Push Yourself to Achieve Better Results

If you want to see results with your exercise program you need to put in the effort to get the end result you are looking for. Don't just go thru the motions and hope something good will come of it. If you're currently exercising on cardio machines at a snails pace with no interest what so ever in your workout then seeing improvement can be a slow process. Furthermore if you do resistance training half heartedly with far too little intensity trying not to break a sweat or feel the burn a simple change can make all the difference. Yes going through the motions is better than doing nothing, but it may be just enough to maintain or improve very slowly.

Check your intensity. A quick and easy way to gauge your intensity level is to use a one to ten scale, where one represents little to no intensity (think laying on the couch) and ten is an all out effort. Aim to do most of your exercising in at levels 7 or above. When resistance training if you are to do 3 sets of 12 reps make sure 12 reps takes you to fatigue. If you are working with a weight you can do 15 times it's time to start using a heavier weight, the last three reps should be somewhat difficult, especially on your final set.

To start seeing results more rapidly push yourself beyond your comfort zone. This means doing more this week than last week. If last week you ran for 20 minutes at 6.0 miles per hour with no incline, this week try to increase your time to 22 minutes, your speed to 6.2 miles per hour or add an incline of 2-3%. In addition if you currently using 15 pound dumbbells for 3 sets of 10 reps try pushing out a couple of extra reps, progressing to 3 sets of 12 with the same weight or increasing your weight to 20 pounds and do 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps. You will feel the added intensity but it is so small it won't be overwhelming, just enough to push yourself past your comfort zone. Over a period of three months you can expect to see some major improvement with small increases like this.

Your Thoughts Become Your Reality

“All that we are is the result of what we have thought.” - Buddha

Do you frequently find yourself thinking that you are not good enough to get the things in life that you really want? Whether you are aware of this or not your thoughts ultimately control the outcome you get. If you think you are too busy to exercise you’ll never find the time. If you think you are too old to start working out, you’ll remain sedentary. If you can’t imagine yourself 40 pounds lighter and in the best shape of your life that reality too will escape you. You’ll find a way to skip workouts, sabotage your good eating habits and give up completely because you truly don’t believe it is possible for you. Stop letting your thoughts limit what you can or cannot accomplish.

If you want to make changes in your life, begin with changing the way you think. Stop focusing on what you don’t want and instead focus on what you do want. If your main focus is of past failures and you constantly tell yourself you can’t succeed you have already failed because you’ve made a decision in your mind that you can’t be successful. Once you’ve made that decision there isn’t a next step only defeat. However if you continuously tell yourself you can, you haven’t lost, instead you move on to figuring out what steps are necessary in order to accomplish your objective?

If you really want to get in the best shape of your life, start by believing it is possible for you. Picture in your mind what success will look like. How will it feel? Figure out what changes you need to make and follow the steps necessary to take you there. Everyday you tell yourself you can you get a little closer to realizing your dreams.

Rest, Recovery and Hard Work

If you want to see results from your workout program you must be willing to do what it takes. This means working hard and staying focused throughout your workout along with taking care of yourself outside of the gym.

You may already know how to perform your exercises properly, but if you fail to use the proper intensity pushing beyond your comfort zone you will fall short of reaching your goals. Going through the motions may only be enough to maintain your current fitness level. To start seeing improvements you’ll need to increase the level of intensity to where you are breaking a sweat during your cardio sessions and your resistance training causes your muscles to fatigue.

You’re goal for each workout should be to stay focused and work harder than your previous workout. If your mind is somewhere else while your body is in the gym you are not making the most of your time and you won’t get the result you are after. You should focus on the muscles being worked on every set and every rep of your workout. If you are doing a squat concentrate not only on lifting and lowering the weight but on contracting your quads and glutes and exhaling while you lift the weight up. If you did 12 reps of 205 pound for your last workout, then try for 13 reps at the same weight or 12 reps at 210 in an attempt to push yourself beyond your comfort zone.

Whether you’re a workaholic, a busy parent or a student with a hectic schedule it is imperative that you find time to let your body rest as recovery and regeneration are equally as important as the workout itself. This is what I call the other 23 hours of your day. You may workout for one hour daily but you must get enough sleep and eat properly to take full advantage of your efforts in the gym. Because your body recovers and rebuilds when you sleep the lack of sleep can be a huge mistake because the rebuilding process doesn’t happen and you cannot progress further.

Beat Boredom and Stay Motivated

Sometimes working out to get in shape or stay healthy just isn’t enough motivation in itself. If staying motivated to exercise is difficult for you, try new activities to beat boredom. When you are getting in shape with a group or for sport it may be easier to stay motivated. Begin with activities you enjoy or think you would like to try.

1. Join a running or walking club or start your own group with a few friends
2. Run for a cause. Get prepared for a 5k, 10k, or half marathon
3. Ask friends or co-workers about adult softball or soccer leagues and join a team
4. Find a local hiking club to join
5. Contact your local parks and recreation department to find a basketball or flag football league
6. Join a triathlon club or train for one with a few friends
7. Get out of the gym and join an outdoor boot camp class
8. Run stadium stairs at a local track with friends after work. Add push ups, lunges, and leg lifts for resistance exercise.

Which is the Best Cardio Machine to Do?

This is a question I tend to get a lot, but I cannot fully answer it without first asking for more information. First what is your goal? Do you compete in triathlons, recreational soccer, flag football or are you looking to reduce your waistline for your class reunion? Do you have bad knees or back? Do you find one machine more enjoyable than another? These things all determine which machine is best for you.

