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Spoiled
Rotten: The Big 3 Reasons for Fitness Failure
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by: Aaron
M. Potts, ISSA CFT
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"I
want it now, now, now!"
Does this sound like the mind-numbing rant of a
spoiled 7-year old in a toy store? Sure it does,
and if you've ever heard a similar dialogue from a
child, then you understand instinctively that the
child in question is all too accustomed to getting
their way.
However, it may come as a surprise to you that
adults of all ages and from all walks of life
exhibit very similar behavior on a regular basis -
especially when it comes to physical fitness!
It today's age of medicines, technologies,
supplements, and highly advanced exercise
techniques, people have - quite mistakenly - been
lead to believe that they can have their most
highly desired fitness results RIGHT NOW.
Read below to learn how this mistaken philosophy
is applied on a frequent basis when people
practice the 3 basic tools of fitness:
Cardiovascular Training, Resistance Training, and
Nutrition
CARDIOVASCULAR TRAINING
You either don't watch TV or you don't read
magazines if you've never seen an advertisement
that shows some buff young girl or guy pounding
out miles while running on a beach, or happily
sweating profusely while cruising on an elliptical
or enduring an intense Spinning class.
These young models always look extremely satisfied
to be working their bodies so hard, and they also
share one other common characteristic: they are
already in shape! Have you ever seen a commercial
for a gym or exercise device that showed a 5-foot,
300 lb person grinning from ear to ear?
This is a common example of how the media and
fitness industry retailers promote the
mass-confusion over cardio. The ads scream
messages like, "Buy our pill, put on some
sexy clothes while running on the beach, and
you'll look just as good as our models do!"
Gym owners do it, too. "Join our gym now and
we'll give you one month free! Just by joining and
then attending our Award-Winning Spinning Class,
you will look just like Cindy, the Supermodel we
hired to do our commercial!"
It's ridiculous how the "powers that be"
portray cardiovascular exercise as some effortless
activity that you can easily use to gain the body
of your dreams just by purchasing their product or
joining their facility.
The truth of the matter is that cardiovascular
training works. The additional truth of the matter
is that it can range from moderately to intensely
difficult, and that it will take you weeks,
months, or maybe even years of combining cardio
with resistance training and proper nutrition to
attain the body of your dreams.
Is that what you wanted to hear about cardio?
Probably not, but it's the truth. If you think
there is some shortcut to being buff, young, tan,
and in complete control of your life, then you
should go turn on the TV. There is a commercial on
right now that is just waiting for you to call in
your credit card number!
RESISTANCE TRAINING
The hype surrounding resistance training isn't
quite as appalling as the myths about
cardiovascular training, but it still exists.
Regardless of what you have seen, heard, or been
taught, the truth is this: everyone needs
resistance training.
It doesn't matter if your goal is to be a
bodybuilder or a 90-year old who can tie your own
shoelaces, you need resistance training. Listing
the many reasons for engaging in a consistent
resistance training routine is beyond the scope of
this article, but there are some myths about
weight training that need to be brought to light.
1. Weight Training makes you big and bulky.
Actually, the size of your muscles is determined
primarily by your gender, the type and intensity
of your training program, and your nutrition. If
you think you will just "magically" turn
into a muscle-bound athlete because you picked up
a couple of dumbbells, just ask any bodybuilder
how much time, energy, and raw will power goes
into building his or her incredible physique. It
does NOT happen by accident.
2. Using any given device or exercise will
"sculpt" your abs, biceps, butt, or any
other muscle. There is one thing and exactly one
thing that determines the shape of your muscles,
and that is your DNA. It is quite impossible to
"sculpt" any part of your body - that
job belongs to your chosen deity. You can control
the size of your muscles, but you cannot control
the shape. Anyone who says otherwise is straight
up lying.
3. Resistance training is just for men. Do you
want to lose weight? Do you want to be healthy,
strong, and have a great metabolism and energy
level? Then weight training is for you. Period.
PROPER NUTRITION
You need to learn one word and one word only if
you want to maximize your nutrition program. That
word is Cumulative. Cumulative means the combined
effect over the course of time.
You will not put on 5 lbs by eating a hamburger.
You will likewise not lose 5 lbs by eating celery
for dinner. You will not reap the lifetime
benefits of vitamin, mineral, and fiber intake by
eating fruits and vegetables for 1 week. You will
likewise not destroy your body's balance of
vitamins and minerals by straying from your
nutrition program once in awhile.
Do you see where all of this is going? If you want
to reap the health and weight loss benefits of a
proper nutrition program, you cannot practice
proper nutrition "once in awhile". You
must consistently stick to your nutrition program
over the long term to realize the cumulative
effects. You are just kidding yourself if you
think otherwise.
As you can see, Cardiovascular Training,
Resistance Training, and Proper Nutrition all play
a vital role in your health and fitness program.
In addition, they work together as a team in order
to keep you healthy and on track with your fitness
goals. Just practicing one or two will not be good
enough.
At this time you can make a choice. You can either
choose to believe a bunch of bald-faced lies and
misleading truths about physical fitness, or you
can choose to embrace the real truth of the
matter. The real truth is that weight loss and
physical fitness require time, effort, and
dedication.
Remember: Anything worth having is worth working
for!
About the author:
Aaron Potts is a Personal Trainer and Fitness
Success Coach whose customers include consumers as
well as other fitness professionals. Sign up for
his free Fitness Journal at http://www.fitnessdestinations.comor
visit his coaching site at http://www.ptsuccesscoach.com
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