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Fitness Made Simple
Getting Back on Track

Have you ever heard the saying “the only constant thing in this world is change?” I actually never have so I felt quite proud of myself when I thought of it. A friend, however, recently told me that I might not be the originator of this maxim as she believes it’s been around for some time. Well, regardless of its initial discovery, I experienced “change” in a very positive way. As many of my regular readers have written and emailed me my Fitness Made Simple Columns have been absent a bit from time to time in some publications lately. It’s a common phenomenon for columnists to come and go and I’m just glad to see that my “break” was even noticed.

The reason behind the brief respite relates to the changes I mentioned. Fortunately, they were all good. Not to go into too much detail but, with the introduction of commercials for my Fitness Made Simple (now a bestseller-yeah!), Awesome Hour Upper Body Home Workout, Six Pack Abs, AM/PM Workouts, and 45Min Fat Burning Workout videos to the TV marketplace, sales and requests for personal appearances have soared and I’ve honestly been overwhelmed for the first time in my life. While the past several months have been amazing they’ve also rocked my world. Keeping up with “being in demand,” something I always wanted, obliterated my usual schedule, leaving less and less time for my daily staples of regular workouts and mealtimes…not to mention sleep.

That brings me to the purpose of this article…getting back on track. It’s intended for those of you who fall victim to the “too busy to workout” mindset and woefully accept the idea that you’ll never have the time to create the body you desire. It’s also designed to provide a refreshing jolt for people who’ve reached a plateau and have become stagnant with their current routines. The following are 3 tips that I learned and found invaluable while I was “getting back on track.”

TIP #1 – MAKE FITNESS A PRIORITY

Prioritize…I don’t think a more important word was ever created. If you’re always finding time in short supply my advice is to take a couple of days off from your usual regimen and actually THINK about what you’re spending that vital time doing. Chances are, if you’re like I was, a good portion of your day is spent doing habitual tasks that don’t add to your happiness. Think about these tasks, write them down, and eliminate them. If building a better body will make you feel more fulfilled, as it does for me, then incorporate a result producing workout and nutrition program in their places and make improving your physique a priority. It’s that simple. It’s a mental commitment more than anything else.

TIP #2 – SHORTEN WORKOUTS

When I start feeling the time crunch on “busy” days I decrease the duration of my workouts. I’ve learned by experience that less gym time doesn’t have to lead to less results…as long as I keep my intensity high. To quote a familiar saying, “It’s quality not quantity that really matters.” By cutting down on gabbing with friends and between set rest periods I’m able to do my normal 1 1⁄2 hour workout in 45-50 minutes. The increased intensity also enhances my focus during workouts which in turn gets my mind off the day’s problems and decreases my stress.

Another helpful tip I can offer people on the go is to invest in a minimal home gym set-up. I got some adjustable dumbbells and a bench…a minor cost of under a hundred dollars since I found a barely used set advertised in the local paper. This was one of the best investments I ever made. The small amount of equipment doesn’t take up much room and allows me to stick to my training program even when the gym is closed or I just don’t have time to go.

If workout time is an even more critical factor you might want to check out our AM/PM Workouts video, which you may have seen advertised on TV. This tape makes it easy to incorporate a time-conserving exercise program into your daily schedule by providing 10-15 minute early morning workouts to energize for the day and 10-15 minute evening (after dinner) workouts to help relieve the stresses of your day and decrease overnight fat storage. Both weight training and bodyweight only home workouts are included and the no-weight routines are especially convenient to do when traveling. You can find out more about AM/PM Workouts on the website www.FitnessMadeSimple.com.

TIP #3 – A LITTLE NUTRITIONAL PLANNING CAN SAVE YOUR ABS

I’m used to “eating by the clock”…you know, the standard daily fitness/bodybuilding cuisine of 4-6 evenly spaced, high protein/moderate carb, muscle building, fat burning meals consisting of chicken breasts, egg whites, tuna, whey powders, oatmeal, rice, vegetables, etc. Once my usual schedule became filled with ever-increasing commitments my nutrition plan was nuked. I had less and less shopping and kitchen time and neither of those options were ever that appealing to me anyway.

Desiring to keep my abs and avoid potential embarrassment at personal appearances I made adjustments. The first thing I learned is that “good eating” takes no more time than “bad eating”…so forget the excuse of not having time to eat right. It sometimes just requires a little more planning. Taking a few minutes one day I wrote down a list of all the foods I wanted to keep in my nutrition plan. I shop for them one day each week. Items that need to be cooked, like chicken/turkey breasts, I prepare on Sundays. Since I’m a Costco and Sam’s Club (wholesale bulk discount stores) kinda guy, I get the jumbo chicken breast packages and cook two of them weekly, storing serving size portions of the tasty morsels in my refrigerator for use throughout the week. When needed I take them out, add some brown rice or a sweet potato (previously cooked) and/or vegetables, pack this nutritious meal in a plastic container, and carry it with me to eat later in the day. This practice benefits both my muscle definition and my wallet when compared to the saturated fat, sugar-filled fast food fixes I might have succumbed to.

Speaking of fast food, nowadays it can be a help rather than a hindrance in keeping our physiques lean and muscular. Just select healthy alternatives. Most major franchises offer low fat fare…and it doesn’t take any more time to select the chicken breast salad combo over the bacon double cheeseburger or to opt for the chicken soft taco with sauce on the side instead of the deep-fried cheese tortilla. If you just think about what you’re putting into your mouth eating on the go doesn’t have to translate into eating badly.

Of course there are also many high nutrition, calorie-compact, low carb meal replacement shakes and bars on the market that can fill the fitness needs of our fast-paced society as well.

So there you have them…a few basic tips to put to rest all those excuses about being too busy to build a lean, muscular physique. Follow them and you should be able to stick to your fitness commitment and create the body of your dreams.

John Basedow is an internationally recognized fitness personality and host of the best-selling videos Fitness Made Simple, Awesome Hour Upper Body Home Workout, Six Pack Abs, AM/PM Workouts, 45Min Fat Burning Workout, & Better Body Basics.  These programs offer time conserving workouts and fat burning nutritional meal plans which thousands of people are using to build lean, healthy, and muscular physiques. To order call 1-800-283-4230 or visit www.FitnessMadeSimple.com.

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