Achieve Your Health And Fitness Goals

Get SMART to Get Fit
I'm not sure who was creative enough to make the acronym work, but work it does and it can fit in quite nicely with your fitness goals.
If you want to succeed you need to get SMART about your goals.
SMART is a great way to help you stay on track and achieve
your goals.
The S stands for specific. Be specific about the goals you
want to achieve. Forget things like, "I want to get in shape", "I want to add muscle", or "I want to lose weight", or "I want to increase my bench press."
Instead try things like "I want to run a 6 minute mile", "I want to add 10 pounds of muscle", "I want to lose 20 pounds of fat, or "I want to add 40 pounds to my best bench press."
The M stands for measurable. This ties in very well with specific. You can't measure 'getting in shape", but you sure can measure 'running a 6 minute mile'.
With a pair of trusty skin fold calipers, you can also measure pretty accurately adding 10 pounds of muscle or losing 20 pounds of fat.
And of course, you can easily measure the poundage increase on your best bench press.
The specific and measurable aspect can be broken down even more to bring you closer to achieving your goals. For example, if you want to add 10 pounds of muscle, what other specific and measurable things must you do to reach your goal?
One could be that you must eat 6 high protein meals a day.
A second could be that you must eat 3,500 calories and 300 grams of protein every day.
You must train with weights three days per week.
You must add weight to your exercises at least every other workout.
All of these are specific and measurable. The more specifics that you have, the more likely you will add your 10 pounds of muscle as quickly as possible.
You can make a list of your daily, weekly, and monthly goals that you must do in order to meet your top goal of adding 10 pounds of muscle.
Each day, place a check mark next to each measurable and specific goal you achieved that will help you conquer your top goal. Obviously, the more checks you have, the more likely that you will achieve your goal.
In addition to specific and measurable, your goals must be A, or attainable. The R stands for realisitic. As I've said before, it's important to set challenging goals.
Challenging, but attainable, that is. A goal of a 50 pound increase on your bench press max in 12 weeks would be a challenging goal, but also one that is possible.
However, setting a goal of bench pressing 300 pounds in 4 weeks when you currently bench press 75 pounds will do nothing but set you up for failure and frustration.
Obviously, weight loss is on the minds of many people, which is why so many fall victim to promises like "lose 30 pounds in 30 days without getting hungry and without exercising."
As a reader of this newsletter, you know that the above is neither timely nor realistic. But many people do fall for such things because they want results NOW! They are setting themselves up for failure. Please don't join them.
The T stands for Timely. If you do everything previously mentioned, it's still not enough. You must give yourself a deadline to achieve your goal. More importantly, if your goal is attainable and realistic, but also long term, break it up into smaller goals.
If you wish to lose 75 pounds, start with losing just 10 pounds in 2 months. Reaching that goal will motivate you further and before you know it, enough time has passed that you've lost the 75 pounds.
But if you focus solely on losing the 75 pounds, which could take a year or more to accomplish, your motivation and discipline could wane, and you could fail to follow through on what you need to do to make your goal a reality.
Making goals timely hold you accountable and creates a positive sense of urgency. You may think twice about eating that piece of cake when you know you are having a body composition test and pictures taken in 2 weeks.
In addition to getting smart, celebrate your successes. And I don't mean that you should allow yourself to dust off a gallon of ice cream in one sitting because you lost 10 pounds. That would be self defeating.
But you could treat yourself to a movie, or a pair of jeans you've had your eye on, or an extra hour of sleeping in on the weekend. Don't sabotage your wonderful efforts by giving yourself destructive rewards for accomplishing your goals.

Gregg Gillies is a speaker, consultant, fat loss expert, trainer and author. He teaches fitness via his articles, books and courses at his web site [http://www.buildleanmuscle.com] . He is the author of two books: Complete information on his books, along with lots of free articles are available at his site. And while there, don't forget to sign up for his free newsletter, "Fit Physique".

