The Power of Accountability

Accountability is a powerful way to stay focused on what's important. In your career, at home, within your family - we are all answerable to someone. We all have certain responsibilities to carry out, and if we fail to live up to them we'll be called to answer for what we've done (or didn't do). While accountability doen't guarantee success, it is a powerful driver to get things done.

That's why accountability is such an important part of a fitness program. If you're working out all alone, day after day, there's a risk of boredom. You may feel isolated, because you don't have anyone who understands and supports what you're trying to do. Because of this, you are much more likely to quit your program and drift back into a sedentary lifestyle. So, no matter what you're doing to stay fit, I think it's important to find a community of like-minded people

There are lots of ways to create accountability. Some people go to the gym - they pay for a membership, enroll in classes and start going regularly. They'll arrange to meet friends at specific times, or attend the same classes each week, which keeps them accountable and moving forward. Other people may belong to a running club, a rowing team, or play basketball in the gym twice a week with friends. All of these things combine fitness with a sense of community, which is a critical factor in keeping people involved in their fitness program

Now, I've never had a gym membership that I actually used (in fact, I just quit my latest gym last week, after going there once). I've always had a hard time making myself go somewhere to exercise, because I always feel pressed for time.  That's why I used to run - because I was getting my workout done the minute I stepped outside the door. For the same reason, that's why I decided to start doing Insanity to get in shape. Just put the DVD in the player, and you're getting it done.

The problem with this approach is the apparent lack of community. When you're doing a home video program, it's often just you and your TV (though I was lucky and had the support of some great friends). The workouts are fantastic and you can achieve a very high level of fitness - but if you don't have support and accountability, you aren't as likely to continue with the program.

That's a big reason that I decided to become a Beachbody coach. When I started Insanity I joined an on-line group, and started posting each day to stay accountable.  But for me, that wasn't enough - so I signed on as a coach and started working to build my own community, to focus on nutrition and working out safely.  Now, we have a Team Beachbody message board and a Facebook group of nearly 50 strong - all working together on our personal fitness goals, overcoming challenges and keeping accountable to each other every day. I love encouraging everyone in the group to keep pushing forward, but if it wasn't for them, I can't say I'd still be sticking with my own programs, week after week. I've been working out consistently for almost nine months now, and I have any intention of quitting!

Finding your "Why"

In my last post I talked about why I don't look for day-to-day motivation when following a workout plan. I believe that if I'm fully committed to this lifestyle change, my workouts should simply be a part of my day, just like making dinner or finishing a project for work. But I think it's extremely important to identify your "why" - those factors have drive you to start (or continue) a healthy, active lifestyle.

In my own life, changes take hold most effectively when the desired change is incorporated into your sense of self and purpose. When something becomes a part of who you are, it's much harder to leave it at the doorstep. With this mindset, you're far less likely to abandon the change. 

This week I just started a new message board on the Team Beachbody website. Lots of people from my previous accountability group are taking part, along with a number of people just starting out on their fitness journey. So I've asked them - what is your "why"? What moment gave you the kick in the pants you needed to start, and what are your deeper reasons for wanting to make this change in your life? Defining your "why" is a first step to changing your self image and making fitness a permanent part of your life.

I have different "whys" - one was the kick that launched my fitness plan, while other underlying reasons will keep me going for the long term. In my case, a had a rude awakening back in February when I realized that my body image no longer matched the reality. I'd always though of myself as quite fit, and being 5'10" can hide a lot of sins. But I finally had to acknowledge that my clothes were just not fitting right, and that I was no longer in shape. When I saw that Insanity commercial, something told me to get that program. I deeply my body image match reality, so I pushed play every day and haven't stopped yet.

At this point, my weight loss is basically complete, and my "why" has changed. Along with a new and improved physique, my energy level is high, my lower back pain is gone, I feel strong and I'm more agile than I've felt in years. I want to keep this feeling for as long as I possibly can. I want to grow up to be an old woman - who can still chase after my grandkids at the playground. This is my "why", and I'm going to keep working for it as long as I'm able.

