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The Momentum Effect In Fitness

By: Jon Le Tocq

 

I love fitness. I also love business. Both have their ups and downs. Both can give euphoric highs and soul-destroying lows, but overall I couldn't live without either.

Both consume you and bring excitement and direction in life beyond everything else I have discovered so far (when done properly with structure, direction and intensity). But how can you ensure that you avoid as much possible, the lows in fitness which make you wonder whether it really is all worth it?

The dizzying sessions which make you feel like sticking your head either in a fridge or a toilet bowl. The aches and soreness which don't signify a great session but are a common side effect.

The inability to beat your best time / lift / result no matter how hard you try. The feeling of emptiness in your legs after a tough session which cause you to head for the nearest sofa and sink into the corner never to be seen again.

The feelings of boredom and 'going nowhere' which we've all been through at some point.

I don't want this to turn into a goal setting article, so I'll mention it briefly then leave it be. The truth is you will never achieve anything worth achieving unless you set challenging goals then create a clear plan of action.

You may have some minor successes but the lack of direction will see you slipping back into old habits far too regularly. To join the elite you must let your goals consume you and head your priority list. In some cases it must be the only thing on that list.

However, most of you will harbour no ambitions to be world champions but seek merely to satisfy your desire to feel like you have achieved. For this you need momentum.

I have just finished reading a book by J.C. Larreche titled 'The Momentum Effect'. I'd recommend this to anyone who wants to create direction and powerful momentum strategies in their business.

Remember, if you're not growing, you're dying.
This book is all about harnessing every minor success, and analysing every mistake and using them to full advantage to bring maximum value to both the business and the customer.

The same principles must apply to you in whatever fitness quest you have chosen. In your case you must create value for both your physical being and your mental wellness. Only when you can find a quest which brings optimal results for your body and your mind at the same time will you begin to develop momentum in what you do which drives you further and further.

One day you will look back at where you started and laugh. You will wonder quite how you lived in that state whether it be feeling fat, not being able to run a mile or not being able to chase a bus without coming close to a heart attack.

What is 'value for mind and body'? Creating value for your mind involves three things.

First you must set challenges which you're not sure you can complete. This makes life much more exciting!

Second, ensure every challenge gives you pleasure. You might not enjoy the training or the clean, healthy nutrition required, but you derive a lot of pleasure from looking and feeling great, or from constantly beating your best 10k time.

How many people do we see running a marathon 'to say they've done it' even though they hate running? These people usually find it hard to motivate themselves after the marathon as it was such a miserable, arduous 6 months of preparation. There are enough challenges out there to find one you enjoy.

Finally, don;'wait for one challenge to be finished before you set the next one. The best way to cycle up a hill is to start building speed along the flat.

If you wait until you're at the bottom of the hill and it takes a much greater effort to get going. Don't give yourself time to be lax and slip back to your old, lazy self!

Creating value for your body involves three things. Make sure you implement them all.

First, if your body is not changing as you'd like you need to do something about it. Whether it be reduced body fat, more muscle, the lung capacity to finish 10k in 40 minutes or a rippling stomach, you are not creating value for your body.

This is usually down to three things. You are either not working with the correct training program, you are not putting in enough effort or you are not eating properly. It's that simple.

Second, forceyour body to adapt. The sole purpose of exercise in any form is to force your body to react in such a way that it feels more able to complete that task the next time.

Going through half-arsed sessions like most gym-goers will not put sufficient stress to cause a reaction. If your body struggles to complete 10k in 45 minutes on Week 1 it will cause adaptations to your leg muscles, heart and lungs to make it somewhat easier next time.

But next week, you're going to go for 44.30, then 44.10 etc. Each week your body is forced to adapt and you create value, becoming a better physical specimen whatever your goal is.

Third find a balance. You must train hard to see worthwhile results. However, there is a fine line between spectacular results and spectacular crashes in performance which leave you feeling drained for anything from a few days to a few weeks.

Tour de France cyclists call this 'riding on the edge'. Too much training, pushing too hard as they try to peak for 'Le Tour' and they will crash and burn come race time.

Your body is no different. Ensure you give it the right food to get through tough sessions and to recover and rebuild afterwards. Trust me when I say you will never, ever see significant fat loss results or improved sports performance if your nutrition is poor.

Give yourself enough rest as well. Sleep is just as important as training and food! You don't need to train 6 or 7 times per week. You may just need to train 3 times per week with high intensity then recover and rebuild for the rest.

So how can you do it? Here are some top tips for creating momentum in your fitness quest. These elements form a powerful core of ambition, drive, motivation and will kick you up the backside when you struggle.

Success requires struggle at some point. If it doesn't your goal probably isn't worth much.

Find a training partner. Training partners can be friends, family, the guy you met at the bar in the gym or a group such as a running club or fitness class. So long as they have the same (or very similar) goals to you and they are committed to the cause, they will make a good training partner.

They will give the extra juice you need when you're having an off day and you will do the same for them. They will praise you when you do well and encourage when your not giving 100 percent. They will be the devil on your shoulder when you are tempted to skulk home instead of going to the gym to train for your quest.

Understand the fitness cycle. Let's take the fat loss cycle to see how momentum is created. Such a cycle can be applied to every quest.

Eat for fuel not pleasure - train hard - eat / sleep burn fat - increase metabolism - burn fat - feel the need for food - eat for fuel - train hard - eat / sleep - increase metabolism further - burn more fat.

Encompassing this process is the most important concept of all in creating momentum - results. Once you start losing fat and seeing the changes in the mirror, you no longer need willpower to force you to train hard and eat well.

You know what will happen if you do it and you will become enthusiastic about the process. Whereas will power will get you through short-term difficulties and test, you must be enthusiastic to keep it going indefinitely. This takes us back to the point about creating value for your mind!

Understand nature. Your body doesn't understand hopes or good intentions. It understands biology.

Again, you must force it to adapt. If it doesn't feel threatened by your actions, your body has no reason to adapt and become stronger, leaner, better at processing oxygen when running etc.

If you eat crap, your body will process it and store it as it sees fit. It doesn't know if the TV advert says it's healthy. It just sees calories and sugar to store as fat.

Eat too many calories and they will be stored as fat. Grossly under eat and your body becomes more efficient at storing fat so that when you finally crack under the hunger pangs, you end up fatter than you were in the first place!

Been good all day at work, then binge eat in the evening. Your body doesn't give you a second chance or a highly commended. It will store the excess calories.

Fat loss isn't easy but it is simple. Burn more calories than you consume. This requires effort I'm afraid!

Track everything. Food consumption. Weight lifted. Distance run. Body fat. Circumferential measurements.

It is impossible to know if you are progressing without measurements of some kind. If things are working you will feel great so keep doing what you are doing! You know what works because you have it written down!

If the results aren't coming you can check what's been happening, adjust it and improve. If you have no idea how calories you've been eating, whether you ran any faster this week or what weights you lifted you won't be able to make positive changes without very lucky guesswork!

That's how you create momentum in fitness. Remember nothing good is achievable without hard work and dedication. Nothing.

Article Source: http://www.myhotarticles.com

Jon Le Tocq created the online Storm Force Fitness concept which continues to produce amazing fat loss and conditioning results without gym membership! You can join the fun at www.stormforcefitness.com

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