Wednesday, March 25, 2009

How to Break Bad Habits

By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
www.TurbulenceTraining.com

We all have bad habits. Mine are checking email too frequently,
being unorganized, and not always eating enough to fuel full
recovery from my workouts.

Your bad habits might include too much snacking and cheating on
your nutrition plan, coming up with excuses to skip exercise, or
watching too much TV.

Bad habits are the reason we need coaches. One of my coaches is Lee
Milteer, who gave me the exercises below, that I want you to go
through to help you break your bad habits.

If you've been trying to lose fat and get lean by yourself, but
with no luck, isn't it time to get professional help & social
support?

It's hard to change. I know it. I battle against my bad habits all
the time, just like you do everyday. But each day I also make an
effort to overcome the bad habits, just as you should have a plan
in place to overcome your bad weight loss habits.

Don't let insecurity, fear of failure, or the fear of the unknown
hold you back from making changes. Don't be a victim. "Give yourself
PERMISSION to change," Lee says.

So let's take action. Print this email out. Now write down 3 excuses
you are using to avoid making the changes you need to succeed.

1.______________________________________________________________
2.______________________________________________________________
3.______________________________________________________________

How have these excuses affected your life? What have the excuses
stopped you from achieving? Write down 3 very important things that
you have missed out on because you've allowed yourself to make
excuses.

1.______________________________________________________________
2.______________________________________________________________
3.______________________________________________________________

Now how do you feel when you fall victim to one of your self-
sabotaging excuses?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

What benefits do you get from the excuse? Is it simply that you get
to remain in your comfort zone? That's a big one for me. If I can
convince myself that I need to check my email, then I get to remain
in my comfort zone and avoid the hard work and fear of failure that
comes with writing an article. Or is it the fear of the unknown
that is holding you back? Write down 3 ways you benefit from making
excuses.

1.______________________________________________________________
2.______________________________________________________________
3.______________________________________________________________

So now we both know why we've created our excuses - to avoid
something. All we need to do now is find a way to overcome these
bad habits. I want you to write down 3 behaviors you want to stop.

1.______________________________________________________________
2.______________________________________________________________
3.______________________________________________________________

Now write down why you end up doing it...were you bored, fearful,
lazy, etc.

1.______________________________________________________________
2.______________________________________________________________
3.______________________________________________________________

Now give yourself the permission to change. "Envision the rewards
you will get when you make the change to your life and habits," Lee
tells us. Give yourself a powerful list of reasons for fixing the
habit.

1.______________________________________________________________
2.______________________________________________________________
3.______________________________________________________________

Working on bad habits everyday will give you an incredible boost
in self-esteem and confidence. With each small successful
improvement you'll build confidence to take on the bigger, badder
habits that are holding you back.

Remember, everyday we are a work in progress. You might have bad
days, but as long as you make overall improvement each week and
month - that is all that matters.

Lee also recommends charting your progress. I have said many times
before that you need to keep records of your workouts and
nutrition. Only then will you know what works and how much
improvement you have made.

And finally, get social support. Don't expect to do this alone.

One research study from Stanford University concluded social
support was the #1 factor for success in an exercise program.

Get in shape for summer fast with Turbulence Training,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training

About the Author

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit www.TurbulenceTraining.com

Why Promote Fitness Boot Camps

Can Fitness Boot Camps Really Help Your Fitness Business? The Bottom Line on Boot Camps by Georgette Pann The fastest way to attract new clients and collect plenty of profits for your fitness business is with a new program. But what? You don't want to put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into a fast-dying fad or a program that attracts a limited target market because your profits will dry up quickly.

Your solution: Fitness boot camps. Boot camps appeal to a large range of people because just about anyone can do the exercises. And they escape the women-only stigma of aerobics and the men-only stigma of weight lifting. Influenced by traditional military boot camps, these fitness programs are so popular because they work- when they're done right-and because of their social element. Boot camp participants enjoy the camaraderie of exercising in a group. And much like peer pressure keeps soldiers moving in military boot camp, peer encouragement - and developing friendships - keep people moving in fitness boot camp. Plus, more experienced participants often help newcomers, which provide an element of support that the trainer alone cannot give. Here are other major ways that fitness boot camps benefit you and your clients. Fitness Boot Camp Benefits for you.

If you don't offer a boot camp as part of your fitness business, you're missing out on serious dollars. Fiscally speaking, boot camps are a no-brainer. Compared with aerobics, weight lifting, Spinning, treadmill workouts or in-home training, boot camps are a virtual money mill. Here's why: They are an efficient use of your time. As the trainer, you typically handle large groups of people at once. Class sizes range from 20 to more than 50 people, so you can afford to charge less per person, which means a greater potential for plenty of people to sign up. Look at it this way: If you were to charge $10 per person for each session, and you had an average class size of 20 people, you'd collect $200 for a one-hour session. It's hard to charge that much for a one-on-one training session! Boot camps help you make money, but they also save you money because there are no overhead costs. You could hold your program in parks, school gymnasiums, parking lots, parking garages, or any place you can fit your class; you don't need a studio or facility. You can arrange for a typical boot camp location for little or no money.

If you're planning to use a public park for a group boot camp, be sure to make any necessary reservations with park officials. Of course, if you already have a studio or facility, boot camp classes will make that space especially cost-effective. The fact that you don't need a lot of equipment to run a boot camp means you reduce your expenses even further. Bodyweight exercises, such as pushups and sit-ups, form the core of most boot camp programs. Even if you decide to include dumbbells or resistance bands, you can pass that expense onto clients as a one-time fee. Or, you could have your business logo and contact info imprinted on the equipment to further promote your business and write it off at tax time.

Boot Camp Benefits for Clients There are two main aspects that keep clients coming back to boot camp programs time after time: these programs are effective and fun. Let's tackle the effectiveness part first. As you know, the key to weight loss, which is what the majority of boot campers are looking for, is burning calories. Boot camps cram a lot of exercise and calorie-burning into a short time. Clients don't have to fool around with working out for 90 minutes to 2 hours every day. Forty-five minutes, boot-camp-style, is enough. Plus, participants benefit from higher metabolism for the rest of the day, which means they burn more calories for longer. And unlike many Nautilus and weight lifting programs that isolate only a few muscles, boot camp movements - such as pushups, pull-ups, jumping jacks and running - recruit many muscles in every exercise. So, instead of doing 3 sets on every machine in the gym, boot camp participants get the job done much more efficiently. Besides their effectiveness, boot camps appeal to people because of the fun and social factors.

Sure, Denise Austin or Jake Steinfeld videos are motivating-but video workouts are very impersonal, and the motivation often lasts only for the first week or so. With a boot camp, participants get personal motivation from their trainer that is fresh and new every session. Boot camp trainers can also correct exercise form and postures for clients to keep them safe and get the most from the exercises. A video can't do that.

The bottom line is that boot camps make your bottom line look better. They are an efficient and profitable way to attract more clients and deliver effective fitness to more people. Adding a fitness boot camp to your programming reinforces your image as an effective, affordable fitness professional. About Georgette Pann, BS Health/Physical Ed., Physical Therapist Assistant, ACE Certified Personal Trainer, IFA Certified Sports Nutritionist. She is the owner of Nutrifitness Personal Training and Nutrition Studio. She has co-authored the book "Sure Victory-How to Design Boot Camp Workouts that Blast Fat and Build Power" For more information visit : http://www.thefitnessbootcamp.com.