Please leave a comment below and let me know what you think of Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Don’t forget to leave a comment on how you feel about Arnold. Don’t hold anything back!!!

Are you ready to apply this to YOUR life? To YOUR goals? To YOUR dreams?

Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

 
EXCUSES ARE FOR LOSERS!

 
GET OFF YOU’RE A$$ AND STOP MAKING EXCUSES… START GETTING RESULTS!

Are You Tired of Making Excuses? Check out my Osage Beach Personal Trainer program. CLICK HERE.

 Are you tired of your own excuses? CLICK HERE to change it!

Please share (in the comment section below) some of the most outrageous fitness excuses that you have ever heard. ]]> http://5minfatloss.com/blog/stop-making-excuses/feed/ 2 http://5minfatloss.com/blog/develop-unstoppable-motivation-and-willpower/ http://5minfatloss.com/blog/develop-unstoppable-motivation-and-willpower/#comments Sat, 01 May 2010 12:00:42 +0000 Dr. Diet http://fitphysiqueonline.com/blog/?p=365 Do you have trouble getting motivated to exercise? 
 
Do you wish there was something you could do about it? 
 
Do you think it’s your willpower that just doesn’t measure up? 
 
What if there was a way for you to develop your willpower? 
 
What if I could give you a few little secrets that you could use to create motivation and put to use to reach your fitness goals?

Well if you’re willing to supply just a little bit of desire and a little bit of effort, I’ll teach you how to develop an unstoppable motivation and willpower that your friends will envy.

The key to your success is a simple five letter word… and that word is habit. This is our number one goal! Yes! Our number one goal is to create the habit of exercise and our improved fitness will be a by product of accomplishing this. How are we going to do this? We are going to break this down as far as necessary. And you will be the one who determines just how far that is. What do I mean by that? Well virtually all exercise consists of either steps or repetitions. Think of your favorite exercise. Is it walking? Then it can be broken down to steps… (or time spent) right? Is it push ups? Then it can be broken down to repetitions. Get the idea? So if we are to succeed at creating the habit of exercising, technically we only need to take “some” steps or to do “some” repetitions on a regular, consistent basis.

You might be thinking, Rick, come on now… how is taking a few steps or a few repetitions going to help me reach my fitness goals? Stay with me for a minute. Most people who fail at reaching their fitness goals fail because they lack motivation. And the reason they lack motivation is because their holding the wrong picture in their mind. You know the one… that one long grueling workout that seemed to last forever? If we’re going to hold a picture in our mind of an entire grueling workout, most of us are going to be whipped before we start.

I begin by telling myself that I am going to do “one set” of my favorite exercise (the incline bench press) and then after giving myself two or three minutes to recover from that set, I will then ask myself if I want to do more. Nine times out of ten I do! And if I don’t I can still feel good that I did that set and strengthened the habit of exercise. Surely anyone can do a “single set” of their favorite exercise and create the habit of doing so. Make the goal creating the “habit”… not the workout!!! We can always increase the steps, the reps, the number of sets, the exercises and the time spent anytime we want to! And I encourage you to do so… whenever you feel like it!

We need to keep in mind that not all workouts have to be maximal. Start each workout with just one set of your favorite exercise. Wait 2 or 3 minutes and while you’re waiting, praise yourself for accomplishing that set. You’ve just included some exercise in your day. Doesn’t that feel good? You have taken the first step to creating a habit… a very good habit. And each time that you do this you are strengthening that habit. Now, ask yourself if you feel like you want to do more. If not… stop. If so, repeat.

Many people get to the gym and turn around and go home because they just don’t feel up to working out that day. But many of us have found that if we just submit to doing a set or two of something, we begin to feel like doing more.

Habits begin like flimsy cobwebs at first and are strengthened day by day to become like unbreakable cables to shackle or strengthen our lives. What happens is once you get started, you will begin to feel the endorphins rush and most of the time you will “feel” like doing more. I kid you not! It’s amazing! It works for me virtually all the time. Try it!

Here is a poem that I read many years ago that I found to be very profound and seems appropriate for this article. I hope you enjoy it.

