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A New You
Make this the year that you achieve your sporting and physique resolutions, by following our Top 10 Tips.
1- 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.
2- 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.
3- 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).
4- 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.
5- 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.
6- 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.
7- 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).
8- 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!
9- 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.
10- 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.
