Through personal experience & the experiences and questions of others, I decided to write about what it takes... let me rephrase that... what it really takes... to lose weight and achieve your desired fitness goals.
1. The Right Mindset
It's very difficult to accomplish anything without first having the proper mindset. If you aren't willing to do what it takes to succeed, then you won't succeed. If you don't overcome your own internal battles, then you can't create the life you want to live externally.
Excuses, excuses, excuses. Many of you make too many excuses for yourself. Stop making those excuses and start creating solutions! I know everyone has his or her own difficult situation, but you can change that if you are willing.
Common Excuses
"I don't have time."
Unless you work two jobs, go to school, have a spouse and kids, three dogs and a bird - you get the idea - You Have TIME. Most people just don't manage their time well enough. Most people actually WASTE too much of their time doing things like sitting around watching TV, surfing the internet for non-productive reasons, or go out partying and drinking. Acquire Time-Management Skills.
"I don't have money."
Usually these are the same people as above. Again, they WASTE most of their money on temporary happiness like fast food runs, drinking and partying, and too much shopping! I mean really, how much are gym memberships... $10/month at the Hayward Planet Fitness. And besides, you don't need money to get active - go to a park and take a jog - that's free. Manage Your Money Better.
Willpower - The ability to control oneself and determine one's actions
If you have willpower, you'll control your negative urges and choose your course of action accordingly.
I mean... How BAD do you want to reach your goal? Seriously. If you don't want it BAD enough for you to take action and do your absolute BEST, you'll probably never see it. Throw some gas on your willpower and light that sucker up.
Examples of having willpower:
1. Not wanting to wake up at 5am but doing so anyways to have an awesome workout.
2. Choosing to eat a healthy home cooked meal even though you are starving right next to a burger joint and you're 15 minutes away from home.
3. Wanting to give up on a workout due to fatigue but breaking past your perceived physical limitations.
4. Consistently pushing yourself with your workouts even if you aren't "seeing" results sooner than you wish.
4. Holding off on buying cool new stuff to save up for Personal Training.
2. Choosing to eat a healthy home cooked meal even though you are starving right next to a burger joint and you're 15 minutes away from home.
3. Wanting to give up on a workout due to fatigue but breaking past your perceived physical limitations.
4. Consistently pushing yourself with your workouts even if you aren't "seeing" results sooner than you wish.
4. Holding off on buying cool new stuff to save up for Personal Training.
2. Good Eating Habits
Many of you have terrible eating habits. I have to say it. And YES, I know, there's a Fast Food Joint in every place you turn and it can get very tempting. But you make the decision, what's more worth it to you, a temporary joy of happiness, or a life lived with better health & overall satisfaction? If you chose the first, I suggest you stop reading this article. If you chose the latter, keep reading.
My suggestion: Be mindful of what you are putting into your body! Would you put just any chemical into your car without understanding the effects? If not, why would you ever do so with your own self?
Personally, I found it easier to keep a simple and repetitive diet, made from home.
Examples of food I consume regularly:
- Hard Boiled & Scrambled Eggs
- Oatmeal
- Fresh and Frozen Fruits
- Vegetables
- Whole Wheat & High in Fiber Breads
- Brown Rice
- Salmon, Tuna, Sardines, & other types of fishes
- Chicken & Turkey
- Low Fat Beef & Steak (occasionally)
- Legumes (Beans)
- Lots of Water (Stay away from Soda, and watch for sugar content in Juices... but stick to mainly water)
- Oatmeal
- Fresh and Frozen Fruits
- Vegetables
- Whole Wheat & High in Fiber Breads
- Brown Rice
- Salmon, Tuna, Sardines, & other types of fishes
- Chicken & Turkey
- Low Fat Beef & Steak (occasionally)
- Legumes (Beans)
- Lots of Water (Stay away from Soda, and watch for sugar content in Juices... but stick to mainly water)
I also make sure I get my multi-vitamins, I choose Opti-Men (they also have Opti-Women), as well as other herbal supplements like Rhodiola, Ashwaganda, Maca, and others.
