Count Down To Fitness Success And Keep Your Motivation Drive Alive

Count Down To Fitness Success And Keep Your Motivation Drive Alive
By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS

There are many fantastic ways to get focused and motivated to begin a diet or exercise program, but often the most difficult thing to do is keep that drive and ambition alive for more than a few weeks and see your goal through to completion.

Within just weeks of starting, many people have already hit their first snag or setback, and as a result, have slipped backwards in the mental focus and motivation department. Setting goals in writing is an essential step to success, but how do you stay focused on them?
One technique I have used ever since my very first bodybuilding competition 18 years ago, is...

The "contest countdown calendar.

"I have used it ever since, through 28 competitions and it will work for you too, for any fitness goal.

I purchase a desk or wall calendar - the type that shows each week stretching horizontally across the page with an open block of space for each day.After I set my goal and place a deadline on it, I do NOT stop there. I take out my calendar and start counting backwards from my target goal deadline to the present day.

T-minus 117 days....
T-minus 116 days...
T-minus 115 days....

I also fill in my workouts for the entire 3-4 month period, which is the typical length I allow for my mid-range goals like contest prep.

You would be shocked - pleasantly so - just how focused this keeps you. Even better still, you get MORE and MORE motivated with each passing day you countdown because the deadline is getting closer

Deadlines are absolutely critical to your success. Little gets done without deadlines.There is a saying in management and psychology that "work will always expand to fill the time allowed for it's completion.

"Remember term papers in school? when you were given a term paper assignment and you had the entire semeseter to do it, did you run home that first night and get crankin on it?
How about after a week? two weeks? A month? TWO MONTHS?

probably not, eh?

If youre like most people, you put it off until the last minute and you barely got it turned in on time. In fact, there are always a few people who pull all nighters the night before!Alas, the power of the deadline!

In your fitness endeavors, if you dont have IMPENDING deadlines that give you that twinge in your stomach that says "take action now, or else!" then you find it very easy to say to yourself, ' I have plenty of time so this one cheat meal doesnt matter...
it doesnt make much difference at this point if I skip this one work-out...
I have time to make it up..."

And then, just like the term paper, you are scrambling at the last minute to reach your weight goal. But in the case of a your body, the consequences are more severe and painful than just a bad grade or late penalty.Inevitably, you succumb to crash dieting and overtraining or other unhealthy fast-weight-loss madness, which eats up your own muscle like a hungry cannibal and sends you spiraling into the dark pit of metabolic damage and the inevitable plateau and weight gain that follow.

But the solution is so simple: Count your way down to success!

Don't stop with setting goals. Put your goal countdown on paper, review your goals every single day, AND know, every single day, how many days there are until your target goal date.
You will stay more consciously focused and even better, your unconscious mind will go to work for you in keeping you motivated, on track, and on schedule. You'll come in for a landing on your goal deadline date like an F-16 landing on an aircraft carrier.

I just did my countdown calendar earlier this week... T minus 117 days til my next bodybuilding competition, and thanks to this simple but powerful technique, I'm already focused like a laser beam and have been making steady progress without so much as a hiccup...

Don't under-estimate this simple technique...
Give it an honest test... because it's often the simplest motivational techniques that are the most powerful of all!.

About the Author:
Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilder and author of the #1 best selling e-book, "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle,” which teaches you how to burn fat without drugs or supplements using the little-known secrets of the world's best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and turbo-charge your metabolism by visiting: burnthefat.com.

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How To Look Like A Female Fitness Model

How To Look Like A Female Fitness Model
By Vince DelMonte

Do you pass by the magazine stands in the
store and envy the bodies of the cover models?
More and more women today are coveting this body type; strong and muscular while still being feminine. Gone are the days where strong women are seen as too masculine and unattractive. The female fitness body is here to stay.

Now, curves are back so long as they are created with muscle mass and have a softer appearance. Hot celebrities such as Jessica Biel and Jessica Alba are now gracing the covers showing off their new curves. What's more is that these women are garnering a great deal of male attraction - much more than their thinner counterparts such as Lindsay Lohan or Victoria Beckham.

