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… RUN FOREST…RUN!…

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In 2015 what is it that you want to accomplish?

C’mon…think realistically.

Yes, everyone wants to do the cliche “Lose weight”… “Eat healthy”…”Be more active”. Those are all great goals! But…I challenge you to be more specific.

I am not saying that you have to run a marathon.  Or complete a Tough Mudder.  But, what is it that you REALLY want to do?

I saw this question on a friends facebook status and it evoked a lot of thoughts and questions that I started to ask myself. In 2014 I accomplished every physical goal that I set for myself.  So now what do I strive for in 2015?

Losing weight

This is always a sensitive subject for me and for the clients that I work with. I try to challenge all of my clients to STOP weighing themselves.  YES STOP IT! So many people let the numbers on the scale define who they are or the type of progress they are making.  The number on the scale is NOT a true indication of your success.  There are so many other things that you can monitor and track that are more beneficial and more accurate.  Things like the inches you are losing around your waist…or your body fat percentage.  We have to recondition our minds to think of other variables as valuable tools to help us track our progress.

Setting realistic goals

I challenge all of my clients to find something to work towards.  Something that is not a number that can be traced by a scale.  Some people pick a local 5k, an obstacle race, or some other endurance event.  Some people pick things such as wanting to be able to lift a certain amount of weight, being able to jump a certain height, or being able to sustain a certain exercise for a length of time.  These are all great REALISTIC goals.  You have to find something that you want to do and something that you can continue to work towards.

Lifestyle change

Reaching your goals is about making a lifestyle change.  It is not about a 30….60….90 day challenge that you can accomplish and then go back to your old habits.  Working towards your goals should allow you to understand and adopt healthier habits that you can carry with you even after you create your goal.  These habits include things such as learning what types of meal options to pick from when you go out to eat, what types of food to purchase and keep around the house (especially when you have a sweet tooth), setting a routine that will allow you stay active.  You have to adopt a new lifestyle to reach your goals and to continue to move past them.  Nothing makes my heart cry unless I have a client that works so hard for a month or so and then they revert back to their old habits and lose all of the progress that they made.  Just because you reach your goals does not mean you stop.  KEEP GOING! Set new goals and keep crushing them! It is about consistency and moving forward.

Rewards

This is my FAVORITE part about setting goals.  Setting a reward to have when you reach those goals. Some people do not like the idea of rewarding your efforts to reach your goal. But, I do!  Why not allow yourself something you have wanted after you work 30…60…90 days towards a goal.  I actually use my fitness goals as a way to build towards my savings goal.  Each week I will also set aside a certain amount of money (you can read about it HERE).  Set aside money while you work towards your goals. When you reach your goals, you will have money to use towards your reward.  So it is a win-win situation!

Getting healthy and fit is not something that will happen over night.  You will have times where you will want to relax and not workout.  There will be days you will want to indulge in some food that is not apart of your healthy eating plan. The struggle will be to keep fighting on the days that you are wanting to give up.  The struggle will be sacrificing happy hour with your friends with time in the gym.  You do not have to give up everything but, you will have to find a balance.  Yes, YOU CAN DO IT!

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…5 Minute Squat Challenge…

I saw this challenge by one of my favorite fitness gurus CT Fletcher.

He challenged people to put some weight on…and just squat….for 5 minutes…. NON STOP!

TALK.ABAOUT.A.BURN!!!!

I of course wanted to do my squat challenge with a twist.  I added some weight to my ruck sack and started squatting. Let me tell you…when I was done, I had to sit down and relax for a few minutes before I could stand up again.  I felt a deep and throbbing burn minutes event after I was done with the squats.

Let me break it down for you…

SQUATS:

There are various ways to perform a squat.  You can do a front squat, regular back squat, sumo squat, pistol squat, siff squat, dumbbell squat, plate squat, goblet squats, squat jumps, any many more.

The benefits to squatting and produce chiseled and nicely sculpted legs and glutes (also known as your BUTT!).  When you squat (or lift weights in general) your body will release hormones that will aid in muscle growth. The hormones are then circulated through your body which can then lead to the building and development of other parts of your body.  So in an essence, squatting promotes a full body workout if done correctly.  Squatting can help to also promote core strength via strengthening your core and back. It can also help to improve your balance, along with various other benefits.

Squatting is a great exercise for you to incorporate into your weight lifting routine.  BUT BE CAUTIOUS! You would want to seek the guidance of a health care professional when attempting to do this.  You do not want to improperly do these exercises as it can result in injuries.

So this is what I challenge YOU to do.

Ruck up…and SQUAT! Squat steady, slow, and deep for 5 straight minutes.  See how well you are able to maintain your composure throughout this 5 minute exercise.  I would suggest doing this at the end of your scheduled leg day lifting routine.  Trust me…

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…Fitness: One Step At a Time…

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The first step to reaching your goals is acknowledging that there needs to be a change. You need to realize that your current habits and life style are not healthy for you (and possibly not healthy for your family). Why do you want to get more active? Why do you want to lose additional weight? Your answer to those questions should be to improve your overall lifestyle.  Investing in your health NOW can help you to sustain a healthy and active lifestyle when you are older.  People who remain active at an older age tend to have less health problems and remain mobile for longer than most elderly people.

Start one step at a time:

The best way is to slowly start to incorporate healthy habits into your life.  For example try to add things week by week…or bi-weekly.  For the next two weeks try to drink more water….cook your own lunch instead of ordering fast food…walking or biking to work instead of driving…taking the stairs instead of the elevator.  Then you can add more things (and you can also possibly include a friend or get your family involved!) Try to walk for a certain amount of time when you get home in the evening. Do a workout routine while you watch your favorite shows (and take a water break when the commercials come on).  Getting into a routine can be easy if you incorporate healthy activities with your current routine!

No Gym? No Problem:

You do not have to be a member of a gym to start working towards your goals.  You can find numerous at home workouts that can be done.  You can use common house hold items as weights (such as gallon water jugs, filling backpacks with rocks or sand, stairs, etc.).  People are unaware of all of the resources that they already have at home that they do not have to go and purchase!

Eating is the main battle:

Get your eating habits on track and the inches and weight will start to melt away!! It is amazing how many people are eating improperly! And truthfully, a lot of people are not eating ENOUGH food! YES YOU NEED FOOD to fuel your body and to help you shed that extra weight. If you are not eating enough it can hinder or halt weight loss. Try to eat more protein and balance your diet with fresh fruits and vegetables.

In reality it will take 6-8 weeks before you can start to see results.  So the other key to success is to stay persistent and BE PATIENT! It will take time!!! Find things that will keep you motivated.  Try to find mini goals to obtain throughout your whole journey. The more fun you have with your journey the less stressful it will be!

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