Get Fit Get Lean

Are you getting the most out of the time that you are spending exercising? Surprisingly, if you answered honestly to yourself, many of you would have to say no. How can that be? You show up, you do the work, you lift the weights. So why aren’t you getting the results? It could be because you are missing something in your fitness plan.

[This picture has nothing to do with fitness or this post. I saw it and I burst out laughing. Is that a UFO on her head? Or is it some kind of pan? Nice legs though.]

To get the most out of what you are doing look over these 10 Rules Of Fitness. Are you missing any? If you are that could be the reason that you have hit a plateau, regressed or feel frustrated with your current situation. But fear not. Your situation is not lost. Identify what is missing and add that element or elements into what you are doing. 

Here are The 10 Rules Of Fitness:

1. Nutrition: What you eat become the building blocks of your body. Focus on eating real, whole foods – not processed – as much as possible. Lean meats (grass fed if possible), eggs, fish, lots of vegetables, fresh fruit, healthy fats and some nuts/seeds. Avoid sugar, processed foods and grains.

2. Reason: The reason you are exercising has to be personal and determined by you. Make sure you are doing it for the right reasons. Be selfish here. Do it because you want to do, not because someone else wants you to. Just identify what it is – better health, improved quality of life, to physically look good – and be honest with yourself why.

3. Schedule: Plan out when you are going to exercise and stick to that schedule. Think of each workout as mini maintenance session for your body. Stick to the schedule and your body will function better and better.

4. Consistency: Commit to working out 3-5 days a week and then do it. One week on and one week off is not consistent. Follow the schedule (rule #3) you set with clock like precision. Be unfailing in your efforts week in and week out. If you are consistent you’ll make progress because you won’t quit.

5. Rest: Don’t forget to rest! Your body can get worn down if you let it. Try and get at least 7-8 hours of sound sleep each night. I mean in total darkness, no television on. And schedule some off time in your workouts too. You can’t workout 7 days a week for a year. Listen to your body and rest a day when needed.

6. Diversity: Don’t do the same thing everyday! Variety is the spice of life and it is also key in a fitness program. Your body needs to be challenged with new exercises, routines and the unknown. Constantly add new exercises, try new sports and mix up the order that you exercise. Keep your body guessing to what is coming next.

7. Intensity: Like I mentioned before, the level of intensity you use while you are exercising is critical. Too much and you could get injured. Not enough and your workout will be worthless. Exercising at a 7-9 level (out of 10) of intensity makes sure you break a sweat and makes your body work harder.

8. Stretching: Don’t forget to warm up and cool down before you exercise. All it takes is five minutes before you start exercising to get your body warmed up and ready to go. Afterwards use the cool down time to work on those problem areas and gain flexibility. This can help increase your range of motion and help you prevent injuries.

9. Patience: Think of your level of fitness as a race. It is more like a marathon than a sprint. You are not going to get into ideal shape in a week, month or even a year. So don’t get impatient with your results. Give yourself time to get the results you want. Don’t try and do it all in week and wonder why you haven’t succeeded yet. Patience grasshopper!

10. Fun: Make sure you are having enjoying what you are doing! Working out may be difficult but it should not be a burden. You’ll stick with it longer when you enjoy what you are doing. Try a new class, play a new sport or just play tag with the kids. Turn it into a game to make it entertaining. Keep it fun and you’ll keep at it longer.

Evaluate Yourself And See What You Can Do To Improve

Take 10 minutes and evaluate what you may be missing from this list. If you find one or two things, think about how you can add them into your current routine. It may be something as simple as getting more rest that will help get you to the next level. Having an idea of what is not there can help you identify what needs to be there.