Fat loss is hard. And once in a while, everyone loses their motivation for weightloss, diet and exercise. So that’s why I’m bringing you 7 tips to help you lose more fat in less time over this upcoming week.

(If you are a complete beginner, please refer to the 21-day quickstart guide in the Turbulence Training manual for more details on how to develop key healthy habits during the essential start-up phase of your fat loss program.)

If you’re a M-F, 9-5 employee, you know that Saturday or Sunday has to be your day to hit the grocery store and get fresh meat and produce to prepare your meals for the next week.

I’m a big fan of picking up some fresh salmon fillets and asparagus for Sunday dinner. Chicken breasts can be cooked in bunches for freezing and then used over the week as easy lunchtime protein sources. Fruits and vegetables are washed and prepared for cooking or snacking, and almonds, pecans, walnuts, and organic beef jerky are packed into travel bags for when I’m on the go.

Prepare and succeed. It’s that easy.

So print this out, put it on your fridge, and let it guide you to
your fat loss goals, while keeping your workouts fun and motivating.

7-Day Motivational Weight Loss Guide

Now here we go with our day-by-day guide…

MONDAY

On Monday, your motivation will be high to have a great Turbulence Training Workout.

Plan to set a personal record in your workout today. If you are a
beginner, that might mean using a higher level on the cardio
machine for 1-2 minutes, or doing 2-3 extra pushups per set. For the advanced fat loss program, it might mean using 2.5 more pounds per dumbbell in your split squats, or extending your intervals by 5 seconds per sprint.

By continuously aiming to achieve a personal best in your workouts, you will ensure that you are pushing your body to adapt – to change for the better.

Now you don’t have to set a record on every set for every exercise. Just pick one record that you want to break each workout. Aim for constant improvement.

TUESDAY

This will be an off-day from your Turbulence Training schedule, but you should still get 30 minutes of activity. Make it as fun as
possible. Take the dog for a walk, play your favorite sport, or
chase your kids.

Even walking for 30 minutes is great. It will help you recover from Monday’s workout and simply improves your overall health. If you’re looking for an advanced fat loss option, use a bodyweight circuit to boost your metabolism.

Also, I want you to make a big nutrition change on this day and
eliminate all sources of trans-fatty acids from your diet.

Read your food labels, and don’t eat anything that contains
hydrogenated oils. Also, be sure to look at the breakdown of fats – if the total fat content is greater than the sum of the saturated
and unsaturated fat contents, then the product contains trans-fats.

Remember that labels are sneaky!

A label can boast “0g Trans Fat” if there is less than 0.5g of
Trans-fats per serving. But if there are several servings in a bag, and you eat the whole bag…guess what? You could have eaten 2-3 grams of trans-fats!

And trans-fats will kill ya. As Dr. Bruce Holub from the University of Guelph says, “there is no safe level of the fats and food producers should cease and desist the industrial production of trans fats in the country.”

WEDNESDAY

Perform your regularly schedule strength and interval training
workout. And if you need to, purchase a new cooking
appliance, such as a grill or steamer to help you prepare healthy,
nutritious, low-fat protein sources or high-fiber, nutrient rich
vegetables in a convenient manner.

Healthy food preparation is a SMALL effort for a LARGE reward.

THURSDAY

30 minutes of activity, anyway that you can get it. And then at
dinner, try a new source of lean protein, such as salmon, bison, or ostrich (or switch back to lean, red meat if you’re bored of
chowing down on chicken).

FRIDAY

Have another great strength and interval workout. Since this is
your Turbulence Training workout of the week…have fun and reward yourself with a superset of your 2 favorite exercises. It’s a perfect time to add some extra work for your arms and abs, if you love training those muscle groups. Just do something you really like. You’ve earned it. Training should be fun AND effective.

SATURDAY

30 minutes of activity. It’s the weekend, find something fun to do with a friend. On weekends, I try and get into the gym with an old friend and amaze them with several bodyweight exercises that they have never seen before – such as Spiderman Pushups, Inverted Rows, and single-leg squats.

Then check-in with your social support group (in-person or on the Internet) to talk about the ups and downs you went through this week. Share recipes, tips and tricks to turning aside temptations, and motivate each other to stay strong for another 7-days of fat-burning with the TT lifestyle.

