I’m pleased to say that those members that are missing a bit of the next fitness bootcamp or clients that are having a week or two away from their personal training have been asking me the same question.

What should I do while I’m away?

From a personal point of view this is really great because not only are waistlines changing for the better but so are the attitudes of these men and women because they don’t just like the look in the mirror but the way they are thriving in their new approach to health and fitness.

Don’t get me wrong - they are going on holiday to have a fun time and while a couple may be a little concerned about taking too many steps backward; the majority simply want to maintain their new found fitness so that its there when they start again and perform a few burpees or the kettle snatch test : )

My view is that you can both enjoy your holiday and do some exercise at the same time without feeling you have to devote a lot of time at the sacrifice of your holiday. This will also allow you to be guilt free of having a few more dinner treats and glasses of sangria!

So in order to have an ace holiday and not come back feeling like you’re carry more extra luggage than whats in the suitcase; here’s some tips I would advise.

1 - Drink plenty of water. In hot climates you’re going to need it more than ever and it will stop you getting silly on alcohol and sweet stuff.

2 - Exercise first thing in the morning to rev up your metabolism straight away. I’ve given clients some actual programs to do on request; the principles of which have been

3 - Work pretty much non-stop for 20 minutes using big movement bodyweight exercises. If your hotel has a gym forget it! Most of them are broken and unsafe. If they’re good and you’re the sort pf person that will use correctly then go for it but this advice is more geared for those that need the break and are just looking to maintain with quick effective programs that they can do anywhere.

One example would be like using the Tabata Method of 20 seconds work followed by 10 seconds rest for a period of 4 minutes using 1 exercise or more. Here is an example of the system in practice

There are other methods (some more videos coming soon) that vary what you are doing but the take away points are that it is going to be a short and intense routine that will have you burning calories all day long!

4 - Don’t get carried away with your drinking. Its fair to say that while you are away the exercise you do (in the correct way) will be beneficial but will not wipe the slate clean of any excesses. My clients now that and so should you. If your idea of holiday is to go crazy with alcohol then be warned; I’ve seen guys and girls put on over half a stone.

5 - Summer holidays are usually quite active for many with some swimming or team sports as options. Something is better than nothing but do your 20 minute burst in the morning first. If you go swimming; try some fast laps, slow laps tempo.

6 - This blog post is geared towards those that have been training hard so use the time to recover and focus on doing some flexibility work and getting plenty of rest. No athlete performs at the highest level for 52 weeks so why should you? At our Didsbury Bootcamp we have 4 weeks of intense and progressive training and then a de-load week; not disimilar to any approach I have with a local footballer to name one client. This ensures better performance across time and less injury for the athlete and it’s just the same for the office worker as well.

Overall; as I’ve said to clients; enjoy your holiday and don’t go crazy and miserable by depriving yourself of a good time. Your mindset will be better for the break regardless of how well you’ve been doing and you’ll come back rejuvenated for all aspects of your lifestyle that then contribute towards your health and physique.

Think of your long term health (and goals) and not just the short term and you’ll usually find a good balance that still results in an amazing fortnight away and feeling good about yourself when you get off that plane; even if it is cold and damp!

“Hi Mike - hope you’re having a good weekend? Just thought I’d let you know that I ran a half marathon today in 1hr 56mins - a PB at half marathon distance for me by miles. I found the pace I ran fairly comfortable throughout the race with no points where I felt I was struggling - in fact I’m pretty sure I sped up in the last hour as I kept taking over people right through the second part of the race. Also recovery is way better than normal - I feel almost fine now and only finished the race at about 12:30pm. Thanks so much - a massive part of this is down to Bootcamp and following your nutrition advice!”

I get messages or have conversations like this a lot from members of bootcamp, coaching clients and others who use my recommendations. Over the last couple of months especially; I’ve had similar messages and conversations with people that have changed their approach to training for a long distance run whether it be from a fun runner competing in anything over a 10k or a more serious runner/triathlete competing in their chosen event and as a result have made even more progress in their chosen event.

On the other side of the fence I have also had discussions and experiences with those that are doing what I would call “old school” type training for any of these 10k, half and full marathon events whereby it pretty much ALL consists of long slow runs of varying distances. This can vary from 1-2 runs a week of trying to just up the amount of time spent jogging or the distance covered to the “short, medium and long” runs that many running magazines or internet sites advocate when you are doing your first long distance run.

In an overwhelming majority of these cases; the same people have also complained of injury, pain, discomfort and a lack of progress. I’m talking about problems with the knee and ankle especially and sometimes back discomfort of varying degrees from aches to painful symptoms that prevent training.

That might seem quite staggering when you think that the law of specificity says that in order to get any better in any activity; you must practice that skill. What I am about to tell you is that while running should 100% be part of your training regime when getting ready for any event described; it should not be your overwhelming deciding factor as to how you train and then how well you perform and recover. Your running component of a training regime is still required to build up an aerobic capacity and tolerance in the discipline but it should not have the time and volume that you think it should in order to perform better.

