Boost metabolism and burn fat. Keep your metabolism ticking over at a higher rate, thats your aim.
Recently we’ve been talking about pre workout meals andpost workout meals, as well as some of thebest workout snacks out there. So today I’m going to use a little of what you already know and combine it together with a few other game changing hot tips.
Below are my 10 Commandments to boost metabolism and burn fat! That sounds awesome doesn’t it? Maybe a little over the top? haha
1. Eat smaller, more frequent meals – By doing this you’re creating a thermogenic effect inside your body and a sure fire way to boost metabolism and burn fat.
By combining lean protein with the correct types and most importantly, amounts of green leafy green vegetables (super foods), good carbs, and fats (almonds, dried fruits and nuts, bananas, etc.) you’ll shift gears into metabolism overdrive and turn your body into a 24/7 fat burning lean and mean muscle machine.
Ideally try and eat every 3 hrs.
2. Eat Breakfast – This IS the most important meal of the day, i know your mum or in my case my grandma would always remind me of this and she was right!
By eating a well balanced breakfast you kick start your day and your metabolism so if you’re one of those people that skip breaky you’ve got to change your mindset because as soon as you do you’ll boost metabolism and in turn burn fat at a high rate.
I’ve recently posted some awesome smoothie recipes in my pre work out mealsthat are perfect for breakfast on the run.
3. Don’t buy food or beverage temptations! - You know if you stash a case of VB’s in the fridge, chocolate cookies in the cupboard, ice-cream or a frozen pizza in the freeze –sooner or later, human as we are, you will indulge.
This is just common sense: how can you cheat if there is not temptation? Get rid of the temptations.
4. Eat to avoid being hungry, not because you are hungry – This ties back to the 1st commandment. You’ve got to keep in mind that if you eat when you’re starving the chances are that you’ll over eat, right? Look I’ll put my hand for this one and say that iv been guilty of this.
If you over eat you’re body becomes sluggish and simply just won’t operate at the level you need to keep your metabolism burning unwanted fat. You’ll also most likely find that you won’t eat for some time so again you’re breaking the 1st Commandment.
5. Meal Preparation – Just as you prep for a workout, prepare your weekly meals in advance. Ideally Sunday is best or the day before you start you’re week of work. As i always say, “fail to prepare then prepare to fail”.
Click the links at the beginning of this post and check out my smoothie plans for on the go meals.
You’ll find that your cutting out junk food that you grab on the run, we’re all guilty of this from time to time.
My 6 P’s applies here: Proper Planning Precludes Piss Poor Performance! Preparing your meals and snacks is just another tool you should be using in your battle to boost metabolism and burn fat.
6. Shop Wisely – So tying in with commandments 3 and 5 – this is one hot commandment – make plans for your visit to the supermarket. Sounds silly but i promise it actually really works.
Katie and i tend to stay in the fruit and produce section for most of the visit then we mozie (you know what cowboys do?) on over towards the nuts, then off to the yogurt section and we finish in the meats, fish and poultry section.
The middle aisles are usually packed with junk and fatty foods and we’ll be tempted if we go down there so we avoid these as best as we can.
7. Water, Water, Water – The best thing you can put in your body and a sure way to boost metabolism and burn fat.
Boost Metabolism and Burn Fat
By drinking the proper amounts of water you flush unwanted toxins out of your body. Did you know that your body is 80% water?
Now by keeping your body hydrated your muscles will repair much faster as opposed to if you where dehydrated and the more muscle you have in your body the faster your metabolism operates.
When trying to lose weight your body will only let you burn fat if it feels safe. Your body has a safety mechanism meaning that if your body feels threatened it shuts down. Your body must be well hydrated if you are to burn excess unwanted fat.
Your body thinks “hey you know I’m real thirsty and I’m lacking nutrients, I’m locking down and not letting anything go”
It’s also a medical fact that hydration imbalance increases your vulnerability and risk of disease.
8. Avoid Bad Sugars, at all Costs – No soft drinks (yes that goes for diet soft drink too), no crap energy shots or anything with a high fructose level (found in corn syrup). These will not boost your metabolism and burn fat but confuse your metabolism rate.
Healthy carbs cause the pancreas to produce insulin, which acts as a signal to the brain to stop you from feeling hungry. Pretty cool hey?
When you eat high fructose corn syrup however, the brain never gets this signal so you are more likely to overeat and then gain weight. The high fructose crap is extremely low in nutritional value and extremely high in calories. Just stay away, trust me.
9. Stay out of the “Sugar-Free” Trap – These foods are full of artificial ingredients. In other words toxins they’re toxins and should be avoided. Your body actually need good sugars found in fruit to boost metabolism and burn fat.
All the sugars you need can be found in most fruits and veggies
Boost Metabolism and Burn Fat
10. Omega 3′s – I once read that not having enough Omega 3′s in your diet was as bad as smoking is for you. After i read that i began to take notice of this essential fatty acid.
Omega 3′s regulate your body and similar to commandment 7 your body needs to feel balanced and have correct amount of nutrients for it work at high level.
Quality Omega 3′s can be found in fish but if you don’t eat enough fish and unless you’re an eskimo you probably don’t then your best option is in supplement form.
Be sure to get yourself a high quality supplement not the cheap crap they sell at Swiss.
Oh you’ll also find that your memory improves as essential fatty acids are a wonder drug for the brain box.
Well, that was Boost Metabolism and Burn Fat – The Diet 10 Commandments, let me know if you think i missed one.