SUNDAY

Get in another 30 minutes of exercise nice and early to start your day. Then plan your shopping list, head on to the grocery store or even better a fresh, open market and get your weekly produce and lean protein sources.

Make sure to include 1 new vegetable and 1 new source of lean
protein in your purchases.

One big step everyday towards a better body!

Another week and another pound or two of fat should be hitting the road. Keep up the great work!

Sincerely,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training

About the Author

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men’s Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit “TurbulenceTraining”

The SMART Way To Set Goals!

Many people these days are excited to jump into a new diet or exercise program that promises them the latest and greatest results available. They are willing to do just about anything to achieve success regardless of what it takes.

This is a great thing, as these people show high motivation and are likely to stick with their program, however then need to be sure to set goals that follow the SMART principle so they can be sure what they are striving for will come true.

The SMART Principle

The SMART Goal Setting Principle Includes Setting Goals That Are:

Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Timeframe
By following these principles you reduce your chances of setting goals that you wouldn’t be able to obtain even if you had some sort of superhuman powers.

The 1st Principle

The first principle is Specific. This refers to setting goals that are clearly described so you know exactly what it is that you are working towards.
For example, rather than just saying you want to “bulk up”, set a specific goal, such as “I want to focus on adding size to my arms”.

If you just said you wanted to bulk up, it’s too general to really help you determine what course of action you want to take.

Are you going to work on your whole body, or is it just one part that needs work.

How do you look in terms of being proportional? If you are strictly focusing on one body part will any other body parts begin to suffer?

By setting a specific goal, like adding size to your arms while maintaining your legs, you will know that you need to concentrate your weight training on your arms, but still keep up some cardio and a clean diet so that your legs don’t also increase considerably in size and become out of proportional to your arms (assuming your arms were lagging to begin with which is why you have chosen this goal in the first place).

The 2nd Principle

The next principle to cover is Measurable.
This is extremely important as it will help you to know exactly when you have achieved your goal and will give you a much greater sense of accomplishment.
So referring to our previous example, instead of saying you want to “bulk up”, say you want to add 1 inch to your arm size”.

This is something that you can track and see your progress. Just think of how you will feel when you finally see that tape measure reach the magic number you are striving for. If you were just going for “bulk”, well you can really bulk forever… and then how would you ever know when you were done?

The 3rd Principle

The third principle is Attainable. This is also critical because if your goal isn’t attainable, chances are you will give up hope and either burnout trying to reach it or just quit. Someone who is currently 150 pounds, shouldn’t set a goal to be 200 in 5 months.

While the goal is measurable, it definitely isn’t attainable (at least not naturally). If this person sets this goal, they will no doubt feel like a failure as they approach the 4 month mark and have only gained 20 pounds and still have 30 more to go. In this case, it would be much better to set both long term and short term goals. The long term could be to get to 200 pounds but you then need to allow a much greater time frame to achieve this.

Then set smaller goals, such as 170 then 185, then 200, so that you can celebrate each achievement after you have reached it and since the goals aren’t so large, you will be able to feel success within a shorter duration which will also serve to keep your motivation high.

The 4th Principle

Up next is Realistic.
This sort of ties in with attainable, as if your goal is unrealistic, you will also see a huge drop in motivation and will likely never keep pursuing this goal.

For example, and this is extreme, but lets say you are new to exercise, have been pretty much sedentary all your life, and you set the goal to do the ironman at the end of the year. Chances are, no matter how good your training is, this is just not a realistic expectation for you.

Everyone will have their own unique goals and what is realistic for one person may be completely different than what is realistic for another. This is why it’s always important to look at your current status and set a goal for yourself, not based on what your training partner is doing.

The Final Principle

The final principle to follow is that of a Time Line.
All goals should have a set time in which you wish to achieve them. This will make sure you don’t start getting lazy and push your workouts until ‘tomorrow’.
When you see the date fast approaching, you will more than likely kick yourself into high gear to ensure you reach your goals on the date you set for yourself.

Once again, incorporate the other principles into this one and make sure the timeline is realistic, as this is critical to achievement. By setting a date in which you want to achieve your goals by you are making a way to hold yourself accountable.

Now most people hate deadlines, and granted, you may start to dread this one as well, however you will be doing yourself a favor in the long run by setting it because it will keep you on your toes and will make you much more likely to keep persisting and going after your dreams.

