I’m a fan of this saying, but this isn’t the same 90/10 principle that I’ll be talking about today (though it does seem loosely related).

It’s a common misconception that getting in shape is a purely physical task.

Yes, you read that right. I said it’s a MISCONCEPTION.

While it’s true that fitness does stem in part from performing frequent exercise on a regular basis, but viewing fitness as just this would do a lot to explain why so many people find getting in shape so terribly difficult. After all, it’s so simple on paper – isn’t it?

In reality, the process of getting the body you’ve always wanted is about 90% psychological. It’s in your head. All of it.

But Travis, how can fitness be in my head? You’re not making sense!

Think about it for a minute. Why do people fail to reach their goals? What makes them stray off track? Why do people lie on the couch eating Cheetos and McDonalds when they know they know they should be exercising and eating right?

One little saying sums up the reason why:

“It’s one thing to know what to do. It’s quite another to do what you know.”

It’s no secret in modern society that exercise and nutrition are an important part of the healthy lifestyle required for a fantastically fit body – and learning the correct things to do is the easy part.

The hard part?

Actually doing it. And CONTINUING to do it regularly and correctly.

This is the essence of The 90/10 Principle. Only 10% of the battle is figuring out what to do. The remaining 90% is continuing to do it.

With the resources we have at WorkoutBOX, I can provide you with some fantastic direction and some step-by-step instruction. But I can’t force you to get in shape. The decision lies with you. It lies in your head. It lies with your own dedication, motivation, and mental toughness.

I can only show you the door.

You’re the one that has to walk through it.

Are you a complete psychological cupcake? Chances are you’re not going to get much from ANY fitness program you follow, ANY diet book you buy, or even the gym membership you pay for each month.

Do you blame others for your lack of success?

Do you blame genetics, lack of time, or lack of money?

Stop.

The only person to blame is yourself. Got a road block? Find a way to get around it. Your solution is out there. The question is – do you care enough to find it?

Re-examine why you’re getting in shape. Maybe your reason isn’t good enough. Maybe you just don’t want it bad enough. Maybe you’re inventing excuses for yourself because you don’t have the balls to fully commit yourself to something. Grow up.

Are you a mental workhorse? Is your mind powerful enough, and are you motivated enough to make things happen for you? Are you a positive person? Do you proactively seek out solutions to your problems?

If so, you’re likely going to progress extremely quickly. You’ll reach your goals, make new ones, then reach those too.

If you do have the drive to succeed, you’re going to find that this success is the gateway to further successes in other endeavors. The systematic, meticulously-planned process of getting in shape can apply elsewhere as well.

Once you know what success feels like, you’ll feel how addicting it is. You’ll stop making excuses, and you’ll find ways to make things happen for yourself.

-Travis

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1. Why?
2. Are you planning to get in shape in the New Year?
3. The “Exercise” Myth

The 90/10 Principle is a post from WorkoutBOX

About Travis

Travis is the Head Trainer at WorkoutBOX and he's experience speaks for itself : (1) he’s trained elite athletes, pro fighters, and a UFC Champion (2) he’s a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (3) he’s a published author, pro athlete, and has a Master's degree in Exercise Science..

In my last blog post I explained the process of hypertrophy, how our muscles break down, heal, and grow. I mentioned there are 3 crucial factors that will aid in the process, those being the actual workouts, rest and recovery, and nutrition. Today I’m going to briefly explain the nutrition factor, specifically the post workout meal. Prepare yourself because I am about to sound somewhat hypocritical on a couple of points. First of all, normally I would never recommend that you ingest simple sugars but today I’m making an exception. Second, I always suggest adding a small amount of healthy fats to each meal but in regards to post workout nutrition, I’m throwing that rule out the window as well. Confused yet? Let me explain.

Protein

After an intense workout our muscles are depleted…that comes as no surprise as I have no doubt you can feel that. The muscle fibres have been beaten and broken down and are starving for replenishment in the form of protein and glycogen. Protein is essential in the post workout meal because that is actually what muscle tissue is made of. When the muscles (proteins) are broken down during a workout it stands to reason that those proteins would need to be replaced…stat. Your post workout meal should be consumed within 60 minutes from the completion of your workout, preferably within 30. This is the time frame when the body will utilize the food best and you will reap optimal results. Your best option for protein is a high quality whey or casein protein since they are the 2 that are absorbed by the body the fastest. The sooner you can give those muscles the nourishment they need, the better.

