Weight Loss MOTIVATION

Here is the first video of 2015 to really kick start your motivation & keep losing weight.

It's the start of a new year what ever happened last year good or bad is now in the past! You need to move forward, focussing on new achievable short term goals. Look at your training program and update, refresh and re-think if required. Try new activities, try exercising at different times of the day or look for new locations or routes.

The aim is to ignite your motivation and confirm your mindset is positive and ready to achieve what you have always wanted. The new year is the start of a new chapter in your weight loss journey, grab it with both hands and "smash your targets to pieces." 

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Health Benefits of Yoga!

1. Improves Your Flexibility

Improved flexibility is one of the first and most obvious benefits of yoga. During your first class, you probably won’t be able to touch your toes, never mind do a back bend. But if you stick with it, you’ll notice a gradual loosening, and eventually, seemingly impossible poses will become possible. You’ll also probably notice that aches and pains start to disappear. That’s no coincidence. Tight hips can strain the knee joint due to improper alignment of the thigh and shin bones. Tight hamstrings can lead to a flattening of the lumbar spine, which can cause back pain. And inflexibility in muscles and connective tissue, such as fascia and ligaments, can cause poor posture.

2. Builds Muscle Strength

Strong muscles do more than look good. They also protect us from conditions like arthritis and back pain, and help prevent falls in elderly people. And when you build strength through yoga, you balance it with flexibility. If you just went to the gym and lifted weights, you might build strength at the expense of flexibility.

3. Perfects Your Posture

Your head is like a bowling ball—big, round, and heavy. When it’s balanced directly over an erect spine, it takes much less work for your neck and back muscles to support it. Move it several inches forward, however, and you start to strain those muscles. Hold up that forward-leaning bowling ball for eight or 12 hours a day and it’s no wonder you’re tired. And fatigue might not be your only problem. Poor posture can cause back, neck, and other muscle and joint problems. As you slump, your body may compensate by flattening the normal inward curves in your neck and lower back. This can cause pain and degenerative arthritis of the spine.

4. Prevents Cartilage & Joint Breakdown 

Each time you practice yoga, you take your joints through their full range of motion. This can help prevent degenerative arthritis or mitigate disability by “squeezing and soaking” areas of cartilage that normally aren't used. Joint cartilage is like a sponge; it receives fresh nutrients only when its fluid is squeezed out and a new supply can be soaked up. Without proper sustenance, neglected areas of cartilage can eventually wear out, exposing the underlying bone like worn-out brake pads.

5. Protects Your Spine

Spinal disks—the shock absorbers between the vertebrae that can herniate and compress nerves—crave movement. That’s the only way they get their nutrients. If you’ve got a well-balanced asana practice with plenty of back bends, forward bends, and twists, you’ll help keep your disks supple.

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Total Motivation!

This is the time of year when people start to make promises to themselves and others, about life style changes blah blah blah.

Don't be one of the crowd, you create a positive mindset, set short term realistic goals, research everything you need to know and then dedicate yourself 100%!

Let the talkers talk....

Keep Motivated To Lose Weight

Always remember it's your weight loss journey, you decide how long it takes and how far you want to go.

Anything is possible, the word CAN'T doesn't exist, remove it from your mindset and don't allow it to creep back in. It will dry over and over again to brake you down, you won't let it happen because you have made a decision to succeed and that is what will happen.

Of course you will feel like you CAN'T keep going, or you CAN'T train today.

But the answer is very SIMPLE YOU CAN & YOU WILL. Once you have created the correct mindset, one that will not accept defeat under any circumstance, then you CAN'T fail.

You must think of your weight loss journey as a life choice, not a 6 week diet or getting in shape for summer! 

You are making a conscious decision to be healthy, lose weight and get fit. This process will take time and will involve major changes to the way you presently live your life. Accept the change, set realistic short term goals and start today, not tomorrow or in the New Year. Today is the day...

Use Your Swiss Ball Properly

The Swiss ball enables you to exercise your whole core, while you are actually exercising another body part. Don't just use your ball for abdominal work, incorporate it into all your body part workouts to get maximum results.

