5 Tips To Make Your Exercise Program A Success

5 Tips To Make Your Exercise Program A Success by Donovan Baldwin

People seldom "fail" with their exercise program. What does happen is that they fail to achieve the success they had hoped for. Far from a failure, this is usually the result of their not really understanding what is required from them for an exercise program to be successful.



The five main reasons that most people are not successful with their exercise program are these:



1. They try to do much too soon.



2. They have inaccurate or inappropriate expectations.



3. They get bored.



4. They lose their motivation.



5. They quit too soon.



Since these are the main reasons that many exercise programs don't seem to do the job, then addressing them may make us more successful with the exercise side of our fitness and weight loss plans. So, let's take a look at each in turn and see if we can figure out what to do.



The dangers of overdoing exercise.



A factor that figures into all five issues is simply ignorance. I don't mean that as an insult, it's just that people go out and buy a piece of equipment or a Richard Simmons DVD and jump in with both feet. Even if they read the directions, those are normally written from the viewpoint of "this is what you should be doing" rather than "this is how you get to the point where you can do what you should be doing". Since most people don't really know much about exercise or how it works, and I was once one of those people, they tend to make a lot of mistakes, even though they have the best of intentions.



One of these mistakes is to try to do too much too soon.



Let's say your new barbell set says, that for maximum effect, you should be able to three sets of ten reps a certain exercise with the weight set at one-fourth of your body weight. So, you figure you weigh 160 lbs, set the bar at 40 lbs, and do ten reps. You're a little winded. It was a bit hard, but you were able to do it. You rest a minute, and try again. It's harder, but you're still able to get through it. You take another short rest and do the third set. Wow! You had to squeeze out the last couple of reps, but you did it! You feel good. You've got what it takes, and you can't wait until the next exercise day.



What has happened is that you have produced a large amount of damage to muscle tissue that your body will now have to spend the next couple of days fixing. Since you are out of shape (even if you were able to do all three sets), your body is going to have a hard time getting that work done. I can tell you that this is certainly going to impact almost every physical, emotional, and mental event or episode in your life over the next several hours or even days.



The next day, what happens? You hurt like hell! That's what happens. Even if you can convince yourself that this is a good sign, continuing on in this manner will eventually either produce a real injury, or will set you up mentally and physically to begin wanting to avoid your workouts, whether you are doing aerobics, lifting weights, running, swimming, bicycling, or working in your garden.



Most people simply do not realize how much is going on internally when they take an out-of-shape body and begin demanding that it perform as if it were already in shape.



So, just take it easy. Start off slow and gradually ease your way up to higher levels. Many highly successful marathoner runners were barely able to walk to the end of their street and make it back without stopping to rest when they first started. Many a housewife has begun her "exercise program" with a can of Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup in each hand. Start light and increase gradually. Don't worry if you don't see "results" at first. Good things are happening inside your body.



When it comes to expectations, get real.



As trite as it is, one of the best remarks to remember is: It took you years to get this way and you're not going to change things in a couple of days. No matter how badly you try, you simply will not lose 20 lbs in 10 days. It happens, but that's the exception rather than the rule. Also, each of us is different. If your neighbor tries an exercise routine or diet and loses weight right away, you cannot assume that you will respond the same way. The one main thing you can say is that if you do your exercises regularly and gradually challenge yourself, your body will make the appropriate changes in outward appearance and inner capabilities.



Yes! Exercise CAN get boring.



Doing anything day after day can be boring whether it's exercise, sex, or eating ice cream...at least for most of us. A few people can do things over and over and never get tired of it, but most of us aren't built that way. Even if you are doing everything the right way, have good expectations, have a great program, and are seeing good results, getting up 45 minutes early for the 150th day in a row and strapping on those running shoes is going to get old eventually. Do what you can to liven it up a bit. Even if you just like to go for a walk, can't you walk somewhere else today? Why not substitute a swim, a bicycle ride, a visit to the zoo, or an hour's worth of yard work for your walk? If your normal routine is comprised of Press, Curl, Bench Press done with a barbell, why not substitute Triceps Extensions, Preacher Curls, and Chest Flys all done with a dumbell once in a while? Or, you could go to the park, do some chin ups and pushups and then take a long walk yourself. Who says you have to do exactly the same thing in the same place every day?



I listen to the news or play a motivational video while I'm on my walker. Before I know it, the walk is over and I didn't even notice it.



Your goal is to stay motivated.



How many times have you begun a program or project with a very strong motivation, only to find that after a few days, you just didn't feel like doing it any more? You saw that show on heart disease and got scared so you vowed you would exercise regularly. Perhaps you were in Sears or Dillard's shopping for some new clothes, or even worse, a bathing suit, and found that you needed the next size up...again! You went home and vowed that you would do whatever it took to get back to the size you were in high school (unrealistic expectation) and that afternoon you began your exercise program and felt so good about what you were doing. A few days later, you just couldn't find the time or the motivation to do your workout. In fact, you weren't even thinking about whatever it was that kicked you into gear in the first place.



