Once you have decided to eat better here are five potential hurdles to watch out for:

1. The Cost - As we were just reviewing, the cost of eating better is noteworthy. You don’t have to go crazy and throw out all of your food and replace it with organic equivalents but smart shopping is in order. Start by replacing sweets like Swiss Cake Rolls with a more healthy fruit pop alternative. You may be surprised to see that you were spending more on junk food than you are now by eating healthy.

2. Attitude - Another diet killer is your attitude towards dieting. If you are used to “treating yourself” by indulging in fatty foods then you are going to feel like you’ve been sentenced to death once you start cutting out high sugar, high fat treats. Instead, try looking at your new found decision to diet as a long term lifestyle change that will gradually phase out bad foods from your mental grocery cart.

3. Behavior Pattern - Similar to attitude, your behavior pattern will need to be enhanced by adding healthy habits and killing off old bad habits. Before dining out with friends and family you should have a healthy snack before leaving so you aren’t picking the most decadent dish from the menu and ruining weeks worth of intelligent dieting.

4. Sedentary Living - If you spend most of your day in front of a computer and then go home and spend the rest of it in front of the tv then you are spending over 75% of your day sitting. That doesn’t even include driving to and from work! Not ready to hit the gym? Consider replacing your daily tv addiction with a short walk around the neighborhood or by joining a local activity club that will keep you moving. Part of losing weight is about burning calories and chewing gum in front of the tv isn’t going to cut it!

5. Negative Thinking - When you start dieting you’re going to encounter a few people who, out of the kindness of their hearts, tell you that you look great. And you probably do. But if you’re overweight, obese or in need of change then their kindness should not deter you from pursuing your health goals. Also, if you don’t believe in yourself and believe that you can make this change then you will allow yourself to fail. Positive thinking is one of the biggest steps!

There is no doubt that changing the way you live is a long term change that needs to be worked at in small increments. By thinking positively, staying active and adjusting your perspective on food you will be well on your way to dieting success.

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1. What Do You Need From a Gym? - When you go health club shopping your first priority should be what you hope to gain by going to the gym. Want a bigger upper body? You’ll need free weights and a bench. A big free weight area too because gyms can get pretty crowded at times. Do you need a pool or basketball court? You may be surprised at how few health clubs have them.

2. How Much Can You Afford to Pay Monthly? - It’s tough times out there nowadays and finding a gym that won’t bust your budget is crucial to achieving your fitness goals. Gym memberships can cost as little as $10/month and go as high as $100/month or more. Typically the monthly price reflects the number of amenities available at that health club but not always. For example, there are some gyms that put more emphasis on lifestyle amenities like massage chairs and tanning beds over pools and basketball courts.

3. What Are The Gym’s Hours of Operation? - Depending on your schedule you may be able to narrow down your choice in health clubs right away. 24 hour gyms are becoming much more common but the vast majority of gyms still have set hours. Find out what time they open, close and, if its a 24 hour gym, do they have any days when the gym is not open 24 hours?

4. How Far Is Each Gym From Your House? - Another big factor in achieving fitness goals is actually going to the gym. Try finding a gym as close to home as possible so you don’t have a reason not to go to the gym (like a 40 minute drive each way).

5. Can You Bring a Friend? - Health clubs love it when you start working out for the first time because you usually come with a friend in tow or your new found fitness goals have inspired friends to join with you. Some gyms allow you to bring a guest for free while other gyms require your guest to pay a daily fee or do not allow guests at all. Find out ahead of time and your friends will appreciate it!

6. What Demographic Does Each Gym Appeal To? - There are many kinds of health clubs and gyms: Bodybuilder gyms, spa-like health clubs, everyman gyms etc. Take a tour of each gym before committing to a contract to make sure you will be comfortable with the gym environment before signing the dotted line.

