Hi Everyone!
I know what you are thinking…another Facebook style “You Can Achieve Anything” montage, maybe more Arnold Schwarzenegger spoken words, or a few lines from Rocky Balboa to live and motivate, to inspire to greatness or at least the 6-pack that you so long for……
Well…Yes…and No!
Whilst we are not the sort of people to dampen folks dreams, desires or goals, we also recognize that year in year out many people’s get fit plans start…and end the same, give or take 2 or 3 weeks.
As we entered the gym for our first training session of the year on January 1st 2016, we saw hoards of new members, each with “The Eye of the Tiger”, each bursting with enthusiasm, determined that finally “This is my year to change”. Many of these new members came armed with Fitness magazine off the shelf workout routines written by a self proclaimed fitness Guru’s or celebrity trainers who must be really good if they can get young celebrities with lots of free time on their hands in great shape…right? Others came with prior fitness knowledge attained in their youth, some were there for their very first time. Sadly, for many the motivation for their fitness regime is running low already, ready to be cast aside for another year.
Pessimistic??? No…. realistic…Yes!
We want to change this. Whether you decide you’d like our help or not, we very much hope that we can help you to avoid at least some of the many pitfalls that people go through every year. Read on to discover ways to help keep you on track.
Of course, should you need further help…we are only a phone call away!
Vanessa & Marc.
Getting in Shape for 2016 – Keeping Those Resolutions Alive
Chances are that at some point you have made a resolution to get fit…then broken it! The following self help guide will give you a much better chance of stopping this cycle. If your resolution is to take better care of yourself and get healthy, you will have a much better year if your resolution sticks. Here are just a few things to consider to keep you on the right road to looking and feeling much better in 2016!
- Be Realistic
The easiest way to fall short on your goals is to make your goals unattainable. For instance, aiming to train 5 days per week for 2 hours per session when you are a beginner is more than likely going to end badly…yet I have heard of this! Set realistic, time bound goals. Be mindful of your time commitments, your age, your health & injury status and remember…it’s a marathon, not a sprint! What the 6 – pack promising magazines don’t tell you is that you get fitter and healthier on the inside first. This mean’s adhering to your plan LONG TERM and allowing your body to get well through corrective exercise & nutrition BEFORE noticeable results are seen on the outside. Enjoy the journey.
- Make Exercise & Healthy Eating & Habit
Change slowly, allow the body & mind time to adjust. Eating a strict diet consisting of foods that you don’t enjoy coupled with a punishing almost torturous exercise regime is simply not going to work…nor is it healthy. Change 3 things each week. This could be exchanging certain food items for healthier options, it could mean trying a new exercise in the gym, or adding a 30 -minute walk to your schedule. As humans we learn by repetition which creates habits. Our lifestyle changes will only become habits if we stick with them. Shocking the system in to drastic immediate change will only work for a very limited number of people. This way is also much more enjoyable.
- Write Down Your Fitness Goals & Keep an Exercise Diary
When goals are written down they form a mini contract with ourselves. This enables us to stick to them with more resolve. Better still, tell a partner or friend (or both) let people know what you intend to do. Keeping an exercise diary also helps as it shows us how far we have come on our journey, how many extra calories we can burn in 30 minutes, how much more weight we can lift, even how many inches we have lost. It’s a form of positive reinforcement, telling us that we are doing well. This really helps fuel our long term ambitions and goals.
- Exercise Little & Often
Aim to be in and out of the gym in no more than 45 minutes! That doesn’t include the shower or bar area however! Many studies have shown that after 45 minutes of intense exercise the body releases a whole host of stress hormones which can reduce the effectiveness of your workout whilst impairing your ability to recover from the training itself. Net result is fewer results for more work – a real no brainer. Also, knowing that you don’t have to be there all day increases your likelihood of going in the first place. 2-3 times per week as a beginner is absolutely fine and will yield great results if your programme is regularly reviewed.
