First, you should arrange for a full physical examination from your
physician. This is mandatory for people that have high cholesterol,
high blood pressure, diabetes, or are obese. Once you have your
doctor’s approval to begin a fitness program, you should schedule a
fitness assessment with a health professional at your gym.

While both of these are incredibly annoying, they are essential to your
success and well-being. The benefits of a doctor’s visit are obvious,
particularly if you have one or more of the previously mentioned
conditions but it also allows you and your doctor to discuss your
lifestyle. Preventative medicine is far better than reactive medicine.
Make your doctor part of your fat loss and health-building team along
with the health professionals at your gym.

The real benefits of the fitness assessment aren’t finding out how much
body fat you have or how many minutes you can last on the treadmill,
but rather getting a better understanding of your strengths and
weaknesses. If you want to avoid injury and actually achieve your goals
this year, get to know your strengths and weaknesses.

The next secret is to walk, don’t run, to fitness success. If you want
to pick up your University running workouts where you left them 10
years ago, that’s fine. But I guarantee you won’t last 10 days. And
then it’ll be a dreary 355 days until you’re ready to try exercise
again.

The hidden benefit of a good fitness assessment is that it will
actually serve as a nice introductory workout to your return to
fitness. It will buffer your delusions of fitness grandeur from the
reality of what your body actually can do. After the fitness assessment
teaches your body a lesson and awakens your muscles from their winter
slumber, only then will you realize your limits that you must respect
in subsequent workouts.

Goal-setting is the fourth secret to success (and not just in fitness,
but in any area of life). It is much more effective to commit to a set
of specific short-term and long-term goals than it is to routinely hope
for weight loss each year.

Set realistic goals and remember to train within your limits. If you
are currently sedentary and haven’t exercised in months (or years),
don’t begin an advanced training program. Start with a conservative
beginner program. Your belly wasn’t built in a day, and neither will be
lost overnight.

Limit your initial workouts to 1 set per muscle group. In week 2, you
should be ready to add another set. And if you want to build up to 3
sets, then do so in week 3. Slowly increase the weight and stay within
your desired repetition range. At no time should you be too sore to
function. And runners should also heed this advice. Too much running
will guarantee shin splints in the early going. Avoid running on back
to back days for the first two weeks and keep the distance short. Sore
muscles are guaranteed when you lift. So keep the volume low.

And now for 2 super secrets that will help keep you committed and
consistent with your workouts and will finally help you lose fat for
good.

First, build your social support team. Social support is the #1 factor
for success for women in fitness programs, and is important for men as
well. Support can come from your spouse, brother or sister, child, mom
or dad, friend, neighbor, co-worker, personal trainer, or lifestyle
coach. Don’t try to go it alone. People respond better when they report
to a person instead of a machine.

You also need to know that nutrition is the second most important
factor for success in fat loss programs. That’s why you don’t need to
train like a world-class athlete when you are starting to lose fat.
Most of the fat you’ll lose in the early going is because you have
chosen to make better nutritional choices. And if you don’t make better
nutritional choices, even the best exercise program in the world isn’t
going to help you achieve your fat loss goals.

Nutrition is a lot simpler than you think. Don't over think things. See
a nutritionist or listen to what your mother told you as a kid. Food
choices should contain a large nutrient-to-calorie ratio. Dr. Phil (yes
that Dr. Phil) calls this “High-Response Cost, High-Yield Nutrition”.
And follow this rule: Don't eat foods with added sugar or high-fructose
corn syrup, but make sure to log your nutritional intake. This is a
free website that allows you to track your calories, protein,
carbohydrates, and fat.

The consistent use of these 6 secrets will help you achieve your fat
loss goals this year. Make this year’s fitness plan a strategic
investment in your future health. The most efficient and effective way
to lose fat in 2005 is with my Turbulence Training workouts - the
choice of fitness professionals.

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training