Welcome to Best Workout Snacks. I hope you get some great info and learn lots.
Best Workout Snacks
From some of your recent emails, I’ve found that a lot of you out there want to avoid foods that give you that comatose feeling of eating a big meal. It simply slows you down, right? You feel lethargic and in most cases tired.
I know it can be sometimes tempting to just smash a big feed and over indulge, get cosy and sleepy and fall asleep but gang its a bad idea.
As a nutritional alternative try snacking or eating smaller meals of the right foods (5 – 7 times a day), including my pre workout meal smoothies and of my never miss post workout meal smoothies.
Eating regularly throughout the day keeps your metabolism going and will turn your body into a 24/7 fat burning machine!
Include healthy doses of water and caffeinated green tea and that will help boost your metabolism and keep you super-charged for your work outs.
Below are some of the best work out snacks which you kind peeps have sent through.
“I stock up on dried fruits and nuts from a local whole-earth grocer, that and a chocolate whey protein based smoothie keep me satisfied and motivated.” (circuit running and swimming)
–Monique F, San Francisco
“Whenever I feel a lull in my day and feeling of emptiness in my gut, and knowing I have circuit training coming up in an hour or two, I find that a banana and a handful of almonds, with a tall glass of water is exactly what I need to start doing reps.” (Circuit Weight Training)
–Bruce, Sydney
“I think that some of the best work out snacks are simple and light, small piece of salmon with spinach pineapple, and low fat cottage cheese, helps my stamina and endurance in my workout.” (aerobics and light weights)
–Sylvia T, Atlanta
“Apples and Low Fat Yogurt are the best work out snacks, for my training which requires at least a 2:1 carbs to protein ration, if not 3:1.” (High Intensity Interval Training – HIIT)
–Chris C, London
Chris brings up an interesting point about the carb to protein ratio, which I think needs some further discussion, especially in relation to the best work out snacks.
The research findings is complex and full of scientific talk which would baffle anyone, but the easy reading version is pretty simple and goes like this:
Depending on the intensity and duration of your workout, the best work out snacks would consist of at least a 2:1 ratio of carbs to protein.
14g protein, 27g carbs from
1 apple and 1 1/2 cups low-fat yogurt.
A 2:1 carbs-protein ratio is enough for a light to medium workout session, but you will need a 3:1 carbs-protein
Best Workout Snacks
ratio for a heavy workout session because the extra carbs are needed to help refuel your energy stores.
Keeping this in mind, the best workout snacks should consist of a combination of 15-30 grams of protein and 30-90 grams of carbs before and after your workout.
Leafy Green Vegetables and small piece of lean meat or fish
English Muffin and Honey
Those are a just a few suggestions for the best work out snacks but take a couple of minutes to do your research, determine your carb-protein ratio which is best for you and keep geared up and at it.
Today i’m going to share with you 3 smoothie post workout meals.
Earlier this week I posted 3 kick ass pre workout meal smoothie recipes, all contain the vitamins and nutrients needed for a prefect workout preparation meal.
Post Workout Meals
Now if you thought pre workout was important for optimal gains and a speedy recovery post workout meals are of the high most importance.
Think Obama compared to the mayor of Ballarat. Now I’m actually from Ballarat and the major as a very important job but I’m just trying to get my point across, I hope that makes sense. Haha! (its really early)
Ok so let me get all scientist on you and explain the 7 R’s of Recovery
Try and keep hydrated throughout your workout but if you can’t for whatever reason then immediately afterwards Rehydrate as fast as you can. Ideally drink water and avoid any sort of marketed sugary workout drinks.
Your post work out meal is all about reduction: Reduce cortisol levels, Reduce muscle protein breakdown, Reduce muscle soreness and fatigue.
By doing that your body will be Revitalised and Rejuvenated.
Another aim is to Replenish muscle glycogen that was depleted during your workout and help Repair and build your muscles.
The primary goal of the ultimate post work out meal is to accomplish all the above so your body Recovers in the quickest time possible with the best muscle and definition gains.
Now some of the best foods and dishes for a proper post work out meal are:
Dried fruits and nuts, tuna and whole wheat crackers, whole grain cereal and skim milk, Salmon and a Salad,
Post Workout Meals
Egg White and Spinach Omelet, Chocolate Milk.
I bet you’re asking yourself, “chocolate milk? is that right?” I wrote a great post a few months back, check it out here Burn Belly Fat - Milk does What?
Just like the pre workout smoothie its all about the blender.
All the below ingredients serve 2, and the first 1 i had was when i visited the small island of Huatulco, Mexico. –Its exotic and sensual (not sexual), and packed with all the vitamins and minerals needed to look after the 7 R’sof post work out meals.
Enjoy.
MAI TAI VOLCANO
1/2 cup 1% milk
2 tablespoons low-fat plain yogurt
1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
1/2 banana
1/4 cup strawberries
1/4 cup cubed ripe mango
2 teaspoons vanilla whey-protein powder
3 ice cubes
Nutritional Info
Calories
154
Carbs
31g
Protein
7g
Fat
2g
Saturated Fat
0.5g
Sodium
50mg
Fiber
2g
Im a sucker for chocolate and between you and me this is my favourite.
