Once you have decided to take action to achieve your goals, you must determine where it is you want to be and realise where it is you are starting from. From there, it is a certain amount of “positive steps” you need to take to achieve that goal.

Everybody has to take a different amount of “steps”, as everybody is different.

The variables that determine the amount of “steps” you need to take may include:

• Your fitness level when starting out
• Your goal at the end
• Age
• Gender
• Your hormones
• Your lifestyle
• Your metabolism

All of these things and many more must be considered when making your action plan for success.

You have to be taking constant steps forward to reach your goals.

The more steps backward you take, the longer it will take to reach your goals.

Examples of “steps” forward are:

• Eating breakfast
• Eating regularly
• Eating healthy nutritious meals with a balance of low GI carbs, protein and salad or vegetables
• Thinking positively
• Training correctly
• Training regularly to your appointed schedule
• Opting for water rather than alcohol or soft drink
• Sleeping 8 hours per night
• Drinking 3 litres of water per day

Examples or “steps” backward;

• Skipping meals
• Eating incorrectly such as high GI carbs and high fat, high sugar meals
• Not incorporating enough protein into your diet
• Drinking alcohol
• Drinking soft drinks
• Skipping workouts
• Training incorrectly
• Thinking negatively
• Not sleeping enough
• Not drinking enough water

Remember that taking a step backward does not leave you level, it leaves you back one step from achieving your goals, because if you had taken that step forward you would have been one step closer, now you are 2 steps further away because you passed up the opportunity to be one step closer.

So every time you take a step backward, remember it takes 2 steps forward to advance you along the way to achieving your goals. Try to think of how many steps forward you took this week and how many steps backward you took. Did you advance, stay level or go backward?

Does this make it a little clearer as to how diligent you have to be to reach your goals?

Fat doesn’t lose itself!

Yours in Fitness

Troy Shipsey

Well its that time of year again. Everybody is scrambling to get in shape for their swim suits and those lazy summer days on the beach. Or maybe it’s just for the lack of clothing that we wear as the weather heats up.

Whatever the reason, this is definitely the season to get in shape.

So here are my series of tips to get in shape for summer (life). They may sound like common sense, that is because they are, but I guess everybody just needs a little kick up the butt and a reminder now and then, or we’d all be in great shape all year round. It’s not that hard, just eat sensibly and move regulary.

So my first tip to you: Don’t skip your workouts!

Every person and every workout is different, but as a general rule of thumb, you would burn approximately 600 calories in 1 hour of my training.

So lets use this average figure of 600 calories per workout for my calculations.

I recommend training 5 days per week. This = 3000 calories burned per week.

If you want to burn 1 kg of fat, you have to burn approximately 7700 calories.

So without looking at nutrition in this tip, it would take 2 1/2 weeks to burn off 1 kg of fat without skipping any workouts.

Lets say you train 3 days per week, it will now take you 1 month to lose that kilo of fat.

Train 2 days per week and we are now looking at 6 weeks to lose that 1 kilo of fat.

This may sound silly, but some people only train once a week. They are looking at 3 months to lose 1 kg of fat.

So here’s your first tip to getting that body you want; Train regularly and don’t skip your workouts!

Now this tip is taking into consideration movement only, but I think we all know that it is what goes into our mouths that is critical to weight loss, so we will look at this in next week’s tip: Let’s get fit for summer Part 2.

Your in Fitness

Troy Shipsey

When it comes to exercise, there are many ways to go about it. 

Team sports
Martial arts
Gym 
Group Fitness Training
Bootcamp
Personal Training
Yoga
Pilates
Jogging
Cycling
Swimming
and the list goes on…

The man thing to consider firstly is what do you enjoy?
You don’t want to lock into something you hate, because you will only end up quitting soon after starting!

The second is what is your goal?

