Article care of bigobb.com

10 Tips from Bill Phillips

Tip #1: Measure Results Fast!
One of the things I’ve noticed is people who start a fitness program don’t measure their progress often enough. This is a huge mistake. I call this “failing in slow motion.” People don’t notice what’s working or not working until months or even years have been squandered.

The fact is, everyone fails. It’s just some fail faster than others and are quick to change direction and try again. For example, if I get a “hot tip” on a new training program that worked great for someone else but doesn’t seem to be working for me, I don’t hammer away at it, hoping and praying things are going to change. I usually give a new training program a good four- to six-week trial period. If it’s not working, I don’t do the same workout all year: I drop it and move on to the next idea.

I recommend that you evaluate your progress at least every four weeks by taking a photo of yourself and by having your body composition measured every two to four weeks to see if you’re headed in the direction you want to go. If you’re not, make a change, and keep changing until you start getting the results you want!

Tip #2: Don’t Be a Fool!
My definition of a fool is someone who doesn’t learn from his or her past experiences. For example, thousands of fitness buffs will continue to do exactly the same things in the coming weeks which haven’t worked for them in previous months and expect a different result! Don’t be so naïve as to think if you keep following the same training, nutrition and supplementation program, you’re going to get a different result. That’s not the way it works. If you want different results, you have to take a different approach!

Tip #3: Think Big!
Which goals are easier to reach—ones that are small or those which are grand? Well, if you’re like most people, you’ll guess the former, but I am thoroughly convinced the correct answer is the latter. You see, little goals don’t have the “magic” to create intense desire—they don’t have the power to stir your soul, which is why they’re so often not realized. However, big plans and grand dreams create excitement and a burning desire that give you the power to change! Make “grand plans,” and shoot for the stars!

Tip #4: Honestly “See” Yourself!
Since we all “see” ourselves every day, we often don’t notice if we’re “slipping.” If we’re not careful, before long, the image we have of ourselves in our minds will not be in sync with reality! What you must do is have someone take a photo of you, standing relatively relaxed with your arms at your sides, in a pair of shorts or a swimsuit. (Seriously… you must do this!)

When you get the photo developed, take a good look at what you see. Then, decide what you want to change: do you want less fat and more muscle definition? If so, make that your goal, set out to achieve it, and let nothing stand in your way!

Then take another photo every four weeks and put them side by side on your refrigerator door, in your home gym or someplace where you’ll see them frequently. This will help you honestly evaluate what kind of shape you’re really in and how you’re progressing.

Tip #5: Get Focused!
I’ve discovered that people who succeed in dramatically transforming their physiques—those who build a strong, healthy, muscular body—become so empowered they can change many other things in their lives. By building a better body, you’ll have greater self-esteem, more confidence and a substantially better attitude. People will be drawn to you. You might end up getting a better job and making more money; you might find your relationships are improved and that you become a more powerful person.

The link between a powerful body and mind has been recognized for ages. The ancient Greeks were convinced that only when a harmonious balance between intellect and physical development was reached could a person unlock his or her true potential. This philosophy is reflected in a phrase admiring Romans used to describe the Greeks: “Mens sana in corpore sano,” which means, “A sound mind in a sound body.”

So if you want to improve in any area of your life, start by focusing on building a better body, and let that flow into other areas of your life.

Tip #6: Attack Fear!
Most people are afraid of change. They’re afraid to get out of their comfort zone. Some are afraid of failing, and others, believe it or not, are afraid of succeeding! What’s amazing is most people don’t realize they’ve become paralyzed by their fears. Millions of people with great potential have been ruined (their entire lives are being wasted) because, quite frankly, they don’t attack their fears head on.

You’ll recognize people who are hiding out in their comfort zones by their lack of action. They make a lot of excuses and rationalizations. They often say things like, “See that guy over there? I’d look as good as he does if I worked out hard…” (Well then, why don’t you do it instead of just talking about it?!) Rationalization and excuses have become the only form of “daily exercise” most people get!

Tip #7: Decide Exactly What You Want!
It has been estimated that 97% of people who say they’re going to get in shape never follow through. One reason for this is because they don’t specifically define their fitness goals and write them down. (Please, don’t make this mistake!)

Decide exactly how much muscle you want to gain and exactly how much fat you want to lose! For example, you might decide over the next 12 weeks you want to gain 12 lbs of muscle and lose 16 lbs of fat. Imagine what your physique would look like after such a monumental transformation. Granted, this is a lofty goal, but it certainly isn’t impossible! (Remember Tip #3: When you think big, you light a fire that is ignited by significant aspirations!)

Tip #8: Reprogram Your “Operating System”!
After you’ve committed yourself to achieving a specific goal, determine which habits or “patterns of action” stand in your way and which ones will help you.

It might have taken you years, if not decades, to develop the patterns of action that brought you to this point. Fortunately, it’s not going to take you anywhere near that long to “debug” your operating system. In fact, it takes only four weeks of conscious effort and repetition before these new patterns of action become automatic. By then, it will feel more natural to do them than to not do them.

For example, if you’ve determined you need to adopt the pattern of action of working out first thing in the morning, you need to stick with it for four weeks, and the next thing you know, you won’t have to think about it anymore! You’ll just do it, and it will feel right!

Tip #9: Don’t Rely on Trial and Error!
If you want dramatic results, fast, relying on trial and error is one of the biggest mistakes you could ever make! You see, trial and error is a slow learning process. And, it’s an unnecessary one. You should adopt plans and programs that have already been proven to work!

Think of it this way—let’s say you wanted to bake a cake (or whatever). You could either follow a proven plan—a recipe—or you could rely on trial and error. Which do you think would produce a successful outcome the quickest? The answer is, of course, following the recipe! In fact, if you rely on trial and error, you might never get the result you’re looking for. (Sound familiar?)

The lesson here is… don’t try to reinvent the wheel! Simply find someone who’s achieved the results you would like to experience and do what he or she did. If you follow a proven plan, you may very well achieve spectacular results as well!

Tip #10: Take Action!
Please, don’t be ordinary! Don’t do what “average people” do, which is talk about getting in great shape but never do anything about it. Success is created by action! People who get results keep moving. They don’t quit! Sure, there are always some forms of inconvenience and stress in your life that seem like they might be obstacles that would keep you from taking action. Your challenge is to succeed in spite of all this!

Don’t wait until “you’re ready.” Don’t fool yourself into believing now is “just too soon.” If you wait until everything is “perfect” in your life before you take action, you’ll be waiting forever!

You can decide right here and now what the next 12 weeks have in store for you. Will the next three months be a breakthrough for you in terms of your personal achievements? Or just another 12 weeks in which you “almost got it together”? You don’t need a crystal ball to answer that question: YOU hold the answer. You can be successful at building a better body and a better life, but only if you take action right now!

 

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