Living Up to YOUR Fitness Potential!
By: Randy Mclean

This article will focus not only on seeing the results that you want but is also about being the best that you can be! Many people limit themselves because their judgments are based upon what they see now in the mirror rather than on what lies underneath. They fail to look ahead. I believe it was Michelangelo who described seeing what was hidden under a slab of marble when he envisioned his sculptures. What then makes your work of art (your body that is) any different?

Classical Conditioning

As you have probably witnessed, one of the first words spoken to a child on a repetitive basis is 'No!' We as human beings can sometimes be conditioned by these negative experiences and end up with low expectations of what we can really do. As a result, this often extends to how one views their body. In order to fix this problem it would be wise to look at what others have accomplished and to also look at the subject itself in a little more detail.

Whether we know it or not, the human body is capable of making tremendous transformations in relatively short periods of time. Whether it is gaining muscle or losing weight, ample evidence has already been documented to back up these claims. The real secret behind this is knowledge. In other words we need to take an intelligent, cautious and scientific approach to our diet and exercise.

Mike Mentzer (Mr. Universe) claimed that an individual could realize his or her genetic potential in one year! While this may seem a little unreasonable, who can argue with his clients? Though it might take more than a year to reach the ultimate plateau of your human existence, I do believe it is possible to reach your goal(s) in a comparably short period of time.

Roadblocks

The main excuse or reason I often hear and one which we should eliminate is, "I was born this way." Though stated in many different ways I think we can all understand the meaning. While the saying "You can't pick your parents" is true we should not let this hold us back. Any person no matter how poor their genetics are can dramatically improve their appearance with the proper mental outlook and physical application.

You just have to pick the right kind of diet and training for your body type. There are generally three body types a person will have:

1. Mesomorph - describes a person who is more muscular looking even though they may not train, an athletic type build.

2. Ectomorph - characterized by a smaller frame, some would say the naturally thin type.

3. Endomorph - this group is more inclined to adding body fat.

No one is really one hundred percent one type or another but overweight people usually tend to lean more towards the endomorph.

This can explain why it is harder for certain individuals to lose weight, but it is not impossible. Understanding your body type will make you understand yourself better and you will start to realize that there is hope. Unless you have a specific medical problem that is verifiable by a physician I KNOW you can do it! If you were ever thin in the past study pictures of yourself and rely on your memory to make an educated guess of your body type. It is possible for an ectomorph to become overweight as well even though it is more difficult. In this specific case you would have an easier time losing it.

In a blanket statement I would say that we all should work with what we were given. There are many stories of individuals and even athletes who were told 'they couldn't do it' and ended up going beyond their expectations. Nobody really knows how far they can push themselves until they have explored it. Once you have set limits on yourself that becomes your reality.

Think Positive

Forget the past! So what if you tried many times and have failed. Sometimes that's what it takes - instinct. People often have to experiment in order to find out what's right for them and their particular situation, their likes and dislikes, as well as what they are comfortable with. If you have lost weight in the past but gained it back, at least you know that it IS possible. Study what you have done and find out where you have went wrong. Research, look into things and then try it again. Practice makes perfect!

Even though you might be taking a different approach to your weight loss attempts just flip through magazines or research the personal experiences of dieters on the internet (see Yahoo> Health> Weight Issues> Weight Loss> Personal Experience). Study their cases, look at their bodies, see where they might have went wrong and see what time frame they did it in. Take notes if you have to. Some of these sites actually have diet journals where the person has written down everything they have done. Look at them as well. In a matter of weeks you will be able to fine-tune your program and see results you didn't think were possible. Believe and achieve!

About the Author

Randy Mclean has a diploma in Fitness and Nutrition from Education Direct, a YMCA individual conditioning certificate and is the author of Instinct - Master Your Mind And Your Body! For free tips and tricks visit www.weightlossguidance.com

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