Bootyology- Build Your Dream Booty with These Exercises

Overcoming Gymtimidation: A Beginner's Guide to Surviving the Gym

We know the necessity of exercising in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle, but for many, the thought of joining a gym elicits such powerful emotions that it's much easier to just avoid the gym completely. The fears associated with going to the gym are very real and if you are experiencing them, you are not alone!  A recent UK weight loss study, found that, "many people avoid exercise because they are blighted by 'gymtimidation'".  The term "gymtimidation" is a slang term that refers to the, "fear of working out in a gym because everything from the crazy contraptions to the seriously ripped bodies are extraordinarily intimidating".  When it comes to feeling intimidated at the gym, the UK study concluded that women were twice as likely to feel embarrassed or self conscious while exercising than men. In fact, the feelings brought on by "gymtimidation" are so common among exercisers, that a popular gym chain has capitalized on them by addressing "gymtimidation" in their advertisement campaigns.  These advertisements present a depiction of a commonly experienced intimidating gym experience and afterwards they take a stand against such "gymtimidation" and suggest that it does not occur within their gyms.  When it comes to being intimidated and fearful about going to the gym, I have been there too my friends.  I have shared in my own weight loss story that even though I had purchased a gym membership, it took me over 3 months to actually use it because I was so fearful of stepping into a gym.  It is important to not allow the anxieties you may have regarding the gym cause you to avoid it altogether. As I stated in my recent post, The Thief of Gains..., fear is the most destructive mindset you will encounter on your journey to becoming healthy and it will hinder your success if you don't address it quickly. My friends, I ensure you that once you face your fears of going to the gym, you will likely realize like I did, that the gym really isn't as bad as you had envisioned it to be. For those of you who may be experiencing "gymtimidation" right now, here are some tips to make your experience with the gym more comfortable.

Beginner's Guide to Surviving the Gym

1. Workout during off-peak hours- If you're new to the gym, going during the less crowded times will allow you to become comfortable in the setting and also the opportunity to explore the machines without having to wait in line for them or feel rushed by someone waiting for the machine. Gyms are generally most crowded in the early to mid morning and then in the late afternoon to evening.  So your best bet to beat the crowds is to workout anytime between 10:30 am to 3:00 pm if possible.
2. Hire a Personal Trainer- If the thought of trying to figure out how to use the machines in the gym or what exactly you should do for a workout overwhelms you, hire a personal trainer to show you!  Many gyms will offer a free trial session or will give you a discount on training packages when you purchase a gym membership.  Take advantage of these offers! 
3. Try a Group Exercise Class- Many hold misconceptions when it comes to group exercise classes, envisioning a drill Sargent type boot camp workout or a perfectly choreographed aerobic routine like those advertised on TV infomercials.  But in reality, most of the class participants are just like me and you and the instructors give variations of the exercises for different fitness levels so everyone can get a good workout.  Group classes are a great way to not only learn new exercises but also to meet friends that are also working on similar goals as you. We weren't meant to do life alone, even if you're antisocial, a few gym pals, will make the gym atmosphere more comfortable and fun!
4. Bring Earphones- Many studies have shown the positive effects of listening to music while working out.  There just seems to be something that happens if you have a great playlist playing while working out, where you can tune out all the distractions and get a great workout. 

I love a good laugh, so I couldn't pass on including the below video that a friend sent me, which makes light of what you may be thinking working out at the gym might be like.

Sources
UK Weight Loss Survey
Gymtimidation Definition

Dare to be Different! How Breaking the Rules Can Help You Reach Your Weight Loss Goals

I've always been one to march to the beat of my own drum, the non-conformist who always had a different way of doing things then those around me. Truth be told, I spent most of my younger years feeling like the zebra in a pony show, the fact that I was different than the others couldn't be overlooked.  My strong willed approach to doing things differently frustrated the hell out of my parents and teachers alike.  In fact in school, I actually had a teacher who was so annoyed by my ways of thinking and finding different approaches to solve things, that her solution was to make me sit alone with my desk on the porch of the classroom with the door cracked open so I could hear her teach but couldn't respond! There were many times in my life when I wished I hadn't been wired the way I was and that I could just blend into the crowd. While it certainly would have been emotionally easier to blend in with the crowd, it would have also been incredibly boring for me!  I have found that I am happiest when I am being the person God made me to be and not trying to force myself to fit into the cookie cutter mold of what others think I should be.  My crazy creative ways of doing things and sense of adventure brings a smile to his face and that's all that matters.  If other's think I'm weird, laugh at me or give me the stink eye when I get too crazy, so be it, I was made to have fun!

