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Fitness Success in 5 Steps

By Ryan Kollock

I've been in the fitness industry for over 10 years now, and some things just never change. Maybe you are one of those people who seem to never change either, no matter what you do. The reality is that most people only pick certain pieces of the puzzle and apply them to their life, when you need all the pieces in order to paint that picture of your perfect body. By applying the five components of fitness success to your lifestyle, you cannot fail.

  1. Nutrition - Your nutrition intake is the most important factor in your quest to lose weight and/or gain muscle. It all comes down to calories in versus calorie out. You must burn more calories than you consume if you want to lose weight, and you must consume more calories than you burn if you want to gain weight. How many calories do you need? Well, you will have to do a few things. First, decide what your goal is'lose weight or gain weight. Second, figure out your RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate) or BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate), they are the same thing. Your Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) is the minimum number of calories your body needs to support its basic physiological functions, including breathing, circulating blood and all of the numerous biochemical reactions required to keep you alive. Your RMR is generally 60-75% of your total daily caloric expenditure. Knowing the minimum number of calories your body needs is important if you're trying to lose, gain or maintain your current weight. To calculate the number of calories your body uses during an average day by applying an activity level try our Daily Caloric Needs(DCN) calculator. Now that you know your Daily Caloric Needs(DCN), you add 300 calories a day to your DCN in order to gain weight, and subtract 300 - 500 calories a day from your DCN in order to lose weight. Weight loss target is 1 - 2 pounds per week. There are 3500 calories in one pound of fat, so if you want to lose 1 lb. a week, that means your body has to be in a caloric deficit of 3500 calories for the week, or if you want to lose 2 lbs. a week, your body has to be in a caloric deficit of 7000 calories for the week. Now to keep your body energized throughout the day, you need to eat 4 -6 times a day. This doesn't mean its Thanksgiving at every meal; think more in terms of light meals or healthy snacks. Make sure to eat within the first hour of waking up, and then every 3 - 4 hours after that. Take your DCN and divide that by the number of meals you will be consuming based on when you wake up and go to bed. Women generally take in around 1200 calories a day and men generally take in 2000 calories a day.
  2. Supplementation - Supplements are just that, they supplement what you are not getting enough of through whole food sources. There are many days when you just don't have the time to sit down and eat 4 - 6 times a day, which means we are missing meals and depriving our bodies of vital macro and micro-nutrients. Most of us are not getting all of our essential vitamins and minerals, because we don't eat 5 servings of fruit and 5 servings of vegetables a day. So, the first thing we need to take is a multivitamin/mineral 2 -3 times a day. Secondly, it we are missing out on Essential Fatty Acids (EFA's). EFA's help with absorption of fat soluble vitamins and minerals, as well as aid in the production of healthy hair, skin, and nail cells. Third on the list of most important is your meal replacement or more commonly known as your protein shake. This is 1, 2, or sometimes 3 of my meals a day. Meal Replacements make a great breakfast, are perfect for that post workout meal, and can be taken any other time you are getting hungry and don't have time to sit and eat. Of course there are other supplements out there that help with muscle gain and body fat loss too. Unfortunately there are tons of supplements and supplement companies out there, so which ones work and who do you trust. I trust the professionals. I use Prograde products, which are the choices of the top fitness and wellness experts in the industry. You can find these products and more at https://lagunabeachfitness.getprograde.com.
  3. Resistance Training - Resistance training is performed using machines, weights, bands, or your own bodyweight. The goal of resistance training is to build and maintain muscle or lean body mass by overloading the muscles so they grow stronger. This is turn will increase your metabolism, which means you'll burn more calories and fat all day long. Other benefits of resistance training include; increased bone density, increased lean body mass, increased strength, improved posture (when you perform exercises correctly), increases energy, reduces stress and depression. Make sure you are doing resistance training at least three days a week for 30 - 45 minutes per workout, with a day of rest in between. Resting in between allows your muscles to repair and recover from the previous workout, which is another reason why nutrition is so important. You need to give your body the nutrients and materials it needs to recover from your workouts, and it especially important to take a meal replacement within 30 minutes after your workout for optimal workout recover. Also, be sure to change your workout routine every 4 weeks so that your body doesn't adapt and you end up at a plateau.
  4. Cardiovascular Training - Cardio respiratory exercise or aerobic activity involves the function of the heart, lungs, and circulatory system. The goal here is to increase oxygen uptake and enhance the rate at which your body burns calories. Remember, cardio only enhances the rate at which your body burns calories while you are doing cardio, once you stop, your metabolism goes back to normal. This is why resistance training is so important, because resistance training increases your metabolism all day long, not just while you are exercising. I believe cardio is done most effectively following the FITTE principle. F - Frequency is the number of times you perform cardio in one week. Cardio is done a minimum of three times a week with no more than 2 days rest in between cardio sessions. I - Intensity describes the speed and/or resistance of the workout. Measure your intensity by monitoring your heart rate. The higher your heart rate, the more intense the workout is. Start off in zone 1 (50 65%) of your heart rate maximum. (HRM) Heart Rate Maximum is determined by 220-Age=HRM. If you can carry on a conversation in zone 1, then progress to zone 2 (65 - 80% of HRM). Once you are comfortable in zone 2, then move into zone 3 (80-100% of HRM), but only stay here for a short time and then return to zone 2. Doing intervals is a great way to build up your ability to do longer and more intense bouts of cardio. T - Time is the length of time the exercises is performed, not including warm-up and cool down. Start with 20 - 30 minutes per cardio session. As you improve, you can increase the time and intensity of the workout sessions. T - Type refers to the activity or exercise you are using. This includes walking, running, biking, hiking, swimming, jump rope, etc. Change your cardio exercise every 3 - 4 weeks for variety and to keep your body stimulated. E - Entertainment is what keeps us moving and takes our focus off the clock. Watch TV, listen to your favorite music or I prefer audio books and programs. You can also change the setting. Do cardio exercises at the park or at the beach. Cardio doesn't mean being stuck on the treadmill, bike, or elliptical for an hour. Make it as enjoyable as possible, this will keep you motivated. Another thing you can do is challenge yourself. Start off with 1 - 3 mile run/walk. Next session, try to beat your time, or you can try to cover a greater distance in a set amount of time. Just have fun with it and challenge yourself by setting new goals each week and each month.
  5. Professional/Personal Assistance - Professional/Personal assistance is what keeps you on track and helps prevent overtraining and injuries. When my car breaks down, I take it to a mechanic. When I have legal questions I see a lawyer. When I am really sick, I see a doctor. I'm not the expert or professional in these fields, so it just makes sense to seek the help and assistance of the professionals. A personal trainer will customize a workout program tailored to your specific needs, goals, and abilities. Don't go for the gold right from the beginning. If you haven't worked out for awhile, don't expect to be able to do what you used to or did back in high school. A professional will help you build up your fitness level and progressively increase the intensity of your program as you change and adapt.

So, how do you measure up? Are you following all five steps of fitness success, or are there a few holes in your current program. If you aren't sure what to do, or are stuck at a plateau, then find a qualified professional that you trust. Anything is possible will you put your mind to it, and you are ready to take the necessary actions to make a change. Here's to your health and good luck with your workouts!

About the Author:

Ryan Kollock is a certified personal trainer, performance enhancement specialist, wellness coach and Reiki Master. You find out more information at www.LagunaBeachFitness.com and www.NaturalUniversalWellness.com