“ It doesn’t matter how slowly you go, as long as you don’t stop. ”
— Confucius
You’ve been hitting the gym every day… Yes.You’ve been eating healthier food… Check.
You’ve been drinking more water and getting enough sleep… Si.
You’re losing a ton of weight and getting in shape… No… Why not?
Tip The First: Turn Up The Intensity
Have you ever noticed how almost everyone at the gym is out of shape? There is a perfectly good explanation for this. Just observe what most of them are doing. I anticipate that you’re going to see some person walking or barely jogging on some type of cardiovascular machine.Or maybe you might see some poor soul doing exercises with a 5 LB dumbbell. Whoa! Be careful now. Don’t hurt yourself… You might get a hernia. These people are not going to get in shape anytime soon. Don’t be like them; it’s time to pursue a more intense workout routine.
Have you been doing the same exercises forever? It is possible that your body has become accustomed to the level of intensity that you’ve been supplying, and it’s time to turn up the intensity!
Begin by choosing a new or more difficult workout program. Add more sets, add more repetitions, shorten your rest times, add more weights, go faster, push yourself, do something different!
Tip The Second: Keep It Simple
We all know a guy or girl that knows everything about fitness. Call it bro-science… So why are some of these people still out of shape?Perhaps there is too much variety in their approach? If you’re jumping from program to program before it can work, then you’re doing yourself a great disservice.
Most of us are impatient and want instant results. Perhaps that is the problem. ..You have to pick a program and stick with it! Give it a chance to work. Let’s not forget that Rome wasn’t built in a day.
You will never achieve measurable results if you keep changing up the program. Trust your trainer, trust me!
Tip The Final: Get Old School
Everyone is always talking about the latest and greatest fitness program or trends. In my humble opinion I feel that some of these programs are completely overkill and are designed for a certain audience.Let’s get back to our roots and do what old school body builders and military members used to do…
Exercises like push-ups, pull-ups, and squats are the best exercises to stimulate muscle growth. Most people don’t realize that you can achieve nearly a full body workout simply by doing some squats and pull-ups. It takes but 5 minutes to do a set of each.
Think about it this way. Pull-ups will work your arms, and back. Push-ups will work your arms, back, core, and gluteus muscles. Finally squats will work out your legs. Add a little high intensity interval training (sprints) to these exercises and you’ll be in shape in no time.
So instead of jumping on the latest fitness band wagon, let’s do what has worked for years… The basics: squats, dead lifts, sit-ups, push-ups, pull-ups, and finally some good ole running!
In the world of fitness the acronym FIT stands for: Frequency, Intensity, and Time. (Duration)
If you’re new to fitness then I suggest that you start with the following:
Frequency
Exercise 2 to 3 times per week. No more, no less. Too little and nothing happens. Too much and you’re over-training, which can cause negative gains… You might actually get weaker and decrease in lean muscle mass…
Intensity
How hard are you really pushing yourself? Can you have a full on conversation when you’re “running?” Yes? Then you’re not running hard enough! RUN! You should be out of breath when you stop. Don’t quit when the weights start to get heavy. Push yourself, within reason… Don’t kill yourself.
Time
30 minutes to an hour is plenty for most.
If you have any questions about this post please post them in the comment section below. I’m happy to help, and chances are that other people have the same questions that you do, but are too afraid to ask.
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