Merry Christmas and a Happy New year!

It’s that time of year again where everyone is winding down their fitness regime and enjoying indulging without feeling guilty! This is the time to really appreciate all the hard work you have put in whilst munching on cake, sweets and anything else whilst washing it down with the finest beer!

However, I know that in some people’s conscience even when doing well all year round, they feel guilty when indulging at this time of year. But don’t worry! I am literally sitting down, writing this whilst drinking a straffe hendrik beer from Bruges! It won’t harm you at all and that’s me saying it, a person who literally eats healthy and delicious meals all year round and trains twice a day on most weeks! So give up this conscience and enjoy it while it lasts because you still have the whole year ahead to train!

‘But drinking and eating junk means that you’re losing muscle’ Yeah if I had a pound for every time I heard that I’d be on the forbes list! You do not some how miraculously lose all of your muscle and look like humpty dumpty after eating and drinking for a few days! Fortunately the body doesn’t work like that and if that was the case then every time you had a cheat meal you would be going backwards and never achieve a better body. Sorry guys and girls – doesn’t happen like that. It’s all about having a balance, that 80/20 rule where 20% you can eat and drink what you want and this time of year is the best to embrace that (except for birthdays) and maybe a cheeky holiday every now and then….

Thanks to muscle being a very metabolic tissue, the more you have the more calories they need to eat and therefore your body composition even with junk foods won’t change that much! Now I’m not saying that you need not to exercise throughout this time – yeah why not you can work out too but do it because you want to not need to! Also even if you do exercise, don’t neglect the beers and foods which you have been looking forward to all year. The exercise part for me this time of year is important yes but that’s because I simply want to do it and I enjoy it to keep active but that doesn’t mean I am not going to have a beer …. or 5! Once this time of year is over then you head back to your routine and be disciplined again, at least psychologically you have fed your need and you won’t crave it through the year then.

But whatever you guys want to do this time of year, please enjoy yourselves and make the most of it as time doesn’t wait around! Whatever it is all of you are doing, enjoy it, take up any opportunity which comes your way, take all the free drinks people offer, eat as much as you can, if there’s mistletoe .. crack on !

This time of year is to enjoy everything and enjoy with everyone around you too! I also want to thank everybody who took the time out to read my blog. I am very passionate about this industry and try to share as much as I can on here without making it too boring (I hope)! I also want to thank everyone who has been on my facebook page, twitter and instagram pages and have liked and shared my comments/videos etc. It means a lot that you guys are supporting me and I do sincerely hope you can support me and one another in the following year too! This blog is for anybody and everybody from all walks of life so please feel free to join in and read a few articles if you have spare time. Also please feel free to leave any comments and suggestions and I will do my best to take every comment and suggestion on board and act on it!

Anyway enough of me now – go enjoy your new years with friends and family and hope you all had a great Christmas!

Once again …

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 

😀

Goals of 2014 !

Before we get in to the article I would just like to say hope you all had a fantastic Christmas and a Happy New Year!  Hope you all enjoyed all the eating and socialising.  But unfortunately we don’t sculpt God like bodies on booze and chocolates!  Wish we did though!

Now it’s the new year, a fresh start and what’s better than starting this year with making goals !  There are a number of advantages of making and keeping those resolutions at new years.  Yes you may have been drunk out of your head and made some ridiculous ones like hooking up with the 20 hottest people on the planet but I am talking strictly about the serious ones you made when you were nice and sober and the ones that are realistic.  The idea behind resolutions is that you aim to try and achieve that through the course of this year and then progress from there.  So let’s talk more about goals made within the health and fitness industry.

1. Don’t make too many goals – This could be quite daunting on people especially if you lead a busy life with work/family or any other commitments.  Also if you do make a hundred goals then it can get confusing of where to start and which one to start off with and this could lead to a breakdown and giving up which you do not want.  So keep your goals short and sweet.  Concentrate on 1 or 2 at a time which will allow you to better monitor your progress and will be more systematic.

2. Make your goals realistic – Like mentioned before, you will not be hooking up with the top 20 hottest people in the World!  So Houston to you get back down to Earth and be realistic with them.  Look back on 2013 and see what you achieved or didn’t achieve and from there you can carry on to 2014.  Say if you didn’t achieve to deadlift 160 Kg but got to 140 Kg for your 1 rep max.  Then make that your goal, say to yourself that by the end of this year I want to lift 160 Kg for 3 or 4 repetitions.  The goals have to be realistic and suitable for you, not anybody else you aren’t in competition with anyone else but you!  So again if you want to participate in a iron man race commencing in October then start training for that.  But make sure they are reachable otherwise this could lead back to a negative attitude and a feeling of remorse.

3. Write your goal down – WRITE THAT GOAL/GOALS DOWN AND PLACE THEM SOMEWHERE THAT YOU CAN SEE EVERYDAY!  This really does work, if you can see your goals everyday then you will be more inclined to work hard to achieve them.  If you’re creative or imaginative then get a big fat banner and stick it on your wall opposite your bed so everyday you wake up you can see your new resolution and start the day off with a positive attitude.  By viewing your goal everyday especially in the morning, you will be able to plan your day better as you will need time to implement work regarding achieving your goals.  So remember to write down what you want for this year and make sure you can see it everyday.

4. Visualise your success – I want you to everyday or every few days to close your eyes and visualise yourself achieving your goals.  Just see yourself at the finish line and feel those happy hormones spread across your body.  You need to think in the future now and say to yourself that you WILL get there and WILL accomplish what you had set in stone.  This is a great way of thinking positively and again will set you in a positive mind frame.

5. Write down your progress – Always write down your progress.  I have said previously to record your results at the gym, and this analogy relates to anything goal orientated.  So every few days or everyday write down your success and what you have achieved so far en route to accomplishing your task.  Yes you might have set backs but that is fine, as long as you are finding a positive trend that you are en route to success.  This way you can see for yourself how you are coping with it and what the outcomes have been.

6. Support is great – No need to listen to ‘All by myself’ as we always have a support cast to help us achieve wonders.  Going the distance on your own is a way but if you are one to want support then by all means help will be there.  Ask friends and family to help you with achieving your goals or even get some advice from the net.  This is not an exam but an investment in you so the more help the better!  Remember don’t feel bad about getting support, they just help you seek out the door but you still have to do the hard part; open and walk through it!  Having a support cast behind you will improve morale, motivation, attitude and determination all of which are variables of performance.

7. The finish line – Feels great doesn’t it?  Knowing that all that hard work has paid off and you have accomplished what you had wanted to do.  Whether it was a marathon, triathlon, improved nutrition etc you know for yourself that you worked extremely hard to achieve that!  That sense of bliss over powers you as you stand there thinking that from the first resolution you made to yourself thinking that it was impossible to achieve to now where you have achieved whatever you wanted to do.  It feels great I bet, simply because you put in that solid effort and you were determined and committed to the task at hand.  Not only does it show those attributes but shows great character and the person you are and will turn out to be.  It’s a great feeling to have and believe me it is and will keep you in good stead for the future.  Remember you achieved what you wanted to and that is a great sign…….

Until next year where you have to make more resolutions!  Once again people – Happy New Year hope 2014 brings you all great success and joy!