Southwest Florida's Health and Wellness Magazine Health and Wellness Articles
By Jack Di Giacomo Sr. (A.K.A.) 6-Pack Jack
Hey, folks! It’s that exciting time of year once again; the New Year is upon us.
With the beginning of a New Year, many people take time to reflect on the past year and project what they hope to accomplish in the coming months. Of course, the topic of health and fitness always takes a commanding spot on the top of the resolution list.
In fact, improving health and fitness is likely to be at the very top of your goal list this year.
No matter what your aspirations and dreams for the New Year are, whether they are kept private to yourself or shared publicly, I offer you two things to consider prior to beginning your plan to achieve them. Over my many years of being involved in the Fitness and Conditioning Industry, these two things are what make or break most people’s success: setting realistic goals and getting a partner to workout with you.
With your New Year’s resolution freshly embedded and the thought of “I’m going get back in shape this year,” locked firmly in your mind it is important to be realistic. “I’m going to lose the 30 or more pounds I have gained over the years. I’m going to tone and firm my muscles. I am going to increase my energy and put the wind back in my sails. I’m going to fit into my ‘skinny’ clothes again.” One or more of these phrases probably sound familiar to you, if so, the most important thing you can do is be realistic in your approach to achieving your goal(s).
SET REALISTIC GOALS
The number one reason most people give up on their fitness resolution is because they set unachievable goals. Why do these people, who want to succeed, set themselves up for failure before they even begin? The answer is that we live in a world of instant gratification. The get it NOW world.
Take our friend, Ted, for example, whose fitness goal is to lose 30-35 pounds. Ted is 46 years old and has been carrying around these extra 30-35 pounds for more than 4 years now. Like many people who want to lose weight, Ted wants to achieve his goal in 45 days!!!! Sound familiar?
It is highly unlikely that Ted can safely lose that much weight in such a short time. The more likely scenario is one where Ted injures himself because he isn’t properly preparing his body for the physical activity he is now doing. Unfortunately, the best intentions become useless ideas if theyare not properly put into action. In other words, sometime our bumblebee mouth, with it’s over enthusiasm, has us write checks that our hummingbird backsides can NOT cash!
With an unrealistic goal in mind, Ted heads to the gym. With his false positive mindset and upon finishing his cardio, he walks away from the treadmill or elliptical that is blowing smoke from the controls because he worked so hard. Ted is feeling pumped and ready to tackle the next part of his workout, the weight room.
As he enters the strengthening area of the gym, he spots an old acquaintance or two and immediately wants to impress. He remembers that is max free weight bench press was 260 pounds back in the day. Scanning the room for the free weight bench press, he smiles as he notices it is available and already loaded at 260 pounds. So as not to look like a wimp, he removes 30 pounds from each side to warm up.
On his 4th repetition, pressing 200 pounds, Ted very quietly struggles to get the bar back up and on the hooks. A little voice inside him says, “Man, Ted that was harder than I was expecting.” Instead of removing more weight, Ted asks Joe (his former acquaintance) to spot him on the next set. This time, Ted finishes eight reps while Joe screams, “It’s all you Ted, all you!” Feeling the burn but wanting to impress Joe, Ted continues for a third set with the same 200 pounds. This time he finished ten reps with Joe’s encouragement. Finally, the workout is over.
As Ted walks back to the locker room, his lower back muscles start burning. Sitting at his locker, a white hot pain builds in his lower back and he can’t stand up. Enduring the pain, he rises and gingerly exits the front door, slides into the front seat of his car and drives slowly home. Upon pulling into his driveway, he tries to figure out how he is going to get out of the car and into the house.
Okay. So why all the drama, you ask? Because you have to understand that this can happen to you if you are too ambitious in your fitness routine.
What it does mean is that you need to start a conditioning program before you jump into a full-blown fitness routine.
If you haven’t worked out in months, or years, thinking that you can pick up at the level you left off is irrational and if you do so you are only asking for trouble.
To prevent injury, your joints, ligaments, and muscles should be properly and slowly stretched and only lightly stressed during the first few workouts prior to a tough gym workout. It is important to know your limits and possibly wear a heart monitor to determine if you are working too hard.
GET A WORKOUT PARTNER
There are important issues to consider when looking for a qualified workout partner. First and foremost, I believe males and females equally have the same issues. No difference, but equal to both sexes. So, gender has no bearing to the outcome good, bad, or indifferent.
Here are 10 very basic topics to analyze in a potential workout partner:
1) Are they (This Person) involved in fitness and conditioning at your level?
2) Do they use a formal workout agenda, or just do what they feel like?
3) What time of the day do they generally workout, or is it when they feel like it?
4) How social of a member are they?
5) Do they refocus quickly?
6) Will they be reliable to show up during the scheduled workouts?
7) What is their motivation for working out? Health? Vanity? Social? Boredom?
8) Do they carry with them, all of their equipment? Heart monitor, gloves, workout attire, etc…
9) Do they eat before or after they workout?
10) Is their personality normally optimistic, pessimistic, or realistic?
It ultimately boils down to whether or not this person has a positive and motivating attitude towards your goals and workouts? Will their personal traits motivate you or will you constantly have to elevate them? If your workout partner isn’t reliable, motivating, knowledgeable, and equipped to help you it is time to seek a new partner that can offer you the tools required to achieve your goals.
Remember this if you want to get lean in 2016, partner with The “Cadre’s” Team.
Wishing everyone a great holiday and successful New Year. RESPECTfully your friend in fitness, 6-Pack Jack.
There are three things you need to understand.
Just Because Your Older Now It……
#1 Doesn’t yean You can’t do it
#2 Doesn’t mean your body can’t move like it used to
#3 Doesn’t mean you’re too slow
561-951-1026
www.jackhammerfitnessthecadre.com