Just a tiny reminder to those who absolutely cannot stick to a regimen for too long before getting burnt out, tiring of the monotony, losing interest, or losing motivation:
CONSISTENCY IS KEY!
It's an age-old mantra... for a reason.
1000 hours of practice are required before you perfect a skill.
Why should weight training, cardiovascular exercise, and dieting be any different?
Remember, every hour logged on the StepMill, every repetition performed on the bench press, every ounce of tilapia measured out is another step towards the ultimate physical accomplishment: becoming who you envision yourself to be.
How many people can say they look and perform EXACTLY how they appear in their mind's eye?
Don't you want to be one of those people?
Well, I can tell you this: Consistency will get you to your goals, without a shadow of a doubt.
Day after day, week after week, the more you apply your determination and consistency to the tasks at hand (workouts, eating right, etc.), the greater the results.
So, quit cancelling on your trainer at 7:45am, because you are tired.
Quit bailing on your workout partner because you had a long day at the office (is YOUR day longer than 24 hours?... because we all have the same long day).
Quit picking up a burger on the way home from school because you don't feel like cooking, weighing, and prepping your lean ground beef patty and 2 cups of broccoli.
Consistency is the Master Key to accomplishing your physique goals... and to life, in general.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
You Need To Quit!
Don’t let the gym thing be your entire life…
Yup, I said it!
Don’t be a gym rat. Make fitness a priority in your life but not the only priority in your life. Dedication to fitness is to be commended, of course. You can take it too far, though.
Don’t let 2lbs. affect whether you have a good day or not! Should that extra 2lbs. you gained in WATER WEIGHT really make your awesome day at work or school negated?
I would hope not!
Getting in shape and being happy with your body should be a constant state or progression. I’m not talking about losing weight every single day (or gaining), day-in and day-out….
You should be focused on the long term…
Every 2-3 weeks should yield progress, assuming you are placing as much priority on weights, cardio, and nutrition as you should be.
If you keep looking back with every step you take, you cannot see how far you have come!
So, do me a favor…
Don’t sweat the small stuff!
If you feel tired and your feet hurt from working all freakin’ day…. GO HOME AND WATCH A MOVIE WITH YOUR KIDS!
If you have been dieting for 6 weeks straight, running on the treadmill and only eating salads, EAT A SLICE OF CHEESECAKE WITH YOUR DINNER OUT!
It’s a marathon, not a race…
Slow and steady wins the race…
Two birds in the glass house should make like a leaf… (Wait…)
Here is a word of advice from your friendly, neighborhood trainer: We want 360 Fitness to be your 3rd Place! You have work/school, home, and now… 360 Fitness. We don’t want you to feel as if working out and keeping to your diet is dulling your zest for life and happiness!
Remember to rein it in when you feel yourself getting beat down with every workout. If the thought of chicken and rice makes you want to run to the nearest TCBY, by all means, DO IT!
Fitness should be fun. It’s as simple as that. If it isn’t, something needs to change. Let us help you figure it out!
Monday, August 13, 2012
Tired Of "Dieting"?
There are a thousand different meal plans, diet programs, weight loss secrets, and every other gimmick under the sun for getting into great shape!
To be honest, the simplest part of the three-fold equation of weights, cardio, and nutrition is actually the weight training aspect.
In its most basic form, the body only needs an overwhelming outside stimulus in order to elicit a muscle-building, calorie-burning response. So, doing 1 set of heavy (to you) alternating dumbbell curls is, in theory, enough to cause a change. The more overwhelming and intense the set is, the more extreme the stimulus elicited. More stress equates to more adaptation.
The second part of the equation, cardio, is a little more complicated, but it can be simplified, nonetheless. Sweat. That's it!
Perform cardiovascular exercise (jogging, incline walking on the treadmill, hiking, StepMill or Elliptical work, swimming etc.) at a high enough speed/intensity to heat your body up and sweat. If you don't sweat or "glisten" (Ladies, I'm talking to you!), then breathing at a slightly faster pace than when at rest is the next best indicator.
Nutrition is so drastically complicated it can take years and years and years to even figure out what nutrition protocol works best for you and your specific situation.
BUT...
Here is an easy way to bypass years of research, trial and error, and just plain old failing at dieting to lose a couple extra pounds of fat without changing much! (That's what Personal Trainers are for... We do the leg work and chart the course. You, the client, merely have to trust your trainer and follow their course!)
