pull-up but in the opposite way. To do the movement sit down, grab the hanging bar, and pull it down to your chest. 

Shoulders 

    Overhead Press - The compound movement for the shoulders with assisting muscles from your chest and triceps. Grab a barbell with a lighter weight than you can handle and press from your chest all the way up above your head. 

    Lateral Raises - These isolate the shoulders. Using very light dumbbells extend your arms out to your side, to about shoulder height. You can have a slight bend in your elbow to combat any pain. 

Arms

    Bicep Curls - These hit the bicep portion of your arm. Grab a dumbbell and curl it up to your shoulder with your palm facing the ceiling. Lighter weights are key to this movement. 

    Cable Pushdowns - These are hitting the triceps portion of your arm. Find a cable machine, and with a strap above you, grab it and pull it straight down by extending your arm. 

Grade 1 - Workout Splits

 Workout Splits

What's a Workout Split

    A workout split is a schedule of what muscle groups you hit on what days. A workout split is key to tracking your workouts and making progress in your fitness journey. There are many apps that can help you track your workouts, but the easiest way to start is by writing it down in a notebook or your notes app. 

Common Splits

    I will explain some of the most common workout splits, along with giving some benefits of each. 

    Full Body Split (2 days/week)

        The full body split is a split where you're working your entire body only twice a week. This split is the least time-consuming on a weekly basis, however, your individual workouts will be much longer. On this split you'll hit the upper body and lower body in one day, then 2-4 days later do it again. This split is best for people short on time. 

    Upper-Lower Split (4 days/week)

        The upper-lower split is an extremely common split. In this split, you'll work upper body Monday and Thursday and lower body Tuesday and Friday with rest days in between. This effectively splits the volume of a full body split in half but doubles the days. This split works best for most people and will have you working out 4 times a week. 

    Bro Split (5 days/week)

        The bro split is a stereotypical workout split. It involves hitting one muscle group a day, 5 days a week. This split commonly sees you hitting chest Monday, arms Tuesday, legs Wednesday, shoulders Thursday, and back Friday, with rest days on the weekend. This split includes the shortest workouts of all splits but it's not perfect. In this split, you only hit muscle groups once a week which isn't optimal for muscle growth. This split is still good and is aimed at beginners in the gym. 

    Push, Pull, Legs (6 days/week)

        The Push Pull Legs (PPL) split is the most common split in all resistance training. This split sees you hitting push muscles - chest, shoulders, triceps - on Monday and Thursday, pull muscles - back and biceps - on Tuesday and Friday, and legs on Wednesday and Saturday. This is a lot of volume and time so it's not perfect for everyone, but it's one of the most effective splits in all of the lifting. If you have the time, I definitely recommend this split to beginners. 

    Arnold Split (6 days/week)

        Arnold's famous split is very similar to push-pull legs with some differences. This split involves hitting antagonists muscle groups on the same day. So, Mondays and Thursdays would be chest and back, Tuesdays and Fridays would be arms and shoulders, and Wednesdays and Saturdays would be legs. This split is similar in volume to PPL but can help reduce fatigue during workouts. I recommend this to the intermediate lifter. 

Calisthenics 

    Calisthenics splits are very similar to weight training versions however with slight differences. Usually in splits, you would replace one of the leg days with your core and skills day. This is because in calisthenics legs are not as important as compared to core and calisthenics skills. However, structure your split however you feel comfortable. 

Conclusion

    Do whatever split works best for you. Make your own split even if you want just to make sure it's something you can stick with and keep consistent at. 

Grade 1 - Intro to Calisthenics

  Intro to Calisthenics

What are Calisthenics?

    Calisthenics is usually referred to as "bodyweight training" since it is resistance training without weights. Calisthenics is a very accessible way to get into resistance training because it doesn't require weights or a gym membership. Calisthenics can be done anywhere no matter what. All you need is your body. Calisthenics offers increases in not only strength and size but flexibility and endurance as well. 

Getting Started with Calisthenics.

    As mentioned before calisthenics can be performed anywhere; this can be your bedroom, the office, the park, or even in an empty field. So, to get started firstly create your preferred workout split. Since calisthenics splits are usually shorter you can add a day in for skills or core only. Next, that's it you can start working out. You may need to do some research to understand some movements, but some common movements are pushups, pullups, dips, crunches, handstands, and squats. 

