Why do we try to make things more complicated than they really are? Why do people think that by following the latest fad diet they will get the results they want? Everything must be in balance, particularly what I call the “5 Keys”. They are the building blocks, the fundamentals. If these are out of proportion, forget about looking your best.
Here they are, in no particular order (as perfect balance rules out ordering).
Key 1 – Visualize
Often overlooked, how do you know whether you are on track if you don’t know where you are going. It is important to think about what you want to look like, picture it in your mind, ask yourself:
- how would it feel to be that person?
- what sorts of clothing would that person wear?
- what exercise would that person do?
- what would that person eat?
- why does that person look the way they do?
- why do you want to look like that person?
- who do you know looks like that person?
- where would that person train (eg on the beach, in the gym, in the mountains, etc)?
Then go through magazines, do a google image search, whatever you need to find pictures of your ideal body. Then put those pictures up in places you will see in your ordinary day – maybe as the wallpaper on your computer, behind your mirror, in your training bag, etc.
Get a trusted friend to take photos of you with as little clothing as you are comfortable wearing. Compare the photos to the pictures you found. What needs work? Examples may be:
- Are your shoulders too thin?
- Do you need a “six pack”?
- Are your legs/arms too wide/thin?
- Do you need to thicken that neck or bring it in?
Figure out exactly what the differences are between how you are and how you want to be. Your legs might already be perfect, so why would you focus on making them better (just train to keep them looking the way they do)?
Now whenever you train, think about that ideal body and notice how yours begins to mirror it.
Key 2 – Exercise
You didn’t seriously think you could achieve the body of your dreams without exercising did you? After figuring out the visualization key, you should know what exercise you need to do. If you are overweight, you should focus more on cardio (running, swimming, cycling, take up a team sport, etc). If you are underweight, you want to do as little cardio as you can until you are close to your goal and focus rather on resistance (weight) training to build up your muscles.
There are many different forms of exercise, so I don’t propose to cover them right now. Some of the free exercise routines I recommend for beginners include:
- 5×5 Beginner Strength Training Program
- Comprehensive resource for different workout ideas
- A medical doctor’s take on burning fat exercises
- A “mythbusters”-like take on how long you need to exercise to burn fat
I have also bought and read all the top paid programs and the best in my opinion is:
- If you are underweight – Muscle Gain Truth by Sean Nalewanyj. He has just done a revision recently making a fantastic all around program, though it remains more focused on people who have difficulty gaining weight.
- If you are overweight – Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle by Tom Venuto. This is the program most of the others are based on. Unless you are underweight, this is the program for you.
Exercise is important, but must be done in moderation – if you don’t do enough it will take longer to achieve results, but if you do too much you will “overtrain” and destroy all your hard work. Get used to listening to your body – after some time you will work out if you are overdoing it. If in doubt, it’s better to err on the “overtraining” than the “undertraining” side of things – we humans are genetically lazy, so unless you are one of these hardcore types who loves pain, turn off the TV, shutdown the computer and train for another half hour.
Key 3 – Nutrition
Atkins diet, cabbage soup diet, dairy free diet, high carbs diet, low carbs diet… the list goes on endlessly. There are really only three things you need to know when you work out your nutrition plan:
- How much you need to consume per day to maintain your body weight;
- Whether you are trying to gain weight or lose weight; and
- Garbage in = garbage out.
To calculate how many calories you need to consume to maintain your body weight, see this free calculator. It takes into account your age, height, weight, gender, body fat percentage, etc. If you don’t trust it, compare the results to the calculator used by the well renowned Mayo Clinic. I prefer the first one because the Mayo calculator doesn’t take into account body fat percentage. I use and recommend AccuMeasure for testing your body fat percentage if you want to go that far. If not, just know that for guys, if you can’t see your abs, you are at least 10% body fat. Girls are slightly higher.
If you are trying to gain weight, increase your daily intake by around 250 calories (approximately one chicken breast or three slices of bread). If you are trying to lose fat, decrease your daily intake by about 250 calories.
I recommend going through a free calorie count database and working out how many calories are in your food, or you could check the label on the packet if applicable. Don’t slavishly count calories or you’ll quickly lose motivation to continue your new lifestyle. Just get a sense of how much you can and should eat and go with that.
Remember – garbage in = garbage out – I don’t care who you are, if you eat a lot of junk food, you aren’t getting the nutrients you need. Try to aim for fresh vegetables, meat, salad, fruit, cut down on the dressings and sauces and grill, steam or boil rather than fry. As Jamie Oliver once said: “season to taste, not season til you can’t taste”.
Key 4 – Rest
Not much needs to be said about this other than your body transforms into your dream body while you are asleep. Sleeping heals the microscopic tears you inflicted with that weights session and allows your body to flush away the impurities gathered during the day.
Work out how long your body needs to sleep, then get it. Go to bed a little earlier and feel the difference. Your body works best when it is in a habit – pick your bed time then stick with it – get up at the same time every day (including weekends). Once your body is used to the habit, you won’t believe the energy you’ll have.
Key 5 – Motivation
What keeps you going?
- Do you feel pumped listening to your ipod when going for a run?
- Is food a good motivator for you (be very careful with this one or you’ll go back to old habits)?
- How about shopping – will you buy that dress in a size or two smaller, so that you HAVE to lose the fat to fit into it?
- Are you someone who loves to get out to the wild and do things rough for a few days?
Find your motivation and use it for its full worth to drive your success.
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