Why Fitness Is Such A Good Catalyst To Enhance Your Capabilities

I believe that it is common for most people to go through life without truly understanding what it means to tap into even an inch of their latent potential.  Without being able to adequately relate to the physical nature of your capabilities, it would be impossible for you to exert a tenacious attitude towards your goals. After a civilization of sedentary folks have hammered in your head that you are incapable of ascending beyond society's perception of what it means to be successful and happy; you have been essentially brainwashed into believing that it is the way that it should be. But it is important you understand that we are apart of a society that people are unable to relate fully to themselves. This is the only era throughout the history of civilization that severe health epidemics have emerged because of a lack of physical activity, a sedentary lifestyle and bad nutritional habits. Industrialization has made us less human than ever. It would be impossible for you to relate to your capabilities without fully exploring all avenues of experiential learning.

In all aspects , the mind and body both work together synergetically to most efficiently carry out functions.

The human body is a system, and like any efficient system it is comprised of functions that work together in a cohesive pattern to optimize performance and output. In the most basic sense these functions primarily include the acquisition of thought and most importantly movement. A sedentary society; disassociated from movement is considered excessively 'neurotic' because people are forced to compensate for their lack of physical activity in other ways. Henceforth the traditional educational system is most suitable for people who are better able to associate with learning via visual and auditory means; in complete absence of kinesthetic awareness. Most people lack kinesthetic awareness because they are completely disassociated with what it means to relate to their physical capabilities. The inability to understand what your body is capable of, and to push it towards it's own capabilities will stunt your ability to become better than you are today. It will stunt your ability to think and function effectively. Your cognitive ability will greatly diminish as you continue to neglect the health and sanctity of your body. You will also not fully understand the type of dedication, discipline or relentless consistency involved in igniting dramatic physical change. When you begin to understand this; suddenly new goals become more easily achievable. When you look at the average person who is unable to climb a flight of stairs without becoming completely winded; you will immediately know that the results of your efforts will greatly translate to any other endeavor. Suddenly the sky will be the limit and you will forget the limitations which were previously imposed upon you. 

Some of those issues that are strongly correlated to a sedentary lifestyle include poor nutritional choices, low levels of motivation and an increased risk of anxiety and depression. Setting fitness goals does help to effectively reverse most of these issues because there is an element of accountability involved. For you to achieve your fitness goals; you need to have the commitment make better nutritional choices. You need to tell yourself that you are going to adhere to a certain nutritional and workout amalgamation for a specific period of time in order to achieve your goals. Already; you are setting goals that can; and will be achieved considering that you commit to them. Particularly for the previously sedentary person; there is a reward mechanism that goes beyond simply seeing physical changes over a period of time. The endorphin and serotonin release that is associated with intense physical activity is self rewarding; and automatically it will keep you motivated to continuously push towards your goals. Through exercise you are essentially creating significant physiological changes to your brain chemistry which reinforces other good habits. This renewed level of motivation will eventually spill over into other facets of your life including your job, personal relationships and assist in nurturing further self improvement. 

A sedentary lifestyle is poisonous.  You might not realize it because you had the same nutritional habits for as long as you could remember. You might have spent everyday for the past 6-8 years working a desk job; sitting in front of the computer or television during your off time, it is likely that you won't realize how much of a disservice that kind of lifestyle does for you. You won't realize the type of brain fog you get; or how exhausted you are after walking for five minutes. The reason your joints ache all the time and you have to take frequent visits to your doctor is because you have been neglecting the most vital aspect of your life; your health and wellness. If you have been sedentary your whole life, you are greatly missing out on the benefits that fitness has to offer. In fact simply following a moderate, progressive exercise routine combined with good nutritional habits could potentially be the one small change that could turn your life around.

