I have a friend who we all refer to as Bodybuilder, because he is one and he loves it. He is also genetically blessed so finds it easy to gain muscle and lose fat, compared to the rest of us mortals. Bodybuilder is borderline obsessed with the sport and all the details to do with training each muscle perfectly and ensuring his food is right.
I’m not a bodybuilder or a figure model, nor do I want to be one. I think they look too bulky, too lean and often aren’t athletic as most people. BUT, we all have a lot to learn from their habits for their chosen ‘sport’.
– A body builder typically trains 4-7 days a week lifting weights.
– On top of that they also do cardio training up to twice a day, especially when getting ready for a ‘competition’ or ‘show’.
– A body builder also eats a very strict diet that allows them very few cheat meals.
– A body builder usually commits to doing a show and knows exactly how long they will be training for to reach their goal.
– A body builder has a deadline, and if they don’t meet their deadline they don’t look any good up on stage wearing next to nothing.
– A body builder will usually do this while holding down a full time job and often with a family too.
– Above all else, a body builder gets results.
From all the research that is carried out at Alwyn Cosgrove’s Results Fitness Gym in Santa Clarita California (he’s recorded every workout from the 11 years his gym has been running), he has found that metabolic resistance training is enough to crank up your metabolism for up to 48 hours after your workout. I met Alwyn in Chicago and we train at bootcamp just like they do in his gym.
He’s also found out that if you are doing this 3 times a week and eating a reduced calorie diet your body will start to burn off the excess fat you are carrying, without having to spend as much time in the gym as a body builder. This leaves you with plenty more time for ‘a life’.
If this is the case and we can get maximum results in minimum time, then why aren’t their more people around looking lean and toned like body builders and figure models?
COMMITMENT.
Many of us start a fitness program knowing we need to change our food but never actually make much of a change. Or we go great for a week and it goes out the window on the weekend.
Having a wine or two each night makes progress harder too.
Sometimes we have a crap day at work and come home feeling like a mess and just want to eat whatever is easiest, or just go out and drive through and pick it up.
Sometimes we just don’t want to say no to eating at a restaurant or having a smaller meal at the restaurant or skipping entrees or dessert at said restaurant.
Sometimes we just don’t have any self control.
The Majority of the time we just aren’t prepared. We don’t have time to prepare or we just don’t think our next meal, let alone our week’s meal.
If you take the time to plan out what you will eat for dinner for the week, then buy that food, cook the food in advance and/or store it for easy cooking, you will find it so much easier to stick to your eating plan. Plan your cheat meal(s) too, especially when you know you are going out for dinner! Then you will have something to look forward to where you can eat your favourite food without feeling guilty!
The truth is most of us value our social life over our health. If this is the case, 9 times out of 10 our social life will win…until we get sick. Then our health might come first.
I keep my health at the top of my priority list. I know if I don’t have my health, I can’t do the things I want to do. And my body keeps reminding me about this with migraines when I do too much and even the chronic fatigue or whatever it is that is haunting me at present.
I usually just eat healthy getting a broad range of fruits and vegetables, meat, fish, eggs and some grains each week. But I currently stick to a strict diet to help my body recover from my ailments. It is tough, but as long as I have my food planned out and the food sitting in my cupboard, fridge and freezer ready to go, it’s really easy! I do eat cheat food occasionally too. Zip lock freezer bags and Tupperware containers are big helps for staying prepared.
Bodybuilder will tell you the same. It’s easy. He’s prepared with all his crazy supplements and enough food to feed a family of 5. So the next time you see a body builder, think of them with respect to their eating habits and maybe even ask them some tips. You might learn a thing or two and you might make a friend!
