my mind over my body: I have updated my portfolio on The Creative Finder...

my mind over my body: I have updated my portfolio on The Creative Finder...: I have updated my portfolio on The Creative Finder

I have updated my portfolio on The Creative Finder

I have updated my portfolio on The Creative Finder

Getting 6 Pack Abs is All in Your Head ( Part 1 )

Getting 6 Pack Abs is All in Your Head ( Part 1 )


Out of the millions of people who start any fat loss program – only a tiny percentage actually see their program through to completion and many of them in fact regain their weight and then some.

Are you one of them?

How many times have you decided to get in great shape – only to ‘fall off the wagon’ a few days later?

Are you in fact what we call a “serial starter”?

You know what I mean, you start every Monday morning and by Tuesday night all your great intentions are nothing but a pipe dream and you find yourself standing in a queue at McDonalds.

In this series of short articles I’m going to share with you tips and strategies for STARTING AND FINISHING your six pack quest or personal weight loss plan.

What I am about to share with you is not just important but crucial to your success. Many people will call thisthe missing link to getting 6 pack abs at all.

You see the best fat loss program in the world only works if you FOLLOW it consistently until you have reached your goal. And you are only going to follow it day in and day out if you stay motivated, focused and are 100% disciplined. And you are only going to stay motivated and focused if you learn how to control your mind and that is exactly what I am going to teach you over the next few articles.

Now make no mistake, we are not talking about some mystical Jedi tricks here. We are talking provenstraight forward techniques that is going to help you become strong enough mentally so that you will never want to skip an early workout session or a healthy meal ever again!

Ok let’s get started.
Define success

Start with a clear vision of exactly where you want to go. Saying you want to lose weight just won’t cut it. Get specific and make it measurable. If you are looking to get a six pack – 7 – 8% body fat should be your goal. For others it maybe to get to a size 8 or to lose 100Ibs..

Set your goal and write it down right now..
Get clear on your ‘why’..

Having a goal is one thing but what makes a goal powerful is your reason ‘why’..

Losing weight to fit into your clothes is one thing, but losing weight so that you finally feel like you fit in with your ‘friends’ after years of cruel comments is something completely different ..

Losing weight so that you can play with your kids or to avoid an early grave is more powerful again..

You see we all want to lose weight or get in great shape because of what we believe that will do for us.. Your reason why ads emotion to your goals..

Eg I will feel more confident, more attractive, I’ll finally get the girl / guy of my dreams..

If your ‘why’ doesn’t create an emotional response.. You haven’t dug down deep enough..

Your why should make you feel excited or upset / angry (depending on whether its a positive or negative)

Create a Positive reason why and a negative reason why

Positive Eg. Im going to lose 100ibs so that when I go to my high school reunion this summer, I look and feel great.. (Excited)

Negative Eg: I’m going to lose 100ibs because I’m sick and tired of looking and feeling like crap, I’m sick of not socialising because I’m embarrassed about how I look, I’ve lost all my confidence… Enough is enough. (Upset / angry)

Your reasons why will become your guiding light when times get tough. When you have to make the decision to eat that pizza or stick with your plan.. ask yourself why am I doing this??

Your powerful reasons why should help you stay on track.

I’m doing this because I’m sick and tired of looking and feeling like crap.. Im sick of the cruel jokes, I’m sick of not getting the girls.

Get pissed off about it!! Then ask yourself.. Do you still want that pizza!!?

Put your reasons why somewhere you will see them every day and read them daily.. Make them part of you.. Ingrain them.
Planning and preparation

Most people put more effort into planning a weekend break than their health and fitness!

Open your diary and chose your start date. Use Peter’s calculator ( GO HERE ) to estimate your goal completion date, in between this (your goal start and end date) add in any parties, birthdays etc where you know you will be off your diet.. These will become your cheat days / meals. (max 1 per week)

Add in all your other cheat days so that you have one mapped out for each week until you hit your goals.

Next, Break down your goals into mini goals – and plan rewards for hitting your mini goals, I’d recommend things such as massage treatments or new training gear. Whatever it is – make it something that you really look forward too! – But don’t reward yourself with food or drink.

That’s not a great habit that we want to strengthen!!

These rewards can be very motivating. I’ve seen people really push hard when they know there is an additional reward at the end!

Next add in all your training days – I’d recommend that you try to train at the same time each day so that it becomes part of your routine and you start to build good habits.

Make this time a priority – NOTHING comes before it. It’s the most important part of the day for you. (after all its your health we are talking about – it should be a priority)

I’d also recommend working out first thing on a morning your energy levels (motivation) is usually higher than after a full / stressful day at work. And once your workout is done.. Nothing can get in the way.

Next ensure you have everything you need to complete your challenge.

Here is a short list of things I’d recommend
Training shoes
Training Clothes
Adjustable dumbbells
Set of body fat scales or callipers
Stop watch
A hard back book to record your workouts
A diary

Now we have all your pre start preparation completed. We have set your goal. Created your positive and negative reasons why, planned your transformation and have all the necessary ‘tools’ that you need.

In Part two we will look at developing habits so you make the right choices automatically! Imagine never struggling with your weight again. This is what happens when you install good habits!!

Look out for part two in a few days time.



Author : Dave Berriman BSc (Hons) Sports Science

David is a trainer based in the UK who specialises in fat loss and body transformation.

get the most out of your time and your training...