Don't Become A Fitness Addict: Use Fitness To Enhance Your Life

One of the biggest pitfalls that many of us almost inevitably fall into soon after we begin an exercise routine is that we often develop a seemingly insatiable compulsion to invest excessive time and effort towards building a healthier body. On the surface you might rationalize that this is a healthy compulsion since you are doing it to facilitate further self development. However, when you start looking at it from a bird's eye view; you will find that your the compulsion to invest excessively more time and resources towards improving your physical appearance and overall health could actually become a factor that detracts significantly from other essential life factors.  When you find yourself investing upwards of 2-3 hours a day towards exercise while allowing yourself to adhere to an extremely controlled and restricted diet; you will soon realize that your personal relationships, career and overall quality of life will subsequently diminish. When you find that you are less involved with your career goals in favor of extended workout sessions; or more likely to opt out of a social outing because eating out does not chime in with a limited diet then you know that you have developed an addictive attitude towards your fitness goals. You may very well develop an eating disorder; and further the risk of injury and adrenal fatigue in the process.  At this stage you have crossed the point of utilizing fitness as a means of adding value to your quality of life; it has now become a detriment or even a liability. At this point, you have developed an obsessive attitude towards body image and if you fail to achieve your goals; you might just fall into phases of depression and turmoil which of course will affect all other life factors.



So you might be asking the question 'How much is too much?", this is important because it is still within your best interest to invest sufficient time, energy and resources to elicit dramatic, lasting physical change. Effort is still one of the most important factors that affect physical transformation and change. The amount of time that you dedicate towards your workouts each day does not determine the effort or intensity produced in each session. In fact there is most likely a strong positive correlation between excessively long workout sessions and decreased effort and intensity which would diminish any benefit of attempting lengthy sessions in the first place. It is much more realistic and likely that you would spend up to an hour to ninety minutes walking, cycling or light jogging as opposed to the same length of time tailored towards of short sprints, plyometrics, near maximal or even sub maximal resistance training. When you factor in that adding a progressive component towards resistance training, or short explosive movements that require high energy output will likely become unsustainable for longer, drawn out sessions. As you find that your body adapts to the demand by growing stronger; you will also find that total workout time will lessen particularly when performing exercises and movements at increasingly higher intensity than you previously did. Using this knowledge, we can agree that spending more time in the gym is indeed unfavorable and although shorter sessions may seem counter-intuitive at first; you are much more likely to yield greater returns for your investment by performing them.

While one of the biggest misconceptions to permeate the fitness industry is that you need to perform ridiculously long workout sessions; another big one is the belief that one should always eat 5 meals a day; every 2-3 hours in order to avoid muscle wasting and to maintain steady blood glucose levels. This myth originated from the 1970s-1980s when supplement companies sought to market their products to capitalize on the growing fitness craze. Ironically this myth eventually made it into nutrition textbooks and became common knowledge. While the research have shown that intermittent fasting; which is to eat all your meals in a specified window of time ranging from anywhere to 6-12 hours yield relatively little benefit; it helped to demystify the notion that you need to eat frequent small meals in order to facilitate your body composition and fitness goals. Meeting your nutritional needs is of far greater relevance than the timing by which each meal is eaten. This creates tremendous flexibility in how you can go about planning your meals. This means that you don't necessarily have to focus much on how you go about preparing your meals or timing them for that matter; you are essentially able to eat whenever it is convenient for you. Although eating whole organic foods should also be the basis of your nutrition when it comes to optimizing health and longevity; you should also understand that you don't need to omit any particular food type as long as you meet your nutritional requirements in order to facilitate a body composition goal. This means that occasional 'junk food' can be acceptable depending on how you go about allocating your total daily calories.

Now that we have a better general understanding of how this information can be utilized to optimize progress made in the gym; it is important that you re-frame your attitude towards fitness. Being able to consistently make measurable progress by exerting high effort and relative discipline overtime will eventually enhance your mental capabilities which will also improve other areas of your life. Being able to effectively manage your time and resources takes discipline in and of itself. Working out 7 days a week for multiple hours on end does not take as much control and discipline as using a moderate approach. This is because a moderate approach; which allows you to exert high effort and make measurable progress does not negatively impact you on a deep psychological level. You do not develop an unhealthy attitude towards your studies, career, relationships and of course eventually exercise and food. Rather; by somewhat limiting your time and resources in favor of effort will result in increased long term motivation and discipline.  You will eventually learn to understand what it means to dedicating an hour a day; 3-4 days a week for the rest of your life to maintaining a good physical condition. You will also understand the discipline it takes to maintain a healthy control over your meal portions, without omitting any particular food type for as long as you like. When you develop an addictive compulsion towards fitness and begin to take things to seriously is the point where you lose discipline and self restraint; and it will inevitably affect your life in a deeply negative way. Instead I urge you to do the opposite. Prioritize everything above a fitness regimen. Focus on your studies, career path; romantic relationships, family and friends. Challenge yourself to try something new, possibly learn a new language or adopt a new hobby. However; do so under the pretense that you can also dedicate a few hours a week to a fitness regimen; and when you do, only focus on becoming better than you were the day before.