Carbs

Training also depletes the bodies glycogen stores quite rapidly depending on the intensity and/or length of a workout. Glycogen is replaced in the form of carbohydrates. Since time is of the essence when it comes to devouring that post workout meal simple carbohydrates (sugar) are the best choice as  the body absorbs them very quickly. This is likely the ONLY time I will recommend opting for simple carbs. Your best bet is to choose a sports drink, juice or shake since the liquid will enter your system faster than whole foods.

Fat

Fat is digested very slowly which is why it is the one thing you will want to omit in your post workout meal. In general fat takes 4 hours to empty from the stomach into the small intestine…far longer than that 60 minute window of opportunity. Save the fat for later.

As I said, liquids are best since they are absorbed faster than whole foods. I recommend enjoying a shake after your workout as they are fast, easy, convenient and portable. Simply mix juice or a sports drink with a high quality whey protein and you’re done. Most health clubs offer shakes right there allowing for even more convenience. If you’re watching your wallet or you’re working out at home, I suggest low fat or fat free chocolate milk! It’s cheap, you can get it anywhere, it’s portable, delicious and couldn’t be any easier, it’s low in fat, plentiful in quality casein and whey protein and a super source of simple carbs.

Now that you have the knowledge of what to do after your workout…it’s time to hit the weights!

Related posts:

1. Put some air in your muscles
2. I’m so sore I can’t stand up
3. Do’s and don’ts of a successful bodybuilding program

Chocolate milk does a body good! is a post from WorkoutBOX

About Shauna

Shauna is a personal trainer, nutrition consultant and health and fitness writer for Workoutbox.com. She is also the creator of the "Soccer Mom weight loss program"..

“Not many people understand what a pump is. It must be experienced to be understood. It is the greatest feeling that I get. I search for this pump because it means that that my muscles will grow when I get it. I get a pump when the blood is running into my muscles. They become really tight with blood. Like the skin is going to explode any minute. It’s like someone putting air in my muscles. It blows up. It feels fantastic.”

-Arnold Schwarzenegger

The ‘pump’. The sensation you get near the end of a great workout that makes you feel like your muscles have tripled in size and strength in just 45 short minutes. It’s the weightlifters equivalent of a runners high. Although it may feel like your muscles are actually growing at this point, this is not the case. The point at which you feel ‘the pump’ is actually the precursor to hypertrophy, the point at which your muscles have been ‘injured’ so to speak and begin to break down. The repair phase over the next 7 to 10 days is the time when the muscles experience a growth in size and strength, assuming of course that you provide them with adequate rest and nutrition. What many people don’t realize is that ample rest and recovery are just as crucial to muscular gains as the workout itself. Hence the reason any respectable and knowledgeable trainer will tell you that your muscles require a minimum of 48 hours between training sessions.

During intense workouts, the muscles are beaten up and broken down. The way they get stronger (and/or larger) is through the repair process. If they are supplied with sufficient, quality nutrition and plenty of rest, the muscle fibers will not only repair, they will strengthen and grow. Think of it like a small cut on your arm. When the skin is cut, it is injured…much like during a tough workout when the muscles are injured. The cut takes time to heal and during the healing phase the skin may form a raised scar…similar to the way the muscles heal and increase in size, (you can kind of think of it as a scar you actually want). If you continue to cut the skin in the exact same place over the scar, the body will continue to heal itself and therefore the scar will continue to get bigger and thicker with each injury and each healing process….just like the muscles. Make sense? The bottom line is that while ‘the pump’ feels great and is part of the growth process, the rest and recovery following this short lived feeling is where the actual healing, growing and strengthening occur. You’re not doing yourself any favors if you neglect to give your body enough healing time, so consider a less is more (within reason) approach to your hypertrophy program and you’ll see Arnold type gains….well…close maybe.

Related posts:

1. Chocolate milk does a body good!
2. Slow and steady for greater gains
3. I’m so sore I can’t stand up

Put some air in your muscles is a post from WorkoutBOX

About Shauna

Shauna is a personal trainer, nutrition consultant and health and fitness writer for Workoutbox.com. She is also the creator of the "Soccer Mom weight loss program"..

