I believe that it is important that you incorporate a set of rituals and things to keep you striving at a intense fitness level. As a trainer, I often see clients fight and fight to reach their goals in the initial stages of their fitness plan. Then I see a completely different person.
They fought so hard to get to that point but then stop because they accomplished their initial goal. Instead, they should continue to set goals to now maintain the accomplishments they made. I believe one of the hardest parts in training/fitness is maintaining the level that you have been able to get to. You must find ways to keep yourself motivated, must eat right so you have the energy to perform, must change your outlook on exercise...it now becomes your lifestyle.
Here are a a couple of ideas to try and live by...hopefully they will keep you motivated and pushing through tough limits. Believe in what you can do and where you can go. This is your life...make the most of it.
A...AMP IT UP! Odds are, you're using less weight than you need to reshape your body. Researchers at Grand Valley State University asked frequent exercises to pick a weight to lift, all of them chose ones that were lighter than what they could really handle. Challenge yourself people...pick a weight that fully fatigues your target muscles. You will be happy that you did. Your body is most likely to respond with this intense work you are putting on your muscles. If you don't have good form or feeling other muscles compesate for the target muscle, then drop your weight. The bottom line is push yourself. Challenge your muscles. Make it burn!
B...BREATHE FIRST! I am finding that many of my clients are having difficulty breathing during their exercises. It is important that you have a breathing pattern that works for you. Think about exhaling on the motion being performed. Also, before doing your first repetition of any strength exercise, "set" your core muscles by exhaling as you lightly tighten your abs. This contracts your transverse abdominus (the deep core muscle that stabilizes your spine) and improves your posture. But at the same time, you are being able to breathe through each repetition to help your body control movements and increase endurance.
C...CLOSE YOUR EYES! Shutting your eyes as you lift and lower weights can help you tune in to which muscles are working while eliminating distractions. Make sure that you only perform this technique when you are doing sitting exercises suchas lat pull-downs or hamstring curls.
D...DIVIDE AND CONQUER! If possible, try to split up your workout in two. Doing cardio in the morning on an empty stomach and your weights in the afternoon. You will burn more calories when splitting your workouts and by dividing your routine, you won't hit that 'energy lull' that many people get midway through their workout." More energy means you'll be able to work harder.
E...EAT AFTER EXERCISE! I can not stress this enough. What you eat after a workout can make a big difference to your long-term success. Just eating something period has a huge effect on your results. Researchers at the University of North Texas found that subjects who had a snack that included carbohydrates and protein immediately after exercise were able to work out 55 percent longer in their next session, compared with those who only ate carbs. Also, by eating something you are restoring and replinishing your body. Helping your body to recover from the intense workout that you did. Also, preserving your muscle has a huge effect on your post-workout meal. Choose a post-workout meal that contains about 200 calories, such as fruit, and low-fat yogurt or whole-wheat pita or protein smoothie.
F...FILL YOUR FISTS! Hold a tennis ball in each hand when doing crunches and place your fists by your ears. As you crunch, squeeze the balls to contract the muscles in your arms-which, in turn, also contracts your abs. Believe it or not, you'll be less likely to use momentum to help you.
G...GRIN AS YOU RUN! A grueling workout like a hard run can leave you clenching your jaw, causing your neck muscles to tighten and your shoulders to lift, which compromises your workout. Try putting on a serene grin when you are working out, this makes it difficult to tighten your jaw. Plus, you will get an instant psychological boost-which will help you put a spring into your step.
H...HARDEST-DAY RULE! Set aside some time to exercise for YOURSELF. Go hard and push your limits. Challenge yourself! But most importantly, set aside some time for yourself to workout and feel good.
I...IPOD YOUR WORKOUTS! Listening to your tunes during exercising can actually help you burn more calories. Researchers found that subjects who listened to music while walking went an average of 24 percent farther.
J...JUMP FROM MACHINE TO MACHINE! To maximize fat burning, rotate between various types of cardio machines (stationary bike, treadmill, stairclimber) every 10 minutes. Spend the first 2 minutes on each minute warming up at a moderate effort level, then increase your intensity for the next 7 minutes before going all for the final minute. By changing modes, you're able to maintain intensity longer or even increase it while also engaging different muscle groups.