3. Cardio
If you want to lose weight or even just stay healthy, cardio is very important! Most people forget that when you're doing cardio, you are working the most important muscle of all - your HEART! Your heart is an extremely vital organ as it pumps fluids that contain water and nutrients such as proteins, fats, and sugars. If you aren't doing much cardio at the moment, think about this: Did you know that almost 2,000 people die each day due to heart disease and is the leading cause of death in the United States? Do yourself a favor and take care of your heart and do cardio exercises regularly!
Intensity Matters
Everyday I walk around the gym and I see people doing cardio at a very low intensity for long periods of time because they want to stay in the "Fat Burning Mode." What do I think about that? I think that's OLD SCIENCE and new science tells us that High Intensity Interval Training is actually more beneficial for cutting calories as well as burning fat.
What is High Intensity Interval Training? (HIIT)
High Intensity Interval Training means challenging yourself and giving all you've got for set periods of time, then cooling off for a certain amount of time - rinse & repeat. By doing this type of training, you will continue burning fat even after you've completed the session, and you will be burning way more calories in a shorter amount of time, hence, becoming extremely efficient!
Some Examples of HIIT
- Sprinting for 1 minute and walking for 1 minute
- Boxing round of 3 minutes and resting for 30 seconds
- Swimming fast for 2 minutes and resting for 45 seconds
- Jump roping for 3 minutes and resting for 1 minute
- Boxing round of 3 minutes and resting for 30 seconds
- Swimming fast for 2 minutes and resting for 45 seconds
- Jump roping for 3 minutes and resting for 1 minute
You can do this as well on any cardio machine you can find at the gym - the treadmill, elliptical, arc trainer, bicycle, stairmaster, etc.
Duration
You probably noticed above that each example has different duration times for the intervals. The reason being is that every person has a different fitness level and some people can push harder for longer periods of time than others. Increase your intensity time as you get better and lower your rest time.
My recommendation:
Fitness Level 1
1 Minute Intense - 1 Minute Cool Down
1 Minute Intense - 45 Seconds Cool Down
1 Minute Intense - 30 Seconds Cool Down
1 Minute Intense - 45 Seconds Cool Down
1 Minute Intense - 30 Seconds Cool Down
Fitness Level 2
2 Minute Intense - 1 Minute Cool Down
2 Minute Intense - 45 Seconds Cool Down
2 Minute Intense - 30 Seconds Cool Down
2 Minute Intense - 45 Seconds Cool Down
2 Minute Intense - 30 Seconds Cool Down
Fitness Level 3
3 Minute Intense - 1 Minute Cool Down
3 Minute Intense - 45 Seconds Cool Down
3 Minute Intense - 30 Seconds Cool Down
3 Minute Intense - 45 Seconds Cool Down
3 Minute Intense - 30 Seconds Cool Down
So on and so forth...
HIIT is very physically demanding, but if you continue doing this you will see RESULTS much quicker than the average "Fat Burning Mode". Keep in mind: Willpower, Willpower, WILLPOWER! Try this out for your next cardio session and you will see how amazing this workout can be!
How much cardio should I do each day?
They use to say 30 minutes each day was the minimum recommendation, but recent news tells us that the minimum recommendation has doubled to 1 hour, due to the terrible eating habits of people here in the United States.
But why should we follow minimum recommendation? If you went to college with the idea of doing the MINIMUM amount of work to get by, and achieving grades that are BARELY passing, do you think you could land that job in the career you are aiming for? AND even if you somehow managed that and you once again you put out a MINIMUM amount of effort there, how long do you think you'd last before you get FIRED? Do as much cardio as possible!
4. Strength Training
Most women shy away when they hear the phrase "Strength Training" due to the following common misconception: "Lifting heavy weights will make you big and bulky". Did you know that the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn, even at rest? Strength Training will help you build lean muscle, which can help speed up your body's own natural ability to burn calories efficiently. Muscle is also more dense than fat, so it occupies less space in your body. Unless as a female you are shooting up testosterone (which I don't recommend), you are not going to get "Big and Bulky".