CHOCO-HAUL-IT
3/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
3/4 cup 1% chocolate milk
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/2 banana
2 tablespoons low-fat vanilla yogurt
2 teaspoons ground flaxseed
2 teaspoons chocolate whey-protein powder
6 ice cubes
Nutritional Info
Calories
349
Carbs
30g
Protein
16g
Fat
18g
Saturated Fat
5g
Sodium
184mg
Fiber
3g
A friend of mine from over the ditch in New Zealand emailed me this crazy delicious kiwi fruit based smoothie. As a post work out meal it contains all the nutrients needed.
The Down Under and Over
1 cup 1% milk
2 tablespoons low-fat plain yogurt
1 medium peeled kiwifruit
1/2 cup strawberries
2 teaspoons vanilla whey-protein powder
3 ice cubes
Nutritional Info
Calories
110
Carbs
16g
Protein
8g
Fat
2g
Saturated Fat
1g
Sodium
83mg
Fiber
2g
What do you think? On paper or on computer screen that sound pretty good hey? Trust me they’re great. Now all the calorie info is included as you can see but team you don’t need to worry about counting calories with your post workout meal.
If you have a post workout meal recipe that you’d like to share then please leave it in the comment section below.
Yours in health,
James Ramage
P.S – If you enjoyed this post then I’m sure you’ll enjoy my post on Workout Nutrition. Let me know what you think.
As we all know, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Having breakfast gets our body ready for the day ahead.
For those getting and staying in shape pre work out meals prepare your body for workout ahead and are a must if you serious about getting results.
Getting your day started, you need something besides a cup of coffee to get cracking.
The primary goal of a pre work out meal is to reduce muscle glycogen depletion, reduce muscle protein breakdown, and reduce post workout cortisol levels.
Remember back to an earlier post where we spoke about pre and post work out meals and basically that they need to have a mixture of carbs and protein depending on your type of work-out.
The essential nutrients needed for a pre work out meal are found in:
Bananas, Fruits, Apples, Peaches, Pineapples
Yogurt, Oatmeal, Almonds, honey, flaxseed – among other foods
You can always grab a banana or a handful of almonds on the way to the gym, you know iv done this plenty of times before but If you want to cover all the bases, and being on the go, there is nothing more accommodating than my blender.
I love my blender!
With a tight schedule and always on the run I can concoct the perfect pre work out meal in less than 5 minutes by whipping up a smoothie which gives me all my nutrients.
For some more ideas on basic nutrients then click this link and read and the 13foods that burn belly fat.
My 3 Favorite Smoothie Pre Work-Out Meals
These are my favorite pre work out meals, and the below ratios serve two.
Almond Joy
1/2 cup 1% milk
1/2 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup sliced almonds
2 teaspoons chocolate whey-protein powder
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon ground flaxseed
6 ice cubes
Nutritional Info:
Calories
178
Carbs
18g
Protein
10g
Fat
8g
Saturated Fat
1.5g
Sodium
79mg
Fiber
2g
OJ on the Run
1 cup 1% milk
1/2 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
2 tablespoons low-fat plain yogurt
1 banana
2 teaspoons whey-protein powder
6 ice cubes
Nutritional Info
Calories
241
Carbs
48g
Protein
10g
Fat
2g
Saturated Fat
1g
Sodium
84mg
Fiber
2g
The Watermelon Man
1/4 cup 1% milk
3/4 cup ready-to-eat cubed seedless watermelon pieces
1/2 cup strawberries
1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt
2 teaspoons vanilla whey-protein powder
3 ice cubes
Nutritional Info
Calories 92
Carbs 13g
Protein 7g
Fat 2g
Saturated Fat 1g
Sodium 66mg
Fiber 1g
There ya have it, three awesome smoothies as an option which give you all the essentials for your pre
Pre Workout Meal
work out meals. Will give you a real kick start. I love em!
So you can see all the calories are listed above so there’s no reason you should be consuming extra calories. From the ingredients above you can find the proper mix of carbs and protein, and design your own pre workout meal depending on the type of workout you’re doing.
These smoothie pre work out meals not only cover all the bases, get ya up and moving, but are delish.
Stay tuned cos later this week ill be dropping some absolutely scrumptious smoothie post work out meals, to replenish and rejuvenate.
If you have a pre workout meal that you love then please leave a comment below.
James.
P.S – Like our Facebook page and keep up to date with all new posts ->
P.P.S – If you enjoyed this post then you’ll love this – Boost Your Metabolism with Food
What a better way to learn about health, fitness, weight loss, personal journey and persistence then someone who has been there and experienced it.
You know its all well and good to get help and instruction but i believe its so much more powerful when its from someone who has been in the position of not being happy with their body and how they went about changing that around.
Recently i had the pleasure of meeting a lovely girl named Jen and she was more than happy to answer a few of my questions.
You can read the full interview below.
Hi Jen. Lets start with the basics can you tell us what do you do for a living and where you’re from?
I’m from chilly Melbourne and I currently work in admin and I am also starting my career in Personal Training.
So Jen thinking back to way before all your success when did you realise it was time to make a lifestyle change?
It was something that I had realized for a long time I just never knew HOW to go about changing my lifestyle..
Thats probably the No.1 reason why people don’t start this journey, they don’t know how! Now was there a “ Ah-ha” moment for you? If so can you tell us a little bit about it.
There were quite a few.. I had become very frustrated and depressed because of my weight and in turn I managed to chase away quite a few of my friends who basically let me have it and told me how difficult I had become and how I had changed for the worst.. Also, a series of rejection from a few guys also made me wake up to myself.