K...KEEP IT FRESH! Training with someone who shares similar interests. You can share different concepts/techniques with each other and you can help your body from reaching a plateau. Plus, when your train with someone, it helps you be accountable for each workout.
L...Loosen Your Grip! Tightly holding weights can fatigue the small muscles of your hands and forearms so target muscles like your biceps or shoulders won't get a full workout. Grip the weight firmly but not so tightly that your knuckles turn white.
M...MINI GOALS! Focus on small goals, like pushing for 5 more minutes on the treadmill, and you'll eventually reach big ones such as losing 20 pounds.
N...NO SITTING! Change it up sometimes and do some of your seated moves like shoulder presses standing up and you'll be able to lift at least 20 percent more weight. Standing also forces your body to use more secondary muscles for stability, which can burn up to 50 percent more calories.
O...ONE LEG AT A TIME! Do lower-body exercises such as leg extensions with one leg at a time. Believe it or not, each leg will work harder when you do it one at a time, plus you'll keep your heart rate elevated longer. And you won't be able to cheat by favoring your less dominant side, reducing your risk of injury.
P...PLANK POSE WITH BALLS! Sculpt those sexy abs- and improve your overall performance- by none other than strengthening your core. Try this unique move after you have mastered a plank on your forearms on the floor. Lie facedown with your chest on one swiss (stability) ball and your knees and shins on another (keep feet 12 to 15 inches apart). Place your fingers on the floor and hold for 60 seconds.
Q...QUARTER REPS! Do a few mini reps at the end of each weight set by lowering or lifting a quarter of the way from the bottom or top. You will work harder because your muscles are already fatigued, but you will still be able to squeeze in a few extra reps.
R...READ LATER! Reading on the elliptical machine may help pass the time, but IT CAN HAMPER RESULTS. Tilting your head down to look at reading material diminshes your air flow. PLUS, your intensity level is probably lower than it would be if you didn't have to steady your eyes to read. Instead, focus on your form by gazing straight ahead.
S...SHAVE SECONDS! If you rest between exercises, try to take that time you normally rest and use it to work a different muscle group. Exercising opposing muscle groups (example, biceps and triceps or quads and hamstrings) or alternating between upper and lower body moves without rest burn up to 25 percent more calories.
T...THINK IN THREES! More strength moves can be done at least three ways- with free weights, a machine, or resistance bands. Another important tip is that changing the way you approach even the same exercise can suprise your muscles and produce better results.
U...UNLOCK YOUR JOINTS! Don't hyperextend or lock out your knees or elbows during any exercise. This forces you to work harder by keeping your muscles slightly contracted.
V...VARY YOUR ROUTINE! I am a big believer in this philosophy. Variety is key to long-term success and to sticking to any workout routine. Prevent boredom by doing at least one new exercise every week. You will make your workout feel different without disrupting your routine. Every first week of the month, add a new move for your upper body; every second week, try a new lower-body move; every third week, add an ab move; every fourth week, switch to a different type of cardio.
W...WALK OFF WEIGHT! A low impact activity, done daily, may be just as effective as tougher routines at taking off excess body fat. One study found that subjects who participated in "lifestyle activities" like walking at least 30 minutes a day lost as much weight and made greater gains in fitness than those who did higher-intensity aerobic exercise four days a week for 40 minutes a session.
X...X-TREME TRAINING! Try to include one extreme workout per week. These high-intensity workouts will burn calories faster and help you get the results you want faster. Go hard or stay home!
Y...YAWN LESS! Getting enough sleep may keep you from sabotaging your exercise efforts. A study from the University of Chicago Medical Center found that subjects who got little sleep increased their appetite for calorie-dense, high-carb foods like candy, cake, and cookies by 24 percent.
Z...ZEN EXERCISE! Choose stress-busting activities such as Yoga or Pilates to help your long-term weight-loss goals. Stress elevates cortisol levels, which may cause your body to deposit deep abdominal fat. Exercise that reduce stress may lower cortisol levels, so your body stores less fat.
