10/1/2007

As trite and cliche as it might sound, consistency is the greatest determinant of success in fitness, and probably life too. Out of all the clients I have trained, the ones that have been the most successful are not the ones who worked out the hardest, or even the ones that were genetically gifted. It is always the ones that were the most consistent.

I have clients come to me and say they have tried this program or that program, or this diet or that diet. But when I ask how long they stuck to the program it is generally around 2 weeks. How can you judge the efficacy of a program in 2 weeks? Our programs at Carter Fitness can definitely let you see results in 2 weeks, but that is only the tip of the iceberg. There is much more beneath the surface.

Then, of course, I hear about the supplements and vitamins that they took for a whole week. The best fat-burning-miracle-pill ever will do no good sitting on your shelf. Some supplements are crap for sure, but there are good ones too. For the good ones to work they need to be taken- and taken on a regular basis.

There is a price to pay for inconsistency, and my wife Denyse is a good example. If you follow my blog and/or newsletter, you know we have 2 kids- Gabe who is almost 5, and Nate who is 18 months old. As many parents do, Denyse puts taking care of us kids (yes me too) above taking care of herself. She has prioritized our needs over those of her own, and that includes taking time to work out. She got workouts in here and there, but the sporadic nature of the workouts was beginning to take its toll. She said she wanted to work out more, but timing was always an issue.

The good news for her is that she is genetically well off, and does not have an issue with bodyfat (I know, pisses me off too.) But still, taking care of two kids (and a 245lb kid) requires a lot of energy. Strength and stamina are essential.

So even though I own 2 gyms, and have one in my garage it was tough for Denyse to find the time workout. So a few weeks ago Gabe started kindergarten (another interesting story). This freed up some time. I suggested that while Nate took his morning nap we schedule a training session for her at Carter Fitness in West Hills. I could easily work from home to keep an eye on the little one while Denyse trained.

It worked out that she could train at the same time as her friend Mary who happens to be the mother of Gabe's best friend Brandon. Mary had been training with Casey, who had been kicking the crap out of her for a couple of months. She has made excellent progress already and I thought adding Denyse to the session would be great for everyone.

Denyse came back from the session saying that it was a lot of fun, but not as hard as she thought.

"Oh yeah?" I said, "Say that tomorrow". I knew there was no way Casey would let her off easy. Her muscles would be singing a different tune in 24 hours or so.

When I got home from the gym the next night I asked "So how are you feeling?"

"I can't f****ing move - and it's NOT funny!" she replied.

I smugly smiled, and told her she would be fine. She was not mad at me, of course, but she hated that I was right. Even though she was no stranger to working out, and working out hard - the fact she had not been consistent had a consequence. In this instance: Pain.

Pain is a good example of a short term consequence. Lack or results would be an example of a long term consequence.

The lesson here is my wife should listen to me more often (I'm not holding my breath). But a "bigger picture" lesson would be that consistency counts, and it counts big time.

You could get better results from mediocre program you perform consistently than the best program in the world performed inconsistently. So why not do both? Meaning - a great program performed consistently.

Contact me any time for a free consultation, and we can get you rolling on a successful and consistent program.

Visit http://CarterFitness.com for free fitness tips and ask questions via our Contact Page.

Joshua Carter
The Body Transformation Expert
Carter Fitness
joshua@carterfitness.com
http://carterfitness.com
818-337-6175

WARNING: The following piece while mostly true is purely for entertainment purposes (and I make no guarantees.) It has absolutely no relevance to your health or fitness. It is purely a rant and has no real redeeming qualities. It is not for the faint of heart- you have been warned.

This last weekend I turned 36. Time to take stock in my life and reflect on what I have blah blah blah. I got plenty and I'm doing just fine, that's not what this is about.

For a mini celebration my wife and I (no kids) took a weekend cruise to Mexico. The cruise left out of Long Beach, Ca. which is about 40 mins away from where we live so we did not have to worry about airfare or any of that. You might recall that we all went to Hawaii last month to celebrate our 10 year anniversary. As I said then, then irony of that trip is that I did not spend any real time with my wife since the kids were with us. The irony of this trip was that I spent much of my time missing my kids. I can't win.

Saying goodbye to the kids as we sail out of Long Beach

All in all the weekend was great- weather was nice, Ensenada was Ensenada and I ate my bodyweight in food daily. We bought a fair amount of crap at the open air market. If you have not been to Mexico you might not know that everything is VERY cheap - in every sense of the word. But you can still get some cool stuff. We bought some silver wedding ring replacements (ones we can wear to the gym etc.) and we bought the kids some toys like Mexican jumping beans (yes, they are real).

About every 100 feet or so there is a Mexican pharmacy. Pharmacies are the Starbucks of Mexico - at least in the tourist towns. The rules down there are quite different, they sell everything from Viagra to Oxycontin over the counter. They also sell steroids.

I actually took this picture

Fast forward to the conclusion of the weekend... We packed our stuff and headed off the ship. My compliments to Carnival Cruise who made debarkation a relatively painless endeavor. Once back on US land we waited in a short line at US Customs. Within moments we were standing in front of the Customs Agent.

"Are you carrying any fruits or vegetables with you?" He asked looking over our passports.

"Nope." we said.

"Welcome back to the US." he said as he handed back our passports.

Welcome back? That's it? WTF? Fruits and vegetables? Are you f'ing kidding me? Did he even look at me? I'm 6'2" (almost) and 250 lbs of rock hard muscle baby! These guns are 19 inches. Where the hell is my interrogation? Where is my cavity search? What is wrong with my cavities?

