Fitness Motivator, March 15, 2003 Volume 3, Issue 3

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You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to it. If you would like to be removed from this mailing list, please see the instructions at the end of this newsletter. Our subscriber list is NOT made available to other companies or individuals. We value every subscriber and respect your privacy. This newsletter is published once a month, usually around the 15th.

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Welcome to all our new subscribers, and I extend my appreciation to everyone who forwards this newsletter to friends. One friend telling another is how we grow, and I deeply appreciate your support. If you know anyone who might like it, please forward this newsletter to them or send them this link: http://www.exerciseyourwillpower.com/FitnessMotivator

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Living in south Florida makes what I want to write here a bit difficult. While living up north, I would have a big case of spring fever by now. Spring would be in the air, and I would be eager to move ahead with great resolve to get ready for summer. Since most of the winter weather here has a spring-like quality, I no longer get these great spring rushes. But I can use my memories from accumulated spring weather from my past to write this.

One thing that is ingrained deeply in my memory is how much motivation I had to lose the weight and shape up before summer arrived. Spring always gave me a little more incentive to do what I needed to do in order to make this happen—to look my best by bathing suit weather.

I wish you many spring days where you feel on top of the world and are motivated enough to plan ways to get into the best possible shape by summer. But remember, if you have a long way to go in order to obtain that goal, each step you take, gets you closer to where you want to be. As I found out in the past—it's not an "all or nothing" proposition. Reaching your goal WILL come, what's wrong with looking and feeling great for the Christmas season?

P.S. I am happy to announce that I have included a FREE e-book, that you can download, on the Fitness Motivator's home page.

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I am very excited to tell you about one of our readers who is not only incorporating fitness into her life, but who is doing it with a purpose to help others. Jann wanted to do a marathon. She knew that a little added motivation could be achieved, if she did a marathon to help raise money for such a worthy cause.

The worthy cause she chose is The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. She has committed herself to raising $4,600. She has a deadline to meet for the pledge as well as for her training for the marathon.

You can view her website to read about what she is trying to accomplish, see her training schedule, read her journal, among other things. She is offerring a couple chance drawings when one makes a donation. The first one is a $100 gift certificiate from GiftCertificate.com. The other isn't posted yet, but it will be to win a 4-page website. Hopefully, by time this is published, that information will be on the site for you to check out.

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Creating An Effective Home Gym
By Lynn Bode

Many people think that creating a home workout gym is either too intimidating or too costly. So, often they instead invest their money in a health club membership not realizing that for the same amount of money (or even less) they can create a very effective gym right in their own home.

For an effective home gym, all that is required is a little bit of planning. Don't fall into the trap of purchasing random fitness equipment because of fancy advertising for the latest infomercial fad or the great "sale" at your local fitness store. That type of purchasing leads to a house littered with equipment that's only use is as a clothes hanger or dust collector. This often happens because the equipment is either useless, poorly constructed or quickly loses its value because it doesn't progress with your fitness level.

To avoid having a basement filled with expensive dust-collecting equipment, keep these points in mind when making a purchase:

1) What are your fitness goals?

2) How often do you realistically think you will use the equipment?

3) What fitness level do you expect to be at in 3, 6, 9 months?

4) Will the equipment meet your needs as you get more fit (at the 3, 6, and 9-month marks)?

5) Does the equipment offer enough variations in use that you can change your workouts frequently to prevent your body from hitting a plateau?

6) Will you enjoy the exercises or will you quickly grow bored of them?

7) And, of course how much can you afford?

Once you have answered all of the above questions then you are ready to make some purchasing decisions. Of course, how much you can afford to spend may dictate what you can actually purchase. Don't get discouraged. For as little as $100, you can have a very effective total strength training home gym. Even for as little as $35, you can create an effective workout that will tone your entire body.

Regardless of what your fitness goals are, there are a plethora of equipment options to consider. For building muscles and/or toning-up you can choose from free weights, selectorized machines, resistance bands, benches and even no-equipment. For cardiovascular improvements (e.g. running, walking, etc), there are even more options. They range from treadmills, to elliptical trainers, to bikes and beyond. So, answering the previously mentioned questions is very important.

To help make your decision easier, below are several recommendations based on costs and needs, along with benefits of the exercise equipment.

If you want to create a gym that will provide you with a total body workout (cardio, strength and flexibility) and you have a budget of at least $1000, consider the following recommendations:

· Treadmill–The best option for cardiovascular equipment because it can be used for running, walking, and even some leg strength training. Plus, workouts can continually be varied based on speed, incline, even direction. And, it easily progresses as fitness levels improve.

· Full dumbbell set with weights ranging from 5 pounds to 50+ pounds. Great for light toning, to intermediate strength training to building muscles. Less expensive than selectorized machines and usually provides more flexibility and variety in workouts.

· Fitness Ball–Provides exercise options for toning, strengthening and stretching.

· Resistance Band–Provides another option for strength training. Can alternate use with free weights for a great challenge that will help prevent plateaus.

· Step Bench–Can be used for both cardio workouts and strength training workouts.

