Beginning a Workout

With New Year's just now behind us, many people are beginning to reach the point of truth on whether or not they are sticking to their resolutions. For most people this is going to be NO! Starting a consistent workout regimen is the easy part but when it comes to actually sticking to it is what separates the men from the boys. Once the initial excitement wears off from starting a plan, people begin to look for excuses on why not to work out that particular day saying "I'm too tired today" or "Ill do it tomorrow, missing one day won't hurt". This is where the entire regimen falls apart. In order to have get effective results, one must stay true to achieving their goals. Sure workouts will begin to get a little boring or challenging after a while, but you must stick with them, regardless of how your feeling.
In order to develop consistency, pick a time everyday in which you know will work.  This will eliminate any excuses due to other priorities you may have.  Also, having a workout partner allows you to challenge each other and keep the workouts intense as well as fun.  Once you reach a certain point and you actually see results, you will get a second wind and become motivated to keep achieving these results.  Remember, habits are developed after 21 days of repetition, so keep that in mind as a goal to try and reach.  After you become used to a particular workout such as jogging, the difficulty goes down and the enjoyment goes up.  I have actually gone running in order to make me feel better rather than feel fatigued.  It is scientifically proven that exercise increases short term endorphins in the body as well.  So get out their and do your body and mind a favor and get with a program and stay with it!

The key to 6 pack abs

One of the most highly sought after parts of the body is a nice flat stomach and a set of 6 pack abs. Perhaps the reason this is is because they are so hard to attain. This is not because people have a hard time gaining muscle. Actually nearly everybody has a nice 6 pack. The thing is, you can't see it on most people because it is covered by fat. It just so happens that the stomach is one of the main places fat accumulates, so even if someone is not necessarily overweight, any excess fat they may have is covering that washboard stomach. In order to have visible abdominal muscles, the body fat index of an individual must be very low. Forget all those fancy expensive machines promising a six pack in 6 weeks. Sure they may strengthen the abs, which will make the muscles bigger, but they will not remove the cover of fat from over them. I have seen some very skinny people with hardly any muscle definition at all that have visible 6 packs. For the best results, lose the body fat and strengthen the abs and you will be envied by everyone else at the beach!

Supplements and Nutrients

There are enough different supplements, vitamins, pills, and powders out there today to have just about anybody boggled.  Some of these are actually legit, but many of them offer little or no real value to the body.  The fitness industry is extremely lucrative because people are willing to try (and pay) just about anything to get the body they want.  Supplements can get very expensive, and it can be hard to choose what to invest in.  Companies all make outrageous claims boasting too good to be true results.  I'm going to list for you a few things I find beneficial.

Multivitamin

Multivitamins provide ample amounts of nutrients that you might not necessarily get in food.  However, many provide you with enormous amounts of only a few different nutrients, and the body just wastes all the leftovers.  When shopping for vitamins, look for ones with the most variety in nutrients versus quantity of specific nutrients, because it is likely the body will attain some from foods too.  It is important to cover a wide range of the body's needs.

Green Tea Extract

Study after study has shown the benefits of green tea.  It contains powerful antioxidants, cancer fighting agents, and has shown to increase metabolism.  Sure you can reap these benefits from drinking it, but I recommend taking a supplement because it is said you would have to drink around 8 glasses a day to get the maximum results.  When looking for green tea extract, make sure the product has EGCG in it as that is the most beneficial agent.  600 to 800 mg daily is what is recommended.

Creatine

I have found creatine to be one of the most powerful substances in increasing muscle.  Especially if you are looking to gain mass quickly.  Creatine stores water in muscles after only day making them appear bigger, however, it also supplies muscles with extra energy in order to allow for more intense workouts, therefore allowing more muscle growth.  Many people argue against creatine, saying it has negative side effects.  No ill effects have ever been proven, and it is still allowed by the NCAA.  Creatine occurs naturally in the body and in certain foods like fish, and just like vitamins, it supplements the body's supply.  I do recommend drinking plenty of water throughout the day since it uses it in the muscles.  Limiting water intake can lead to minor dehydration and cramping, especially within the first few day.  Daily recommended dose is about 5 grams.

Sure there are many other important things to take for the body, but these are a few of the things I have found most effective first hand.  Make sure you research any other nutrients you may want to take from sources that are not just trying to make a buck selling it.  Also check with your doctor about any allergies or medication you may be taking, or if you have had a medical history.  Good luck and remember, no supplement can replace healthy eating!

Metabolism

There are all kinds of diet plans, programs, and pills out there guaranteeing you'll lose 100 pounds in two weeks. Some of these concoctions may actually work but often times they pose health risks and other unforeseen hazards.
If you are trying to lose weight, all you need to do is simply burn more calories than you consume on a daily basis. The opposite goes for those trying to gain weight. It is true that everyone has different metabolisms, and this may be easier for some than others. Luckily, there are techniques that can boost metabolism, and make burning calories most effective. The best part is all of these come at virtually no price.

