Established 2005
The 6 Steps to Fat Loss Success
for Beginners
By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
http://www.turbulencetraining.com
For
beginners, getting into fitness can be intimidating and confusing. But it
doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, getting fit is one of the most
straightforward tasks you’ll attempt in the New Year. Fortunately, reaching
your fitness goals requires only two things; discipline (that’s up to you)
and a set of simple guidelines (which I’m happy to provide).
First, you should arrange for a full physical examination from your
physician. This is mandatory for people that have high cholesterol, high
blood pressure, diabetes, or are obese. Once you have your doctor’s approval
to begin a fitness program, you should schedule a fitness assessment with a
health professional at your gym.
While both of these are incredibly annoying, they are essential to your
success and well-being. The benefits of a doctor’s visit are obvious,
particularly if you have one or more of the previously mentioned conditions
but it also allows you and your doctor to discuss your lifestyle.
Preventative medicine is far better than reactive medicine. Make your doctor
part of your fat loss and health-building team along with the health
professionals at your gym.
The real benefits of the fitness assessment aren’t finding out how much body
fat you have or how many minutes you can last on the treadmill, but rather
getting a better understanding of your strengths and weaknesses. If you want
to avoid injury and actually achieve your goals this year, get to know your
strengths and weaknesses.
The next secret is to walk, don’t run, to fitness success. If you want to
pick up your University running workouts where you left them 10 years ago,
that’s fine. But I guarantee you won’t last 10 days. And then it’ll be a
dreary 355 days until you’re ready to try exercise again.
The hidden benefit of a good fitness assessment is that it will actually
serve as a nice introductory workout to your return to fitness. It will
buffer your delusions of fitness grandeur from the reality of what your body
actually can do. After the fitness assessment teaches your body a lesson and
awakens your muscles from their winter slumber, only then will you realize
your limits that you must respect in subsequent workouts.
Goal-setting is the fourth secret to success (and not just in fitness, but
in any area of life). It is much more effective to commit to a set of
specific short-term and long-term goals than it is to routinely hope for
weight loss each year.
Set realistic goals and remember to train within your limits. If you are
currently sedentary and haven’t exercised in months (or years), don’t begin
an advanced training program. Start with a conservative beginner program.
Your belly wasn’t built in a day, and neither will be lost overnight.
Limit your initial workouts to 1 set per muscle group. In week 2, you should
be ready to add another set. And if you want to build up to 3 sets, then do
so in week 3. Slowly increase the weight and stay within your desired
repetition range. At no time should you be too sore to function. And runners
should also heed this advice. Too much running will guarantee shin splints
in the early going. Avoid running on back to back days for the first two
weeks and keep the distance short. Sore muscles are guaranteed when you
lift. So keep the volume low.
And now for 2 super secrets that will help keep you committed and consistent
with your workouts and will finally help you lose fat for good.
First, build your social support team. Social support is the #1 factor for
success for women in fitness programs, and is important for men as well.
Support can come from your spouse, brother or sister, child, mom or dad,
friend, neighbor, co-worker, personal trainer, or lifestyle coach. Don’t try
to go it alone. People respond better when they report to a person instead
of a machine.
You also need to know that nutrition is the second most important factor for
success in fat loss programs. That’s why you don’t need to train like a
world-class athlete when you are starting to lose fat. Most of the fat
you’ll lose in the early going is because you have chosen to make better
nutritional choices. And if you don’t make better nutritional choices, even
the best exercise program in the world isn’t going to help you achieve your
fat loss goals.
Nutrition is a lot simpler than you think. Don't over think things. See a
nutritionist or listen to what your mother told you as a kid. Food choices
should contain a large nutrient-to-calorie ratio. Dr. Phil (yes that Dr.
Phil) calls this “High-Response Cost, High-Yield Nutrition”. And follow this
rule: Don't eat foods with added sugar or high-fructose corn syrup, but make
sure to log your nutritional intake. This is a free website that allows you
to track your calories, protein, carbohydrates, and fat.
The consistent use of these 6 secrets will help you achieve your fat loss
goals this year. Make this year’s fitness plan a strategic investment in
your future health. The most efficient and effective way to lose fat in 2005
is with my Turbulence Training workouts - the choice of fitness
professionals.
About the Author
Craig
Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for
Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen
magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been
featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines and
all over the Internet, and have helped thousands of men and women around the
world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three
times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts
that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy
equipment, visit
http://www.turbulencetraining.com