Carbohydrates are used to fuel intense activity... That's why Sports Drinks are filled to the brim with sugar. Carbohydrates breakdown to glucose in the body. Glucose is a simple sugar (NOT to be confused with table sugar).
Rearrange your meal plan as such to where you are eating all your carbohydrates around your most active times of the day.
If you work out at 6am every Monday-Friday. Then time your carbohydrates before and after the workout. Then, fill up on protein, veggies, and healthy fats throughout the rest of the day. You don't need a ton of energy to go to sleep. So, why would you eat pasta at dinner? If you workout at 9pm, then follow the same protocol, regardless if you are going to sleep or not.
Of course, consult with your physician before you start any diet or exercise plan.
If you have the green light, here is what a sample menu would look like for someone who works out in the morning and has an 8am - 5pm work schedule:
Upon Waking
Low-carb, Low-fat Protein Shake
1 Serving of Steel Cut Oats
*Workout*
Post Workout
1 Low-fat Greek Yogurt
1 Serving of Berries
1 Serving of Granola
Lunch
Chicken
Brown Rice
Asparagus
Dinner
Fish
Large Green Salad w/ Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Merely rearranging the carbohydrates in your day can help ensure you are fueling the more rigorous parts of your day without overloading your body with sugar at times it may not be able to put it to good use!
Try this nifty trick on for size and see how your energy levels, waistline, and scale-weight are affected!
Yours In Fitness
Mike Caballero
Certified Personal Trainer
360 Fitness
To be honest, the simplest part of the three-fold equation of weights, cardio, and nutrition is actually the weight training aspect.
In its most basic form, the body only needs an overwhelming outside stimulus in order to elicit a muscle-building, calorie-burning response. So, doing 1 set of heavy (to you) alternating dumbbell curls is, in theory, enough to cause a change. The more overwhelming and intense the set is, the more extreme the stimulus elicited. More stress equates to more adaptation.
The second part of the equation, cardio, is a little more complicated, but it can be simplified, nonetheless. Sweat. That's it!
Perform cardiovascular exercise (jogging, incline walking on the treadmill, hiking, StepMill or Elliptical work, swimming etc.) at a high enough speed/intensity to heat your body up and sweat. If you don't sweat or "glisten" (Ladies, I'm talking to you!), then breathing at a slightly faster pace than when at rest is the next best indicator.
Nutrition is so drastically complicated it can take years and years and years to even figure out what nutrition protocol works best for you and your specific situation.
BUT...
Here is an easy way to bypass years of research, trial and error, and just plain old failing at dieting to lose a couple extra pounds of fat without changing much! (That's what Personal Trainers are for... We do the leg work and chart the course. You, the client, merely have to trust your trainer and follow their course!)
Carbohydrates are used to fuel intense activity... That's why Sports Drinks are filled to the brim with sugar. Carbohydrates breakdown to glucose in the body. Glucose is a simple sugar (NOT to be confused with table sugar).
Rearrange your meal plan as such to where you are eating all your carbohydrates around your most active times of the day.
If you work out at 6am every Monday-Friday. Then time your carbohydrates before and after the workout. Then, fill up on protein, veggies, and healthy fats throughout the rest of the day. You don't need a ton of energy to go to sleep. So, why would you eat pasta at dinner? If you workout at 9pm, then follow the same protocol, regardless if you are going to sleep or not.
Of course, consult with your physician before you start any diet or exercise plan.
If you have the green light, here is what a sample menu would look like for someone who works out in the morning and has an 8am - 5pm work schedule:
Upon Waking
Low-carb, Low-fat Protein Shake
1 Serving of Steel Cut Oats
*Workout*
Post Workout
1 Low-fat Greek Yogurt
1 Serving of Berries
1 Serving of Granola
Lunch
Chicken
Brown Rice
Asparagus
Dinner
Fish
Large Green Salad w/ Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Merely rearranging the carbohydrates in your day can help ensure you are fueling the more rigorous parts of your day without overloading your body with sugar at times it may not be able to put it to good use!
Try this nifty trick on for size and see how your energy levels, waistline, and scale-weight are affected!
Yours In Fitness
Mike Caballero
Certified Personal Trainer
360 Fitness
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)