Write it down. As you write it, feel every boiling emotion...pain, fear, embarrassment, anger...whatever tripped your trigger in the first place. Make it a statement about what you feel, what you want to change, why you want to change, and how you intend to change. Put it in your purse, wallet, or pocket, and take it out and read it a few times a day. Every time you read it, try to read it out loud, and try to reconstruct in your very being the thoughts and feelings you had when you wrote it down. Paste it on your mirror, put it on the fridge, tell your best friend if you dare, but revive it in your heart several times a day, every day.



Whatever you do, don't quit.



One of the main reasons many people feel that their exercise program has failed them is because they quit too soon. Remember that thing about how it took you years to get this way and it's not going to change overnight? The visible results of a day's exercise, a week's exercise, or a month's exercise may not give you a reason to keep on getting up at the crack of dawn or paying those gym fees. However, six month's worth of steady, regular, moderate exercise will awaken most people to the wonders of life that await them in their newer, slimmer, physically fitter body. Oh, six month's won't be enough, and some people may have to wait a year or more to see the real results, but science and several million people have proven that if you are exercising regularly, challenging yourself and moving upwards, you WILL see the results you have been hoping for.



You will see results, and so will everybody else.



Donovan Baldwin is a Texas writer. He is a University of West Florida alumnus, a member of Mensa, and is retired from the U. S. Army after 21 years of service. His interests include nature, animals, the environment, global warming, health, fitness, yoga, and weight loss. Learn more about exercise and weight loss at http://nodiet4me.com/articledirectory/



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Training The Right Way!

Training The Right Way! by Lyle Dennis

I have been training people for over 20 years and have had a great vantage point in which to watch many people train. With all the information out there, it really is a wonder that anyone knows what to do. If you look at some magazines, it's amazing how you can read one thing in the first half of the magazine telling you to do a great training style and near the end of the magazine, it will tell you how very bad that same training style is. What are we supposed to do, who are we supposed to listen to? What style is right for me?



The problem with respect to weight training is there is an expert at every gym, many actually, you just have to ask them and they will give you their two cents worth, whether you need it or not. The problem is they don't even have to know anything about the subject in question. I think you know the guy's I am talking about. A tactic some people use is; the tried and true; ask someone who is in better shape than you, style. This only works if the person you talk to knows something about what they do. I know girls who look in shape, eat anything they want and do not exercise at all. They just have a high metabolism and good genetics, so following their fitness system might not work out so well for most of us. This still bring us back to the fundamental question. "How do we train the right way?" What are we supposed to do, who are we supposed to listen to? What style is right for me?



If you researched training methods you would find literally hundreds of methods ranging from super slow to split variable super sets. There are as many training styles are there are people to use them. There are also, as many pieces of fitness equipment for us to train on or with. Do you want to use free weights, machines, how about boflex or bungee cords? What if we just use our body weight or balance balls? Even the fitness professionals themselves can not agree on what method works the best. Sometimes it's because they only know one style or because at their gym they can only do one style, so it automatically becomes the best style. With all these variables so far, we have not even touched on the fact that we are all different shapes and sizes. How does that affect the type of style we use or the equipment that we choose?



Am I making things clearer of just muddying up the water? What I am trying to show you is that you have options, but with options comes choices and with choices comes right ones and not so right ones. I started working with a lady in her late 40's; she wanted to get her waist line back, it had gotten pretty thick. I asked her what she had been doing training wise up until now. She told me she just got done a cycle at the gym where the owner had just put her on the Bulgarian Bulking Program. She told me she loved it, and she could leg press 400 lbs now. I smiled and asked her if she was happy with her body shape. She sheepishly looked at the ground and said no. We need to remember that it is not the person that needs to fit the program but the program needs to fit the person and their goals. A good program for one person may not be the answer for another.



Some trainers give there clients what they think they want, not what they are asking for. Is that what you want? Wouldn't you rather get what your body needs?



Let me try and explain. A client came to me with a picture of a lady body builder and told me, this is what she wanted to look like. I said;" ok, do you know how much this girl weights?" She said "no", I said;" around 190 lbs", and she said;" oh my goodness." I asked her if she knew how much she ate. I explained to her all that went in to this body builder's look. I said I would help her get this, if this is what she wanted. It wasn't even close to what she wanted. She liked the athletic look not the bigger look. So again, I could have given her what she thought she wanted or taken the time to listen to her, ask questions and give her what she really wanted. It takes more time for a trainer to do this, but it is time well spent. Then the client gets what they really want and the trainer gets a happy client and a great referral. So to answer the questions, what are we supposed to do, who are we supposed to listen to? What style is right for me? I think the short answer lies within us; we have to take the time to look into ourselves and find out who we are and where we want to go?



There can be a problem when we go to a trainer and we do not know what we want. Because he will put you on the program he wants. Then when you do not get the results you think you should be getting. Who is to blame? The trainer is not a mind reader and depending on his background and how much he cares about his craft, he might not be able to help you, or even care if he helps you. My answer to the questions, what are we supposed to do or what style is right for me? Is, all of them are right for you, in the right place, at the right time, for the right reason. It might sound like a cop out but it is not. I use all different styles all the time, because one size doesn't fit all and letting your body adapt to any form of exercise or style can be death to your body's growth.