The third is will what you enjoy get you to your goal?
If you want to lose weight, don’t join the local pool and lock in for swimming lessons for 12 weeks, personal training, group training or bootcamp may be your best bet. If you want to run a triathalon, don’t join a bootcamp, start cycling, running and swimming or join a triathalon club. If you want to bulk up, don’t join the local touch footy club, join the local gym and pump some iron. If you want to increase flexibilty, don’t join the gym, get into yoga and compliment that with some pilates.

This may sound like common sense, but exercise can be one of those grey areas where people get confused and just end up going with what they know.

The problem with going with what you know, is that if you do what you have always done, you will achieve what you have always achieved. Often this is not a good thing.

A plateau with results is the most common cause for people to give up on their exercise plans. They think that they can’t reach their goals, so they give up. Then they get fed up with being unfit and overweight, so they start again and the cycle continues, only this time they are more overweight and a little older, making it harder to reach the goal this time, so the cycle gets worse!

The most important thing to remember is that exercise is for life. If what you really enjoy doing isn’t working for you, supplement it with something that will work a little better, but don’t kid yourself by doing the same thing over and over if it isn’t working for you.

Yours in Fitness

Troy Shipsey

Everywhere I look these days, there is information about a “diet”. Any diet and every diet. This diet and that diet. Have you heard of this diet? Have you tried that diet? What do you think of this diet? I think I’m going to try that diet. So and so has got a great diet out. That other guy has got a new diet out. Thingy has come up with an entirely new diet. There is back log of getting product for that diet, so it must be awesome!

Give me a break! If each diet worked long term, then we wouldn’t have a million and one diet books on the shelf.

On the cover of a popular magazine I once saw Kirsty Alley and Oprah Winfrey and the headline was “The great diet showdown”. Is this how we should be thinking? Taking advice from two women who yo-yo with their weight more than anyone in the public eye!

We need to stop the diet mentality!

We need to realise that health is more about eating healthy food, not about being thin regardless of the path taken to get there!

In order to live a healthy life, you should eat a diet rich in fruit and vegetables (preferably organic if possible, but not essential). I also believe in eating fish, lean organic chicken & eggs and a little organic red meat.

If you want to eat junk food, save it for the weekend and eat it in moderation. Limit yourself to 2 junk food meals per weekend.

Remember that fruit and vegetables are carbohydrates, so this is not a carb free diet! It is a natural eating diet. No gimmicks here, just eating food in it’s natural form.

Try it, you will feel so much better, your energy levels will be higher, you will lose weight and you won’t feel bloated hours after a meal.

If we all just stopped looking for the quick fix or giving these stupid diets the time of day, we could all focus on eating for good long term health.

The only people who benefit long term from these diets are the guys who came up with the diets and sold a whole bunch of books and supplements to ingnorant people who want the quick fix.

I urge you to take control and think about the information you are being fed. Block out the con artists who want to take advantage and get rich from your desire to create “a healthy body”.

Try to eat as close to the natural form a food comes as possible and exercise regularly.

Yours in Health and Fitness

Troy Shipsey

When undertaking an exercise plan, the first step is to establish your goals. The next step is to assess the most sensible way to reach those goals.

I see so many typical weight loss gym goers training in the same manner as a body builder. Now this is fine if your goal is to look like a body builder, but is that your goal?

If the guy over in the corner is performing seated bicep curls to make his arms look bigger, does that mean you too should perform seated bicep curls? Is your goal to have big biceps? Do you want big arms? Or is there something more effective that you could be doing?

If your goal is to lose weight, there is no doubting how important resistance training is, but you should be trying to use as much muscle mass at the one time as you can handle.

The least effective exercises to lose weight would be machine weights. These machines tell your whole body to switch off apart from the muscle group that is moving the weight. Besides that, why do you need to sit down at the gym? Didn’t you sit down to eat breakfast, to get to work, at work, at lunch, to get home from work, whilst you had dinner and after dinner? I think you can see that you sit down enough, so when you get to the gym to carry out your weight loss training, please don’t sit down!

