11 Habits of Highly Successful Exercisers

of highly
succeSSTU
exercisers
Tried every diet and fitness routine in the book? Here's
what really works when it comes to losing weight, reshaping
,your body and getting the most out of your workouts.
'fhy is.it th'at some women seem to get
ir! shap\\Jlfortlessly, while others flounder
I·
'I
.
and neveraeally find their workout groove?
What do these "successful exercisers"
know that you don't? We asked the experts
what strategies they recommend to guarantee nonstop results. Their time-testedand sometimes surprising-tactics will
help turn your going-nowhere routine into
a fitness success story.
BY JENNIFER MATARAZZO
PHOTOGRAPH BY ONDREA BARBE
APRIL
Z003
FITNESS
125
SUCCESS SECRET #1
Have a clear image of your ideal bodynot Heidi Klum's-in
your head.
Heidi's lean, curvy
physique is one in a million, so why
torture yourself? "My clients are so
much more successful when they can
see their body 'ideal' on their own
frame. It seems that much more
WHY IT WORKS:
doable to them, and they stay motivated," says Bruce Carter, creator of
the GetCyced! motivational program.
YOUR STRATEGY: First, decide what
your goal is-to firm up your butt
or lose 10 pounds-then visualize how
your body will look if you're successful. Keep that image in your head
when you're working out, are tempted
to skip an exercise session or are just
feeling frustrated. If you're trying to
get back to your pre-pregnancy weight
or fit into a favorite dress from two
years ago, tape a photo of yourself
from that time on your mirror, computer or refrigerator. "The picturewhether it's just in your head or staring you in the face-will be a type of
contract, keeping you driven to reach
your goals," says Carter.
SUCCESS SECRET #2
Focus on improving your cardiovascular
fitness instead of dropping pounds.
WHY IT WORKS:
Researchers at the
Cooper Institute in Dallas found that
having a moderate to high fitness
level resulted in a 43 to 52 percent
reduced risk of death from heart disease or cancer, regardless of participants' body mass index. In other
words, your fitness level is more important than your body-fat percentage
when it comes to avoiding certain
health problems. "Abalanced exercise
program that includes cardio and
weights can help improve your bone
density and lower your cholesterol,
insulin levels and blood pressure, all
of which keeps you healthy and
strong," says Steve Farrell, M.D., associate director of the division of education at the Cooper Institute.
YOUR STRATEGY: As a baseline, you
should be able to walk two to three
miles at a pace of 15 to 20 minutes per'
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FITNESS APRIL
2003
A heartrate monitor
lets you adjust your
intensity, so you don't
waste any workout time.
mile three or four times a week, says
Dr. Farrell. Better yet, aim for four or
five 45-minute sessions of aerobic exercise and two or three strength workouts. If you're just starting out, do as
much exercise as you can (even if it's
only 10 minutes) three days a week,
and build up gradually from there.
SUCCESS SECRET #3
Plan out most of the details of your work-
A proper pre-workout
mini meal contains 150 to 250 calo-
YOUR STRATEGY:
ries from both carbs and protein.
Sherwin recommends noshing on one
of the following two hours prior to exercise: half an apple with a tablespoon
of peanut butter, a half cup of trail
mix, or crackers with low-fat cheese.
outs beforehand.
"Mapping out your
exercise sessions helps ensure that
you're doing enough [see #2] strength
and cardio to guarantee results," says
John Jakicic, Ph.D., an assistant professor of exercise science at the University
of Pittsburgh. It's like going to the grocery store with a list instead of wandering the aisles looking for things you
might need. "Having the specifics
written down keeps you focused."
YOUR STRATEGY: Be precise when
scheduling your workouts. For example, instead of jotting down "work
out" on Monday, list "power yoga
class," "45-minute walk on the treadmill at 4 mph" or "30-minute upperbody weight workout."
WHY IT WORKS:
SUCCESS SECRET #4
Have a balanced snack an hour or two
before working out.
"Carbohydrates are
the body's primary fuel source during
exercise," says Cindy Sherwin, R.D.,
a personal trainer at Duomo Gym in
New York City. "Adding protein, fat
and/or fiber to it reduces the digestion
rate of the carbs, which will make
your fuel last longer and give you sustained energy."
WHY IT WORKS:
SUCCESS SECRET #5
Strap on a heart-rate
cardio sessions.
monitor for your
WHY IT WORKS: One of the primary
reasons you may not be seeing results is that you're either working
too hard or not hard enough. "Seeing those numbers on a heart-rate
monitor allows you to make intensity
changes right away so you don't
waste a minute," says Lucinda Christian, director of education at Mad
Dogg Athletics in Venice, California.
YOUR STRATEGY: Try this exercise to
track your heart rate: Grab a monitor
and get on a treadmill or bicycle.
Warm up for five minutes and check
your heart rate. This is your base number. "Now, increase your intensity to
a level where you feel challenged but
comfortable and sustain it for 20 to
30 minutes," says Christian. Cool down
by walking or biking at a slow pace,
and watch how long it takes to bring
your heart rate back to that base number. "Your goal through progressive
workouts is to drop your heart rate
faster, ideally within two minutes."