7. Home Gym - If you have the budget for it or would just rather not deal with waiting for someone to finish on a machine before you can use it there is always the home gym. Home gyms can be as simple as free weights and a bench, all-in-one machines like the Bowflex and Total Gym, or a full scale mini-club complete with elliptical machine and free weights. The upfront cost can be a bit higher than the monthly fee you would pay at a health club but once you own the machines you won’t have to continue paying out monthly.

Whichever you choose it is paramount that you start by looking into all of your options first and doing a true assessment of your needs. While a pool and basketball might be nice amenities to have they won’t do you (or your wallet) any good if you don’t plan on using them. Using this list you should be able to choose the gym option that’s right for you!

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1. Paramore - Decode

2. Britney Spears - Circus

3. Kanye West - Heartless

4. Katy Perry - Hot ‘N Cold

5. Lady GaGa - Poker Face (Space Cowboy Remix)

6. Britney Spears - Freakshow

7. T.I. featuring Rihanna - Live Your Life

8. Kevin Rudolf - In The City

9. P!nk - Funhouse

10. Pussycat Dolls - I Hate This Part (Dave Aude Dance Hybrid Mix)

11. Lady GaGa, Space Cowboy, Flo Rida - Starstruck

12. M.I.A. - Shells

Total Playlist Run Time: 43.2 Minutes

Listen to Our January 2009 Cardio/Workout Music Playlist
(iTunes Link)

Two Lady GaGa songs missing from the link above are linked to below:

Lady GaGa, Space Cowboy, Flo Rida - Starstruck

Lady GaGa - Poker Face (Space Cowboy Remix) -

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• November 2008 Workout Music Playlist (0)

1. Lady GaGa - Starstruck - Killer start to a workout with deep bass and excellent production. Get your heart rate going GaGa and you’ll be ready to go.

Download Starstruck:
FREE on Rhapsody | Amazon MP3 |

2. P!nk - So What - Heartbreak is a m*****f***** and P!nk kicks the door in on the top 20 with this track. Hyper guitar and bass will get you pumped for the next set.

Download So What:
Amazon MP3 |

3. Hoobastank - My Turn - Back again, Hoobastank unleashes a solid rock anthem about ending bad luck and making the world yours.

Download My Turn:
FREE on Rhapsody | Amazon MP3 |

4. The All-American Rejects - Gives You Hell - New track from The All-American Rejects’ upcoming album. Great resentment track and just the motivation you need to keep pushing through your workout.

Download Gives You Hell:
FREE on Rhapsody | Amazon MP3 |

5. Kanye West - Heartless - Bangin’ new song from Kanye West who is hell bent on producing an entire album of autotuner tracks. Normally I wouldn’t recommend overly synthesized music but West uses some creativity and drops a good beat on “Heartless”.

Download Heartless:


6. Kevin Rudolf (Feat. Lil’ Wayne) - Let It Rock - Sick, sick music from an up and coming producer turned artist. This will turn the middle of your workout up a couple notches.

Download Let It Rock:
FREE on Rhapsody | Amazon MP3 |

7. The Killers - Human - The Killers made their claim to fame with space age rock beats and although Human offers some of that its a slow jam making for a smooth sounding playlist center.

Download Human:
Amazon MP3 |

8. Kanye West - Love Lockdown - The first single off West’s new album, Love Lockdown premiered at the MTV VMAs and stole the show. It’s a slower beat than the rest of the album but picks up the pace from our last track and leading to the spectacular end.

Download Love Lockdown:
Amazon MP3 |

9. The Pussycat Dolls - Whatcha Think About That - Rumor has it the label has stopped promoting this single due to its poor reception in the U.S. but the song is still a good gym track. Features Missy Elliott.

Download Whatcha Think About That:
FREE on Rhapsody | Amazon MP3 |

10. Britney Spears - Womanizer - The princess of pop is back in a big way! This sexy track features an even sexier video and is a great track to wind down the end of the album.