At this point I’ll give a quick mention to two other groups that practice a lot of running. First off; many people that try to lose weight and get into shape will head to the streets and the treadmill. People reading this that fall into this category will also benefit from what I’m about to say. Again I have loads of stories of people who have changed their training regime to fit this goal but we are not going to be talking about revving up the metabolism or working with stress to maximise fat loss.

The second group is any other athlete or sportsperson; amateur or professional that may do a lot of runs in or out of season to improve fitness and performance. While what I’m discussing is definitely more relevant to these groups than the fat loss population; it is runners specifically that I’m talking about.

Most “old school” practices of fitness and performance via running will do one thing all the time – to up the volume more and more within a run and across a series of runs over a given training cycle but what this does in my experience is put more and more stress on joints that do not recover leading first of all to less mobility in the ankle.

As a kinetic chain specialist I know this triggers events further up the skeleton that leads to more discomfort in the knee and lower back which become more mobile and rigid respectively. What you infact see is a complete reversal in what the functionality of each joint should be.

An ankle joint that should be mobile becomes rigid and stable – tight and less functional

A knee joint that should be stable tries to become more mobile and painful

The lumbar area (lower back) that should be relatively stable becomes more mobile and painful

More discomfort and a lack of function in your proper bio-mechanics are not exactly going to get you to perform better!

Furthermore; while “old school” runs and jogs will make you fitter there are far better ways to improve your time/ability to cover a distance that mean less road time and less chance of acute and chronic injury.

I come across lots of studies in my research that show other forms of training outside of “old school” training are far superior when it comes to promoting greater levels of fitness and results and while my time in the trenches using the tools I’ll tell you about in a moment with my clientele show beyond doubt how successful they are; here are some excerpts from a couple of those reviews/studies.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18978605

J Strength Cond Res. 2008 Nov;22(6):2036-44.

The effects of resistance training on endurance distance running performance among highly trained runners: a systematic review.

The purpose of this review was to search the body of scientific literature for original research addressing the effects of concurrent resistance and endurance training (CT) on distance running performance in highly competitive endurance runners.

Five studies met inclusion criteria: highly trained runners (>or= 30 mile x wk(-1) or >or= 5 d x wk(-1)), CT intervention for a period >or= 6 weeks, performance distance between 3K and 42.2K.

Four of the five studies employed sport-specific, explosive resistance training, whereas one study used traditional heavy weight resistance training. Two of the five studies measured 2.9% improved performance (3K and 5K), and all five studies measured 4.6% improved running economy (RE; range = 3-8.1%). After critically reviewing the literature for the impact of CT on high-level runners, we conclude that resistance training likely has a positive effect on endurance running performance or RE.

Reading between the lines; advanced athletes were getting significant gains so what would that mean for everyone else where their potential is rarely reached as much as the population studied here.

A study performing tests on a bike showed greater increases in VO2 Max (oxygen uptake and how fitness is measured) from groups performing short intervals of a high intensity with short periods of rest between while regular endurance training showed an increase but not as much.

And the best study I’ve seen from 10 years ago showed that combining resistance and endurance for periods of high intensity followed by periods of rest again had far superior improvements in VO2 Max and performance than either long slow distance or hard endurance training alone.

I could go on (I’ll probably post a few links in the comments section); I have several more studies that look at both males and females; average Joes and Jane’s and the athlete and the results were all the same as what I experience on a weekly basis; that to improve endurance and performance you must train the muscular system intensely.

The improvements like the lady at the top of this article are common news these days and for a lot of people it also is important to understand that far less time is required with far less incidence of injury occurring because of the drop in jogging time.

Resistance training for the muscular system can be conducted using bodyweight and free weights to work muscle strength and anaerobic endurance. In a perfect set of circumstances I would train both in a way that we commonly refer to metabolic resistance training (repeated periods of hard work and rest intervals) and also testing closer to maximal strength (where free weights are the preferred method because bodyweight may not be enough).

Further tips would be to big movements that work the whole body including the posterior chain (bums and back of thigh) and the core region. This could be in the form of one exercise (for strength) to supersets and circuits (for anaerobic endurance).

Performing high intensity interval training in traditional cardio exercises like running and cycling as well as bodyweight drills will be far superior to performing a short, medium and long run (or lots of regular distance runs) and reduce impact on the joints by paying more attention to the muscular system. I would obviously still perform some running to build up tolerance and distance but I’ve seen that by using more resistance training as described; any person will start to perform these runs faster and with a better style that promotes an efficient use of the whole muscular system; in particular the posterior chain of glutes and hamstrings with less impact on the lower back region.