Conclusion

So, the next time you are about to embark on a new fitness or diet plan, take a look at what your goal is and make sure it follows the SMART principle, specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time oriented. By making sure it incorporates all of these factors, you will increase your rate of success and make the whole process much easier on yourself.

By: Shannon Clark
Courtesy Bodybuilding.com

My question for you to ponder and discuss today, “Is it impossible to grow beyond your genetic potential?”

Even the “gurus” say, “It’s impossible to grow beyond your genetic potential…”

Well, I’m In The Business Of Doing The Impossible!

I’ve been in the transformation business for eight years and helped over 20,000 people in 120 different countries go from scrawny-to-brawny, regular-to-ripped and flabby-to-firm.

My most successful students were always told that a jaw-dropping physique was impossible for them. Don’t believe me? Click here to look a look at a small handful of success stories to see how some of them turned after sticking with me and following my advice.

Today’s email was inspired by an email I get over-and-over and my response will reveal why I’ve been successful at being in the business of doing the impossible.

“Vince, there are a lot genetic factors that hold people back, stuff that’s beyond training and nutrition. Things like recovery capacity, anatomy (muscle attachments), muscle fiber type makeup, circulation, nervous system, bone structure, hormonal capacity, insulin sensitivity, mental factors, that kind of thing. What’s your mindset and philosophy to the entire genetic limit debate?”

First off, I don’t debate. I learn from doing. Now to your question…

Many muscle “gurus” would actually entertain and analyze each of the genetic factors just listed but since I’m a no nonsense guy you’re not going to get a scientific reply from me.

Not because I don’t know the science but because I don’t see the point!

I believe that you get what you focus on. If you focus on your limitations than you find more limitations. How is focusing on something we don’t have going to help us get something we want?

I understand they’re many people who need to understand the why before they can apply knowledge but I beg you to be partially ignorant on this subject. This statement will make more sense after I reflect on my first body transformation in 2002:

One of the reasons, I believe, I gained 41 lbs of muscle in 6 months is because I’ve always been a little naïve and gullible. Too be honest, the first time someone said to me on a bodybuilding.com forum, “BS… there’s no way you gained that much muscle in 6 months…” I didn’t know how to reply. I figured my results were normal, maybe a bit above average, but nothing to make people skeptical of.

I was always a doer and never a analyzer or reader so the numbers didn’t mean anything to me.

If someone told me you could build 100 lbs of muscle in one month, I would have probably said, “Cool, lets get started.” I was never inclined to read books on limits and what listen to speakers tell me what was realistic.

Even when I was 15 years old I got a knee injury and the doctor told me flat out, “Your body was not born to run.” That was one of the first time my blood boiled because someone was putting limits on me. I didn’t listen to him. The next summer I represented Canada at the World Triathlon Championships.

I was more interested in finding out my own limits by doing, not talking about.

My mentality was to always give 100% with whatever I had in front of me. Sure I was probably missing a lot of tools but I maxed out what I did know and what I did have to my disposal.

Sure, after my transformation I didn’t become the biggest guy in the gym but I definitely wasn’t the smallest anymore.

And over the past eight years (past two years especially), by continuing to be ignorant on the subject of “limits” and “genetics”, I’ve gained another 20 lbs of muscle and have almost 200 lbs of solid muscle on my frame. Not bad for an ex-long distance runner who was nicknamed “Skinny Vinny” eh?!

Another Reason I Hate Talking About “Genetic Limits”

I refuse to discuss subjects that limit the human will and spirit.

That mentality will not serve you. I would rather be gullible and naive and end up surprising myself (and others) in the process.

By applying this mentality to all areas of my life, even my finances, I earned a $45,000 check at the age of 25, in one day. Check out this story:

When I decided to buy my first house, at the age of 22, I was broke with credit card debt. Instead of thinking, “I can’t afford a house,” I thought, “How can I afford a house?” As soon as you say the word “can’t” your brain turns off and stops searching for a solution. By using the word “can” your brain is forced to stay open and find a solution. Mine did.

By the age of 23, I stuck to my plan and saved $10,000 for a down payment on a home. I rented it out for two years. Flipped it. And at the age of 25 my lawyer cut me a check for $45,000 (after expenses too). That lump of cash gave me a huge head start on life and it all started with my mindset of, “How can I afford it.”