Who am I?

I am your constant companion.
I am your greatest helper or heaviest burden.
I will push you onward or drag you down to failure.
I am completely at your command.

Half the things you do you might just as well
turn over to me and I will be able to do them
quickly and correctly.

I am easily managed –
You must merely be firm with me.
Show me exactly how you want
Something done and after a few lessons
I will do it automatically.

I am the servant of all great men;
And alas, of all failures, as well.
Those who are great, I have made great.
Those who are failures, I have made failures.

I am not a machine,
Though I work with all the precision
Of a machine plus the intelligence of a man.
You may run me for a profit or run me for ruin –
It makes no difference to me.

Take me, train me, be firm with me,
And I will place the world at your feet.
Be easy with me and I will destroy you.
Who am I? I am habit!
- Anonymous

CLICK HERE and I’ll show you how my Lake Ozark Personal Trainer program will help you can get the results!

Two girls at the beach were admiring the passing scene, which included a bodybuilder who was strutting his best.  “That’s my type,” said the first girl. “Well, I don’t know,” the other replied.  ”I have a friend who married a man that owns a two-car garage, but he just keeps a bicycle in it!“

There’s a postulate in quantum physics that states, “We don’t know how much we don’t know.”  This statement rings out such resounding truth when it comes to weight training… and, yes, sex… but for now we’ll stick to the topic of weight training. 

Every gym across the country has them… you know the people… the ones who make you put on that set of headphones (no stereo mind you, just the headphones) just so you can be left to yourself…. the woman who sees no wrong in setting the treadmill to the very lowest setting, and staying on it for an hour and a half while others are in line… the wannabe Hulk who loads 280 lbs. on a barbell and starts pounding away bicep curls by throwing his upper body back and forth – without ever bending the elbows… the men and women who filter in and out of the gym every day thinking that they are accomplishing something with their aimless antics and lack of planning. Every one of them thinks that they are doing it right!

The reality is that most people in the gym have lousy form, and pathetic knowledge of weight training. There’s little wonder why they look exactly the same, week after week, month after month, year after year. In fact, over 90% of the people who frequent gyms fall squarely into this category.

Let’s take a look at some of the characters that are commonly found in any gym across the nation:

“No Pain, No Gain.” There are actually people who believe this! I sincerely doubt that Ronnie Coleman or Arnold have ever consciously tried to hurt themselves. Yet there are morons out there that actually train with that mentality. Exercise should never be painful. If it is, you’ll run the risk of injury as a result of overtraining. Once you enter the “overtraining zone,” you’re guaranteed to experience physiological and mental stress which can eventually lead to a number of health problems.

The Flirt. All you guys know who she is. She is the one that thinks she’s the hottest girl in the gym, but in reality she is simply the most annoying. She is the one that comes up to you immediately after you have just pounded out a set of squats from hell, bats her eyes at you then proceeds to ask you “Can you please come take these plates off the leg press. They are just too heavy for me.” To which I would say “Hell no, what do I look like, your personal trainer?” (You know how moody one can be after doing a set of brutal squats.)

The Screamer. Every gym has to have at least one of them. I know you will easily create an image in your mind of the person that I’m talking about. He’s the guy that, for some reason, feels it’s his obligation to shriek at the top of his lungs before performing any set. What makes it even more astonishing is that this person will be lifting such a small amount of weight. I find these people more humorous than annoying. I’ve had the “privilege” to experience quite a few occasions where the “Screamer” has made his presence known. Although it may seem to provide a psychological edge, it has been proven through research, that yelling before or during an exercise provides absolutely no benefit whatsoever. It can, however, be very distracting. My first reaction when I hear someone scream is, “OH GOD! Someone’s stuck beneath a barbell,” or “OH NO! Someone just tore a muscle!” Whenever I am in the presence of a Screamer in the gym, I always remember something I was told when I first started training. I was having a conversation with a young lady that was training next to me when a Screamer yelled at the top of his lungs. As I was trying to suppress my laughter, she turns to me and says, “You know, I’ve always heard that the noises a person makes while training are the same ones they make while in bed.” After hearing that, I nearly had to use the restroom to wipe my backside clean. As funny as it was at the time, I think she may just be right! What to do think?

