Guidelines to Follow for Better Fitness Results

By Bryan Padilla

Not making any progress working out?  There is nothing more frustrating than working out for several weeks or months and not seeing any type of results!  Without any good results, your motivation will take a hit!  The good news is that there are several things you can do to help you achieve better results.  These guidelines here will help you succeed whether you are a beginner or advanced exerciser:

1. Resistance training is one of the most important aspects of weight loss and weight maintenance.  As you gain muscle, your body is able to burn calories more efficiently which can result in weight loss. Not only will it help with increasing your metabolism, but it will help you build stronger bones, reduce your risk of injury, reduce body fat, and improve your overall well being!
2. Train the Entire Body.  Many exercisers make the mistake of focusing too much on certain muscles groups and neglecting others.  Spending too much time on specific muscle groups can cause imbalances that lead to injury, inflexibility, and posture problems.  Common muscle groups that tend to get neglected are hamstrings, hip flexors, and lower back.  The next time you plan your workout, make sure you don’t forget to leave any muscle groups out.  Try varying your muscle groups and work twice as hard on the neglected ones.
3. Work on your Weaknesses.  Don’t always do the same exercises or programs that you feel comfortable with just because you have been doing them for years.  Focus on what you’re not good at and then your weaknesses will become your strengths.  Consider your body like a car.  If one car part is damaged or weak, then it will ruin the overall performance.  It is exactly the same with the human body.  If you have a weak muscle group or lack flexibility in a certain area, then it will cause a negative effect on your body as a whole.  Figure out what you are weak at and attack it!
4. Every once in awhile, you have to step out of your comfort zone and Challenge Yourself!  Most of us like to do what’s comfortable and we translate that into our workout.  If you want to get better at anything, you have to go above and beyond – step it up a notch.  One key piece of advice: start documenting your workouts so you can see if there are improvements.   Charting your progress and accomplishments will keep you motivated!
5. Gone are the days of 60 minutes straight of steady cardio on the elliptical or treadmill.  High Intensity Interval Training is a more efficient and effective way to do your cardio.  This workout alternates high-intensity levels with lower-intensity effort.   To burn fat you must be able to get your heart rate up and this method can achieve it.   Not only will this reduce your workout time, but you will also burn calories long after you are done with your workout.
6. Focus on Large Muscle Groups because they require more energy expenditure during your workout.  It is real simple! The larger the muscle, the more calories you will burn.  Spend less time working on your biceps and triceps and more time on your back, shoulders, and legs.  Another tip is to work on compound exercises like squats, lunges, push-ups, pull –ups, and overhead presses.  These exercises work the large muscles groups and also hit the smaller supporting muscles so you are basically working on multiple areas with one exercise.
7. Work on Flexibility and Mobility.  When you increase the joint range of motion, your performance can be enhanced and your risk of injury greatly reduced.  During the course of a day, we put a lot of stress on particular muscles in comparison to others creating tightness and imbalances.  A flexibility and mobility training program will help correct these dysfunctions.
8. Forget the gimmicky diets, carbohydrate /calorie counting and simply Eat Real Whole Natural Foods.   Whole foods include fruits, veggies, grains, nuts, seeds, and berries.  Consuming them is your first step to healthy weight loss.  Although it is very challenging, try to reduce the amount of processed foods in your diet.  Eating whole natural foods will give you the energy for the day and make you feel healthier overall.
9. One of the most important factors to getting results is how well you are able to Maintain Consistency in the workout program. After all, even the best fitness program isn’t going to get you any results unless you actually follow it with consistency.
10. Variety is the spice of life.  Try constantly changing your workouts for better results.   Doing a program over and over again gets very redundant and your body eventually gets used to it.  When your body adapts to a workout, the results will be harder to come by.  If you mix it up, your body will be continually be challenged and this will help you burn more calories, resulting in more successful weight loss.  There are countless ways to change it up like taking a new group exercise class, playing a new sport, doing an exercise DVD, or going for a hike.  By trying something new, maybe you’ll discover a new passion or hobby.

If you keep these guidelines in mind and stay committed to your fitness, you can achieve great success!   There is a saying “If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting.”   If you are not happy with your results, then do something else and change it up.

About Bryan Padilla

Bryan Padilla graduated from San Jose State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology and a minor in Nutrition.  Bryan currently works as a Corporate Fitness Manager for BaySport, Inc. and is a certified personal trainer through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. He enjoys working with individuals who are looking for general health benefits as well as fat loss and muscular definition.  Bryan’s hobbies include playing basketball, kickboxing and golf.