Motivation: Mind over Matter

When discussing maximum and peak physicality, so much of what we’re getting at is mental. Think about it,everything the body does is an execution of a mental command. You have got to remember the old axiom “make the mind control the body, don’t let the body control the mind”. This is so true with health and fitness.We all get hungry, we all get fatigued, we all sometimes just don’t want to get our butts up and out the door to go workout.

The mind has to be strong, and that comes primarily from having a strong sense of motivation.

Motivation comes from desiring a specific outcome or future state, and feeling convinced that we have the absolute power to affect that outcome. This is precisely why so many people love health and fitness, because the individual is in total control and there’s very little other people can do to screw it up for you. We can’t say that about too many things in life, it makes our fitness goals a great outlet for feeling and being in control of at least one important life dimension. However – and you probably already see the caveat coming – this also means 100% accountability. You ahve got nobody to blame but yourself if you don’t get it done.

It's the Diet Stupid!

Looking to lose body fat? If you're counting on relatively low-intensity cardio to get it done you may be counting wrong. While cardio provides many benefits, too many people see cardio as an end-all for body fat loss. To be sure, cardio can create an environment where body fat is burned and also can contribute to creating the all-important calorie deficit required for body fat loss. However, many people fall short of their fat-loss goals by making incorrect assumptions about using cardio, especially assumptions about a cardio-only approach.

Important to note we're talking about mainstream, or low-intensity cardio - the people who trudge away on treadmills at a slow jog for long time periods. High-intensity cardio like going all out for ten sets of 30 seconds isn't suitable for the general population due to conditioning, injury risk and that it's hard and most people just won't stick with it.

Cardio is a great thing; it pumps tons of oxygenated blood through the body, hastens delivery of nutrients to muscles and organs, develops a strong heart and strong lungs, and, at times, can give us a wonderfully euphoric shot of endorphins.  Additionally, cardio requires the body to burn calories, a good thing for fat loss. But here's where some people get badly off track.

Are You a Workout Animal? Take this Five-Question Quiz!

You were out late with friends last night. The alarm goes off at 6:00 a.m for your morning workout, you:

Pts.
1.  wake up at 9:30 a.m. wondering why your alarm never went off
2.  turn off the alarm, wake up at 8:00 a.m., realize you have a splitting headache and go back to bed
3.  hit the snooze button at least three times, roll out of bed, and make it to the gym 40 minutes late
4.  jump out of bed, slap yourself in the face, search for your workout stuff, dress and make it to the gym on time
5.  wake up before your alarm goes off, jump into your gear you laid out at 2:00 a.m. and hit your workout harder then ever before

You want to finish up your back workout with lat downs but the equipment is tied up on a crowded Monday and you have to be at work, you:

Pts.
1. see this as a great opportunity to rationalize not doing that last set of your back exercises
2. stand with hands on hips staring at the back of the person's head thinking this will make them speed up
3. bag the lat downs and go to a repeat of the cable rows you already did earlier
4. tap the person on the shoulder and tactfully ask if you can work in sets with them
5. lift the person off the lat machine via a massive wedgie while whispering in their ear "I own this bitch"

Tips for Making Fitness Happen

Written by Chantayn Winner

Ladies, Let's Get Started!

In any given week, I encounter women wanting to make changes in their lives, yet are allowing various fitness struggles to hinder their vision. Particularly, I often hear how they are challenged in finding enough hours in the day, that there is simply not enough time to exercise or take care of themselves. I understand. I am a working mother with a lot on my plate as well. The most important part of exercise and eating right is to START. That is the key.

You must set up a schedule that will work for you and that it is realistic. Also, be sure your goals are achievable. We often correlate weight loss with exercise or how many trips we took to the gym in any given week. Especially for women, we believe that our fitness goals have to be all or nothing. Or that we need to be an expert on nutrition and diet in order to be successful. The truth is, the smallest steps are the most important steps to success.

Some of the ways in which you can incorporate health and fitness into your busy schedule are easier than you may think. Proper nutrition throughout, eating small meals every 3 hours, will help sustain your energy and mental alertness. For the office, bring healthy foods that you enjoy to snack on. At my desk I often have almonds and protein bars handy for when I simply can't get away. In the break room my co-workers will usually find I have tuna packed in water, hard boiled eggs, low fat cottage cheese and yogurt ready in the fridge.

Sexuality and Power: Learn 6 Ways Body Image Affects Us

Are you satisfied with your body?

Wow, that question opens a big can of worms. If you're seriously into fitness, the answer "no, I'm not satisfied" may come more easily as most in this category accept constructive criticism as healthy and necessary to goal attainment of a more perfect body.

Others, however, may feel differently and may either shy away from critical physical assessments or may simply say they accept themselves as they are. However, some recent research suggests something much deeper going on.

We judge our bodies mostly by how we think we're viewed by the opposite sex, according to several recent studies. And although several factors contribute to our body self-image, foremost is the desire for power over the opposite sex. Following are six ways body image can affect us according to one survey:

1)  Size - Men perceive large physical size as powerful, while women see being smaller and more petite as better for obtaining power and influence over the opposite sex.

2)  Satisfaction - Men generally are more satisfied with their appearance and see themselves as attractive to women, even when they're not in great shape, while women were generally less satisfied with their appearance and desiring to improve it to gain power over men.

3)  Social Pressure - Women feel social pressure to look attractive in order to gain power more than men do as popular culture tends to focus more on glorification of the perfect female body and appearance.

4)  Motivation - Women are generally more motivated to change their appearance by what men think, while men are more motivated by what they think of themselves, suggesting that men tend to already see themselves with the inherent upper hand.

5)  Height - Both men and women agree that the man should be taller than the woman in a relationship, and that the reverse has a negative impact on the relationship's power structure, i.e. both the taller woman and the shorter man would have less power over the opposite sex.

6)  Physical Standards - Women are generally less concerned about physicality and more concerned about femininity as a power lever over the opposite sex, while men were more concerned a strong physical appearance and overall presence.

Agree or disagree? Post your thoughts below...