The Spandex Lady. This one is not a pretty sight to see. This is the lady who really needs to lose about 75 more pounds before she tries to squeeze that lard into those tight-fitting spandex shorts. Lady, let me clue you in on something, NOBODY WANTS TO SEE YOU IN THAT! To makes matters worse, she’s the one I described above… the woman who sees no wrong in setting the treadmill to the very lowest, slowest setting, and stays on it forever while others are waiting in line to use it. She goes so slow that she burns maybe 20 calories the entire time she lumbers along. This lady needs to make it worth all of our time by picking up the pace, or getting the hell out of the way. More importantly, she needs to do us all a favor and just wear some big, baggy sweats.

“My Ego Is Bigger Than My Bench.” Inevitably, you will always have at least one guy who feels the need to place more weight on the bar than even Ronnie Coleman himself will lift on a regular basis. What sucks about this guy is that since you look like you work out, you are a prime candidate to spot this person. Being the nice person you are, you happily agree to spot them. Then just before they begin, they look up and ask you, “Give me a lift-off on 3 and make me work!” You respond by saying, “Okay, on 3″. One, two, three, lift.” The person holds the weight for an instant and then, in the blink of an eye, the weight accelerates straight down like, well…dead weight! You fear the worst, thinking that the person over-estimated their abilities and could be seriously injured. So, with all of your strength, you apply as much possible resistance to slow the downward plunge of the weight. The thud it makes at the bottom makes you cringe! You breathe a sigh of relief when you notice that the person is not hurt and you immediately begin to pull the weight up and towards the rack. As you do, the most mind-boggling thing happens. The idiot murmurs in a low, strained voice “Help me get one more…” Your mouth nearly hits the floor in amazement as you think to yourself, “What? You didn’t even get the first one.” You repeat the process. After it’s over and your traps are recovering, you swiftly move to the other side of the gym in hope that the person won’t ask you to help him again. As you move away, this clown asks the question heard around the world, “How much did you help me”? “Well, Bullet Head… A WHOLE DAMN LOT!” From that day forward, you avoid that person like cardio during the off-season.

There is a common theme that must be adapted by any successful bodybuilder. It’s called “Let Go of My Ego.” This is where you must convince yourself that your body will grow with proper technique, correct form, and most of all… nutrition. It is not always necessary to lift massive amounts of weight all the time, and sacrifice good form and technique to do so. The moral of the story? Big weights only look cool if… and ONLY if… you can lift them without subjecting the person spotting you to an unexpected set of shrugs.

The Rat Pack. Similar to the previous category, except this is usually a group of three or four guys that work out together. They are usually using way more weight than most pro bodybuilders fathom using. There are two distinctive characteristics of this group of pinheads. First, they all think they are getting bigger and stronger. I mean… they truly believe it! Picture these guys. They load up a barbell with way more weight than any of them can dream to lift with proper form, and then proceed to take turns spotting each other through set after set of gyrations and movements that defy nature. The second distinctive trait is that the person spotting is actually getting a better workout than the one doing the exercise!

Marathon Man. He always seems to be the first to arrive, and the last to leave. He believes that the longer he trains in the gym, the more weight he will lose (or gain). His workouts are of epic durations. He’s the guy that performs every conceivable exercise designed for the particular body part he is training that day. He just doesn’t get it. The longer you’re in the gym, the more muscle fibers you’ll tear down. This is an unhealthy way to lose (or gain) weight. Once your body hits a catabolic state, you begin to lose energy… and that eventually leads to over-training… which leads to a plateau. A plateau is an inability to make progress in training. It can last for months. To be safe, consider working out for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, increase the intensity and continue to progress.