Total Weight Loss Inspiration

This is a repost of a video that a friend of mine made. He posted it to a car website to inspire the members there. I wanted others to see the video so that they too could be inspired. For all those wondering, Julia is still alive and Roger continues to run for her sake. So this isn't a video about sadness, it's one of the human spirit and what it can accomplish.

Use this video and what Roger achieved to motivate you on your own weight loss journey. 

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Best Workout Motivation Ever

This is totally inspiring and should motivate anyone!

We love this video, not only are the images amazing but you also get to listen to advise from the greatest body builder ever. Arnold Schwarzenegger has dedicated his life to looking after his body, building muscle and living healthily.

There is no one more qualified on the planet to give advise on motivation, mind set and dedication. Listen to and watch the video, then become motivated to smash your own short term goals, if you feel yourself slipping or making excuses press play and watch it again. 

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Workout Motivation Music

If you have never listened to this before, then your in for a treat!

When you are working out, at whatever level or where ever you are, it's always a hundred times better if you have some quality tunes to keep you focussed. Not only does the music help distract your mind from the dreaded words "I can't do this", but you can always use the songs in your workout. If you're doing sit ups, press ups or any other body weight exercise, try to do the exercise for the length of a song, or measure your progress by how far you made it through a particular track.

The simple fact is, a good upbeat tune is your friend when your working hard.....

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Weight Loss Motivation

 If you don't believe this statement then you've got problems, create the correct mindset and this will motivate you when the going gets tough, without it you will simply give up.... it's that simple!

Once you've made your decision to lose weight, eat healthy and exercise your butt off! Tell the people that matter to you, explain to them why and how you are going to do it, and every time you think about stopping remember what you said to them. Be who you want to be for the people in your life that matter the most. 

The Man Who Never Gave Up!

This short video is very moving and definitely shows what can be achieved with a strong positive mindset.

The body fat transformation is breath taking!

We don't know how long it took John to realise his dream, but that is not important as your weight loss journey is not a race. I can guarantee that a long the way he felt like giving up thousands of times, made excuses why he couldn't train or ate fatty food. But the evidence is undeniable, by training his mind to never give up and making a promise to himself he smashed his dream to pieces.

The future is definitely in your own hands, if you want to make the changes to your life that you dream about, then just do it. Stop making excuses, watch the video a thousand times and use John as your mentor and make it happen.

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Top 3 Bodyweight Exercises for Biceps

This chap in the video is obviously exceptionally strong and trained for a very long time. 

Use this video as inspiration to see what can be achieved with a very simple exercise. Pull Up bars or monkey bars are in most gyms or health centres, but are usually only used by more advanced trainers.

Don't be afraid to ask advise or to use exercise bands to help you complete a repetition, if you stick with this exercise the rewards will come. Start small and build up your routine allowing 48 hours rest between sets to allow your muscles to rebuild and recover.

Stick with it.......

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Positive Mental Attitude

Keep a positive attitude: There’s is nothing more powerful for self-motivation than the right attitude. 

You can’t choose or control your circumstance, but can choose your attitude towards your circumstances.

The key, for me, is hitting the final step to "Share With Others". It can be somewhat addictive and self-motivating when you help others who are having trouble.

 Eight Steps

1. Start Simple: Keep motivators around your work area, things that give you that initial spark to keep motivated.

2. Keep Good Company: Make more regular encounters with positive and motivated people. This could be as simple as Facebook chats with peers or a quick discussion with a friend who likes sharing ideas.

3. Keep Learning: Read and try to take in everything you can. The more you learn, the more confident you become in continuing your weight loss journey.

4. Stay Positive: See the good in bad. When encountering obstacles, you want to be in the habit of finding what works to get over them.

5. Stop Thinking-Just Do: If you find motivation for a particular diet lacking, try getting started on something else. Something trivial even, then you’ll develop the momentum to begin the more important stuff.

6. Know Yourself: Keep notes on when your motivation drops and when you feel like an athlete. There will be a pattern that, once you are aware of, you can work around and develop.

7. Track Your Progress: Keep a tally or a progress diary for your exercise routines. When you see something growing you will always want to nurture it and try harder.

8. Help Others: Share your ideas and help friends get motivated. Seeing others do well will motivate you to do the same. Write about your success and get feedback from readers.