Enhance Your Flexibility

When it comes to the Big Three of exercise - cardiovascular, strength and flexibility training - it's pretty clear which one can get overlooked. After all, while we prize cardiovascular and strength training for their role in helping us lose weight, build muscle and get fit, the benefits of flexibility training are less immediately alluring.
However, as the population ages, more of us are learning to appreciate the rewards of stretching. Staying limber can offset age-related stiffness, improve athletic performance, and optimize functional movement in daily life. Research shows that flexibility training can develop and maintain range of motion and may help prevent and treat injury. In fact, the American College of Sports Medicine has added flexibility training to its general exercise recommendations, advising that stretching exercises for the major muscle groups be performed two to three days per week.
How can you include an effective flexibility workout in your fitness program? Here are some guidelines:
Think in Terms of Serious Flexibility Training, Not Just Brief Stretching. Squeezing in one or two quick stretches before or after a workout is better that nothing, but this approach will yield limited results. What's more, generic stretches may not be effective for your particular body. The more time and attention you give to your flexibility training, the more benefits you'll experience. A qualified personal trainer, physical therapist or health professional can design a functional flexibility program specifically for you.
Consider Your Activities. Are you a golfer? Do you ski, run or play tennis? Do your daily home or work routines include bending, lifting or sitting for long periods? Functional flexibility improves the stability and mobility of the whole person in his or her specific environment. An individualized stretching program is best to improve both stability (the ability to maintain ideal body alignment during all activities) and mobility (the ability to use full, normal range of motion).
Pay Special Attention to Tight Areas. Often the shoulder, chest, hamstrings and hips are particularly tight, but you may hold tension in other areas, depending on your history of injuries and the existing imbalances in your muscle groups. Unless you tailor your flexibility training to your strengths and weaknesses, you may stretch already overstretched muscles and miss areas that need training.
Listen to Your Body. Stretching is an individual thing. Pay attention to your body's signals and don't push too far. Avoid bouncing or jerking movements to gain momentum; this approach can be dangerous.
Instead, slowly stretch your muscles to the end point of movement and hold the stretch for about 10 to 30 seconds. Older adults, pregnant women and people with injuries will need to take special precautions.
Get Creative. Varying your flexibility training can help you stick with it. You can use towels, resistance balls and other accessories to add diversity and effectiveness to your stretching.
Warm Up First. Don't forget to warm up your muscles before you begin. Walking briskly for 10 to15 minutes is a simple way to do this.
Find a Flexibility Class That Works for You. Classes that include stretching are becoming more popular and more diverse. Some combine cardiovascular and strength components with the flexibility training; others focus exclusively on stretching.
Stretch Your Mind and Body. Did you know that your emotional state may affect your flexibility? If your body is relaxed, it will be more responsive to flexibility training. Listening to music and focusing on your breath can help you relax as you stretch. You may also want to explore yoga or Pilates. In addition to stretching, classes in these disciplines may include relaxation, visualization and other mind-body techniques designed to reduce stress and increase mindfulness.
It's Not Just for Wimps. Forget the idea that stretching is just for elderly, injured or unconditioned people. Many Olympic and professional athletes rely on flexibility training for peak performance.
Do It Consistently. It doesn't help to stretch for a few weeks and then forget about it. Integrate regular stretching into your permanent fitness program. For inspiration, look to cats and dogs - they're dedicated practitioners of regular stretching and you rarely see them getting the kind of joint or muscular injuries that humans get!
Shoulder and Trapezius Stretch
** Stand upright with shoulders back, chest out, and feet hip-width apart.
** Clasp your hands behind your buttocks.
** Slowly lift your hands up and away from your body until they have reached the furthest comfortable position.
** Keep your chest out and your chin in without hunching over.
** Once you feel a comfortable stretch in your chest and anterior shoulders, hold this position for at least 15-30 seconds.
Lying Quadriceps Stretch
** Lie face down on a mat.
** Lift your right leg up towards your buttocks.
** Reach around with your right hand and grasp your foot. -Slowly pull downwards, stretching your quadriceps to the furthest comfortable position.
** Hold this position for at least 15-30 seconds.
Shin Stretch
** Using a wall or chair as support, place your left foot behind your right foot, with the top of your left on the ground.
** Extend the bottom of your left shin as far forwards as possible. Slowly lower yourself by bending both legs.
** Once you have stretched your anterior tibialis to the furthest comfortable position, hold for at least 15-30 seconds.
** Switch legs and repeat.
Hip, Gluteus and Back Stretch
** Sit on the floor with both of your legs extended in front of you.
** Bend your right leg over your left leg, keeping your right foot flat on the floor outside the left knee.
** Place your left elbow on the outside of your right knee, and extend your right arm behind you with your palm flat on the floor for support.
** Slowly twist your upper body to the right while looking over your right shoulder.
** Lightly apply pressure with your left elbow on the outside of your right knee as you twist. Be sure to keep your upper body straight.
** Once you feel a comfortable stretch in your hips, buttocks, and lower back, hold this position for at least 15-30 seconds.
** Switch sides and repeat.
Calf Stretch
** Put the sole of the top half of your right foot against the wall. Slide your right heel as close towards the wall as possible.
** Slowly lean forward towards the wall stretching your calves. Once you have stretched your calf to the furthest comfortable position, hold for at least 15-30 seconds.
** Switch legs and repeat.

