Week 1 | 5 Week Health and Fitness Challenge

It seems like forever since I decided to put this 5 Week Health and Fitness Challenge together.  I feel like the next five weeks will help those of you getting started create new habits, realise you can do this without joining a gym or having equipment at home and use the challenge as a form of accountability to keep you going.  For those of you already on your way but looking for something new, I think you'll enjoy the camaraderie and competition that will come with the daily challenges.  No matter what your fitness level, you will be supported, motivated and pushed as little or as much as you need. 

Now, let's set the challenges...

Monday 30th:  We are going to walk | jog | run one mile. 
     For those of you who do not walk | jog | run one mile already, you simply will walk | jog | run one mile.  For those of you already walking | jogging | running one mile, you will add a mile. 
      Cardiovascular training is a very important part of any fitness program.  Benefits of cardiovascular training include: weight loss, stronger heart and lungs, increased bone density, reduced stress, reduced risk of heart disease, temporarily relief from depression and anxiety, better sleep, more energy and increased confidence in yourself.

Tuesday 1st:  We are going to drink 1/2 our body weight in ounces of water.
      The new rule of drinking water is 1/2 your body weight in ounces.  Example, I weigh 175lbs so I am supposed to drink 87.5oz of water.  This shouldn't be done just today, this should be done every day of the challenge and every day of your life.  Please drink water from a BPA free, reusable container. 
       Drinking water is very important.  Water regulates your body temperature, transports nutrients and oxygen into cells, protects joints, helps metabolism and helps detoxify.

Wednesday 2nd:  We are going to do weight training without equipment:
      - 25 body weight squats http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Up_48p-BMug
      - 15 push ups (if you are unable to perform a regular push up, you may do them on your knees)
      - 10 lunges http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFTfbPh61vg
      - 30 second plank http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=bWJ8on3E3Io
      (you should complete each exercise set before moving on to the next.  complete the four exercises as a 'super set'.  once you have completed the 'super set', repeat the 'super set' one more time through)
      I've added a link for a video showing how you should be performing each exercise.  If you cannot perform any of the exercises for the prescribed repetition amount, simply perform 5 here and 5 there throughout the day until prescribed amount is finished. 
       Resistance or weight training must be incorporated into any successful training program.  Benefits of strength training include: weight loss (muscle burns more calories then fat), increased strength, increased confidence, more energy, increased HDL, lowered LDL, reduced risk of diabetes and insulin needs, lowers blood pressure, increases bode density reducing the risk of osteoporosis, decreases anxiety and stress.

Thursday 3rd:  We are going to eat 5 servings (2 1/2 cups) of fruits and vegetables.
       Since I don't have room to write all the benefits here is a link to a great article: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/vegetables-full-story/

Friday 4th:  We are going to do 200 stair steps.
       It's easy, just use your stairs at home.  You'll start by stepping up one step with your right foot followed by bringing your left to the same step.  Then step down with your right followed by your left.  For 25 repetitions lead with your right then switch and lead with your left for 25.  Repeat until you get to 200. 
        Step ups are great for strengthening both your legs and your cardiovascular system.  The faster you go, the more calories you will burn.

Saturday 5th:  We are going to find a quiet room and stretch for 20 minutes.
       Here is a great stretching routine for an individual of any fitness level to follow.  Repeat the routine as many times as it takes to reach 20 minutes.   http://ahealthieryou.ca/2011/01/stretching/  The time you quietly stretch is a great time to meditate and be at peace with yourself.
        Benefits of stretching include: reduced muscle tension, increased range of movement in the joints, enhanced muscular coordination, increased blood circulation to various parts of the body and increased energy levels resulting from increased circulation.

Don't forget, once you have completed the daily challenge, you need to post a comment about the challenge so I can keep track of everyone.  If you complete 90% of the challenges you will be entered into a random drawing for a free one month membership to Prairie Life Fitness in Overland Park, Kansas.  I know some of you don't live in the Kansas City area, and won't be receiving the free membership, but posting a comment will help hold you accountable. 

Alright, time to get started!  We are all in this together, so let's support one another and help each other "work towards something greater!"

Please, share this post with anyone you feel might benefit from reading it. Friend me on facebook [Trainer Jason] and follow me on twitter [@trainer_jason]. Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to read this blog!

5 Week Health and Fitness Challenge

The 5 week health and fitness challenge will begin April 30th (with the first post Sunday, April 29th) and end June 2nd. No, you don't have to have a gym membership to compete in the challenge. You will be able to complete this challenge at home, at work or anywhere your two legs can take you.  So, what's the challenge?  Each Sunday, I am going to post six challenges for the upcoming week.  There will be a different challenge Monday through Friday for you to complete. 