Tips:

-Always prioritize the most important things in your life first. Never sacrifice your career goals to get in shape for the summer.
-Engage in various new hobbies and activities.
-Develop new skills and abilities. Building a healthier body is just one aspect of total self development.
-For sustenance and consistent progress in the gym, limit your workouts to a moderate length of 60-75 minutes 3 times a week or shorter, brief 30-45 minute sessions 4-5 days a week.
-Don't become obsessive over food choices; exert some degree of flexibility and control.

What Makes A Diet Work?

Nutrition is arguably the most misunderstood variable when it comes to achieving your body composition goals. With so much conflicting information floating around the web, through fitness magazines and even through some peer reviewed research; you often find yourself wondering "Which nutritional strategy is right for me?". In this post I'll discuss and compare three of the most popular types of diets used today; the basic mechanism as to why they work and how to properly implement nutritional strategies to work for you in the long term.

What Makes A Diet Work?

Before delving into the various types of diets; we must first understand how the manipulation of different variables can affect fat loss and body recomposition goals. Understanding that you may need to consume a certain amount of calories for the day to maintain your weight; you know that logically, by eating within a deficit of calories over a period of time will eventually lead to weight loss. Someone who may required 2500 calories for the day to maintain their energy balance will eventually lose weight if he consumes 2300-2400 calories per day consistently; whereas eating in excess of that will lead to weight gain. It is a definite that understanding your total daily energy expenditure(TDEE) will always be the most relevant factor when it comes weight gain/loss.

When it comes to achieving your body composition goals; eating in an excess or deficit of calories becomes secondary to macronutrient partitioning. This is where the ratios of protein/carbohydrates/fat play a role on how much lean muscle you build while minimizing fat gain; as well as how much fat you lose whilst maintaining lean body mass. Simply put, following a diet very low in protein over a period of time will eventually lead to a loss of  lean body mass regardless of eating in a caloric deficit/surplus whereas following a diet high in protein while eating in a caloric deficit may allow you to maintain(or gain muscle as a beginner) while also facilitating fat loss. This is because protein has a muscle sparing effect and is the main driver of muscle growth. The effectiveness of a diet is usually measured on the basis that it is very high in protein while also calorically restricted; where dietary fat and/or carbohydrates may be the manipulative variables. When it comes to most of our popular diets, the common trend you may find is that authors may encourage you to limit your carbohydrate intake while increasing your dietary fat intake to moderate/high amounts. This is primarily because a moderate-high dietary fat intake helps to facilitate the optimization of hormonal function which will result in increased fat loss and muscle retention. 

I have limited this article to three popular diets as they can be easily representative of the broader population of dietary systems/strategies. That is; a dietary protocol may either encourage macronutrient restriction, time restricted eating/fasting or altering your selection of food entirely. With each of the following dietary strategies; I'll use a practical example of each to explain how fat loss and body recomposition is made possible. 

Low Carb Diets

Whether it is the atkins diet, meat based paleo diet, or ketogenic diet; the basic mechanism for fat loss remains essentially the same. Every variation to a low carbohydrate diet demands that you severely restrict carbohydrates for extended periods. The rationale behind this strategy is that by eliminating carbohydrates and increasing your dietary fat and protein intake; your body will be forced to use your fat stores as a form of energy rather than glycogen(which is produced by glucose). When we restrict carbohydrates; the primary source of energy your body will eventually become ketone adapted. This occurs when the body preferentially uses energy molecules known as 'ketones' instead of glucose to fuel physical activity and brain function. It is speculated that ethnic groups that have adapted to colder climates may do well on a high fat/low carbohydrate diet and sustain it for long periods at a time. This could possibly be because of the lack of vegetation in very cold regions.

A low carbohydrate diet comprises large portions of meat, nuts, oils and dairy while restricting carbohydrates

Why Do Low Carbohydrate Diets Work

It all goes back to the single most relevant factor of weight loss; a caloric deficit over extended periods of time. When switching from a regular eating pattern to a low carbohydrate diet; you're doing essentially that; restricting carbohydrates altogether. When you switch from following a grain based diet to one rich in polyunsaturated fats; you may inadvertently be decreasing your daily caloric intake while also maximizing your protein intake to create a muscle sparing effect. 