 

The Fat Burning Zone - Fact or Fiction?

On a message board that I moderate, someone recently asked a question about exercise intensity this morning. That, along with a book I’m reading by Jillian Michaels called “Making the Cut”, got me thinking about the often-discussed “fat-burning zone”. I wanted to clarify some misconceptions, highlight what’s true, and talk about what it all means.

What is true: At around 65% of your maximum heart rate, your body most efficiently converts fat into energy. This is because fat oxidation requires oxygen, and you have more oxygen available when you exercise at lower intensity. At this level, a higher percentage of calories burned will come from fat than when you exercise at higher intensity levels. Because of this, the idea that you must exercise at 60-70% max heart rate to burn fat has taken root.

But here’s the problem with the theory - even though a higher percentage of calories burned come from fat at this lower intensity, you burn a higher number of total calories when you exercise at higher intensity (for example, 85% max heart rate). Therefore, even though your body is converting fat into calories less efficiently, when you exercise over the same amount of time you’ll burn more total fat calories than when you exercise at a lower intensity. Workouts like Insanity rely on this concept in part – they push your heart rate well above the “fat burning” zone for significant periods of time, and you can drop significant amounts of body fat.

So, does this mean that everyone should be starting high intensity interval training and working out to exhaustion? No. A lot depends on your current level of fitness. If you are relatively new to exercise, you won’t be able to sustain that high level of intensity for enough time to burn any extra fat. Until your aerobic capacity improves, it probably makes sense to keep your heart rate at that lower, “fat burning” level that you can sustain over a longer period of time. As your fitness level improves, you can push yourself harder, and burn even more calories over the same period of time. But it’s important to build up to this level safely, and be patient with your body as your fitness improves.  




For more information, I found an article from Self Magazine, which explains all this in more detail (and probably more clarity). Happy reading!

Fat Burning Zone article

Laura

Effective Ways to Lose Body Fat!

Lets face it - most people start a workout program because they want to lower their body fat percentage. There are countless diet and exercise programs out there, many of them contradicting the other. All of them promise certain weight loss, and few of them deliver the goods.

This weekend, I read a really good, straightforward article which explains some of the most effective ways to cut body fat. I'm not a bodybuilder, and I'm not aiming for 10-15% body fat. I just want to lose a few more body fat percentage points to achieve the look I want.

This article really cuts to the basics of what a good fitness and eating program aimed at fat burning should include, and applies to anyone looking to get in shape Even though it's a bodybuilding website, the article is written in a way that applies to everyone, whether they have 5, 50 or even 100 pounds to lose:

Bodybuilding.com fat loss article

Some of the highlights of the article include:

1) The use of moderate aerobic exercise, which increases in intensity as fat loss occurs. High intensity interval training should be used by intermediate to advanced exercisers to speed fat loss. Insanity, anyone?

2) Cutting out saturated fats from your diet (fats that solidify at room temperature) - but keep the omega-3 and -6 fats which can enhance your metabolism.

3) Cutting out bad carbs - but keep the good ones! You don't want to go carbo-crazy, but you need some carbs to fuel your body. Foods like brown rice, beans and oats are great for you - and don't forget to eat enough fiber!

4) Drinking a lot of water

5) Incorporating weight or resistance training (which starts during T25 Beta)

There's a lot more info in the article, and I highly recommend it, since it highlights a lot of what I believe in, and I think it's very consistent with the T25 program that I'm currently doing. Tomorrow evening I'm planning to put together a list of foods that contain healthy fats and good carbs - I'm looking for some inspiration in my kitchen, and that seems like a good place to start.




Laura

Creating accountability to ensure success

Each New Year's, millions of people across America resolve to start working out, get in shape, join a gym, lose weight, eat healthier foods, or some combination of the above. Most of them fail. Part of the reason for this is that most people try to go it alone, rather than finding support they need other people to help get them through.

Of course, the first thing a person needs to have before starting a fitness program is inner motivation. You can't do it for someone else - it sounds like a cliche, but you really have to do it for yourself.