Nothing But The Truth

By far the most widespread inquiries were from women commonly afflicted by "diet resistant" fat deposits on their hips, thighs, and butts concurrently self diagnosed as "cellulite". The reported conditions were uncannily uniform; adjectives such as "cottage cheese," "dimpled," "bumpy," and "gravel like" were common. The letters also lay claim to the fat's stubborn nature, that no amount of diet or exercise would get rid of it.

All in all, the women writing these letters were at their wits end, frustrated that they were cursed with this deferent fat called cellulite that just won't go away.

Well ladies, you are not alone. Millions of women, to varying degrees, are covered with cellulite making it the most common diet related problem. Millions and millions of dollars are spent each year on creams, potions, Luffa sponges, liposuction, special massages, and the like in an effort to rid the body of cellulite all to no avail. None of the available cellulite remedies work --because there is no such thing as cellulite!

In the mid seventies a Swedish doctor discovered if he attached a name to a common cosmetic problem and created a remedy for it, vanity would drive his bank account to a level he could hitherto only dream about. Boy was he right!

Almost immediately the concept of cellulite caught on. For nineteen ninety five and ten minutes each night before bed, one could apply a special cream to the afflicted area and then rub themselves raw with a long, course, natural sponge known as a Luffa and the cellulite would go away.

Well the only thing that went away was the Swedish doctor, in the direction of the setting sun driving his new Ferrari, giggling--probably still to this day --about all of the digits in his Swiss bank account. In our minds this was probably one of the greatest deceptions of all time, it's more than 30 years later and people still think that cellulite is a viable excuse for a fat cheesy butt.

I realize that you're probably a bit mad right now - we're telling you something different that you've been led to believe for so many years - sometimes the truth is shocking, but you can use this truth to help you reach your goals much faster. So if you're still convinced that cellulite is an honest medical condition, grab a medical dictionary the next time you visit the library and look it up. All you'll find where the word should be is a space.

If you want to use the term "cellulite" to describe how the fat on a woman's lower body looks, fine. We'll accept that, however, the fat termed "cellulite" is no different from the adipose tissue residing under the skin in any other area of the body.

If there is no physical difference then why does it look different? Good question. First, you have to understand something about the skin. It's very elastic, stretching when you move, closely following the rest of the body. In doing so it must also be attached to the body. For example, the skin covering the fingers is attached to the muscles and bone by fibrous cords called irabitclae that are far less elastic than the skin itself.

Since the connective tissue is not as elastic as the skin, it will only stretch so far while being acted on by the force of expanding fat cells. Once the cords reach their limit, and the fat cells are still expanding, the cords stop and the skin in between keeps going. The point where the connective tissue is attached to the skin is the low point of a dimple. Put a bunch of these dimples together and you have what looks like a pillow case full of gravel.

Why is cellulite so hard to get rid of? Another good question, the answer pertains to the gender specific deposits of fat. To put it simply, the areas of greater fat concentration appear to be the last to go. In order to get rid of the look of cellulite you must get rid of the fat that is causing it. Remember in the realm of normal people twenty to twenty-five percent body fat is normal for a woman, while fifteen to twenty percent is normal for a male. Most of America exceeds the upper limits of their respective group creating a forum for a whole lot of cheesy looking fat.

Dieting can be deceiving; we've seen women who appear skinny up top yet are hauling around quite a load down below and scream cellulite when they can't diet it off. Even though their collar bone is sticking out and their arms are skinny, their body fat measurements are still quite high.

The bottom line is that dieting down is tough work indeed and you MUST have follow a proven system to get this fat off - otherwise you'll end up more frustrated than anything else. It's a lot easier to give up and blame a disorder than it is to religiously pass the bulk food section at the market and actually do 30 minutes of aerobics every day. If the diet and activity level of an average American were analyzed it would be very clear why cellulite is so common.