Why A Low Carbohydrate Diet May Not Work

A low carbohydrate diet may not work for someone who doesn't understand the basic mechanism as to why diets work. Some people who switch over to a low carbohydrate diet may consume dietary fats in excessively large portions which will inevitably result in a surplus of calories. Regardless of adhering to a carbohydrate restricted diet and macronutrient partitioning; the single most important factor of weight loss and body recomposition is still relevant; that is a surplus of calories will lead to weight gain and a deficit will ignite weight loss. In the context of today's society a low carbohydrate diet may also not be ideal for sustainable long term progress as it may be inflexible for most people. If you have performance based or body composition goals, a low carbohydrate diet is unnecessary once you understand the basic mechanisms of muscle gain/fat loss. 

Intermittent Fasting

Where a low carbohydrate diet is an example of utilizing nutrient restriction strategies to achieve weight/fat loss, intermittent fasting encourages time restricted eating patterns  to achieve similar goals. Ori Holfmelker; author of "The Warrior Diet" argued that by purposefully fasting/undergoing periods of under-eating followed by short periods of over-feeding we would be able to effectively maximize the production of both hormones associated with anabolism(muscle building) and catabolism(fat loss) in absence of the long term negative effects associated with each; such as muscle loss through long term calorie restriction or fat gain through extended periods of over-eating. Hofmelker argued that by fasting upwards of 20 hours and over-eating for 4-6 hours we effectively emulate the way our primal ancestors had eaten for millions of years, and this nutrition approach would be optimal for not only achieving your desired body composition but also yields significant health benefits over a conventional 3-5 meals a day diet. Since the publication of the Warrior diet; different variations of intermittent fasting had emerged; Brad Pilon's Eat-Stop-Eat which employed fasting for 16 hours followed by an 8 hour eating window popularized the concept and now it is seen by many as the holy grail of diets as you can be as flexible as you like with your food selection.

This is what a 16 hour fast followed by an 8 hour eating window looks like.

Why Does Intermittent Fasting Work

Intermittent Fasting works for the same core reason a low carbohydrate diet does. That is; by restricting your eating window to 4-8 hours you are much more likely to consume less total calories while eating til satiety than if you were to have more frequent meals throughout the day. When you follow unregimented eating patterns where there is no regulation to meal frequency and portions, without regards for macronutrient ratios it becomes very easy to over-eat for extended periods of time. Intermittent Fasting simply provides structure and regulation to your nutritional habits and it may provide more flexibility than a conventional diet depending on your personal preferences and time constraints. You do also find that most authors who encourage time restricted eating will also employ a diet that is rich in protein in order to make intermittent fasting an effective solution for your fat loss goals.

Why Intermittent Fasting May Not Work

Although there is some research to suggest that the benefits of intermittent fasting may possibly go beyond a calories in vs calories out equation; you would find that these benefits are so minor that they become ultimately irrelevant when you consider some of the more important variables such as being able to meet your macronutrient targets. It is also worthy to note that much of the research was done primarily using animal models. Time restricted eating may work against you if you require more time between meals to meet your macronutrient targets or if your schedule does not allow you to fit all your meals within a set eating window.  Some people believe that the magic of intermittent fasting lies within the eating window and as a result fail to achieve their body composition goals. They may eat the same portions of food as they did before without respecting the calories in vs. calories out rule; resulting in stagnation.

Vegan Based/Paleo Diets

Although both systems differ tremendously, I have placed them within the same category on the basis that they represent diets based around food selection rather than macronutrient or time restriction; the types of food you eat on each diet is limited based on the approach you use. Some argue that a vegan based diet is ideal for weight loss on the basis that you effectively eliminate fattier cuts of meat from your diet while maximizing nutrient rich food such as grains, fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds. On the opposite end of the spectrum one may argue that a paleo diet is ideal because you are able to effectively maximize your intake of protein and healthy fats while eliminating refined carbohydrates and grains altogether which may reflect positive changes in body composition and fat loss. 

