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Momentum and Motivation
I did not want to do a workout today. I was becoming increasingly comfortable with resigning myself to eating leftover pizza and picking something to binge watch on Netflix. After wrestling with it the through the morning, I knew I needed to get it done, but still didn’t feel any more motivated.
Rewind. It was a very busy May as we navigated the end of my daughter’s 1st grade year and addressed some family challenges. I have had some hiccups in my workout programs, but have always looked forward to getting back on track and getting in the groove. It took me almost 3 weeks to get going in my most recent program, 22 Minute Hard Corps, but I was in week 5. And then the wheels fell off. I lost every ounce of motivation to workout. I went almost 2 weeks without getting anything in, and this past Monday was supposed to be my reset day to start over on 22MHC. And then my daughter wanted a donut. And that meant we were all getting donuts. And who in their right mind has a donut without a Mocha Frappe or Coolata? No big deal. I’ll still kill the workout. Except I didn’t. My stellar nutritional choices caused me to do something I’ve not had to do (except for a select few workouts) in a long time. I had to modify to finish. Scratch that. I had to step out from two exercises to finish. Then I was crazy sore Tuesday, and didn’t workout. Then it was worse Wednesday, and… can you guess? Didn’t workout. Thursday I did a Combat workout, but wasn’t feeling particularly motivated.
Back to today. Fortunately, I did not compromise my nutrition this morning, and grabbed a water and was dialed in with intense focus on finishing every rep in every round of Cardio 1. It wasn’t all pretty, but I made it. And it felt awesome! And then I did the Core 1 addon workout, and felt better! And then was motivated to have something other than pizza, and made my chocolate Shakeology, and felt amazing! I was able to see the power of momentum in action, and was reminded to take things one step at a time. I just did that main workout. I have set the goal of losing 15-20 pounds the summer to see if I can not only shed some lazy pounds I let creep back, but to also get to a new personal best. The tricky part will be finding the motivation to keep going when:
1. I am sore
2. I am tired
3. I am busy
4. I just don’t feel like it
I tell you all of that to invite you to join me on my summer endeavor of getting back into a groove with my fitness. Do you have some weight loss or fitness goals that you know are important, but have just had no motivation in getting them done? I can relate. I can also tell you that if you don’t set the goal and make the effort, you’re guaranteed that nothing will get done. If you would benefit from an accountability group, need some coaching (advice) on how to get started, or just want push yourself to your next level of fitness, comment here or on my facebook page or message me. I will be creating the group, “Momentum and motivation”. Free to join; you need only bring a positive attitude and be willing to take the first step 🙂
Efficiency in exercise
One thing I can’t stand is wasted energy or effort. Tony Horton’s upcoming Hard Corps workout makes sure that will not happen as you seek to invest in your health. I’ve gone through T25 (25 minute workouts) that took my cardio to a whole new level. I did P90X3 which is setup up with all 30 minute workouts, and got great results. Tony is all about the science of the workouts so that you can maximize your calorie burn and muscle gains, which means you drop the unwanted fat more efficiently than anything else out there. Now he has a whole body workout distilled down to 22 minutes. I’ll be checking this out at release. If you want to jump in on this, comment below or shoot me an
email. It’s going to be awesome 🙂
Fitness How To’s: Consistency
Number One Way to see Ongoing Results
Here it is. The final week of August comes to a close tomorrow, and so summer is done (unless you live in SW Florida; it’s always summer here). My hope is if you had opportunity to check out this blog series that you may have been able to implement an idea or two to your daily routine. Often times, we can even see some positive initial response from our body when we take steps in the right direction for our health. The trick now is how to keep forward momentum and see those results continue. The best way is pretty simple:
Duplicate What Works!
We’re all familiar with the adage, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” When it comes to our health and fitness, it’s funny that we have so many “quick fix” offers claiming to zap us into better health overnight. The problem is, these things do not last. Whether it’s a fad diet, a crazy new pill, or some crazy “sweat it out in an hour” offer, these simply do not provide lasting results.
I’ve done the fad diets and had temporary success with them. I had gotten into the 230s shortly after marriage, and was able to drop back under 200 with the infamous Atkins diet. What happened? It was simply not sustainable as a lifestyle habit. Two to three years afterwards, I was into the 240s; then 250s; and eventually 276. I was tempted to try the “fat pills”, but never did, and never went for a wrap or anything like that. I did know people who did though, and were very excited about the quick, initial results. Over time, however, it was clear that it didn’t have the staying power to help them achieve their goals. Turns out there’s something to the conventional wisdom of healthy eating and exercise.
So if we know (on some level) that we actually do have to be disciplined about our eating and exercise habits, why don’t we? We want to have good health; we know what it takes; why don’t we do it? The list of excuses why we don’t is extensive and plentiful; but make no mistake: they are excuses.