- Focus on Your Transformations, Not Someone Else’s
We’ve all seen the great body transformations in magazines, mere mortals just like you losing 16lb’s in 1 month, “6 weeks to chiseled Abs” and the like. This is crazy! We know nothing of how these people train or exercise behind the scenes. We don’t know if they are beginners or deconditioned athletes. We don’t know their individual genetics, for example when my partner changes her routine, within 3-4 days we can see physical change which takes me at least 2-3 weeks to achieve…THAT’s a genetic advantage. What we do see is a sad and lonely before photo with a pushed out stomach compared to a smiley, happy sucked in stomach photo which has different lighting, often a new hairstyle, professional make up, a chest wax etc. Unrealistic and often unattainable. Instead, put this away, out of your mind and focus purely on you. You ARE fantastic. You deserve to be the healthiest, happiest you possible…stick with focusing on your change, no one else’s!
- Correct Eating for You…Not Someone Else
Don’t go on any mainstream diet – there I’ve finally said it! Just because it worked for your friend does not mean it will work for you. What left your friend bouncing off the walls with energy and vigor leading her to lose 10ibs could make you feel tired, lethargic, depressed, ill and actually make you heavier. Why? BECAUSE WE ARE ALL DIFFERENT! Just as we all look different on the outside, we all look and function different on the inside…especially at a cellular level. Have a qualified nutritionist put you through a series of questionnaires to determine your Primal Pattern type. Primal Pattern type is a name coined by American Holistic Health coach Paul Chek. Quite simply, your Primal Pattern will be 1 of 3 options, determining whether your body works best consuming most Protein, Carbohydrate, or a mixture of the 2. This will determine a starting point for knowing how much Protein/Fats/Carbohydrate you need to consume to keep you healthy and working at your best. This means staying healthy, recovering from your exercise and getting to your optimal weight. Correct eating for your unique metabolism and drinking plenty of clean water is paramount to your success – remember…you can’t out exercise a bad diet!
- Employ The 80/20 Rule To Eating
Once you know your individual Macro nutrient ratio (Protein/Fats/Carbohydrate) as mentioned in point 6 above, don’t feel that you are a slave to it. Eat according to your Primal Pattern for 80% of the time will allow you to enjoy other foods outside of your Primal Pattern 20% of the time. This not only yields great results, but it also makes your corrective nutrition strategy easier to stick to. Don’t overdo the 20% though, eat smaller portion sizes at each meal and try to drink 200-300ml of water 15 minutes prior to eating. This will help to trigger your satiety hormones earlier, stopping you from over eating.
- Real Food Not Magic Potions
Eat real food, stay well clear of Protein shakes or weight loss formulas that make companies huge amounts of money. So many companies would have you believe that all 21st century food is junk and your only chance to be fit, healthy & slim in this world is to buy their powdered formulas which contain laboratory added, chemically synthesized vitamins which the body ultimately doesn’t recognize as food! Organic food is best – simple! Once you know your Primal Pattern type, eat according to your pattern with nutrient dense, organic food. Food which has not been attacked or degraded by chemical fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides or fungicides. Meat whereby the animals haven’t been battery raised or fed cocktails of steroids & anti-biotics. We can’t better nature, plus the food tastes so much better!
- Don’t Be Afraid To Fail! Take It Step By Step
If you fall off the wagon…get back on. Don’t beat yourself up about it. Re-commit yourself for another 24 hours when you are feeling low, then another 24 hours thereafter. If your goal is to lose 30lbs, concentrate on the first 5lbs, then the next 5lbs, work in stages. After each stage, celebrate, do something you enjoy doing be that cinema, paintballing, anything you enjoy…though preferably not over eating! No one I have ever met in over 20 years of fitness exercises and eats correctly all of the time. Your best is always good enough, aim for steady progress…not perfection!
- Contact M.A.S.K. Personal Training For A No Obligation Consultation!
Of course we were always going to end this way. We have helped so many people, just like you to get in shape, lose weight and be their absolute best. Our no obligation consultation ensures that we are able to assess you as an individual, not as a number, taking in to consideration time & lifestyle factors to ensure that you have the very best possible chances of success on your journey to optimum health.
We have a whole host of packages and programmes to suit pretty much everyone and with our new 2 for 1 offer in January 2016 there has never been a better time to get in shape. That’s right 2 people train…for the price of 1!
Fill in the submission form at www.mask-pt.com email: info@mask-pt.com OR CALL 01483 361 119 and we will get back to you very soon!