So how does being different apply to weight loss?  When it comes to losing weight, we can be told exact formulas created by experts that lay out every detail of what we should eat and how we should exercise and these formulas may bring the results you are seeking.  But the fact of the matter is, statistically, more times often than not, these formulas (AKA Diets) fail miserably and do not deliver lasting results.  Consider this, if there were an exact formula for weight loss that worked exactly the same for everyone, we would all have our dream bodies and the weight loss industry wouldn't be making billions of dollars each year!  When it comes to losing weight, finding what works for you is ultimately what will bring the lasting results you desire. Experimentation is a necessity if you want to be successful in losing weight.  You need to be a bit of a rebel and break the "rules" created by the "experts" in order to find what works best for you. There is no point to force yourself to eat certain foods you hate or complete exercises you dread doing because forcing yourself to do those things can only last so long and eventually you will give up and fail.  Don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and try new things.  Through the trial and error process, you will begin to develop a sense of what workouts and foods will bring the optimum results for you.   It's important to never lose your childlike wonder in life- your ability to explore and see things from a different perspective.  One of my favorite things to do at the gym is take a piece of equipment or a set of weights and see how many different exercises I can come up with for a specific body part.  You don't even need a gym to complete this exercise, I once came up with 53 different exercises to do using my couch... can you say box jumps, elevated push ups and tricep dips?   Ha ha, welcome to my crazy world!  If you lack in the creativity department and experimenting in this way seems overwhelming, some other ways to experiment with your workouts include trying new classes at the gym, hiring a personal trainer to show you new exercises, or trying different techniques with cardio such as intervals.  When it comes to experimenting with food, the easiest way is to try new recipes. Thanks to the internet, finding new healthy recipes is incredibly easy! Some of my favorite websites for healthy recipes are www.skinnytaste.com, www.fitmencook.com, www.rippedrecipes,com,  www.bodybuilding.com, and www.skinnymom.com.  It all comes down to this: you will never know what may be beneficial to you if you never try new things.  Don't be afraid to fail, some things may not work and that's ok! Dare to be different and break the rules. Don't allow fear to rob you from trying new things, it could be that new approach that ends up being the key to unlocking your weight loss success!

Burn More Calories and Fat with this Training Technique

Pick up any fitness magazine and you will like read an article discussing the benefits of H.I.I.T (high intensity interval training). This training technique is performed by performing intervals of higher intensity exercise with intervals of less intense exercise. This method is generally applied to cardio based workouts or circuit training. However when it comes to weight lifting, applying this approach to training is often overlooked. Applying H.I.I.T. to weight lifting has many benefits including burning more fat and calories and having a longer "after burn" effect where your body burns additional calories long after your workout has ended. An effective way to apply H.I.I.T. to your weight lifting routine is to use a training technique advocated by Bodybuilding.com CEO, Dr. Jim Stoppani called cardio acceleration. This training approach takes your regular weight lifting routine and in between your lifts where you would traditionally take a timed rest period, you instead do a timed cardio interval. Your cardio intervals could be exercises such as jumping rope, full body cardio based movements such as burpees, ball slams, battle ropes, box jumps, or simply running in place. The goal is to increase your heart rate, so your cardio intervals should be intense and leave you breathless. After you complete a cardio interval you immediately complete the next set of your lifting exercise. A good place to begin is to add cardio acceleration intervals of 30 seconds to 1 minute depending on your fitness level. This approach to training burns more fat since your heart rate stays elevated the entire workout due to the cardio acceleration intervals, in turn, fat is burned as you lift and build lean muscle. Cardio acceleration is one of the quickest ways to burn fat and gain muscle simultaneously. In a 2008 study by USC, researchers studied 3 groups of individuals- those who lifted weights, those who completed just cardio based exercises and a hybrid group that completed weight training with cardio acceleration intervals. The hybrid group had drastically greater results in fat loss, muscle gains, flexibility, recovery and increased endurance.  So if you are seeking to lose body fat and gain lean muscle, consider giving cardio acceleration a try!