Ouch! That must have been terrible Jen. Tell me about your first step towards your new life? Do you remember your first workout?
My first step was when I had just moved in with my sister and I joined up at Goodlife Balwyn which is really close to my home. I immediately felt comfortable there and I started to workout 1-2 times a week just on the cardio equipment
Thats great that you felt so comfortable so quickly. A lot of people have trouble getting into that routine and usually need an extra dose of motivation.
In your own words can you tell us a little more about your weight loss journey and if you could start from your that “Ah-ha” moment you had until now.
Ok so I started off with my 1-2 sessions a week on the cardio equipment. Then I bit the bullet and tried a few classes.
Zumba was one of the first classes I tried and I loved it. Eventually I moved on from the cardio equipment and started to attend the classes. I had tried Body Attack, Body Combat, Body Pump and Pilates.
Once I started doing the classes I felt more confidence and also started making friends at the gym which also helped with motivation (and accountability!)
After I had lost 40kg (WOW!! – Jen thats amazing) I decided it was time for a personal trainer. He really pushed my limits and got me to try things I would have never imagined I would do. Such as a dead lift. He eventually moved on and my new trainer has been amazing.
I now leg press 235kg and am getting stronger every day. I have cut down on my cardio classes and my general routine consists of 2 PT sessions and a few cardio sessions and lunch time walks.
My favourite class of all time is my Groove class which has replaced Zumba. We get to dance around in a way that feels good so it’s become my fun weekly therapy and a nice break from all my “serious” exercising.
During this journey I had helped a lot of friends with their own weight loss journeys and found that I had exceptional motivational skills and thought ‘why don’t I become a Personal Trainer and help others achieve their goals just like how I’ve achieved my own’ so in October 2011 I started my course and am about to finish.
If anyone told me 2 years ago that I would have lost 60kg and was a qualified PT I would have laughed in their face.
Jen that story is so inspirational. Can you tell usWhat you found harder, the diet or the exercise?
Diet. For years I abused my body with addictive, salty, fatty, sugary foods. It took me most of my journey to get the food part right. And food is the most important part of weight loss. (80% Diet, 20% Exercise).
Last year I joined the Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation which really opened my eyes to how amazing healthy food can be. I didn’t feel like I was missing out AT ALL.
What’s the greatest part of your new lifestyle?
Being able to walk into ANY non Plus Size shop and try on the clothes there and they fit. I will admit, I was quite sad when the City Chic clothes became too big for me.. I quite like their style!
Did you have someone help you or support you along the way?
I did most of this on my own but last year I started dating someone who has lost 50kg and he has been very supportive. He’s been there himself and also my healthy lifestyle is helping him maintain his weight so we’re a good team. He also liked me when I was bigger and has supported me every step of the way.
If you could give one piece of advice to someone who has gone down a similar path you, what would it be?
Find something that is fun. Whether it’s Groove or any type of dance class, Combat, Martial Arts, Bike Riding, rock climbing etc. Just find something that interests you and GET MOVING!
What’s your favourite workout at the moment?
PT Sessions, Combat, MMAXFIT (MMA based) and TRX workouts.
Do you have favourite meal?
Anything from the Michelle Bridges crunchtime cookbook (Get this if you struggle with food or if you find healthy food ‘boring’) or her 12wbt program!
Ok so now that your super fit and healthy, tell us about a typical workout for you?
In my PT sessions we split it up into upper and lower body and super set 2 exercises per set. I attend Groove once a week and also try to get in an Attack or Combat class as well as a pilates/yoga class as well.
Jen could you walk us through a typical week for you including your diet, training and any planning you do.
I try to make big batches of food on Sunday so I don’t have to cook during the week as I am quite busy. I buy fresh veggies and fruit from the markets and generally cook my dinners with spices and herbs. Throw in some chicken or other lean meat and ta-dah!
Lunches I just have a chicken and salad mountain bread wrap. Snacks consist of nuts, cottage cheese, healthy crackers, yoghurt, carrots, etc. I try to mix it up a bit.
I try to plan as much as I can but luckily most of my weeks are the same. I work, I go to the gym, I eat. Keeping it simple means it’s easier to stick to. Training varies week to week to keep things interesting.
Thank you so much for your time and wisdom Jen. You’re life experience is super inspirational and with your own journey i know you’ll be an amazing personal trainer changing lives for the better.
Team, Jen has been kind enough to supply her email address if you wish to ask her anything else. You contact Jen at jencresp@gmail.com
I hope you get as much out of that as i did.
I recently finished writing a 3 part series on motivation and it really goes well with what Jen said.
Motivation is linked to a positive thought pattern and is a vital tool for success. Don’t underestimate the power of motivation and positive thinking.
Previously in the post getting motivated to exercise I mentioned the importance to reinforce your goal setting by immersing yourself in the literature. Same rule applies with getting motivated to lose weight –read articles, blogs, Facebook pages and even see if you can visit some online forums.
3 Strategies on getting motivated to lose weight are:
Answering the “What” List
First things first. Ask yourself “What are the top 10 things ill do once iv achieved my goal weight?” Jot these down or type them up. It can be anything from looking great to the various health benefits but what i recommend is think about how you’ll feel once you’ve lost that weight.
For example – What is the ultimate outfit that you will wear once you’ve got to your goal weight?
Print out or copy several copies in a LARGE BOLD FONT
This is a basic exercise but it works wonders.
