2016 Fitness Resolution Do’s and Don’ts

1. It Never Ends.

Before you even start, If you think getting in shape is something you are going to do for a couple of Months to get back in shape, then you may as well not even start because I can guarantee once you stop your fitness program, you will go right back to the way you where and maybe even worse!

2. Have a Plan and Be Realistic.

You can not simply just say… “ I am going to eat better, get into shape and lose weight” Or what ever it is you plan on doing for your New Years Fitness Resolutions. You have to make a plan, and the more detailed your plan is, the more likely you are going to see it through and succeed in your goals. Write it down on paper and read that paper every day.

Make sure your plan is a realistic one, I suggest you plan in stages starting out with simpler smaller steps and then progressing along the way with more challenging steps.

3. Set Realistic Goals.

In your plan, have some milestones or goals, I want to lose X amount of weight. I want to have an X size waist or fit into X size clothing. I want to put on x pounds of muscle or achieve X amount of body fat. I want to be able to play with my kids or I want to see my Abs again!

Depending on what type of person you are you may want to set time lines for these goals, but this can also be discouraging for some people who may feel defeated if they do not succeed on schedule. What is most important is that you get to your goal, not how long it takes.

4. Make Rewards for Yourself.

Set in place small and larger rewards for achieving certain milestones. Stick to your diet all week and you get a nice cheat meal or even a cheat day on the weekend. Once you lose a certain amount of weight you get to buy some new clothing. Once you hit your ultimate goal, you may plan a vacation for yourself.

5. Yes You Will Have to Diet.

Do not think that working out alone is going to make you lose weight! Weather you plan on losing weight, gaining weight or even maintaining weight, diet is key. Diet is almost more important than the workout part of it all but both worth much better had in hand.

6. Just Going to The Gym is Not Enough.

So you made a plan to go to the gym and workout, and you even started going to the gym and are working out regularly. That should be good enough right? Nope! You have to also train hard in the gym, being there and simply moving your body around and lifting some weight is not enough. You need to push yourself outside your comfort zone to get real results. Of course you need to start out slow and build on the intensity but intensity is the most important factor in working out, what you actually do is secondary.

7. Keep the Drive Alive!

At some point you may lose focus or interest in your health and fitness plan. Some things that may help you are to watch other people that inspire you on YouTube, listen to upbeat music while you are at the gym, wear clothing in the gym that you feel good in, hang out around other people that share the same health and fitness interests a you do.

8. Stop Comparing Yourself to Others.

You are who you are, you are not anyone else. You have your strengths and weakness that you will not share with anyone else. If your goal is to be exactly like someone else than you will fail because this is impossible. Your goal should be to be the best version of yourself so figure out where you are strong and build confidence in those areas. Also figure where you are week and turn your weakest areas into your strongest areas.

9. New Years is Not the Only Time to Make a Commitment!

Everyone is in a panic to get back into shape after the Hollidays when the reality is this is probably the worst time of the year to do so… Gyms are packed and everyone is in the crazy zone. You may have even started a New Years Health and Fitness resolutions and failed already, that’s OK. Set some new goals and plan using these methods I am showing you now and give it another shot, there is no wrong time to start a health and fitness plan.

10. Be Accountable.

Going it alone means that nobody will notice if you stop or quit. Tell your good friends about your new health and fitness goals, find a workout buddy with a similar plan, if you can afford it, find a suitable trainer to help you get started and make sure you are maximizing your efforts, they will be a positive influence and help you stay the course.

I am offering an Online Personal Training New Years promotion at this time for a limited number of Clients. My 6 week program has been reduced to $129 US. Contact me here if you are interested in taking advantage of this special promotion!

Shoutout to McSwoly Wear

I wanted to mention a Shoutout to McSwoly Wear, one of my YouTube Channel viewers. Greg from McSwoly Wear sent me a couple of their T-shirts. I really like the concept these shirts represent and wanted to share them with everyone.

My favorite one, the one I am wearing in this video is the "Squat Like Your Ass Depends on it". There are all kinds of different shirts with different sayings and you can get them in different colors over in their Amazon Store.

You will also find some cancer survivor shirts since Grey, the fellow I have been in touch with is a cancer survivor himself. He went from being a 240 pounds weight lifter down to 140 pounds from the cancer. He is now cancer free and back up to over 200 pounds so a happy storey in the end!

Thanks again Greg from McSwoly Wear for the shirts, I wish you all the best with your shirt sales!

Oceanside California Family Vacation

This YouTube video is not fitness related at all, just some video and still photos of the family and I on Vacation in Oceanside California :)

This Vacations was for 10 days, my Wife Nicole and two children, Jordan and Gabriel left our home in Langley BC Canada on the 11th of December and returned on the 21st. We primarily stayed in our WorldMark Timeshare located in Oceanside California but also travelled to San Diego for several days visiting The San Diego Zoo, Sea World San Diego and spending some time at the Belmont Theme Park on the Beach in San Diego. We also spent a day at Universal Studios Hollywood which was a bit of a drive but lots of fun.

The weather was a bit cold this time of year but warm enough in the sun most days to get away with shorts and a T-shirt, well at least for us Canadians :)

The extra family time and break from the regular day to day routine was a nice change but returning home was also nice!

Have a Very Merry Christmas!

Take a Workout Break - Your Body Will Thank You!

If you're like me and train religiously day after day and week after week with only a day or two off from your regular routine every once in a while... Then the idea of taking a week off may seem like a step backwards and almost certain gains losses!

The reality is, we need to take a break from workings out, not just our bodies but also our minds need that break too. I recently went on a family vacation to Oceanside California and it had been a really long time since I took any real time off from the gym, and to be honest, mentally I was getting really fatigued not only from my busy workout schedule but also my fairly strict eating plan. So what better time to do a take a break from my workout training program.

Here are some reasons why taking a workout break is good for you:

Weight training puts your body into a state of repair, the repair process is where the muscle adapts and becomes stronger and allows for muscle growth. This repair process take some time and uses up your bodies resources. If you never give yourself that additional time off to fully repair and in a way reset, then your body is always trying to play catch-up with somewhat limited resources. Taking a break from working out and weight training is kind of like a detox if you will but not for your digestive system, but rather for your Muscles, Joints and Connective tissues.

Taking some time off from weight trainig is super benneficial in allowing any of theose small injuries or annoying pains to have that extra time they need to fully relax and heal. 

The body is one area where you can benefit from a workout break., the second main area is your mind. Working out day in and day out along with adhering to a strict diet plan can be super wearing on a persons spirit and overall moral. Giving yourself that mental rest from the pressure of performing in the gym and having to only eat certain foods at certain times is a great stress reliever. After a workout break you will be raring to go again with a more positive attitude towards your workouts and a renewed commitment to the nutritional aspects that go along with supporting a healthy and fit body.

How frequently you require a workout break is going to depend on how often and how hard you regularly workout, and how your body handles the recovery from those workouts. Many people feel you should take a workout break every couple of months, I feel 2-3 times per year is good for me. You will have to figure out regularity in which your body requires a workout break but I do recommend you start implementing them in your training program.

Watch my YouTube Video where I also talk about how my latest workout break effected me mentally and physically during my break and after: