Will your "New Years Resolution" result in SUCCESS?

2014 is only a couple days away!!! And of course with each new year many of us are making plans to do things a little bit differently than we did last year. Many individuals have made plans or set a "New Years Resolution" to improve health and fitness this year. Which is a good thing. However, it is a known fact that over 50% of the people who make "improving their health" as a New Years Resolutions" eventually fall off the workout wagon within a couple months.


This year, if you made plans to improve your health and fitness, go ahead and increase your chances of (SUCCESS) by doing 3 simple things:

1. Keep yourself informed. Reading about eating healthy and exercise makes it so much easier to DO.     The internet is a great source of free info.

2. Get some help. A personal trainer or someone you know that's knowledgeable about eating right and exercise. If you need any advice from me, hit me up on Facebook. I will do my best to steer you in the right direction.

3. DO NOT GIVE UP!  Even if you don't see results right away, be patient and give it time.



**READ PROVERBS 15 v 22****

NOT ONCE HAVE I SEEN AN INDIVIDUAL PURPOSELY PLAN TO FAIL WITH THEIR
HEALTH AND FITNESS GOALS. HOWEVER, IF YOU DON'T HAVE A PLAN, OR SOME GUIDANCE.............PLAN TO FAIL!

The best way to reach a fitness goal.

When it comes to physical training, its always best to start off with a SPECIFIC GOAL in mind. Some of the more common goals that I train individuals for are: 

• cardiovascular endurance (running/walking longer)
• fat loss (tightening/toning up excess body fat)
• muscle endurance (the ability to use muscles for longer periods)
• muscle strength  (the ability to lift more weight)
• core strength (stronger mid-section)
• and flexibility (the ability to move muscles through a greater range of motion)

Setting a fitness goal can only be determined by the individual. Only YOU know what you want to achieve from all your exercise efforts. Before you even start working out.......its best to already KNOW what you want to ACCOMPLISH....then choose the appropriate DIET and EXERCISE methods that line up with your goals.

For example, say your GOAL is to tighten up your waistline:

1. First, you have to choose the proper diet. When it comes to losing fat and trimming the waistline, you have to "eat like you want to lose fat". In other words, take it easy on the sugar, breads, and fats.

2. Next, you have to choose the type of training that will help you lose the most fat. Cardio exercises such as (walking, running, elliptical) and weight lifting are the best methods too lose fat and keep it off.

*****Accomplishing a goal is that simple. Know what you want, then choose the best methods to get it done.

Which exercises are more beneficial?

A balanced workout routine, should always include a cardio aspect as well as a weight training aspect. Not just one or the other.

Cardio is necessary to:

• strengthen and improve the cardio respiratory system (heart, lungs, arteries, viens, and capillaries).
• reduce body fat%
• and reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases

Weight training is necessary

• for muscles to grow stronger and more resistant to fatigue
• increase lean muscle and reduce body fat percentage
• as well as increase metabolism (the amount of calories your body uses throughout the day)

Both weight training and cardio are necessary. However there are some cardio and weight training methods that produce more results over others. When you're pressed for time, always select the exercises below.

Best Cardio Exercises                                                                        Best Weight training Exercises
Elliptical                                                                                                 Bench press

swimming                                                                                               Squat
Treadmill Intervals  (30sec-1min)                                                        Dead lift



****With all things being equal (time, intensity) these exercises have been shown to burn more calories and work more muscles than similar exercise methods.

Avoid Winter Weight Gain!

According to research the average person will gain anywhere from 5-7 pounds during the winter months. These extra pounds are mostly caused by eating  a little more (especially during holiday months) and slowing down on  physical activity simply because its too cold.

This winter,  I encourage anyone that's striving for better health/fitness to do the complete opposite of what you been doing every other year.......

DO NOT  stop exercising simply because its too cold. Go to the gym or If you cant make it to the gym, purchase some step boxes or find an area in your home and jog in place. Something is better than nothing.

DO NOT spend all your time with individuals that aren't concerned with their own health/fitness....unless you are trying to get them into shape. As the old saying goes, "He who walks with the wise, becomes wise". And we will become like the people we are around the most.

