Friday, January 7, 2011

“Resolutioners”, please read...I implore you!

Thank you Hot 103 FM's Adam West for asking me to write this to be posted as part of a series of blogs he is doing on their website: http://www.hot103live.com/Blog/adamwest/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10188487


Making a “New Years Resolution” to get fit for the following year can become as hopeless as an ant pushing a 747 on the runway. People tend to rely on the beginning of the year or any special date to anchor them to a get fit plan. I am sorry to say that this can be detrimental and most may end up failing. But, there is still some hope and I will try to give you some tips to being one of those who are successful.

First thing, pick any day and just say…”That’s it, I am done being unhappy”. What I mean is simply…you are sitting at home eating a gross amount of bad food and you just decide tomorrow is the day of change. Nothing special about tomorrow…it’s not a special date on the calendar of any sort. You are quite honestly tired of being unhappy and you want to make a life style change.

This leads into my second point. Think of this not as a “diet”, this is a “life style change”. The word diet gets passed around too much and the definition it tends to fall under is “a temporary thing”. Look at your fitness and eating as a full out change to the way you are living your life from that point on.

Get started by taking not only weight but body measurements and even pictures. Come on, we all see Facebook…everyone has the ability to take pictures of themselves…just don’t post these ones. The biggest thing is people rely too much on the scale. Which in itself can lead someone to be misinformed about their success. Let’s remember that muscle does weigh more than fat. Also the measurements and pictures will not lie and allow you to see the gradual change. I mean you look at yourself everyday so without the physical evidence it may be harder for you to see the changes in the beginning. This could cause you to be discouraged early on.

Set attainable and realistic goals. I find that instead of saying I am going to lose “? Lbs” by a certain date. It is more effective to make a goal like “Ok, this week I will do an extra session of cardio” or “This week I will cut this completely from my diet”. In addition, give yourself a decent amount of time to really notice that difference. A solid eight weeks of training and eating right should be a perfect amount of time for you to see a noticeable different in yourself.

Abdominal exercises do not work. What??? You are probably asking. Well that statement is true to a point. What I really mean is if you have a layer of fat covering those abdominals…well you can do exercises until you are blue in the face and you know what, your abs will get stronger but you will still not be able to see that six pack. Proper eating and cardio training is the way you will get to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Of course those two combined with abdominal exercises is the most idea way to attain that washboard stomach.

The biggest things you will find that will make the most difference in turning your “physweak” to a “physique” will be how you approach eating. Cut out that pop people! Yes, even you diet pop lovers. Also, too much coffee can be harmful as well. You don’t have to be miserable though, there are still plenty of foods and ways you can eat to be happy. I am a firm believer that eating good or “clean” for the whole week gives me a “cheat meal” as a reward once a week to. Yes, “cheat meal” can be anything and in the end will help reset your body and keep it working hard to burn off the calories for you. The other thing about eating properly, water…water and more water! In my opinion an average person should drink anywhere from 2 litres to 4 litres a day depending on your activity level.

So there you have it…now don’t be afraid to ask for help in the gym to do those exercises properly from others and good luck! I will leave you with some tips below for all I have mentioned above:

DIET
- A lot of water goes a long way
- More meals and smaller portions, 5-6 a day is a good goal
- Condiments, try limiting the sugars, creams, ketchup, salts, etc.
- Protein is great, good carbohydrates are also just as important at the proper times during the day
- Eat clean all week, give yourself one cheat meal a week

Training
- Aim for 5 days a week, at least 3-4 cardio sessions 20-30 minutes
- Cardio is not just running, its anything getting your heart beat at its target heart rate for an extended amount of time
- Proper form, like with abdominals don’t just do the motion of a crunch…actually squeeze/flex that muscle as well
- Higher reputations and lighter weight is ideal for a more aerobic and fat burning workout
- In addition to above keep the resting between your sets to a short time, say 45 seconds

There is so much more to cover…but this should at least give you a fighting chance and get you started in the right direction. Put in a decent effort and don’t be discouraged. Good luck in making your personal “Life Style Change”.

~Jon~
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