30 Days of Motivation: The Secret to Getting Fit – What the Media Doesn’t Want You to Know

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One of the most common questions I get from people just starting a fitness program is, “what do I do to get started?” I think most fitness leaders, and even fitness fans, overcomplicate fitness so much that by the time someone is ready to start, they have heard so many different things they have no idea where to begin. And when it seems THAT complicated, many people will give up before they even start.

The media always want to come out with something catchy and trendy to get your attention, but fitness doesn’t have to be cute or trendy – it needs to work. And, you don’t need to know the secret to flat abs, or tight buns, to reach your goal. You need to know how to lose fat and tone up. However, fitness brands and fitness media lead you to believe you need a customized, personalized, specialized fitness program to succeed. I’ve got news for you. That’s a lie. The real secret to getting fit, is being kept a secret – because if you really knew just how simple it was, they fear you may not need them anymore.

As much as we would all like to think we are special, and have very specific problems and needs, we don’t. We are not near as special as we think. When it comes to getting fit, most of us have a common goal – to lose body fat and tone muscle. Most of us also are very interested in improving our quality of life, our stamina and our cardiovascular health. None of these needs require a one-of-a-kind specialized program. Whether you are an overweight mom or an out of shape college kid, you could both go on the same program and likely reach your goals. Unless you want to get in competition shape, which does require a much more intense detailed regimen, your fitness routine can be fairly simple – and a simple program can prove to be a very effective one.

Once you master your new simple routine, THEN you can start trying some of those fun butt workouts you see in the magazines or online. But until then, let’s keep it simple and let’s get you started!

1. Reduce calories. It’s hard to reduce calories if you don’t even know how many calories you are eating right now. Tally your caloric intake and reduce them by 1,000 calories a day to lose 2lbs a fat per week. Most people are eating anywhere from 2,500 -3,500 calories a day. If you reduce calories, that should put you in an average of 1200-1500 calories a day for a woman, and 1500-1800 calories a day for a man. Use LoseIt to help you track your calories easily. Know this, you can learn all the ab exercises you see in health magazines and you will never see one abdominal unless you learn to get a grip on your diet so you can shed the fat covering your precious six-pack.

2. Do a lot of cardio. Cardio is what melts fat, burns calories and gets your cardiovascular system healthy. If your time is limited, make cardio a priority over weights or other activity. If you can do boot camp or a high-intensity circuit that burns calories AND tones muscle, that’s even better because you are killing two birds with one calorie-scorching stone. Visit http://www.DoBCx.com to try some of our boot camp workouts. Otherwise, focus on doing at least 30 minutes of cardio a day as many days a week you can. Cardio includes running, aerobics, kickboxing, spinning, cycling, power-walking, elliptical, stairclimber or rower.

3. Lift heavy. Unless you take a butt-load of protein and supplements and steroids, it is very unlikely you will bulk up. So get that out of your mind. If you want a hard lean body, you have to challenge it with some heavy weight and intense training. You don’t have to have fancy equipment and you don’t even need to know a lot of exercises, but you need to train with purpose. This includes making a plan. Not only do you want to hit each body part 1-2 times per week to make serious changes, but lifting regularly is what will keep the muscle tight and tone looking. More weight training tips coming this week!

4. Stay Consistent. Consistency is almost more important than intensity. Sure, I would like to you work hard and make each workout count, but where people fall short is normally not about how much weight they lift or how fast they run – it’s how long they stick with it. Whatever you do, commit to doing it at least 4  days a week to get fast results.

Bottom line is this, don’t get side-tracked with specialized workouts, like the latest ab workout you read in a magazine. Stick to your priorities in the order listed above and you WILL succeed!

Stop back by tomorrow for sample workout schedules!
In the meantime, here’s your mantra for the day!

Fitness Columnist and Lifestyle Coach, Resident Trainer for Designer Whey, Fitness Advisor for FitStudio, powered by Sears, FitFluential Ambassador and Owner of Max Fitness Club, home of BCx Boot Camp in Vero Beach, Florida.