The word “can’t” should not even be apart of your vocabulary.

Show Me Your Friends And I’ll Show You Your Limits

You’ve probably heard of the saying, “Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.”

I believe it’s equally true: Show me your friends and I’ll show you your limits. If your top five friends are all afraid of skydiving then I wouldn’t be surprised if you are too. If all your friends are afraid to put their kids in swimming lessons because they are afraid the kids might drown then I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s your fear too.

Grasp the principle I just shared, don’t pick apart the examples. They were just examples. Moving on…

Hang out with certain people too long and their negative beliefs, limits and fears will become yours.

Please: Don’t try this at home! This is one of those areas you want to take my word on. Don’t test this theory out on your own.

Trust me and seek out friends who live with the mentality that anything is possible. It will result in attracting these kind of people in your life. One of the big secrets to blowing beyond your potential, in life, is avoiding people who live in fear and try to pass their negativity into your beliefs.

Most people who are non supportive and tell you to be “realistic” are jealous because you are pursuing something they want and failed at or don’t want to see you succeed at because you’ll prove that their beliefs are false.

Do you want to know why people would prefer you stay in your comfort zone and not push your limits? When you change and grow and become a new person they are unable to control you or maintain the puppet strings they have on your life.

Let me give you an example. My friend Joel is a very generous person. If I called him up last minute to stay with him in Tampa he would gladly welcome me in. I could say I’m only staying three days but what Joel does not know is that I’m broke, have no job, and no plans on leaving. I know Joel will let me eat out of his fridge, extend my visit, not charge me rent and even take me out for fancy dinners.

I am exploiting Joel’s generosity in a selfish way. So when Joel announces he’s going to a personal development conference that teaches you how to stand up for yourself etc I quickly advise him against that idea. If Joel leaves his comfort zone and begins to grow then I will no longer be able to take advantage of him and I don’t like that.

Okay, that’s an extreme and intentional example but I trust you see the point. Take home message is this:

Be careful where you are getting your information from. Often times people who talk about setting realistic goals, knowing your limits and advise against setting goals, are people who are imposing their fears and negative beliefs onto you.

By Vince DelMonte

Vince Delmonte is a competitive fitness model and personal trainer, as well as the author of No-Nonsense Muscle Building, a complete guide to building muscle for the hardgainer. Vince’s program includes extensive diet plans, complete weight training regimens, video tutorials, and full email personal training support.

We all have bad habits. Mine are checking email too frequently,
being unorganized, and not always eating enough to fuel full
recovery from my workouts.

Your bad habits might include too much snacking and cheating on
your nutrition plan, coming up with excuses to skip exercise, or
watching too much TV.

Bad habits are the reason we need coaches. One of my coaches is Lee
Milteer, who gave me the exercises below, that I want you to go
through to help you break your bad habits.

If you’ve been trying to lose fat and get lean by yourself, but
with no luck, isn’t it time to get professional help & social
support?

It’s hard to change. I know it. I battle against my bad habits all
the time, just like you do everyday. But each day I also make an
effort to overcome the bad habits, just as you should have a plan
in place to overcome your bad weight loss habits.

Don’t let insecurity, fear of failure, or the fear of the unknown
hold you back from making changes. Don’t be a victim. “Give yourself
PERMISSION to change,” Lee says.

So let’s take action. Print this email out. Now write down 3 excuses
you are using to avoid making the changes you need to succeed.

1.______________________________________________________________
2.______________________________________________________________
3.______________________________________________________________

How have these excuses affected your life? What have the excuses
stopped you from achieving? Write down 3 very important things that
you have missed out on because you’ve allowed yourself to make
excuses.

1.______________________________________________________________
2.______________________________________________________________
3.______________________________________________________________

Now how do you feel when you fall victim to one of your self-
sabotaging excuses?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

What benefits do you get from the excuse? Is it simply that you get
to remain in your comfort zone? That’s a big one for me. If I can
convince myself that I need to check my email, then I get to remain
in my comfort zone and avoid the hard work and fear of failure that
comes with writing an article. Or is it the fear of the unknown
that is holding you back? Write down 3 ways you benefit from making
excuses.