Like I say; these methods have not just come from research but been tried and tested in the trenches with client and camp members ranging from fun runners to serious club runners and from footballers to hockey players and from a triathlete to a first time marathon runner and even myself.

The time for traditional cardio training like running is fast becoming a poorer, less informed choice when we can get more benefit and progress from forms of training that place less joint stress because of fewer repetitions, require less time and get more results.

PS Registration for next months bootcamp is almost over. Whether you want to lose inches or improve your 10k time; your first 4 weeks at Manchesters finest fitness bootcamp will get results quicker than anything else you’ve ever done.

One principle I always adhere to is to invest in myself. As the owner of a personal training company and fitness bootcamp business that specialises in getting people into shape I need to get results quickly and more recently have spent over £1000 working with one of my mentors; the majority of which has been on nutrition.

And I can say that I have learnt a lot of stuff in the last couple of years and also more recently to obtain unstoppable fat loss, a quicker return from any injury both in sports and general and to also improve performance; again both for sports and for the desk jockey.

BUT I can also say that some things never change

You cannot out train a bad diet… Approximately 70-80% of your results come from an optimal nutrition plan that allows you to utilise fat tissue as energy.

Jogging is very ineffective in successful fat loss. I actually do utilise a slow run for other reasons such as elevated cortisol levels but if used as the primary source of exercise you will end up with bad posture, a bad back, lack of lean muscle density and excessive fat stores.

Resistance training to increase muscle tone (note – this is not the same as muscle growth) is vitally important to burn more calories at rest; elevate your metabolic rate and live a healthy lifestyle

Having a carefully thought out goal has been found to be the big difference between success and failure. No direction equals no idea which usually equals no results. A strong enough goal with tied in emotions equals strong positive thoughts which will equal better action and better results

Doing it on your own is a lot tougher and a lot of the time leads to lack of accountability in taking action and making excuses. Being part of a good natured, positive community makes it so much easier

Like I say; I’ve got loads of very specific tools in my box but it’s fair to say that a large proportion of successes to failures can be directed back to one of these categories.

Get the basic principles right and your success is virtually assured!

Or are your principles not so clever?

PS Get all these principles and more at our next bootcamp in Didsbury starting this Monday. I’d love to see more new faces taking positive action and making massive change to their body and health.

Just see what new camper Elaine has sent to me this morning.

“If I don’t get the chance to say on Wednesday I’d like to say what an incredibly life-changing experience this has been for me.  Not only has my body shape changed in just 4 weeks but I feel so much healthier and I have to admit that I was really not looking forward to the diet side but have really enjoyed it.  Thank you very much.  I know it is your job and all but you are very committed and I appreciate what your expertise, training and enthusiasm has done for me so thank you.”

]]> http://www.thebodyplanner.com/blog/2010/06/15/manchester-fat-loss-coach-say-methods-may-get-better-but-principles-rarely-change/feed/ http://www.thebodyplanner.com/blog/2010/02/23/an-important-message-to-beating-injury/ http://www.thebodyplanner.com/blog/2010/02/23/an-important-message-to-beating-injury/#comments Tue, 23 Feb 2010 12:39:56 +0000 bodyplanner http://www.thebodyplanner.com/blog/?p=458

The other day I got asked this question by one of my more recent personal training clients.

“Can we go over some back strengthening exercises?”

The member in question has never had any serious lower back problems but her lifestyle and activity choices prior to us starting always seemed to cause her some grief in the lower back region resulting in some aches and pains.

This situation (and pre-conceived solution) is a popular one in the people I see and many others around the world and I’ve solved them with the same solution time and time again but it was after watching a seminar by Mike Boyle that it became so glaringly obvious in the way it needs to be communicated to the masses.

“Anytime a muscle is injured look for a weak synergist”

(For those that are wondering what a synergist is – see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synergist)

Mike actually got this quote from a therapist called Shirley Sharman and I have to agree with what he says that this is one of the smartest, short sentences that I have ever read and explains a problem so succinctly. As a Kinetic Chain Assessor this is the type of issue that I am always dealing with and explaining to my clients and athletes as to how we need to address it to get a long term solution instead of a short term one only.

The common problem in athletes and clients is that the focus is normally made on the point of origin of pain. If there is pain in the back, let’s look at the back, if there is pain in the knee, let’s look at the knee when many of these cases would be solved by looking at other problem areas like the glutes, hip complex and ankles for the respective conditions. This also explains why conditions repeat themselves because the issues with the synergists that have never been rectified continue to cause problems and result in more back pain, knee pain and so on.

This is very true for problems that result in the visit to a physician and what Mike calls the trauma model. If we have a real accident or injury to a knee like a ACL tear or a broken leg then the trauma model will apply a surgical solution which makes perfect sense. What doesn’t make sense is the application of the above model for what we call overuse injuries like a sore knee or back etc.

