Setting Goals

A new year has begun and more people are flocking to the gym. The most common reason? To lose weight. However some of us are pretty slim people and think we don't need to set any goals because we think we are already "in shape." Well let me ask you, do you know what your body fat percentage is?  Go to your local gym and find out or try these simple calculators at home body fat calculator

The truth is some of us just be young and have a high metabolism, or may be active but don't eat right and lift weights. If you read my last blog, I included body fat as part of my discussion. The National Council on Strength and Fitness body fat breakdown is as follows:
                Essential     Lean/Fit     Healthy     Risk         Obese
Males         3-5%        6-15%      16-19%   20-24%     >25%
Females     11-14%    15-22%     23-26%   27-31%     >32%

Keep in mind these are just guidelines but may vary based on level of fitness and muscle mass etc. If you are looking to improve your number, here are some things you can try to change your body.

Change up your diet! Eating every 3-4 hours throughout the day and never skipping meals will help increase your metabolism and decrease the chance of overeating. Drink more water, eat less sugar and saturated fats. Stick with fresh fruits, vegetables and lean meats. Avoid drinking anything but water and resist processed foods. Also increase protein consumption with tuna, eggs, black or kidney beans and decrease carbohydrates especially breads and pastas.

Make your gym time worth it! In addition to 4-6 days of cardio workouts (which probably need to be faster paced) get at least 3 weight training sessions in. If you can, break up your workouts to twice a day. Do not rest more than 45 seconds between sets. Keep the intensity up! Building lean muscle mass will decrease body fat and burn more calories throughout the day. Make sure you get getting 8 hour of good sleep to help the muscles properly recover as well as protein shake 30-45 minutes after any type of workout.