If you’ve ever seen the cover of a fitness magazine, I’m sure you’ve seen headlines that are very similar to “(insert fit celebrity) Reveals Her Top 5 Fitness Secrets!” It’s intriguing to the reader because the celebrity must know something the reader doesn’t if she’s in such good shape. But if you stop and think about it, you find yourself wondering: Are fit people really keeping secrets, whispered only among a select few, about how to stay in shape? Of course not. In fact, their “secrets” have probably been under your nose the whole time. It boils down to this: People who are fit just have better habits than people who aren’t as fit. I’m sure you’ve noticed what these habits are, but maybe you’ve never really understood them well enough to try them out for yourself. Consider this your challenge: Try incorporating these five habits of fit people into your daily routine, and if you stick with it, I can pretty much guarantee you’ll see a significant change. Habit #1: They make exercise a top priority. Maybe it seems obvious that a fit person prioritizes exercise. However, what might not seem so obvious is how they prioritize their exercise. While most people plan their exercise around their day, fit people plan their day around their exercise. There’s a big difference between the two. Imagine you have a schedule of the day in front of you. First, write down everything you need to do except for exercise. Now, after all of that is in your schedule, now try to squeeze in exercise. Some days you might be able to pretty easily, but other days may be much more difficult. By making exercise a priority and planning your day around it, instead of your to-do list, you’ll ensure you’re more consistent with your workouts. Habit #2: They know that consistency is key. Slow and steady wins the race. It may seem like a good idea to do the hardest workout you’ve ever done on day one of your new exercise program to really get a kick-start, but are you going to be able to consistently keep that up? Find an appropriately challenging program that you can do consistently, because results will not come overnight, and they won’t come by quitting and re-starting a program over and over again. Habit #3: Even if it sucks, they do it anyway. As the owner of a personal training studio, I’ve encountered so many people who tell me they want to find an exercise program that’s fun and enjoyable so they can stick to it. That’s a fantastic sentiment — the search for a program that you’ll fall so in love with, it won’t even feel like working out — but don’t hold your breath. The fact is, sometimes working out isn’t fun, yet fit people do it, anyway. They do it not just because it’s fun, but because it comes with tons of other benefits that outweigh a seemingly boring or torturous workout. Whether it’s cardiovascular health, mental health or injury prevention, people who are fit will work out even if they’re not all that jazzed about it that day. Habit #4: They do it for more than just looks. Wanting to look good can be a strong motivator for some. However, some exercisers need more than just looks to motivate them. After all, the physical results of exercise — tighter muscles, leaner stomachs, looser-fitting pants — can take time to surface. So fit people use the many unseen benefits of exercise as a motivator to keep going, even when they don’t feel like it. Health benefits can be motivators whether you’re 20 and want to stay feeling young, or 50 and want to slow down the aging process. Here’s just some of what exercise does for you, beyond chipping away at the number on the scale: • Exercise lowers stress and reduces anxiety. • Exercise makes you happier. • Exercise improves brain function, including preserving memory skills and warding off dementia. • Exercise is good for your gut. • Exercise boosts productivity. • Exercise helps you sleep better. • Exercise is really, really good for your heart. Habit #5: They reward themselves. Fit people will reward themselves for reaching a goal. I’m not talking about results-based goals, like fitting into a pair of jeans or losing a certain number of pounds. I’m talking about process goals, like working out four days per week for an entire month or limiting eating out to just once a month. The point is that you’re telling yourself that you get rewarded for sticking with the routine of fitness, not for achieving an outcome, because — and this should sound familiar — consistency is key. It’s important not to reward yourself with food, like eating an entire pizza or having 10 cookies. This tends to result in binging behaviors that can cause certain people to fall off their program. Try rewarding yourself with a mini vacation or a massage, or new gym clothes that you can’t wait to wear for your next workout. See? These fitness “secrets” aren’t really secrets at all. Try them out for yourself and see if they work for you. Remember, if it seems overwhelming, you can always try incorporating one tip at a time until it becomes a habit. Once habits are formed, it will become that much harder to go back to your old, unhealthy ways — promise. Original article written by Brian Maher on Be Well Philly Philly Personal Training 1429 Walnut St Philadelphia, PA 19102 (267) 455-0100 https://phillypersonaltraining.com The post 5 Habits of Fit People That You Should Copy appeared first on Philly Personal Training. via Blogger 5 Habits of Fit People That You Should Copy
