Each and every one of us is using the year 2008 at a fast pace. Remember that New Year’s Eve party when you looked in the mirror in the men’s room at the local pub and promised yourself that this would be one year of a successful weight program? Well, if you haven’t done anything on that promise yet, then the year 2008 is going by at the speed of light. It’s time to get up and do something about it.
“Get in shape.” If right. A different meaning for each individual. You may want to reach the dizzying heights of pressing the buttons on your television remote without getting dizzy from the effort. Or you can be the guy (or girl) who aspires to be the next bodybuilding champion in your category. It doesn’t matter where you are on this scale, you’ll never get there unless you start!
You’ve set your goal for weight gain, weight loss, biceps build, waist decrease, get rid of love handles, or which channel you want to watch right now! The next step is to choose a suitable program for your goals. No problem, search the internet. Now there is a laughable statement. Search the internet and find hundreds, if not thousands, of gurus who promise the salvation of humanity through the use of their program.
So your task here is to sort through enough truths and hype to satisfy your needs, your goals, and your checkbook balance. While this may be easier said than done, it is a doable task.
Hopefully you didn’t just travel to this world on the stupid mobile, so you should have skills to search, research, choose and use. Maybe just some tips to help you out. The necessary components of health always include nutrition, rest, and some form of exercise. This exercise should always include some form of cardiopulmonary work. It’s not really good to attempt a heavy bench press and the good old ticker fails you. Therefore, the first goal of your program should be “general” health, not just large muscles.
Now you’ve set your goal and realized you need general health, so you have something to look for in a program. Time to go shopping. Think of a few words related to what you want to achieve. You want muscles, then use “muscle”, “gain muscle”, “build muscle”. You get the picture. Weight gain? Then look under “weight gain” (duh!), “weight gain”, “weight gain now”. Weight loss?–same theory–“lose weight.” “lose weight now”, “lose fat”. These are your search words for your research. I just noticed something that is totally irrelevant to this: I have never seen the search words: “gain fat”. I might give it a try later today and see what comes up!
Do several searches using different words for each one. Take the first four or five results and eliminate the websites that don’t appear in all of your searches. This will give you a good start on your final choice. It’s time to eliminate all but one of the pack. Do some research on each of the websites to make it easy.
Look for negatives and positives in your research. How much experience is claimed by the “guru” you are investigating. One would hope that the more the merrier, but this would only be true if it is a truthful system. Maybe the site owner has competed and won relevant contests. You wouldn’t expect to find a Mr. Universe or Strongest Man contest winner running a website that would be affordable for my checkbook, but who knows? Where the experience was obtained and what type it is might be important in your search. Each of us is different, so my suggestions would probably be useless for everyone. Go back to the research and just what you want.
Look up what they offer you for your $$$$$. E-books, videos, personal contact and help? They are all available through many sites and should probably be in your purchased program. Videos are great for those of us who need to see something to understand the full purpose. Why pin your elbows tightly against your waist in a curl? If the video doesn’t explain, then maybe you should look elsewhere.
I could write all day and bore you with more and more complexities if you wanted. That is your job since you know exactly what you want and the time and money you can invest. However, common sense would indicate that there are not five days a week. two hours per day. high protein or high cash diet program supplements if you don’t have overdraft protection on your checkbook and your job doesn’t allow you more than twenty extra hours per week. Again, the bottom line is deciding what you want, going after it, and then putting it into action. Most online trainers can and do work with you one-on-one, but you are the one in control of implementing what you choose.
Something you should use in your quest is reputation. While it is very difficult to remove bad reps from a trainer, there are a few methods you can use. Try the Better Business Bureau. And don’t just look at the logo on the website — contact the BBB and CHECK membership and the number of complaints or praise.
Also look for a trainer who has a verifiable record of contribution with nationally recognized organizations. Fitness magazines are a good start. If your (possible) future coach mentions past or present work with a reputable magazine, then contact them. You will be able to verify his statements and read some of his previous work. Check the titles listed in the aptitude field. Seek membership in weightlifting or bodybuilding organizations. Nothing more to dig though, the web is full of methods to protect your spending limits and your (future) biceps.
So, we have:
***Set a goal
*** investigate the main players in the training ground
***verify chosen trainer as a viable resource
***buy the program and go ahead
*** GET OFF YOUR LAZY ASS AND IMPLEMENT WHAT YOU WANT TO DO — THE YEAR 2008 IS FADING FAST AND ONE OF THE YEARS YOU LEST WANT TO BREAK A PROMISE IS YOURSELF