    Make sure however you don't forget about flexibility and mobility. Calisthenics is meant to control your body weight in all situations. So, forgetting about flexibility and mobility will just lead to your losing range of motion and possible injury. 

Calisthenics Skills

    Calisthenics contains a set of skills that simply can't be done by training weights only. These skills can also be used to easily set goals for the future. Some skills include handstands, L-sits, human flags, planches, levers, and one-armed variants. Skills can be very tempting to go right into immediately upon starting your fitness journey but don't make this mistake. Skills need to be built up over a long period of time. Starting with easier variants is instead what you should do. These will give you a foundation to build up to in the future. 

Calisthenics vs Weights

    Calisthenics vs. Weights has been a long-time debate. It's all down to a person's preference and goals, however, there are some objective pros and cons of each. Weight training is much more injury-prone than calisthenics, because of ego lifting. Ego lifting is lifting a weight with improper form, that you could lift using good form. This cannot be done in calisthenics due to the absence of weights. However, weights are much more straightforward in the way of progressive overload. In weights, you can just add more weights, in calisthenics however it's much more complicated, and this can scare some people away. 

    However, it all boils down to personal preference. Some people may want the skills associated with calisthenics, so weights are off the table. Some people may want the overly large strength and size, which simply isn't achievable with calisthenics. If you don't have access to a gym, calisthenics can still be done compared to weights. Remember though fitness is all about happiness and flexibility, so find what makes you happy, and works for you. 

    

Grade 1 - Intro to Weightlifting

 Intro to Weightlifting

What is Weightlifting?

    Weightlifting is the act of trying to increase muscular strength, hypertrophy, and endurance by means of using weights as resistance. Simply, it's working out using weights such as dumbbells, bands, kettlebells, and barbells. 

Why Weightlift?

    Weightlifting is the easiest way to increase the strength and size of your muscles. This is because you have easy access to increasing resistance, which is needed to increase your strength or size. The downside however is that most people need access to a gym to begin weight training. Some cheap gym memberships I recommend however are Planet Fitness - $170/yr. + one-time $50, Lifetime Fitness - $2400/yr., Anytime Fitness - $480/yr. + one-time $90. 

How to Weightlift.

    The first step of weight training is to figure out your workout split. This is what parts of your body you work out on what days. There are many different types of splits, and I will do a post entirely on types of splits. The next step is to learn your form. Form is how you perform the movement; good form is essential to making progress without injury. Bad form can cause life-altering injuries so it's key you get your form almost perfect before you continue. The next step is to actually perform the movements with a weight that's hard but not impossible. This weight will usually be very light, which is okay, it helps you get your form down. 

    You want to shoot for 3 sets of 12 reps for most movements to start with. Sets are the number of times you do a specific number of reps on a movement. Sets usually have a rest time between them, anywhere from 2-4 minutes. Reps are the number of times you perform the movement. So, 3 sets of 12 means you do 12 presses 3 times. I would say adjust the weight until you can perform these 3 sets of 12.     

    Over time you going to want to increase the weight slightly. This may take days, weeks, or even months. As you increase weight, you'll notice your strength increasing and your muscle size increasing. However, don't forget about your form! 

Rest.

    You don't want to work out every day, however. You want to have at least 1 rest day per week where you don't work out. This is because your body needs time to recover from your workouts. Not resting can cause injury which will set you back in your fitness progress. So please don't overwork yourself; if you don't feel good on a day don't work out. Especially if you are sick, please don't force yourself to lift because that can end very dangerously. 