1.______________________________________________________________
2.______________________________________________________________
3.______________________________________________________________

So now we both know why we’ve created our excuses – to avoid
something. All we need to do now is find a way to overcome these
bad habits. I want you to write down 3 behaviors you want to stop.

1.______________________________________________________________
2.______________________________________________________________
3.______________________________________________________________

Now write down why you end up doing it…were you bored, fearful,
lazy, etc.

1.______________________________________________________________
2.______________________________________________________________
3.______________________________________________________________

Now give yourself the permission to change. “Envision the rewards
you will get when you make the change to your life and habits,” Lee
tells us. Give yourself a powerful list of reasons for fixing the
habit.

1.______________________________________________________________
2.______________________________________________________________
3.______________________________________________________________

Working on bad habits everyday will give you an incredible boost
in self-esteem and confidence. With each small successful
improvement you’ll build confidence to take on the bigger, badder
habits that are holding you back.

Remember, everyday we are a work in progress. You might have bad
days, but as long as you make overall improvement each week and
month – that is all that matters.

Lee also recommends charting your progress. I have said many times
before that you need to keep records of your workouts and
nutrition. Only then will you know what works and how much
improvement you have made.

And finally, get social support. Don’t expect to do this alone.

One research study from Stanford University concluded social
support was the #1 factor for success in an exercise program.

Get in shape for summer fast with Turbulence Training,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training

About the Author

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men’s Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit “TurbulenceTraining”

Welcome to Louis Dorman’s Fitness College where you can receive the one and only “Adaptation Degree” – the only degree of its kind ever created designed specially from a former fatty. You must ask?

“Adaptation” – what the hell does that mean? It means the ability for an organism to efficiently adjust itself to the changes in its new environment.

What are the new changes that will create a ripple effect of success?

The change is the new, positive attitudes created by YOU to challenge yourself today, to get closer to the person you want to become tomorrow. Always remember that you become who you think you are.

Your ability to re-invent your body to ‘adapt’ to the new adjustments you created in your new positive mindset will give you the score you need to ultimately win in your personal, fitness contest.

We are here for one reason and for one reason alone: For personal development.

While your fitness journey is filled with concrete pain and vigorous trials at the gym – the biggest thing developing in this process of personal re-invention is the revealing of:

The Mind: the Mind that overcomes each mental setback.
The Body: the Body that strengthens through time and resistance.
The Spirit: the Spirit that unlocks and reveals itself as the powerful core housed inside all of us.

The First Step in achieving fitness success is to create a winning plan devised by you and you alone: for you are the only one who knows your personal injuries, private fears, emotional setbacks… you are the only one who can create the WINNING STRATEGY to battle the individual war you chose to fight.

I have created a “Lucky #7 Assignment Chart” I used to lose weight – These are quotes I often chanted in my head and strategies I frequently performed to lose over 140 pounds of fat – Underneath it all was a powerful spirit manifested in a new me: the strong me: the Louis Dorman I knew I was.

Assignment #1:
Create A Strong Team.

“Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.”
-Andrew Carnegie

The great Andrew Carnegie said it best when he said that as a team we are invincible. Your team is made up of your mate, your family, your friends, your co-workers, etc.

These people hold you accountable to achieve your set goals and support you when you are not hitting your goals… most importantly, create a team who is like minded with you: positive, healthy, progressive and supportive.

When you are a friend to those who are also fitness minded – know that in your daily life, as you make a commitment and choice to complete a set fitness goal – it is soothing to know that there are hundreds more people in the same community doing the exact same thing.

Homework:

List the people in your life who are valuable to your personal cause and those who are toxic. List them and create an action plan to create an environment that mirrors the power you need to achieve your goal. Then create an Action Plan.

Assignment #2:
You Want Support? Learn To Give It.

“What’s money? A man is a success
if he gets up in the morning and goes to bed at night
and in between does what he wants to do.”
-Bob Dylan, US singer & songwriter (1941 – )

Success is all about creating circumstances that force you to succeed… accountability is a huge tool you can use to direct any life goal into a successful outcome. This week, if you weren’t able to complete your goal, alter it a little bit so that you can complete it this week.

For example, instead of saying you will run three times last week and only did it once- this week make it a goal just to run twice this week. Always look at the step ahead not ten steps ahead.

