The Top Ten

10 Fitness Tips to Ensure Your Success in Losing Body Fat

1. Weight train. Training with weights builds muscle and that will elevate your metabolism. Muscle is "active tissue” and has a demonstrable energy demand in that the body’s need to burn calories for energy must be constantly met, even while you’re resting. In other words, muscle burns calories around the clock just to maintain itself. How many calories? Some estimates range from 10 calories to as high as 100 calories per day per pound of muscle. For the sake of argument, let’s say the actual number is somewhere in the middle. Picture how much energy you will "automatically" burn just by adding five pounds of new muscle this year. And when I say energy, think of it as the body’s fat stores.

2. Train heavy. The body responds best to stimuli which places an “overload” on the muscular structure so that the demands of training elicit a muscular growth or restructuring experience. This rebuilding should not necessarily be associated with “bulking” or gaining muscular size, although that is a possibility. It should rather be thought of as “density of muscle”, where muscle “replaces” fat and produces a leaner and more efficient, constant energy consuming physique.

3. Train with intensity. Intensity means “concentration”, “purpose” and “passion.” When you go to the gym, don’t go there to chat or lollygag, just get the job done. There will be time for talk later.

4. Train movements, not muscles. Train the way the body moves to successfully recruit the maximum number of muscles and joints. The more muscles you recruit in training, the more muscle you stimulate to grow in strength, size and density and the more energy you demand from them. For example, squats recruit much more muscle than leg extensions. Underhand grip pull downs recruit more than biceps curls.

5. Train with strict form and technique. The shortest route to any path is a straight line. One of the quickest ways to deviate from the path of weight training and fat burning success is to compromise form and technique. Strict adherence to this rule will result in your maximum potential for success.

6. Utilize HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) for “cardio” to complement weight training for maximum fat loss. Many research studies have proven that performing your cardio in an interval training fashion produces superior results over steady state or slow paced aerobic style workouts. And it produces them more rapidly, as well.

7. Warm up before and cool down after training. This does not mean getting on a bike or treadmill for three minutes before moving on to the bench press. The use of dynamic warming techniques will effectively prepare the muscles for movement and ensure you train injury free. Cooling down afterwards helps to speed recovery.

8. Use a foam roller. Foam rollers are like getting a massage for pennies. They help prior to training to further prepare the muscles for activity and afterward in the cool down process. They are relatively inexpensive (about $25 to $40) and well worth it.

9. Stretch. Stretching cold muscles is not recommended and can be counter-productive to progress. After the dynamic warm-up and foam rolling, stretching a muscle necessitates preparation for lifting and movement. Following the training session, stretching assists in the cool-down phase of the session. Stretching is a vital phase in the recovery, as well as the every day preparedness and functionality of the body.

10. Don’t over do it. Too much of a good thing is usually detrimental. Over doing it in weight training leads to a condition known as “over-training” which is characterized by an overall feeling of “achiness”, sore joints, a loss in appetite, sleeplessness as well as other uncomfortable physical or mental responses. Train hard and smart for about thirty to forty minutes, four to six times per week and recover the rest of the time. Your progress will be steady and your success will be assured.

Next time: 10 Mental Tips to Ensure Fat Loss

Thanks,
Steve

The final installment

This post marks the final installment of the "7 Roadblocks to Success" series. If you have enjoyed this series, I'd like to hear from you. I can be reached at steve@firestormfitness.com.
Thanks,
Steve

No game plan? Good luck!

“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” Abraham Lincoln

So we come to the final hurdle, the last obstacle to success. Is it any surprise that so many fall by the wayside because they don’t have a specific, detailed game plan? Football teams work the entire off-season to develop a game plan. Military forces plan for weeks for a plan of attack. Most people plan their vacation for days or weeks before they leave. Why don’t people plan for success in their lives with the same resolve?

In order to reach the mark of completion in an endeavor, one must first have an idea how to get there. Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) systems have become very popular items lately because of their ability to tell us where we relative to our path to get us where we want to be. A game plan for the attainment of a desire may not be as clear cut, but a game plan is necessary nonetheless.

People who have a desire to lose body fat and to attempt to do so by simply cutting back on certain foods may experience a small level of success, but will probably never reach their destination. The body is very adaptive and will soon adjust to this regimen and then where will they be? If there was no definitive plan of action, laid out beforehand, that accounted for the various “twists and turns” along the way, how will they know where to go?

Imagine a plane that leaves for New York from Dallas. It may start out in the right direction, but being off-course by just one degree can leave them in Quebec or the Atlantic Ocean. Small adjustments must be made along the way to correct for any deviation in tracking so that the outcome, the reward, is the desired result. This is done by:

1. Keeping the reward in sight. By taking your mind off your goal you are more likely to get sidetracked and wind up miles from where you want to be, which results in wasted time, effort and energy to get back on track. Keep the reward in mind!
2. Focusing on your path. A mule walking a mountainside trail doesn’t look 5, 10 or twenty yards ahead. He looks down at the path in front of him so he knows where to place the next step. Failure to do so could mean a fall. Likewise, notice your own progress. Is it going in the right direction or away from your intended desire? Make the proper minute adjustments early in order to stay the course.
3. Focusing your energy. Don’t waste time trying extraneous or frivolous tasks designed to boost your ego, make you feel good or anything else foolish. Keep your efforts aimed at the achievement of your goal and you will not tire in striving for them.