What I would hope happens here is you will gradually develop certain skills that become motivational habits.

Once you get to the stage where you are regularly helping others keep motivated, be it with a blog or talking with peers, you’ll find the cycle continuing where each facet of staying motivated is refined and developed.

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11 Tips to Make Running Easier

No one heads out on a run thinking, “I want this to feel as hard as possible.

 We want it to feel good. We want it to feel less difficult than before. And it will if you try out these 11 simple-to-follow running tips:

1. Shorten Your Stride

It’s counter-intuitive, sure, but shortening your stride and aiming to take more steps per minute (180 is ideal) can help you run more efficiently. It saves you energy you would have spent trying to cover more ground with each step. 

2. Look Ahead

Keeping your eyes focused on a target in front of you can actually make your runs seem shorter and easier, according to research from New York University. You'll likely perceive your target as closer in distance than you would have if you were taking in everything else around you.

3. Lean Forward

Let gravity help you out. Leaning forward from your ankles (not your hips!) will help you “fall forward” with every step, which takes some of the work away from your legs.

4. Get New Shoes

If you don’t replace your running shoes every 300 to 400 miles, they get worn out and can actually make your run more difficult.

5. Relax Your Arms

Tensing your shoulders and tightly bending your elbows wastes energy that can be better spent moving forward. Here are some tips for switching up your arms for a better run.

6. Break Up Your Runs

Sure, seven miles is seven miles. But if you divvy up your mileage into a one-mile warm-up, five-mile run, and one-mile cool down, each leg will feel a little less overwhelming.

7. Dress Comfortably

Running is hard enough without a bra strap digging into your side or blisters forming between your toes. Take some time to find quality, sweat-wicking workout gear that makes you feel both physically and mentally comfortable.

8. Drink Up

Dehydration is serious stuff. Sweating out even two percent of your body’s weight (that’s just a pound or two!) can wreck your physical performance, not to mention cause cramps, dizziness, and fatigue. Basically, it makes running miserable. 

9. Race Someone

Picking out a runner on the sidewalk to rival can help you run faster without even knowing it. In one New York University study, runners who competed with at least one fellow runner cut almost eight seconds off of their mile pace.

10. Keep Yourself Entertained

Sometimes the hardest thing about running is the boredom. To help pass the time, tag along with a running buddy, or download some podcasts, audiobooks, or new tunes.

11. Take Time to Recover

Scheduling recovery workouts and rest days into your schedule will actually help those hard days seem a little less difficult. Your muscles need time to recoup. 

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Mindset The Number 1 Priority

It is true that weight loss is as much of a mental challenge as it is a physical one.

If you cannot change your mentality regarding food, exercise, and lifestyle change, then it would be incredibly hard for you to experience long term weight loss and health. In my years of dysfunctional and healthy attempts at weight loss, I have noticed some mindsets that can make losing weight harder.

 ALWAYS WISHING

If you are always wishing to lose weight, to be thinner, or to be fitter, then you most likely won’t make any progress. You can’t keep wishing; you also have to do something about your situation. You have to eat better and exercise regularly. Wishes don’t come true by themselves. It is up to you to fulfil them.

NEGATIVE THINKING

A friend once told me, “You create what you think”. If you always have negative thoughts regarding your weight loss, then you will definitely have a hard time sticking to your weight loss plan. You can’t wake up each day fearing your food choices, your workout, and even giving up your vices. I think you would end up getting tired from the negative thinking and eventually giving up on your attempt to lose weight. You have to wake up with hope and optimism despite the setbacks and the hard choices you have to make.

 FAST RESULTS

Losing weight and becoming healthier isn't something that happens overnight. It takes time and effort, as well as an unshakeable will to continue despite many disappointments. And you need that unshakeable will if you always want fast results because for sure, you will end up disappointed most of the time. If you keep your expectations and goals realistic, you are more likely to achieve them than if you expect superhuman objectives from yourself.