My success was dictated on how much I helped others, because the more I helped others, the more I started holding myself accountable to listening to my own advice. This week the goal is to locate a weblog with a person who you feel a ‘connection’ with, whether it is goals, emotional issues, age, gender, whatever… and I want you to post advice on their blog.

Remember, that you can only get what you give. If you want support you need to give it.

Homework:

Follow through on your action plan this week and give support to others who are on your team and in your fitness community. Your ability to exchange your role frequently as a student-teacher will give you unique perspective that will lead you to greatness.

Assignment #3:
Take Action With Laser-Beam Focus.

“It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.”
-Charles Darwin

Charles Darwin couldn’t be more accurate when he spoke about his theory of evolution. Now, looking back at my personal change, I realize that the number one thing that made me successful was my ability to transform any discomfort and utilize that powerful energy and direct it towards my long-term goals.

Success not only comes from positive action – success also comes from positive re-action to people and the negative things surrounding us.

This week’s TEAM GOAL is to stay focused. Create your game plan and stick to it. Stick to the very last calorie, the very last rep – the very last day. So that when Thursday comes along, you can enjoy yourself.

I mean this. Enjoy yourself on your free day/meal- without regret. Because you know that you worked out hard days before hand, and you will get back on track the day after. Remember your body loves surprises. See how your newly programmed metabolism reacts to the shock your going to give it this week. I know mine will love me.

Homework:

Evaluate past Action Plans, create a new one that adjusts to your personal challenges and STICK TO IT. Concentrate on your bodily actions. Concentrate on your mind’s awareness. Concentrate on your spiritual transformation. Focus.

Assignment #4:
Find Your Core.

“There are two primary choices in life; to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them.”
-Denis Waitley

There are two choices in any crossroad: failure or success – active living or passive dying. We are all here because we choose to not accept life’s conditions as they exist, we are all here because we choose to change the conditions life presents us with and – transform it into personal power.

Even though I was born and raised in a small town, didn’t have a trainer, didn’t know how to cook clean – I figured it out. When you set a goal and design its realism in your mind, everything begins ‘figuring itself out.’ You begin to see all the tools you need to create the machine you envision in your brain.

One tool that is in constant use is your core muscle. The core is your back and abdominal muscles – the area of your body where all your power and strength stems from. Many people suffer from lower back injury or lack abdominal definition. This week, let’s all focus on strengthening our core muscles by performing a simple “Plank” exercise.

This exercise targets your TVA or Transverse Abdominal. It is your deepest core muscle hidden underneath your Rectus abdominal (6 pack) – I like calling it your support belt.

Position your body in a neutral push-up position on hands or elbows (if this is still too strenuous get in an all four position with knees on the ground).

Make sure your shoulders are directly above the elbow or wrist (if you are on your hands).
Draw belly button in without curving or hunching your back

Hold position. Perform 3 sets and hold for 1 minute each (vary according to strength level).

Homework:

Besides posting your Action Plan, completing it and giving support to others on the site, this week I want all of you to perform one exercise involving Core Training.

Assignment #5:
Give Gratitude Each Step Of The Way.

“The deepest craving of human nature is the need to feel appreciated.”
-William James

When we train and challenge ourselves to become our very best, we are satisfying our most basic human hunger- and that is to become visible – to exhibit to the world our uniqueness by recreating a physical body that matches our internal strength.

I was the exact same person internally when I was heavier: I was creative, focused, hard working and strong. But not many people saw that: the only thing people saw was my inability to be disciplined enough to train my body and moderate my food intake.

As William James quoted, I craved peer appreciation – I craved social identification – I craved to have everyone really see the real me: the powerful me: the Louis Dorman I ‘thought’ I was.

Your ability to transform this ‘craving’ into a real satisfying hunger is your golden key: you know which one I am talking about – the one that ‘eats’ at you every time you look in the mirror or pushes you a little harder when training. It’s the one that makes you write your action plans, update your workout charts and support others who also have that same thirst for greatness.

Add this to your list: Show appreciation to those who helped feed your hunger.

Homework:

I want EVERYONE who reads this to briefly write a one liner, two liners or a paragraph of a person, place or thing that you appreciate and give gratitude to, for helping you on this road to success.