Why Does Food Selection Strategies Work

Again, using an example of an individual who switches from unregimented eating patterns without regard for meal portions or frequency, each system provides some structure to the types of food they eat. In the case of a vegan diet where it is generally more difficult to find non-meat based foods that are significantly higher in dietary fats it becomes very easy to eat within a deficit of calories as each gram of fat yields a total of 9 calories; as opposed to protein and carbohydrates that yield 4 calories per gram each. This is particularly true when it comes to raw food based vegan and juicing diets where the use of oil is minimized. In the case of a paleo diet the opposite holds true in that the adherent may actually look to maximize his/her dietary fat intake while minimizing or regulating their carbohydrate intake by eliminating grains and other refined carbohydrates. A traditional paleo diet encourages the adherent to eat fruits in moderation as the argument is that in ancient times fruits were scarcely available and seasonal and therefore we were less adapted to consume fruits in large portions. This is highly debatable as the most relevant factor to note is that positive changes in body composition is reflective of a surplus in protein and a deficit in total calories over extended periods.

Why Food Selection Strategies May  Not Work

A paleo diet may lose effectiveness for the same reasons a low carbohydrate diet would. Someone who fails to meet their body composition goals on a paleo based diet may often find that they are over-consuming food rich in saturated fat; which would easily push you over your TDEE. It is also argued that there is no clear indication of what types of foods may classify as being 'paleo'; which may create some confusion amongst those who choose to follow paleo style eating in an attempt to achieve their body composition goals; there is also evidence to suggest that the inclusion of carbohydrates was essential for human brain development. 

There are so many different variations to a vegan based diet that to measure all the reasons why they may not work is beyond the scope of this article; however one of the biggest mistakes a vegan dieter may make is having an inadequate protein intake and although weight loss is possible; the dieter may also experience a degradation in lean body mass. In the case of vegan diets, this is not a limitation as protein needs can be met as a vegan by consuming plant based protein sources such as lentils and beans; as well as nuts, seeds and various grains such as quinoa.  The introduction of vegan based protein supplements may also assist in meeting your protein needs on a vegan based diet. 

What You Should Do

If a diet or nutritional approach does not allow you to remain consistent for long periods without the degradation of health; it is not ideal for achieving your body composition goals. A good nutrition plan is flexible, goal focused and most importantly; sustainable. It must allow you to eat any variation of food that you choose rather than changing your selection of foods entirely. Instead you should be able to create modifications to your diet and consume foods that are cost efficient and convenient to you.

In order to ensure that you are on the right track in organizing a well balanced nutrition plan; ensure the following:

-Your protein intake is adequate; at least 1g per pound of lean body mass each day. This means that if you are 200lbs and your lean body mass is 150lbs; your body requires at least 150g of protein a day.

-Ensure that at least 20-35% of your calories come from dietary fat. This means that if it is that you require 2000 total calories; then at least 400 cals should come from dietary fats. 

-Understand that your carbohydrate intake is the most variable and you may use it to add flexibility to your diet; in that you can allow yourself to under-consume carboohydrates with some margin of error considering that your protein and fat needs are met.

-Ensure that your micronutrient needs are met by consuming an adequate amount of fruits and vegetables. An omega 3 supplement is necessary as it may be impractical to meet your omega 3 needs through whole food sources.

-Ensure that your total calories consumed reflects the goals that you are looking to achieve. A calorie deficit if your goal is to lose bodyfat, a caloric surplus if your primary goal is to build muscle.

Sources:

University of Chicago Press Journals. "Paleo diet: Big brains needed carbs: Importance of dietary carbohydrate in human evolution." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 6 August 2015. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/08/150806133148.htm>.

Manninen, Anssi H. “Very-Low-Carbohydrate Diets and Preservation of Muscle Mass.” Nutrition & Metabolism 3 (2006): 9. PMC. Web. 17 Feb. 2016.

Brandhorst, Sebastian et al. "A Periodic Diet that Mimics Fasting Promotes Multi-System Regneration, Enhanced Cognitive Performance, and Healthspan." Cell Metabolism, Volume 22, Issue 1, 86-89

Volek, J. S., Kraemer, W. J., Bush, J. A., Incledon, T., & Boetes, M. (1997). Testosterone and cortisol in relationship to dietary nutrients and resistance exercise. Journal of Applied Physiology, 82(1), 49–54. Retrieved from http://jap.physiology.org/content/82/1/49.abstract

How to Maintain Consistency In your Fitness Routine Year Round

When it comes to physical transformation, the inability to adhere and commit to your goals for the long term is often an overwhelmingly difficult obstacle that results in stagnation. You may find that life stressors, time and schedule restraints and lack of direction may demotivate or prevent you from sustaining consistency. We have to understand that it is this commitment for the long term that yields the highest reward for time investment in that small incremental progress over extended periods of time will eventually equate to significant cumulative gains.