Grade 1 - Easy Food Substitutions

 Easy Food Substitutions 

Food Substations:

• Granola Bar -->
  Protein Bar
• Chocolate -->
  Sugar-Free Chocolate
• Sugar -->
  Stevia (or other artificial sugar)
• 80/20 Ground Beef -->
  95/5 Ground Beef
• Butter or Oil (in recipe!) -->
  Applesauce
• Whole Egg -->
  Egg White
• Ice Cream -->
  Gelato
• Regular Cheese -->
  Fat-Free Cheese
• Regular Bread -->
  647 Bread
• Fried Rice -->
  White Rice
• Chips -->
  Baked Chips
• Cereal -->
  Oatmeal
• Chip Dip -->
  Hummus
• Yogurt -->
  Greek Yogurt
• Butter -->
  Avocado
• Ricotta cheese -->
  Cottage Cheese
• Sausage -->
  Chicken Sausage
• Ground Beef -->
  Ground Turkey/ Chicken
• French Fires -->
  Baked French Fires

Beverage Substitutions:

• Soda -->
  Diet Soda
  
• Whole Milk -->
  Skim Milk
• Juice -->
  Sugar Free Juice
• Coffee with Cream and Sugar -->
  Black Coffee or Tea
• Smoothies -->
  Homemade smoothies
• Creamer -->
  Skim Milk
• Milk -->
  Almond Milk

Condiment Substitutions:

• Sour Cream -->
  Greek Yogurt
• Barbeque -->
  Sugar-Free Barbeque
• Ketchup -->
  Sugar-Free Ketchup
• Mayo -->
  Miracle Whip Lite

*Mustard and Hot Sauce have close to 0 Cals*

All Levels - Common Fitness Myths

 Common Fitness Myths

Exercise Myths

Spot Reducing Fat:

    Spot reducing is saying that working out a certain body part will cause that body part to lose weight/fat. This is blatantly not true, as fat is burned off evenly throughout the body due to a calorie deficit. 

You will see the Results Immediately:

    Results don't come fast. Visible results usually take around 3-6 weeks and up to 3 months for other people to see these results as well. Results are not fast so be patient.

Ab Workouts give you Abs:

    Unfortunately, this isn't how it works. Your abs are a muscle used every day so growing them is very difficult, and as mentioned before spot reduction doesn't work. Everyone has abs, the only reason you can't see them is because they are covered by a layer of fat. The only way to see them is through losing fat. 

Lifting Weights Makes You Bulky:

    This is false. Just because you lift doesn't mean you're going to turn into a huge person. Lifting weights will make your muscles stronger, becoming bulky takes a very specific diet and training, along with many years of experience. 

You Should Exercise Everyday:

    No don't do this. Your body needs rest; without rest, it will never grow or recover from your workouts. Work out 3-6 times a week maximum.

 

No Pain, No Gain:

    Pain or soreness doesn't represent a good workout. Soreness is normal but not being sore isn't a bad thing. Being overly sore may be a sign of improper form. 

Longer Workouts are Better:

    The effectiveness of a workout doesn't rely on the length of a workout. An effective workout can be anywhere from 20-90 minutes. Longer workouts also need longer rest periods. 

You Can Sweat off Fat:

    No, sweat doesn't help you lose fat. It may help you drop water weight, but weight from fat wouldn't be affected. This is because sweating is just the process of your body cooling down.

You can Turn Fat into Muscle:

    Fat and Muscle are two entirely different types of tissue. They cannot just transform into one another. Fat can be lost while muscle is gained, but they cannot be directly swapped. 

You can Know your Calories Burned:

    When apps, machines, or watches show your calorie burn after a workout it's usually off by a large amount. This is because tracking your true calorie burn is close to impossible since so many metabolic processes go into your calorie burn. The numbers you see are usually only rough estimates. 

Bigger Weights Equal More Muscle:

    Strength and muscle mass are two different things. More weight on a bar usually leads to strength gains rather than hypertrophy. Hypertrophy is usually most optimal when viewing total volume over total weight. This explains why stronger lifters are sometimes smaller than weaker lifters. 

Dietary Myths

Carbs Make You Fat:

    Carbohydrates don't make you fat. Weight only really matters due to the total calorie balance of the day; it doesn't matter where these calories come from, whether they are from fats, carbs, or proteins. 

Fats Make You Fat:

    As stated before, just because they are called fats doesn't mean they are going to be converted directly to fats. Now yes fats have more calories per gram than other macronutrients, it's still all about the calorie balance you consume. 

Eating Late at Night Makes You Fat:

    No, the time of day you consume calories doesn't affect the way they are stored. It doesn't matter whether it's morning or night. It's about the calorie balance.

