Goals Are For Beating

Wow, guess it has been a while since I wrote anything. Sorry. I got focused on a goal that I set a year ago. I was watching some friends run in a marathon race and decided to try it myself. Last weekend the race had one more runner. The event that started me running was a goal that I was very focused on finishing. Long story short, I finished the 13.1 mile half marathon in a personal best time and a whole lot of pain. More on that later.

Looking back over the year I realized that setting that goal changed my attitude towards working out and getting healthy. I went from “trying to get fit and stay healthy” in the short term and got the final results I had been trying to achieve for a long time before.

I often tell people at the beginning of a body/life changing process to pick an event they want to do. Make it a challenge to focus their training. I have helped many people change their bodies and health over the years, but that seems to be the key to success. A goal needs to be specific and difficult, but still obtainable. Saying “ I am going to “run a full marathon” when the farthest you have jogged is to the fridge during a commercial is a sure way to become frustrated with yourself. Making your goal “to get fit and healthy” is so vague that you have no way to know that being out of breath after your fridge dash is bad.

Be honest with yourself about where your are at when you set your goal. Pick something you have always thought would be rewarding to do. Make it only achievable when the amount of training you can push yourself to give. Plan and execute! Then go beat the stuffing out of that goal!

Along the way you may find yourself where you originally wanted to be.

Fundamental Fitness Suppments - L-glutamine

You start a new exercise program to get in better health and the day after your first workout you feel like you were smashed by a Humvee. Your muscles are letting you know that they do not like this new work that you are putting them through. This is a big stumbling block for most of us when we start out. The last day I had this kind of muscle ache was the day I started using L-glutamine.

L-glutamine is an abundant amino acid that the body uses for many benefits. It is not essential, meaning the body can produce its normal needs from other things, but situations such as athletic training can make it so. By taking L-glutamine before, during, and after your exercise, you can help your body prevent muscle damage and stimulate the synthesis of new muscle. 

What does that mean?

It means that I am able to run a half marathon on one day and still be able to keep up the pace of my regular life the next. Those who are training harder have the advantage of not having their next workout impacted by what they did the day before.

Fundamental Supplements For Fitness 2

After protein, I believe most people interested in any body shaping should look to creatine supplementation to help them achieve their goals. Using creatine http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creatine_supplements as a supplement has been around since the early 1900's. It came into the public eye largely due to its use by Olympic athletes in the 1992 Barcelona games.

It does not matter what your final goal is, creatine has been shown in studies http://pharmrev.aspetjournals.org/content/53/2/161.short to be effective for increasing muscle mass. If your goal is to “bulk” up, the use is a no-brainer.

Those who are trying to lose body fat and are not interested in becoming bigger, never fear, creatine is still your friend. By building more muscle your body will need more calories to operate daily. Raising your daily caloric needs and controlling your intake is the best way I know to shed body fat.

When selecting a creatine supplement there two things to consider. Creatine Monohydrate is the form with the most evidence of effectiveness. Most creatine is manufactured in three factories around the world.

Fundamental Supplements for Fitness

Say you want to add a few pounds of muscle, or a lot of muscle. What if you wanted to lose a few pounds of body fat? No matter what your body shaping goals are, having a solid supplement foundation will help you achieve the look you want.

Anyone trying to change their body's composition - for any reason - should start their program with 4 fundamental supplements that will help them achieve their goals. You can build a house without a hammer. It probably is not easy but it can be done. The same applies to proper supplementation.

The first and most important supplement anyone who has any goals for their body, fitness, weight, general health, energy levels, and so on, is protein. You can't build that house without lumber for the frame. Taking in the correct amount of protein will let your body repair and build new muscle in response to your exercising efforts.

“What's the best kind of protein?” you say.

The kind you eat. Eat your protein as much as possible. However a protein shake after exercising is a very good idea. Protein shakes are more rapidly processed by the body. When you are done exercising your body will be primed for protein. Faster is better at this time.

Building a house is not easy. The more effort you put into this project the better your results will be.