The faster you recover, the fitter you
are. A good monitor to try: Polar's
M21 ($150) not only calculates heart
rate and calories burned but also
sends you an exercise reminder. To
order, log on to polarusa.com or call
800-227-1314.
SUCCESS SECRET #6
Have an arsenal of strengthening
moves
for each body part.
WHY IT WORKS: "Many trouble spots,
such as your legs, triceps and back,
are really groups of muscles, so you
need to use more than one move to
create great definition," says Christa
Bache, co-owner of Dellbach Personal
Training Studio in New York City. The
. more completely you can target these
groups with a variety of exercises, the
faster you'll see results, says Bache.
YOUR STRATEGY: To do a better job of
sculpting your triceps (the backs of
your upper arms), for example, complete 10 to 12 reps of each of these
three moves back-to-back: dumbbell
kickbacks, triceps pressdowns and triceps extensions (also called skull crushers). Rest for 30 seconds; repeat twice.
SUCCESS SECRET #7
85 percent of your maximum than
you will staying at 50 or 60 percent,
says Barry Franklin, Ph.D., director
of the cardiac rehabilitation program
and exercise laboratories at William
Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak,
Michigan. You lose weight by burning
more calories than you take in. It
doesn't matter where those burned
calories come from. Just burn them!
You can turn up the
intensity meter either by gradually
increasing the speed or workload of
your normal workout-especially if
your typical aerobic session could best
be described as leisurely-or by doing
intervals (see #9). If you run, try hoofing it a little faster. Boosting your speed
by just one mile an hour will significantly up your calorie burn. If you run
at 5 mph for 30 minutes, for example,
you'll burn 260 calories. Spend the
same amount of time at 6 mph (a 10minute-mile pace) and you'll burn 325
calories. It may take a couple of weeks
to build up to it, but your body willnDtice the difference. (Calorie counts are
for a 135-pound woman.)
YOUR STRATEGY:
Contract your abs periodically
throughout the day.
Pulling in your absas opposed to doing crunches-targets
the deep abdominal muscles responsible for keeping your belly flat and
taut, says Dixie Stanforth, a lecturer
in the department of kinesiology at
the University of Texas at Austin.
YOUR STRATEGY: Don't just think of
your abs as something you train in the
gym, says Stanforth. Whether you're
standing in line at the grocery store,
sitting at your desk or driving your car,
do this move to work your middle muscles: Exhale and pull in your belly
button as if you were trying to zip up
a tight pair of jeans. Continue to breathe
normally; hold for 15 to 30 seconds and
release. Repeat five to 10 times.
WHY IT WORKS:
SUCCESS SECRET #8
Increase the intensity of your
workouts across the board.
WHY IT WORKS:
-
You'll burn more total
calories-and fat-during a workout
that gets your heart rate up to 70 to
SUCCESS SECRET #9
Ban the word routine from your
workout vocabulary.
Your body and mind
need constant stimulation to keep
them challenged, so your routine
should be anything but. Once you're
used to a faster speed or higher incline (see #8), try changing it up every
so often: "People who've been successful at losing weight or changing their
body composition vary the intensity
of their exercise from session to sesWHY IT WORKS:
sion," says Sherwin. "Besides speeding
up your results, you'll also prevent
burnout and boredom."
YOUR STRATEGY: Instead of plodding
through the same three-mile jog four
days a week, do a different "run" every
day. Sherwin suggests this program
(you'll burn more calories a week while
giving your lower body a sculpting
workout as well):
Day one: Run three miles at your
normal pace.
Day two: Do intervals of three minutes
of faster running mixed with one
minute of slow jogging.
Day three: Find a series of gentle hills
(or use the incline button on the
treadmill) and jog three miles.
Day four: Alternate intervals of oneminute sprints on an incline with one
minute of walking in between.
SUCCESS SECRET #10
Make friends with the trainers at the gym.
"If you get to know the
trainers at your club, they're going to
look out for you, especially when they
see you're serious about your workout," says Bache. "This gives you access
to fitness advice without shelling out
big bucks." Although they won't train
you for free, they should be willing to
give you some effective exercise tips.
YOUR STRATEGY: To break the ice,
Bache suggests approaching a trainer
in between clients. "Simply introduce
yourself," she says. "Ask for her opinion about something-new equipment, classes or even what type of
sneakers she recommends. Show
WHY IT WORKS:
respect for her time and advice and
I guarantee she'll remember you."
Once you establish a relationship, you
can ask her to double-check your
squat form, tweak your triceps extension or suggest a new cardio workout.
SUCCESS SECRET #11
Think of exercise as a reward all by itself.
"Exercise isn't just a
means to an end, it is the end," says
Carter. Sure, you love how Pilates has
helped flatten your abs, but does that
mean you'll give it up now that you've
got the "goods"? Viewing the Pilates
sessions as the benefit-and your solid
midsection as a great side effect-is
more likely to keep you psyched about
working out, says Carter.
YOUR STRATEGY: The next time you meet
a tough work deadline, negotiate a
truce with your boyfriend or defuse
a family conflict, make your run or
indoor cycling class your reward.
"Congratulate yourself with exercise,"
suggests Carter. "That feeling can take
you a long way-even back to the gym
day after day." _
WHY IT WORKS:
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