Three Workouts A Week Is Sufficient

The mistake that is often made as we begin in our quest for physical transformation is that we have unrealistic expectations; as a result of this we start with the mindset that by doing excessively too much, we will see rapid results for our time investment . It is a common for the average gym-goer to believe that by investing more time and energy, they will see more noticeable results; faster. This is the mentality that permeates most of the fitness industry. The fact of the matter is that nothing can be further from the truth. On a well planned and progress driven routine, the majority of us; even those at the advanced level can make measurable weekly progress just by training an hour a day, three days a week. Although the human body is highly adaptable, it is practical for most busy individuals to perform a workout on just three days a week as it provides a good balance of both sufficient stimuli required for changes in body composition and optimal recovery between sessions. 

Another common mistake made is that we may invest excessive time into our routines; not only is this highly impractical but may lead to physical as well as mental burnout early on which will greatly hinder your ability to continually make progress. Spending upwards of 90 minutes to 3 hours in the gym will greatly diminish the quality of work done. After a certain point during a workout session, exercise technique will likely diminish as your body's energy systems become increasingly depleted leading to the increased risk of injury, adrenal fatigue and decreased work output. Your ability to perform high quality work directly correlates to how well you'll be able to progress at various stages throughout your workout sessions.

Respect The Concept of Progressive Overload

The type of pain or soreness induced throughout or after a workout session is not a primary indicator of progress. Your body may create metabolic adaptations towards that type of stress; and subsequently you may see progress, but only to a relatively small degree. A lot of people unknowingly waste years in the gym chasing muscle soreness and fatigue rather than tracking measurable variables such as weight lifted, repetitions performed or total work done over time periods. The process of physical transformation can be continual in that measurable progress is being made on a consistent basis. The human body, being highly adaptable will then be forced to either create new muscle or lose bodyfat based on manipulating only a few measurable variables. A few practical examples would be:

- Decreasing the time taken to run 1 mile will improve your body's ability to more effectively utilize glycogen stores and circulate oxygen rich blood to your muscles and organs. Greater mitochondrial density in your muscles will improve your ability to lose stored bodyfat.

-Going from a 95lb barbell squat for 8 repititions to a 135lbs for the same amount of repititions will result in muscular gains in lower body musculature; as will increasing your 95lbs X 8 squat to 95lbs X 15-20. Being able to progressively increase the amount of pullups you can do in a single set will result in improved upper back, rhomboids and latisismus dosri development

-Increasing overall workout density; that is being able to perform the same amount of work in less time while maintaining the overall quality of work being performed will also lead to progressive overload.

It is important that progressive overload to be seen as the most relevant and calculated factor when it comes to physical transformation. Simply going through the motion and training intuitively is not enough to ignite radical, long term progression. 

Don't Follow Fad Diets/ Workout Routines

The inevitable fact is that it is easy to fall into the trap of doing routines and diets that are not only sub-optimal, but also counterproductive to our goals. Most fitness marketers understand that the wider audience of consumers have unrealistic expectations and as such they leverage this fact in order to sell you their product by promising unrealistic results. In fact, more often than not many people fall prey to this marketing tactic and often commit to a series of products for years on end without seeing the results they expected. Fad routines are easily identifiable in that they don't allow enough progression for certain movements/exercises; there is little specificity when it comes to fad exercise routines; but there may be a lot of variation in how their workouts are designed. This variation is simply made with the intention of keeping the routines challenging and unpredictable and as a result the consumer may develop the impression that what he/she is doing works. The best way to progress on any routine is to select key/core exercises to create the foundation of your routine and allow you to remain objective in your goals. 

Fad diets, like fad routines typically promise unrealistic results in a short time frame. They are also likely to be severely calorie restricted and unsustainable for the long term. The moment you cease from following these type of diets, you may find that you revert to the same physical condition that you have started. As such it is important to eat according to your macronutrient needs for your intended goals. It is common that you find that fad routines are accompanied by fad diets and vice-versa. They both promise that their product is the end all be all magic pill to your fitness goals.

A perfect representation of the fad diet cycle.

