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Most diet and fitness plans are like long cross-country car rides. They eventually get you to where you want, but along the way you're uncomfortable and often inconvenienced. But what if you could upgrade your trek to a first class flight? You’d feel better and reach your destination faster. Turns out, your ticket is waiting — all you have to do is check in. These 20 tips from the LIVESTRONG.COM advisory board don’t emphasize how much weight to lift or what foods to eat. Instead, they improve how you exercise and diet—regardless of your specific plan — and will put you on the fast track to the body you want.
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“Most people know how many sets and reps they plan to do in a workout, but not many know how much time they’ll spend resting between sets. This is a mistake. Taking “1 or 2 minutes rest” is like performing “10 or 20 reps” -- it’s vague and unhelpful. To supercharge your workout, you need to keep track of how much rest you take between sets - and know whether or not that’s the right amount of rest for your goals. With all of the given gadgets people have in the gym these days, there’s no excuse not to track you rest interval.” -- Brad Pilon, author of “Eat Stop Eat.”
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“Never do slow grinding reps. Instead, finish your sets strong, while you have at least another one to three solid reps in the tank. If you keep your lower back, joints and central nervous system fresh and uninjured, you will recover faster and be able to train more often. Even if you only have time for three workouts per week, you should keep this principle in mind because it’ll allow you to train each muscle group three times, instead of just once.” -- Jason Ferruggia, strength & conditioning coach.
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“One of the biggest myths about fitness is that you need to spend hours at the gym. Short, intense workouts that are 15 minutes or less can be highly effective at stimulating muscle, increasing your metabolism, and building strength. Pick three compound exercises (for example: deadlifts, pull-ups, and barbell military presses) and perform five to eight repetitions of each. Move quickly between exercises with minimal rest. Repeat this cycle for 15 minutes. Trust me, it’ll feel longer than that.”-- Jim Smith, CSCS and founder of Diesel Strength.
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“There are two ways to make a muscle stronger. One is to make it bigger; the other is to make it contract harder. Whenever you do an exercise, be sure to maximize tension from head to toe: Grip the floor with your toes, flex your quads (pretend you’re pulling your kneecaps up), squeeze your glutes, and brace your abs like you were going to take a punch to the stomach. Try to crush the bar (or whatever implement you’re holding). This ensures maximal tension and thus maximal strength development. It will also greatly reduce the injury risk of whatever you are doing.” – Ferruggia
“Limit the amount of time you wear a weightlifting belt in the gym. It should be reserved only for maximal or near maximal efforts. Using a belt too frequently can inhibit your ability to brace and stabilize your core muscles on your own.” -- Smith
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“Be very careful when performing exercises that stress your lower back. You also want to be wary of any exercise that causes you any kind of unnatural joint pain. If you are feeling a move more in your joints and connective tissues than your muscles, find a different lift that doesn't cause pain. Don't stick with an exercise just because you heard it was a great one.” -- Ferruggia
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“Designate a table in your house where you will eat all of your meals and snacks without the television, newspaper, computer or smartphone around to distract you. By simply cutting out the extra noise that often accompanies eating, you will automatically become more mindful of what you are putting in your mouth – and therefore more likely to make better food choices or eat less.” -- Alyse Levine M.S., R.D., founder of Nutritionbite LLC.
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“Get a juicer. Just do it. You’ll be amazed at how many delicious and nutritionally potent cocktails you can make. Try kale, apple, and ginger for long and vibrant energy. Or carrots and ginger for great skin. A mix of spinach, cucumber, and celery can boost your energy. Or whip up some fresh pineapple juice to welcome people into your home with happiness.” -- Tara Stiles, yoga instructor and host of “The Yoga Solution.”
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“Too often, people force themselves to consume all the healthy foods on their plate before they allow eat the more indulgent foods they’ve been eyeing all along. The problem? They wind up eating more out of obligation, and end up walking away from the meal more stuffed than they’d be if they’d just had what they really wanted. Try eating a small helping of your favorite food first, then move on to the other foods on your plate. That way you’ll feel satisfied earlier, and are less likely to chow down until you’re uncomfortably full.” -- Levine
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“Follow your own preference about when you eat your smallest and largest meals. Some folks like big breakfasts, some prefer big dinners. Either works fine. Don’t worry about what X or Y study says. Your personal preference should dictate the choice.” -- Alan Aragon, nutritionist and author of Alan Aragon’s Research Review.
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“Prep your meals at the beginning of the week. I take two hours on Sunday to plan my meals for the week, grocery shop, cut veggies, hard boil eggs, and put together salad starters -- salad without lean protein or dressing. That way you always have healthy food at hand, and the time it saves each day is invaluable.” – Dr. Kara Mohr, expert on weight loss and behavior change, and co-founder of Mohr Results.
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“Every time you see a water fountain, take 10 big gulps. Most people are at least somewhat dehydrated, so this is a reminder to increase your water intake. Drinking 10 gulps is like getting eight to 10 ounces of water. Do that eight times a day, and you’ll be much better hydrated.” -- Martin Rooney, CSCS, founder and CEO of Training For Warriors.
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“Make a list of your absolute favorite foods in each group – meats, vegetables, fruits, carbs. Try to come up with at least 10 foods for each. Ignore the stuff that you've heard everyone 'should' eat, and instead focus on foods that you love the taste of. Make that your grocery shopping list.” – Aragon
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“Motivation follows action, so make your first step easy. But follow that step immediately with another, bigger step. The idea is to get the proverbial snowball rolling downhill, so you can pick up momentum towards your goals. For example: Purge your kitchen of no-no foods, re-stock on healthy options, and then cook a big, nutritious meal -- one that’ll leave leftovers so you’ll have more fulfilling food the following day.” -- Valerie Waters, celebrity fitness trainer and inventor of the Valslide.
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“When I want to get leaner, I take a picture of myself in a bikini and post it in visible places -- the bathroom, fridge, or computer monitor are all great choices. It's an objective look at where I am, and a constant motivator to eat clean and hit my workouts.” -- Mohr
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“To manage tasks at home or at the office, you can get a lot more done if you work in 30 minute intervals. Use a simple timer on your phone or computer to track the time you spend on a particular task. When you reach 30 minutes, stop, and move on to the next thing. This approach forces you to be productive because you only have a very limited window to work on a task before moving on to the next one. You may have to come back around to the same task a few times in a day, but you’ll always be making progress.” -- Smith
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“Too many people torture themselves with unnecessarily restrictive diets and unrealistic workout routines. This is counterproductive. Instead, set goals and train hard, but don’t sacrifice your sanity to achieve them. Try to see your pursuit of fitness as a journey to be enjoyed, rather than something that just needs to be endured to reach your destination.” -- Emma-Leigh Synnott, certified nutritionist, MBBS.
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Being fit not only gives you more confidence in your daily life, it also sets a good example for your children. By showing your kids that their busy parents can still find the time to get to the gym, you’ll encourage them to make better, healthier choices in their own lives.” -- Smith
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“Pay attention to how you feel. Notice how your body reacts when you eat certain foods. Observe how you feel when you exercise, after your exercise, and all the times in between. When we pay attention, instead of rushing into impulse decisions, we eat better, exercise more, and make choices that sustain a healthy and happy life.” -- Stiles
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“Start each day with something positive – read something that inspires you, listen to uplifting music, or download a fitness podcast. The key is to consume something that empowers you towards your fitness and nutrition goals. That way, you’ll put your best foot forward, and won’t be leaving your outlook to chance.” -- Pilon
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