Here a few examples of simple exercise combinations to get the calories burning more effectively:

* Lunge bicep curl

* Squat cable row

* Step up side raise

* Deadlift bicep curl

* Kettlebell swing

* Squat press

* Dumbell chest press on a ball instead of a bench with a bar

There are so many combinations to choose from, so get creative with your training!

Troy Shipsey

Fitta Bodies Personal Training

Group Fitness Training Centennial Park, Sydney

Yesterday I listened to a radio interview with one of our favourite ex-Olympic swimmers who has gained a lot of excess weight since he stopped competing internationally.

The question was put to him how he had lost his weight recently, as he has lost approximately 5kg’s in as many weeks.

He said that he started to eat healthy, no more takeaway, very little alcohol and lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. He also said he has been exercising regularly.

So of course the radio DJ’s make some jokes, “what do you mean you are just eating well and working hard, but we don’t want to hear that, we want the majic pill we can take to lose weight”. 

Quite clearly they were joking on the surface, but the problem is, most people are still looking for that majic pill, in the form of a fad diet or funky new exercise program that will set the world on fire.

But, our swimmer said “no, honestly guys, you just have to eat healthy and find some form of exercise you enjoy doing and do it regularly. Consistency is the key!”

Wow, my favourite word in regards to reaching your goals, is “consistency” and here it was being spoken by the guy who is losing weight by doing it the real way.

It was awesome to hear and I hope everyone who was listening took notice and made some kind of decision to change their ways. 

Stop looking for the quick fix.

* Exercise the way you enjoy regularly. Try to do some form of exercise 5 - 6 days per week.

* Eat healthy. This means salad, vegetables, fruit, protein. Limit junk food and alcohol.

It really is that simple, health works from the inside out!

Troy Shipsey

Fitta Bodies Personal Training

Group Fitness Centennial Park, Sydney

Two of the most common fitness advertisements are:

“Make your new years fitness resolutions now” End of December, start of January.

or

“Get in shape now for Summer” September, October, November.

Both of these statements are good because they encourage people to look after their health. But really, it is far more important to be healthy all year round!

One of the hardest times to stay fit, healthy and in general good shape is Winter.

Why is that?

Well let’s have a think about it…

*It’s cold in Winter, bed is far more appealing.

*It’s cold in Winter, comfort food dominates our diet.

*It’s cold in Winter, we wear so many layers, we forget what we look like under all those clothes.

*It’s cold in Winter, Summer is a long way away, which means bikinis and board shorts seem like forever away.

But then…..

The weather warms up, we see the ads.

Get in shape now for Summer!!! We freak out and decide to embark on a new and exciting diet and fitness regimen. Summer comes, we left our run too late, it now becomes a new years resolution, we try another fad diet and the next fitness regimen that will work better than the last…

Need I go on?

I think you get it.

This year, next year and every year after that, make a Winter’s resolution. Yes it’s a little colder, yes it’s a little darker out, but yes it is a necessary part of a healthy balanced life to be fit and healthy all year round!

Troy Shipsey

Fitta Bodies Personal Training

Group Training Camp Centennial Park, Sydney

Sometimes as time goes by, you can lose sight of why you started an exercise program in the first place. You think you still know, you tell yourself that when you get up and train once or twice a week, but then one day you stop and realise, hey, I was so motivated when I first started. I was training 5 days a week. I really wanted to get fit, I really wanted to lose those extra kilos, I really wanted to have more energy for life!

Well, have your goals changed? Probably not. What has changed, is your level of motivation.

So how do you get that motivation back?

Here is a video that was brought to my attention last week. If this guy cannot motivate you, then nothing can!

Awesome inspirational video

If you think it is hard to get out of bed because your tired, or it’s cold, or you hate getting wet, or you went out drinking last night, or any other little reason you think justifies not continuing to strive towards your goals. Have a thought for the young man in this video who says “there’s always someone worse off than yourself”.