If you want a home gym specifically for building muscles (or just can't afford cardio equipment), and can afford at least $100, consider the following recommendations:

· Dumbbell set

· Fitness Ball

· Resistance Band

· Jump Rope–Offers very challenging cardiovascular fitness workouts at a very low price.

If you want a total body home gym but can only afford less than $100, consider the following recommendations: · Three dumbbells sizes (e.g. 5, 10 and 15 pounds) · Resistance Band · Jump Rope

If you are limited to purchasing just one very affordable piece of equipment, consider buying a Fitness Ball. As mentioned above, it provides many different exercise options. With the ball you can get an upper body workout, a lower body workout, very challenging abdominal workout and a stretching/flexibility workout. And, you can get all of this for around $35.

Also, don't underestimate what you can do with things that are already in your house, like stairs, a chair, milk jugs and others. There are a lot of exercises that require no equipment at all. For example, push-ups, tricep dips, squats, calf raises, etc. You can even create your own "weights" through milk jugs filled with water or sand.

As you can see, there are a lot of options available for creating a home gym that will meet your individual needs and will provide a lot of workout variety. Even on a shoestring budget, you can still make a wise purchase that will be invaluable in helping you get more fit and healthy. And, you'll enjoy all the benefits of working out at home.

What are the benefits of working out at home? Well, here are some highlights: ·

· No wasted time driving to and from a fitness club

· No waiting in line to use the equipment

· Workout on your schedule, rather than just when the health club is open

· No expensive monthly membership fees or long-term contracts

· Motivation to workout as you pass by the equipment every day

Of course, you will need previous knowledge of how to use your home equipment, or you will have to be willing to learn. But, it's not difficult. Most equipment will come with basic instructions and a few sample exercises. You may want to enlist the help of a professional to provide additional exercise options and guidance that will ensure that you get the most out of your fitness equipment through every fitness level stage.

For an affordable workout plan personalized to your individual needs and available equipment, enroll in a WorkoutsForYou.com online fitness program.

Lynn Bode offers her personal training services online through her company, WorkoutsForYou.com. Workouts For You provides even the busiest of people affordable, personalized exercise programs (via the Internet) for losing weight, toning-up, building muscles & increasing stamina. The programs can be done on their schedule and in the comfort of their own home (or gym or on-the-road). Membership includes one-on-one fitness consultation, animated exercise demos and much more. Visit www.workoutsforyou.com for a FREE sample workout.

Back to Table Of Contents

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"Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all."

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Here is a checklist you can use to accomplish any of your fitness (or life) goals, one by one!

· Desire—desire is the force that drives you towards your fitness goals. It is what motivates you to endure those intense, physical workouts. You have to want your goal badly. If you don't want it, believe me, nobody else wants it for you!

· Belief—You must believe, without a doubt, that you can achieve your fitness goals. Belief is the foundation of success.

· They're written—your goals need to be written, or they are merely wishes. If a goal is worth setting, then it is worth writing. Write it in as much detail as possible.

· Determine the benefits—why do you want this goal so badly? If you cannot think of a good enough reason, is it worth going after. Make a list of all the benefits you will receive from achieving your fitness goal. Do you want more energy, more confidence, to feel sexier?

· Where are you at now—where are you currently in your fitness endeavor? Until you know where you are, you will never know where you need to be. The most detailed map in the world is useless if you do not know your current location.

· Set a realistic deadline—when do you want to achieve your goal? On most goals, you need a deadline, or you will not strive to achieve it in a timely manner. Deadlines create a sense of urgency. Make it realistic. Chances are you will not lose 10 pounds of fat a week but 1 to 2 pounds is very realistic.

· Identify hurdles—be prepared to face hurdles along the way. But if you are prepared to handle the worse, everything else that comes your way is a walk in the park.

· Identify the knowledge you'll need—we often must learn new things to completely accomplish our goals. Whether it is a new weight loss program or a fitness book you are reading, identify the knowledge you will need to know in order to reach your goals.

· Devise a step-by-step plan—put down, on paper, and in detail, how you are going to achieve your goal. Put down the activities you will need to get involved in so that you reach your goal. Most people do not have a fitness plan devised, they just wander from machine to machine, exercise to exercise. Develop a plan to get to where you want to be.

· Create a mental picture—Imagine your goal already attained. Create a crystal clear picture of you enjoying your fitness goal (less weight, more energy, fitting into clothes better). The more you think about enjoying your goal, the more your subconscious begins to work and move you closer to the attainment of your goal.

· Resolve never to quit—finally, resolve to never, ever quit. You must determine the price you have to pay to achieve your fitness goals, and then simply strive to pay that price. Be persistent and determined to reach that finish line. You'll be a much stronger person for it in the end.

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"Success is never ending, failure is never final."

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"Being happy doesn't mean everything's perfect; it just means you've decided to see beyond the imperfections."

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If you need more motivation and some group support, feel free to subscribe to the Exercise Your Willpower mailing list. To get more information, visit our website at: http://www.exerciseyourwillpower.com

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