Before I start my list of 10 things that get me fired up, I must warn you, I may offend you at some point in this post. It is absolutely not my intention to do so. I am merely making an effort to eliminate confusion as to what works in a fa.t loss program and what does not. This post is not intended to insult readers, rather challenge the bad information you hear every day. I'm using this format to express how frustrated I too am with the contraversial information that so many are confused.
If I do offend you I apologize ahead of time, but I also hope that I am able to shed light on the ever evolving and confusing topic on how to lo.se body fat. I am just using this platform to state my feelings.
Being a top fitness professional can often be very frustrating. I can't count how many times I used to feel like I was spinning my wheels. I mean I was fighting bad information from popular magazines, television, and worse of all bad trainers. I would tell my clients one thing and they would go home and hear something different from someone else. It got to the point where I was constantly fighting off myth after myth.
It's no wonder we as a society are in the state we are in. There is so much conflicting information out there that it is hard to believe what is true and what is not. Well, I'm about to clear the air big time.
Before you think I've gone sour from my normal positive wonderful, brilliant self, please read on. I will provide solid content after each gripe, so that you aren't just reading a complaint list from me. I know no one wants to hear me complain and my bootcampers, I'm sure will tell me to leave my excuses at home:).
Ok, here we go
10 Things that Get Me Fired Up:
1. The Definition of Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result- If you have been training the same way for longer than you can remember, stop it. You are not doing anything beneficial to you or your body. Change it up, your body likes change (well the fat loss part does). You can prevent overuse injuries and muscle imbalance. Become COMPLETELY fit and healthy not just with specific movements or motions.
2. Don't tell me exercise is boring. If you think it is, sit in on one of our bootcamp classes. We define fun and intensity. If you find exercise boring, your intensity isn't high enough, it isn't important to you, or see number 1. Change your routine, increase the intensity or watch some of our bootcamp videos to get more ideas on how to make exercise fun (in a sick twisted sort of way:))
3. If I hear one more person tell me that cardio is the best form of exercise for fat loss, I swear I'm going to... Seriously, I think this one is dying but it isn't going away quietly. Metabolism is the machine that burns fuel in your body, and your lean muscle is the main determinant of how fast your metabolism is. The only way to increase your lean muscle is, WEIGHT TRAINING.
4. To go along with number 3, if you aren't performing weight training to lose fat, then you are still living in the 1980's. LOL (biker shorts and 7 min abs) It isn't your fault, you are only doing what you are told by bad resources.
5. The Scale is what you thought it was...EVIL. The scale is not the best indicator of results and its too bad we have come to the point that we rely on a machine to tell us how we are doing. If your clothes feel different, if you have more energy, if other people tell you, that you are looking great, then what other information do you need? That is the point isn't it? To look great and be healthy. We don't need a machine to tell us what our weight is because it will tell us so many different things that are completely innaccurate to the true results that we are feeling. Things that affect the scale: time of day, water intake, sodium intake, before or after your workout, if you just ate, and so many more. Want to lose weight? Stop drinking water and see how long that lasts.
6. Low fat isn't always the best choice of 'diets'. Again, this comes from the 1980's where fat was thought to be the evil lurking in all the foods we love to eat. That isn't the case. Fats can greatly help fat loss when accompanied by lean proteins. It's Carbs AND Fat combination that causes weight gain. Keep the carbs down and the fats and proteins at a moderate level and you will be just fine.
7. Ellipticals, Treadmills, and other cardio devices that assist you in movement. These two in particular are extremely popular among gym goers. Unfortunately they are also two that help you with movement more than most other machines. The whole point in exercise is for you to move to cause stress in the body, that is how you lose fat. If you don't cause stress, you don't lose fat (by stress I mean positive stress, obviously not heart attack stress). It is extremely difficult to do this on treadmills and ellipticals due to their 'assistance' factor with movement. If you have joints that don't allow you to run, find a stationary bike that increases resistance the harder you pedal and you got yourself an alternative.
8. Crunches for weight loss or to see your abs- STOP IT, your low back will thank you. In order to get abs, stabilization exercises such as planks, supermans, and others
9. To go along with number 8, if you really want to see your abs, focus on your nutrition. There are no exercises on the planet that will make up for bad nutrition. Oh yeah, and exercising just to eat what you want, that doesnt' work either. Your body craves nutrients and when you exercise you increase the amount of free radicals in your body (yup- those same free radicals that have been linked to cancer), so if you don't feed it the right foods (antioxidants like fruits, veggies, nuts), you are doing more harm than good. You won't see it happen overnight, but over time it takes its toll.
10. Weights Do Not Make you Big and Bulky- This is the one I think I'm most tired of hearing!!! There isn't a secret aura around weights that make everyone who touches them big and bulky. It has much more to do with your nutrition than anything you can do with them. Again, nutrition is king when trying to see results of any kind.
There's ten of them, I may continue tomorrow with a few more.
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