Me with the Customs Agent (ok, not really)

He should not be asking me IF I am smuggling steroids- he should be asking me HOW MUCH I am smuggling. I tell you it was absolutely infuriating. 15+ years of busting my ass in the gym and not so much as a double take. How rude.

All those vials of steroids hidden in my rectum for nothing. I could have just put them in my suitcase.

"Welcome back to the US" - f*** you.

Joshua Carter
The Body Transformation Expert
Carter Fitness
http://carterfitness.com
818-337-6175

PS: To be clear, that part about the steroids in my rectum was a joke. I made Denyse to do it.

Why are some people fit and toned while others struggle with their weight?

These fit people make it seem so easy to achieve and maintain results-what do they have that you don't? It all boils down to one simple thing.

The only thing standing between you and your perfect body is: motivation.

Yes, motivation is truly the magic ingredient that will transform your body from the one that you have now to the one of your dreams. So what is motivation, anyway?

Motivation is...
...a want, a need and a belief that drives you.
...the push of your mental forces to accomplish an action.
...something that makes you do what you do.
...the desire to accomplish a goal.
...something that pushes and pulls you to do certain things.

It's easy to see how motivation can change a person's life-and body. If you could bottle and sell motivation you would easily make a fortune. But, alas, motivation is something that must be mustered up out of pure will power.

So where does this leave you? In the past your attempts to get in shape have been short lived. How can you stick with it long enough to see the results that you so desperately want?

I have exciting news for you. Motivation can become as natural and easy to you as breathing. Here's how.

Step one: Find your reason.
Why do you want to get fit? What is your most important reason for wanting to lose the weight? Now, don't tell me that you simply want to 'Look better' or 'Be more attractive.' You need to dig deeper than that. Take a minute to mull this question over until you can put your finger on it.

Hint: these would all be great answers...

• I want to fit into my size 6 pants again
• I want to get off my blood pressure medication
• I want to drop 20 pounds before the reunion
• I want to get rid of the jiggle on the back of my arms
• I want my significant other to find me irresistible

Step two: Write it down.
Take your reason from step one and write it down. This is very important step, so don't cheat yourself by skipping it. Now take the paper with your reason on it and post it where you will see it everyday-preferably first thing in the morning.

Why is writing down your reason so important? Because it keeps your focus on the goal. You see, your reason for getting fit is really your ultimate goal. Only by daily acknowledging this goal will you see it to fruition.

Step three: Make it fun.
Who wants to do something unpleasant on a daily basis? I don't know about you but I tend to avoid activities that are uncomfortable-it's just human nature. That is why it is so important for you to find a mode of exercise that you enjoy.

If the thought of exercise makes you cringe you need to figure out why. Is it the uncomfortable workout clothes that you own? Maybe it is time for a new style. Is it trying to decide what machine to use at the gym? Maybe it is time for a personal trainer (more on that later). Is it the pain that you feel in your shoulder when swimming? Maybe it is time to find a new form of cardiovascular exercise-one that won't aggravate your injury.

The truth is that there are a ton of different exercises that will give you the results you want. Don't like the gym? There's a program for you. Don't like running? There is an alternative. Don't have the time? There are time friendly exercise routines that will give you incredible results in under an hour. It is all about finding something that you enjoy.

Step four: Enlist support.
"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." Even though Helen Keller probably wasn't talking about getting fit, her words ring true for anyone wanting to achieve incredible results.

Let's be honest, it's hard to stay motivated without encouragement from the people around us. That's why it's so important to tell friends and family about your goal and to rally for their support. Sometimes one encouraging word will give you the strength you need to make it through another workout.

The best way to ensure that your motivation stays strong-and that your goal is met-is to align yourself with me, your personal trainer. Together we will identify your goal. Together we will create your own workout routines and schedule. And together we will stick with it until your goal is met.

It's that simple. Contact me today to get started on the program that will transform your body.

We can't start until you contact me-what are you waiting for? Do it now!

On raw vegetables, that is! When you are craving a juicy burger with greasy fries-go to town on a bag of chopped veggies. Don't worry about overeating veggies. You will stop eating it once you are full, since it is not the object of your unhealthy desires. Also, the veggies are packed with filling fiber that is low in calories. Talk about the perfect snack!

Servings: 2

Here's what you need...

• 1/2 cup canned water-packed albacore tuna, drained
• 1/2 cup nonfat sour cream
• 1/2 leek, thinly sliced
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, halved and yolks removed
• 2 cups shredded carrots
• 1 teaspoon dill weed
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• Chopped parsley to garnish

• In a bowl combine the tuna, sour cream, leek, dill weed, and garlic powder. Stir until ingredients are well combined.
• Stuff the egg whites with tuna mixture. Make a shredded carrot nest on a plate and top with the stuffed eggs. Garnish with parsley.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals 189 calories, 1g fat, 22g carbohydrate, and 23g protein

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About the Author: 
Joshua Carter is a certified personal trainer as well as a fitness and fat loss expert. With over 15 years personal training experience, Joshua has developed training & nutrition protocols that have delivered proven results in half the time as traditional programs.  These successful protocols have been shared with a select few trainers who assist Joshua with training at his Carter Fitness in West Hills, California.  His facility offers personal training for those who live near West Hills , Woodland Hills, Canoga Park, Chatsworth and Calabasas.

Email: joshua@carterfitness.com
Phone: 818-337-6175
Web: http://carterfitness.com