Luckily, if you make some smart changes to your workout program you can get yourself on the road to looking like the next female fitness model, maybe even covermodel!


First things first. Pink Weights.

If you want to add sexy curves to your body, you need not be afraid of heavier weights. Don't worry, you are not going to bulk up and begin bearing resemblance to Vin Diesel, as women simply do not have the testosterone in their bodies to be able to do this. In fact, in a very good situation, assuming sound training and great nutrition, a woman would be lucky to put on about half a pound of muscle mass per month. Not quite as scary as you thought right? And that is assuming everything is done right… many will experience a slower rate yet.

The problem with pink weights is that for most of you, they aren't challenging! You'd be surprised at how strong you already are if you'd just push yourself that little extra bit. So next time you're in the gym, pick up a ten pound dumbbell or if you're really ambitious, go for fifteen. You'll start noticing your body changing more in the next few weeks than in the last few years you've spent slaying away on the stairmaster.

Weights have the power to completely transform your body. They will make you a smaller, yet curvier version of your body now.

Don't be alarmed at your scale weight though as upon weight training your body weight may go up. Relax however, because one pound of muscle takes up much less space on your body than one pound of bodyfat does, therefore you may weigh more, but you will look smaller.


Next comes cardio.

Women have this tendency to just gravitate towards the cardio section of the gym. Whether it is the best place to check out the men lifting or it feels safer to them, whatever the reason, they go there and stay there - for hours at a time.

This is something that has to change. Think about how many hours of your life you've spent on that treadmill, stairmaster or elliptical machine. Do you really look that much different because of it? I'm guessing probably not.

Not only that, but how many of you put in your hour while watching TV or reading your favourite magazine? This is probably a good indicator that you aren't quite working as hard as you could be.

The truth of the matter is that your body will quickly adapt to all that cardio training that you are doing. So while before you might have burned a hundred calories running a mile, now you are only burning 80. Unless you continually add more and more time to get the same calorie burn, it is going to stop being an effective fat loss tool. And when you're already doing six hours a week, who really wants to spend MORE time doing cardio?

The secret is changing the format of your cardio from that of a comfortable steady-state session to one that's composed of high intensity intervals that will really kick you out of your comfort zone - and blast away body fat as well.

This is by far a more productive form of cardio to be doing so rather than wasting another hour of your life not really getting anywhere, next time you're in the gym for cardio, do twenty minutes, alternating thirty seconds going as hard as you possibly can with a minute and a half at a much easier pace to recover. It will be hard - I warn you. Stick with it for one month however and you will be extremely happy you did.

Now. Bring on the carbs.

Have you grown a love-hate relationship with carbohydrates? You love the way they taste but don't like the number they're doing to your waist. Understandable - many women feel this way.

The key thing to remember with carbohydrates is that they are not necessarily 'evil', so long as the portion size you eat remains under control and you are timing them properly. To have carbohydrates working most effectively for you, it is critical that you time them before and after your workouts. This is when your muscles are going to need the energy and will rapidly soak them up!

So if you're craving a bagel, have at it, but enjoy it right after you've finished a hard lifting session, as described above.

Get rid of your fat phobia.

One critical thing that many women do not understand is that in order to lose fat, they must eat fat. Women in particular actually tend to do better on a higher fat diet than males do. This has to do with their hormonal make-up and the way their body functions and responds to various macronutrient levels.

How many times have you reached for the cookies on the shelves, solely because they were 'fat-free' so you thought they'd be a safe dieting food? This was a terrible mistake.

When you remove the fat out of products, often times manufacturers will begin to add in extra sugar to make up for the taste. Newsflash. Extra sugar sends insulin levels skyrocketing and guess what insulin is? The fat storage hormone. So, what you need to do is try and minimize the amount of insulin surges you create throughout the day, while staying within your total calorie budget. Do this and you will have your best defence against warding off both hunger and fat gain.

Now, guess which macronutrient has the least effect on insulin levels? That's right - dietary fat.

So do not be so scared of consuming fat in your diet. It will help you deal with hunger and help your food taste better. Ideally you should be aiming to get no less than 25-30% of your calories coming from a combination of healthy fats (fish oil is particularly important).

