Hi all,

So its the middle of winter and people are starting to drop off.  As much as you would like to think that you arent getting slack at all, i think that we are all guilty of succumbing to the winter comforts of sitting inside in the warmth, watching tv and having some winter comfort food.

So as I have said in my previous blog entry, how bad do you really want to achieve your goals?  Do you really want it or do you think that you just want it?

So I have put together some of the main things that normal people do in winter and what you should do instead to make sure that you really do achieve your goals.

Keep Working Out

At this time of year most people will think that because we cover our bodies with layers of clothing that we really dnot have to keep up with their workouts....well because lets face it, we can hide those extra few kilos with clothes and no body will be none the wiser....but then what happens?

It becomes spring and slowly into summer and all of a sudden you have to spend the first 3 months or so getting back to the point where you left off because you were toio lazy to keep working out.

So what you are going to do is keep up with your workouts and keep up with getting your results.  Imagine how great you are going to lookl and feel when spring and summer roll around and everyone is complaining about how out of shape they are....just don't let yourself become one of those people.

Manage your time

We have all hear the excuse "I dont have time to exercise".  My response to that is "bullsh&t".  What you really meant to say was that you cant be bothered to find the time to exercise, or it is not the most convenient time to work out.  You will complain about work commitments, family commitments, holidays etc;  truth is that all you have to do is to make your workouts a priority and you will find the time.

Lets face it, you can get up earlier to do a workout if you really wanted to.  It is not convenient for me to get up at 4.30am to workout, but I do it because it is not convenient for me either to end up unfit, unhealthy and not be able to do the fun things in life!

   If you are serious you will find time.  Also if you are going to use the   excuse that you cant get to the gym when the gym is open....don't forget the hardest workouts are sometimes by using your bodyweight and nothing else.

So stop the excuses and start managing and using your time effectively

Keep up the fluids

So ok it is not 40 degrees and you are drinking loads of water, and because you are cold you don't want to drink your water. Well most people  will use this an excuse and start drinking coffee instead of water or other hot drinks....because it makes them feel good.

Well not you, you are going to suck it up and realize that the body doesn't care if it is winter or summer, day or night...it needs to be hydrated no matter what.  It will make yolu feel better, your digestion will be better, your organs will function better, you will recover better, your skin will look better, your muscles will be more defined...do I really need to go on???

So suck it up people and start sucking down that water during the winter.

Don't Stuff Yourself

What most people do during this time of year is to start gorging themselves on food.  They start eating loads of bad comfort food and when they eat they all of a sudden get the urge to eat 3 times more the amount of what they really need.  They use these foods to make themselves feel good.

What you are going to do.  You are going to concentrate on grazing throughout the day and make sure you are getting your 4 - 6 meals a day and that way you will always feel full and you wont have the urge to stuff yourself silly.

Be smart with your food and don't over do it!  Just realize that you will continue to eat properly.

Keep Up Your Immunity

We all know that during winter people tend to get more sick than usual.  So you are going to combat this with keeping your immunity up.  Firstly you are already doing your regular workouts so that is a given, and that will help a lot.

But you are also going to keep up your nutrition.  You are also going to not get complacent on hygiene.  You will make sure that you wash your hands reguarly, and that you throw away tissues and things like that. 

I know that I may sound likke your mother by saying this, but she does have a point when it comes to keeping yourself free from germs that will get us sick.

Most of all guys, the thing to do is to avoid the temptation of being a slob!  Most people will go home after work to get their workout gear thinking that they will get straight to the gym or their class.  Come on, we all know why people do this...its because they can sit on the couch and go..."I will go tomorrow...its too cold outside now"

Stop being one of these people.  Instead of doing this, take your workout gear with you and instead of going home go straight to the gym or your class.

Stop and identify what it is that stops you from getting the exercise that you need during the winter.  Once you have identified this, then remedy it straight away.

I have said it before, and I am going to say it again....but how much you will do this will depend on how badly you really want it.

What Others Say..

It is easy for me to preach all of this, but sometimes the best advice can always come from other people that are in the gym and still working out day in and day out....so here is a just a few bits of advice from others in my gym on how they keep motivated during the cold weather.

"First is that training has become part of my everyday routine. Simple as

that. I need to train. If I don't I am very moody, and I don't like to be

moody, so I train.

Second is, I don't know about everyone else, but all I seem to do in winter

is EAT!!!! And it is not always the right food, so if I don't keep training"

"YOU NEED TO WANT IT AS BAD AS THE 

NEED TO BREATHE.      EVERYONE CAN REACH THEIR GOALS!    SOME QUICKLY AND 

SOME SLOWLY, BUT EVERYONE CAN DO IT!     NOTHING IS TOO HARD OR OUT OF 

REACH!    YOU JUST HAVE TO WORK HARD TO GET IT!     NOTHING WORTHWHILE IS EASY!"

Now go and get it and tell the cold weather that it can stick around if it wants but it will not do anything to stop you from getting your goals.

Until next time, train hard but train smart. 

Joe