Strong beginnings - success through synergy
- Date: 2007-08-14 - Word Count: 1147
Share This!
So where to begin? Since two thirds of the population is overweight let's address the foundations and keys to fat loss.
Now before I get into the nuts and bolts of nutrition and training principles it is essential we discuss the mental approach.
I am continually in contact with people who self-sabotage themselves. They just don't believe deep down it's possible to change. The ‘hope' that brings them to the point of "maybe I could achieve this goal?" is very fragile.
And unless an absolute belief and vision is there combined with an early feeling of achievement and progress, the dream can and generally will quickly fade and the desire to make those better choices becomes progressively harder.
Brian Tracy, one of the most highly regarded motivators, says in his book ‘Maximum Achievement' that he has found the common link between high achievers. All have taken the time to sit down and create a clear blueprint for themselves and their future.
This advice is hardly new and should seem like common sense, but it's rarely done. There is incredible power to goal setting and strategic planning.
Tracy goes on to say that happiness is the "progressive achievement of a worthy ideal or goal".
At the end of this article I have included an exercise that I thoroughly recommend you try and invest in to help clarify your goals and create the desire necessary to achieve them.
So let's now focus on some basic principles to get you on the right track quickly. As I know once you start getting results staying on that path is easier.
Success comes from a synergy: the need for muscle, cardio in moderation and good nutrition and lifestyle.
Let me elaborate, starting with the need for muscle. Muscle is an active tissue and needs fuel. It's your friend if you want to loose body fat by increasing your metabolism (the rate your body burns fuel).
So here comes our first road block - mostly from girls - "but I don't want to be big and muscle bound" you say.
1. It's very difficult for most women to bulk up as testosterone is a big helper.
2. If you are in the minority and prone to quick muscle gain then there are various strategies to combat this (e.g. cardio after the resistence session as recommend below or circuit training).
3. After the age of approx. 30 muscles begin to atrophy (diminish) so weight training is essential to maintain metabolism levels.
The second key is moderate amounts of cardio. Overdoing it can lead to a decrease in fat burning potential.
A survey conducted several years ago revealed that aerobic instructors are on average 20 % body fat, while body pump (using resistence weights) instructors were below 15 %. Why? It goes back to the need for muscle.
Overdoing cardio may result in your body using the muscles as a fuel source if there are inadequate reserves. Decreasing your lean muscle tissue then leads to a decrease in fat burners. Cardio is important as it allows nutrients to be transported to the cells via the bloodstream. When fat is released from storage centres (adipose cells) it travels through the bloodstream to be burned.
That is why I recommend cardio after the resistance workout. Don't make sessions longer than an hour so you decrease the risk of using the muscles as fuel.
Here's an example plan - 5 min warm-up, 40 min resistance workout, 10 min cardio (65-85% intensity), then 5 min cool down and stretch.
The third part is nutrition and life style. Often the most misunderstood and neglected. Here are some basic initial steps:
1. Eat every 3 to 4 hours. This will increase your metabolism and keep your blood sugar levels steady. If you eat regularly your body thinks "hey, I don't need to store as much of this food as body fat, because I am getting this regularly".
2. Eat a source of protein at every meal. Our body requires all three macronutrients (carbs, proteins and fats) to function.
3. Reduce processed food, particularly the three evil whites: white flour, white sugar and white salt.
4. Rotate your foods. Eat from a variety of foods to get maximum nutrients and reduce toxicity levels - particularly with meat.
5. Try to get to bed before 10.30pm as lack of sleep and rest will place a stress on the body and when the body is stress it protects itself and one way is to release hormones to store fat.
6. Drink plenty of good quality water, at least 2 litres per day. Fruit juice doesn't count as it's full of sugar.
As mentioned at the beginning of this article I have included an exercise to help create your goals and give you a roadmap.
Please try the following:
Find a quiet place to close your eyes and think about your current health now, think about how it feels waking up in the morning, think about what you see in the mirror, about how you would feel after you went for a jog around the park for 5 minutes, now project that over a year, then 5 years, then 20. What do you see, hear and feel at each stage and what are you able to do. What is your quality of life?
Now take another look at some of the strategies towards health and fitness outlined, the ‘how' we can do this. These initial steps are powerful stepping stones. Again close your eyes and think what would you like to see in that mirror, how would it feel to wake up energised in the morning, and what would it feel to have a lasting energy throughout the day - what could you achieve?
Now put pen to paper and write down your ultimate health and fitness goals. Stick them somewhere where you can see them everyday, and now let's begin the journey towards health, vitality and the body of your dreams together. Once you have written your goals down, it is much harder to sabotage yourself!
The aim of this month is to create simple and achievable habits.
The final point is I challenge you to being bold and begin now, not tomorrow, after the holiday, or when you feel ready.
The journey of 1000 miles begins with 1 step.