Now that you have been motivated by that awesome video, I want you to consider this:

Motivation is an emotion and emotions change daily, if not more often. If you rely on motivation, you will never reach your goals!

When you have a goal, especially something as important as health and fitness, you need to work towards that goal, not do it when it suits you. And yes, health is the most important thing in life, whether you think it is or not, because without health, you have nothing….

Sorry to sound like a hard arse, but sometimes you need a kick up the bum to spark up the thoughts of your initial goals. Those goals that brought you to me in the first place….remember…..

Troy Shipsey

Fitta Bodies Personal Training

Centennial Park Outdoor Group Training Camp, Sydney 

Most of you are aware of my opinion on the TV show The Biggest Loser and are often puzzled by my views, so I would like to explain why I think this way. I will also show you a video from a well respected trainer who shares a similar view.

I think the show is a disgrace, for many reasons…

* It gives people false hope that this is how quickly you should be able to lose weight, when realistically this is near impossible in the real world.

* People of this size should be aiming to lose this excess weight over years. We are talking about 150kg-200kg individuals.

* It is so unhealthy! They take the most overweight, unhealthy, emotionally unstable specimens from society and punish their bodies and their minds severely;

• They are subjected to hours upon hours of exercise everyday, when they may never have exercised in their life before.
• They are nutritionally deprived.
• They are encouraged to eat junk food in order to win immunity to elimination.
• They send home the ones who don’t lose enough weight that week. Surely the ones who don’t lose enough weight are the ones who need to stay!
• The exercises they give them are so unsuitable for anybody of that weight.
• Their technique during exercise is horrible.
• They are subjected to the bitching, plotting against and ridiculing each other in order to form these “alliances” to stay in the show. Remember how emotionally unstable these individuals were already.

What always astounds me is when you see the contestants pouring their hearts in their audition tapes or on advertisements.

They all say the same thing: “I really want to lose the weight and I feel so bad about the way I look and feel, all I want to do is be healthy”.

But if this was true, they would make an effort to do it outside of a national television show.

What they really need to say is: “I want to be on TV and I want to win lots of money and I don’t care how badly I have to punish my body to get it”.

 Do you think it is healthy to see somebody break down and start crying mid way through an exercise session?

Imagine how you would feel if you were in their place.

So if you love watching the Biggest Loser because it really changes peoples lives. Think again!

 What they need is no different from what we all need:

• A healthy eating plan with plenty of fresh salads, vegetables and fruit. Lean organic protein and lot’s of filtered water
• Daily exercise suited to their weight and ability.
• 8 hours of quality sleep a night.
• No caffeine and limited alcohol.

 So that’s my opinion of Biggest Loser!

 Check out this video, it demonstrates what I am talking about.

“Origin of Energy” video about biggest loser

Troy Shipsey

Fitta Bodies Personal Training

Centennial Park Outdoor Group Training Camp, Sydney

In order to succeed, you must be your own motivator. You cannot rely on others to give you your motivation on a daily basis.

Here is a very simple example, but there are many variations to this.

Example of somebody who requires constant motivation: Somebody who turns up to training and just does what’s required.

Example of a self motivator: Somebody who turns up to training regularly and tries their hardest at everything.

Who do you think will get the best results?

Who do you think will have long term success?

You will notice something about a person who tries their hardest at everything: They improve!

You will notice something about a person who just does the minimum: They stay the same!

You should be trying your hardest even when nobody else is watching you.

Think of your trainer, as a guide. They provide the program and the guidance to get through that program.

How hard you try at the program provided is up to you.

You have to provide the intensity based on whether you really do want to succeed with your health and fitness goals or not.

Bottom line:

I want each and every person to succeed, but I cannot be over your shoulder barking at you to keep going or do more or run faster or eat healthier or have better technique. You have to want these things yourself for ultimate long term success.

Troy Shipsey

Fitta Bodies Personal Training

Centennial Park Outdoor Group Training, Sydney