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Workout DVDs, “As Seen on TV” workout equipment, gym memberships: These are all things millions of people try every year in an effort to become more fit. But what if improving your own health simply came down to spending more time with other people who are in good health? As entrepreneur Jim Rohn said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” Since Rohn was an entrepreneur and was mostly interested in helping others become more successful, the point he was trying to make was, if you spend time with more successful people, you will also become more successful. On the other hand, if you hang out with people who are negative, they could have a negative impact on your life. This theory can be applied to almost all aspects of life — including your fitness levels. So, let’s try something: Stop and think about what type of shape you’d like to be in. Now think about the five people you spend the most time with. Do these people match up with your goal of being a more fit person? Do they enable or disable your vision of a more fit you? Now, before you think I’m the most cold-hearted person on the planet and I’m about to tell you to ditch your friends, allow me to explain: You certainly do not have to break the news to your couch-potato friend that he’s no longer invited to your party next weekend because his Netflix addiction doesn’t match up with your fitness goals. What you can do, however, is spend a little more time with people who are also invested in fitness. Even if it’s just once a week that you and your fit friend go for a walk and talk instead of going to happy hour and having drinks to catch up, that will make a big difference when it comes to your overall lifestyle. Or, another way to tackle the friends-accidentally-sabotaging-your-fitness-progress problem: Challenge yourself to become the fit friend in your group. If Rohn’s words are true, your improved levels of fitness may cause your friends and family to improve their health, and BOOM: You’ve got a chain reaction. Be the friend that suggests going kayaking or skiing or hiking, instead of sitting around watching Netflix all day; instead of going out for pizza and wings, try having people over and grilling some lean protein and veggies. Now, with all six of your core group being healthier, you’ve created a healthier environment for everyone to be in — and you’ve upped your chances of reaching your own fitness goals. So, do you need to toss all of your friends to the curb? Of course not. You can, however, work to surround yourself with fit people and influence the people close to you (without stepping on too many toes) to become healthier WITH you so you can achieve your desired level of health and fitness. After all, your close friends are the ones who influence you the most — and that applies to your fitness levels, too. Original article written by Brian Maher on Be Well Philly The post One Thing You Should Look at (But Probably Don’t) When Trying to Get Fit appeared first on Philly Personal Training. via Blogger One Thing You Should Look at (But Probably Don’t) When Trying to Get Fit You put your time in at the gym and eat right. You strength train and do cardio. But still, you’re not seeing results. You’ve been at it for months and yet it seems the scale doesn’t budge and your muscles won’t change. It’s frustrating and defeating when you’re putting the time and the effort in but not seeing any changes. Don’t give up hope and throw in the towel yet because, chances are, there’s a way to turn things around. Below, the top six workout mistakes that keep people from getting stronger, explained. 1. You don’t give yourself enough rest Overtraining is common among those who love to exercise, but the reality is that rest is just as important as the workout itself. A lack of rest increases the risk of overuse injuries and there’s also the risk of overtraining, or exercising beyond the body’s ability to recover properly. This can lead to hormonal imbalances, fatigue and a decrease in strength. How much rest one needs depends on factors like age, fitness level and training volume. Try to train each major muscle group two to three days per week and rest 48 hours between training sessions, as recommended by the American College of Sports Medicine. 2. You eat too few calories When getting fit is your goal, the desire to eat clean is strong. However, there’s a difference between eating healthy and not eating enough. If your calorie deficit is significantly lower than 500 calories, the maximum amount for weight loss, chances are you won’t see much progress on the scale, as your body will adapt to burning fewer calories in an attempt to hold on to fat. Likewise, if building muscle is your goal, eating too few calories will negatively impact any potential gains, as your body will focus on essential functions like breathing and regulating blood pressure rather than building muscle. Under-fueling also affects your power levels. While it may feel like you’re working intensely, your actual power output won’t match. Finally, not eating enough can make your recovery null and void; your body will use any protein you eat as fuel for energy rather than to repair and rebuild muscle. Eat a diet high in lean protein, lots of vegetables and healthy fats, and make sure you’re eating enough. 3. You perform exercises with improper form Performing movements efficiently is an often-overlooked aspect of getting the most out of your workout. If your form is incorrect, not only do you risk injury by straining the tendons, joints and ligaments, it’s likely you won’t work the muscle correctly or see results. You’re only as strong as your imbalances so if you’re aware that you have weak glutes or poor hip flexibility preventing you from performing movements correctly, work on strengthening those weak links. 4. You don’t work out with enough intensity Be honest with yourself about whether you’re working hard enough. Strength is related to the maximum load you can lift or move, but old habits die hard and most people get accustomed to sticking with the same lifting regimen. If that’s the case, you won’t see the desired gains. There are a number of ways to add intensity and increase your heart rate, such as adding cardio intervals, increasing the weight and adjusting the number of sets and reps accordingly (for instance, eight reps instead of 15), adding instability, explosive movements, training one side at a time, incorporating circuits or working to failure. 