How do you know if what you’re doing is getting you anywhere? The obvious answer is feedback, what results are you getting for your efforts both in terms of dieting and training? How are you monitoring your results?
Believe me the best way to monitor your progress is by what you see in the mirror and how your clothes are fitting you. The scales are good, very good, but when you’re trying to lose the last 5-10 lbs they can provide frustrating feedback at times.
Body fat calculations are very good, providing you have an experienced individual measuring the skinfolds. Waist, hip, thigh, measurements are good also, but again as long as the individual taking the measurement is consistently accurate.
If you are not getting the results you’re after then without question you need to elevate what you need to change, and believe me you need to change if you plateau.
How do you break through plateaus? Well bust your way through them! It may be a few things in your diet need tweaked, or maybe a new strategy is required. The recent strategy I suggest in my last post was the fat loss strategy of exercising in a fasted (or part-fasted) state. Personally if I want to get really lean, this is one method I adopt regularly.
Another aspect that may need re-evaluated is your training. I’ve rarely followed a training programme in all my years of training, which seems strange I know. I go with how I feel on that day. I’ve tried some training programmes but when I’m scheduled to train my upper body sometimes my shoulders will feel a bit tight but my legs feel great so I’ll blast the heck out of them! I go with the feeling, but obviously I’m fully aware of resting muscle groups and over-training.
The one aspect of training I fully grasp is that of intensity and applying the overload principle, without it you’ll get nowhere. We have to keep challenging ourselves. I’m stronger now at 38 than when I was 28 or 18, basically through experience.
Every training session I do I put my heart and soul into, as I want quality results, what’s the point otherwise? I smiled the other day when I saw a trainer talk about people walking more, taking the stairs at work, or increasing your physical activity in other ways. Now make no mistake about it, this is good stuff, well to a certain extent. It’s great in the sense that it will make your heart and lungs stronger, it will lower your blood pressure, make you live longer (maybe), and make the quality of your life better as you’re fitter and have more aerobic endurance, but guess what? It won’t strip away the fat on your arms or your butt! To get a really lean physique, you need to be training consistently (4-5 times a week) for up to 60 mins per session and maintain a quality diet.
Getting in good shape is not easy, in requires discipline, organisation, time-management, motivation, and a commitment for weeks, months and years. Does it sound like a lot of work? Maybe. But I love every minute of it as I feel absolutely fantastic after I exercise, my stress levels are way down and I’m totally relaxed. I sleep well, I handle all aspects of business well (most of the time!), I’m able to deal with all situations far better because I’m in shape. I like how my body looks, it gives me confidence. I love being able to squat 50 kgs more than guys who are heavier than I am, and I’m able to do so because I have accumulated thousands of intense workouts over the years and I am reaping the rewards for all my hard work.
One hour a day, dedicated to you, is not a lot to ask for given the benefits you receive at the end of the day. And it’s an hour for you, you’re doing it for you, nobody else, you deserve it, your body needs it, and it will thank you for it, for the rest of your time. Add in some quality fuel into the mix and you’ll be soaring!
Re-ignite your efforts, get back into the gym with more fire and intensity, change the songs on your IPod and fire it up. Get back to that clean diet you’ve been wavering with and dedicate some days to getting great results for your food and fluid consumption.
Start tomorrow, there’s no stopping you!
Mike Heatlie MSC CSCS
Expert Celebrity Personal Trainer
www.lose10poundsin5weeks.com