In such cases there has been no “car crash” effect as I like to call it and has simply come on over the weeks, months or even years and has resulted in some degree of pain which in the case of the back could be discomfort like my client or a bulging disc to give one example of a worst case scenario.

In these cases, most physicians will still use the trauma based model when to quote another therapist, Gray Cook - “Any time a joint is injured or painful, look above or below.”

From my experience in dealing with this gradual onset type overuse injuries/complaints, the vast majority of them will go away by dealing with the joints and muscles that surround the complaint. As Mike says, “A muscle very rarely gets hurt because it is weak. It gets hurt because it is doing someone else’s job”.

So in light of one of the most common problems in the world these days and as demonstrated by this recent client of mine, low back pain is not resolved by strengthening the lower back. This area is already doing a lot more work than it needs to be and instead look at the muscle and joint region surrounding the hip for starters.

In this specific case the front thing was tight and the back of the thigh and glutes were weak in comparison.

I would however go a step further than what Mike alluded to and assess other regions which is why the Kinetic Chain Assessment is so good and also look at ankle mobility and gait to name 2 other common causes of low back pain. (Mike may have meant this but his examples specifically looked at the joint directly below).

So whether your discomfort is a short term ache like my client above or something more serious but has come about via a gradual onset, remember these smart phrases…

“Anytime a muscle is injured look for a weak synergist”

“Any time a joint is injured or painful, look above or below.”

“A muscle very rarely gets hurt because it is weak. It gets hurt because it is doing someone else’s job”.

Some people are already becoming less motivated about what they are trying to achieve in 2010, and we’re only about 8% of the way through the year!

What they wanted to change is not happening either because they’re just not too sure what the true cost is or they just wanted it to happen miracously without paying that cost!

What seemed important isn’t as important now or at least that’s what they’re telling themselves. When digging deeper, its more because of their huge confidence and faith in not achieving what they want because it’s too hard.

If they do know what the cost is such as training with resistance, eating healthy and performing metabolic routines, then the effort to do these things doesn’t quite make that goal as appealing…..at least not until just before summer when they will want another miracle to happen or same time next year just before 2011 when they yet again promise that this year “will be diffferent”.

Another one I’ve heard is that “something has come up” and I’ll get back on it next month or soon as I can. While there can be life changing events that we all have to deal with I’m talking about the ones that could be considered barriers but not ones that could not be resolved; but instead they choose to use the same excuses that were probably there last year and the year before rather than identify whether there is a solution that fits their time restraints, motivation and current levels of knowledge on all subjects related to their health, fitness and well-being.

Now I’m not saying all this to tell you, “I told you so”. If this does in some way reflect whats happened so far this year and you can relate to any of the above situations, then I’m here to help and tell you that there’s a better way that improves yourchances of success by at least 500%.

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve talked about why resolutions, wish lists and SMART goals just don’t do you any justice and I’ll share with you what I go through with personal training clients and bootcamp members.

And initially its as simple as 4 steps. While there are more developed programs I’ll use, this is as effective as anything else I’ve done and easy to maintain as well.

The 4 steps are…

1 - Know what you want

2 - Know why you want it

3 - Know what the cost is to you

4 - Pay that cost

1 - Know WHAT you want

Be SPECIFIC, Know EXACTLY what you want to achieve.

If you don’t know EXACTLY what you want to achieve, how will you know whether you have achieved it or not. And if you have something to aim for, you are more like to go after it because it has DIRECTION, there is a VISUAL aim.

Give it a time also.

A goal is SPECIFIC and EXCITING and has a DEADLINE that means you have a TARGET to aim for. Vague goals on the other hand have left you with allowances for making excuses that get you no where and before you know it, it will be summer when you wanted to be in fabulous shape or the end of the year where you’re left scratching your head wondering where the time went and what went wrong.

2 - Know WHY you want it

Think about your above goal and why you want it.

I don’t mean becasue you want to look better or feel better about yourself.

Be prepared to dig deeper and find the true emotion around it and what is honestly driving you.

Is there vanity involved? Is it emotional to you such as you want to feel pretty or you want a better relationship? Be prepared to peel and peel away until you find what truly inspires you and is far more powerful than I just want to look better and feel pretty good about myself.

If you’re not being truly honest about why the goal is important by continuing to ask yourself WHY at each answer, then you’re not finding the true reason. If you can’t explain it, then expect to fail!

3 - Know The Cost

This is the part that most people fail on. I’m sure you’re aware of what you should and should not be doing. The mistake is not reaffirming it as part of your goals. This is pretty powerful stuff when it comes to making lots and lots of good decisions on a daily basis both big and small. Other wise it is pretty easy to convince yourself that “I’ll start again on Monday” or “I had a hard day at work”.

What is the cost?

It may be financial? Coaching, better foods (though that isn’t always more expensive if you’re saving on excessive amounts of bad foods and drink), good supplements.

It may be time? The exercise you do and the meals you prepare, the education you undergo.

