FITNESS 365 – Blog by Chris Minor

“Motivation is what gets you started — Habit is what keeps you going”
~ Jim Ryan
1. SET REALISTIC ATTAINABLE GOALS
– Most people fail because they set an unrealistic goals that they expect to
achieve overnight. Set attainable goals and realize that consistency and
small constant changes over a long period of time will be more effective.
2. TRACK YOUR WORK-OUTS
– Keep a daily or weekly log to track all of your work-outs, so that you can
keep progressing in the right direction and keep your body challenged.
3. ADD CARDIOVASCULAR EXERCISE
– Add 4 to 5 days of jogging, biking, swimming, or any aerobic activity for
least 30 minutes or more per week.
4. IMPLEMENT PROPER NUTRITION
– Do not skip meals. Eating small frequent meals helps to balance your
caloric intake throughout the day. This will also keep your blood sugar
levels balanced, preventing fat storage & weight gain.
Try to eat every 3-4 hours.
5. STAY HYDRATED
– Try to consume half your body weight of water in ounces everyday &
add another 12 ounces of water after physical activity. Dehydration can
cause the body to retain water, eventually leading to bloating.
6. CONCENTRATE ON BIG MULTI-JOINT MOVEMENTS
– These movements will be more productive at stimulating more muscles.
(Squats, Walking Lunges, Dead Lifts, Pull-Ups, Push-Ups, Dips)
7. LIFT WITH PROPER TECHNIQUE
– Lifting with proper biomechanics & lifting technique is critical for maximal
gains, as well as for injury prevention. Consult a fitness professional
before starting a weight training program.
8. PREVENT MUSCLES IMBALANCES
– When designing a program make sure that the program is well balanced
and focuses on protagonist and antagonist muscle groups to prevent
muscle imbalances & injuries.
9. AVOID PLATEAUS
– Weight training progressions should include changing up your work-outs
every 4-6 weeks & cross training on cardio days.
10. FOCUS EXTRA ON AREAS YOU WANT TO IMPROVE ON
– Let’s face it, we all have certain areas that we are unhappy with &
other areas that we really like. Choose exercises that train your favorite
body parts, but also pick exercises that specifically target areas that
need the most improvement.

Chris is a level 2 certified personal trainer and has a Master’s degree in Kinesiology and a Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science. Chris has over 10 years of personal training experience & also runs a In-Home personal training business that covers all of Naperville.