As spring approaches, people want to look good at the beach and they’re always searching for the magic potion. The reality is that to be your best self, you need to make your health a focus and a priority. Here are the at home health tips you need to get ready this spring!
Spring into fitness
There are ways of thinking about these approaches that make accomplishing your goals a little less intimidating and also easier to avoid future yo-yos of weight loss and gain.
Here are my top 5 spring fitness tips for making this the last time you have to “get ready” for the beach:
Commit to an on/off schedule
The majority of average exercise enthusiasts have never heard of typical training cycles and therefore try to do it every day. While this is a very admirable goal, it is negatively reinforced.
When you miss one day, you suddenly feel like you have failed. The negative connotation surrounding failing creates a negative self-talk that will send most people spiraling into happy hour drinks and chili cheese fries, exclaiming in misery, “I just can’t do it!”
Instead, try any one of these approaches where you have scheduled days off:
- 2 days on followed by 1 day off
- 3 days on, 1 day off, 2 days on
- Weekdays on, weekends off
Any of these are fine examples of how to plan your rest days and use them as a reward and positive reinforcement for a job well done.
Exercise first thing…
Workout first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, after hydrating with 20 ounces of water.
This actually is a commonly used approach by stars and athletes when needing to lean out quickly for film/television roles, or photoshoots.
The good news is that nearly 100% of all the energy used on an empty stomach in the morning after having fasted all night is fat energy – the body has no ability to access any energy reserves in the muscle because there aren’t any to be used.
It also ensures that you are starting your day with a caloric deficit which puts your body in a “healing” state for the entirety of the day both nutritionally and hormonally, as long as you maintain healthy nutrition.
Set short-term goals and reset them often
For example, if weight loss is your goal, then aim for consistently losing 1-2 pounds a week. Weigh yourself at the beginning of your journey, then only once a week after you have completed your program requirements.
Note: It is very important to understand that the success herein is dependent on your ability to stay dedicated to your exercise and nutrition program, and NOT solely on the weight loss.
If you have not reached your goal yet, but are doing all the right things, be patient, stay your course, and stay positive. If after a few weeks nothing is changing and you are doing all of the right things, seek the help of an experienced trainer with a proven track record.
Eat Fat!
If you are trying to get leaner and look better, that means you are trying to decrease your body fat, NOT just lose weight.
The only way to ensure that your body identifies fat as energy, is to feed it healthy sources of fat – avocado, raw almonds, and pure liquid coconut oil are all great sources of healthy fat.
These teach the body to identify that when dietary fats aren’t available in the bloodstream, to use body fat as the preferred source of energy. Additionally, eating a low-carb diet, while it is effective at fat loss, can cause a feeling of fatigue if the body does not recognize fat as energy.
Net takeaway: More fat, fewer carbs.
LIFT WEIGHTS!
The calories burned by your resting metabolism AFTER weight training for the entire day, can outweigh the total calories burned while actually performing the exercise.
If you want to change the way your body looks, lose fat permanently and have more energy, adding intense and serious weight training 3x/week to your fitness program will be much more successful for you than just doing cardio alone.
Try alternating days between cardio-only routines (secondary work) and weight training (primary work) for best results.
Wrap-Up
Remember, set goals, focus on your nutrition and get active and you will dominate this spring!
This year, take control of your health and life with these spring fitness tips!
Drew Logan, a renowned fitness expert, celebrity trainer, television star and author of the upcoming book, 25Days: Proven Program to Rewire your Brain, Stop Weight Gain, and Finally Crush the Habits You Hate Forever (North Star Way, 2017). For more information on Drew Logan and his tips, follow him on Instagram (@thedrewlogan).