Download Womanizer:
FREE on Rhapsody | Amazon MP3 |

Download the Womanizer Music Video:


11. Chris Cornell - Watch Out - I wasn’t much of a Chris Cornell fan but this Timbaland produced track has an awesome background beat.

Download Watch Out:
Amazon MP3 |

12. T.I. (Feat. Rihanna) - Live Your Life - T.I. comes off the top 10 “Whatever You Like” with this single featuring Rihanna. This is absolutely the perfect song to finish out your workout.

Download Live Your Life:
Amazon MP3 |

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• January 2009 Workout Music Playlist (0)

My first workout at the gym happened in the late morning and my second workout occured around almost 9:00 pm that night. What I found most interesting was how you don’t feel the exhaustion or soreness from the earlier workout while exercising but you will (sort of) feel it the next day.

My first workout consisted of legs and back exercises running the gamut from leg extensions, calf extensions, back extensions and hip abductions. A lot of extensions, I know.

The biggest difference I’ve noticed in my body over the past few weeks has been in the hip region. Because I use the “Ab Twist Machine” almost every time I go I’ve started to develop a toned hip area which creates that “V” you see in all the fashion magazines. It’s pretty cool to see it come out and I wouldn’t have ever DREAMED of having a toned part of my body when I started working out a few years ago and lost 40 lbs.

The second workout of the day was with a workout partner and consisted of a range of exercises ranging from chest to shoulders and back. I didn’t workout with the same exercises to avoid muscle strain but did more lat/upper back and shoulder exercises like pulldowns and shrugs.

I’m still a big proponent of not exhausting yourself by doing multiple workouts in one day and would still spread my workout over three to four days but I am enjoying the time saved not having to travel to the gym just to do back and shoulder exercises.

Related Posts

• Workout Log: Starting Off Light (1)
• Week Six Roundup, Week Seven: Looking Forward (0)
• Week Seven: Mid-Week Update (0)
• Week Five - New Schedule, Exercise Changes (0)
• Day Three - Some Cardio, Shoulders (0)

One thing to note about this week: Tuesday morning I went to the gym and was a little too ambitious when pushing myself to do more weights with my legs and back. I’m fine now but whenever you are working out and pushing yourself just remember that there are some parts of your body that are easier to injure/make really sore. Hip abductions and back extensions on machines should not be where you see your biggest gains week-over-week, trust me!

By the way, going to the gym in the wee hours of the morning is fantastic. There are only about 10 people in the entire gym and it looks a lot less like a night club than when you go in at, say,  7:00 pm. If you are an insomniac or your schedule permits, I highly recommend going to a 24 hour gym!

Related Posts

• Workout Log: Starting Off Light (1)
• Week Six Roundup, Week Seven: Looking Forward (0)
• Week Five - New Schedule, Exercise Changes (0)
• Week Eight: Hit the Ground Running, Twice. (0)
• Day Three - Some Cardio, Shoulders (0)

I could have gone to the gym and worked out despite my sickness but every time I do it ends up taking longer to recover and I end up not being very productive anyway. Also, I’m sure the healthy people at the gym would prefer I didn’t go while sick too.

Onward to Week Seven which begins today: I went to the gym this morning at about 4:30 am and I picked up right where I left off in Week Five by doing legs and back exercises. I always prefer doing leg exercises when I make a return to the gym after not going for a while because they’re much easier (in my opinion) and, even at 4:30 am, there are a lot less people hawking the leg exercise equipment.

I’m sort of in disbelief at the leaps ahead in progress I am making each week. For example, from Week Four I was doing 90 lbs. with eight repetitions on the Leg Extension machine and now in Week Seven I am doing 120 lbs. with fifteen repetitions. Though I’m convinced I’m headed in the right direction I also think I might have been pushing weight levels that were below my capability in the earlier weeks of returning to the gym.

Back Extensions have seen even more rapid progress with Week Four starting at 70 lbs. with ten repetitions and Week Seven ending at 140 lbs. with ten repetitions.