Assignment #6:
Create The Correct Circumstances.

“The Starting Point of All Achievement is Desire.”
-Napoleon Hill

Two things happen when you start to desire something: first you get motivated to achieve it then you create inner fear for if you don’t achieve it. When you get intimidated by desire and fear you get stuck in a paralyzed universe of inaction.

Team, this personal war is all about action. It is about progress and most importantly, it is about desire.

“I believe that motivation + goals + circumstance = success.”

For those of you skeptics: I’m not bullsh*ting when I write this stuff. I mean it.

I suspect that everyone here has the motivation (which is why they joined) and has some goals: which is why they are posting, but the next question is: have they created the circumstances?

These circumstances are created so that when your ‘desire’ to attain the goal becomes wavering – your circumstances won’t allow you to give up. It could be because you held yourself accountable to co-workers or your spouse. It could be because you paid thousands of dollars with a personal trainer, joined a competition or booked a vacation at a beach resort. It could be because you threw away all your old clothes and vowed you wouldn’t purchase anything until you were three sizes smaller.

I questioned my circumstances a few times before I moved from my home state of Missouri to the bustling city of Phoenix, Arizona almost six years ago. I knew that I desired something so badly – so badly that I created a passionate energy that I channeled to accomplish huge feats in my weight loss success.

The lesson here? I created my circumstances. I consciously decided to not go back home until I proved everyone wrong. I made new friends, got a new job, joined a new gym – I created the progressive circumstances needed to succeed.

Not only did I create a new physical environment, but I also created a new mental environment: I lived the dream to be in shape in my mind. There was no way out because I desired it so much. So much that I couldn’t imagine life if I didn’t re-create my mind’s reality into the physical reality.

Homework:

Create circumstances that will make you accountable for achieving tangible success in the next three months. Write it down. Post it on your bathroom mirror and make it happen.

Assignment #7:
Understand You.

“Effective people are not problem-minded; they’re opportunity-minded. They feed opportunities and starve problems.”
-Stephen Covey

How effective are you when you are unable to work out and eat right if you can’t afford a gym membership? What if you are surrounded by sugar and sweets in the holiday season – how effective do you become?

Your ability to change your perception from a problem to an opportunity to ‘gain’ a lesson will ultimately measure your personal proficiency to overcome any life adversity, including your challenges in your weight loss/gain battles.

For Example:
When I traveled in a moving truck all day (couldn’t get to the gym), I created the ‘opportunity’ to perform jump squats and lunges during restroom breaks.

When a restaurant didn’t serve nutritious meals I worked with my server to find an ‘opportunity’ to politely order an alternative meal with substitutions.
When I am really busy, I wake up an hour earlier just to get my work out in.
There are a ton of excuses in a single day to find a bunch of problems/challenges/obstacles to prevent you from fulfilling that daily fitness goal. Whether it is eating five clean meals, taking your multivitamin, running twenty minutes or even drinking enough water.

Homework:

Reflect on one of the “excuses” you have given this past year (the year of 2005) – the one you used most often, that prevented you from getting to your fitness goal.

We all have it. I have it. Being able to reflect and communicate your thoughts to yourself is a powerful mind tool that will assist you in devising a more personalized program based on your private battles.

Conclusion

These are my first “Lucky 7″ Assignments. Remember that your fitness war is won one battle at a time. Conquer these seven and you will be that much closer to manifesting the strength of your tenacious spirit; the same spirit that made you read this. Good luck, and do your homework!

About The Authors:

Maria Kang is 24 years of age and has successfully competed in both beauty and fitness competitions since the age of 16. Her extensive fitness background expands a period of over six years as a personal trainer, group exercise director and instructor, membership sales counselor, fitness manager, freelance writer, and now project coordinator for 24 Hour Fitness Corporation. Visit Maria’s site at: www.mariakang.com for some ass-kicking motivation and thought provoking articles.

Louis Dorman is 25 years of age and is widely recognized as Bodybuilding.com’s Transformation Expert and Spokesperson. He has lost an amazing 150 pounds and has worked as a personal trainer, fashion company owner, freelance writer and now creative art director for an international corporation. Join his web log fitness community at: www.louisdorman.com for more fitness support and inspiration.

By: Louis Dorman And Maria Kang

Courtesy Bodybuilding.com