Over years of training I have been able to find consistencies between people who achieve the fitness results that they want and those who don’t.
Getting there is a process that takes consistency, patience, and effort.
Here are 7 things you should know if you want to begin a successful campaign to “get in shape”.
1.) There is no room for excuses.
This is probably the biggest hurdle of them all. At the end of the day, the results that you want are up to no one or nothing else but you. Putting forth the effort and convincing yourself why you can’t or didn’t do something is just an excuse.
People who are hitting goals don’t make excuses.
They make reasons WHY they want and need to accomplish something.
Avoid excuses.
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2.) It won’t happen overnight
Patience is key. There is no substitute for hard work despite the fact the fitness industry is full of gimmicks.
It takes time to get worthwhile results.
Achieving your goals, the work involved, the set backs are all a part of the process.
Do not expect it to happen in a week, a month, sometimes even a few months.
Give your all every day and trust the system and the results will come for sure.
3.) Eating is Key
80 percent of your training results will come from how you eat. Whether you are training for “weight loss” or to burn fat, your nutritional intake should be in sync with the demands you put on your body.
Don’t confuse “diet” with nutrition.
Yes there are times when eating less calories (negative caloric balance) will be key for losing weight, but eating the RIGHT kinds of calories at the RIGHT time is key.
If you have not already, I recommend looking over the nutritional guide I created earlier this year as an additional resource.
4.) You Need Resistance Training Not Just Cardio
Cardio ALONE just will not get it done. Yes cardio is an efficient way to burn some fat but also is efficient at burning away muscle.
Resistance training stimulates muscle growth. In short, muscles require more energy to exist than fat does.
This means having an increased lean mass will cause you to burn more calories at rest (for those of you who like the thought of calorie burn)
Resistance training is also conducive for joint integrity, better stability and coordination, bone density, as well as quality overall movement.
So whether training for fat lass, muscle gain, or just trying to get more energy, you gotta push some weight.
5.) Sleep is a Must
The burn happens while you are training. The recovery happens when you are sleep.
Try to get at least 8 hours of sleep to allow your body to recover from training.
Falling short of these sleep hours means your muscles aren’t getting adequate time to repair themselves.
This is a very underrated portion of the fitness journey.
6.) Stop Obsessing Over the Damn Scale
Don’t OBSESS over weight. And don’t hop on it every day.
Body composition and in some cases BMI Is a more effective way of tracking fat loss and muscle gain, and strength gains.
The reason why you should not only rely on the scale for progress is firstly, weight fluctuates throughout the day from water retention and perspiration.
You can weigh one thing at the beginning of the day and another by night time.
Tracking your energy levels, muscle gain*, and fat loss is the most significant way to track progress.
Again, I understand how tough is to avoid the scale trips when always being bombarded with “weight loss” this and that, an products with little to know proven research consistently being thrown in your face, but don’t be fooled.
*do not think of muscle gains only in terms of bodybuilding.
7.) Aim for a lifestyle change, not JUST weight change
Becoming fit does not have a single destination. It’s a constant journey.
There are more variables than just “I wanna lose 10 pounds” or “I need a summer body”.
You’ve got to want something more and be intrinsically motivated.
Saying you want to “lose weight” but constantly eating the wrong things or even having a negative attitude will hinder your progress.
I said this before and will say it again:
Weight loss, a stronger you, burning fat, having energy is a side effect of a balanced lifestyle.
Make it happen.
-Coach