Now stick your top 10 in up on the fridge door, the bathroom mirror, next to your computer at home and somewhere at work. What about in the middle of your car steering wheel? This will be a constant reminder of your values and attitudes towards getting motivated to lose weight.
Creating a “Yea I know But” List and Tear it Up
Next up create a list of all those things that would interfere with your plan on getting motivated to lose
Getting Motivated to Lose Weight
weight.
For example;
“Yea i know, but I don’t know if I can stick to that diet.”
“Yea i know, but I don’t know if I can exercise that many times a week.”
Have a good think here and list all the doubts you have about your abilities. Type them up and print off several copies. Then tear em up!
If you have a fireplace, even better…watching those doubts and “yea i know buts” burn. Getting rid of these doubts will help you get motivated and stay motivated to lose weight.
This may be a little crazy but I’ve seen this work wonders.
Keep Cultivating Positive Thoughts
This was something that i write about in a previous post but i just wanted to reiterate how important this single tip can be.
I want you to grab a diary or even open up a word doc and keep a journal of positive affirmations.
For example;
“I feel amazing from that workout, I’m so glad i trained early this morning.”
“I will exercise 4 times this week and i will feel amazing afterwards, i can’t wait!”
Also if you really want to get into it and if the thought comes to mind and its negative then write it down. Next step is to grab a pen and put a big cross through it, kind of saying “thats not me, I’m different now”
Getting Motivated to Lose Weight
By changing your thoughts and cultivating positive affirmations, you CAN change your behaviour. What is behaviour? ACTION!
These 3 tips for getting motivated to lose weight were derived from cognitive studies and ways to alter thought patterns to positively effect behaviour.
By changing your thoughts to positive affirmations, getting rid of the burdens of self-doubt, and reinforcing these values and attitudes into the general frame of reference of a desired goal you can maintain motivation.
Think It! Do It! Stay With It. Getting motivated to lose weight is up to you now.
In Part 1 of this series, I devoted some time to general notions on getting motivated to exercise and losing weight.
Today we’ll look at some ways to prepare and reinforce your exercise program. You’ll find that your body actually starts to crave exercise and activity after forming an exercise habit.
Your muscles have memories and they keep you honest, saying “Lets go, It’s time to train!”
Remember when you exercise it gives you a sense of accomplishment and boosts your motivational juices.
Really, motivation is putting those positive thoughts which were spoke about in Part 1 into action and there are a few simple rules I recommend for getting motivated to exercise.
Being Prepared
Have you ever heard “if you fail to prepare then prepare to fail”?
Another one for you and if you’ve spent any time in the military I’m sure you’ve heard the 6 P’s – Proper Preparation Precludes Piss Poor Performance. Excuse my French, but this is a maxim that military personnel live by – Being Prepared!
Whatever your exercise program is be sure to prepare beforehand, just as if you were picking out clothes for work tomorrow. Have your gym bag packed and your post workout food ready to go.
Just having all your ducks in a row will keep you motivated to exercise.
Providing Flexibility and Variations
Mix up your exercise routines –This will help greatly in keeping up your motivation.
Getting Motivated to Exercise
It may be weight training every other day with swimming and jogging in between –or circuit training or high intensity interval training.
Throughout my career as a fitness professional iv found that if you fail to change up your workouts thats when your motivating drops, negative thoughts sneak in and excuses come thick and fast.
By changing up your workout routines your chances of sticking with your exercise programs increase greatly.
Try these 3 workouts and learn to vary your training.
Commitment to your Exercise Program
Look this is not for everyone but if your comfortable with it then i recommend it.
You should be writing down your training schedules as part of your planning and preparation but at the end of the week just jot down the week you’ve had in exercise and express how it went and what you want to focus on the following week.
If you can do this, it shows your level of commitment to your training.
Read as much as you can!
Head to the newsagent and grab yourself 2 or 3 health and fitness magazines. You’ll find that not only will you be increasing your health and fitness knowledge but this will keep you super motivated.
Make sure you read as many successful testimonials you can find. If this doesn’t light a fire under your ass not much else will.
Your not limited to magazines, jump on Facebook and search some health and fitness pages also track down some blogs and chat to people in the same boat as you on various health and fitness forums.
Surrounding yourself with this information works for getting motivated to exercise.
What’s Conditioning, without a Reward? Have Fun !
Getting Motivated to Exercise
Now I’m not talking about a binge of KFC, Cheese cake and a slab of beer but rewarding yourself with a day of fun activities. Pick a day and do things that only you want to do.
You know what…….while your enjoying your day why don’t you treat your self to a cheat meal.
There are a few rules to go by and you can learn about them by clicking the link but the short version is to enjoy a meal that you love. Don’t over eat and enjoy it for lunch, not dinner.
These are the kind of rewards which will pay-off and keep you on track.
Getting motivated to exercise does present some challenges, but with the proper planning, variation, commitment, reinforcement and reward system, you should be able to stay motivated.
Yours in Health,
James Ramage
P.S – To learn more about variety in your workouts watch this quick video on bodyweight workouts
Getting motivated to exercise and lose weight is always a big step.
This is the first part of a 3 post walk through on learning how to get motivated and stay motivated to exercise and lose weight.
Getting Motivated to Exercise & Lose Weight
Everyone has a problem staying motivated.
As the great motivator Anthony Robbins said “motivation is temporary, like bathing i recommend it every daily”
When i initially speak to new clients about getting motivated to exercise and lose weight, i know its super vital to start this journey properly.
