Fitness is not just a matter of exercising, it is just as spiritual as it is physical, without body and soul alignment, long term fitness goals will be difficult to achieve (visualization element). One of my motivation factors for staying in shape include being prepared for emergencies (motivation element).
Get your body ready for BATTLE. Being in good shape may save your life or the lives of your loved ones one day. One never knows when you will need to run, walk or swim for miles or even get into a physical confrontation. These are some reasons why I strongly support total body workout routines. Emergencies and confrontations require the use of the entire body; therefore you must train the body to respond with total body strength and endurance.
Most common routines or exercise philosophies believe in breaking up exercises based on body parts and days of the week, in my opinion, that is not practical. What happens if you miss a day or two? Life is hard enough, who needs to worry about what muscle group or routine needs to be followed based on the day of the week. Some also suggest you must “shock” the body by constantly changing your routine, daily life will provide the change for most of us. Consistency is crucial to long term fitness; too much change can work against you (consistency element). These methods sound good and look good on paper, but in reality only apply to certain people. These methods work well for those that have the time and or exercise for a living such as a body builders or professional athletes, but most of us are “working stiffs” and have other careers, deadlines and commitments. Life will provide the “shock” and change along with a crowded gym and the lack of a certain piece of equipment being available.
Reference the Developing Routine page to learn how a regular “working stiff” can apply the methods discussed above in a more efficient manner.
In my opinion, today's society wants everything fast and right now with as little effort as possible. For certain things in life that may work, but for achieving long term health and fitness, it's a mistake. In order for long term fitness to succeed you must realize and face the facts that it will take some time. You also need to make it a priority in life and find some time.
Learn how to work out on your own, in the end it is up to you and no one else to get in shape. At the beginning maybe a partner or a trainer will help, but realize it could cause a start stop fitness environment for you. The sooner you learn to train on your own the better off you will be in the long run and the faster you will get your elements rotating or resonating
FITNESS PROFILE
To gain a little more focus on what your desired fitness goals are, let’s examine some profiles; WOLF, COYOTE and PIT BULL. The pit bull is strong, powerful and very muscular, similar to people with large muscles and a strong build. Depending on your job or level of protection you want for yourself or your family this may be good, but keep in mind this profile lacks endurance. Lack of endurance can at times be dangerous. The coyote has a high level of endurance, but lacks strength. The wolf has strength, power and a good amount of endurance. In my opinion the wolf profile offers all around protection.
GYM TIME EFFICIENCY
In my opinion, a workout should take between 45 minutes to 1 hour. Limit rest between sets to less than 30 seconds anaerobic activity is crucial. Try to work out without a partner, this is a common mistake that distracts you, prolongs the workout and allows you to rest too much between sets or exercises. A partner also prevents you from listening to your body and paying attention to your movements. In the end, long term fitness can only be achieved by you and you alone. What happens when you don't have a partner? And leave the cell phone in the locker; work out/gym time is your body’s time, so pay attention to it.
INJURIES
Try not to get injured, especially at the gym and avoid programs that may injure you. In my opinion, this is a sign of poor discipline, technique and of course patience. Again, most people in today's society want results NOW with minimal effort; just take a look around you, it's everywhere. Don't fall into this trap, an injury could set you back and cause you to lose motivation and consistency, therefore destroying the founding elements. I have seen many people come and go from an exercise point of view, I'm still going and have not stopped, that is what you want to achieve. Remember the tortoise and the hare story?
