Exercise 101: Work Out Right

How to fine-tune your workout for better results

Ready to shape up your workout? Fine-tune any fitness faux pas that may be robbing you of the best results? Here, three exercise pros set the record straight for you, answering some of your most sweat-inducing fitness questions below.

1. Should I stretch before or after a workout?

Either time is fine, as long as you first do a preworkout warm-up (three to five minutes of whole-body movement, like marching in place); it's easier and safer to stretch a warm muscle than a cold one. "If you're doing an activity that's new to you or a workout that's exceptionally strenuous, warm up, stretch, then work out," says exercise physiologist Douglas Brooks of Moves International in Mammoth Lakes, California. "If you're doing your typical routine, warm up and then stretch either before or after your workout — whatever makes you feel best."

2. Should I take baby or giant steps on the stair climber?

Take steps that use your legs' entire range of motion, advises Jana Angelakis, owner of Pex Personalized Exercise in New York City. "Use your normal stride. Giant steps could harm your hips and lower-back muscles. Baby steps are inefficient and often indicate that the level you've set for yourself is too high." And you'll get better results if you never get into the habit of supporting yourself on the handlebars.

3. Should I lift weights slowly or quickly?

Slower is better for building and toning muscle, says Wayne Westcott, Ph.D., strength trainer at the YMCA in Quincy, Massachusetts. "As you increase speed, you decrease tension and force in the muscle. You end up using more momentum than muscle." Pace yourself: During a typical repetition, the contraction (when the muscle works) should last about two seconds and the elongation (when it relaxes) should last about four seconds.

4. Should I do crunches every day or three times a week?

The overwhelming consensus: Do them every day. Angelakis encourages at least 25 sit-ups a day. Sound too easy? Try it her way: Take two counts to raise and two to lower your torso instead of one.

5. Should I use free weights or weight machines?

Muscles can't tell the difference between free weights or machines and they respond to both, according to Westcott. Your best bet: Use both — weight machines may better target a certain muscle or muscle group, while free weights bring other assisting, or balancing, muscles into play.

6. Should I weight train daily or three times a week?

Using weights every day may be overtraining, says Westcott. "Depending on the intensity of your workout, muscles need 48 to 72 hours to recover and repair." You'll get better results faster if you skip a day between strength-training sessions.

7. On the treadmill, should I vary the speed or keep it steady?

Whether you run or walk, alternating between higher and lower speeds is a highly effective way to exercise, especially if your time is limited (and whose isn't?). "Whether highly fit or not, anyone can manage to go a bit faster for 30 to 60 seconds and then do a minute or two at a slower recovery pace. Spiking workouts in this way is best for getting fitter, burning more calories and preventing injuries," says Brooks.

8. Should I lift heavier weights with fewer repetitions or lighter weights with more reps?

If you want to increase muscle as you tone, increase the weight, not the reps, says Angelakis. If you are interested in toning and definition, use low to moderate weight and aim for 12 to 15 reps. You'll know you're ready to add weight (in 5 percent increments) when 15 reps are only moderately difficult to complete.

9. Should I do the treadmill flat or on an incline?

The state of your back and your knees determine what's best for you. If you have any back problems, you should not walk or run on an inclined treadmill. The tilt can affect your back. On the other hand, if you have chronic knee problems that sideline you from running, increasing the incline as you walk on a treadmill can increase the intensity of your workout. For those with no knee or back woes, walking or running on an incline is a good way to target and tone the backs of your legs. Whenever you exercise on a slant, don't hold on — it defeats the purpose of the incline. If you can't keep up, decrease your speed.

10. Which is better, the bike or the treadmill, if I have only 30 minutes to exercise?

There's no one best machine. To optimize a workout of any length, pick a machine you love: "All cardiovascular machines are created equal. It's what you bring to the workout that makes it best for you," says Brooks. "You simply won't work out as intensely if the machine bores you." If you don't have a favorite, do 10-minute bouts on three different machines.