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11th January, 2013

We are already hitting friday, and hopefully you are actively participating in a programme, and that you are following at least some of the tips i have shared with you this week.

So we have gone over the fact that you need to shop well for your weekly food, we have talked about why you need to have the right running shoes, how you need to fundamentally understand the whole process about getting fit and healthy, and yesterday about the importance of actually performing well, and trying to improve your programme regularly.

Okay, so you are here thinking what comes next?

After telling you yesterday that you need to keep it simple, then you not be surprised if i tell you that you need to keep doing the basics well, and again, and again!!

The actual basics are the hardest thing to do regularly! Anyone will tell you the same!

How many people do you know that actually train 3-4 times a week, they eat well almost every day without fail, they get to bed early every night in the week, and usually only have one late night, they only drink alcohol in moderation once a week, they have a bit of what they fancy in eating terms just once a week, and when you see their shopping basket in a supermarket, it is likely to contain mostly natural produce that you know are going to keep you in great shape!!!

How many people do you know like that?!!!!

Not many i’ll bet and this is why-it is difficult to be that consistent and this is why not many people will look and feel that good.

The good news is that if you stick with it, and i’m talking week after week, YOU WILL get used to it, you will think this is normal life and you WILL become one of those individuals who is ALWAYS in shape full stop, no arguement!!!

Twitt
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Thursday, 10th January

So moving along, assuming you have got your diet right, you are building up your exercise schedule at a nice steady rate, then its definitely time to start thinking about exercise targets.

Improving your exercise performance is the easiest way to improve everything about your health.

For example, if you are able to do 3 press ups when you first start off, then it shouldn’t be too hard to imagine you doing 20 press ups within 6-8 weeks. When you are able to do 20 press ups, then it should stand to reason that you are able to perform better and therefore be in a lot better physical condition!

If you are able to work for 10 mins on a stationery bike at a very low intensity to start with, then within that same 6-8 week period, you should be able to work for at least 20 mins on a much higher intensity.

These assumptions assume that you are still eating well, that you are not over-indulging in alcohol, and that you are sleeping well!!

These are simple assumptions, but as you may know, they are not always so easy to keep up, leave along do well, so you can be sure that im always going to preach the importance of doing the basics well.

The most successful individuals i train are always the ones who keep it simple, they eat simple but well, they exercise in a straightforward manner but always at a higher intensity, and they are pretty religious about getting a wonderful sleep, especially in the week!!!

So rather than trying to get you on some kind of complicated plan that you are unlikely to keep up, i like to introduce people to plans that they CAN KEEP UP!!!

The keep it simple principle has never been so important and results-orientated, so we’re going to concentrate hugely on this during the year!!!

Twitt
Posted on

Wednesday, 9th January

So we’re in the first proper week of the year regarding exercise, and its vital you keep doing the right thing at the right time.

So assuming you’re still full of enthusiasm and you’re still in the stage of “this time i’m really going to do it”, then you need to stop looking far ahead and go through your training sessions in a more methodical way.

One common mistake to start with is trying to over-complicate your workout, you try to do too much too soon and these factors often lead to injury and frustration.

If you haven’t exercised for some time, please remember that a professional athlete for example, every week they have off from training, it will take them 1-2 weeks to get back to normal. So if they have had 6 weeks off training, then it could possibly take them 12 weeks to get completely back to normal-and this is a pro athlete!!!

If you have had a year or two off for example, then it doesn’t take a genius to work out that it’s going to take you a good while before you approach anywhere near your former levels!

This is not a piece to put you off, its urging you to seek professional help when beginning a new exercise programme, and also urging you to proceed with caution, giving your body time to adjust to your new schedule is of paramount importance.

This is why you should take one step at a time, take one week of training at a time, and set your goals by the week.

It shouldn’t be too hard to improve BY THE WEEK if you have a good plan. If you allow your body to adjust slowly, then you are still capable of improving greatly in 6 weeks, and very impressively in 12 weeks!!!

Hopefully, you are now engaged in a solid plan, just focus on showing up for your workouts and executing them well. Then look forward to getting good results on a weekly basis, if you are not then please look again at the programme you are on and are you really getting good advice?

Twitt
Posted on

Tuesday, 8th January

Following the theme of getting right back into it this week, let’s move on from the importance of getting a good shop in to preparing yourself for training.

Once you have decided which way you are going to get fit and healthy, you had better avoid these pitfalls which are guaranteed to disrupt and sometimes stop your progress completely.

Make sure you wear clothes that are not too tight to bend and move around in, wear training clothes that you are comfortable in, rather than trying to follow the latest fashions.

Wear good running shoes-even if you have no plans to run! Not wearing the right footwear or wearing training shoes over 6 months old can lead to a series of problems. Many knee, ankle and back problems can be traced to poor footwear choices. I recommend running shoes purely because they offer the most protection, they tend to receive the most research in terms of money spent on them by big companies, and will generally do a great job of protecting you.

Buy a decent pair but you don’t need to spend too much. Last season’s pair will be fine and usually greatly reduced. When you buy them mark off on the calendar when you need to change them next, always 6 months from the date of purchase. This will become an excellent habit for you and help you avoid needless injuries that can seriously derail all your hard efforts to get into great shape!

Drink enough water throughout the day. Not keeping hydrated is a dangerous practice when you want to get into shape. Sip water throughout your day and you won’t be going to the toilet all the time. Your body will feel better, maintain its core temperature better and actually make you feel like training because your awareness and energy levels will be right up there. Drinking water through your training session is vital too, it will keep you cooled down and help you perform much better.

One big no no is iced water! You wouldn’t put freezing water into your car engine and putting freezing water into your body whilst exercising can be extremely dangerous! Your body likes working out in a healthy temperature range, it doesn’t like to heat up too quickly or cool down too fast!

More tomorrow!

Twitt
Posted on

Monday, 7th January

It’s the first full proper week in January, and for those of you starting off for the first time, or the 30th time, the essentials need to stay the same.

If you are the one who is responsible for the shopping in your household, then you need to make a statement of intent in terms of what you need to do.

If you go to the supermarket, shop locally or shop online, then you have a great opportunity to make sure all or least most of the food and drink coming into your household is mostly natural and fresh where possible.

There will probably be a massive difference between this week’s shop and the one you did in the week before Christmas.

The one before Christmas will have made you feel terrible eventually, the one you make this week should enliven you again, build some really strong foundations for your immune system again, and really set in stone the back up system you’re going to need for a far more active January!

A good way to plan your shop is write down a lot of the meals you intend making as part of your new healthy regime, and buy accordingly. This takes needless waste out of the equation.

If you are truly serious about getting into shape and getting healthy, then please stop making excuses to yourself. This includes “reasoning” that you can still buy lots of treats as you will “never eat them”, YOU WILL!!

Stop buying the alcohol because it will be so tough not to have “the odd glass that turns into two”.

This week is about taking away the temptations away again, so you’re not so easily tempted.

This week is also about giving yourself every chance of success, and it all starts with your biggest shop of the week for the essentials in life that will eventually shape the way you look and feel.

For more info, click on the diet/food section on the right hand side.

Twitt