By starting properly i mean setting realistic goals in a realistic time frame. We write the goals down together and talk about why these goals are your goals. We talk about your immediate support besides myself.
You wil be surprised how powerful that little exercise can be.
8 Simple Tips on Getting Motivated to Exercise and Lose Weight
Break your goals up. Instead of aiming to lose 15 kgs, why not shoot for 5 kgs in 4 weeks and work your way from there. Set yourself smaller goals to keep motivated.
Reflect on your goals with a good attitude, stress less.
If you have trouble narrowing down a goal, talk it out.
Everyone gets in a slump, it’ll pass i promise.
Look forward to accomplishing your goal with positive thoughts
Think about how you will feel on accomplishing your goal, this will provide incentive to stay motivated. Have you heard of the rocking chair analogy?
Stay away from negative people, they have a tendency to rub off on you
Hang out with people who are enthusiastic, positive and full of energy
I find that talking to my clients about how they’ll feel once they’ve achieved their goal is truly powerful. They can begin feeling what they will be feeling in a few short weeks.
Negative Thoughts are a BIG Culprit
Getting Motivated to Exercise and Lose Weight
Negative thoughts SUCK!
Getting started isn’t usually the biggest problem its the maintaining part thats a problem. Is that something you agree with?
How many times have you started something but failed to see it through? Everyone has done it.
We have to be realistic about the goals and realise that accomplishment of a goal is exciting and great fun and in a lot of cases sometimes life changing.
You know after you’ve got through this and achieved the body of your dreams, i promise you will never be the same again.
Think Positive and Clear Thoughts
Think about your thoughts, are they positive?
Muddled thoughts create muddled results
Clear thoughts create clear results
Think about the future – what will it be like when you have achieved your goal?
Why do you want this?
Set yourself a clear commitment
Stay focused; avoid distractions
Have a good social network and share your goals. I know this can be scary but you’ll be amazed at how much support your family and friends will bring. Hell they may even join you!
Celebrate your little wins along the way
People always come to a point and think “i can’t do this” or “its not worth it” or “its just not working for me”.
My role needs me to be super supportive and sometime i need to show some tough love. I use the following strategy almost daily.
Literally step back & put everything in perspective,
Talk about the slump
Discuss their feelings if they where to stop now and slip back into their own ways.
Talk about how they would feel if they where to accomplish their goals.
Its real powerful.
Guys these are just some tips on getting motivated and staying motivated. I discuss all of these tips with my clients and honestly they don’t all work all the time but its important to read over those bullet points when you fell a little unsure.
Next up, ill be discussing specific pointers on Getting Motivated to Exercise, followed by part 3 of this 3 part post series, Getting Motivated to Lose Weight.
If you enjoyed learning about these points of getting motivated to exercise and lose weight and you have something you would like to add then please feel free to drop me a line at fastfatloss4life@gmail.com
Circuit training for women and circuit training for men are 2 completely different workouts. I’m going to let you in on 3 super inside secrets that will help you develop fat melting and muscle defining workouts you can do in only 30min.
Now ladies if you’re unfamiliar with circuit training it’s a set of 6 – 9 exercises performed one after the other with minimal or no rest.
The perfect circuit training for women exercises are the ones that target the larger muscles of the body like your bum (glutes) your chest and the back of your arms (pecs) and your back and mid section (lats and core).
Please don’t think that these exercises will get you big and bulky. As a women you cannot produce enough testosterone to build big bulky muscles. What you will build is a lean, muscle defining sexy body.
This workout will take no longer than 30min and can be performed indoors or outdoors.
Circuit Training For Women – Warm up
Grab a skipping rope or jump on a piece of cardio equipment and perform some light exercise for 1 – 3
Circuit Training for Women - Warm Up
minutes.
I want you to be huffing and puffing and maybe have a little sweat on your brow.
Find an open space and perform 10 bodyweight squats with your arms held out straight.
Find a wall and do 10 wall push ups. Perform this exercise in a steady fashion making sure you get your chest as close as you can to the wall.
Bear Crawls* – Ladies if you don’t have 20 meters of space then go as far as you can forward and then backwards.
Do this set 2 – 3 times with 60 – 90sec rest in between.
Its up to you if you choose to perform the circuit to time or by reps. Meaning that you can perform a certain exercise for 1 min or you can instead do the exercise for 20 reps.
Tip: Make sure you sip on water in between sets. This will keep your energy levels up.
Circuit Training for Women - Light Stretches
Cool down by doing some gentle cardio and performing light stretches like you did in the warm up. Take up to 5 minutes to cool down properly.
Ladies if you don’t like some or even all of these exercise you can switch them for another, that’s not a problem and a real beauty of circuit training. Just keep in mind the 3 secrets from earlier.
If you learnt something from todays post then please comment below on how you enjoyed circuit training for women.
Yours in Health,
James Ramage
P.S – ‘Like’ our Facebook page and helps us spread the word.
Today I’m going to share with you the secret circuit training exercises that will revolutionize your next circuit. These exercises will melt fat from unwanted trouble areas and build rippling lean muscles.
Iv listed 20 of my favourite circuit training exercises, some you may be familiar with and some you will have never heard of. The only thing that I want you to think about is these exercises will give you the body of your dreams.
Now when you’re designing your circuit you don’t need to incorporate all these exercises. Well I mean you can, but for now I recommend picking 6 – 9 and going from there.
There is no reason why you can’t bang out each of these exercises one after the other and hell id love to hear about it if you did, but for now just hold your horses yea?