The most wonderful time of the year is well underway again. ‘Tis the season of  twinkling lights, eggnog lattes, Christmas carols, good will towards men and almost undoubtedly…holiday weight gain.

Every year between the end of November and the first of January, the average person adds seven pounds to the junk residing in their trunks. During the holidays our lives revolve around social commitments (which of course always involve food and drink), Christmas shopping, recitals, and trying to balance the countless other tasks required of us in order to prepare for a joyous celebration. All of this put together is indeed a recipe for weight gain and when you factor in the abundance of cookies, cocktails and canapés coming at you from left, right and center you’d better have a decent plan of attack if you intend on buttoning those pants in the new year.

1) Plan ahead. People don’t plan to fail, they fail to plan. You know you’re going to have a long day of shopping at the mall so pack some food to take with you or you’ll end up famished 5 hours in and hit the food court, devouring greasy Chinese and a side of trans fatty fries. Before you leave the house, throw some veggies and fruit in a ziplock, grab some almonds, fix a sandwich or stash some low fat granola bars in your purse. Now you’re prepared to re-energize yourself for more shopping and you’ve saved yourself upwards of 500 calories! Your thighs thank you.

2) Accept and embrace reality. Let’s face it…you are NOT going to resist temptation every single time! Perhaps the worst thing you can do is expect yourself to plan total abstinence from all of the delicious edible goodies that surround us this time of year. The key word here is moderation. Indulge in the shortbread, sip a rum and eggnog and pour some gravy on your mashed potatoes, just do it with moderation in mind. If you do happen to go a little overboard in your participation of the festivities don’t beat yourself up, just carry on with a new day.

3) Get off that escalator. Ok, so you may miss a few workouts this month but it’s not the end of the world. Try burning some extra calories through incidental activity.

Don’t take the escalator, use the stairs.

Park further from the entrance of the mall.

Go for a brisk 10 minute walk on your lunch break.

If you take the bus, get off a stop or two early.

Ignore the remote and get off your butt to change the channel.

Give the kid at the grocery store a break and carry your own bags to the car.

Take the dog for an extra or a longer walk and maybe add a steep hill in there too.

Last but not least, remember that January 1st is less than 2 weeks away. If your pants are a little tighter by then WorkoutBOX will help you shed the evidence of all the festive fun. Here’s wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a safe, healthy, prosperous New Year! Cheers!

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1. Are you planning to get in shape in the New Year?
2. What’s YOUR New Year’s Resolution?
3. Biggest Losers. Losing weight, gaining illness.

How to avoid holiday weight gain is a post from WorkoutBOX

About Shauna

Shauna is a personal trainer, nutrition consultant and health and fitness writer for Workoutbox.com. She is also the creator of the "Soccer Mom weight loss program"..

Talk about a good compound exercise.  The deadlift is one of the most functional exercises out there. Think about this, how many times a day do you find your self picking up something off the ground at home or at work?  Probably a lot.  This is exactly what your doing with a deadlift.

This exercise is perfect to add to any exercise routine, be it for strength, size, or just to stay in shape, as it uses so many muscles groups in the one movement.

Here’s how its done

1.  Face the barbell with your legs shoulder width a part, bend down and grip the bar with the same shoulder width grip.

2.  With you back straight and knees bent, take the strain, make sure your lower back and abs are braced for the lift.  It helps if your head is looking forward and not down.

3.   Begin to stand into an up right position.  As you lift the weight off the ground think running the bar up your shins and over your thighs to ensure it is kept close to your body.  As you do this be sure to exhale.

4.  At the top of the movement, check your posture.  Your chest should be slightly puffed out, shoulders pulled back and head up high.  Think of your self as a soldier standing at attention.

5.  Reverse the movement and inhale.  Be very very very careful not to forget about bending your knees, as it common to see a lot of newbies simply bend at their back as the place the weight on the ground.  This is a great way to get a herniated spinal disc!  Avoid it at all costs.

6.  There are many different variations of the deadlift, and it’s a total body movement, so it doesn’t belong only in the leg workouts in reality.  You need to make sure your doing the right exercise specifically for your goals.