The Serious Person. When this person gets ready to train the first thing he will do is get into his own little world. Then he gets the “if you talk to me I will kick your butt” look on his face. He grabs his belt, straps and whatever else he may need on that day of training. When he gets in this zone he doesn’t like to be bothered. You know him… he’s the guy that after doing a heavy set of dumbbell curls will walk around and brood even though he has just pushed himself through a pain barrier that nobody else in that gym is willing to do and doesn’t even have the guts to do. He never looks at anyone in the eye. Everyone avoids him until it is finished. Then as quickly as the all-out assault started, it is over. Then he comes back to the real world and once again he is a really nice guy… until the next time he trains. I guess this is why people think bodybuilders are crazed idiots. He can be intimidating to most people, but at least he has a purpose for his training.

I am sure you can relate to most, if not all, of the people I have written about. If you are one of these people… let me ask you this? Do you want to be stuck in the stagnant pond of mediocrity all of your life? No? Then get over yourself and change your views towards training. Be like the Serious Person… determine the PURPOSE of your training… determine the PURPOSE of your workout… determine the PURPOSE of the exercise. And then train WITH A PURPOSE. Only then will you begin to train RIGHT! Only then will you begin to feel the pleasure of accomplishment after each repetition of every set. And only then will you truly ENJOY your workouts… sounds a lot like sex, doesn’t it? Whatever your training goals, whether it’s the size of the muscles, or the use of them, don’t miss the adventure along the way… again, it sounds like sex. Vince Gironda once said, “There’s joy on the gym floor.” Only those with a heart for training can understand what he meant.

I believe that about wraps up Dr. Diet’s Personal Rant Session. I feel much better now. And if anyone reading this knows me, yes I am talking about you!

Have thoughts about this post? Let us hear your comments…

But did you know that the average person gains almost a pound a day while on vacation?

That’s right! Lazy vacation days usually lead to one dreaded thing: extra pounds. From missed workouts to large restaurant meals, travel days often become high calorie days.

As you embark on your next vacation adventure keep the following tips in mind, and come home fitter than when you left!

TIP #1: Be Active
If your travels keep you too busy for a workout, or if your hotel does not have an exercise room, make a conscious effort to be active everyday. Go on a brisk walk after your day’s activities. This is a great way to see a new city, and also a great way to burn off that rich dinner you just ate! Take the stairs instead of elevator in your hotel and any other buildings you visit. Go on a short jog in the mornings or evenings of your stay. If your hotel has a pool, swim a few laps each morning or evening.

TIP#2: Indulge with Control
Eating out is a must while on vacation. Whether you’re visiting 5 star restaurants or fast food diners, you are faced with the same problem: large portions. While the easiest thing to do with a large portioned meal is to simply eat it all – you are on vacation after all…right? That isn’t the best for your waist!

When you order your meal ask the waiter or waitress to bring you a to-go box. Take half of your meal and place it safely into the box before you even begin to eat. This gives you no choice but to eat a healthy portion. If you would rather not carry around a to-go box then ask that your entree be made into a smaller portion. If it is dinner time ask for the lunch-sized entree.

TIP#3: Snack Healthy
Have you ever noticed how travel days create the perfect opportunity for snacking? A coffee and muffin before your flight, a snack on the plane and then before you know it…it’s lunch time! Taking a road trip? This opens up even more opportunities for regrettable snacking…rest stop vending machines, gas station quickie marts and of course the never ending string of fast food restaurants along the highway.

This summer cut unhealthy snacking off at the pass by brining along your own healthy options. Dried or fresh fruit, unsalted nuts, health bars, cut veggies and low fat crackers are a good start. By filling up on these healthy snacks between meals you will end up eating less when presented with a less-than-healthy meal.

TIP #4: Avoid Fried Foods
While fast food restaurants are definitely convenient, with their low prices and quick service, this convenience is not worth the additional pounds brought on by chips and fries. As you enjoy your vacation keep this in mind: avoid fried foods. While this is always good advice to follow, it is even more important to abide by while traveling.

While vacationing you will likely burn fewer calories each day than you would burn at home, and you are consuming more calories due to your schedule of eating out. You are walking a fine line, and eating fried foods would throw you right over the edge. A gram of fat contains 9 calories as compared to the 4 calories that proteins and carbohydrates carry – so you can see that consuming fried foods will drastically increase your caloric intake.

If I still haven’t convinced you to pass on the curly fries, keep in mind that heartburn and indigestion are never fun…especially while on vacation!

