Being in the gym business and around three different gyms every week, the most common question I am asked is ”How can I lose weight?” This is a real problem for many of people and with so much information out there it can get very confusing.

As with anything in life there is a right and a wrong way to do it with much “grey area” in between. To get sustainable results we are told we must exercise and eat right, and usually not much more than that. Well we are going to go further than that over the next few weeks and you will learn a lot about how to get leaner, more energetic, stronger…just healthier!

Weight training, cardio vascular exercise and proper nutrition are the keys to getting in the best shape you can be in. The training can be a sport in itself, but actually competing in a physique contest can help you bring your training to the next level. Jessie Ellsworth done just that and placed second in her class in her first contest. Here are her thoughts on competing:

Here is an interesting observation that many supermarket nutritionists make. In many cases you can tell the shape of who is pushing the shopping cart by what is actually in the cart. If the cart is full of sugar-laden snack foods, high fat choices of meats, processed white flour products, soft drinks, etc. then the person pushing the cart may be overweight and not as healthy as they could be.

On the other hand, if the person pushing the cart has it full of fruits and vegetables, lean meats, whole wheat products and low fat dairy products they are usually within their ideal body weight and healthier. Of course this is not true 100% of the time, but it is very common. Exercise and nutrition go hand in hand.

So here are a few ideas on what to fill that shopping cart up with next time you are doing your groceries.

MEAT and POULTRY

Frozen, skinless chicken breasts

Low-fat sliced chicken or turkey deli meat

So you have joined a gym with the common goal of gaining a bit of lean muscle mass. Many people have the same goal but never see results for their efforts.

Here are some tips to make those gains real for you.

Keep a training log as soon as you start training. This way you can track your progress and see the strength increases and you will know what works for you and what does not. 

What do you do to stay in shape? Exercise of any kind is beneficial, but they do not all yield the same results. Running, cycling and other forms of cardio vascular exercise will vastly improve your aerobic conditioning but will not get you as strong, toned or as flexible as you could be. Same as a weight trainer who just does lifts, they may be very strong and toned, but will not be as aerobically fit as the runner. Most training is very specific and the improvement comes from the areas that are worked on a regular basis.

If you have been hitting the gym consistently for a few months and are not getting the desired results there are probably a few reasons why. See if you are guilty of any of these and get the “nots” out of your training.

Not improving your eating habits while training.

Not working your legs because you are on your feet all day.

Not training hard enough…stopping the set just when the weight starts to get heavy.

Not doing chin ups, squats or deadlifts because they are too hard.

Not training on a schedule and just training whatever you feel like each day.

Not keeping the intensity high.

Not doing any ab work because it’s boring or you don’t have time.

Not focusing…thinking about anything and everything, but your training while you are training.

If your goal is to get leaner and finally lose the body fat once and for all get away from the hit and miss approach and do it in a way that will guarantee success.  The best way to do this is to improve all aspects of your daily routine that are slowing down your progress.  Losing weight does not have to be a slow painful process. It can be a rewarding, motivating experience.  Here is what you should be doing to get those results. They are listed in the order of most important first.

A frequently asked question in the gym industry is “What is the right age for kids to start weight training?“ Whenever a child is old enough to participate in organized sports like hockey, softball or soccer they are usually old enough to participate in weight training. It is more for maturity than physical reasons. They should be mature enough to follow instructions and not be disturbing other members. When done properly, weight training is a great activity for a younger child. Movements like push ups, sit ups, assisted chin ups, walking lunges, etc are great body weight exercises that will strengthen the muscles, improve balance and coordination, and confidence.

 Most gyms today have an amazing variety of equipment. You can work all muscle groups intensely in less than an hour with a variety of movements and angles with the ability to adjust the weight as needed to really keep the workout efficient. This variety of gear allows you to change your training routine as needed to prevent sticking points in your progress and to keep your training fun and fresh. The numerous pieces of equipment also allow you to train around any injuries you may have.

One of the first things you have to get right when you start training is how much weight to use. Too much weight and you will risk injury and will not be able to complete all your repetitions. Too little weight and you will not stimulate the muscles you are working enough to get results.