PROCRASTINATING

“I will exercise tomorrow.” “I will eat better after this party.” “I will drink more water once I buy a bottle.” If you've uttered statements similar to the examples, then you are most likely procrastinating. You won’t get anywhere if you keep putting off your weight loss plans. Today is the day to start your weight loss endeavour. Make better food choices today. Exercise today. Drink water right now. Don’t wait until it’s too late.

 UNWILLING TO DO THE DIRTY WORK

Weight loss is by no means easy. It involves exercise, sweating, and eating food you are not used to. When you choose to lose weight, you should be ready to go out of your comfort zone. If you are not ready for these things, then you won’t lose the pounds that you desire.

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Songs To Motivate You

If you want to stay motivated and enjoy your workout why not make it fun to listen to?

Curating a strong workout playlist is important to create the energy you need to maximise your routine and give 100%. 

What makes a Good Workout Song? A hot beat is always a solid start. Another crucial element is the lyrics “must make the listener feel as though he/she could lift a car over their head” 

Good Workout Songs will pump you up while you’re getting your sweat on, and they’ll get you pumped up about working out. You’ll be excited to work out before you even begin because you’ll be so motivated by the songs in your headphones. They’re that powerful!

 Check out my top 21 Good Workout Songs, I hope they work for you too.

“SPACE JAM” BY THE QUAD CITY DJS

“WE FOUND LOVE” BY RIHANNA FEAT. CALVIN HARRIS

“LOSE CONTROL” BY MISSY ELLIOTT FEAT. CIARA & FATMAN SCOOP

“BREAK FREE” BY ARIANA GRANDE FEAT. ZEDD

“ALL FOR YOU” BY JANET JACKSON

“LOSE MY BREATH” BY DESTINY’S CHILD

“BRING EM OUT” BY T.I.

“TILL THE WORLD ENDS” BY BRITNEY SPEARS

“POUND THE ALARM” BY NICKI MINAJ

“PARTY STARTER” BY WILL SMITH

“POP” BY ‘N SYNC

“WILD FOR THE NIGHT” BY A$AP ROCKY FEAT. SKRILLEX AND BIRDY NAM NAM

“GET ME BODIED” BY BEYONCÉ

“BAD GIRLS” BY M.I.A.

“SISSY THAT WALK” BY RUPAUL

“BULLETPROOF” BY LA ROUX

“APPLAUSE” BY LADY GAGA

“ALL OF THE LIGHTS” BY KANYE WEST FEAT. RIHANNA

“RUN THE WORLD (GIRLS)” BY BEYONCÉ

“TECHNO SYNDROME” BY THE IMMORTALS 

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Total Body Weight Loss Workout

Losing weight without even leaving the comfort of your own front room, can't be a bad thing! 

This video does exactly that, be starting a Calisthenics program which you can do at home you have no excuse for not exercising. No equipment is needed, just a small amount of space to allow you to conduct the exercises correctly.

This total body workout targets all areas of your body and will raise your heart rate to burn maximum calories. What we like about this program is that you can raise or lower the intensity to suite your ability. Concentrate on "correct form" when doing an exercise and never sacrifice quality for quantity. If you find the routine too simple either increase the amount of time you exercise from 1 minute to 1 minute 30 seconds or decrease the rest periods.

No matter what your fitness level is, this workout will challenge you with a slight tweak to the routine. If you are a total beginner always try to push yourself when exercising but be aware of "going too fast too soon"! Concentrate on doing the exercises correctly, targeting the muscles being worked and don't expect results over night. Start by working out three times a week and increase the intensity as you become more comfortable with the routine.

When you first start a new program listen to your body to avoid injury and be patient, your weight loss journey requires a life changing commitment not a 3 week charge!






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Calisthenics Workout!

Calisthenics are exercises that use your bodyweight for resistance and are designed to strengthen and tone your muscles and increase muscular endurance. 

While many trainers dismiss calisthenics as only being suitable for beginners or the less fit, I always believe that this type of no-frills exercise can be a valuable addition to just about any training program for absolutely EVERYONE!

The Benefits of Calisthenics

Bodyweight exercises such as lunges, press ups, jumping jacks, squats and step ups can be performed just about anywhere. This means that you never need to miss a workout just because you are unable to make it to the gym. Also, because calisthenic exercises require no setting up time, you can transition from one exercise to the next quickly and easily which makes your workout effective and efficient.