Work Those Glutes

Finally, the one body part that most women usually will say they want to improve upon is their glutes. That curvy, sexy backside appearance tops the list of many gymgoers and in order to achieve this you are going to have to be doing the right exercises.

Concentrate on adding heavy-weight lunges, one legged squats, hamstring curls and ass-to-the-ground squats into your program. These are your fast track to a great behind. You can do all the cardio you want to try and get it, but unfortunately, all that might do is make you a smaller version of your exact same self. If you want to change the way you look, then you need to change the way you train.

So next time you pass by one of those covermodels and start dreaming about what it would be like to have that body - make it a reality for you. Many women are capable of making great improvements to their bodies if they would just stop with the training methods they are currently using and get on ones that are much more in tune with their goals.


About the Author:
Vince DelMonte is the author of No Nonsense Muscle Building: Skinny Guy Secrets To Insane Muscle Gain found at http://www.VinceDelMonteFitness.com

He teaches males and females how to develop a fitness model body without supplements, drugs and training less than before.


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Weight Training Tips

Weight Training Tips
By Vince DelMonte

Weight training properly is known by few. If it was easy then you would see a lot more muscular and lean physiques on the streets. Before you learn how to weight train properly, it is critical that you learn these five weight training tips before you even step foot in the gym.

1. Write down a realistic short term and long term goal.

2. Make a commitment to stick to one program for at least 12 weeks.

3. Educate yourself prior to starting.

4. Hire a trainer to teach you proper technique.

5. Focus on gradual progression.





Weight Training Tip #1: Goal Setting

Inch-by-inch life is a sinch. Yard-by-yard life is hard. Treat your goal setting the same way. Do not expect to be on the cover of Men's Health by next summer. Decide how much muscle weight you wish to achieve in three months. Six months and one year. Decide where you wish to finish and work backwards. If you wish to gain 50 pounds by the end of the year, than create a game plan that allows to gain at least one pound per week.

Weight Training Tip #2: Commitment

The only reason you will fail is if you are not truly committed to your goals. Do your homework and find a weight training program ideal for your specific goals and situation. Study the program fully prior to commencing. Comprehend every detail of the program and if you don't, contact the author of the program to ensure you have no excuse to misunderstand or perform the workout incorrectly. After you chosen a program, take responsibility for your decision and follow it to it's full completion. Do not try it out for three weeks and than say, “It's not working...” and try another program. This will create a failures attitude and begin the deadly bad habit of program hopping

Weight Training Tip #3: Education

How much do you really know about building muscle? Let's put it this way, if you had to teach someone else how to transform their body in the next twelve weeks, could you help them? Never mind, could you transform your body in the next twelve weeks? If not, you probably do not know enough about how your body works from a training, nutrition and recovery stand point. Order a book, visit a reputable website and find out everything you must know, about proper weight training, before you start the guessing game.

Weight Training Tip #4: Proper Technique

You wouldn't try and drill your teeth? You wouldn't try and do your own taxes? You wouldn't try and fix your own car? Assuming you have no expertise in dentistry, accounting or automotive repairs. So why would you try and teach yourself proper weight training technique? It boggles my mind why so many people across North America sign up for a gym membership and jeopardize the health of their tendons, ligaments and joints with the attitude of “I think I'll try it on my own,” or “My friend is going to teach me,” or “I am self taught from watching others...” Do not be cheap and leave your ego at the door and hire a reputable fitness trainer who can teach you proper weight training technique.

Weight Training Tip #5: Progression

I'll say this again. Inch-by-inch life is a sinch. Yard-by-yard life is hard. Approach each workout with this attitude. Your bench press does not need to go up twenty pounds in the first week. But just imagine your bench press went up consistently 2.5-5 pounds every week for the next year? That would some serious muscular and strength gains! Your goal is to simply out do yourself from workout-to-workout, week-to-week. Whether you do one extra rep, one extra set, a extra 2.5 pounds or a shorter rest period, these are are measurable signs of weight training progress. Conclusion Make your weight training life easy by starting with the the above weight training tips and look forward to a rewarding and fruitful adventure in the gym.

