A New You

Set a goal that will motivate you

Before you even set foot in the gym, you need to know why you are doing it and what you hope to achieve. Do you want to build muscle and gain weight? Do you want to lose weight and tone up? Without knowing what you want there is very little chance that you will get it, and you will probably give up on your exercise routine before you achieve anything worthwhile. It helps to have your goals in writing, so before you go to bed tonight, pick up a pen and a piece of paper and write down exactly how you want your body to change. Tear out a picture of the way you want to look from a magazine or catalogue, and keep it on your bathroom mirror so you see it every day.

Find a good gym

Training at home takes considerable motivation. Unless you are highly motivated and/or experienced, you'll get bored quickly. You can never afford the "right" equipment or the space and household priorities, partners, and kids tend to distract you. Joining the right gym is very important, and simply choosing the fanciest one is not the answer. Do you really need a fancy pool, sauna and jacuzzi? Are you ever going to use them? If not, it's a lot of membership money going to waste! Does the gym have a good atmosphere that motivates you to train, or is it full of "trendies" more interested in talking about their latest share deal or last night's date than getting any work done. Avoid visiting the gym at peak time (5.30-8.00pm) as you may find the place is packed and you have to queue for everything. Does the gym have friendly, helpful staff, who can teach you how to train properly? Invest in a qualified personal trainer that looks the part.

Eat more protein

Numerous university studies show that increased protein consumption will help build muscle faster and prevents your body from using existing muscle tissue as a source of fuel. Increased protein intake prevents muscle loss during dieting and is essential for any man or woman who wants increased muscle size or just to tone up. Good protein sources include whey protein, chicken, fish, lean red meat, and cottage cheese. Using a high quality whey protein powder such as Promax is extremely convenient and beneficial to your training regime and success (and great for vegetarians).

Cut down on the junk

Avoid eating sugary junk foods such as cakes, sweets, fizzy drinks, and chocolate. These high-carbohydrate, highfat snack foods contain only "empty" calories and little in the way of nutrition. If you regularly feel really tired and end up grabbing a bag of crisps, a chocolate bar, or a fizzy drink to keep you going, get out of this habit and eat some quality food, like a piece of fruit or a Promax Meal bar to help keep your hunger at bay until your next meal.

Don't cut out fat

Good fats are some of the most important nutrients in your diet, especially if you want to lose bodyfat and gain muscle. Healthy sources of fat include extra virgin olive oil, certain nuts, and flaxseed. Maxi-EFA also provides essential fats, in the correct amounts required by your body.

Train with weights 2-3 times per week

For men, weight training will build a more muscular and stronger physique. For women, it will give you a firmer, more toned and shapely physique. With proper instruction and discipline, you will gain strength quite quickly in the first 2 weeks. You'll see a noticeable change in your physique in the first month and great results after 3 months. And weight training is not just a great way to gain muscle. It's also perfect if you want to burn fat and tone up at the same time.

Do cardio 2-3 times per week if fat loss is your goal

Cardio can help you lose excess bodyfat, but don't overdo it. If you are going to add cardio work to your training schedule, we recommend a good long walk (around 1-2 hours) 2-3 times a week (not strolling, proper walking!), or a 30 minute jog or cycle ride (hard and intense, not a gentle cruise).

Avoid overtraining

Don't let your enthusiasm kill your results. Nothing will halt your gains faster than training too much. Stick to your routine and no more! Don't add sets or train more days per week, because you think you have the energy.

Don't train to the point of exhaustion and don't do "personal bests" every workout. You'll overtrain, lose motivation and give up!

Get enough rest and sleep

If you want to build the kind of body that turns heads, your work-hard play-hard mantra will need to go the same way as the kebabs and the beer. Quite apart from the fact they cause your working day productivity to drop to almost zero, late-night parties and midnight drinking sessions will undo all the hard work you put in at the gym.

You also need to minimise the sources of stress in your life. Stress can be the number one progress killer. Stress releases the muscle destroying hormone 'cortisol'. Arguments at home, long stressful hours at work, missed meals, lack of sleep, and general chaos all contribute to that "stressed" feeling you get. If you want to get results, it's vital that you stay as calm as possible. If you aren't sleeping well, see your doctor. Have a massage or sit in the spa after your workout. Do anything to help you relax. Sleep is vital for rest, recovery, repair and growth. Deep sleep triggers off the natural release of growth hormone, which is partly responsible for increased lean muscle and reduced bodyfat, and continuous lack of sleep results in a serious drop in testosterone levels! Always aim for around 7-8 hours sleep every night.

Be persistent and never quit

If it took a week to get into shape just by popping a pill, we'd all look like super models with well defined abs and tanned bodies. Nothing comes easy - which makes having a healthy, tanned and toned body so rewarding and attractive. Most people just give up before they get any real results. However, the real problem is that most of us lack the will power to make those little changes that are so vital for success and a body that turns every head. Don't give up! After the first 2-3 weeks, as your body adapts and you get addicted to the natural high you get from training, you will start to feel great and really look forward to training. After 3 months of regular training and good results, training will become a way of life! People will notice the changes and you'll be preaching the benefits of training and good nutrition to those around you also.