Don't fear seeking help at the gym

I've heard so many times, "I don't go to the gym because I don't know what to do." Don't sweat it. Everyone who enters the gym, from the lifelong lifter to the dumbbell dilettante, starts in the same place you will: the beginning. You don't become an expert in exercise overnight. Pumping iron is like any other sport; practice makes progression possible. I promise!

If you're just beginning, orient yourself to the equipment and never be nervous about asking for assistance. Even if you start off with the most basic of exercises, you can comfort yourself with the knowledge that no one in the gym is re-inventing the wheel Furthermore, there are a finite number of exercises, although unlimited ways to tweak them to get the results you seek. And that will be the biggest gap between you and the professional pumper.

Although training is a solitary sport, a sort of camaraderie exists among those who train consistently. Take this opportunity to learn new ways to tweak your favorite moves.

And since one good turn deserves another, I'll share an exercise with you that puts a twist on your abdominal training: the wood chop. It primarily works your abdominals with particular emphasis on the obliques.

With your right hand, grasp a single handle attached to a high cable pulley with the left side of your body to the cable machine. Then, place your left hand on top of your right and tighten your abs by pulling your navel to your spine. To begin, twist your upper body to the left and pull the cable down toward your right hip.

Keep your knees slightly bent and your hips square throughout the movement. Your arms should be straight in front of your right hip at the bottom of the exercise. Then, slowly return to the starting position. Try 15 to 20 reps on one side, beginning at about 15 pounds, then switch sides and complete the same number of repetitions on the other side.