You Can Go Into "Starvation Mode":

    Yes, if you stop eating your body will start to adapt however its still calories in calories out. You cannot break the law of thermodynamics. Starvation mode is real to some extent however just not how you think. 

Supplements are Needed to Get Big:

    Supplements can help 100%, but they are never needed. You can build a great physic without taking a single supplement. Remember supplements are optional. 

Eggs are Bad for You:

    Some people think eggs are bad for you specifically the yolk of the egg. This is because of the high amount of fat and cholesterol. However, the fats found in the yolk are unsaturated fats, and are considered "healthy fats." The cholesterol however is dietary cholesterol and plays a minimal role in your blood cholesterol. The LDL will only make very slight changes, even if you eat eggs daily. 

Eating Healthy Causes, you to Lose Weight:

    Losing weight is decided by a calorie deficit. Healthy food itself can help you reach this deficit, but it doesn't always mean you'll lose weight. For example, peanut butter is extremely healthy but has a large number of calories for a small volume. 

Salt is Bad for You:

    Salt isn't necessarily bad. You may actually be consuming too little salt for your body if you're an athlete or active person. Now always check your blood pressure with your doctors, but if it's at a healthy range salt intake really won't harm you. 

Eating More Often Speeds up your Metabolism:

    This sadly isn't true. Your metabolism is stable throughout the day. However, the thermic effect of food may affect your metabolism slightly, but in general, your metabolism doesn't change. 

You can Boost your Metabolism:

    As said before, your metabolism will stay constant throughout the day. Slight changes can happen but it's never anything noticeable, in the long term. 

There's Good Foods and Bad Foods:

    There are no such things as bad foods. There is good foods and better foods. Any food is good in moderation.

Grade 1 - The Food Pyramid

 Food Pyramid

What's the Food Pyramid

    The food pyramid is an easy visual guide to a balanced diet. It consists of a 4-layer pyramid, which is in order of foods that should be prioritized the most, in your diet, to foods that should be avoided the most. This pyramid is an extremely simple way to view what kinds of foods you should eat, and what's considered healthier. 

The Pyramid

Structure of Food Pyramid

        On the bottom of the pyramid, we have our carbs and starches. These include such foods as bread, rice, pasta, cereal, and potatoes. These are the foods that should be most prioritized in your diet since they are responsible for your energy. On layer 2 we have our fruits and veggies. These should be the second most important in your diet since they are key to your overall health. Some foods include strawberries, broccoli, corn, mango, apples, carrots, and lettuce.

    The 3rd layer is our proteins and dairy. These include red meat, poultry meat, milk, eggs, cheese, and fish. These are important because they provide us protein, which is a very important part of your diet. On the top of the pyramid, we have the lipids and sweets. These include butter, oil, candy, and ice cream. These should be the most limited since they are not as beneficial to our health as the others. Don't be detoured though lipids are needed by our body in order to function at our peak.

Using the Pyramid

    To use the pyramid simply prioritize foods on the bottom of the pyramid and include more of them in your daily diet. Include less of foods that appear closer to the top of the pyramid. That doesn't mean don't eat foods at the top, simply just include less of them in your daily diet. 

All Levels - Tips for 10,000 Steps a Day

Tips for 10,000 Steps a Day

Tips:

• Walk to nearby places (post office, store, work, school) instead of driving.
• Pace while brushing your teeth.
• Pace while on the phone.
• Pace while cooking.
• Park further away in a parking lot, then near the entrance.
• Take longer routes when walking.
• Take one 30-minute walk a day.
• Walk your dog.
• Pace in between gym sets.
• Take the steps, not the elevator.
• Take up an active hobby.
• Take walk breaks.
• Walk with friends.
• Explore nature.
• Set reminders to walk.
• Enter walking challenges.

Grade 1 - Basics to a Healthy Lifestyle

 Basics to a Healthy Lifestyle

Why you Should Live a Healthy Lifestyle

    In a world filled with busy schedules, temptations, and distractions, prioritizing a healthy lifestyle might seem like a daunting task. However, living healthy doesn't have to be complicated. Focusing on a few principles can create a solid foundation for a healthier, happier, and longer life.