Your 3d Coach
Craig Burton
References
1. Chek, P., How to Eat, Move and Be Healthy, 2004, C.H.E.K. Institute
2. Tracey, B., Maximum Achievement, Simon & Schuster
3. Kaplan, P., Fitness Truth, online at www.philkaplan.com
Article by Craig Burton. Craig is a prominent European based holistic health and fitness coach and founder of 3D Personal Training Systems. Craig is a Sports Science graduate with postgraduate accreditations in nutrition, massage, athletic training, and corrective exercise therapy.
He is the author of "The 21 Day Roadmap to Health" available at http://www.21dayroadmap.com.
Receive your FREE 3d pts tools including the 7 Part Series: Success Strategies for transforming the body, mind and spirit, our FREE monthly Peak Performance Newsletter and our FREE questionnaire to find out more about your current health status at http://www.3dpts.com/freetools.
For more information and articles on health and fitness visit http://www.3dpts.com/articles.
Now before I get into the nuts and bolts of nutrition and training principles it is essential we discuss the mental approach.
I am continually in contact with people who self-sabotage themselves. They just don't believe deep down it's possible to change. The ‘hope' that brings them to the point of "maybe I could achieve this goal?" is very fragile.
And unless an absolute belief and vision is there combined with an early feeling of achievement and progress, the dream can and generally will quickly fade and the desire to make those better choices becomes progressively harder.
Brian Tracy, one of the most highly regarded motivators, says in his book ‘Maximum Achievement' that he has found the common link between high achievers. All have taken the time to sit down and create a clear blueprint for themselves and their future.
This advice is hardly new and should seem like common sense, but it's rarely done. There is incredible power to goal setting and strategic planning.
Tracy goes on to say that happiness is the "progressive achievement of a worthy ideal or goal".
At the end of this article I have included an exercise that I thoroughly recommend you try and invest in to help clarify your goals and create the desire necessary to achieve them.
So let's now focus on some basic principles to get you on the right track quickly. As I know once you start getting results staying on that path is easier.
Success comes from a synergy: the need for muscle, cardio in moderation and good nutrition and lifestyle.
Let me elaborate, starting with the need for muscle. Muscle is an active tissue and needs fuel. It's your friend if you want to loose body fat by increasing your metabolism (the rate your body burns fuel).
So here comes our first road block - mostly from girls - "but I don't want to be big and muscle bound" you say.
1. It's very difficult for most women to bulk up as testosterone is a big helper.
2. If you are in the minority and prone to quick muscle gain then there are various strategies to combat this (e.g. cardio after the resistence session as recommend below or circuit training).
3. After the age of approx. 30 muscles begin to atrophy (diminish) so weight training is essential to maintain metabolism levels.
The second key is moderate amounts of cardio. Overdoing it can lead to a decrease in fat burning potential.
A survey conducted several years ago revealed that aerobic instructors are on average 20 % body fat, while body pump (using resistence weights) instructors were below 15 %. Why? It goes back to the need for muscle.
Overdoing cardio may result in your body using the muscles as a fuel source if there are inadequate reserves. Decreasing your lean muscle tissue then leads to a decrease in fat burners. Cardio is important as it allows nutrients to be transported to the cells via the bloodstream. When fat is released from storage centres (adipose cells) it travels through the bloodstream to be burned.
That is why I recommend cardio after the resistance workout. Don't make sessions longer than an hour so you decrease the risk of using the muscles as fuel.
Here's an example plan - 5 min warm-up, 40 min resistance workout, 10 min cardio (65-85% intensity), then 5 min cool down and stretch.
The third part is nutrition and life style. Often the most misunderstood and neglected. Here are some basic initial steps:
1. Eat every 3 to 4 hours. This will increase your metabolism and keep your blood sugar levels steady. If you eat regularly your body thinks "hey, I don't need to store as much of this food as body fat, because I am getting this regularly".
2. Eat a source of protein at every meal. Our body requires all three macronutrients (carbs, proteins and fats) to function.
3. Reduce processed food, particularly the three evil whites: white flour, white sugar and white salt.
4. Rotate your foods. Eat from a variety of foods to get maximum nutrients and reduce toxicity levels - particularly with meat.
5. Try to get to bed before 10.30pm as lack of sleep and rest will place a stress on the body and when the body is stress it protects itself and one way is to release hormones to store fat.
6. Drink plenty of good quality water, at least 2 litres per day. Fruit juice doesn't count as it's full of sugar.
As mentioned at the beginning of this article I have included an exercise to help create your goals and give you a roadmap.
Please try the following:
Find a quiet place to close your eyes and think about your current health now, think about how it feels waking up in the morning, think about what you see in the mirror, about how you would feel after you went for a jog around the park for 5 minutes, now project that over a year, then 5 years, then 20. What do you see, hear and feel at each stage and what are you able to do. What is your quality of life?
Now take another look at some of the strategies towards health and fitness outlined, the ‘how' we can do this. These initial steps are powerful stepping stones. Again close your eyes and think what would you like to see in that mirror, how would it feel to wake up energised in the morning, and what would it feel to have a lasting energy throughout the day - what could you achieve?