Take One Week Off Every 8-12 Weeks

There are 52 weeks within a year; by taking a full week off on 2-3 month intervals you would have been working out consistently for 46-48 weeks out of the full year. By performing three workout sessions a week; cumulatively you would have done anywhere between 138-144 sessions throughout the full year. Not only does this help you to maximize progress, but resting on 8-12 week intervals allow you to prevent psychological and physical burnout. This period of rest also allows you to re-adapt to the imposed stimuli to ignite more potential progress. It is also important to note that during every 8-12 week program, we should strive to achieve at least one or a few specific fitness goals; taking a week off allows us to assess our progress and set new goals in a more systematic fashion.

Closing Thoughts

As we continually progress in the process of physical transformation, we must also understand that building a healthier and more functional body is a tool. It is not a tool that we should abuse but we should learn how to leverage it in order to improve areas of our lives. We must avoid getting deeply enmeshed and obsessed about building better bodies and  be able to incorporate practical, time efficient methods as a way of exercising tolerance, patience and willpower for long term progress. More often you find that people may devote many hours of their day to building their bodies at the expense of personal relationships, career and other important areas of self development. It is essential that we strive to continually use physical culture as a means to an end; pursuing our fitness goals with this principle in mind will lead to radical and dramatic long term progress.

Three Months To Physical Transformation: Why You Should Create A Timeline to Achieve your Fitness Goals

The Importance of Specificity

 Systematic progression creates the basis of development. Whether you are building a house, starting a business, studying to earn a degree or building a stronger, healthier body; the ability to make progress incrementally over a period of time is the primary driving force of growth and development. Your ideas, concepts, the plans that you have laid out and your vision for what you want to achieve cannot be effectively implemented without first laying out a solid foundation; that is to incrementally progress towards achieving your goal over a set period of time. More often than not, when we decide to make that change in building a healthier body; we do so haphazardly; without a plan, without setting deadlines on when you want to lose that 10lbs of fat, build that 5lbs of muscle; add 30-40 pounds to your lifts or a combination of the three. The result of this is that we progress....temporarily; before you know it you lose track of your goals and enter a state that you find yourself constantly renewing your gym membership to work like a hamster running a wheel. 

We force ourselves in a state of stagnation because there is little specificity in going in the gym and performing the same routines year in and year out; while adhering to the same eating principles you have followed since day 1. Most people fail to achieve their long term fitness goals for the sole reason that don't set reasonable short term goals. Setting short term goals and working according to a  timeline allow us to become more reasonable and realistic in what we want to achieve in the long term. That is because the culmination of short term goals WILL lead to further achieving long term goals. This also allows us to be more specific in what we do in order to achieve those goals within the set time frame. We then eliminate unnecessary methods and incorporate strategies that are advantageous to better able us to achieve those goals within the established timeline.

Defining Goals

There is a huge disparity between what can be achieved with 2-6 months as opposed to 3-5 years. The more specific and objective you are in what you want to achieve within that 3-5 year time span, the easier it will be to establish short term goals. It is essential that short term goals interact with long term goals.  It is realistic for someone who has just started out to progress from being able to perform 1 pushup into being able to do 15-20 within a 2-3 month timeline; however it is not possible for that person to progress from 1 to 100 within that time frame. Therefore, being able to perform 100 consecutive pushups is a long term goal; while working up to 15-20 is achievable within the short term. Over periods of 2-3 month intervals this person may slowly progress from being able to perform 15-20 pushups to 40-50, eventually 60-70, 80-90 and finally; 100 pushups. 

Using a progressive approach, you are able to achieve any goal as long as you are clear and objective in what you want to achieve in the long term. It is also important to note that the more clear and vivid your mental imagery is of you achieving a specific goal; the more realistic it is and the more likely you are to achieve it. If you can clearly see yourself losing 3 inches off your waist in the next three months following a specific dietary strategy; the more likely you are to do so. The less you wish, and the more you want will reflect how achievable a goal is. If you can clearly visualize and articulate the processes required for you achieve your goals within a specified time frame, the more reasonable and realistic it is as a goal.

