It’s that time again, everyone’s saying: New Year, new you. Whether your New Year’s resolution is to lose weight, exercise more, eat healthier, build muscle, or complete a marathon, the key to success is setting SMART goals.
Research shows that New Year’s resolutions tend to fall by the wayside a month or two after January 1. Why? Because often our resolutions are big goals and we become disheartened when we haven’t achieved them in the first two months.
Use SMART goals to help you achieve your New Year’s resolutions in 2017.
Specific
Your resolution or goal needs to be specific. “I want to lose weight” is not specific. How much weight do you want to lose? 2kg? 10kg? If you start off with a small specific goal, you can then create further goals once you’ve completed that one. “I want to exercise more” How much more? Go to the gym three times a week? Do a Zumba class once a week? If you know what you are trying to do it is easier to achieve. “I want to eat healthier” what does that mean to you? Do you want to eat more vegetables? Only eat chocolate once a week.
Measurable
Make your goal measurable so you can see how far you’ve come, how far you have to go, and most importantly – when you have achieved your goal.
Achievable
It’s important to set a goal that is achievable. I’m not saying anything isn’t possible but start off small. If your New Year’s resolution is to run a marathon but you can’t remember when the last time you ran was, start off with a goal to run a 5km first. If you want to eat healthier don’t set a goal to eat a 100% clean diet right away, make small goals to help you get to that bigger goal.
Realistic
This ties in with making your goals achievable. Ask yourself whether your goal is realistic. Do you have the time, resources or knowledge to achieve your goal? If you want to go to the gym or exercise five times a week, will this fit into your schedule? Certainly if you are lacking resources or knowledge there are people who can help. If time is the issue, maybe you can look at ways to make time.
Time based
What is the time frame for your goal? If you don’t set a time you want to complete the goal in it’s easier to keep saying “I’ll start next week”. If your goal completion date is coming up it can provide you motivation to keep going. Maybe choose an event like a race or competition if your goal is fitness based. If you’re trying to lose weight is there a birthday or special occasion coming up that you could aim to reach your goal by? In terms of bodyweight goals it’s best to aim to lose/gain about 0.5kg a week for steady progress. If you’re training for a race, find a training plan that you can complete before the event, or speak to a personal trainer about what time frame you can be ready in.
Hopefully you have now defined all the aspects of your goal which is the first step to achieving it!
Nothing can be more impressive than having a nice body physique. It creates a great first impression from people around you. It provides a unique satisfaction not just from other people but also for yourself because you know that fact that your body is in great shape and so is your health. Of course, you cannot get those perfectly ripped abs and wonderfully toned muscles without exerting efforts and working hard for it.
Building muscle mass is not something you can achieve overnight. As they often say, “No Pain, No Gain”. In order to achieve your fitness goals whether you want to build muscles or if you’re aiming to lose weight, you must embrace the pain and overcome those challenging workout routines, which should be done on a regular basis. Once you achieved the frame or the built you want, you must learn how to maintain it through regular exercise and a balanced diet.
Take note that building muscles is not just about hitting the gym every day. There are many important factors that you must consider in order to get a satisfying result. Listed below are five of the most important rules you must consider to build muscle mass.
1. Watch Your Calorie Intake
One of the most important elements or factors you must consider in muscle building is your calorie consumption. When building muscles, you must create a so-called Calorie surplus. It is basically a state where you consume more calories than you burn which leads to weight gain in form of muscles and body fats. The main question here however is how many calories you must consume on a daily basis to produce great results. To estimate, you can simply multiply your total body weight in pounds by 20. So a 170 lb male must consume around 3,400 calories daily.
2. The Role of Protein
Calories play a huge part in muscle building but Protein is the key to achieve the best result. Protein plays a critical role in our body. Our body needs a higher volume of protein on a daily basis in order to live and in order for our body to function. Aside from repairing damaged cells, Protein is also responsible of building muscles. You get the complete protein which contains all the 9 essential amino acids from various food sources like meat, eggs, nuts, fruits and vegetables. For bodybuilding, however, you need to get more protein which you can effectively obtain from various Protein supplements like protein powders and protein bars.
3. Post Workout Routine
It is also important to establish your own post-workout meal plan. Take note that when we work out, muscles used up their glycogen stores for fuel. So as a result, the muscles will become partially depleted of glycogen. In addition to that, some muscles also break down and get damaged after a workout. To rebuild the glycogen stores and recover those damaged muscles, we need to supply our body with the right amount of nutrients just after our workout. Doing such allows you to decrease muscle protein breakdown, increase muscle growth, restore glycogen stores and speed recovery from heavy exercise.