TIP#5: Team up with a Pro – Yours Truly!
Well, fitness is my specialty…and since you are serious about creating a healthy and fit physique – guarantee your results by teaming up with me.

Together we will come up with a fitness plan that is uniquely yours, one that fits your lifestyle and brings you promptly to your goals – something that you will appreciate while on vacation and at home.

Sure, you may lose 5, 10 or even 20 pounds on a fad diet…but you’ll gain it all back and then some. How can I be so confident that your results will be short lived?

It’s actually a simple concept, and once you understand it you will be forever saved from the tortures of yo-yo dieting.

Fad diets saddle you with unreasonable calorie restrictions and some even cut out entire food groups just to produce that short-lived drop in weight – a process that is actually harmful to your health. The fad diets also ignore one major component to shaping up: exercise.

You see, most fad diets operate on one age old premise: cut calories, cut calories, cut calories. By restricting the type and amount of food consumed the fad dieter usually sees an immediate drop in weight. If only it stopped there…

But it doesn’t stop there. Life continues, and the fad dieter returns to their pre-diet eating habits – with one major difference in their body due to the sudden drop in pounds. Their calorie requirements have gotten smaller.

In practical terms this means that the dieter will begin gaining weight even though they are eating their normal pre-diet portions. And since exercise hasn’t become a part of their routine, the unneeded calories will result in pounds gained. So what’s a dieter to do? Find a brand new diet to follow – right? Wrong.

There is a way to drop pounds and firm your body, but you won’t read about it in the next diet book or hear it on the news. The solution to your fad dieting nightmare is a lifestyle change.

What is a lifestyle change? To change your lifestyle means to replace unhealthy habits with healthy ones, and to do so consistently. It isn’t something you do for a week or two, only to revert back your old ways – a lifestyle change redefines who you are.

I know this is starting to sound like some heavy stuff, but hear me out. Changing your lifestyle from one that is unhealthy to one that is healthy will be the best thing that you ever do for yourself. Trust me; I help people like you make this change every day with amazing results.

Fact: The shape of your body is the direct result of your current lifestyle.

So how do I change my lifestyle? That is a great question, and the answer is actually easier than you might think.

Most people who are unhappy with their bodies are really only holding on to a few bad habits. Once these destructive habits are identified and then replaced with healthy habits their body naturally transforms from one that they loathe to one that they are proud of.

In other words, to get the body that you want simply determine your unhealthy habits and replace them with healthy ones. Here are the most prevalent unhealthy habits:

The habit of inactivity. Failing to exercise on a consistent basis is one of the most destructive obstacles for your health and figure. (The key word here is consistent. If you aren’t exercising at least 3-4 times each week then you own this habit.)

The habit of overeating. Consuming calories in excess of your daily caloric needs is one of the main reasons that more adults are overweight today than ever before.

The habit of empty calories. Filling your diet with foods that hold little to no nutritional value is a great way to expand your waist. (Hint: if a food item is made up of mainly sugar and/or fat consider it ‘empty’ calories.)

You can lose weight and improve both your appearance and your health.
You can look and feel great.
You can transform yourself into the person that you’ve always wanted to be.

Don’t let another day go by that leaves you a slave to unhealthy habits. Take action now. Call or e-mail me today and together we will recreate your lifestyle and redefine your body.

By the way, I should mention another deadly habit that destroys too many people’s dreams. The habit of procrastination.

How many times have you told yourself that you will start eating healthy tomorrow? How many times have you told yourself you will start exercising next week? How many times have you promised that you would call me to start your personal training program? Each day that you succumb to the habit of procrastination is a day that pulls you farther and farther from your goals… and makes you more and more of a failure!

Break that nasty habit of procrastination – Check out my Lake Ozark Personal Trainer program Get started today.

You see, I love soccer

But Sunday, perhaps out of boredom (maybe even frustration with the soccer game AND the Chiefs), I spent 91 minutes watching a movie that I watched maybe twice when it first made it to the silver screen: Rocky IV.

I didn’t give it much thought back when it first came out, but WOW what a motivational story.