However, as this brief article on the Mayo Clinic website notes, a support group of like-minded people can also offer accountability, which can be a strong motivation to stick to weight-loss and fitness goals.

When I first started Insanity in March, I didn't know what an accountability group was. I didn't think about whether I needed support. I decided to order the program on a whim, so I figured I would just do my best to keep up with the schedule (which was daunting, to say the least). I planned to jump from essentially no daily exercise to 40-60 minute workouts, 6 days a week. It was probably a recipe for failure, but I was lucky - I found a range of support, both on-line and among friends, which helped me stay motivated to finish.

Initially, I started reading some of the Insanity threads on the Beachbody message boards until I found one that suited me. The thread's leader was a really positive guy who'd had lots of success with the program, and other members offered encouragement and solid advice. Having a place to post what I accomplished each day (even if I had a bad workout or missed one altogether) kept my mind focused on moving forward through the program. Plus, having a community of people who were facing the same challenges helped motivate me to finish the entire program. Twice!

Even more importantly, some of my friends in Brussels started doing Insanity with me. Nobody else was doing the entire program, but at least 3 or 4 days a week I had someone else in the room with me, suffering through the same pain. Not only was it a great bonding experience, but knowing that others were planning to exercise with me kept me on track. I can't thank my friends enough for all of their support.

Now, with the upcoming move to England, I know I won't have a group of friends ready and willing to share in my suffering. At times I'm worried that I won't stick with my new-found dedication to fitness, and that I'll go back to my old ways. However, I've recently started my own on-line Focus T25 accountability group on the Beachbody website. I'm hoping for two things - that I can create a small community of my own to help hold me accountable, and that the community I create can provide support to other people, giving them a place to be held accountable as well. Even though we're all ultimately responsible for our own fitness success, it sure does help to have people supporting you during the tough times.

Quality over Quantity - Paying Attention to Form

When I was doing Insanity, often I was trying to pace myself to some degree, making sure that I could get through the whole thing without bonking. This summer, I'm doing a new program called Focus T25. It's designed by the same trainer (Shaun T) as Insanity, but it's a very different approach. First of all, the workouts are 25 minutes long, compared with 40 minutes - 1 hour for Insanity. There are no breaks - the idea is to push through the entire workout, using proper form to most effectively work out the various muscle groups. It's not as intense as Insanity, but I'm still seeing good results (down 5 more inches overall during the first four weeks).

In T25, Shaun T repeatedly makes the point that you should use the fullest possible range of motion when doing the exercises. He talks about this during one of the push-up sets, asking you to get your chest to the floor to the best possible results.

For me, the "fullest range of motion" concept is the key to T25. Its true that the workouts are shorter and less "intense" than Insanity, but if you push through every move with correct form, you will get a good burn and see real improvements in muscle tone.

Take squats, for example. Shaun T clearly loves doing squats, since there's all kinds of them in T25. It's easy to cheat when doing them, by dropping just half way down and leaning into your toes. But do them right every time - back straight, weight in your heels, knees behind the toes, dropping into it so your thighs are as close to perpendicular to the floor as possible - and they will burn and fatigue your quads (in a good way). When you come up, squeeze the gluteus muscles and bring your buttocks back under your hips. You'll be sure to see results.

So, regardless of which kind of fitness program you are doing, always mind your form and technique. Even if you wind up doing fewer reps, you'll most likely see greater benefits from your program if you commit to practicing proper form!

Laura

It's all about scheduling...

Tonight I'm not thinking about form or technique. I'm thinking about scheduling, specifically how to get through a fitness program without falling off track.

I'm proud to say that I survived two rounds of Insanity, and hardly ever missed a workout. I worked out on holiday, in the morning, late at night, in the smallest hotel fitness room that exists anywhere on the planet - whatever it took. That said, I did not always follow the schedule to the letter. For me, I need some flexibility in order to successfully incorporate fitness into my life. Where do I draw the line? I make sure that I complete all of the workouts for a specific week during that week. If I had six workouts and one rest day scheduled Monday-Sunday, each of those workouts needed to be finished by Sunday, rest day included, with a double if absolutely necessary.

