Do you have a tough time getting in the mood to exercise?
Then Gimme Ten!
If you will commit to doing any kind of physical activity for just ten minutes, you will start to:
By committing to ten minutes, you can actually get the motivation you need to continue a full-body workout.
Have you ever noticed that when you decide to begin a diet, you’re thrilled for the challenge; nothing can get in the way of your success? You map out a meal plan, then stroll through the aisles of your local grocery store to grab everything on your list. Your workout regime is mapped out, and walking into the gym (or wherever you decide to embark) seems almost refreshing?
Two or three weeks pass, you become lethargic, less motivated, and the challenge just doesn’t seem as thrilling anymore. Well maybe I have an answer. Folks, it’s not because you lack the drive and the motivation psychologically, it’s most likely that since beginning your health quest, you have probably deprived yourself of essential nutrients, making you feel weak and exhausted. This can play tricks on one’s psyche, as most of us then look into the mirror wondering why we are such failures. We revert back to our “old ways”, thinking we have failed once again.
Come on, pick yourself back up, wipe off the “I am a failure” façade, and let’s analyze your plan of attack. You see, since beginning your diet and workouts, your body is thinking “what are you doing to me?” It does not know which way to turn. It just wants to go back to its old ways, the ways that were familiar. And this is where you can utilize a few quick tips to beat the issue at hand.
In all my years as a fitness model, I’ve only had a handful of jobs come my way through a talent agency. This is mainly due to the fact that I had already made the necessary connections to begin with, in order to get work directly on my own. I met with several of the top freelance photographers when I didn’t have an agent representing me, and I was able to get my face and abs on the desks of art directors at major fitness magazines around the country without the services of an agent.
Now, I’m not suggesting that agencies are a bad idea, but it’s my opinion that they’re reactive rather than proactive. I’ve told you several times that you must be proactive in order to land the gigs. Let me explain.
Sprint training WILL increase your Fitness Level.
Everyone can agree that lifting weights burns more calories quicker than doing aerobic exercise. The same is true for sprinting. Sprint training will burn more calories quicker than distance training. Sprinting is basically strength training through running. Sprint training is designed to challenge your body to recruit more muscles fibers that will enable you to move your body faster. The recruitment of these extra fibers requires more energy expenditure and improves muscular development.
You get to when you want to hear from me and when you’ve had
enough, but my beautiful wife Anita has to live with me all the time! My
'round-the-clock involvement in the fitness industry has created some extra
pressures for the people who are closest to me, and they've had to work a
little harder to figure out why it's really good for them to exercise and eat
right. But I'll let Anita tell you all about it herself:
It’s a question that every health book, magazine and fitness professional will say is critical to achieving health goals. Are they correct? Absolutely. I’ve lost weight enough times to know that the key to my success has always been the “Why?” I know what you’re thinking…Great, here’s another article about how “positive thinking” will help me lose weight, get healthy, yata, yata, yata. These types of articles used to annoy the heck out of me! I simply wanted to know WHAT DO I NEED TO DO to get rid of my blubber. So if you’re looking for the secret in doing this all I can do is share what worked for me.
1. Take A Deep Breath
You’re starting on a great adventure, and your breath gives you energy to keep the momentum going. Plus, oxygen is essential to a healthy body. Breathe deep and let it do its magic.
2. Drink Water—Lots Of Water!
When you’re dehydrated, you limit your body’s natural ability to burn fat. Skip the soda, cut the coffee, and drink at least a gallon of water each day.
3. Stay Away From Fad Diets
When it comes to food, use common sense. Aim for three meals a day containing a moderate portion (about the size of your palm) of lean protein, a moderate portion (about the size of your fist) of carbohydrates, and a small amount (about the size of your thumbnail) of butter or olive oil. In between meals, enjoy two or three small snacks such as an apple, a yogurt, or a handful of carrots.
4. Get Moving
Even small things like taking the stairs instead of the elevator or walking for a half an hour after dinner instead of watching TV can change your entire outlook on life.
5. Love Yourself Now
There’s no one else like you in the entire world, and the shape you’re in doesn’t define your value as a person. Learn to respect your uniqueness and enjoy the process of getting fit and healthy as much as the results.
6. Eat Before You Shop
Going to the grocery store while hungry can lead to unhealthy purchases and, in extreme cases, desperate side trips to the local fast-food drive-thru.
Bodyweight only workouts are often times seen as something you do when you don’t want to train. Well, times are rapidly changing and a new category of fitness is STRONGLY emerging (pun intended); Motion Training™, sometimes referred to as The Vacillation Effect.
Why Motion Training™?
Increases Strength
Motion Training™ will increase strength simply by increasing the integrity of the smaller stabilizer muscles that surround and fortify the larger muscles we focus on while performing traditional weight training.
Getting lean doesn’t have to turn you into a candidate for the Most Irritable Person On Earth award. Unless you’re preparing for the Mr. Olympia, it’s not worth it—or even necessary—to offend your friends and ruin relationships just to get a six pack.
Most people think that you have to put yourself through a torturous diet, kill yourself with endless workouts, or use the next magic supplement to get a shredded physique.
Actually, getting in top shape is more about consistency and attention to detail. Sure you’ve got to eat right and train smart, but you don’t have to go crazy in the process.
Being a fitness model involves more than having ripped abs and being able to flash those pearly whites. Sure you have to have a great body and a killer smile, but you also need to practice a repertoire of facial expressions to convey emotions that may be required of you during a shoot.
Most new models get their start on the pages inside the fitness magazines, which call for a lot more variety than the typical “all smiles” cover shot.
Think of the photos that would accompany articles like “How To Avoid Injury” or “Tired of the Same Old Food?” If you’re booked for a shot for an article like that, the photographer may want you to look like you’re in pain or like you’re bored beyond belief.
The other day, I was helping a photographer friend of mine shoot a new female model for an article about how conflicting information makes it hard to choose a training program. I suggested that a fun lead-in shot would be to show the model looking overwhelmed and confused. Not only would this be an interesting visual for the magazine, but it would also serve as a great tear sheet for the model’s portfolio.
Join Clark Bartram at Pita's Grill in Escondido, CA! Get the inside scoop on what Clark eats to get into top shape.