5. You do insufficient sets and reps There are a number of mistakes lifters make when it comes to the set/rep configuration. One common mistake made most often by beginners is lifting too light with too many reps. Focusing on lifting heavy with fewer reps, try the four-to-six or five-to-seven rep range, you can save time in the gym and see much bigger strength gains. If you’re stuck in a cycle of doing high amounts of reps, chances are you’re also doing too much isolation work focusing on one muscle at a time. Concentrating on compound movements that work multiple muscles at a time, mimicking the way the body moves in real life, renders better results. Not only will you save time, you’ll recruit more muscle fibers to work, which stimulates muscle-building hormones to build more strength in a shorter amount of time. 6. Your training is unbalanced If you’re not seeing the results you want, there’s the potential that you’re not training all muscle groups evenly. It’s important to put some thought into what muscle groups you train on which days so that each muscle group can be worked to its maximum performance, while avoiding fatigue and over-training. While compound exercises (exercises that work multiple muscle groups) are ideal, some muscles lend themselves better to isolation exercises (exercises that zone in on one muscle group), so it’s also crucial to balance your workout to include a mix of compound and isolation movements. Aim for one isolation exercise for every two or three compound. Many weight lifters tend to do only the exercises they enjoy or skip muscle groups all together, like the legs, which are commonly ignored. Many movements that use the legs can actually affect the entire body. Don’t skip movements like squats and deadlifts! Just like a doctor does an exam, makes a diagnosis and then prescribes a treatment, you should do the same for your workout routine: If you’re not seeing the results you want after giving it enough time, assess where you could be falling short then pour yourself into making the necessary improvements. Original article written by Brian Maher on Be Well Philly The post 6 Mistakes That Are Sabotaging Your Fitness Results appeared first on Philly Personal Training. via Blogger 6 Mistakes That Are Sabotaging Your Fitness Results If you’re in the market for a personal trainer — or a Pilates instructor, or any type of fitness class of any sort — you’ve probably wondered how many times per week you should attend. The answer may not be as short as you would like. There are many factors that go into making such an important decision about this investment in your health.
Budget The first and most obvious factor in deciding how many times per week to train would be your budget. By looking closely at your expenses, you may realize your budget is bigger than you think. By cutting down on things like going out to eat or going out for drinks, you’ll not only save money for training, but you’ll also be helping your cause by improving your health. Another important thing to remember is that you’re paying for the results you want. Maybe training one more time per week will stretch your budget to an uncomfortable level, but if it actually gets you the results you’re looking for, isn’t it worth it? Many have wasted years and hundreds or thousands of dollars on things that haven’t worked, so if it costs a little bit more to finally reach your goal, you may find it’s well worth the money. Discipline How disciplined are you when it comes to exercise? If you work with a personal trainer once per week, but it’s your goal to get in four workouts per week, are you disciplined enough to do those three workouts on your own, or will you most likely skip them? This is the time to look yourself in the mirror and decide how accountable you’re going to be for your own workouts. If you’re going to skip your solo workouts, chances are you’ll need to train more frequently with a personal trainer or another fitness professional to see the results you’re looking for. Goals Speaking of results, you should have a good idea of what you want your end result to be and when you want to reach it. If you’re looking to get in significantly better shape for your wedding in 3 months, you may want to work with your trainer more frequently. If you’re looking for a more long term program, you may not need to be as aggressive. Schedule Maybe you can afford to see a personal trainer three times per week, but your schedule will also need to work out in your favor. Ask yourself if you have time to get to your trainer that often without interrupting your everyday life. So, what’s the ultimate answer? It varies. Some individuals may get the results they’re looking for by training only once per week, while others may need two or three, or even more, depending on the factors in this article. Remember, no matter how many times per week you decide on seeing your personal trainer or fitness professional, keep in mind that it’s going require you to make sacrifices. If you truly want results, you’re going to have to sacrifice part of your budget, part of your schedule, and parts of your lifestyle that may be holding you back from reaching your goal. It’s important to realize that your health is not going to change by doing the same things you’ve been doing, so be ready to make changes and sacrifices to your lifestyle. If you’re ready to take the plunge and start working with a personal trainer in Philly, contact us today to see how we can help! |
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