The simplest method for doing this is by “modeling” or mirroring another’s previous success. Find someone who has achieved what you desire and do what they did to get there. This plan of success has been used countless times by people to reach their goals. And the beauty of modeling is that you can often do in less time what others did before you because they had the “trial and error” to overcome.

Remember, you don’t have to re-invent the wheel. Someone out there has achieved the success, goal, or desire you are after as well. Find out what they did, follow their path and you too will reap the reward of their success. And, I’ll wager, faster than they did to boot!

Conclusion
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Bible, Matthew 6:33

I pray that piece assists you in honestly evaluating your desires and helps you to avoid the pitfalls contained within. I dread, however, that I may have given you in this message what is akin to an intellectual drink from a fire hose. Former President Dwight D. Eisenhower is quoted as saying, “An intellectual is a man who takes more words than necessary to tell more than he knows.” Contrary to the former Presidents statement, I believe I know wherefrom I speak as I have been a willing participant to all of these aforementioned maladies. They can be overcome, but acknowledgement of an issue and a willingness to apply the knowledge gained is the first step in doing so.

I’m a huge fan of quotes from famous, not so famous and/or intelligent people. With that in mind, I will close this piece with a few of my favorite quotes that I hope will encourage you to be an over-comer of the mundane, a victor in the face of mediocrity and valiant on the path to your desires.
God Bless you,
Steve Payne
www.firestormfitness.com

“Don't be a spectator; don't let life pass you by.” Lou Holtz

“If you're bored with life - you don't get up every morning with a burning desire to do things - you don't have enough goals.” Lou Holtz

“I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle - victorious.” Vince Lombardi

Determine never to be idle. No person will have occasion to complain of the want of time who never loses any. It is wonderful how much may be done if we are always doing. Thomas Jefferson

“Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure... than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.” Theodore Roosevelt

“For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.” Bible, Deuteronomy 20:4

“And in the end it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.” Abraham Lincoln

“Most folks are about as happy as they make their minds up to be.” Abraham Lincoln

“Action speaks louder than words but not nearly as often.” Mark Twain

“Kindness is the language the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” Mark Twain

Accountability - Someone to watch over me

“There is no accountability in the public school system - except for coaches. You know what happens to a losing coach. You fire him. A losing teacher can go on losing for 30 years and then go to glory.” Ross Perot in The Dallas Morning News, March 11, 1984

Accountability is one of those things that doesn’t receive the respect and acknowledgement its necessity deserves. By definition it means: “Liable to being called to account; responsible. Capable of being explained.” If a person is accountable to another (as in an employee to an employer or a husband to a wife) then they are held responsible for their actions, decisions and outcomes. Many people feel that they are above being held accountable for various reasons. Poor role models is at the top of the list, I would suspect.

We’ve all seen examples of individuals and organizations that have been toppled by scandal, deception, lies and negligence of trust. Presidents and monarchs have felt the sting of it. The scandal at Enron left many people who thought they had their future savings and investments covered without a dime. All because of a lack of accountability.

That isn’t quite the level of accountability I’m discussing here, and I’m not suggesting that you’re in that “club”. However, it all runs in the same pack. Being accountable to someone isn’t a bad thing. In fact, it is one of the most powerful ways to keep an individual focused, directed and motivated to achieve success.

The Bible states, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17) This is the essence of accountability, having someone to answer to, to converse with and with whom to exchange thoughts and ideas with respect to your aspirations.

For some, being a self motivator is not an issue. They are driven to succeed and have a clear picture of what it is they desire and just how to go about it. That’s fine, and clearly an advantage. But even a “go-getter” like that needs someone to challenge them to reach higher, shoot straighter and aim farther. We all need it. This is the essence of accountability.

Think of this individual, or better yet, a group of individuals, as partners. Accountability partners. People who care enough about you and your future to come along beside you and help you reach for the gold ring. In his dynamic book, “Think and Grow Rich”, Napoleon Hill labeled this as “the mastermind principle.” (If you haven’t read “Think and Grow Rich” yet, here’s the part where, as your accountability partner I ask the question, “What are you waiting for? Do it NOW!) No matter what you call it, the principle of accountability is of vital importance to helping you achieve the rewards and fruits of your labor.

Maybe you don’t see how this could benefit you. That’s O.K.; I’m going to lay it out here. Say for example you have a goal to run a marathon in six months. You find an accountability partner who wants to see you do well or maybe they’re running in a race as well. You simply ask each other questions to keep each other on track. Questions like:
• Sleep: "Are you getting enough sleep each night?"
"If not, how much are you getting?" "How do you plan to change?"
• Medicine: "Are you taking your medication daily?"
"If not, how often are you taking it?" "How do you plan to change?"
• Exercise: "Are you following you exercise plan daily?"
"If not, how often are you exercising?" "How do you plan to change?"
• Eating: "Are you eating properly at each meal?"
"If not, what are you eating/not eating?" "How do you plan to change?"
• Substance: "Are you staying off harmful substances?"
"If not, when and how often have you taken them?" "How do you plan to change?"

This is just one example of how an accountability partner can benefit you on the path to success and fulfillment. I’m sure you can think of other ways to put this vital tool to good use. Use it and reap the rewards you’re after. We need accountability partners for true achievement. After all, what use is there is achieving a goal if you have no one with which to share the success? Leo Buscaglia once wrote, “We are each of us angels with one wing and we can truly only fly when we hold on to one another.”