Sorry for not posting anything recently, I have been a bit busy with life in general, I was actually away in Las Vegas for the SHOT Show. I go every year for my other YouTube Channel (Replica Airguns), to checkout the new Airgun related products.
So what's been happening lately? I am down about 5 pounds, not even really sure how it happened, I think it may be just the change from crappy holiday food switching back over to cleaner normal eating? I was up and over 200 pounds sitting around 202-203 for a while and now I am more or less around 196-197 which feels a lot better to be honest.
I have also started doing some CrossFit/Bootcamp classes, my wife purchase a 1 month membership to Bootcamp Effect also know and BEfit, they are located pretty close to me here in Langley and this has been my first week so it's been a bit tuff. I will have made it to 5 classes this week but keep in mind I am also still doing my weight training 4 days per week so this week I have trained 9 times!!! I am a bit beat up to say the least but I am finding the sustained cardio I get during the Bootcamp CrossFit style workout is a nice change and will help my overall fitness.
Getting in the Best Shape of Your Life in 2017, what does it take? It has to be a lot more than some New Year's Resolutions, we have all made New Year's Resolutions in the past and usually after we screw up a few times we simply just concede that we are not cut out for this new lifestyle change and we go right back to what we were doing before which was obviously not working for us…
How do we break our old bad habits and make new good healthy habits? You need a plan that is simple and well laid out, that is not too overwhelming and that allows you some flexibility and forgiveness. It is so much better to start out slow and build as you go, that way instead of letting yourself down when you are in over your head and fail. With a more realistic plan right from the start you will be on track and as you progress you can add more layers to your Health and Fitness journey.
So many people figure they are going to undo years of bad eating combined with low or no exercise in a few months. The radical change is too much and even if they get through the first couple weeks they often burn out or fall victim to an injury because their bodies are simply not ready for such a drastic change.
I you are starting from scratch with a new Health and Fitness program then you need to begin at the beginning. get out and walk, got for a hike, play some sports with your kids, go ride your bike around. Next, find an exercise program that you feel you would enjoy and start out a couple days per week, it can be Yoga, Boot Camps, a Team Sport, anything that gets you active. If you are comfortable lifting weights than that’s a great way to get your heart rate up as long as you truly challenge yourself. Over time you can add another day or two of exercise into your schedule as you are ready for it.
Diet is going to be key in losing unwanted body fat. Again start out slow, start with losing the sugar drinks, cut back on the heavy sauces and creams, go for more proteins and less simple carbs, do you really need a dessert after a good meal? Once you are making better choices you can step it up a notch and start looking at the actual Calories and Macros even if you don't plan on tracking everything, it’s still better to know what's going in your body so you can choose wisely.
Now if you are an avid Health and Fitness enthusiast and want to take it to the next level in 2017 then take a look at what you are doing now, I pretty much guarantee if you feel like you are not making progress then it’s because your program has not changed much over the past year or so. You are doing the for the most part exactly what you have always been doing and wonder why you are not seeing any more progress. At a certain point your program changes from a Progress program to a Maintenance program. If you want to take it to the next level then you need to get out of your comfort zone and it doesn't even need to be that extreme. Even really small changes can get you started back in the right direction moving forward again.
Try this: Add an extra 10-15 minutes to your workout program, tighten up on your eating just a smidgen, save the bear, wine or dessert for special occasions. Tracking your food can be a huge eye opener even if it’s only for a couple of weeks to figure out where you may be going wrong or could make some better choices. And as I always say, "there is no substitute for hard work", you may think you are training hard in the gym but I guarantee you there is more in you to give and it doesn't even require more time in the gym, just the desire to take it to the next level and move out of your comfort zone and push just that little bit harder.
If you feel you need help with your 2017 Health and Fitness Goals and are looking for an Online Personal Trainer to help guide and keep you on track then send me an email to “mike@getifitover40.com” I do have limited space but I have been using a very effective "6 Week Online Personal Trainer Program" with many of my newer clients that allows us to setup, track and figure out a working solution for their specific Goals that is not super invasive and at the end of the 6 week time frame the client has the information and know how to carry on with their programs on their own. This 6 Week Online Personal Trainer Program is $149 US and includes several Skype calls during the 6 week program.