Or it may be the sacrifices you are going to have to make. Putting in EXTRA effort when you workout, not drinking alcohol or eating crisps.

Whatever it is, be honest enough to appreciate what you have to change. At the very least you can then decide whether the cost is worth taking for that goal which was so important to you a few minutes ago.

To some respect its what analysts would call a cost-benefit analysis and then deciding if all the benefits outweight the costs to get there.

4 - Pay The Cost

The goal has been written, you have a truly powerful reason why you want to achieve it and you fully understand what it will take to get there.

Now YOU DO IT!

That’s right, from now on you start to pay the price.

This isn’t a one off. To get to your BIG EXCITING goal is to take little bits of ACTION EVERY DAY as defined by your costs

and continue to pay the price until you have achieved that goal!

If you write down all these 4 steps into a series of paragraphs that you can read 2-3 times a day and reaffirm them all, then your chances of succeeding go up massively. Infact, using the word chance makes it sound like a gamble. If you set out your 4 step goal achievement action plan and stay with it each day you are infact NOT leaving it to chance and the targets you have set are there for the taking!

I really hope you at least try this as laid out in as much detail as I can without making it war and peace. I use this same system on myself in various parts of my life with great success so I urge you to do the same.

Next I’ll be adding some little hints and tips on how to make them even more powerful.

Good luck in making 2010 your year!

Mike

]]> http://www.thebodyplanner.com/blog/2010/01/27/4-step-success-plan-for-goals-in-2010/feed/ http://www.thebodyplanner.com/blog/2010/01/18/your-personal-trainer-isnt-so-smart/ http://www.thebodyplanner.com/blog/2010/01/18/your-personal-trainer-isnt-so-smart/#comments Mon, 18 Jan 2010 17:45:46 +0000 bodyplanner http://www.thebodyplanner.com/blog/?p=445 Last week I tore apart the significance of setting resolutions and why as a method they suck for achieving goals that you really, really desire.

If you need a reminder, have another look here

Probably the most popular method of setting goals are using the SMART method and I’ll be honest and say I’ve used them in the past and still use aspects of them now but my problem with SMART is that they don’t take you the whole journey and leave you broken down on the side of the road waiting for assistance again.

In short….SMART sucks!

That’s why I have used the QUEST method for some time now and can honestly say that it is far more productive and successful in goal achievement. I use it for my Personal Training clients and I use it for myself in business and my own personal fitness and find it far easier to manage.

Q is about ‘Q’ualifying your goal, what you want to achieve. Part of this is to have a goal that excites the pants off you when you visualise that you have achieved it. What’s exciting about losing 7 pounds in 2 months if you could achieve 20 pounds.

In the way SMART goals are specific, a QUEST goal will also be specific with dates and also be measureable in some way but it does not have to be realistic. Realistic goals are not exciting goals and anything that inspires you is a lot more likely to influence you into taking good actions than a goal that allows you to wander.

And so what if you do not achieve it! Using the above example would you rather achieve 7 pounds weight loss or 18 pounds? When you look at it like that it’s a no brainer.

So while a QUEST goal is attainable (because it shouldn’t be something as ridiculous as lose 90lbs in a month), you’ll be amazed at what exactly attainable can be, just let it excite you rather than be realistic and boring.

So in explaining what Q is, the whole of a SMART goal has been analysed!
It is specific
It is measureable
It is attainable or not depending on how you define attainable as some will also say achievable and the difference between that and realistic is confusing enough and makes SMART a waste of time right there!
It is timely, it has deadlines!

The POWER in QUEST goal setting is what you then do next…

U is “U”nderstanding the goal, WHY is it so important. Lets face it - most people are closed doors when it comes to sharing their emotions publicly but one thing you SHOULD 100% do is understand the TRUTH behind why you want to achieve the goal. The REAL TRUTH is a lot more emotional that “I just want to look good” because, beg my pardon….that is rubbish.

I have gone through this process time after time and I would be that rich man if I had a penny for each time I heard that one. But for every time I heard it and continued to ask WHY, we got to the REAL reason why the weight loss, fat loss is so important, so much so that in some cases it has been a pretty overwhelming experience for that person but at the same time a very exciting one because they finally came clean to themselves (with me) as to WHY the goal is so important.

EMOTION triggers a lot more DESIRE and ACTION than no emotion at all so UNDERSTAND WHY achieving the goal will be so great.

E is to “E”ducate the cost of achieving that goal. BIG, EXCITING goals should have a bit of fear in them (becasue thats what happens when you care) but not to the point where you it is preventing you from taking action because from the start you have no doubt that you cannot achieve it.

Instead, understand the price that you have to pay to achieve that goal.
Whether that is with a professional like me or not, educate yourself about the changes and sacrifices you will have to make. If the goal is that important and exciting and inspiring, then taking action against what you have defined is much, much easier and straightforward to the point that it does not become a sacrifice because the goal is so important.