Some Rocky fanatics claim Rocky IV is the absolute best out of all the Rockies (and there will be time to debate that later if you don’t

Personally, I’m a “Rocky II” man myself. The scene where his beloved wife Adrian awakes from her coma and tells Rocky, I want you to do one thing for me…win…WIN!!!” gets me every damn time.

But, regardless of which Rocky movie you believe is number one, you’ve GOT to agree that Rocky IV is one of the best motivational movies of all time.

I mean, what a great story, right?

Rocky, avenging his best friend Apollo’s death by defeating the highly-favored, monstrous Russian on his own turf in Russia - it’s pretty intense stuff.

But apart from that, even if you somehow didn’t care for the movie (and I can’t imagine how), Rocky IV can still teach you something extremely valuable and applicable to you and your own goals.

And that is, the raw power of motivation.

Let’s be honest, if Rocky had gone in to fight the Drago prior to fighting Apollo or at any other time, under any other circumstances, he would have got his head stuffed straight up his butt. The dude was a monster, a freak of nature, and had Rocky outmatched in every possible way.

But because Rocky had something extremely powerful to motivate him (the fact that this guy killed his best friend), he was able to seemingly defeat some crazy odds and emerge victorious.

Let me ask you a question:

What’s YOUR motivation?

What is it that gets you up in the morning and over to the gym before work when everyone else is sleeping in?

What is it that allows you to regularly pass up the quick and easy (and frankly, delicious) foods that so many others regularly indulge in?

Motivation is the reflection in the mirror.

It is the answer to the question, “Am I satisfied?”.

It is the goal…

The prize…

Fitting into those skinny jeans…

Achieving 8% bodyfat…

It is the reason behind the drive…. kinda like Rocky.

Do you have a REAL source of motivation?

If you don’t, it’s highly likely you’re going to get “knocked out” by all the temptation and “easy ways out” that surround us on a daily basis.

Let’s face it, it’s a heck of a lot easier to eat whatever, whenever, and skip the whole workout thing then it is to live a fit, healthy lifestyle.

You absolutely have to have a very powerful source of motivation, because without one, you’re toast.

So do you have a source of motivation that keeps you going strong toward your goals each and every day?

What is it?

Reaffirm it by posting it in the comments section below to start today off with renewed focus (and if you don’t value your “reason” enough to post it below, it’s probably safe to say that you don’t really have one).

Don’t have a strong enough source of motivation?

Here’s a little tip for you…

Treat yourself to that pair of jeans (or outfit) you absolutely LOVE. Better yet, ask for them as a Christmas gift, BUT ask for them a size or two too small.

You’re going to want to wear them so badly, believe me, you’ll drop the sizes just so you can!

Trust me… it works!

Now, let me know what YOUR motivation is below.

Talk to you in the comments section!

Rick

Lake Ozark Personal Trainer

According to the millionaire’s interviewed for Dr. Thomas Stanley’s “The Millionaire Mind,” the number one factor in their success, when ranked by very important and important is being disciplined.

57% said being disciplined was very important and another 38% ranked it as important.

You might be wondering what millionaires have to do with your health and fitness goals.

To achieve your fitness goals, you must have a plan, and to stick to that plan you must have (or develop) the discipline necessary to do so.

Discipline is a key to success, no matter what you are looking to achieve, from adding twenty pounds of muscle, to losing twenty pounds of fat, to making millions, or climbing Mt. Everest.

Without discipline, none of these things are possible.

Anything worth achieving takes discipline.

Have you ever heard the phrase, “The harder I work, the luckier I get.”? It’s absolutely true. Millionaire’s are extremely disciplined. They set very high goals for themselves and then go about doing what it takes to reach those goals.

These people are not easily sidetracked. They do what needs to be done, regardless of the obstacles or roadblocks that they may stumble upon during their journey.

If you lack discipline, your chances of achieving success are very, very small. But discipline can be learned, practiced and improved.

THINK ON PAPER

Only about 3 percent of adults have clear, written goals.

These people accomplish five to ten times as much as people without written goals.

Written goals are a powerful thing.

