1 Corinthians 6:19
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost

 

Fitness for Regular Guys (and Gals, too!)
  By Joe Stankowski

Next time you’re at a newsstand, pick up any major fitness magazine and take a close look at the model on the cover.  Other than having arms, legs and a torso, does your body look anything like theirs?

 In case you didn’t already know – or are just living in a state of denial – many of those models you see in mainstream fitness mags have incredible bodies yet it’s not necessarily through hard work and finely tuned diets.  Quite a few of ‘em just got lucky and drew the winning ticket in the genetic lottery.  Believe it or not, I’ve actually worked with some big-name models at fitness photo shoots who can’t even do basic exercises like pushups or squats!  Sure, there are those cases where photos have been touched up to minimize any perception less than perfection too, but from what I’ve seen, that’s a tactic more often used by the celeb-centric magazines.
 

What You See Isn’t Always What You Get

When you open up the magazine to find a complicated training routine that the model can’t really do, but you’re supposed to believe that is the ‘magical’ program you’ve been missing in your quest for the ultimate body, you’re probably left scratching your head wondering if we’re all just expendable pawns powering some sort ‘matrix’ created by the fitness industry. 

Here’s another li’l secret for ya’… The models you see aren’t there to give you the solution to your fitness problems.  They’re on the cover simply to sell magazines. 

So is a fitness-model body really attainable by a regular person?  Absolutely! 

But what’s the secret? 

Is it weight lifting or yoga?  Upright bike or recumbent – or maybe a spinning class at the local gym?  You also heard that swimming, pilates and any number of other choices offer benefits, too.  So what’s the answer?  I’m glad you asked…

Disclaimer


Fitness Made Simple!

  1. Develop the right habits      

  2. See what happens 

  3. Refine the habits

ALL exercise has benefits as well as limitations.  Even the Thigh Master was good for something, right?  For most people, especially when it comes to the ‘general fitness’/weight loss crowd, just coming out of the starting gates with the right habits could be all you really need to make an impact.  The secret is in knowing which habits are the “right” ones.

 Action is Everything

Rather than worry about the ‘best’ way to exercise, it’s far easier (and much more effective) to just pick something you think you might enjoy and start doing it.  So what if it’s not ‘by the book’?  By making the decision to do something, you’re already moving in the right direction.  By developing the most important habit – the habit of regular exercise, you’re virtually guaranteed to make better progress than the wannabes who are waiting for the ‘perfect’ diet or a ‘cutting edge’ training program designed for their specific blood type, hair color or astrological sign.

But When Can I Stop?

Ok, assuming you’ve come up with a physical activity you enjoy (or can at least tolerate at this stage), you might be wondering how much is enough.  If some is good, does that mean more is better?  Not necessarily.  Rather than making exercise a full time job, there are studies suggesting people who are happiest with their bodies accumulate 5 to 7 hours of exercise each week. 

I’ve found that as long as you’re not just going through the motions, you can be nearly as effective at the bottom end of the range as you can at the top, so depending on your personal goals and preferences, you can choose how much time you really want to invest. 

Better yet, by increasing training intensity rather than duration, you’ll discover that you can maintain – and even make progress – with as little as 3.5 hours each week! 

What’s Going On?

The second step is to see what’s happening.  Typically, when I make changes to a training program, I’ll give it a 2 week ‘test drive’.  If it’s not taking me (or my clients) in the direction I want to go, I make adjustments and move on. 

Perhaps the most common problem I see is that a person will try a program for a few days, not get instant results and give up completely.  No going back to the drawing board.  No tweaking the plan.  No learning from the experience.  Sure, we are all basically the same, but there are going to be differences, too.  There is no one-size-fits-all training program.  Be prepared to make adjustments.

 

 

  

Time To Refine?

Variety is key to any training plan, but if everything’s going well after 2 weeks, why change it?  Don’t think you have to change just because ‘it’s time’.  If you’re responding positively to whatever stimulus you’re providing, keep up the good work!   If not, adjust. Keep the training variables to a minimum and it’ll be that much easier to identify and make changes that’ll make a difference.   

Simple Nutrition
If you’re worried about that other part of the ‘eat right and exercise’ equation, you’ll be happy to know that good nutrition doesn’t have to be complicated, either.  One of the simplest ways to get poor eating habits under control is to keep a food log.  In fact, this is always my first 'assignment' for prospective clients.  You don’t have to weigh things out to the nearest gram, just keep track of the basics: When and What, as in the example below. (by the way, I’m not saying this is the right way to eat, I’m just giving an example of how easy it is to keep track of things!)

Breakfast  7am

Bagel, egg, sausage, 2 cups of coffee (with milk)

Lunch
 1.30pm

Roast beef sandwich, bag of potato chips, can of diet soda

Dinner
 6pm

Chicken parmesan (restaurant portion), broccoli, slice of cheesecake, 2 glasses of red wine

Snack
 10.30pm

String cheese, glass of chocolate milk, microwave popcorn with butter (whole bag)

Seriously, could this be any easier?

Try this for 3 or 4 days and be sure to include a Saturday or Sunday - weekend eating can often be different from the much more predictable routine of your work week.

Good, bad or ugly, gaining an honest awareness of what you really eat every day might even be strong enough of a kick in the you-know-where to help you start making the changes you already know you should.  Having a written record of your food choices staring back at you makes it even easier to start making positive changes on your own.  Simply becoming aware of your own nutritional reality, gives you the power to make a conscious decision to change.

SIDENOTE: Once you have a clear picture of your current nutrition (or lack thereof), if you’re still unsure what “eat right” really means, I can’t say enough good things about Dr. John Berardi’s program found at www.PrecisionNutritionPlan.com.

About the Author

A high-energy presenter, coach and writer based in Wilmington, DE, Joe Stankowski is a co-author of “The Power of Champions”, training adviser for Men’s Fitness magazine and is recognized as a Master Trainer by fitness industry watchdog, IDEA.

 You can download Joe’s FREE 14 page e-guide to creating the ultimate home gym in any space, on any budget at www.HomeExerciseResources.com.

 

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