S is to “S”toke the fire.
Regular goal achievement fails because you don’t continue to repeat a process that stirs up excitement in your body. QUEST looks at using methods like the “4 steps to goal achievement” on a daily basis to stir up your emotions like it originally did when you set the goal. Too many times, I’ve seen goals go ignored for long periods so theres not emotion and no action!

T is to “T”est the goal and evaluate the importance of it and the progression towards it.
When you get closer to a goal you can become lazy because you’re nearly there. Nothing wrong with that when you’re hitting an amazing, exciting goal but to save time, continue to evaluate it’s importance to you on that date because it may be worth chalking it off as done and setting a new goal that does stirs the same emotions up in the present tense.

I’ve done this with training clients who have still achieved the original goal but sooner and started to progress towards their new one.

Obviously, if on testing the goal has no importance anymore, change it immediately. The other features of this method should however ensure that is not the case.

And you must test your progress by measuring against the original goal and ensure you are going in the right direction. This builds further accountability in what you’re doing instead of playing a game of Chance! The costs you have previously identified should prevent this.

I recommend to all bootcamp members that they go through this process as soon as possible after joining and at least once a month from there. After 2-3 weeks away from face to face communication, all my Personal Training clients are HAVING to do this and not one has come back disappointed.

They are inspired, focused and excited about the progress they WILL make in 2010!

Are You?

Then get rid of your resolutions because they suck and program you to fail!

We’ve all gone through the same process at the end of one year and the start of a next and taking some time to think about what we want to do this year and how things will be different but inevitably everything pans out the same and the levels of success attained are not as great as the original aspiration.

Of course we’ll focus on all things health and fitness but the same goes for all areas of your life - career, personal, relationships, adventure, finances…and the list goes on.

I’ve seen it on Facebook more evidently in the last 2 weeks with 1 or 2 people I know in various industries shouting about how 2010 will be “the year”, “their year” and how “it is going to be a very exciting year and time for massive change”

(which reminds me - why do so many people wait until the start of a year to make these promises and not get around to making change as soon as possible. Just supposing me, you or anyone fails our resolutions in say March, why wait till 2011 to start again!)

I can see that the same people are already getting into old habits by the nature of their more negative Facebook status updates. They don’t contain the same high hopes that they did a week or so ago and unfortunately I’m sure there will be more to come.

Don’t get me wrong - I have nothing wrong with resolutions as a starting point. It is a time of year when it is good to reflect on what you want to achieve and they can have a habit of being highly motivational, even if it is only for a short period. I just think there is a far better way to increase your chances of success and achieve more in the same space of time!

Here’s a few reasons why resolutions suck…

1 - There tends to be nothing specific about them. How do you know if you are succeeding if your resolution is to exercise more. Resolutions can be extremely vague, thats like going into a shop without any idea as to what you want to buy or going to an uncertain destination with no map, compass or sat nav!

2 - They do not exhibit any demonstration as to the reason WHY? All goal accomplishment programs, resolutions or otherwise are likely to go through periods of frustration and uncertainty and that positivity is likely to disappear so it is important to understand the WHYs as they help support the strong emotions attached to the goal and are more likely to result in positive action being taken more often, even in times of struggle. Resolutions do little to remind the individual as to why the task is so important. Less importance is likely to result in less action being taken.

The WHY can actually end up being the goal that is important. Exercising 3 times a week is not as important as perhaps losing 20lbs or hitting a size 10.

3 - Resolutions can be extremely unreasonable and inevitably lead to failure. Resolutions are usually set at times of euphoria and be something like I won’t drink for 3 months. Not a bad target to have and if you’re a regular at The Metropolitan then doing this will not only save a stash of cash but you’ll lose fat as well.

But what if you have a drink within the first month. You understand that to be failure when infact you still have plenty of opportunities to reinforce your decision and make good headway. The resolution in you is dead though which tends to lead to further poor decisions being made and resigning to failure.

4 - They lose importance to you because you never evaluate them. There is no measure to test whether you are going in the right direction or not.

5 - Goals in this format also become intimidating after they have been set. They are sat there in your mind, being evaluated as to whether they are possible or not. Resolutions start to become unachievable!

6 - Resolutions set this way in your head or on a piece of scrap paper tend to lose their appeal. This relates to not having important WHY’s but also the justifications that go on in your head that the goal that has become intimidating is now not so important and failing at an insignificant goal is okay. We know the truth but resolutions will set many up to fail this way.

First off, there is nothing wrong with failure but accepting failure in this environment generally means that there is no effort either and an acceptance of little to no chance.

7 - Resolutions never look at the cost; that is the factors required to achieve the goal. There will be some idea but no real acceptance of what is required. This inevitably leads to a “I’ll start next week” type attitude and before you know it the resolution has lost its importance…..until next month, the month after and before you know it, 2011 is around the corner and its time to wait till then!