There are some people who would strongly disagree with me. They hold the view that the trainers design the program as it is to be done, and any deviation from the schedule disrupts the program. I respect this view, but I don't accept it. In my view, if I complete the scheduled workouts within the week, then I'm going to achieve gains in fitness and keep moving forward with my plan. If I refuse to deviate from the schedule, my motivation may start to waver when "life happens" and I may fall off track.

For example, I'm currently doing T25. I have a double workout scheduled for Friday. However, I know that we're going to have a house guest staying in my preferred workout space on Thursday night, so I may not be able to find a peaceful corner of the house for a 50+ minute workout session. So, I've decided to swap Thursday's and Friday's workouts, so I'll have a shorter session to fit in on Friday.

Every week, I think about the week ahead and plan accordingly. Even if the week ahead looks packed, don't plan to skip your workout sessions - instead, look at what's possible, schedule accordingly, even miss a couple of hours' sleep - and make your fitness and health a top priority.

Engage the Core!!

FINDING YOUR CORE

The most important change I've seen in my body so far is an improvement  in core strength.  I've always known that the core is crucial to health and well-being, but I never really bothered to build up my own. Big mistake - it makes a real difference in how I feel, and  now for me, it's reason enough to keep working out every day..

For example, I used to run all the time. I was in good shape, but running was the only thing I did to stay fit. In 2005-2006 I finished two marathons and was running 25-40 miles a week, depending on my training plan. Then life happened, and over the next few years, I slowly lost interest in running on a regular basis. Then a few years ago, I started having pain in my lower back that flared up every time a ran.  It wasn't severe or debilitating, but after every run I'd wind up with cramped muscles over the right side of my lower back. It never occurred to me that the problem was my core (or lack thereof).

Then back in February I looked in the mirror and realized that I'd let things go too far. I was barely working out and it showed.  On a whim I ordered Insanity, doubting I would even be able to handle it since a three mile run was still putting knots in my back.

Surprisingly, I could do the Insanity workouts without winding up in traction. Maybe its because the moves are constantly changing, as opposed to the repetitive motion of running. But there was a problem - when Shaun T said to "engage the core", I had no idea what he was talking about. My abs were so out of shape I could barely feel them. Through squats, planks, push-ups, floor sprints and all the rest, I tried to engage the core, but all I managed to do was suck in my stomach (which ain't it).

Then, one day, about three weeks in, I felt it. First in my obliques (the muscles that run up the sides of the abdomen), then gradually across my upper and lower abs. I had finally figured out what to do, and it made a real difference in my workouts.

HOW TO ENGAGE THE CORE

Contrary to what a lot of people think, engaging the core doesn't involve sucking in your stomach at all. When I engage my core during a workout, I first check my posture and make sure my hips are properly aligned. Then I gently contract the muscles across my lower abdomen, then focus on adding a gentle contraction of my oblique muscles. When I do this, I also feel my back muscles engage. At this point I feel like I have a solid "core" of support surrounding my abdomen and spine, which feels great.

It takes practice and hard work, but building core muscle should be a key part of any fitness regimen!

Focus T25 Stretch!

I admit, I had a great time on Saturday night. A good friend in the neighborhood had a party, and I didn't head home until late (putting it mildly). So the T25 Stretch workout was a great way to shake off any fatigue and make it through the way.

The workout is exactly what it says - long, slow stretching and yoga movements to improve flexibility and balance. Shaun T walks the group through a series of exercises and active stretches that include:

Knee holds (to stretch the glutes)
Squats and hip flexor stretches
Lunges (groin stretches)
Downward dog series
Pigeon yoga poses

...among other exercises.  All in all, its a nice, no-impact video that gets your body ready for the next week of T25.

Tomorrow I start week 3 of the Alpha round of T25, which means another go at the Total Body Circuit. Even after two rounds of Insanity, this video is tough.