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2. What do urinating and crunch sit ups have in common?
3. Compound Exercises Best for Muscle Building

Warning!!! is a post from WorkoutBOX

About Lance

Lance is a personal trainer, mixed martial artist and fitness writer for WorkoutBOX.com. He brings with him a unique approach towards health and fitness and encourages everyone to find a style of training that works for them..

Maybe not…

But there is a commonality between the two. You might just be surprised how your pelvic floor or “wee wee muscle” can benefit you in the search for the ultimate crunch sit up…

4 Steps to the Ultimate Crunch Sit Up

1.  Assume the normal sit up position

Lying on your back, knees bent and heels near your butt.  Keep your shoulders on the ground place your hands on your thighs.

2.  Now this is where it gets tricky…

Breathe in.  Before you breathe out you want to have your pelvic floor engaged.  If your not sure what or where your pelvic floor is, think of the muscle you use when your cutting off your urination mid stream. This must be kept contracted through out the whole exercise.

3. The crunch

This crunch is a controlled movement and the whole exercise should take you 5 seconds to complete one repetition.

So now you have inhaled, engaged your pelvic floor, and you are ready to do the crunch…

Run you hands SLOWLY up your thighs, and bring your shoulders off the ground until you touch the top of your knees. During this time you will need to exhale all the air out of your body very slowly over a 2 second period.

Hold the crunch position for 1 second.

And then begin a controlled decent back to the floor.  Again, this needs to be done over 2 seconds, slowly, making sure your pelvic floor is still tight and you’re inhaling on the way down.

4. Relax

Once your have completed one rep (over a 5 second period) have a rest, relax your “wee wee muscle”, and get your breath back, and then repeat the steps!

You will find that doing a more controlled style of crunch will not create the devastating lactic burn that you might expect. However, you will still find it difficult to do, as the emphasis is more about learning to control the core and build strength and stability.

I challenge you to try doing 10 crunch like this!  Give your feedback in the comment box bellow.

For more ab exercises, check out our Exercises section.

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1. The Daniel Craig 007 Workout

What do urinating and crunch sit ups have in common? is a post from WorkoutBOX

About Lance

Lance is a personal trainer, mixed martial artist and fitness writer for WorkoutBOX.com. He brings with him a unique approach towards health and fitness and encourages everyone to find a style of training that works for them..

Have your say in the comment box below.

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Who likes to workout more, men or women? is a post from WorkoutBOX

About Lance

Lance is a personal trainer, mixed martial artist and fitness writer for WorkoutBOX.com. He brings with him a unique approach towards health and fitness and encourages everyone to find a style of training that works for them..

“How can I save money and stay healthy?”

I’m a firm believer that you can do both…

1.  Ride your bike to work

If your close enough to ride your bike to work instead of driving or taking public transportation, you may save in more ways than one.   Not only will you save on gas and bus fares, in fact some work places are now rewarding their employees for staying healthy.

2.  Make your gym at home

Now days there are heaps of different options to buy or rent home gym equipment.  If you’re really on a bugdet there are some great items available like chin up bars for your doorways, fit balls and resistance bands.  If you have really been hit hard by the GFC have a look at these exercises to do at home.

3.  Fire your personal trainer

If you’ve had the luxury of investing in a personal trainer, you may find that your individual sessions will have to be the first thing to go when money gets tight.  But instead of letting go of this valuable guidance completely, ask about group sessions that might make training more affordable. You might also turn to an online training program like the ones offered at WorkoutBOX

So no matter if interest rates are up or down or if crude oil is worth $100 per barrel, you now have some great ways to keep in shape.

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3 Tips to Save Money and Stay Fit is a post from WorkoutBOX

About Lance

Lance is a personal trainer, mixed martial artist and fitness writer for WorkoutBOX.com. He brings with him a unique approach towards health and fitness and encourages everyone to find a style of training that works for them..

You know that regular exercise helps to keep those love handles at bay, your pecs popping and biceps bulging but do you realize that consistent cardiovascular workouts can also benefit your….ahem…Johnson?

Studies have shown an undeniable correlation between regular exercise and the prevention of, or at least the delay of, erectile dysfunction. If you think about it, it’s really no surprise. After all, in order for an erection to occur, a large volume of blood must make its way to the penis, causing it to become engorged and ready for action. Having stated that, it stands to reason that maintaining a healthy cardiovascular system should aid in the prevention of ED by facilitating necessary blood flow.