Cardio

Aerobic/cardiovascular exercise, or cardio for short, targets your heart. In addition to improving your heart health, it also provides benefits to many other areas in your body as you'll need to work multiple muscle groups in order to perform aerobic exercise. While the good news is that cardio can be great for your entire body, the bad news is that most people hate doing it because they hate running. It doesn't have to be terrible, however, as there are a couple of variations that might make it easier and more fun for you. There are a few options that can make running easier and more fun, and they only need about 20-30 minutes of your time,  2-3 times per week...

Interval Training

Some find running unappealing because it exhausts your entire body and you have to keep doing it for quite some time. This is because most people train for endurance, but that's not necessary. Interval training is an excellent alternative that essentially involves working much harder for a shorter period of time. (Interval training applies to more than just running, of course, but that's another topic for another time.)

There are several ways of doing interval training but here's one example to give you an idea:
A light jog for a few minutes to get moving (2-5 minutes).
1 minute of high-speed running, then 1 minute of low-speed jogging, repeated 5-10 times (depending on your stamina).
A 5 minute light jog to cool down (or more if necessary).

While you're technically running about as fast as you can for that one minute, you only have to maintain that intensity for a very short period of time. You immediately get a break afterwards. Instead of enduring 30-60 minutes of sustained running, you only have to endure short bursts. For some, this is preferable.

Each burst can vary in timing as well. For example, some structure their intervals like a pyramid, so you start small, peak in the middle of the intervals, and then slow back down towards the end. For some, interval training may sound like complete hell, but if you've never been able to stick to long distance running you may find it easier to accomplish and the results
more quickly rewarding.

Lower Body

With cardio, core, and upper body exercise underway it can sometimes seem a little excessive to work your lower body. In many ways, you will be working muscles that other exercises have already targeted. That said, you'll be neglecting multiple areas if you don't bother with your lower body specifically. Here are a couple of exercises you'll want to do to make sure you're not leaving anything out.
Squats

Squats are a great, simple exercise to strengthen all sorts of good stuff including your legs, lower back, hips, buttocks, and even bones. So long as they're performed correctly, they're an excellent way to target the majority of the muscles in your lower body. So how do you squat correctly?

Stand up straight with your feet firmly planted on the ground approximately shoulder width apart. To help maintain a straight back as you perform the exercise, it's a good idea to focus on an object directly ahead of you at eye level.

2. Contract your abdominal muscles as you bend your legs at the knees. Either stretch your arms out ahead of you, lightly position your hands behind your ears or hold your arms at your side as you slowly lower yourself into a squatting position. Lower your body to a position where your thighs are almost parallel to the floor. Return to the starting position and repeat.

Much like push ups, a squat is a comprehensive exercise that you can do pretty much anywhere. This makes it easy to fit in a set whenever you have some spare time. If you want to make it to 200, the 200 squat program is a good way to get there. If you're looking for something a little less daunting, simply try three sets of 20 squats to start, performing additional squats during the last set if you can manage. Continue to work your way up whenever the exercise gets to be easy. Remember, you won't build additional strength if you don't continue to push yourself as you improve.

"form is vital"

Push ups are a wonderfully effective exercise that work several muscles, including the pectorals, deltoids, and triceps—essentially meaning the muscles in your chest, on the rounded part of your shoulder, and on the backside of your upper arms. While it may seem like a simple exercise to do, good form is vital. this should help you do them correctly:

Lie prone on the ground with hands placed as wide or slightly wider than shoulder width. Keeping the body straight, lower body to the ground by bending arms at the elbows. Raise body up off the ground by extending the arms. Repeat. Body weight should be lifted by the arms; don't be tempted to use your butt, stomach or the lower half of your body to pull yourself up. To maintain correct body alignment, imagine a straight line running from your head down to your ankles. Most 

Push Ups plans which allow you to do the exercise to failure, are a good way to build up your strength quickly, but if you're not quite ready to take on a large goal just use the method described earlier to figure out the right number of push ups per set that works best for you.

mind your body

The Four Core Rules

Before we jump in to the four different types of exercise—cardio, upper body, core, and lower body—and their explanations, here are a few very important rules to remember:

1. Always remember to breathe. This seems obvious, but when you're in the middle of an exercise you may actually forget. In most cases you'll exhale when you do the hard work (e.g. the pushing up part of a push up), and inhale on the easier part (e.g. when you lower your body for the push up). This isn't always the case, however, and special breathing instructions are noted where relevant in this post.
2. Form is extremely important. If you do an exercise wrong, what seems like progress initially will quickly dissipate and possibly result in injury. Be sure you're doing the exercises correctly before you begin. Ask a friend to watch your form first. If you know a professional, ask them to help guide you. While this guide will explain proper form, it is your responsibility to ensure you doing the exercises properly and not cutting any corners.
3. Take it slowly. While aerobic exercise if often the exception, most other exercise is best performed slowly. This doesn't mean you should take long breaks in between each push up and sit up, but that you shouldn't perform each as quickly as possible. Going slowly will work the muscle more and make you stronger.
4. Your goal is to fail. The key to a good work out is failure. That doesn't mean giving up because you're frustrated and tired, but rather pushing the limits of your strength until your strength is spent. Obviously you don't want to push yourself to the point of injury, but that shouldn't be a concern so long as you're exhibiting the proper form. Don't worry too much about the number of repetitions of any given exercise, but instead concentrate on working as hard as you can. A larger number of push ups doesn't necessarily mean you're stronger. Some days you'll have more energy than others and will perform better. Some days you'll perform worse. The key is to do the best you can with all of the energy you have. If you fail, you succeed.