Work smarter, not harder. Avoid adaptation at all cost. Save your joints. Use weights to burn more calories. Increase your heart rate. Decrease your rest breaks. Pre-exhaust your muscles. Time under tension. Form is the key. Reps to exhaustion. Use the right weight. Focus, is a must. Save your self time.



if you are tired of working hard and not getting the results that you want, like many of my clients were, remember to train the right way. You should be part of the MiBo Fitness System tm. Come to http://www.mibofitness.com and learn how you can get a MiBo Fitness body. This is Lyle Dennis from http://www.mibofitness.com saying "Have a Great workout!"



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3 Fattening Habits You Must ELIMINATE Now!

3 Fattening Habits You Must ELIMINATE Now! by Karen Sessions

Are you making it too easy for your body to gain fat? Do you struggle with fat loss on a daily basis with no avail? If you feel like a victim in the fight against fat then this article will help equip you with knowledge to avoid repeating the 3 most common fat gain mistakes.



In today's society, eating is completely out of control. Food convenience has led to a nation of overfed and undernourished people, and the statistics and waistlines are growing by the day! I often wonder if people actually understand the dramatic impact food has on the human body.



There is mass confusion in regards to dietary guidelines and healthy eating. With the overwhelming amount of information about health and fitness at hand, people's health and waistlines are suffering more and more.



The more confused people are about dietary guidelines, the more likely they are to jump from one fad diet to the next with a nice mix of yo-yo dieting in between. This is hardly healthy or effective.



Today, people are literally obsessed with weight loss and extreme dieting. People spend billions of dollars each year on expensive gadgets, lotions, and pills for that quick weight-loss fix – that never works. Your dream body can't be bought; you must earn it through educating yourself on nutrition and exercise. Only then will you see results that are lasting.



If you want to win the battle of the bulge, then you need to make some healthy changes that turn into lasting healthy habits.



It's now time to discuss the fattening habits you must eliminate now!



Fattening Habit #1 – Feeding your thirst with colas



Generally, when someone is thirsty he or she grabs a soda. Sure, a soda is a wonderful thirst quencher, but it is void of nutrients. The principle of food and water it to provide nutrition to the body for fuel or building purposes.



Water is the basic element of life, not cola. Colas are packed with sugar and carbonation.



Sugar promotes tooth decay, interferes with the absorption of protein as well as the absorption of calcium and magnesium, contributes to osteoporosis, causes water retention; the list goes on and on.



Don't let the diet sodas fool you. You may find many health and fitness "experts" promote diet sodas, but there is nothing healthy or that promotes fat loss with diet colas.



Diet colas can actually cause fat gain! Aspartame can cause an insulin reaction in the body. It's not due to the carbs because diet drinks don't contain any. The insulin spike is in response to the sweetness of aspartame. The sweet taste sets off a chemical reaction in the body, the same as it does in the presence of carbs. A constant high insulin level equals fat gain.



Be weary of the "expert" that claims aspartame is okay.



Fattening Habit #2 – Lack of essential fat



When the low-fat era hit in the late 1980s, the consumption of essential fat dramatically dropped. Whole eggs were shunned for the highly popular egg white, and red meat was tossed aside for its low-fat counterpart chicken and turkey choices.



With the low-fat movement, we have become fatter and on top of that, undernourished.



Your body requires fat to function. Essential fat is necessary for your metabolism, brain function, hormone production, absorption and transportation of vitamins and minerals; all important facts when it comes to fat loss.



If you eliminate essential fat from your diet, you are eliminating an important element!



If you are worried about cholesterol, don't. Cholesterol is actually a building material in the body and a protector. Cholesterol build hormones and essential for normal brain function.



Fattening Habit #3– Eating boxed "healthy foods"



Commercially prepackaged meals and food items contain more chemicals than nutrients. What can your body do with chemicals? Lodge them in your fat cells to be come toxic and cause illness and disease, cellulite, and prevent fat loss.



Just for the fun of it I went to the market and read the side of a boxed food item that appeared healthy to the average person. The food item was Morning Star Veggie Bites. I counted over 40 ingredients, and some of those ingredients were broken down even more.



Understand that it's not 40 ingredients of nutrients for energy or building materials. It's over 40 chemicals! Even the spinach was genetically modified. If your body can't use the ingredients you put into it, how can it burn fat? It can't.



Fattening Habits Conclusion



Your body needs to be able to process what is put into it. If your body cannot use what you eat, it will store it as fat and/or toxins.



To lose fat, stop drinking colas and diet colas and start drinking more pure and filtered water. Don't be afraid to eat fat. Your body needs it to function and lose fat. Stop eating boxed (processed) foods, even if they read "healthy," "low-carb," "low-sugar," etc.



Nothing is as good for your body and waistline as nature's God given food supply.



Karen Sessions has been in the fitness industry since 1988. She is a nationally qualified bodybuilder and holds two personal training certifications. She has written 6 ebooks on fitness and has helped hundreds of clients transform their bodies. http://www.theelitephysique.com
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