Something for nothing

Ok so you’re doing mobility exercises until you can tie yourself in a knot. Taking protein, glutamine, creatine and bcaa's at the correct times in the correct amounts. You have even started weighing your food to make sure it's all in the correct proportions for you. Your meals and workouts are timed to the nano-second so that everything is optimal.

Here is a better question to ask: WHY?

Exercise and diet are our best weapons in the fight for our health and wellbeing so it makes sense that we should use the best tools available to get the desired result.

So why are we doing what we do? One of the biggest influencers of our workouts is the feel good factor. Its why many of us start going to the gym and what keeps all of us going when things are tough and not always going our way. Sure, it feels pretty awesome to hit a 150cm box jump or hold a hand stand, but if your goal is to lose weight then, they can become a distraction and pretty quick you have lost sight of why you started. No matter how good it feels to do these things hitting your goal feels way better!

Cool as it might be to be a 5ft tall, 120 kg guy who can do big jumps and hand stands, but it's not why you started and all the Facebook likes in the world don't help you shed the kilos. Testing yourself is good, in fact it's a cornerstone of success, however the test needs to be appropriate to the goal so it gives us a marker along the way. If your goal is to get stronger then measure strength, lose weight then measure body fat. Having great cardio fitness won't help you bench press your body weight. Keep it relevant.

We all want something for nothing but we in the gym we only get out what we put in. Don't waste time and energy doing something for nothing when it could be better spent elsewhere.

 

3 Tips to improve your workout

We are still in January and the new year fitness regimen has become a feature of are daily routine. Well done! Starting is the hard part. Now I'm going to share three tips to help you get the very best from your workouts.

1. Warm up.

Warm up is key, there are two main reasons to warm up. First and most importantly it helps to prevent injury, we train to make ourselves better and injuries are not part of that!
The warm up also helps prepare us physically and mentally for our workout. A combination of mobility drills (pay special attention to areas that are usually tight) and some specific movements related to the workout your about to do, eg. If your going to bench press do some press ups and band pulls as a part of the warm. When you hit the bench you should be fired up and ready to go.

2. Have a plan.

When I talk to most people in the gym my first question is "What's your plan?" The answers are always interesting but one thing that surprises me is how often people don't actually have one. You don't get on a train without knowing which way its heading, so why is the gym any different?
Think about what you want, ask questions, read up and develop a strategy for getting there. Other wise you end up going round in circles.

3. Don't do something for nothing.

OK so the burpee to box jump timed set is your go to move in the gym. Its the crowning glory of your workout that makes you feel like an absolute beast, but if it isn't getting you closer to your goal then its about as much use as a chocolate tea pot. Remember keep focused and keep working towards the goal. No matter how impressive an exercise is achieving your goals is a much greater feeling.

Blue Monday and beyond

So we are at the third Monday in January, the bank balance is low, its cold, still dark in the mornings. Christmas and new year are a distant memory and the resolutions we made with such enthusiasm are taking a back seat. No wonder this day is considered the most depressing day of the year.
Some good news though things get better, after all if this is the most depressing day it can't get any worse! We are still only 19 days into the year that's 346.25 more opportunities to make the right choices. Here are a few strategies to keep you on track.

1. ASK FOR HELP
This is the one most of us have trouble with. Every January I see it, people coming to the gym with so much energy, its infectious it rubs off on others the place is buzzing. Then they hit a wall too many machines, the choice of classes, "do I do weights or cardio or both? What's a kettlebell? How does a Bulgarian bag work?"Add in conflicting advice from web sites, magazines, friends and general and you have a recipe for confusion.
Don't worry most gyms don't think of the users as an inconvenience in fact they employ people to answer questions and talk about training. Fitness instructors and personal trainers love training so much they make it their job and they love to talk about training.

2. STAY MOTIVATED
Its your goal, you chose it, nobody else its all yours. Only one person can make it happen....you. Its something personal that you spent ages planning it and wanting it, so why are you finding it hard to get motivated? A technique I often use is to close my eyes and imagine how good its going to feel when I hit my goal and get excited about it, often that's enough to refocus my mind and find that energy to keep going. If that doesn't quite cut it you can try it from the other side. I remember how I felt before I started. Think of why you started remember how you used to feel.
Either way get fired up! You can't get there if you don't have the drive to do it.

3. SET MARKERS
Setting smaller goals along the way is a great way of checking your progress. It let's you check your on the right track and helps keep you motivated. Smaller goals snowball into bigger ones, every one you hit gives you a little more confidence that your going to make it all the way.

4. ENJOY THE PROCESS
Every goal is a product of the process it took to get there, you can't go to work in the morning without doing certain things. Getting out of bed, having a shower, leaving the house, getting the bus they all add up to the end result of you arriving at work. Some of these things may not be pleasant. Getting out of a warm bed on a cold morning and waiting at a bus stop in the rain are two of my pet hates but I still do them. I know that the end result is something that I love doing and that outweighs any discomfort I feel.

5. REALISE ITS GOING TO TAKE TIME
Everything takes time, we live in a world where things happen quickly. Unfortunately things don't happen quickly enough for some people, don't get disheartened. Athletes develop over years in some cases decades, nobody ever started off a world champion. It takes hours of hard work, all the time there is a risk that person will give up before the goal has been reached and all the work up to that point will be lost. Those who don't give up, who stay the course even when it seems like little or no progress is being made are the ones who reap biggest rewards.

Hopefully these techniques will help you break through those barriers that sometimes creep up.