I know that may sound harsh, but please know that I am speaking to myself first on this one, and have drawn my line in the sand that I will never go back to relying on excuses as to why I let my weight get out of control. The bottom line is this: you have to find your reason why you are going to make a change and that must be strong enough to drown out your excuses of why you don’t.
For me, it was my kids. I was well aware that I had terrible eating, health, and fitness habits, and as a teacher I know that for kids the habits and behaviors they engage in are more often “caught” than “taught”. My daughter is about to turn 5. If she was catching what daddy was doing in his eating habits it would have been a bad thing. Change for me was imperative. Find your why, and then make it happen. I came through my fitness challenge with Team Beach Body, and will never look back. In moving forward, I am now involved in the coaching aspect of the challenges. If you would benefit from support in making a change, I can totally identify. We say, “Decide. Commit. Succeed.” I had already made the decision. My commitment was unwavering, and as a result my success was assured. I can tell you that part of my decision and commitment was to find and do whatever was necessary to achieve and model good health for my family. The programs through TBB poised me to achieve the success I was committed to in the shortest time possible. 70 lbs are gone, and beyond that I know that I have a true level of fitness that I haven’t had since high school, if even then. I am most pleased with the results of my investment, and will continue to make decisions in line with my fitness goals, both for myself and my family.
As this blog series closes, I wish the best for all of you who have stopped by my page. Thanks for reading! I pray you will achieve your health and fitness goals. If you would like more information on a challenge group and (like me) would benefit from a world of support to get going in the right direction, please email or message me. I would love to pass on to you what has worked so well for me, and DUPLICATE that success 🙂
Fitness How To’s: Three Essentials in Exercise
First, let me say that if you are working out and have some form of regular exercise incorporated into your life, congratulations! It is one of the easiest things to NOT do and make excuses as to why we don’t. I know, because for nearly a decade that was me. I came to abhor anything that would make me sweat, and it became easier and easier to not workout. As I got my workout legs back under me, I found three F’s that have served me well at age 40 in keeping up with the demands of some challenging workouts.
Essential #1 – Flexibility
I am not a particularly flexible person by nature. However, flexibility is a HUGE part of making sure that you not only have a good workout, but is critical in making sure that you can continue to workout. Be sure to have some light warmup stretches to ease into your workout. Be sure to engage in active stretching over the course of your workout, and post workout do some focused stretching on the muscle groups you worked that day. Don’t worry if you can’t stretch to the floor or discover you have as little flexibility as I do. Stretch to where you’re comfortable and don’t push into positions your body isn’t ready for.
Essential #2 – Focus
Once you begin your workout, ensure that you are giving focus to proper form. If you fail to keep the form and focus intended in your workout, you are wasting your time. This is not to say that your form has to be perfect. However, there is a marked difference in the results one will achieve by doing moves “similar” to the trainers and duplicating moves you are shown. Solid focus in your workout means you will have to give greater effort in your workouts, but that translates into some phenomenal results. You’ll be happy you did 🙂
Essential #3 – Ferocity
Have a ferocious mindset when you enter your workout. This does not mean that you push your body to the breaking point and beyond; what it means is that even when you have to modify your workouts, you want to make it to the end. Some days will be a breeze and you will be excited to “push play” (as we say in TBB) or just jump into your run or whatever workout you do. There are other days, though, when it is a severe act of will to just show up. When you enter your workout “zone” so to speak, be ready to bring it, and do not waiver in your commitment and determination. Final note: guard yourself against overtraining. After speaking to Focus and Ferocity, I know it can seem even counterintuitive to not go all out, but remember that you are in this for the long haul. Your endurance will increase as will your strength, but you must have the patience to allow your body to acclimate to the demands of a workout regime again. Thanks for reading, and stop by tomorrow as we’ll talk about two huge landmines to avoid so that your efforts are not derailed and your results stay on track!
Les Mills Combat
For my return to the world of fitness I chose to use Les Mills Combat. I ordered the challenge pack to get my first Shakeology bag and the workout at a significant discount. First, I have to let you know that I LOVE this workout! I did TaeBo back in the day, and this so blows it out of the water. Having said that, I really want my review to be an honest reflection of what I experienced as I went through my 60 day challenge with the program.
I remember pushing play for the first time and wondering how this was going to go. At first I felt like this wasn’t so bad. I really felt like I could adapt to what they were doing. I quickly learned that having not done any exercise for a decade has a negative impact on one’s endurance. After 20 minutes I about collapsed and was more watching the workout than doing it. I’ve always liked a good challenge, though, so I looked at it as having a new goal in front of me.
