She's a bio chem professor working on a PhD, so short non descript sarcastic answers fly like a lead balloon with her. Lucky me.
She also happened to ask the question when we were getting ready for our 2.5 hour drive home. If you've ever driven I-80 south between Sacramento and San Francisco on a Sunday afternoon, you know how soul shattering fun it is.
But, since mother-in-law is an awesome cook, and is essentially the reason I have a daughter from
her daughter, if you're out there reading the interwebs.....
SIDE NOTE
You know how MOST OF THE PLANET had high speed internet access at home? Well, M-I-L just graduated from the stone age from dial up about a year ago.
Great right? Nope, she has no idea what the password is. So, my retina display wifi iPad was dead in the water as I ate up time on my data plan.
Back to the article....
What were we talking about? Oh yeah, the keys to exercise success. Fortunately, this isn't nearly the chore people make it. The exercise part won't be easy, but the programming of it is.
With that said, here are my top 10 tips to exercise success:
1) Commit to a plan!
This is probably the most critical component, and the one most often over looked. This is a typical scenario: one day someone wakes up, and they decide it's time to get fit. Be it a wedding, reunion. race, charity event or to stick it to an ex (Yes Scientology Tom, you can bet your sweet thetan's Katie will be hitting the gym hard to rub it in your face to make it "Mission Impossible" to forget her.).
Whatever the reason, everyone hits this point, then they start and quickly end an exercise program. If they only had a plan they could commit to, they may have made it.
Do. Whatever. It. Takes. To reach. Your. Goals.
For some people, this means hiring a trainer, joining a group class or getting a friend involved. There's absolutely nothing wrong with external sources helping to drive your goal.
For the self motivated, something as simple as a book will do. I recommend Eric Cressey's "Maximum Strength" if you want to make some serious fitness gains.
It isn't a coddle you with happy faces and "everyone's a winner" buttons book, but it will reward those who aren't afraid to leave a little flesh and blood in the gym. Those who can't kick their own ass need not apply.
Long story short, YOU NEED A BLUEPRINT. You wouldn't build a house without one, so why would try to build a high performer machine without one?
2) Fix what doesn't work BEFORE you get to the heart of your program
The corrective component of exercise is critical. If you've got muscle imbalances, they have to be fixed before you move into more complex movements.
If your glutes aren't firing, good luck not getting hurt. If the legs feed the wolf ("Miracle," see it NOW!), then the glutes power the machine.
This is where an eval from a trusted resource comes in handy if you can do it yourself. If you don't do this you build strength on bad movement and only "get better at sucking" as Brett Contreras says.
3) Less is More on the Weight Room Floor
Most people think that a circuit of 100 different exercises in one session is the way to go. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
Hammer the basics, and success is all but guaranteed. If you learn how to deadlift, hip hint and activate your lats, you can build one hell of a calorie crushing program.
Pick up kids with something other than a proper deadlift pattern, and good luck at not throwing out your back. This is not only the strongest position for lifting loads away from the ground, but it is the most back friendly/safe way to move.
4) Set yourself up to succeed
If you've never run a 5K, your first event shouldn't be a marathon is what I'm getting at. Know your limits, train them, THEN CRUSH THEM.
This is where the right strategy will come into play. Master body weight movements on two legs, then go to one leg, then use resistance to load the movement, etc. If you create a progressive scenario where you're not only building confidence, but fitness as well, it will be pretty difficult to not meet your goals.
If you know where you are, it makes it a lot easier to get to where you want to be.
5) Give yourself a pat on the back early and often/Realize you will stumble
This is HUGE. Most people don't cut themselves enough slack when it comes to their exercise program. They think they've got to be perfect and never have a cookie, some ice cream or a piece of cake. Well, I eat cookies. I eat ice cream and I LOVE cake. But I also know that if I do have them, I need to make an adjustment somewhere else in my program.
I've fallen off the wagon, gotten hurt, gotten sick and done stupid things in the weight room. But, each time I've had a set back, I've usually had my biggest gains because I actually cut myself some slack and got some rest.
6) Write your goals down where you can see them
People who post their goals in a place where they see them frequently always have a much better rate of success. When I have an important race coming up, the medicine cabinet mirror becomes my best friend. Good luck not reaching a goal when it is constantly staring you in the face!
Its also not a bad idea to let other people know what they are so they can help you when you need a nudge in the right direction.
7) You need to get off the floor to work the core
Other than planks, do all of your core work standing on a solid surface. You will recruit more muscle this way, burn more calories and get results faster.
This means doing all of your "ab" work standing, kneeling or out of a split stance. I love anti-rotation holds in all three of these positions because it has stabilized my back better than anything I've ever done on the floor.
Life takes place in an upright position, plan accordingly. Combat athletes are about the only people who get a hall pass here.
8) Dial in your nutrition
The best plan on the planet in the gym won't do you a damn bit of good if you're not eating the right way. Consult with a dietician, nutritionist, read a book, DO SOMETHING to learn how to eat. Behind sleep, its probably the most critical component to a fitness program.
9) SLEEP!!
This is probably the most underutilized component in exercise. WE. NEED. REST. This is where we recover and injuries heal. This is where we make gains. This is where we have the chance to fight off excess cortisol. Sleep is pretty much the catalyst to all things awesome when it comes to setting fitness goals and having a chance to meet them.
You need 7-8 hours a night to be successful. SO GO SPAR WITH MR SANDMAN TO GET MORE FIT!
10) Make exercise fun!
Exercise doesn't have to suck. This is something that breaks a lot of people's spirits. If you like playing on monkey bars, then go monkey around. If you like throwing something chasing it down and doing it again. GO!
Train outside ( I love this!), pick music that gets you psyched or alternate between, running, riding, swimming, hiking, etc. whatever you need to keep things fresh, do it!!!
There also a ton of smartphone apps that help here to. Fitocracy, +3Network and Strava are all great ways to stay motivated and have more fun while you sweat.
The best exercise is the one that you WILL DO. Find out what that is, and get on it!
Good luck, send over any questions that you've got, I'll be more than happy to answer them!
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