How to Live

    1. Focus on Moving Through the Day

        In order to live an optimal life, you can't just sit around all day; moving is an essential component of a strong heart. Along with making your heart stronger, movement throughout the day helps burn calories and keep your muscular endurance. Moving is also very simple to do. One of the easiest ways to move through the day is just by walking. Everyone should aim for 10,000 steps a day, every day. I recommend downloading a step tracker or getting an Apple watch, or Fitbit. These will help you easily track your steps through the day. 

    2. Quality Sleep

            Sleep is one of the most important components of your life. Sleep is the time for your body to repair itself, and rest. So not getting enough sleep, especially while exercising consistently, can be especially impactful in your overall health. Everyone should be getting at least 8 hours of sleep every night. So, make sure your schedule is tailored to give you enough time to sleep at night. 

    3. Manage Unhealthy Habits

            Surprise, habits such as smoking, drinking, doing drugs, and more, are extremely impactful in your overall health. Not only do these slowly deteriorate your body, but it also kills your brain. These habits especially should be killed or at least majorly restricted. These habits will 100% shorten your lifespan. Nobody wants to live shorter so please, if you do any of these unhealthy habits, fix yourself or seek help.

    4. Stress Management

            Stress has also been linked recently to a shorter lifespan. Everyone suffers with it so it's essential you keep it under control. Many things cause stress but only you would know what causes that. There are many ways to stress such as sleeping, exercising, yoga, meditation, and even seeking therapeutic help. This is a very important factor in health so don't forget it. 

    5. Know your Numbers

            As my biology teacher always told me, "Know your numbers". This simply means know your personal health information and get it updated at least every year. To get this done you can simply go to the doctors and get tested. These will help you know what your health is lacking and what you need. Your doctors can also use this to help keep you healthy.

    

Grade 1 - Basics to Diet

 Basics to Diet

Importance of Diet

    Diet is probably the most important factor in deciding your fitness. Diet is simply anything you consume on a daily basis; this includes food, water, and supplements. Diet can directly affect your lifestyle, exercise, and overall health. This means it should not just be skimmed over. I will be explaining the absolute basics to dieting.

Dieting for Everyone

    Everyone has different needs in their diet, so knowing yours is crucial. However, if you just want to focus on a simple way to diet, I will teach you how. You may be dieting to lose weight, gain weight, or even just maintain weight, but the most important part of a diet is to keep it consistent. If you only diet for one day or one week you will not see any difference in your weight. I would say it takes around 3 months to see your first results, so be patient. 

Rules of Dieting

    Dieting has a couple very important rules, that if followed can keep you very healthy and happy:

• Stay hydrated!
• Prioritize vegetables and fruits.
• Limit processed and sugary food.
• Keep meals colorful.
• Listen to your body. 
• Moderation, not deprivation.
• Drink at least 4 bottles of water a day. 
• Plan ahead.

Importance of HYDRATION!

    Hydration is key to fitness success. You can go around 28 days without eating, but only 3 days without water. Water is what makes up 60% of your own body. Most people require around 2 liters of water a day. That's about 4 bottles, or 8 cups a day. If you exercise, however, you may need more. Some athletes may need up to around a gallon of water a day. Be warned though and don't chug as much water as you can all day. Too much water can be bad for you and result in water intoxication. This is a very serious condition that may be fatal so I wouldn't recommend drinking over a gallon a day. 

    Now you can be hydrated by most drinks but why do people recommend water. Water is that key thing that hydrates you and drinking it in its pure form is ultimately best. Water also helps keep you full and energized through the day. I would say when in doubt choose water as your drink of choice.

Count Colors Rule

    A common rule that many people use to eat a balanced diet is to count colors. This simply means that when getting food try to make sure your plate is as colorful as possible. This is because most colorful foods are fruits, veggies, and healthier foods in general. I would recommend trying to have at least 3 different colors on your plate for each meal. An example would be, for dinner, chicken breast - white, baked potato - yellow, and broccoli - green. This meal is very balanced and healthy all around. 