For the second workout, I was introduced to Dan and Rach’s version of a High Intensity Interval Workout, or HIIT for short. This one was called HIIT Power. I haven’t been worked like that since high school football. I did not keep up for even 10 minutes of this workout before I had to resort to the modifications, and even then I was done after 15 minutes. I was exhausted, but still wanting to respond. Enter Day three.
Something interesting happened on day three: SORENESS. Pure, unadulterated soreness. It hurt to walk. To make things even better I have a 2 year old and a 4 year old who love to climb into daddy’s lap. This was not a good day. Still I had made the commitment to do this, and I wasn’t going to throw in the towel at my first real test. As it turned out, I felt better after having done the workout, much as it hurt when I started it. I was still sore, but the workout actually subsided the pain a little.
Before moving on, I have to let you know that Dan and Rach bring an AMAZING level of energy and enthusiasm to the workouts, and even though I was sore, I in part looked forward to the next workout because I got to be infused and motivated through the support of their encouragement. Short version: It was FUN!!!
My program track allowed me a break for day 4, and I was most thankful. I was still sore, it still hurt to walk, and yes, my children were relentless. My day 5 workout was another HIIT workout: Shock Plyo. I was at least mentally prepared for what to expect, but my body was not able to keep up with much of the workout. Back to modifications I went for as long as I could go. Crushing soreness? Yup. Still there.
Day 6: back to my original workout, and after fighting through the soreness I actually sensed I was doing slightly better. Still, the soreness lingered, and I was once again thankful for an end of the week break. When day 7 came, I was finally feeling my legs getting back to normal. It didn’t hurt to walk, though my kids were still able to cause some twinges of pain (totally worth it!).
During week 2 of the program I was making incremental progress and the soreness was MUCH lighter. Not gone altogther, but nothing like week 1. In week 3, I was able to keep up with a workout here and there, and the soreness was entirely manageable.
As the time went on, I saw more and more gains and was suddenly keeping up with the 60 minute workouts and loved the feeling of accomplishment that came when I was done. The HIIT workouts continue to be challenging, but I appreciated that even more as I knew I still had at least another level to aspire to.
I know that my week 1 account might seem daunting to some, but I give you the most honest perspective I can so that you can know what you might be in for if you have not been working out for a few years as was the case for me. I encourage you to be ready to commit, and to know what that will entail. You can do it! I loved this quote and posted it on my facebook page when I saw it:
You can do it!
Currently I am trying T25 and getting great results with it as well, but I can’t wait to go back and do the advanced version of Combat. If you are looking for a great way to start getting back into shape, Les Mills Combat will get you there 🙂
How Are Your Workouts Working Out?
Whether you get excited when you begin a new workout routine, or if you dread what you might be in for it is critical to remember why you are engaging in the training of your body. If you want to maximize the results you can achieve from your workout, follow a couple of simple steps to get the results you want:
- Consistency – Remember, nothing happens overnight. Your investment in training your body to learn and practice the workout (even when you’re crazy sore) will get you past that initial soreness in the first two weeks and help you acclimate to the demands of the workout on your body. It will get better 🙂
- Participation – If need be, slow the pace down and at least keep yourself active for the entirety of your workout. Better to do push-ups from your knees than not at all. If a particular exercise is too demanding, at least run/jog/walk in place to keep your heart rate up until an exercise you can participate in comes on. Again, in time you will be able to do more and more. Just stay with it, and don’t give up!
- Balance – Working out gives you the opportunity to be good to the outside of your body. If you are to get the full benefit from your workout you must balance this with eating right and being good to the inside of your body. Don’t sabotage yourself! Shakeology gives you a huge advantage in this regard, and be sure to familiarize yourself with the eating guide provided in your workout.
I welcome your comments below, or you can shoot me an
email 🙂
How Necessary is Nutrition?
When I first planned to lose weight, I figured I would simply apply the formula I knew would work. I would simply ensure that I burned more calories than I took in. The problem with that is I gave no attention to where the calories I received would be coming from, and worse yet my body would not necessarily feel “full” because it was not receiving the nutrients it craved. The led to some really bad cycles, and wondering how I could make so little progress in weight loss. I used workouts as an excuse to treat myself to whatever I wanted to eat. It did not take long to discover that I was easily able to “undo” whatever benefits I benefits I would get from my workouts.
When I joined my first challenge group, I learned that 70% – 80% of my visible results would be directly related to my nutrition. What was the question again? How important is nutrition? About 3 to 4 times as important as your workout. The good news is that if you have coupled Shakeology together with your workout program, you are poised for tremendous success in your fitness goals!
I welcome your comments below, or you can shoot me an
email 🙂
Second Chance Fitness 