They have an energy behind them that helps you move toward them.

Unwritten goals just don’t have that power.

Make a list of everything you can think of that you will need to do to help you achieve your goal.

Leave nothing to chance.

The more planning you do ahead of time, the more likely you will stick to the plan and achieve your goals.

The more prepared you are, the more success you will experience.

WRITE IT DOWN! Keep track of everything you do regarding your fitness goals; what you eat each day, exercises, sets, reps… EVERYTHING!

By doing this you have something tangible to refer to – documentation of what worked, or did not work, for you.

Nothing is more powerful, or irrefutable, than this evidence.

The information learned is an invaluable tool that can help you gain insight into why your current fitness and nutrition program is (or isn’t) working.

One final note. BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF!

Do not “fudge” the number(s) of reps, sets, etc.

Do not inaccurately record your food consumption.

It does you no good if the information you record is not accurate.

Rick Steb – Lake Ozark Personal Trainer

Have thoughts about this post? Let us hear your comments…

My answers are always the same. There is no magic pill or powder or even secret that trainers, professional athletes or fitness models are keeping from the general public. It all comes down to hard work, being conscious of your diet and, most importantly, being consistent.

If it were easy everyone would be in perfect shape all of the time. To quote Bill Cosby,

“In order to succeed, the desire for success
must be greater than the fear of failure.”

The fear of failure is something I encounter 90% of the time when discussing fitness goals with women.

Whether they realize it or not, many women prevent themselves from achieving their fitness goals because of an inherent fear of failure. Unless you determine that you are going to make sacrifices and make fitness a lifestyle it becomes all too easy to ‘give up’ because ‘it’s not going to happen – I have bad genetics.’

Stop blaming your parents, your husband, or your kids for your own fear of committing to yourself and your fitness goals. While it is true that some are genetically predisposed to developing lean muscle it is completely possible to train hard and diet to create the best body you can have for you.

You will never know until you put all of your doubts aside and make it happen. Now, combine this fear of failure with the many myths that surround women and weight training and you have a recipe for disaster.

I am breaking down the six most common myths many women believe and thus hinder their progress or potential gains. Hopefully this will help educate more women to the truth behind what makes the body effectively transform.

Six Common Myths

Myth 1: Lifting Weight Will Make/Build/Develop Muscle Like A Man.
We have all heard this one from some woman at one time or another. Ladies… NO … Lifting weight will not make you develop muscle like a man. Quick lesson in anatomy:

Both men and women have hormones coursing through their bodies. These hormones are testosterone, estrogen, progesterone and DHEA. For those of you who are not aware, men and women share all of these; however men have a much higher number of testosterone and DHEA than women do and women have a much higher concentration of estrogen and progesterone.

Testosterone is a very powerful hormone, this is one (if not the) primary factor that enables men to build muscle the way they do. Are there women in this world who lift weights and look like men? Yes. Why? They take testosterone or other androgens to help them achieve that look. Does the average woman who wants to get in shape and attain a ‘sexy’ body have to supplement this way to achieve her goals? NO.

And, in all honesty, most women that attend the gym to get in shape or look good at the beach do not lift weights that are nearly heavy enough to develop in this manner.

Myth 2: Eating A Lot Will Make Me Fat.
Eating a lot of cake and candy and cookies will absolutely make you fat. So can eating a lot of pasta or chicken or bananas. There isn’t any one type of food that can be blamed for unwanted fat gain in the body. What needs to be understood is that every morsel of food that is ingested has calories (many also contain vital nutrients). However, if you overeat anything at any point during the day the excess that your body does not need will be stored as fat.

Food                              Calories       Protein      Carbs         Fat

Chocolate Cake                          428                  5.9g                73g              15.6g

Candies, Reese’s Pieces          497                12.5g             59.9g             24.8g

Cookies, Chocolate Chip       497                   4.6g             66.1g             25.2g

Pasta                                              131                   5.2g             24.9g                1.1g

Chicken, Roasted                     190                 28.9g                   0g               7.4g

Bananas                                          92                        1g             23.4g               0.5g

When a bodybuilder or fitness model, professional athlete or personal trainer stresses they eat frequently throughout the day they are not saying they eat “too much.” Eating small meals 6 – 7 times a day will increase your metabolism so your body is constantly burning calories and is constantly receiving the adequate nutrition it needs to maintain all bodily functions including building and maintaining muscle.

