Creating the Body You Want

How many times have you seen fitness stars, celebrities, models, or people around you and thought: "I want a stomach like hers, arms like his, thighs like this person, and a butt like them?" We're all guilty of it. I have a few tips and tricks up my sleeve to reach your fitness and body goals to feel great and be where you want to be on the inside and the outside.

Mind & soul come first.

I think we're all guilty of hating parts of our bodies at one moment in time. We're programmed to want to change things about ourselves by the media and big corporations who profit off of body and image-changing types of products. The truth is, all that self-hating is just a tactic that was put into your mind by someone else. That insecurity you have is a form of control over your own mind and happiness that you gave to someone or something else. Before you can get the body and the look and the life you want, you need to take your mind back.

Positive affirmations are the best way to start battling the attacks on your mind by past influences. Give power back to yourself and then you can begin work on your goals. If not, you will never be satisfied with your progress, and it will be a lot less fun and motivational. Every night before bed and every morning when you wake up, look into your mirror and give yourself positive affirmations such as: "I am beautiful/handsome. I am worthy. I love myself. I am dedicated. I am smart." You'll feel lighter and more at home with yourself the more you take yourself back.

This light feeling is the coming together of your mind and soul. Learning to trust and love each other the way they were always meant to before other people, society, media, corporations, or anything else came in and severed that union. Embrace that connection, because it is the beginning of your body goals.

The Body Connection

You've heard the phrase "the mind-body-soul connection", right? That's why I stress the coming together of mind and soul first. Working on the inside ensures successful transitions to the next step: the body connection. When you learn to align all the three entities, it's an unstoppable force and an incredible feeling. Focusing on your goals is easier when you're balanced. You can stay motivated a little better, and you can also be excited about even your little progresses (it's hard to stay excited and motivated when you aren't balanced and you don't feel great).

The number one thing to remember about weight loss and fitness is: there is no magic spell or move. There are tons of programs and trainers out there who will promise to teach you all the right ab moves or leg moves or arm moves to get rid of belly fat, jiggly thighs, and bat wings under the arms. THE TRUTH IS, there is no way to isolate body fat. Usually, the place you store fat the quickest will be the absolute last to go (Okay, ya girl is STILL working on her stomach pooch after having a baby). That is okay though, because I am excited about the results I have gotten. And to be honest, I am not in a hurry to achieve all my goals, because goals keep me motivated and help me relate to people who want to get started. Once I run out of goals, I'll need to find new ways to stay motivated and maintain my results. So for now, I'm enjoying having work to do.

Muscle Building & Toning

Now, there is muscle isolation and activation you can do to build your strength and muscle in specific areas. This won't happen right away, but you will see amazing results.

You won't acquire your booty gains, abs, or sculpted arms by doing cardio. Running for hours on the treadmill actually burns muscle off. So, if your body goals are to build curves and gain muscle, you need to focus more on the weight training and less on cardio. HIIT (high intensity interval training) is a great way to get cardio exercises put into your routine without burning off muscle. HIIT insures you will burn body fat, and with the addition of weight training moves, will also keep you making the gains you want.

HIIT + Weight Routines to try:

30 seconds full sprint

30 seconds rest

30 seconds full sprint

30 seconds rest

30 seconds squat with shoulder weight

30 seconds reverse lunges with weight

30 seconds rest

repeat 2x

40 second jump rope

30 second rest

40 second jump rope

40 second rest

30 second plank walks

30 second shoulder press

30 seconds rest

repeat 2x

You can isolate certain muscles by throwing in resistance bands or doing certain moves that hit specific areas. Like deadlifts that hit the hamstrings, or presses that target your shoulders and chest. Here are some isolation examples:

Glutes

20 donkey kicks each leg

20 dumb bell dead lifts

20 weighted leg lifts each leg

40 weighted butt lifts

Chest

20 reverse pushups

20 standing row

20 pushups

15 weighted chest openers

Researching muscle groups and learning about the benefits of different weight training and body weight moves will certainly help you understand the types of moves that will work best for you. The best ideas are the ones you learn about yourself, not ones famous gurus tell you to do because they do them. You have to customize your routine for your goals, and for what is fun and challenging for you.

Timing is everything.

Your perfect body is not going to happen in three months, despite aggressive infomercials' promises. You have to work on your mind/body/soul connection and stay dedicated to your fitness progress and let your body sculpt itself over time. But it will happen.

Do not beat yourself up if it takes you longer time than others, and do not pressure yourself if your results seem speedy. Certain things like metabolism, body type, diet, and much more play a part in how your body will adjust to your routines. Here's a few things to remember during your journey:

• Everyone is different! Comparing yourself to others' messes with your mind/body/soul work you have been doing. Keep your affirmations positive and your work focused-you literally can't go wrong this way!
• You have to keep your nutrition in check just as much as your weight training. It plays a vital part in muscle building. Keep your protein and carb intake levels high to keep your energy and muscle mass up.
• Do not beat yourself up over setbacks. Everyone has them, and in part, they are critical to the progress. Think of it as your body's way of reminding you to switch it up and stay focused! See the positive in every step of your journey
• Rest days are just as important as work days. Your muscle fibers have to heal in order to grow. You need your rest days in order to make your gains and shape the body you want. Just as sleep is important for your mind and your skin, your rest days are vital to your gains.

Stay inspired, do your research, and keep up the good work!