Example:

Monday:  walk, jog or run one mile (this mile must be in addition to your daily routine)

Tuesday:  no carbs all day long

Wednesday:  perform 25 push ups, 50 squats and 50 jumping jacks (if you can't perform 25 push ups at once, you may do five at a time throughout the day)

Thursday: take twenty minutes in a quiet room and stretch your body from head to toe

Friday: walk, jog or run one mile before you go to work

Saturday: do ten, 30 second planks throughout the day



Once you have completed the challenge, you will leave a comment on that weeks blog post about; how long it took you to walk, jog or run your mile, how hard/easy it was to not eat carbs, how long it took you to complete the push ups, squats and jumping jacks, etc. 

It is very important to leave a comment each day you complete the challenge.  Why?  Because Prairie Life Fitness is allowing me to give away a free one month membership.  You will have the opportunity to win this free membership by completing 90% of the challenges.  That is 27 out of the 30 challenges.  (The recipient of the free membership will be decided by a random drawing from all eligible contestants names.)  I know it's not easy to "work towards something greater" but that is why it's called a challenge.

If you have any questions, please contact me at trainerjasonbelz@gmail.com

Please, share this post with anyone you feel might benefit from reading it. Friend me on facebook [Trainer Jason] and follow me on twitter [@trainer_jason]. Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to read this blog!

 

Yes, a challenge, but a fun challenge

Alright folks, I've got something in mind for the month of May.  I'm thinking a 5 week health and fitness challenge.  Yes, a challenge, but a fun challenge.  A challenge to help get you started.  A challenge to help begin creating healthy habits.  A challenge to help you be accountable.  A challenge to bring out your competitiveness.  A challenge to add something new into your mix.

The 5 week health and fitness challenge will begin April 30th and end June 2nd.  No, you don't have to have a gym membership to compete in the challenge.  You will be able to complete this challenge at home, at work or anywhere your two legs can take you.

Spread the word.  Tell your friends.  Tell your co-workers.  Tell your family.  Tell everyone.  Accept the challenge and "work towards something greater". 

More details will be coming soon!!

Please, share this post with anyone you feel might benefit from reading it.  Friend me on facebook [Trainer Jason] and follow me on twitter [@trainer_jason].  Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to read this blog!


 

I Know First Hand How To Fail

I once got a gym membership, went two days and never went back.  I know first hand how to fail when trying to transform yourself into a healthier you.  Failing is easy.  Succeeding is hard.  It's especially hard when you put the pressure of being perfect on yourself.  You don't have to be perfect to transform yourself into a healthier you.  You do have to hold yourself accountable and you have to be persistent. 

Being able to hold yourself accountable and being persistent means coming up with a game plan.  Create a game plan that covers your new eating habits and your new exercise habits.  It's also very important to make a list of the habits you will no longer be doing.

Example Game Plan:

New Eating Habits:
  I will eat 2 egg whites and 1 whole egg every day for breakfast
  I will eat a healthy turkey wrap with raw vegetables for lunch during the week
  I will eat in moderation at dinner

New Exercising Habits:
  I will exercise 5 days a week
  I will strength train on Mon & Wed
  I will cardio train on Tues, Thurs & Sat

Habits I Am Stopping:
  I will no longer eat:  Fast food Burgers, Frozen Pizzas, Taco Bell
  I will no longer snack after 8pm
  I will no longer sleep in on Saturdays
  I will no longer make excuses to skip the gym

Once you've completed your game, it's time to transform.  Since I know how easy it is to fail and how hard it is to succeed, here are some tips to help you stay on track.

Set realistic goals

Stay positive and surround yourself with positive people

Don't punish yourself if you have a set back

Keep it fresh - change your routines every six weeks or so

Have fun - if you don't like what you're doing, you won't do it

Find a workout buddy or invest in a personal trainer to keep you motivated

Remember this transformation is for life and not just a fad
"Work towards something greater"

 

Please, share this post with anyone you feel might benefit from reading it. Friend me on facebook [Trainer Jason] and follow me on twitter [@trainer_jason]. Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to read this blog!

For the longest time, I was settling for average.

Don't be average!  You only have one life to live and you owe it to yourself to live the best life possible.  You  cannot live your best life if you are willing to settle for average.  For the longest time, I was settling for average.  Fortunately I found a spark to push me.  If you haven't found your spark yet, this just might be it.

What do I mean when I say, "best life"?  My "best life" is: waking up every single day excited about my life.  There's never a day I wake up and say, "Fuck, I hate my life!"  I used to.  I did.  It wasn't even that long ago.  When I was settling for being average, I couldn't wait for the day to be over.  I was unhappy with the person I woke up next to.  I thought my job was lame and it was going no where.  I spent all of my free time with people that were just as unhappy as I was with their own lives.  Negative, negative, negative.  That is exactly how you settle for being average. 