Easy Substitutions

    When you're cooking or eating there is usually something that can be substituted out for something better. For example, instead of cooking with butter cook with olive oil, or instead of eating 80 20 ground beef have 90 10. These usually won't affect the taste or texture of the food you're eating, but still make it much healthier. Now remember you should never restrict yourself from foods you love. Everything is good in moderation. I will be making a chart of easy substitutions you can find on my blog. 

Moderation is Key

    Remember foods fall into two groups: good and better. Foods are never bad, so please never think of them in that way. Food can be comforting to many people and taking that away from them is never healthy. You shouldn't be scared of food just because they are considered worse than others. You can eat anything whenever you want all you need to do is keep moderation. Instead of having 3 slices of cake have only 2 slices. This way you still get the satisfaction of having one of your favorite foods without the overabundance of it. 

Supplements 

    Supplements are things that can help you reach your nutritional goals. Supplements are usually in pill form that helps you get nutrients that you might have not gotten through the day. Supplements are such an easy cheat code for health. In my opinion, and to keep it simple, you should consume a multivitamin and fish oil every day. This will make sure your nutrient needs are met.

Goals for Diet

    In my opinion, you should use this as a guide for your daily diet and meals:

• 3-4 meals a day
• 1-2 snacks a day
• At least 3 colors per meal
• Well-portioned meals
• Food you like
• 4 bottles of water a day
• At least one serving of veggies and fruit per day

Grade 1 - Basics to Exercise

 Basics to Exercise

What is Exercise?

    Exercise is a structured activity specifically designed to develop and maintain physical fitness. Simply it's something you do to keep you physically fit. There are many different kinds of exercise, but they can be broken down into 3 categories: cardio, resistance, and stretching. I will give a few examples of each and kind of explain what they are. 

Cardio

    Cardio is the most common type of exercise, done by people all over the world. Cardio is a type of aerobic exercise that gets your heart rate up and keeps it up for a long period of time. This is the type of exercise that trains your heart muscles. Cardio can again be broken down into two main subgroups: steady state and high-intensity intervals. 

Steady State

    Steady-state cardio is cardio where you're doing a repetitive activity, for a long period of time, at a moderate intensity. This is what most cardio is considered. Some common examples of steady state include running, walking, swimming, biking, playing sports, working, and many other common kinds of physical activity. The best way to do steady state is to do it at least two hours a week total at a moderate intensity. 

High-intensity Intervals 

    This cardio is quite complicated and advanced, so I won't go into much detail. Basically, high-intensity intervals are where you do a steady-state activity at an extremely high intensity for a short period of time. I will go more in-depth on this in a future grade 2 post. 

Resistance Training

    Resistance Training is the second most common kind of exercise. Resistance Training is a type of exercise that improves muscular strength and endurance by moving a muscle against an external resistance. There is two main types of resistance training: weight training and calisthenics. 

Weight Training

    Weight training is where this external resistance is provided by a physical weight. This can come in the form of a dumbbell, barbell, or even a resistance band. Some examples of weight training are bench press, barbell squats, deadlifts, bicep curls, and more. Weight training has its pros: It's easy to add weight and get stronger, it's much more straightforward, and it's very reliable. However, this isn't without its cons: Usually need a gym membership, higher chance of injury, and more expensive. I recommend weight training 3-4 days a week at the gym and attending to work most major muscle groups. 

Calisthenics

    Calisthenics is where this external source comes from your own body weight. Calisthenics is a very complicated type of training where at the beginning it's very easy and simple, but after you advance it gets very difficult to advance. Some examples of calisthenics are push-ups, pull-ups, squats, crunches, and more. Pros to calisthenics compared to weight training are that you're less likely to get injured, simpler at the beginning, and it can be done anywhere at any time. However, in calisthenics, it is much harder to progress and make strength and physical changes. Calisthenics though are very versatile; I recommend the same as weight training 3-4 days a week of training. 

Stretching

    Stretching is where one extends their muscle to its full length in order to increase the flexibility and strength of the muscle. Stretching is a very important part of fitness that many people ignore. Stretching helps prevent injury, improve movement, and also could help increase strength gains in resistance training. The most common kinds of stretching are usually seen in ways of yoga or Pilates. I recommend you to learn some simple stretches or join a yoga/ Pilates class. You should try to stretch 5-7 times a week and preferably in the morning or after your workout.