Bodybuilding Fat Loss

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Think Yourself Thin

To lose fat, one must think. One must exercise their brain, to change their body and reach their weight loss goals.

Everytime I workout, I see the same people doing the exact same exercise routine in the gym. They go through the same machines in the same order using the same weight each day. Then they go to the same piece of cardio equipment and use the same level as yesterday and go at that same slow pace as always.

And do you know what I see the next day?

The same old physique on that same person. No change. Next week? No change. Same workout, same body.

Because they aren't thinking. And no one is thinking for them. They don't have a good trainer, a good program, or a good idea about what they should be doing in the gym.

And you see the same thing on the street. You see the same people running the same slow route around the neighborhood, getting the same (read: zero) results from their "same old-same old" jogging routine.

I've always believed that beginners to fitness take up jogging because its easy. And I don't mean easy on the body, because we know it takes some effort.

I mean that jogging is easy on the mind. Runners don't have to think. They don't have to plan a program. They don't have to pick the best, efficient strength training exercises and then put them in the proper order in an effective routine. Instead, all they have to do is put one foot in front of the other.

But, and there is always a but, isn't there? That easy, no-thinking approach is not going to get them very far. After ten days, there probably won't be much change in their body.

And the same goes for those high-rep, low weight, machine circuit programs. No thinking required, no results guaranteed.

However, if they had exercised their brain and designed a strength and interval workout, they would have seen some startling changes in 14 days, or 10 days, or even 7 days. (Heck, I've had guys swear that they noticed changes in their bodies after only 2 days).

Because you see, planning a workout takes effort. And going through an effective workout of efficient strength exercises and interval training takes even more effort.

But you get out what you put in. That saying goes for just about anything in life, especially for workouts.

So the choice is up to the exercisers in the gym I guess. If they stay in their comfort zone, it will be easier on their body and their mind in the short-term. But over the long-term, they'll probably drop out of the fitness scene as they find they never get the results they want.

Or they can put in the short-term effort, researching the best program for their goals. And with this approach, you get the long-term payoff of success.

Look into strength and interval training and see what the extra mental effort can do for you.

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Mens Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines and all over the Internet, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit http://www.TurbulenceTraining.com