Now my avid readers will know that I love kettlebells and that my clients have achieved some amazing results using KB’s so the following circuit training exercises are mainly bodyweight but there are a few exercise where you will need a kettlebell, oh and a swiss ball
Using KB’s will provide a full body muscular workout and lift your heart rate faster then many forms of cardio. Ladies please use an 8kg KB and gents a 16kg KB.
I thought I would start with an exercise that’s a no-brainer. As I’ve written many times before it’s really important to incorporate your major muscles in any sort of workout your doing.
See what exercises burn belly fat. Your glutes and quads are your BIG muscles and you use these muscles when you do the bodyweight squat.
If you wish, you can add weight to this exercise but if you’re doing a circuit then be sure not to stack too much on. You want to be aiming for 20 – 25 reps.
Again another no brainer and a classic exercise for upper body strength and development. People for generations have seen push ups as a sign of strength.
Circuit Training Exercises
If you could knock out 50 in a row people are impressed, if you can do 100 then people want to know your secret.
The push up is very similar to the chin-up, they carry a lot of weight in the world of fitness and strength. There are many variations of this exercise but for now I recommend sticking with the super effective original.
If you’re finding it difficult on your toes you can drop to your knees. Remember to drop your chest to the ground and it should only be your elbows bending. Your back and body should be solid like a plank of wood. Its easy to cheat this exercise so form is vital.
So I’m sticking with the classic exercises. This chin up is an exercise that oozes strength and endurance.
If you think of chin ups I’m sure the military comes to mind. Personally iv struggled with chin ups for my entire life.
I would do the cheat reps, you know the ones where you don’t go all the way down and you’d call that 1 rep? haha. Well iv worked on my chin ups now and I can happily say that I’m no longer doing cheat chin ups.
The strength and muscle development in my arms has been incredible. Iv always used the lat-pull down, or done the seated row, single arm row or bent over row but none of these exercises have worked like the classic chin up.
There are a few variations of hand positions when doing chin ups but I recommend keeping your hands pronated or otherwise know as the over grip. If you have issues with your elbows, then find a bar where your hands face each other.
You may have heard of kipping, which is commonly used in Crossfit. These chin ups are performed for speed and not from strength and muscle development.
In short these are cheating chin ups so don’t do these. My mate looked at me with such shame and confidence when I did 20 kipping chin ups and he followed up with 20 holding perfect form.
Again used in the military and commonly used for bootcamp style workouts. The reason why these are used so fondly even though so hated is that the burpee is one hell of an exercise.
Circuit Training Exercises
A near full body exercise that lifts your heart rate through the roof and gets you gasping for air like its going out of fashion.
As a circuit training exercise this is great to do at the end of a circuit as a finisher or as a link or in-betweener exercise.
What I mean by this is its an exercise that will lift your heart rate between slower moving exercises such as a prone hold or chin up. The variation of this exercise is that you can add a chin up or push up in here and that really takes the intensity up a peg or 2……or 3 or 4.
The first core exercise of this list. This exercise is performed with a swiss ball and when done correctly is an extremely effective core/ab exercise.
Depending on where this exercise is placed in your list of circuit training exercises it really depends on the level of difficulty you’ll be faced with. Yes it’s a core exercise but you also support your self with your arms so you will be feeling fatigue in your arms, in particular your shoulders.
Take your time with this exercise and aim for no more than 10 reps. If the you have chosen to put the prone hold into your circuit then you’ll find this exercise much more challenging.
So this exercise I know you’re familiar with. Iv already mentioned this circuit training exercise a few
Circuit Training Exercises
times above.
You probably would have seen people doing this in local parks or at the gym and if you come to my house in my living room. You’ll see my wife stretching and performing prone holds while watching Gossip Girl.
Anyway, this is another great ab/core exercise that I believe should be in every circuit training workout.
If you suffer from lower back issues then the prone hold is the exercise for you. If you can do more than 20 sit-ups (sit ups are in-effective by the way but ill go into that some other time) then the prone hold is for you.
If you have this exercise in a circuit with jack knives then your in for a hell of a core workout. Aim for a 1min hold for beginners to 3min hold for the higher end of intermediate or advanced trainers.
Grab your kettlebell find a step or a small rising and get stuck in. This exercise incorporates your core and your shoulder muscles because of the position you’re holding your bodyweight in.
If you have chosen to have jack knives and or the prone hold in the same exercise as your renegade rows you’ll notice that your core is getting an intense workout.
The major muscles getting a workout here are your lats and your biceps.
For the ladies out there expect this exercise to give you toned and defined arms, gents in conjunction with chin ups you’ll soon find that your developing a nice set of ‘guns’.
What? Yep I want you to get down on the ground and crawl like a bear.
This exercise is a little hard to explain in words so I recommend checking out the short video.
The bear crawl is ideal to have towards the end of the circuit as a finisher, you’ll find that when you’re doing the bear crawl your entire bodies muscles will be aching and filling up quick with lactic acid.
Anyone who has experience with outdoor bootcamp style workouts knows what a bear crawl is and how effective they are to a workout.
You’ll use your shoulders, triceps, core, quads and calf muscles.
A solid all round exercise. If you don’t have much space then bear crawl forward 10meters and backwards for 10meters. By going backwards you’ll also experience a different dynamic to the workout.
Commonly known as jumping jacks in the land of our American buddies.
Another military based exercise that has been used in thousands of workouts and bootcamps all across the world.