I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New year, if you don't celebrate Christmas then a Happy Holiday to you :)
The Holiday Season is full of extra activity and of course some extra eating which does not always help us stay on track when it comes to our Health and Fitness goals so here are a few tips that may help you do some damage control that will hopefully make those New Year's resolutions a little easier.
Tip Number 1. Make sure to have fun and enjoy all of the events, don't feel guilty taking part and having a nice meal with family and friends, that's what this time of year is all about!
Tip Number 2. I know there are going to be some big eating days over the holiday season but that doesn't mean on the non social get together days that we can't cut back a little on our food. If you eat a bit less on most of the days during the week then there will be some more room for extra calories on those social gathering family meal days.
Tip Number 3. The same goes for days where you plan to have a big family meal or even social outing where you know you are going to be eating and drinking a little more than usual. On these days eat lighter during the day to allow for that extra helping or dessert you know you will be having later in the day.
Tip Number 4. With all the hustle and bustle going on during the holidays, you may feel that giving up on your workout routine may be the only option to make it through alive and mentally in one piece. My recommendation is to still tray and get some workouts scheduled even if you can not make it as often or for as long. Anything is better than nothing and will help keep you in the routine. Once we stop a routine it can be hard to get back into it and taking some time to yourself to get some exercise will be a nice mental break from all the other running around you have been doing.
You have all seen those "What's in My Gym Bag?" videos on YouTube and I have had a few people ask me about what's in mine so I thought I would make my own "What's in My Gym Bag?" YouTube Video Review.
First off let's talk about the Gym Bag itself after all it is what everything goes into and helps you organize everything. I have used many gym bags over the years, I tend to go with all black bags since they don't show the dirt and abuse as much as a lighter colored gym bag would. That said my latest "FILA Tech" gym bag is mainly black on the outside with some blue highlight piping but has a very brightly colored interior. Why the brightly colored interior you might ask? Try finding your black wrist straps, wrist wraps, gloves, and all the other dark colored gear you use inside that black hole of a gym bag. I know you understand where I'm coming from. I have spent so much waisted time trying to locate dark items in my all black gym bag and even given up later to find it when I got home at the bottom of my gym bag. Some other important features your gym bag should have are additional pockets or compartments to segregate your gym items so you can keep everything organized.
Let's move on to what I really keep inside my gym bag...
You must have a small towel for wiping things down and of course keeping dry. I am not a super sweaty person but having a towel around is a good idea for some of those more damp workouts.
Since you are losing all that moisture you will need to have a water bottle with you, I take a standard shaker bottle with me filled with some ice, BCAA's and a little creatine.
I like to bring an assortment of what I call my little helpers. Items like wrist wraps, wrist straps, knee sleeves and of course my leather weight belt. I find I have become somewhat dependant on most of these workout items and feel if I did not use them during my workouts, then I would not be able to lift as heavy and may perhaps even be prone to more injuries.
One item you may not find in my gym bag every workout are my Olympic weight lifting shoes. I use my Adidas Olympic weight lifting shoes mainly on squat days as they get my heels up off the ground which puts my shin at a slight angle helping to get in that correct squat position.
Speaking of Beats! I recently purchased a pair of Beats PowerBeats 2 earbuds, these are my new workout headphones and I love them, fore sure the best gym headphone option I have used to date! I do bring my backup pair of JLab headphones for if I ever forget to charge my PowerBeats.
Some other random items I pack along with me in my gym bag are: A protein bottle that has pre-measured protein in it so all I need to do is add some water and bingo, I have a ready made protein shake. Some Pre-workout packs for those days I know it's going to be a tuff one. Deodorant, that one is self explanatory! Tanning glasses for my contest prep tanning sessions. And last but not least a pen, just in case I need to write something down old school.
In this November Update video I talk about a few different things going on these days but really focus at the end of the video on My Online Personal Training.
Getting back to my Online Personal Training, I have been focusing on a 6 week package with many of my Clients as I feel it is a perfect amount of time for the both of us to work together to figure what they are already doing right and some areas that we can work on to help them reach their goals so make sure to watch this video if you are interested in some Online Personal Training geared for people with real lives!
Friday, January 27, 2017 at 4:26PM 
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