A lifestyle that includes regular and consistent cardio is vital to the proper function of your vascular and circulatory systems, making it as much a must for your member as it is for your ticker. If you want to avoid the constant Viagra refills (and who doesn’t) you’ll need to work up a good sweat for a minimum of 20-30 minutes 4-5 times per week.

Check out the variety of training programs WorkoutBOX has to offer in order to keep your body lean, your heart healthy, muscles strong and perhaps most importantly…your lady happy!

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Sexy Cardio? is a post from WorkoutBOX

About Shauna

Shauna is a personal trainer, nutrition consultant and health and fitness writer for Workoutbox.com. She is also the creator of the "Soccer Mom weight loss program"..

After the huge amount of emails I got from the Brad Pitt Workout, it was obvious that people wanted to know more of the celebrity workout secrets to get that Hollywood look.  So in keeping with the theme, here is an insight into the workout used by Daniel Craig to get into to shape for his roles as 007…

Daniel Craig on becoming Bond -

“When I was told I was going to be Bond I gave up smoking (I still have the odd cigar) and got in touch with a personal trainer, Simon Waterson. I’ve trained before but not to this level. If you’re fit, you don’t starve yourself, just avoid things after a certain time and your body reacts quickly.

I exercised five days a week, Monday to Friday. As weekends Simon said do what you like, drink what you like. My view is there’s no point getting fit if you can’t abuse yourself.

We mainly did cardio weights. We’d only work out for 45 minutes, but we didn’t stop. Circuits, lifting, working weights, lots of Pull Ups and push ups, lots of old-fashioned stuff. If I wanted to lose weight then I’d get on the bike afterward. All I had to do was get my heart rate to about 160 and keep it there for ten minutes and that’s when your weight drops off.

Then we started lifting man’s weights! I can bench press myself now. I said to Simon, ‘Look, I’ve got to look like I can kill somebody.’ If I take my shirt off, it’s not, ‘Oh, nice body.’ It’s got to be, ‘Oh f***ing hell, he could do somebody.’”

Here are a few of the killer exercises that were used in his program:

1. Dips
Muscle groups: chest/shoulders/triceps

“Anything involving your own body weight is tough. Start slowly and just go halfway down. As you gain confidence, allow your chest to get lower until your elbows reach 90 degrees which is a full repetition.”

Tip “When you can do five sets of ten, you can then start to add weight around your waist – if you think you’re up to it.”

2. Pull Ups
Muscle group: primary back

“One of the hardest exercises but one of the most beneficial for strength gains. Start off doing as many as you can using an overhand grip. The Marines love this exercise… can’t say that I agree!”

Tip “If you really struggle, do half repetitions, then graduate to full ones as you gain strength.”

3. Barbell Squats
Muscle groups: quads/legs

“Squats encompass the whole body. Your shoulders are taking the weight, your abs are working overtime isometrically, and if the exercise is performed correctly, the development on your legs is substantial in a short space of time.”

Tip “When squatting, get down to 90 degrees on every repetition, otherwise it’s a half. Remember to stretch your legs off after each set to release a little blood and reduce the chance of an injury.”

4. Push Ups
Muscle group: chest/triceps

“A classic, but you can do this exercise any time and anywhere you want. Just remember not to lock out the elbow.”

Tip “Keep a straight back and breathe on the way up. Keep your glutes and abs engaged at all times.”

5. Lateral Raises
Muscle group: shoulders

“Often used as a pre-exhauster, ie to fatigue the muscle slightly so you can overload it and make it grow without risking injury through using too much weight.”

Tip “Let the weight come from in front of your body with bent elbows. Don’t use straight arms to the sides as it causes too much pressure on the rotator cuff.”

Note: Some of the contents of this page is originally from GQ magazine.  And in that spirit we are pleased to promote them and recommend their  publication.

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2. The Romanian deadlift…butt lift with a barbell!

The Daniel Craig 007 Workout is a post from WorkoutBOX

About Lance

Lance is a personal trainer, mixed martial artist and fitness writer for WorkoutBOX.com. He brings with him a unique approach towards health and fitness and encourages everyone to find a style of training that works for them..