Breakfast
Breakfast is the single most important meal of the day. It jump-starts the metabolism and is a source of energy for the body to get through the day. People often assume that eating breakfast is just extra calories and is ok to skip. This couldn't be more false. The speed of metabolism is directly proportional to the calories consumed at the morning meal (with it beginning to plateau at around 500 calories). This means the more you eat (within reason), the more calories you will burn through out the rest of the day. However, this should be healthy calories found in fruits grains and even eggs rather than fatty calories found in cheeses, meats, and sugar.

Water
Believe it or not, the body is composed mostly of water. It is necessary in nearly every functionthe body does, including metabolism. Some studies have shown that metabolism is increased if 16oz of water is consumed within half an hour of waking up. Water has no calories and is essential to life.Substituting water for other beverages throughout the day is also a great way to cut calories that adds up.Sodas can have over 140 calories of pure sugar in them. If somebody who consumed two sodas a day substituted water, they would be cutting 1960 calories a week, and be much more hydrated. Thats the equivalent to running over 2 hours!


Meals
After breakfast has been consumed, small healthy snack should be eaten every two hours to keep the metabolism burning. These could include any type of fruit or vegetable, a hard boiled egg, cereal, or any other type of healthy snack. Typically the simplest things are better for you rather than expensive energy or diet bars, as they often contain more fat and extra calories. at lunch and dinner, smaller portions than what is typically served should be consumed, and the rest can be saved for later. This also will save significant amounts on food bills and if you have been snacking all day you typically won't be hungary enough to eat the whole thing anyway, which works as a win-win.

Exercise
Muscle burns more calories than fat. So basically if you have more muscle, you will have less fat. When working out, focus on the big muscle groups such as the legs, chest and back. The bigger muscle groups burn more than the smaller ones so working out muscles also proves to be a win-win as you will tone and burn off fat.

The Mindset

Having the mindset to get the results you want is the single most important thing in achieving them.  As much as advertisers want you to think, there are no (legal) magic pills or machines alone that will get you the results you desire.  The only thing that will get you in shape is you and your willingness to do so.  Though there are certain supplements that can help (which I will discuss later), nothing by itself will do the trick.  The following are the steps it takes to achieve the state of fitness you yearn for.

1 Desire

For me, I have always had the desire to exceed in my sport, baseball.  Though I had some talent, I was never blessed with any kind of extraordinary ability by any means.  Because of this, I have had the desire to give myself the best opportunity to compete at my highest level.  Whether someone makes a remark about your weight that upsets you, or like me you strive to compete, I have found the most important driving factor that will get you out of bed and to the gym in the morning is one's desire to make a change.

2 Set goals

If you have the desire to achieve something, then you need to know what you are achieving.  For example, if you want to be able to fit into those swim trunks by summer, you need to make a goal of losing the necessary weight and have an image of how you want to look.  If you want to run a 5k then you need to set a goal to do it in a certain time.  Always aim high because if you miss then it will be better than if you missed on a low goal.  However, keep your goals realistic so that you can challenge yourself.  Write your goals down on paper and put them somewhere you will see them everyday such as at your bathroom sink or office desk.

3 Make a plan

Make a realistic plan on paper of what you will do to achieve your goal.  I will touch on some effective plans for various goals later.  I have found that when I have a workout chart for baseball that I have to fill out as I go along, I stick to what I need to do on a consistent basis.  Set a routine time that will work everyday because then you will always be able to fit it in.  This may mean that you have to wake up an extra hour early everyday, but that that goes back to desire.  They say once you do something for 21 days it becomes a habit, so focus on making it to that mark.  It is ok to mix up the workouts from day to day so they do not get boring, as long as they are still beneficial.

4 Find a partner

This is also a very important factor in following a workout.  Whether its a teammate, a co-worker, or just a friend with the same goals as you, working together allows you to push each other to higher levels.  It also makes it more enjoyable.  A workout partner is also there to get you working out even on those days that you just aren't feeling motivated which will happen.

5 Stick to it

This is the final and most important step in the process to get where you want to be.  With out sticking to the plan, your desire, goals, routine, and partner do you no good.  It is just as important to stick to your plans on your worst days as it is on your best.  This is what separates the people who get what they want from the people who don't.  Obviously you want to get want you want if you are reading this.  The only times you should ever miss a workout or stray from the plan is when you are faced with an emergency, or are injured or sick.

These 5 simple steps will not always be easy, but sacrifice always comes with greater change.  Following them will get you where you want to be and feeling the way you want to feel.  It is true that exercise raises endorphins and makes you feel better.  Even on your worst days you will soon find that fitness is the best cure for any negative feelings or stress, yet most people fail to grasp this and it leads them into a spiraling path and greater discontentment.  Don't be one of those people that brings this upon themselves.  Make a change to achieve what you really want!