Four Pieces To A Successful Fitness Transformation
When you strip weight loss down to the bare-bones basics, it’s pretty simple. But you can ask anyone who’s tried losing a few pounds; it’s far from being easy.
If it were easy, everyone would be flaunting bikini bodies up and down the streets. If it were easy, obesity wouldn’t be at a record high like it is today. If it were easy, I wouldn’t be here writing this article for you today.
The truth is, it’s not easy. The typical American diet is terrible for lack of a better term.
Here at Compel Fitness, we turn a blind eye to fad diets and quick fixes that don’t work. Instead, we use healthy habits which, in turn, change your lifestyle and your life.
The reason we don’t promote juice cleanse or crash diets is that they don’t work. The same goes for grueling new workout routines which leave your body beaten and injured. If these things worked, we’d be the first to let you know.
We get results with our clients because we focus on what works... which is what we’re going to talk about today.
Here are the four critical components of our most successful fitness transformations.
Weekly Resistance Training
Consistent resistance training should be a staple in your workout regimen.
Strength training is a big part of sculpting the new body you’ve been looking for… but it’s more than looks.
Not only does it increase lean muscle and burn more fat, but it also helps strengthen your bones. Research has proven, as we get older the density of our bones decrease which puts at a higher risk of getting injured.
Getting two or three sessions a week of weighted training is a great place to start. But you can’t just coast through everything. You have to try to get better each workout in some way.
You can add weight, reps, sets, perfect your form, decrease your rest periods, or so much more. Strength training is a critical part of a real transformation that changes how you look, and how you feel.
Frequent Cardiovascular Exercise
It’s no secret that finding time for cardio will help burn calories and shed weight.
Not only that, but it’s a great way to improve your heart health and boost metabolism. You might find you have more energy during the day on top of being happier with how you look too.
Granted, you don’t want to go too crazy at first. It’s essential to build up your endurance so that you don’t overwork or exhaust yourself.
It’s also important to find things you enjoy doing. Not all cardiovascular exercise needs to feel like work. Playing a sport or creating a competition can be an exciting way to do cardio. Often, you'll find you want to do it way more.
It's important to find a healthy balance which fit into a well-balanced workout regimen. Speaking of balance...
A Healthy & Balanced Diet
Since you're already hitting the gym on a regular basis, it's time to get your nutrition in check.
A healthy and balanced diet is crucial if you're serious about getting results. One of the biggest nutrition mistakes our new clients make is not eating enough protein.
Here are high-protein foods you can add to your diet: Eggs, lean poultry, Salmon (wild caught), 100% grass-fed beef/lean red meat, or high-quality protein powders.
We have a saying here... "When in doubt, eat protein and veggies." We can tell you all about the portion-control but do you know what one of the most powerful tricks is?
Keeping your house clear of foods that tempt you to make bad decisions. One of the biggest mistakes you can make underestimating how important your nutrition is.
Accountability Partner
This is what strings it all together, and this is why our clients get such fantastic results.
You need to take control of your decisions and how they affect your results on a daily basis.
Having some level of accountability in your life is the first step to this. Don't worry, you don't have to get a drill sergeant to show you the ropes.
It can be as simple as having a friend text you on the mornings you're supposed to go to the gym before work. This works exceptionally well when you have a day where you want to stay snuggled in bed.
Having a workout partner can be a healthy motivator as well. You'll be less likely to leave a friend hanging when you know they're counting on you.
Get the right accountability partner and you'll notice this is when it all changes for you.
Closing
All four of these components are going to help you change your lifestyle for the better.
Each plays their part in a healthy lifestyle, but all are necessary to keep the results you worked hard to get.
It’s all worth it once you reach them though. Looking in the mirror and seeing a fitter version of yourself will motivate you to strive even further.
And while it isn’t easy to do so, the difficulty of that journey is what makes the destination so worth it.
If you're missing one of these critical components, make sure join our private Facebook community.
We have expert coaches to answer your most burning questions so you can reach your health and fitness goals in no time.