I’ve also taken to trying new machines and integrating them into my workout plan. Two machines I’ve really taken to are the Hip Abduction and Ab-X machines. I was a little perplexed tonight when I discovered there are two types of Hip Abduction machines: One where you push your knees together and the other where you move your legs apart (does that make sense?).

Supplements are still the same and I can’t imagine changing them in the foreseeable future. I really like BodyQuick from BrainQuicken (a product of Tim Ferriss, author of Four Hour Work Week) because it gives me a boost at the gym but I don’t end up jittery or feeling like I’m highly caffeinated.

I’ll update at the end of Week Seven and note any changes in between.

Related Posts

• Workout Log: Starting Off Light (1)
• Week Seven: Mid-Week Update (0)
• Week Five - New Schedule, Exercise Changes (0)
• Week Eight: Hit the Ground Running, Twice. (0)
• Day Three - Some Cardio, Shoulders (0)

The 2009 Walt Disney World Half Marathon will begin on January 10th, 2009 and my friend Renee Marchak will be participating. Not a runner by nature, Renee is determined to run the half marathon on behalf of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training. The society is working towards a cure for leukemia, lymphoma, hodgkin lymphoma which has affected millions of people around the world both directly and indirectly.

I have personally donated to Renee’s cause on behalf of FocusBodyHealth.com and she is only about $2,300 short of her $3,800 donation goal for the LLS (Leukemia & Lymphoma Society). Any amount is helpful so if you can donate please visit Renee’s page and donate.

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Verdict Thus Far

Anyway, week five has been a lot of fun thus far. In week four (last week) one of my new friends started going to the gym with me one day a week and it has really motivated me to push myself beyond my comfort zone and into new levels of strength I didn’t even know I had.

One weakness that’s become apparent is the ability of my wrists to hold the weight while bench pressing which I think is in part because I’ve moved so rapidly up the scale in how much weight I can lift. I’m going to start doing wrist strengthening exercises during the week while working or whenever I have some free time.

My friend taught me an exercise for your wrist which is to basically take a relatively light dumbell and lift it towards your wrist while balancing your forearm on your quads.

Workout Changes

I’ve also taken to altering my workout plan that I received from my last personal trainer because the workout plan was originally geared towards toning and not so much at building muscle.

One of the most interesting things about transitioning into a new, smaller gym is how you come to realize that there are a ton of different machines that work differently yet perform the same range of motion and exercises.

Up until tonight I had to resort to using a medicine ball against the wall to perform calf extensions which isn’t terrible but it really doesn’t give you the full effect as a calf extension machine with weights does. While I was browsing through the gym a sit down calf extension machine caught my eye and I like it much more than the medicine ball exercise.

Supplements

It’s been a few months since I’ve ordered bodybuilding supplements so I bought the following products tonight:

1. Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Protein - 10 Lbs.

Review:
Optimum Nutrition’s 100% Whey Protein is a very high quality, lean whey protein perfect for bedtime shakes and protein shakes on days when you aren’t going to the gym. The price isn’t bad either.

2. MRI Pro-NOS Protein Powder Dutch Chocolate Royale - 3 Lbs.

Review:
This is, hands down, my favorite protein powder to use after the gym. The flavor is unbelievable and it mixes really well with water or milk (I use rice milk and water).

I also picked up Mega BCAA and Glutamine from ProSource.net. The Mega BCAA can be kinda nasty in protein shakes which is why I use MRI Pro-NOS. The MRI protein powder is so thick that you don’t taste the Mega BCAA but you can also get Mega BCAA in capsule form if you choose. Glutamine is glutamine.

Related Posts

• Workout Log: Starting Off Light (1)
• Week Six Roundup, Week Seven: Looking Forward (0)
• Week Seven: Mid-Week Update (0)
• Week Eight: Hit the Ground Running, Twice. (0)
• Day Three - Some Cardio, Shoulders (0)

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