Hi guys, Kris from Custom Fitness here, your personal trainer in Amarillo. Today I want to share with you one of my favorite cardio exercises, but you’re going to have to wait for that until the end. First, I have something important to ask you: how many different clothes sizes do you currently have in your closet? Maybe you are on your weight loss journey and you’re doing great so far, but you still have some old clothes that don’t fit anymore (yaay!), but you’re still wearing them. We have an issue with that. If you have any questions about today’s post or would like more tips on maintaining confidence throughout your transformation, give us a call: 806-322-3188.
Research throughout the industry has shown us time and time again whenever a person owns more than one size of clothing in their closet (read as: lots of clothes that no longer fit), their future weight loss possibility plummets.
We want to do is going to go through your closet today and just give you an idea of what you should have in there and what you should look at to (*deep breath*) get rid of. When you have clothes that are too big, they just don’t fit, but we are wearing them anyways, a lot of times it is out of fear that we don’t know which way we are going to go. We don’t know if are going to stay at this weight or go down more; don’t want to spend that money just yet. Other times maybe we aren’t ready to separate with who we are, so take a minute and think about why you are wanting to keep those clothes.
If you are starting your weight loss journey and you notice your clothes have become too baggy or starting to fall off, don’t reach for a belt. Instead, go out and find at least one good outfit that fits you well. That outfit will help people see the changes happening in you. You may think “who cares what others have to say?” Well, you might when you see how people’s reaction to you begins to change once you are wearing clothes that fit throughout your transformation. You will find more motivation and become excited about your progress because other people will start to notice those changes as well and your dedication to your new lifestyle. When you wear clothes that don’t fit, you come across looking “frumpy” (for lack of a better word) or that you are swimming in your attire. Unfortunately, society tends to judge people based on their outward appearance. You are working hard to lose your weight, why not show the world what you’ve done so far? My advice is to go get one or two outfits that you feel confident in, that actually fit where you are now in your transformation, and you’ll notice people around you start to change too.
Maybe you have clothes in your closet that are 2-3 sizes too large, after having been on your weight loss journey for a while. You lost some weight, but you’re nervous to give up your clothes because “what if [you] were to go back up?” Well, that’s where the research comes into play. Research is showing us that as we keep our “what if” clothes around, our success begins to dwindle. Keeping those outfits gives our subconscience a reason to gain the weight back. “If it happens, well it’s not so bad because I already have clothes that fit.” That says that internally you don’t trust yourself; that your effort now is not going to be a lifelong change.
So I ask you to take a moment here and really think about that. Is the effort you are putting forth today a lifestyle change that you can maintain for life? That’s a crucial thing to think about when you begin (or restart) a journey like this. You have to find your best body and your best self that CAN last a lifetime. If it can’t, you are on the wrong program; you are using the wrong tools. You need to find a better way to go about achieving your goals because we need to ensure that the changes you are making don’t yo-yo back and forth. Going from healthy to unhealthy, conditioned to deconditioned, fit to chubby, brings you back into those bigger clothes it also makes your body a little less healthy. It alters your metabolism just enough to where it’ll be a little harder to lose the weight the next time.
Analyze your workout, your diet or nutrition plan, and your lifestyle plan to make sure it is something that can be maintained and that is HEALTHY to maintain. If it is and you are seeing the results you want, you need to pile up your old ill-fitting clothes and give ‘em to a friend or take a tax deduction when you donate them (whatever you need to do), but get those clothes out of your closet. Psychologically purging your closet tells your body you now have to push harder, you have to keep going, you have to reach your goals. No excuses. I don’t mean to sound like that is negative, in fact, it is awesome to give yourself the liberty to reach those goals and gain the trust you deserve from yourself. How great to get to push forward towards your aspirations and not feel trapped by your past self. You are probably the same awesome person, so let’s get you into your best body.
On a side note, in your closet, feel free to have a goal outfit. Even as a personal trainer in Amarillo, I like to keep a goal outfit in my closet to keep me on track. Remember, I told you to get rid of the scale or hide it away. The scale should not rule your life. It has no purpose as a singular measurement tool. Instead, find a snug/tight outfit that you don’t feel comfortable yet to wear in public. Put it right in the front of your closet. Every few weeks try the outfit on and see how your body is changing. The scale may say one thing, but the clothes are clear indicator of your evolution.
That’s my spiel today. Now, onto one of my favorite cardio exercises. This will give you power, flexibility, strength, and build your heart rate (obviously since it is cardio). You can incorporate this into intervals, circuit training, HIIT, or a cardio day; you can use it anywhere. The key is that you are bending and moving to enhance your power and strength as well as shock absorption. This exercise does involve impact; if you have hip or knee problems that are exacerbated by impact, maybe this is not the right exercise for you. I will try to show you an alternative to this in another blog soon.
If you’ve done jumping jacks before, you know you jump out spreading your legs and arms and then back into a normal standing position. Those can get rather boring. Today we are shaking it up a bit with a Reverse Air Jack. Get into a deep squat. The more you bend at your hips and knees the more power you will get on your jump. More power means you will be activating more muscle fiber which means more calorie burn and more muscle toning.
Start with your arms out (remember, reverse air jack) and in a squatting position. Then you are going to jump up clap the hands and tap the heels together and land spreading your legs and arms back out. You will notice that at the top of the jump your legs are straight. It is not like a leprechaun jump where you bend the knees and click the feet. You want to squeeze your inner thighs to bring the feet together.
Feel free to add some Reverse Air Jacks into your routine in the next few days and let me know how it goes. If you want some help getting the right tools for your best body, that’s what my team and I are here for. We are ready to assist you with that and more, give us a call 806-322-3188 or e-mail us at info@customfitness.biz. At Custom Fitness, we are YOUR personal trainer in Amarillo, Texas. Talk soon.