----------------------------------

About the Author:
Vince DelMonte is the author of No Nonsense Muscle Building:
Skinny Guy Secrets To Insane Muscle Gain found at http://www.VinceDelMonteFitness.com He specializes in teaching skinny guys how to build muscle and gain weight quickly without drugs,
supplements and training less than before.

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6 Week Muscle Gaining Workout

6 Week Muscle Gaining Workout














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Beat Fat With Breakfast

Beat Fat With Breakfast

By Holly Rigsby, CPT
www.FitYummyMummy.com

Breakfast is easily the most overlooked solution when it comes to effective fat burning tips. Studies consistently show that people, who regularly eat breakfast, eat fewer calories throughout the day, have better nutritional habits, and weigh less than those who choose to skip breakfast.


When it comes to your fat loss, your goal is to make your body burn more calories. Your metabolism is like a burning fire, how can you make the fire burn stronger without putting something on it to burn? Our bodies are burning fat and calories 24 hours a day, however, calories are burned at the slowest rate while we are sleeping. Without something to jump-start it in the morning, your metabolism may remain in slow motion throughout the day and any extra calories – no matter how healthy - will be stored as fat.

The act of eating and digesting supportive foods frequently, increases your metabolism so you can burn more fat and calories all day long.

How to do it: Eat a supportive meal within an hour of waking. Feel like your always running late? No time to eat? The secret – get up 10-20 minutes earlier and keep it simple. Not only can you increase time spent with your family at the kitchen table, but making time to start your day off with a high protein, high fiber breakfast will boost your metabolism, your energy and your mood. Because breakfast provides you with the energy you need to get through your day, the more energy you have, the more active you'll be and the more active you are, the more calories you burn.

If you are not hungry first thing in the morning, try starting your day with a big glass of water or freshly brewed green tea. Proceed with your morning routine and plan to allow yourself about 10-15 minutes before you walk out the door to eat your breakfast.

If you like to exercise first thing in the morning, eat 30 to 45 minutes before your workout.

Try one of the following options:

1. Eat a light snack – yogurt or a piece of fruit. Eat your regular breakfast 30-45 minutes after your workout.

2. Eat half of your regular breakfast before the workout and the other half about 30-45 minutes after your workout.

3. Drink a meal replacement shake – quick and easy to make and for your body too digest.

Watch out for "Protein/Breakfast Bars". Many of these items seem appealing for they are quick and easy; however the majority of these bars are loaded with sugar and fat. Check the nutrition facts.

Here are some breakfast fat loss favorites: Cereal is a MUST. It's convenient, easy to prepare, easy to eat and full of nutrients – No…"Whole Grain Lucky Charm" does not fall into this category. Be sure to choose your cereals based on the information on the food label.

The top choices should have:

• 5 grams of Fiber or more
• 8 grams of Sugar or LESS
• Sugar not listed among the first 3 ingredients.

For all other breakfast options, be sure to include a protein, complex carbohydrate, and fresh or frozen fruit. These are some of my favorites:

• Oatmeal with natural peanut butter, cinnamon and a side of fresh berries.
• Kashi Go Lean Crunch with skim milk and a banana.
• Scrambled egg whites topped with salsa and shredded cheese wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla.
• Meal Replacement Shake with a piece of fruit.

So if you're interested in fat loss, make sure you don't forget – breakfast is the most important meal of the day.


About the Author Holly Rigsby
is a nationally recognized women’s fitness coach, certified personal trainer (CPT) and the author of the internationally popular e-book – Fit Yummy Mummy - Burn Your Baby Fat & Get Your Body Back. Go to http://www.fityummymummy.com to get your FREE copy of her special report: "The Five Ways To Boost Your Metabolism."

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Available Now! - Free KieFit Journal October ' 09 Edition - Sweet And Healthy?!

Available Now! - Free KieFit Journal October '09 Edition - Sweet And Healthy?!

Here is the October 2009 issue of KieFit Journal.

The free online publication about fitness and health tips.

Amongst others it includes helpful articles for you about diet plan, the way to get energy, nutrition and you can discover great exercise tips and watch valuable workout- videos.


Read and enjoy!


Heidi

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