When it comes to achieving that body of your dreams, the question shouldn’t be “How much do I want this?” but rather, “How long am I willing to hang in there to achieve a rocking bod?”
Whether you’re motivated to lose your muffin top or bulky legs, the time is now – with real results that require real time. Or in other words, when you are set to achieve that body of your dreams (and make sure it stays put) the greatest tool at your disposal is a winning workout schedule. It’s the way to true, lasting weight loss, a determined body and a rock solid core.
Eat Your Obstacles for Breakfast
There’s no doubt about it – no matter if you’re a world famous Ironman competitor, or the girl merely living next door to a professional athlete, obstacles are going to pop up now and then. It’s not your job to control that weight loss plateau or knee injury, but instead, kick them to the curb as they show up, and ‘eat them for breakfast’.
Before you sit down and write up your weekly fitness and weight loss goals, you need to set up your mindset. If you think about the yo-yo dieting (that never produced long term the results you wanted), the expensive metabolizers that cost you half a paycheck, and the momentum that dwindled after week two of your workout, think about this – How close were you to reaching your goals in the past? How much is it worth to you this time?
How you feel about your body doesn’t just affect your confidence. It actually affects every thought in your mind, so in other words, your health isn’t just at stake but your upcoming promotion, the satisfaction of your love life and your future is all in the hands of your workout routine. Here’s how to make it better than ever so that your physical, emotional, mental, professional (and even your sex life) becomes more amazing than you ever thought possible!
Get Organized, and Get Realistic
First things first – every Sunday evening commit to making your weekly workout schedule. This means that you’ll need to sit down and write out specifics, such as what days you’ll devote your workout to the upper body, to the lower body and which days you’ll squeeze in a longer cardio session. The most important thing here is to make each one of your weekly goals realistic and reasonable. If you’re trying to lose weight, don’t set yourself up for failure by making a goal of “lose ten lbs. by Saturday night”. Aim for losing no more than 2 lbs. a week to sustain a healthy lifestyle.
Create Frequent Short and Sweet Workouts
Who said the guy with the longer workouts is more successful with reaching his goals? You don’t have to sweat while lunging, and feeling the burn for a full hour to get that tight core that you dream about. When you keep it short, simple and push yourself with intensity and determination, you’re not wasting a minute, and maximizing your time for all its worth. Set a goal for 30-40 minute interval training and then hit the cardio. If you’re aiming to lose weight, up the intensity on the treadmill, and burn more calories in a shorter time.
Create a Reward System
Think of your reward system as your golden ticket to tight abs, toned arms and a sleek mid-section. Since you’re taking your workouts seriously, why NOT reward yourself for all your hard work (and in a smart way that won’t jeopardize all those calories burned)? It’s a win/win, because when you give yourself a small weekly reward, you can more easily stick to the next week’s workout schedule, and the next without feeling like you’re depriving yourself of any fun along the way.
Here’s trick to the reward system – if you’re trying to overcome emotional eating and lose some weight, don’t make the reward food related. If you’re trying to become more active (and fight off your sedentary way of living) don’t give yourself a whole Saturday off to veg and sit in front of the TV. Make your rewards relaxing, and one that will support your new healthy lifestyle.
No one can lose your weight, get ripped, decrease body fat, or go from sedentary to active for you BUT you. So give it all you got, and with a winning workout schedule, you’ll have the greatest tool at your disposal to fight off the belly bulge, and reveal those amazing thighs, shoulders, and abs of yours. Be specific about your goals, make them realistic, and give yourself a reason to keep the momentum going with small rewards along the way. You can’t go wrong, and you’ll feel like a new (but toned and svelte!) you.
