Everyone has different body types, so it makes sense that everyone wants to achieve something different in their workout routine. There are many different ways to exercise and tone your body. Each type of exercise uses different muscles, which is why we see different results. Whether it’s gaining flexibility, burning fat, toning your arms, or increasing core muscle strength, there are different ways to shape your body to the way you want.
Getting fit can feel like a struggle especially if you’ve been working hard for weeks without seeing outward results. Images of athletic bodies pinned to motivate you now seem to be a source of frustration instead of empowerment.
Often times many of us feel we're the only ones struggling with fitness results. We wonder why others seem to get in shape easier and why body changes aren't happening. These are very common concerns so don’t feel alone in your struggle.
Fitness results are different and progress at varying rates for each individual. It will take patience and application of the right methods that work best for you. Everyone is different in lifestyle, body type, genetics, possible medical issues, and even age all playing a role in our ability to achieve results.
Successful methods of achieving the best results have been well documented through clinical studies and research.
Quick Fix Scams Don't Work
Certain training programs promote drastic measures to change your body. Studies have shown severe calorie restriction and fad diets as unhealthy ways to achieve ideal body composition. Those who are serious about reaching fitness goals are looking for a long-term solution, not a temporary fix.
If your desire is to get in shape, it's recommended to avoid fad diets promising the body of your dreams in 3-weeks. Fitness in a bottle doesn't exist and certainly doesn't teach us how to eat and exercise for health. It will be important for you to remain mentally strong and resist the temptation to fall for gimmicks.
Allow yourself at least 12-weeks to see realistic goals. According to a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, that amount of time significantly improves body fat percentage. Reading articles on the best way to get lean will help with motivation and keep you on track with your fitness program.
Avoid Restricting Calories
You may have started a fitness program restricting too many calories placing your body into starvation mode. The body needs a certain amount of calories to function efficiently plus help you lose weight. Reducing fat is more about eating right and not eating less.
Eating more may sound strange, but not really when you consider the body needs calories (energy) to function. You will need the right amount of healthy calories combined with exercise to burn fat stores off your body.
Achieving goals means eating for the muscle you want and the fat you want to lose. Lean and muscular bodies require consuming enough calories to function at optimum levels in and out of the gym. Reading articles on why you may need more calories will provide a fresh perspective to your fitness program
Stay Motivated
Did you start a fitness program highly motivated and struggling with staying consistent? Sometimes it’s hard to take an honest look at ourselves and admit we are making excuses. We stop writing in our food journal and scheduled workouts are replaced with whatever comes up.
This is the time to re-evaluate and make changes to get back on track. If you want results, it will take a daily commitment to make it happen. Reading articles on fitness and applying accountability methods to reach your goals will help rejuvenate lagging motivation.
Positive Body Image
We can become so focused on our body, we fail to enjoy the process of getting fit. It will be important not to stress about your training program and become so obsessed it feels like a burden. Fitness is a progressive journey and goals are constantly being revised according to body changes.
Healthy people tend to be happy, confident and not consumed by body image. They typically are too busy thinking about their next healthy meal to stress about a few extra pounds. A more relaxed attitude allows them the ability to enjoy all stages of getting fit. Besides, stressing over our body image is just another way to release additional hormones like cortisol into our system linked to weight gain.
Reading articles on how stress can adversely affect our ability to lose fat are recommended and should help us have a better outlook while working on personal goals.
Let Go of Food Guilt
Food guilt is probably one of the biggest issues to overcome during your training program. Social pressure is high to eat perfectly all the time. This simply is neither realistic nor maintainable forever. It actually gets in the way of reaching your fitness goals.
Enjoying the occasional cheat meal is called being human and part of a healthy, balanced life. Fitness enthusiasts are definitely having a few cookies without guilt and so should you. You will gain a healthier perspective about splurge meals reading articles about how food guilt can affect your ability to get fit. A balanced life will enable you to maintain your fitness program with a healthier outlook.
Train Smarter Not Harder
Have you been performing intense daily workouts and sometimes hitting it twice? Are you walking around completely fatigued and exhausted? If the answer is yes, you're probably doing too much and not allowing enough recovery time for your muscles. This can cause stress overload on your body in general.
Having a lean and muscular body doesn’t mean spending hours in the gym. Efficient workouts are focused and can be accomplished in less than an hour. Learning how to challenge your body effectively will provide better results. Reading articles on how to best use gym time and how to avoid common exercise mistakes will help you design a quality program.