Why Three Months Is a Reasonable Time Frame To Elicit Significant Progress

Most total body transformations take as long as 12 weeks. The participants are often able to make radical and lasting changes to their physiques within the dedicated time span. Some are able to drop up to 15-25 pounds of bodyfat while also adding noticeable lean body mass in the process. While some may be going to the gym for years; they often never see this type of progress. In fact a lot of gym goers remain the same since the day they started. Listed below are some of the reasons why body transformations are successful within a three month time frame:

Objectivity: This is often an overlooked factor in that most fitness goals are vague and off point. If you are to participate in a transformation program lasting three months, you will know exactly what you need to do in order to meet your goals at the end of the timeline. This then forces you to work towards more reasonable and achievable goals.

Consistency: Knowing that you have 12 week time limit to achieve your goal, you will be inclined not to miss even a single workout as that may push you behind schedule. People who participate in transformation programs are required to meet their deadlines; as such every effort to show up is mandatory. The casual gym goer may not be faced with this type of pressure; thus it allows for some degree of inconsistency.

Time Period: Twelve weeks is a reasonable time period to achieve most goals. Most people; especially starting out are able to develop adequate adaptation to their workouts; thus allowing them to progress more rapidly within the realm of specificity. As illustrated previously; an individual can progress from performing just 1 pushup to being able to do 15-20 consecutively. The same concept can be applied to body composition. For a beginner to add 6-7lbs of muscle while losing 10-12lbs of fat within the first three months of consistent, progress driven training is possible. 

Fire Make Steel: The Kaizen Principle

The term 'kaizen' refers to that which governs the development of processes. The Japanese translation of kaizen(改善)Kai=Change, Zen=Good; it represents the process of continuous change. The gradual accumulation of incremental progress throughout a period of time results in substantial long term changes. In order for an individual or organization to reap the benefits of applying the kaizen principle to their own goals it is required that they exert a high level of discipline, objectivity in their decision making and resilience to transcend previous boundaries. Regardless of the amount of days, weeks and years that may have elapsed; the principle of kaizen requires that you maintain sight of the goal in mind. Everyday you aim to be slightly better than you were yesterday. You should be on a constant quest to seek out means and ways of being able to most effectively achieve your long term goals. Short term goals are meaningless if they do not result in furthering the achievement of long term goals. An individual or organization can be caught in stagnation of they are unable to progress onwards.

When progression ceases, stagnation occurs, and then follows a a downward spiral of regression. In essence, what good is stagnation if you are unable to continually progress? We therefore have no need to maintain the status quo; and as a result continually fall behind. A company may fail because their approach may not be progressive, and as a result they are filtered out and replaced by more effective systems.  We see evidence of stagnation within our daily lives, millions of people attend college to pursue a career only to be met with the harsh reality that they may not be able to place in the job of their choice. The result is that they work dead end jobs to make ends meet. They may spend hours everyday at your local commercialized fitness facility following some of popular cookie cutter workout routines; hoping they will see the progress they want only to be faced with stagnation. This brings us to the main point of this article....

Physical Fitness: A Means To An End

Millions of years of human evolution has reduced modern man into a shadow of his former self. Today more than ever we suffer from the highest rate of cardiovascular disease and obesity ever recorded throughout history. Despite the technological advancements we have made in terms of health care; the modern man still falls prey to his lack of good health. You would think that being apart of a society where on every corner you find a fitness facility within a first world country, as well as stores being cluttered with low fat food products this would not have been the case.The hard cold truth is that the health and fitness industry is a multi-million dollar global franchise. The goal of such an industry is to misinform the masses in order can sell their products. In fact, the goal of your commercialized fitness company is to prevent their members from achieving an optimal level of health and wellness. This ensures sub-par results and also encourages your loyalty to their brand. A fitness facility is the ironic metaphor for hamsters running on a wheel; chasing the elusive prize; yet the majority of gym goers maintain the exact physical condition year in and year out; as reflective of their personal lives. 

Achieving the optimal level of health and fitness should not be seen a short term pursuit, but rather a slow and sustained progression towards becoming a better you. As you begin to master your body, you also begin to master your mind, in contrast as your physical health and wellness deteriorates, the mind will follow. Applying the principles of kaizen towards Physical transformation will allow you to reach the pinnacle of sound objectivity, resilience and aids in the relentless pursuit of other goals.  The primal essence of kaizen is reflected in the continual growth and development of the body; transforming your body is a process that conditions your mind to achieve other goals. In order for us to make any dramatic lifestyle change requires dedication and consistency, but never at the expense or degradation of health.