It is important to get an understanding of what proper nutrition consists of and what you need to feed your body to not only maintain it but ‘evolve’ it into the figure of your dreams.

Myth 3: Carbs Are The Enemy!
Ladies, forget Dr. Atkins… Please! In fact, try to stay away from all the fad diets on the shelves at Barnes & Nobles that promise to give you a bikini-perfect body if you do ridiculous things like stand on your head and eat nothing but Oreos.

There is no secret trick and no magic in a bottle. Cutting carbs and eating nothing but steak and bacon are not going to get you closer to having a firm butt and thighs. Sorry, but that’s the truth. The Atkins diet and calorie restriction diets are excellent starting points for obese individuals that need to lose weight quickly for health reasons. They are not conducive to building muscle.

The macronutrients needed for a well rounded nutritional program are carbs, protein and fat. All three of these are necessary and have important functions within the body. I am not going to go into complete detail here as a complete breakdown of macronutrients and their function is extremely lengthy and would be better suited in an article on nutrition which I will write at another time.

The basic reasons are carbohydrates are necessary in rebuilding muscle. They are also an excellent source of energy within the body. This is not just energy to run five miles, this also means energy required to keep your heart beating, maintain the digestive process and even ensure cellular respiration can occur.

(Fancy terminology that means your body does much more than what you make it or ask it to do.)

Myth 4: Working Out Turns Fat Into Muscle.
No, working out does not turn fat into muscle. Nor can you change apples into oranges by juggling. Think about it, muscle and fat are two completely different things. Fat is made up of triglycerides and muscle is made up of amino acids. How can one turn into the other?

The reality is that building muscle will in turn help you burn fat. The more muscle developed the more calories the body will burn even while at rest. The transformation will not occur over night – it can take months or even years.

Likewise the theory that 1 lb. of muscle weighs more than a 1 lb. of fat holds absolutely no water. 1 lb equals 1 lb no matter what that pound is made up of. However, muscle takes up less space within the body than fat does. Because of this someone who is extremely muscular but the same height and appears to have the same amount of body mass as an individual that has a softer physique can weigh more.

Myth 5: Drinking Too Much Water Will Make Me Bloat.
Actually the opposite is true. Not drinking enough water can make you bloat. Women are especially vulnerable to this. If an adequate amount of water is not consumed during the day the body will actually hold onto whatever water it has stored in the muscles in an effort to maintain necessary hydration for metabolism and other bodily functions. This can give you a bloated appearance. I say women are especially vulnerable to this because of the high fluctuations we experience with hormonal levels (and yes, that ‘time of the month’).

These factors make your bodies more sensitive to maintaining adequate hydration so it is necessary to drink at least a gallon of water a day. (The exact amount of water necessary for an individual will vary depending upon the sport / activity she is involved with as well as her weight etc. This is another performance nutrition factor that will be addressed another time.)

Myth 6: I Don’t Want To Train At The Gym Because People Will Look At Me.
Many women have said this during the years that I’ve been weight training. There is a common misconception that you must be blonde, busty, and extremely fit before you can walk in a gym and weight train. This is not the case. To be honest, most people are not looking around the gym gawking at other people while they are working out. They are too focused on their own form, staring at themselves in the countless mirrors scrutinizing their own bodies and what needs to be improved.

People Really Aren’t Going To Be Gawking At You.

Nobody is going to notice you in your sweats pushing through your personal workout. They are too focused on themselves. Don’t get me wrong, there are some people at the gym who are social butterflies and like to walk around and talk to everyone, but nobody is judging you.

Conclusion

I hope you have found this article helpful and it has helped to clear up any misunderstandings you might have had regarding common workout myths. You can find out more information, or even contact me directly for advice or other fitness tips at www.fitphysiqueonline.com.

Rick Streb – Lake Ozark Personal Trainer

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