So you have decided to kickstart your health and fitness…..again!
How did all your previous attempts go?
Maybe some of them were good and you had success..
Others maybe bombed altogether?
I have seen many people come to our gym feeling stuck with their health and fitness and not knowing which way to turn.
Stuck at the same place with regards to their weight and fitness for years and every attempt at the next, latest craze usually ends in further failure.
One of the main reasons for this is that they don’t have a plan beyond the first few weeks….and everything works for a few weeks.
They don’t know how to effectively approach things to make it work for sustainable success.
What we like to do is strip the plan back (if they even have one) and get them to follow a set simple rules.
Here are a few of the rules we cover with our gym members:
Don’t just rely on exercise to help you fight the fat
So many people come to me and explain that they need exercise to lose the fat they are carrying.
Although exercise is an important part of the process, it is not the main contributing factor.
Have you ever heard ‘abs are made in the kitchen’?
Maybe you are not after ‘abs’ but the term implies that nutrition plays a MASSIVE role in fat loss.
For example, you can burn anything up to 400 calories in a typical 60 minute gym session.
It takes around 3500 calories to burn a pound of fat.
That would mean that you would have to do 9 hours in the gym to shift a pound of fat.
A Starbucks loaded latte with a few trimmings will be around 500 calories.
A chocolate brownie will be around 400 calories.
Therefore the most effective way to lose body fat is to eat in a calorie deficit (less calories than your body needs) by planning out your meals and then supplement it with quality resistance training.
Don’t rely on exercise whilst still eating a poor diet.
You may as well give up now if you do.
Get some quality sleep
Sleep is massively underrated.
Your body recovers and repairs itself when you sleep.
This means that the better quality sleep you get and in the right amounts, the more focused, the better prepared and the more motivated you will be to tackle the struggles in your life…which includes getting in shape.
If your body is well rested then it will be more effective in losing body fat as well as making you more focused and determined to carry on. It will also allow you to train harder and make better decisions (meaning you eat less junk).
Pick up, push and pull heavy objects
I don’t really want to get into the science of all this stuff.
It can get complicated enough as it is, without adding further complexity.
Lifting weights essentially damages the muscles (in a good way). The body then repairs the muscles to withstand the stress applied to it next time.
This improves your lean muscle, which in turn burns more calories and increases your metabolism.
Hence, you burn more calories at rest and following the weightlifting period for anything up to 72 hours.
There are other advantages to lifting weights too:
- Your core strength will improve greatly, improving any old back injuries and limiting the chance of further injuries.
- You will find everyday activities easier such as lifting the shopping around, playing around with the kids
- I have even been told by some gym members that their golf has improved due to the increased power and core strength.
- It also helps improve bone density, especially good for ladies who are over 35…
This is to name just a few benefits to your everyday life.
Lifting weights will also go a long way to help give you that lean physique with all the curves and bumps in the right places.
It will definitely get rid of the saggy bits!
Consistency is Key
Everyone is after the quick fix these days.
That magic pill that will take them from zero to hero in just a few short weeks.
Let me tell you from years of failing with this mindset that it simply doesn’t exist … unless you take drugs to help you of course.
What I am going to say next isn’t sexy and it sure as hell won’t sell many programmes….but it will get you long-term results.
You need to stick at the workable plan.
Base it on the points above and stick at it for at least 80% of the time for 6-12 months.
A few small steps may not seem like much progress, but those same few steps taken again and again and again over the space of a year will get you much further down the road than you have been before.
Progress of 1 lb of fat loss per week is considered good progress, however, I see so many people disappointed with this.
My question to them is ‘what if you lost 1 lb per week for 52 weeks straight’?
That’s around 4 stone in weight.
If someone offered to guarantee that you could be 4 stone lighter a year from now I am sure you would take this.
These are just 4 of the simple but effective rules we follow at Forever-Strong.
Our approach is all about helping people to get leaner, fitter, healthier, more confident and comfortable in their own skin….Forever!
Although we get results fast, we focus on the long term and want you to be in the best shape of your life for the rest of your life.
