WHERE SHOULD I START?
I get this question quite often. You want to start working out and look after your body, but when you finally get to the gym you have no idea what to do? Don’t worry you’re not the only one. When I first entered the gym I just went on the treadmill as that was the only machine I knew how to use. It took me a good month or two of going to classes and meeting new people that knew something about gym and the equipment until I had the confidence to work out by myself. Perhaps you’re in the same position? Or maybe you have a goal, and you are investing a lot of time and effort to it but it does not seem to be working or getting you closer to the goal?
The purpose of this article is to give you as much useful information as possible; about the first steps that you need to take in order to achieve your goal.
HAVE A GOAL
Write down a goal. Make sure your goal is S.M.A.R.T.
Without a goal, it is extremely difficult to know where to start and where to stop. It is not enough when you say ‘I want to gain weight’ or ‘I want to lose weight’. Is it muscle that you want to gain or is it muscle that you want to lose? As far as I know they both contribute to your weight…
When you know what you want and when you want it, you will be determined to get it and work for it. Trust me. Below you will find an exercise with 5 questions that will help you design your PERSONAL goal.
S.M.A.R.T. Goal Questionnaire
Goal:
Specific. What will the goal accomplish? How and why will it be accomplished?
Measurable. How will you measure whether or not the goal has been reached (list at least two indicators)? E.g. with scales, tape measurer, pictures.
Achievable. Is it possible? Have others done it successfully? Do you have the necessary knowledge, skills, abilities, and resources to accomplish the goal? Will meeting the goal challenge you without defeating you?
Results-focused. What is the reason, purpose, or benefit of accomplishing the goal? What is the result (not activities leading up to the result) of the goal?
Time-bound. What is the established completion date?
Revised Goal:
PLAN YOUR JOURNEY
Plan your time effectively and make challenges that will lead you to your goal.
Divide the time you have to get the goal into months and weeks. Once you progress, you can start with days.
Write down a list of your monthly physical RULES that will help you get the goal you want to achieve.
Write down a list of your weekly physical RULES that will help you achieve your goal.
List your monthly NUTRITIONAL RULES.
List your weekly NUTRITIONAL RULES.
Knowing what you need to do each month and week will help you to head towards your goal without any distractions as the plan is already set and all you need to do monthly and weekly is tick the RULES that have been followed and done.
WORKOUTS
Once you have a goal and a plan on how you will achieve that goal, the next important step is to know what you will need to do with your body physically. What are the most effective workouts for you and your goal?How many times per week you should work out? Do you need more cardio? Do you need to start using weights? Many questions need to be answered to start.
I will list the most effective ways to burn fat and give an example of a workout routine.
INTERVAL TRAINING: is physical training consisting of alternating periods of high- and low-intensity activity. The best example of this would be sprints. You sprint for 30 seconds and rest 1 min/ 30 seconds, depending on your ability to perform this exercise. The time of course may vary to every individual, some may be able to sprint for longer and rest less while others will have to reduce the sprinting time and increase the rest time. If you include a 30 minutes of interval training twice a week, you’re on the right track!
WEIGHT TRAINING: is physical training that involves lifting weights. The best way to train with weights is to concentrate on your SET’s and REP’s. To start with, concentrate on doing 3 sets of about 10-12 repetitions. Make sure the weight is appropriate for you. To know your weight, keep in mind that on the last repetition you should be struggling.
BODYWEIGHT TRAINING: is physical training that involves working only by using your own body. The best way to train with your own body is to complete about 3-6 SETS of your maximum that you can do. This will very much vary depending on an individual capability.
NUTRITION
Your macronutrient intake has to be sorted in order for your muscles to develop and become strong and powerful. Without the right nutrients it is extremely hard to tone your muscles properly. When we talk about nutrition you have to always remember that your diet should be divided into:
CARBOHYDRATES: 40%
Remember to concentrate on unrefined carbohydrates. Meaning that they are in their natural form such as wholemeal and wholegrain products, vegetables and fruits.
PROTEINS: 25-30%
Protein does not mean that you will become big. Foods that are high in protein help us with hormone production, growth, maintenance and repair of body tissue.
FATS: 25-30%
You may be wondering, why do we need to eat so much fat, when we want to lose fat? I understand, but you should only concentrate on reducing the ‘BAD FATS’ and start consuming the ‘GOOD FATS’ since they are very important and have key functions in our bodies such as; formation of virtually cell membranes, formation of the myelin sheath within the nervous system and protection of internal hormones. Your main consumption of fats should come from;
If you concentrate on these 4 stages and go through them in as much detail as possible and choose the right option for you, I promise you will reach your goals! May take some time at first but nothing amazing in life comes easy. To feel great, strong and powerful you will need courage, discipline and motivation but I promise the results will make you feel incredible! Good luck, and let me know how your story will begin and where you are willing to stop!