Another interesting side note is that there are some people who can use this type of approach and succeed because the instinct to act on a resolution is contained deep inside and/or this approach has less fear in some cases. To that I say each to their own but I do know that for the massive majority it will not work and the 7 reasons above are highly significant for the reasons why they will not. In those few cases that it does work, I would argue that the time taken is far longer in which case their resolve and persistence to succeed are far greater than they would give themselves credit for.

For now, simply choose the opposite to what the majority do by…
1 - Being very specific about what you want to achieve
2 - Understand WHY you want to achieve it. Doing this step alone will help measure how important the goal is to you.
3 - Understand WHAT you will have to do in order to succeed. Again, be specific
4 - Have a goal that excites and inspires you. Does exercise inspire you or getting into the little black dress or being a certain size?
5 - Check your goal on a regular basis, are you getting closer or further, are your actions taking you closer or further?
6 - Remind yourself of your goals on a regular basis - Do they still appeal? If not, are there valid reasons and can the goal be replaced by a one that does inspire, have an importance and a big WHY.
7 - Do not be afraid of failure - Failing on a big, exciting and inspiring goal means achieving a lot more than a dull, lifeless goal with no ambition.

Next I’ll be having a go at why S.M.A.R.T. goals are not so smart and the real solution to goal achievement is to Q.U.E.S.T.

Laters

Mike

First off I just wanted to wish you all a very Happy New Year and I’m really looking forward to seeing my personal training and bootcamp members real soon. For the rest of you I look forward to hearing from you in 2010 and what exciting things you are up to!

I can guarantee that a lot of not all of you are right now thinking about how 2010 is going to be your best year yet as far as your health and fitness goes (as well as the rest of your life which has a dramatic impact on how successful your health and fitness is as well - more on that to come soon!) and why not!

You should be optimistic and positive but you should also know that those 2 things alone will not bring you what you want and it all boils down to how you ACT!!

Thats why joining bootcamp or having personal training or joining a club or gym is a good action to take but…
attending every session, having a program is better
doing extra work if more advanced is worthwhile like some metabolic finishers or HIIT
having a plan of how to eat and drink is vital
having an understanding of WHY you’re doing it is important

And this all starts with what I consider to be the most important component of any goal….

YOUR MINDSET and how you OPERATE IT
Thats what gets you up for 6:45AM or go to the gym after a hard first day back at work next Monday
Thats what makes you work hard when you’re there at bootcamp or in the gym or out on the road
Thats what retains a positive “I CAN” attitude into February, March and the rest of the year
Thats what makes you choose the right foods to go into your shopping trolley and stop you going to the vending machine at work
Thats what makes you prepare your food for at work for a few minutes each night
Thats what makes the NUTRITION and EXERCISE components WORK!

So one thing I HOPE YOU HAVE NOT DONE IS RESOLUTIONS BECAUSE THEY DO NOT WORK!

Over the next couple of weeks I’m going to be posting a few articles/posts/exercises that I hope you work with to reach your potential so that the 2 things that really matter become habits, actions and processes that come so much more naturally.

Such as…

Why resolutions SUCK
Why SMART goals SUCK
Why QUEST is the only method
Developing your 4 step methods on the site for all to see and why that works
Using other goal setting exercises to help and assist your success
Using other actions to make your goals become a reality
The most important part of goal achievement and how to get there
The best goal achievement program that I know if you want to make 2010 the best year of your life across ALL parts of your life.

So much that you’ll be watering at the mouth in anticipation of what you ARE GOING TO ACHIEVE THIS YEAR in you health, fitness, physique, career, relationships, finances, lifestyle….you name it!

Let me know how good a time you’ve had over Xmas, whether you’ve been good or bad (hahaha) and I’ll speak to you soon

PS See ABC bootcanmpers on the 11th Jan for GROUND ZERO!

Laters friends

Mike

DREAM, BELIEF, ACT, WIN

When I was in HMV there was a whole host of the latest fitness DVD’s being plugged by the rich and famous like the ones below.

If you didn’t know it already, many of these DVD’s are fake and don’t deliver what you think they will when you buy them.

I recall one personal training client that I started with 10 months or so ago who had a dozen or so of these DVD’s and in her own words “really enjoyed one or two of them but they didn’t make any changes to my body”.

What you should realise is that some of the celebrities that endorse these DVD’s are actually training like an athlete in preparation for these shows. By that I mean they will be put through their paces by a trainer several times a week and in some cases more than once a day. They are also on a very restrictive diet plan that is unsustainable in the longer term. You just have to see a couple of these celebrities a few months after and how they have put a lot of weight back on.

So while I advocate “doing something is better than nothing” principle be aware of what these DVD’s are and what they promise and instead have a bit of fun with them and understand what it takes to get results that are sustainable.