4. Drink Plenty of Water
Whether you are aiming to build muscle or not, hydrating yourself is extremely important. Drink plenty of water throughout the day especially before a workout. This will give you a feeling of fullness and reduces hunger pangs. It is important to take note that you must consume at least 8 ounces of water every 15-20 minutes during the training. You can go for those low-calorie energy drink to fuel you up. If the body is dehydrated, the performance is also affected.
5. Be Patient
Last but certainly not least is to condition your mind and set goals and expectations. Take note that mass gains will vary depending on many factors including your body condition. Focus on what you do and discipline yourself by doing the right thing. If you do not see any improvements immediately, try to have more patience because results cannot be achieved overnight! Monitor your progress to motivate yourself.
Whether you’re a beginner or more experienced, male or female, young or old – there are some basic rules of muscle building that apply to all. We're never to experienced to go back and check we've got the basics right. Check out our basic muscle building rules he
What does it take to achieve one's fitness goals? Of course, it takes the right fitness regimen and the correct blend of nutrients to support muscle growth and keep the metabolism functioning optimally. But is that really all?
Of course not! If all that was needed was a workout plan and the right diet, everyone would be walking around looking fit and trim, but that's simply not how it is. There is a third component to success at the gym - personal motivation.
What separates a person who is successful at the gym from someone who is not, usually comes down to motivation. If you want to see results, you have to be motivated to fight for them. That doesn't just mean being motivated to go to the gym and to follow your diet. It also means working out as hard as possible, not just phoning it in or dialling back when it gets difficult.
Unfortunately, our brains often become fatigued long before our bodies. Motivation is almost always responsible when we fail to follow through with our fitness goals. The good news is that there are ways to stay motivated and on track.
Here are five secrets shared by highly successful fitness enthusiasts that anyone can use to get on the path to workout success:
Set Realistic, Tangible Goals.
The best way to stay motivated is to constantly be working toward something tangible. Just saying, "I want to get stronger" isn't a clear enough picture of what you want to achieve for you to be able to celebrate success and stay driven along the way.
Instead, set a long-term goal for yourself and then break it into smaller goals. For example, instead of just "get stronger," you can say "I want to ultimately be able to bench press 315 pounds." Then, you can set a short term goal like, "I want to be able to bench press 280 pounds within the next 6 weeks." Once you reach that goal, you'll feel a sense of accomplishment. Then, you're ready to set a new one and keep progressing forward.
If you're completely new to exercise, consult a trainer for assistance with goal setting to ensure that you're placing realistic expectations on yourself.
Revisit Your Goals Regularly
Make time at least once per week to think about how you're progressing to your goals. In the above example, if you're 2 weeks in and haven't been able to increase the amount of your bench presses at all, you may need to reevaluate what you're doing. Do you need to work out more? Change your diet? What can you do to put yourself on the path for success? Also spend time thinking about why you want to accomplish your goal. What will improve when you're able to lift more or when you lose weight? How will it change your life? Staying focused on the benefits of achieving will help keep you engaged and motivated.
Recognize When It's Time for a Change
If you're revisiting your goals regularly, you'll be able to see when you've reached a point where you're just not progressing, or where you're struggling to stay motivated. In those situations, take the time to carefully evaluate what's wrong. Are you forcing yourself to do workouts that you're always going to hate or are you continuing to go to a gym where you don't feel welcome and relaxed? When the problem is what you're doing or where you're doing it, don't be afraid to change things up. Find a new gym. Experiment with a new workout. Discover what works for you. You'll be better motivated when you're working out in a way that you enjoy in a place that you look forward to going to.
Look at the Big Picture
Let's face it - it can be hard to do things for ourselves. It's much easier to fall into the trap of thinking that you could be doing more work at the office or getting more done around the house and start seeing time at the gym as "wasted." Don't fall into that mental trap, though! Reset your perspective by focusing on the big picture and how working out has a positive impact on your life. For example, regular exercise can improve your mental focus, so you're able to work harder and be more creative when you're at the office. It can also give you more energy so that you're better able to go home and cross the items off of your to-do list productively. When you focus on the overall benefits of exercise, you'll find that your level of motivation soars.
Take Full Ownership
This is the hardest and most important one! If you want to be motivated to achieve your workout goals, you have to understand that ultimately it's up to you whether or not you succeed.
When you're fatigued, bored or stressed, your mind will begin to play games with you. You'll tell yourself a million excuses for why you can or should skip a workout or why it's okay if you don't finish your full workout. These excuses will often place blame elsewhere. Your boss stressed you out, so you deserve a break. With all those activities your kids have, you're just too tired to go to the gym. Be ready for these tricks that your mind plays--and put a stop to them fast.
Don't shift the blame for skipping your workout on anything or anyone else. You're the one who decides what you do or don't do on any given day.