The more specific your exercise is to what you are preparing your body for, the better you’ll be prepared. For example your body gets better at running by running not getting on an elliptical or rowing machine so opt for the treadmill more often than not. If of course you are looking to drop a few pounds any form of movement is beneficial so mix it up to avoid boredom.

If you have bad knees or you are overweight and are looking for a cardio machine a stationary bike or elliptical machine work well because they keep the stress off your knees. Walking on a treadmill may be okay, but running puts more stress on the knees and may cause you pain, so limit time spent running. If your problem area is your back, the recumbent bike is a great choice because it gives you support for your back while you ride.

After you’ve addressed your specific goals and problem areas if any, it all comes down to doing something you enjoy. If you absolutely can’t stand the rowing machine, stay away from it. Don’t force yourself to do something that you don’t like because you’re less likely to stick with it. For some there is no best machine so take your exercise outdoors.

Time Crunch

Q: I work long hours and have a family and just can’t find the time for exercise. How can I finally get in shape without cutting back on work of family time?

A: You’re not alone. One of the biggest excuses for not exercising is not having enough time. With work, school, families and other activities I understand your time is limited time and you only get 24 hours each day. One simple solution is cutting back on the amount of television you watch. According to Nielsen Media Research, Americans watch an average of 4 hours 35 minutes of TV every day. You can start with just 30 minutes of exercise a day, which leaves 4 hours and 5 minutes to watch TV or be with your family. Because this is a home workout with minimal equipment you can even do this with your family.

You can easily complete this routine by doing it throughout the commercials breaks of a 30 minute television program. You can also record your favorite shows, skip the commercials and then use the extra time to exercise. Do this program before you watch and use TV as your reward for working out, just make sure to skip the commercials which will save you time. Alternate daily between day 1 and day 2.

Day 1

Commercial Break 1 – Superset 1
1A. Body weight lunges (make harder by pausing in the down position for 4 seconds)
1B. Pushups (make them harder doing the T-stabilization pushup, where you turn into a side plank between each rep)

Commercial Break 2 – Superset 2
2A. Hip Bridge (increase difficulty by adding a 4 second hold at top or doing single leg bridge)
2B. DB Row (increase difficulty by holding 4 seconds at top)

Commercial Break 3 – Superset 3
3A. Plank Hold (increase difficulty by raising one arm or leg off the ground or both)
3B. Russian Twist (add a medicine ball to challenge yourself)

For each superset do the first exercise for 8-10 reps followed by the second exercise for 8-10 reps. Repeat as many times as possible during the commercial breaks, up to 4 times each. If you’re doing the workout before your shows make sure you rest 60 seconds after you complete all your sets in each superset before moving to the next superset.

Day 2

Commercial break 1 – Superset 1
1A. Mountain Climbers
1B. Jumping Jacks

Commercial Break 2 – Superset 2
2A. Burpees
2A. Plank Hold

Commercial Break 3 –Superset 3
3A. Speed Squats
3B. Squat Hold

For each superset do the first exercise for 20 seconds followed by 20 seconds of the second exercise followed by 20 seconds of rest. Repeat as many times as possible up to 3 times for each superset.

Cross Train to Avoid Burnout

Do you find yourself doing the same exercises week after week for months on end? Do you always run for your cardio workouts and stick to free weights for strength training? Your body adapts to the stimulus you give it, so you are training your body to be good at the things you do the most. If you want to be a better runner the best exercise is running. If you are a tennis player then playing tennis and performing tennis related drills are the best ways to improve your skills on the court. Just because it is the best way to improve at a single sport, doesn’t make it the most effective way to train.

If you typically run 3-5 miles a day I’m sure you have no problem running a 5k, but let’s say some friends invite you to go mountain biking or water skiing, or full court basketball. You’ll be fine because you’re in shape right? Wrong! You’ve trained your body to do one thing, run. Your legs may not be as efficient when it comes to biking, your core muscles may not be strong enough for water skiing and your cardiovascular system, glutes, hamstrings and knees may not be ready for the sprinting and jumping of full court basketball.

Cross training is a way of training that incorporates several types of training styles. It is an excellent way to train because it conditions different muscle groups, improves skills in a variety of activities, and limits boredom by varying the exercise routines. Because of the variety it allows your body will be better prepared and perform better whether you decide go swimming, skating, or dancing.

Now, if you are a one sport athlete cross training is beneficial for you as well. It is a great way to reduce overuse injuries from repetitive motions. Think of tennis elbow, jumper knee or pitchers shoulder. These injuries all develop from repeatedly doing the same motion. Because one exercise requires different muscles and movements from the next exercise you can improve your cardiovascular conditioning and limit the stress placed on a single joint by running one day, jumping rope the next and swimming in the following workout.

Cross training also allows you to continue to workout if you become injured. If you’re an avid runner and twist an ankle you may need to stop running for a while. However to preserve your current level of conditioning you can switch to swimming or biking until the ankle heals.

There are countless options when it comes to cross training. Try exercises you enjoy to keep you motivated. Some ideas for cardiovascular conditioning are included below:

• Biking
• Swimming
• Running
• Jumping rope
• Speed and agility drills
• Skating
• Tennis and other racket sports
• Group fitness classes
• Boxing or martial arts conditioning
• Calisthenics (jumping jacks, burpees, mountain climbers)
  

In your resistance training workouts you can cross train by including:

• Body weight exercises (pull ups, push ups, dips)
• Free weights (dumbbells and barbells)
• Machines
• Cables and tubing
• Circuit training