REDONDO BEACH BOOT CAMP

Many people are not sure how many days they should workout a week. It is different for every person and each person requires his own program.

I will address a few basics:

1. Workout 5 days a week for optimal fat loss.

2. Many sedentary people (couch potatoes) will need to begin with only 2 days. For many sedentary
people two days a week is recommended.) Consistency and commitment are the most important
for many. Add a day each month.

3. Start with weight lifting and walking.

4. Exercise needs to have these components: weight training, core training, flexibility training,
and cardiovascular training.

5. Have a doctor clear you before you start.

6. Get away from training muscle groups. Train movement patterns–pushing, pulling, lifting, squatting, lunging and planking for the back.

For many people nothing will happen no matter how hard or how often they exercise unless they make a constant effort to change their eating habits. Also, when you work out, you tear your body down so you need at least some good food to recover or “heal” from your workouts.

Here are some questions to ask yourself.

1. Do you eat breakfast?

2. Do you have a serving of good quality protein in the morning?

3. Do you eat too much starchy carbs–white rice, white breads, muffins (which are nutrient deficient),
potatoes, corn and corn products, crackers, and pasta? (Remember fat-free is not calorie-free!)

4.Do you eat food high in trans fats? For example, chips, crackers, baked goods, cakes, cookies, French
fries and all the other fried foods.

5. Do you drink more than one glass of alcohol a day?

6. Do you have 5 to 7 serving of fruits and vegetables a day?

7. Do you drink your calories–soft drinks, diet soda, fruit juices (even the “healthy” ones),
and milk. Drink more water instead or even green tea with little or no sweetener. Many people claim
it to be a “fat burner.”

8. Do you have 3 balanced meals a day? Eat protein at each meal, more vegetables than fruit, and little to
no starchy carbs.

9. Do you read labels?

10. Do you think about whether your meals are healthy or do you just eat what tastes good or eat
because you are bored, lonely, depressed or hungry?

Very few people can change everything at once. Make a commitment and keep applying the right tools for both exercise and nutrition. If you find it hard to make progress, take one step at a time. Just don’t fool yourself by half-stepping everything.