Monthly Archives: January 2010

The Value of Water

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Water is one of the most valuable things you consume and it can be free.  It really does make or break your mood and your performance, not only in the gym, but in life.  If you’re dehydrated, you’ll perform under-par or even feel ill.  It also has cleansing effects on the body and flushes a great deal of toxins from your system.

It seems like such a simple system, but it keeps your body functioning well and boosts your metabolism.  With a high metabolism, you’ll burn more fat and have more energy.  With more energy, you’ll drive yourself hard and be successful at achieving your goals.

Day and Night

You should also have a few glasses of water during the day.  I don’t know what the recommended number of ounces or glasses is (I just hopped out and Googled it, and it seems to be around 64 ounces), but I like to have a glass with breakfast, two with lunch, and always keep one on my desk while I’m working.

Water bottles work great.  You can get some pretty rugged ones with clips and such, so you can carry them around with you.  You basically want to always have it accessible, and your body will tell you when you want to drink from it.  I keep a 20 ounce bottle with me at all times – now I just have to worry about whether it’s cold or not.

I have two large glasses of water before I go to bed every night, so that while I’m sleeping my body can work to flush any unwanted substances from itself.  I also have the added benefit of having a natural alarm to wake me up in the morning when I need to go to the bathroom.  Cleansing your body daily really makes you feel better the next day.

At the Gym

When I’m working out I’ll usually burn through about 60 ounces of water in a single session.  When you’re sweating a great deal, make sure you’re supplementing with additional fluid.  Getting your sweat on is also another great way to push unwanted toxins out, so that they can be replaced by clean new water.  Think of it as a daily oil change.

Spruce it Up

Some people don’t like plain water, but it doesn’t have to be plain.  Try putting a slice of lemon or lime in it.  I also like it a lot more when it’s freezing cold.  I think ice tastes better.  I’m not sure how to explain that scientifically, but that’s not what I’m about here.

If that still isn’t you’re cup of tea and you like soda, try seltzer water.  Polar makes some great seltzer water that comes in a bunch of flavors like raspberry, lemon, lime, and plain.  Don’t get seltzer water mixed up with tonic water either.  They are definitely not the same thing.

Conclusion

Remember too – anything that is better than what you were doing is progress.  If you’re drink 64 ounces of coke or diet coke right now, try trading out just one with a glass of water.  Have at least one glass before bed as an experiment and see how it makes you feel the next day.  I think I’m on to something big here.

Getting into a Fit Mindset

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Ok, so 90% of getting into shape is motivation.  There are a few different points of motivation where people tend to stumble.  You need to go to the gym, push yourself, and then go home and still have the willpower to eat healthy and stay away from food that is going to drag you down.  If you can’t get motivated to do all three of those things, there is a good chance you will fail.

I don’t want to start this post off by immediately saying you’ll fail, but I don’t want to feed you a bunch of high flying ideas that will get you motivated and then blow up in your face.  Being fit is hard work, and it doesn’t stop.  You need to be committed for life.  This isn’t a diet.  It’s a way of life.

Here are some techniques for overcoming those stumbling blocks at each of those milestones during each day:

Getting to the Gym

This is the one I have the hardest time with.  It’s really easy to get sucked into a project or just feel lazy and not go.  You need to commit to going to the gym on a regular basis and commit to it like it’s the most important thing in your life – because it is.  If you’re not already going to the gym or working out at home, just committing an hour one day a week is better than what you were doing.  I personally go to the gym for an hour and a half 3 to 4 days a week.  I don’t change the appointment for anything.

Pushing Yourself While Working Out

The next easiest thing to fall short on is pushing yourself while working out.  It’s really easy to knock the speed down on the treadmill or stop a few reps short because it’s difficult.  Get over it by focusing on micro-goals.  Keep an eye on the clock while you’re running and don’t stop until you make it to the end of the minute.  Once you make it to the end of that minute, take some pause for thought and go fifteen seconds more if you think you can handle it.  Give yourself rewards for setting personal records.  Try to set a personal record every day.

Eating Healthy

This is a double edged motivational hurdle.  You need to do two things: eat well and not eat crap food.  That means have salad and don’t have a sundae afterward.  I personally love food, so this is the hardest for me.  I love chicken wings, so what I do is go all week eating well and then have ten chicken wings on Friday night with some friends.  If you can go all week eating well, you can indulge a little bit, but the real kicker is making sure it’s only a little bit.

Conclusion

Remember: any improvement in your fitness over what you were doing is a positive gain.  Everyone should have a fitness goal, whether it’s to lose weight or gain muscle.  If you don’t have a goal, it is really easy to cheat.  When you cheat, you start to lean towards failure.  How do you stay motivated?