We all see or hear major ads and hyped up plans to try to convince us that someone has the magic answer to success at reaching our fitness goals. Unfortunately they are usually very one sided. In order to achieve real success (and faster than any one sided approach), we must focus on three different areas:
1. Physical Training or Exercise
2. Nutrition
3. Stress Relief/Control
Many pseudo-celebrities in infomercials might try to convince us otherwise, and to no surprise they always seem to want to sell us some gadget or magic pill or weirdo diet. So when we cut through all the hype and realize there is no overnight miracle, we have to focus on fundamentals. It's not as glamorous at first but in the long run, reaching your goals and sustaining them is something that only those who understand these three areas can achieve.
So lets look at each area and how this equation really comes together. If you are looking for some super secret revelation, stop reading this article and go watch late night TV. If you want REAL results, read on.
First Up: Workout Tips and Exercise
There are literally hundreds if not thousands of things we can do to exercise. Some people are under the illusion that you have to train like a championship boxer or an Olympic athlete, but the reality is we just have to focus on consistency and intensity. Walking, jogging, weightlifting, aerobics, martial arts, interval training; the options go on and on. So then the question is what are factors to help us decide what "works" for us?
Here are a couple of workout factors that lead to our ability to stick with a program include:
1. Changing it up: Be sure your workouts or exercise program offers some variables. If you get bored, its hard to have good intensity and it's hard to stay motivated.. and this equals poor results in early drop out from the program.
2. Be Social: Some people prefer to workout alone. However, countless studies and research shows that when you workout with a partner or in a group, 1) you are more likely to not skip out on a workout and 2) you are likely to put out more effort!
3. Use intervals! Once upon a time, people thought that working out for hours on end of low intensity cardio was the way to go. Though doing something is better than nothing, if you are trying to get significant results, intervals have been proved over and over to be better. This can apply in a variety of exercise types and can be a whole discussion in and of itself, but just remember this-> go all out for a short period of time (high intensity portion), followed by a period of time that is lower intensity to give yourself a brief but active rest (this is usually equal too or longer than the high intensity segment). Controlling your down times and having these higher intensity intervals result in far greater fat loss and overall conditioning.
Finally, focus on engaging the whole body! If you get into some "super duper ab workout" you will realize you are neglecting most of your body. Heck, even if you want bigger arms or "guns", an expert will tell you that you should workout the whole body not just stand around doing curls all day. In fact, doing squats will have a big impact on your arms because of the way it impacts your whole body. But, that's a whole other discussion for another day. Bottom line: Don't neglect any part of your body by focusing too much on a workout for just one area or your overall results will be lacking.
Author Resource:
Jeff Dousharm is the owner of numerous Tiger Rock Academy Martial Arts locations in the Midwest and is on the national board of directors for the organization. Jeff is one of the leaders in the Health and Fitness Industry, utilizing different forms of martial arts (Jiu Jitsu and Taekwondo among others) and yoga. He is also an expert in Taekwondo. Mr. Dousharm's centers also help children and teenagers with a myriad of self-esteem issues to become more confident and, more productive.
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