Now put pen to paper and write down your ultimate health and fitness goals. Stick them somewhere where you can see them everyday, and now let's begin the journey towards health, vitality and the body of your dreams together. Once you have written your goals down, it is much harder to sabotage yourself!
The aim of this month is to create simple and achievable habits.
The final point is I challenge you to being bold and begin now, not tomorrow, after the holiday, or when you feel ready.
The journey of 1000 miles begins with 1 step.
Your 3d Coach
Craig Burton
References
1. Chek, P., How to Eat, Move and Be Healthy, 2004, C.H.E.K. Institute
2. Tracey, B., Maximum Achievement, Simon & Schuster
3. Kaplan, P., Fitness Truth, online at www.philkaplan.com
Article by Craig Burton. Craig is a prominent European based holistic health and fitness coach and founder of 3D Personal Training Systems. Craig is a Sports Science graduate with postgraduate accreditations in nutrition, massage, athletic training, and corrective exercise therapy.
He is the author of "The 21 Day Roadmap to Health" available at http://www.21dayroadmap.com.
Receive your FREE 3d pts tools including the 7 Part Series: Success Strategies for transforming the body, mind and spirit, our FREE monthly Peak Performance Newsletter and our FREE questionnaire to find out more about your current health status at http://www.3dpts.com/freetools.
For more information and articles on health and fitness visit http://www.3dpts.com/articles.
Related Tags: exercise, food, success, goal setting, training, progress, vision, belief, achievement, goal, synergy
Europe-based trainer Craig Burton hails from sunny Perth, Western Australia. After spending a childhood immersed in sport, fitness and sitting on his surfboard Craig found two passions that transformed his life: Martial Arts and Drama. From martial arts he found discipline, confidence, strength and perseverance, while drama gave him a chance to transform his body into various forms and find freedom in expression.This led Craig to studying a Sports Science Degree at Edith Cowan University in Perth and Ohio State University in America. Following his study in America, he set off to travel Europe which he fell in love with and vowed to return. Upon finishing his degree, Craig was accepted to train at one of Australia's leading Drama Schools, the Victorian College of the Arts. There he spent two years integrating various training disciplines including martial arts, yoga, Feldenkrais, Alexander technique and physical training to enhance performance and further develop his aim for a free, functional and expressive body. Since returning to Europe nearly four years ago Craig has been kept busy with advanced training including naturopathy, corrective exercise and massage therapy to achieve a more holisitc health and fitness system for his clients. Your Article Search Directory : Find in Articles
Recent articles in this category:
- How Hypnotherapy Can be Used on Children
Today Hypnosis can be termed as a branch of medicine which is quite unique, whereas in the past this - Confidence Workshops For Children
Every parent wants their children to be confident, happy, highly motivated and enthusiastic in order - Inspiring Children Using NLP
Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) is one of the most successful therapies in psychology today. Init - Writing Term Papers
Students often tend to put off a written assignment, considering it to be a chore too formidable to - Naming In Term Paper
Give a descriptive name to each of your concept in the paper. Adhere using terms like "our approach" - Introduction Section of a Research Paper
Your introductions should not exceed more than two pages (typed, double spaced). See again the examp - Getting a Feedback of Your Term Paper is Important!
Get the feedback of your work! Finish your paper, having written it well in advance, so that you hav - The 1950's - Was Life Better?
Iconic TV shows like I Love Lucy, Dennis the Menace and My Three Sons seem to indicate that the 1950 - Online Classroom Systems Makes Home Schooling Even More Attractive
In the past it went without saying that you would send your kids to public schools. With public scho - 8 Helpful Tips For Surviving Military Basic Training
Getting through military basic training takes a lot perseverance. During this training it is best to
Most viewed articles in this category:
- Culinary Cooking Schools and What They Teach
Culinary cooking schools prepare you for a job in the culinary industry by providing you with the kn - How To Learn Spanish Quickly Without Moving To Spain
Learning Spanish is a popular pastime, as well as a serious goal for many individuals. Whether it's - How To Improve Your Life With An Accredited Online College Degree
With the information super highway raring full steam ahead, quality accredited online college degree - Online Bachelor Degree Programs Go Mainstream
The Internet has seen an explosion in online bachelor degree programs in the last five to ten years - Online Degree Program Just A Click Away
You want to go shopping, but your car is low on gas. You want to know your account balance, but do n - Online Paralegal Degree Will Open Doors
An online paralegal degree may offer the possibility of improving your chances in the legal professi - What West Point Military School Looks For In A Candidate
West Point is looking for well rounded young men and women who are good students, good athletes, and - The Importance of Effective Accounting Programs
In the past, small businesses like mom and pop stores were not required to maintain any sort of acco - California Schools Educators Retirement System And Lionstone Group Create Investment Fund
The California State Teachers' Retirement System (CSTRS) is the second largest public pension fund i - A Taste of China - Seattle Schools New Guest Teacher Shares Language and Culture of Her Native Hom
The Seattle schools have a new "guest" teacher. Zhu Dan arrived in the Seattle schools in January