DO NOT and I repeat......."DO NOT" eat like a madman/woman  and then make a New Years resolution!!! Research shows that by the end of January, a third of the individuals that have made "diet resolution" will have broken their resolutions, and by July more than half will have lapsed.
Eating healthy and exercising is a LIFESTYLE..........and to be honest the "work" is never complete, no matter what goal is accomplished!!

5 questions to ask yourself ......if your not getting results.

If  you're trying to lose weight, gain weight, or maintain your current weight
And you arent getting the results that you want from your exercise routines; you need to ask yourself the following questions:


How's my eating habits? What we eat makes up about 70-80% of the results we get. It's critical to monitor: how many times a day we eat (5 small meals is better), never skip meals (especially breakfast), never eat right before bed (oh no!), never eat to get full(eat to get satisfied). These factors make it impossible to get the maximum benefit from exercise.

How many days a week and how intense do I exercise? It takes at least 3 days of "moderate physical activity" to get the "external" benefits from exercise.**"Moderate physical activity"-is when you actually work out intensely enough to "break a sweat" without doing too much.


What type of body do I have? Knowing and accepting the "type of body" you have will save you time, effort, and help you reach your goals a lot faster.

• Ectomorphs- naturally skinny/slim (High metabolism, hard for this person to gain weight)
• Mesomorphs- naturally muscular/thick build (this person looks muscular without exercise)
• Endomorphs- heavyset, thick waist, big bones.(Slow metabolism, Hard for this person to lose weight.

Are you getting the proper amount of rest?  When you exercise on a consistent basis, it's mandatory that you take at least one or two days to rest each week. Resting allows your body to grow and rebuild from  the stress of exercise. It's not wise to work out 7 days a week.......even if you're a professional athlete!!

AAA (Anybody, Anytime, Anywhere) Circuit workout

When you live a "LIFESTYLE OF FITNESS" sometimes you may have to workout ANYTIME or ANYWHERE........Which is why I constantly create circuit routines that I can do WHEREVER I'm at.

**Circuit Routines (a series of exercises performed back to back) can be performed at the gym as well. Circuits (with or without weights) are great for toning/tightening muscles and burning some fat too.  A good circuit routine will also help overcome a weight loss plateau.

5 foods that make you fat!!

There are too many foods that taste good.....Which makes it hard to control what we eat..... Which also makes it hard to get rid of a pouch, beer belly, muffin top, back fat,  bat wings, or anything else you're trying to get rid of...........At the end of the day some foods just aren't in our best interest to eat all the time.  Below are some of the foods that we eat too much of week in and week out: 

 Flour aka Bread -  Flour or bread comes in many different forms such as cake, cereals, cookies, donuts, tortilla shells, pastries, and pasta. Flour (especially white) has a ton of carbohydrates that our bodies quickly break down into sugar, which is eventually stored as fat. Many try to substitute wheat flour and or wheat based products in the place of white flour.  Although products that contain wheat flour are a little better because they contain fiber, wheat flour still should be consumed in moderation.

Sodas and/or sweetened drinks- sodas and most sweetened drinks  have NO nutritional value whatsoever. Even most fruit juices that claim to have nutrients contain too much sugar.  Its a whole lot easier and quicker to lose weight and keep it off  by simply cutting  soda, juices, and sweetened drinks.

Pasta- Pasta is made from flour and has many of the same affects as bread.

Potatoes- Potatoes have a major impact on the waist line. But when they are fried and/or smothered in gravy, they also contribute to clogging the arteries.

Rice- Rice (especially white) will keep ones mid section round.  The problem with rice (and most starches) is that no one eats a single serving (half cup)!!! And on top of that, we usually eat our rice fried or smothered in gravy. 

**** Eating the above foods in moderation, or avoiding them altogether will help with weight loss.
Yet many people are struggling with weight loss because they don't eat enough. "Not eating and/or an extremely low calorie intake (1,200 or less) will cause the body to go into starvation mode. The body will store more fat when you don't eat enough.