One of the DVD’s that may actually be better than the others is The Body Blitz that is endorsed by ex-East Ender Hannah Waterman. I have read the bio on Amazon and it says…

So how’s she done it? To find the very best scientific way to lose weight, Hannah went to Loughborough University – the country’s leading centre for sports science – and worked with their weight-loss expert Martin MacDonald.

The DVD focuses on interval training and is divided into short bursts of intense exercise followed by a rest period. According to Martin MacDonald “All the latest scientific studies show it’s the most efficient way to burn fat. In fact it’s 4-5 times better at burning fat than normal aerobic exercise”.

Cardio Blitz involves short (10 second) bursts of intense exercise i.e. skipping, running on the spot) interspersed with ‘active rest periods’ doing moves like squats and lunges.

Tone Blitz mixes up short intervals of high energy burpees (like the old school bunny hops) with toning moves using weights (like lunges and sit-ups).

The DVD also comes with Hannah’s ‘Six Meals a Day Diet’. So as Hannah says “With this DVD you get to exercise less, eat more and still lose weight – can’t be bad!”.

So first off - it is based on the programs of an experienced coach and not someone who calls themselves a “celebrity trainer”. What is that anyway?

The programs delivered are also based on scientific findings which are that metabolic resistance training and interval training are 2 of the most effective forms for fat burning and conditioning and far more effective than what over 90% of people are still doing at home, outside or in the gym. Just like what we do at ABC BootCamp and as part of our Personal Training systems back in Manchester - no aerobic type workouts with crunches to be seen! To target fat loss effectively you must use the muscle tissue and periods of high intensity followed by lower intensity releases the fat tissue form the cells and be prepared to be used as energy.

The nutrition component is based on healthy and nutritious eating and not some silly fad like the golden syrup diet or Atkins. I would guess that it is not dissimilar to The Elimination Plan that is based on removing unnatural foods sources from the diet.

So while some male friends may want you to get The Pussycat Dolls workout, The Body Blitz would be a better alternative if you’re looking for a cheap solution that just may be a lot better than the majority of workouts available.

I’m back on the internet now to complete my shopping!

Mike

It seems that everyone is a bit concerned about Xmas coming up soon and the effects it will have on their weight and the good work they have been doing in getting in better shape throughout the last few months.

The works do

Other formal do’s with clients and suppliers

Parties at the local sports club

Meeting up with friends for that last night out before going back to meetup with their families

The big meals on Xmas Day and Boxing Day

And eating and drinking in excess at all of them.

I’ve seen it time and time again where people go a bit too far and before they know it they’ve put on 7lbs in January and are mortified about how they look and feel.

First off I wouldn’t feel too guilty, I’m not one of those trainers that says you have to be careful all year round and you have to balance times of work with times for rest and celebration. Of course you have the choice whether you want to or not but just set your expectations accordingly and don’t get too upset or surprised if you put a bit of weight on. The fact that you do the right thing over the course of a year should always mean you can cheat a bit more when on holiday or in the festive season.

You’re the one in control, right?

On the other hand if you want to minimise the reversal in any progress you have made over the last few weeks, then try these strategies out.

Drink more water before you go out and eat. This will curb your excesses by giving you that sensation of being full.

If drinking alcohol, make every third drink a water. Maybe you won;t do anything stupid either : )

Eat protein in your meals first to curb the effects of all the carbs you have on your plate (rise in insulin level equals more fat!) . The intake of protein will also fill your appetite more so and prevent overeating.

Snack! Yes that’s right snack. Then maybe you won’t stuff yourself in one sitting with enough food to feed the family.

Fast before the main event. Take note that I don’t mean starve so drink plenty of water but being in a state of depletion means there is less chance of a larger proportion of your food intake turning to fat because your energy stores have to be filled up again. Fasting is a very healthy strategy when done right as in Eat Stop Eat.

You still have time to exercise. At times like this I particularly like 4 minute sets of Tabata routines. Quick, intense and as effective on your ability to burn fat as anything else.

As an example pick 2 exercises, perform the first for 20 seconds with maximum effort followed by 10 seconds rest, then the second for 20 seconds followed by 10 seconds rest and repeat 3 more times to total 4 minutes. Rest for a minute and pair up another 2 exercises. We have one routine at our bootcamp in Manchester where it is pretty much dominated by Tabatas….I call it Flash Bolt!

Here’s a few examples, and 2 are just bodyweight so no problem there then : )

Use these strategies and you might find that you don;t put any fat on at all during the festivities.

If you’re in Manchester and want to get started now before the excesses come into play, then we have 4 open days during December for ABC BootCamp starting on the 7th December for all new visitors looking for Fun, Fast Fat Loss and Fitness. For more details email me at info@TheBodyPLanner.com or call on 07977 573 866.

See you again soon

Mike

The Body Planner