Calisthenic exercises teach you to master your own body. They teach coordination, balance, proprioception and self awareness. Unlike resistance machines that guides your movements, performing bodyweight exercises effectively means you must control your limbs and maintain proper body position. 

It’s very easy to adjust the difficulty of calisthenic exercises according to your fitness and strength levels. For example, a press up can be as easy as a wall press up with your body only slightly angled to very demanding – such as a handstand press up. No additional equipment is required – simply change your body position. 

Calisthenic exercises are easy on your joints. Exercises such as leg extensions and machine chest presses are safe enough but for some exercisers, these movements can be hard on your joints. If you have a long history of hard training or are over forty and beginning to experience the onset of joint pain, calisthenic exercises are one of the best ways to keep your joints moving while minimizing any discomfort. As many martial artists and ex-military personnel have proven, callisthenic exercises are suitable for older exercisers looking to maintain a high level of fitness despite worn joints.

Size & Strength?

There have been a good many articles on Prison training that I have seen in the past couple of years, that all seem to incorporate calisthenics. Its true that cons have a lot of time to spare in prison and often a lot of them crack on with their training with limited equipment. On 3 square meals a day you should see some of their strength stats! It just goes to prove that you don’t need to be lifting heavy to make serious strength or muscular size gains. 

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Total Motivation

This video is amazing, the strength involved is unreal. While most of us can't perform the exercises that are featured in the video, we can certainly admire the dedication and sacrifice that it takes to train your body to this level.

I would recommend watching the video a couple of times, remember the bits that stick out for you, and when you start training replay the clip in your head when you feel like giving up. The word can't does not exist when you start training, you can always push harder or go faster. If you can overcome the voice in your head telling you to stop, you can achieve anything. Don't give up, keep working hard and never lose focus....  






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Lifting Big and Altering Expectations

As a society, we seem to be collectively less taken aback to see or hear about women lifting weights, and more supportive of the endeavour.

In addition, strength training has shot to the top of the recommendations list for many a mainstream health organization, including the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention; their website recommends strength training for men and women of all ages, listing benefits such as more muscle strength, increased bone density, better balance, weight maintenance, improved glucose control, and arthritis relief, among others. 

It also acknowledges the benefits beyond the physical, saying that lifting weights “can also have a profound impact on a person's mental and emotional health.”

The advantages of lifting heavy-for-you weights (heavy depends entirely on the lifter) are myriad, from a higher caloric burn post-workout to greater loss of intra-abdominal fat to greater muscle definition. The “toned” look that many women are looking for is, in actuality, the building of more muscle and the burning of more fat, so going big (meaning doing anywhere from one to 12 reps with a "heavy" weight( moves you closer to toned than doing dozens of reps with a very light weight.

And that doesn't even touch the feeling of capability and confidence that comes with moving big numbers.

There are, unfortunately, still times where we may have to field unfounded warnings about bulking up (my standard response: women don’t have the testosterone levels to get totally jacked unless they lift often and eat very, very big, very, very often), but mostly the reaction is pure admiration and support. 

People’s pre-existing ideas about what’s possible shift in an instant, and with every one of these interactions, we transform what it means when a woman says, “I lift weights.”

To be clear, we are not in any way obligated to usher in new expectations, but I like to believe that every time you act as an ambassador for big weights, an angel gets its wings.





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If They Can - So Can You!

The body transformations in this video are amazing!  

They were performed by real people who were unhappy with their bodies and decided to do something about it. 

It's that simple!

No one says it's going to happen over night, 6 weeks, 6 months or even 6 years, but if you are unhappy and want to change the way you look, it can happen. Yes, it is going to be hard work and Yes you will feel like giving up a thousand times a day, but if you make a commitment and adopt a positive mind set, it will happen.

Watch the video, look at the ladies in it and then ask the question "are they better than you"? The answer of course is no, they are simply further along their weight loss journey than you. You are the only person that can make it happen, if you want it, just take it, make it happen....... they did! 

For further advise, motivation and exercise tips simply fill in the box at the top right hand corner of your screen and receive 4 free E-books to make your weight loss journey easier for YOU! 

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