That's not meant to make you feel guilty; it's meant to empower you. Whether or not you succeed is entirely in your hands. You just have to put your mind to it and follow through.
Now that you know the secrets to stay motivated for success, you're ready to get on the path to accomplishing your fitness goals.
The dreaded weight loss plateau. Has this happened to you? You have been sticking to your diet and the weight has been steadily coming off for several weeks. You, of course, are thrilled and just know that you will be at your goal very soon. Then, one morning you hop on the scale and the number is the same as yesterday. Maybe it's even the same as last week! The number just will not move. You have hit the wall and now you are feeling discouraged and thinking about cheating. You know you have to break through this plateau but don't know-how.
How to Beat the Weight Loss Plateau
First, keep in mind that it is completely normal to hit a plateau. But when you do, you should double down and get back to basics. If you do, you will soon be at your goal. To help you re-start your weight loss, here are eight tips that will help you get your enthusiasm back and lose the rest of that weight.
State Your Weight Loss Goals Clearly
Your goals need to be realistic or you will become discouraged and quit. If your diet is healthy and rich in nutrition, you should be able to lose one or two pounds every week, on average. Of course, some weeks you may lose more and sometimes less.
When setting your goals, keep in mind that people have different body types. You will become discouraged if you compare yourself to someone else. You are unique and your body will tell you what its ideal size and weight should be. Listen to it and see what weight makes you feel the best. That weight is your "ideal" weight.
Follow a Low Carb, High Protein Program
If your program is providing enough protein for maintenance of your lean muscle mass, chances are you will have already lost your stores of muscle and fat. Because it's not good to burn your muscle mass when you are losing weight, you need to take in enough protein to maintain your muscle tissue. For women, that means taking in about 100 grams of protein per day and for men it is about 150 grams per day.
If you find that you are losing muscle mass as you are losing weight, you should focus on building that muscle back up. It will take more calories to build muscle so, when you eat this extra protein, you will begin to lose weight again. Just make sure your program does not sacrifice your muscles and you will be fine.
Include Resistance Training in Your Program
Another great way to boost metabolism and break through the plateau is to include aerobic exercises in your program. For example, you might add free weight or machine resistance training to your routine. This will increase muscle mass and, as a result you will burn more calories faster. And the bonus is that your metabolism will stay higher for up to 21 hours after your workout!
Watch Out For Hidden Carbs
If you have reached a plateau and you are not losing weight, check your diet to be sure you are not taking in vampire carbs that sometimes just sneak in. For example, you would be surprised what foods have hidden sugar. It is found in salad dressings, barbecue sauces and ketchup. It can also be found in prepared gravies and sauces or cornstarch in pre-made foods. It is a good idea to write down everything you eat and drink for a day or two. If you are taking in hidden carbohydrates, they will show up in your journal. They are sabotaging your weight loss and you need to get rid of them. When you do, you should be able to start losing weight again.
Minimize Refined Foods
This means it is important to get refined sugar and grains out of your diet. This includes white rice, pasta, pastries, cookies, cakes and white bread. You will be surprised how much giving these foods up will help you break through your weight loss plateau. As a bonus, you will have more energy and be healthier.
Do Not Let Yourself Be Hungry
If you're like most people, it probably sounds reasonable to you that if you eat less you will lose more. It's counter-intuitive, but that is not the case. Instead, eating several small meals often throughout the day will leave you much less hungry and will help get you through that plateau. Of course, these small meals should consist of healthy snacks and crunchy, raw fresh vegetables. For example, you can grab cucumbers, green peppers and celery sticks when you want something to eat. They also have a very satisfying "munch" quality and you will not feel so deprived.
Drink Plenty of Fluids
With any weight loss program, it is critically important to keep your body hydrated by drinking lots of water every day. That is because your weight loss will actually slow down if you don't get enough water. It is good to get into the habit of carrying a water bottle with you wherever you go. Following this advice will not only help your body burn fat more efficiently but you will not be as hungry.
Remind Yourself Often About Why You Want to Lose Weight
As with many other parts of our lives, we often start a weight loss program with our motivation high and dogged determination to succeed. There is lots of excitement as you drop the first pounds but, as time goes on and you reach a weight loss plateau, you become weary and forget why you ever wanted to lose weight.
This is a good time to remind yourself of your goals
Did you want to lose weight for a special occasion such as a wedding or class reunion? Or maybe you were dieting to lose that extra pregnancy weight or because your doctor told you to get your weight under control to improve your health.
Think about whether or not your original motivation is still working for you. If it is not, find a new reason to lose weight. If you do this, you will re-ignite the enthusiasm that made you originally go on a diet and you will be successful.
These tips have worked for many people when they hit that dreaded weight loss plateau. They can work for you too. Why not give them a try?