Stop waking up and waiting to go back to sleep!  Getting to the point where you are living your best life is tough but nothing worth doing is easy.  Deciding to live my best life cost me friends for sure.  However, I have gained so many more great friends by living my best life.  Why?  Because they are too.  Surround yourself with people who have characteristics you want to have and you will soon have them.  Positive, positive, positive.  You can achieve so much more when you are positive. 

No individual is meant to be unhappy and unsatisfied with their life.  You have to take control and "work towards something greater"! 

Please, share this post with anyone you feel might benefit from reading it. Friend me on facebook [Trainer Jason] and follow me on twitter [@trainer_jason]. Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to read this blog!

Mid-week Motivation

So I asked the question, "What frustrates you about fitness?".  Your answers, "Motivation".

mo-ti-va-tion: noun 1. the reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way.  2. the general desire or willingness of someone to do something.

I struggled with motivation for most of my adult life.  Once my collegiate baseball playing days were over, I could have given a shit about anything.  Obviously, that's how I found myself over weight and out of shape.  Once I found a reason to take action I found the desire to do something about my situation. 

What is your reason?  What will fuel your desire?

For me it was turning 30 and wanting to be in the best shape of my life.  For you, it can be...
     I will be a role model for my children and show them how to live a healthy lifestyle.
     I am going to lose ___ pounds so that I can:  live a healthy and productive life, regain the energy and zest for life that I've lost, etc.
     I am going to become a runner and sign up for my first 5k.

There are too many examples to give you and even if I wrote them all, I still wouldn't be able to come up with the perfect reason for you.  YOU have to find the reason!  YOU have to search for what is going to fuel your desire. 

Once you've found your reason or reasons, you will be unstoppable.  If you can see it or dream it, you can achieve it.  If your reason is, "I will be a role model for my children".  You need to say that in first-person, present tense, "I am a role model for my children" and you need to say if everyday and often throughout the day.  Your mind will believe this and you will begin acting in such a way that you will become a role model to your children.

Find your reason.  Find your desire.  Write it.  Repeat it.  Succeed!  "Work towards something greater."

Please, share this post with anyone you feel might benefit from reading it. Friend me on facebook [Trainer Jason] and follow me on twitter [@trainer_jason]. Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to read this blog!

Weight Loss: Unbiased, Simple and Straight Forward

Let's talk weight loss.  I'm not here to push a product or sell magazines.  I'm here to help you.  That means unbiased, simple, and straight forward facts to help you reach your weight loss goals. 

First, you must burn more calories then you consume.  Plain and simple.  If you are taking in more calories by eating and drinking then you are burning calories at rest and during exercise, you are not going to lose weight!  [3500 calories = 1 pound]  That means if your "road map to success" is losing one pound a week, you have to burn 500 calories more then you consume in a day.  That being said, the first thing to do is remove unnecessary foods and beverages from your diet.  (i.e. soda, alcohol, ice cream, chocolate, Chipotle) 

Second, start drinking water.  Drink lots of water!  You should be drinking half your body weight in ounces of water every day.  Drinking water regulates your body temperature, transports nutrients and oxygen into cells, helps metabolism, lubricates and protects joints and detoxifies.  Best of all it has 0 calories. 

After you've cut the unnecessary foods and beverages from your diet, it's time to figure out how you are going to create your calorie deficit each day.  Creating a calorie deficit can be done both, aerobically and anaerobically.  Aerobic exercise requires oxygen and is performed for longer durations (i.e. walking, jogging, biking and swimming).  Oxygen uptake is proportional to heat expenditure for aerobic exercise.  That means, the more oxygen your body uses, the more calories your body will burn.  Anaerobic exercise does not require oxygen and is performed for short durations (i.e. weight training and quick bursts of energy).  Weight training helps your body burn more calories at rest by having to rebuild broken protein chains thus building more muscle.  [1 lb of fat burns 2 calories/hour at rest | 1 lb of muscle burns 6 calories/hour at rest]  Any good exercise program uses a balance of aerobic and anaerobic training.

I wish it was that easy but it's not all diet and exercise.  Weight loss is mentally challenging as well.  You have to really want to lose weight for a weight loss program to be successful.  Weight loss doesn't come easy.  In some cases, you have to change your entire life to see the results you want.  Share your goals with the people around you so they can support and encourage you.  Make sure you are holding yourself accountable for your actions both in exercise and diet.  There is no such thing as a cheat day.  Do not sabotage any of your hard work.  Keep your focus until you reach your goal weight.  

If you are finding it hard to stay focused and motivated on your own, find a partner.  Find a co-worker, a neighbor, a family member, a friend or a personal trainer.  Find someone that pushes you to "work towards something greater"!

Please, share this post with anyone you feel might benefit from reading it.  Friend me on facebook [Trainer Jason] and follow me on twitter [@trainer_jason].  Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to read this blog!