Imagine…. you’ve just completed your 3rd month of strength and conditioning training. 90 days of hard work and full commitment. Not only have you trained hard pushing yourself to new boundaries you never thought you had, but you also took into consideration and followed all the nutritional advise given to you by your trainer. Your energy levels are now higher then they have been in years. You feel great and it doesn’t just stop there. Now people are noticing the changes you’ve made and cant help but to comment on how great you look. The feeling is amazing. Its like having a fresh start on life… Now this doesn’t have to just be a fantasy. The only thing that is standing in the way of you and your goals is YOU. Fitness is one of the very few things in life that can be called fair, and if you dedicate yourself to the task, you will reap the rewards.
The main issue facing many people today is that in the beginning everyone has the desire to start. They join a gym, go for about a week or two, but then become discouraged because they do not see any changes in their physique. Lets face it, if working out is a new frontier for you, without the proper guidance, you will be lost and the odds of you getting the results you desire are highly unlikely. There are 4 key factors standing between you and the body you’ve always desired- Nutrition, Cardio, Strength Training and Commitment. Bellow is basic information for maintaining a healthier, fitter lifestyle. Please note: Training for athletics requires a higher intensity and larger workload, therefore resulting in the need for higher intake of calories.
Commitment -
This is the biggest obstacle for most. Many get discouraged because result do not come fast enough which leads them to just throw in the towel. One thing to remember- the longer you stick with it, the easier it becomes. Those unbearable sore days for the most part only happen in the very beginning of training a muscle group. After that first week you will begin to notice your tolerance levels for the exercises rising. Many don’t reach this point because they are unable to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Break it up, first set yourself some short term goals. For example; “today I am going to work on improving my form and try to get better depth on squats”, or “this week I will go 10 minutes longer on cardio” etc…. Setting these smaller tasks will give a sense of achievement and give you the motivation to carry on. Another idea to consider is finding a workout partner. Having someone else with you can make things seem to go a lot smoother partly due to the fact that you are not in it alone and you now have the ability push one another. Also knowing someone else is going to be meeting you at the gym can raise your sense of accountability if at any point you do not feel like showing up. Remember, the commitment to achieve your goals lays entirely in your hands. If you are mentally tough enough you can achieve anything.
Nutrition -
Todays media is filled with tons of false information in regards to the proper nutrition. It is actually a pretty simple concept. Consume less calories than you exert and you will lose weight. Eating fat does not make you fat, the consumption of too many calories does. We are made to store fat- its the body’s survival mechanism. It might sound a little contradictory because I just said to decrease your calorie intake, but if you increase your meals (small portion sizes throughout the day), your body has less reason to store fat and will ultimately lead to speeding up your metabolism. When you skip meals your body goes into survival mode because it is unsure when the next meal will come. So it slows down your metabolism and stores fat at a faster rate. Studies also show that by eating only a once or twice a day, people tend to consume much larger amount ultimately over indulging.
As far as what to eat, instead of getting extremely technical, I like to simplify things by saying “go the natural rout”. If you cant hunt, catch or grow it – don’t eat it. Meaning avoid as much processed food as possible. Avoid labels that say fat free because believe it or not these products tend to have a lot less benefitial ingredients than the regular product would. And last but not least stay away from the fried food. If your diet includes deep-fried or breaded foods, which are high in fat, you’re putting yourself at a greater risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol and heart disease. Diets high in saturated fat and cholesterol tend to raise total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. Foods that are fried or breaded tend to be very high in fat because they are cooked in fat. When you fry foods, such as chicken, that already contain saturated fat, you simply add more fat to them. Food is fuel for your body, you wouldn’t just put anything in your cars gas tank so why do it to your body.
Strength Training- 
Many women avoid the weight room partly in fear that they will start to develop huge muscles. I can assure you this will not be the case being that the female body does not produce enough testosterone to develop in such a way. Big muscles don’t just pop up over night. If anything, strength-training will cause an increase in muscle tone and help burn off the calories (fat) faster. Its a proven fact that bone density is sharply enhanced by weight training, even in the elderly.
“Osteoporosis is a major determining factor in quality of life. Studies shown that weight training increased bone density, improved muscle strength, and improved balance. These three things will dramatically improve your later years and increase your longevity Only these health improvements can help prevent a bad fall, which is often a turning point in an elderly person’s life. One bad spill can result in a broken hip, an injury that can lead to an elderly person’s immobility and dependence on others. Only strength training can provide these benifits.” (Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/010528.html#ixzz1ajiSHIB1)
Men have a tendency to want to lift too much too soon. Its only natural, but you will have a hard time improving and with a lack of knowledge and proper guidance an individual could make a mistake resulting in a serious injury. Training must be performed in stages, gradually increasing over time so that a base can be established. One has to make sure to train the entire body and not just practice bench pressing. Make sure to train each muscle group; Legs (quads, hamstring, calves), Back (upper and Lower), Arms (biceps, triceps), Chest, Shoulders, and last but not least, the Core.
Cardio-
One of the benefits of cardiovascular exercise is that it is a good way to burn calories. Still, to lose weight with cardiovascular exercise – you need to do it for longer periods of time and more frequently to lose weight. It is best to try and both decrease your caloric intake and start a cardiovascular exercise program at the same time. Some studies have shown that with regular cardiovascular exercise your resting metabolic level will increase. This is one way in which it can help you to lose weight. Some research suggests that even just walking 20 minutes, three times a week and can lower your risk of heart diseases
Lets be honest, hundreds of infomercials flood the Television everyday promising to be the next best workout since the invention of the dumbbell. You’ve seen them, adds claiming that in 3 minutes a day you too can have the lean, flat stomach you’ve always wanted. Then if 3 minutes is too long, theres the easier fat burner pills that claim to be all natural and guarantee to shed those pesky love handles crunch free. It is all a scam, feeding off a society that is all about fast results. Having a healthy body takes time and commitment. As a society it is becoming quite apparent that something has got to change. Mainly due to the advancements in technology Americans today are far less active than in years past. Today roughly one-third of U.S. adults (33.8%) are obese. Approximately 17% (12.5 million) of children and adolescents aged 2-19 years are obese. Don’t let yourself fall into this category. Become more active, change your eating habits and I promise you, your body will thank you for it.