I like this exercise because it gives the body a rest from muscular activity while still keeping the heart rate elevated. Similar to the mountain climbers. A good exercise to break up some of the more tougher exercises.
Gents are you familiar with the physique of 007 Daniel Craig?
One word – Kettlebells.
Circuit Training Exercises
The KB has been used since the late 1800’s as the sole piece of equipment to develop the strength and endurance of Russian armies and strong men.
The kettlebell is extremely versatile and there are a few more KB exercises in this list but for now lets focus on the original movement, the kettlebell swing.
Any person with at any level of fitness can perform this exercise and get great results.
You’ll use your glutes, calf muscles, shoulders, biceps, forearms, upper back and core. You can perform this exercise with 1 arm or 2, depending on your experience and strength.
The goblet squat is performed in a similar fashion to the bodyweight squat. You place your feet a little wider and you point them out.This position is called the sumo stance.
Hold the kettlebell by the handle with 2 hands in front of your chest, keep your body up straight, holding perfect posture, lead with your hips and sit.
This exercise will target your legs in a different way and you will also use your core and arms as you will be holding the KB and holding yourself up much straighter. This is a good leg and perfect as an effective circuit training exercise.
A basic exercise that’s surprisingly effective. This is the 3rd ab and core exercise I’ve listed in this top 20 circuit training exercises and one I’m a big fan of.
Now everyone can do a prone hold, even if it’s for 30sec right?
Ok so if you’re comfortable with that then add some variation and bring yourself up into the full push up position, tighten your glutes and your core, lift one hand up and touch your opposite hip.
Be sure that your body stays as straight as an arrow. Yes it’s a core workout but also a shoulder and tricep workout. To make things really interesting why don’t you try a push up with a hip touch?
Similar to the star jump, when this exercise is placed in a circuit it’s commonly used as a break up in between the harder exercises.
Mountain climbers keep your heart rate elevated while giving your big muscles a rest. This exercise is a little hard to explain in words so hit the link and watch the video how to perform this correctly.
Put this exercise towards the back end of your circuit or as I mentioned use it as an alternate to the other harder circuit training exercises.
This exercise is a fan favourite and like some of these exercises can be commonly found in millions of different workout routines.
Get down into the push up position, bring your hands in closer to your body, bend your elbows to lower your chest, be sure that your elbows go backwards instead of out to the side.
When your chest is 1-2 inches above the ground push yourself up. Similar to the regular push ups its easy to cheat, but keep your body as straight as possible.
You can drop to your knees to make it easier. This exercise targets the biggest muscle in your arm the tricep……..that’s right the biggest muscle in your arm is the tricep, not the bicep. Surprised?
Stand as straight as you can with your kettlebell in one hand at shoulder height. Keep the bell part off to the side. Grip the KB as tight as you can and press it straight up. Lower the kettlebell back to your
Circuit Training Exercises
shoulder.
Be careful not to move your body, you want this exercise to concentrate on your shoulder.
By keeping the bell part off to the side at no point will your muscles be resting. What I mean by this is that if you grab a dumbbell and you do the same movement when your arm is straight up and your elbow is locked your muscles are having a rest, there is no much tension on your muscles.
When your arm is locked and you have the heavy part of the KB hanging off to the side your muscles are working in overdrive trying to keep your arm from sagging. Make sense?
Make sure you don’t use your legs to help you push the KB up. Perform no more than 10 each arm at a controlled pass. When designing your circuit its best that you use this exercise for reps instead of time. Perfect form is important.
Not too much to say about this exercise as we are all familiar with it. Skipping is another good exercise to give the muscles a rest while keeping your heart rate elevated.
Skipping is a great exercise for cardio fitness and something iv personally achieved a lot of success from. Look at boxers, or mixed martial artists, you would agree that they’re pretty fit right? And also super lean? Skipping is an integral part of their workouts, an exercise they never miss.
If you can, then try some double unders, this is when the rope pass twice under your feet in the one jump. Set aside 1 min for skipping in your circuit.
This exercise is based on the regular bodyweight lunge but with a more dynamic component. This exercise is difficult to explain in words so hit the link and watch the short video.
The secret to this exercise is to tighten your core muscles and to keep your upper body as straight up as possible. Use your arms and swing them like your running, this will help with balance.
Be aware that this exercise will smash your legs, especially your quads. I recommend putting this exercise towards the top of your circuit.
This exercise is for the intermediate to advanced only.
Circuit Training Exercises
I was umming and ahhing if I should put this in or not but the more I thought about it the more benefits I thought of by doing this exercise. In short it’s a squat but using only 1 leg.
This exercise really smashes ever muscle in your leg. The biggest problem you will find is balance. Don’t be scared to use something to help you balance just make sure you don’t cheat, let your leg do the work.
If your circuit is based around legs then sure put the jump lunges and the pistols in the same workout but if your unaccustomed and your hoping to walk after your workout then maybe you should only pick one of these exercise? Just a thought.
Well this is a pretty easy exercise to explain. Find your nearest wall or fence, lean up against it, bend your knees so your legs are at 90 degrees and hold.
A really crazy quad exercise, you’ll feel the burn early into the exercise.
If you’re up for a challenge hold your arms out straight or grab 2 weights and perform a shoulder press while holding in the seated position.
There you have your top 20 circuit training exercises.
If there is an exercise you would like to add to the next top 20 circuit training exercises please leave me a comment below.
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