1/1/11 Your New Year’s Resolution

January 1st. Time to hit the gym, Get back in shape. This is the time when healthy resolution goals are set, only to quickly fall to the wayside after a month with little results and dwindling motivation. Only a small percent of people who join a gym in hopes to achieve the results they are looking for on their own actually maintain it. So why is it so difficult to stick to your resolution? Lack of motivation, knowledge, and a misguided approach to weight loss and fitness tend to quickly discourage people’s goals. But this doesn’t have to be the case this year. Below are some fail-proof strategies to really make the New Years resolution stick.

Hire a good Personal Trainer
It is essential that you hire a good personal trainer. Only a small percent of the people who join a gym achieve the results they are looking for on their own. About 80% succeed when they use a personal trainer. Most people don’t know the best way to push themselves, use the equipment properly and stay motivated. A personal trainer can make sure the workouts are fresh, challenging and keep you motivated to help you achieve your goals.

There are many personal trainers our there – so how do you find a good one? Make sure you look at testimonials or watch the trainer working with a client. Make sure the trainer is paying attention to their client and are passionate in what they do. Are their workouts interesting and challenging? Are the clients working hard but smiling too? Talk to the client and ask them what they think. You want to make sure your trainer is looking out for your best interests and ultimately achieving results.

Start eating better now!
The holidays are over and you need to get back on track. Maybe you have a vacation planned for spring or summer that you want to get in shape for. Don’t delay, start now! Your trainer should help you with setting up a basic healthy eating plan based on your goals. I like to keep it simple. Lean protein and vegetables in each meal; Complex carbohydrates after your workout and water or green tea for your drink of choice. Eat every 3 hours to keep your metabolism up. Check out www.precisionnutrition.com for more details on this strategy.

Pick up those weights
Strength training is an important part of getting back in shape. The more muscle we have on our bodies the more we burn at rest, as our bodies use more energy to maintain muscle mass. Strength training will help keep our bodies lean and accelerate the fat burning process. If good nutrition is stage one, then strength training is stage two. You can lose weight by eating right, but still be flabby and not toned. I like to call this “the skinny fat”. You have worked very hard to lose the weight; don’t you want to show off the muscle too? Your trainer should help you develop a good strength-training program.

Cardio, Cardio, Cardio
Now that you got the nutrition down and understand the importance of strength training it is important that you incorporate some cardio into your program. Not only will strength training and cardio both help your cardiovascular health and endurance but also it will help you shed more calories and increase your metabolism. Another area where people fail when they start their resolution is not putting maximum effort or focus into their training. They hop on an elliptical and watch TV with little focus. If you want to see maximum results try to not use the traditional cardio equipment and go outside and do sprints, run a hill or stairs. Take some classes that get your body moving and play some good music. Just keep your heart rate up!

It is hard to stick with your resolution if you don’t have a plan. Hire a good personal trainer that incorporates nutrition, weight training and cardio. Make sure they push you and make the workouts exciting. It is hard work to be fit – challenge yourself, go outside the norm and don’t quit. Summer will be here in no time!

-Bill Waltzek