Intensity Matters
I see a lot of women at the gym lift very light weight with very high repetitions, saying something along the lines of, "I lifted 5lbs 100 times". If you could lift anything 100 times, your intensity is probably very very low. I could lift a piece of paper 1,000 times daily and I don't believe I'd make much of a physical transformation any time soon.
Lift Heavy
What does it mean to lift heavy? It means giving it all you've got or very very close to it! Many could argue, but I'd like to keep my numbers at the most 12 repetitions or less. If you could lift more than that on any given set, most likely you are going too light.
By the way, if you aren't familiar with the terms repetitions and sets, let me give you an example. Let's say, for example, Sarah does a pushup and barely manages to do 12 in a row and then took a rest, that's 12 repetitions and 1 set. Let's say Sarah went back and did it again, but rather could only do 10 in a row this time, that would make it 10 repetitions for her second set. Personally, I like to keep most of my lifts around 1 - 5 reps per set and repeat for about 3 to 5 sets.
Minimal Momentum & Proper Form
You'll find people at the gym also lifting weight in a jerking motion. That jerking motion allows for momentum, which is something we do not want to do (unless you are doing a Power Lifting move - which calls for that). One reason is that forcing the weight up by jerking can increase the risk of injury if not done correctly. Another reason is that momentum does not help build muscle efficiently. Smooth and controlled motions will maximize the amount of tension your muscle has holding the weight, therefore making the exercise more effective.
5. Sleep Well
Training hard requires rest and relaxation. Your body needs time to build and repair muscles for it to grow and strengthen. The recommended amount of time to sleep for the average adult would be 7-9 hours of rest.
I use to have a very difficult time sleeping and would stay up hours on end due to having ADD/ADHD and thinking constantly. Then I discovered Melatonin which made a huge impact on my sleeping habits. Now I can easily rest at night with little to no problems. If you don't already know, Melatonin is naturally produced in your body and can be taken as a supplement. If you have a difficult time sleeping, talk with your doctor first to see if supplementing with Melatonin is right for you.
6. The Art of Setting Goals & Taking Action
The mind is a powerful thing. If you set goals for yourself, your mind will find a way to get things done. If you have not already written down your goals, now is the time. Write the goal you want to accomplish in present tense, for example, "I am 125 lbs today on March 5th, 2011."
The 3 Different Goals You Should Set:
1. Goals you want to accomplish ASAP, ie: "Signed up for the gym and paid for a Personal Trainer Dec 6th, 2010."
2. Goals you want to accomplish in the near future, ie: "Down to 15% Body Fat, March 6th, 2011."
3. Goals you want to accomplish in the long run, ie: "Completed the Iron Man Competition, May 3rd, 2015."
2. Goals you want to accomplish in the near future, ie: "Down to 15% Body Fat, March 6th, 2011."
3. Goals you want to accomplish in the long run, ie: "Completed the Iron Man Competition, May 3rd, 2015."
"If you can imagine it, you can do it!"
Imagine what it would be like to be in the best shape of your life. What would it feel like? What would you be capable of doing in which you weren't capable of before? What other things would you do differently?
If you haven't tried this already, go ahead and put on your thinking hat and flip the switch on right now.
Take Action!!!
Now that you are equipped with the basic fundamentals, start taking action! Remember, weight loss and being in shape is a gradual process and not something you should plan to do as a "quick-fix". Have a sense of urgency but be patient and make practical goals you can reach at the time intended. "Rome wasn't built in a day", and your ideal body won't be either. Take your time, have fun with it, and reap the rewards!
Read More Articles from CJ: http://www.haywardpersonaltrainer.com
CJ is certified with the National Academy of Sports Medicine and his goal is to help as many people as possible reach their health and fitness goals! He's already worked with hundreds of people and is constantly changing people's lives for the better! He currently trains boot camps and group cardio boxing with Result Driven Fitness at The Kennel Boxing Gym as well as conducts Personal Training sessions at the Hayward Planet Fitness.
