The truth about Transforming your body with Exercises 

Your body is a wonderful machine. It has an amazing capacity to adapt and even physically transform itself in response to the activities you do regularly.

That’s what happens when you get fitter – a workout which is hard when you first do it feels easier as you repeat it because your body responds by changing itself so it can better cope with the same workout next time.

One of the ways most people go wrong is they think, that’s it, they can just keep repeating that easier workout and changes will continue to happen in their bodies.

Not so, I’m afraid. Changes happen while your body adapts to the new activity, once your body is used it no more change is necessary.

The other big mistake is continually adding duration to sessions of doing the same exercise – running, cycling or swimming further, spending longer in the gym, dong back-to-back studio classes, etc. This is fine if your training goal is solely to increase your levels of endurance, but for most people this is not their main motivation. Most people’s motivations are some combination of wanting to get leaner, fitter and stronger. Unfortunately this training strategy can actually be detrimental to that, 

You love exercise you’re already good at

So, given that doing only one type of exercise can cause injury, sap motivation and pull us in the opposite direction to our goals why on earth do so many people still do it?

Mainly because hardly anyone wants to tell people they need a varied exercise schedule.

Fitness and exercise are big business and most of the advice pumped out by mainstream media comes from people and organisations with something to sell – if someone wants you to buy their yoga DVD, or running shoes, or join their trendy new class they’re unlikely to tell you about the other types of exercise you should be doing alongside those in order reach your goals.

There’s also a very prevalent idea that the best advice to give to people is to simply find a type of exercise they enjoy.

The problem is, people enjoy the types of exercise they’re already good at, but they often benefit most from the types of exercise their body hasn’t already adapted to (which they come to enjoy more as they do adapt and get “fitter at”). See what I mean? Doing the exercise comes first, enjoying doing it comes as part of the process.

But any type of exercise is better than none, right?

Usually, within reason, yes.

However, if you only do whatever type of exercise you enjoy, or most feel like on the day, you need to understand that it won’t necessarily produce the result which is your main motivation for doing exercise in the first place.

Since I started sharing my own experience of the difference switching daily running for the type of training I do now, I’ve helped literally hundreds of people struggling in the same way I was. They’re exercising regularly and feel like they’re doing everything they should be to get the lean, sculpted body they want, but nothing is changing for them.

These are among my favourite type of clients, I relate to their frustration, but it’s also because they tend to see progress quite quickly when they start my programs and it’s fantastic to share the experience with them as that body they’ve striving for, for so long, starts taking shape.

Now I’ve got a rep for being very results focused, people also often come to me wanting an exercise program optimised for results simply because, right from the get-go, they don’t want to spend a lot of time on exercise which won’t get their bodies in the condition they want to be in.

So, yes, any type of exercise can be better than none at all, but if you’re exercising because you want to get leaner, fitter, stronger, more sculpted or you have any particular goal in mind, it makes sense to exercise smart.

If you want results, train smart

To illustrate what an optimised fitness program looks like I’ll outline what’s included in my awesome new workout program, Forge (I’m so proud of this one!). But this isn’t only for people interested in joining my online gym and doing the Forge program. I’m sharing the “secrets” of why Forge produced such fantastic results for the test group so you can apply the same principles to your own exercise schedule (but, of course, if you do join I’ll have taken care of that for you).

Forge is a 12-week results driven workout program, split into three four-week phases, exclusive to members of my online gym. Members following the standard Forge schedule will exercise for 30-minutes per day, with me via workout videos, six days per week. There’s a different workout every day of the week and after four weeks, you move on to the next phase which has a new set of six daily workouts to conquer.

The “before and after” photos on this post show just a few examples of the results the pilot test group achieved. I’m really excited to see the transformations that occur now Forge is open to all members of my online gym.

So here’s what’s in the mix:

• Strength workouts to build lean muscle
• Speed and agility training, to torch calories
• Plyometrics to create explosive power
• Something I call Unified Strength and Conditioning, with exercises which fire up muscles across the whole body
• High intensity interval training, proven to produce maximum fat burning
• Flexibility and athletic movement work built into the workouts

Keep in mind these seasons are only 30 minutes long, including warm-up and cool-down. In the videos I guide everyone through the training, explaining how beginners can modify or build up to any advanced moves. At the same time I drive people to push harder than they ever would if exercising alone and get them to push themselves to max in a very short amount of time. This is fantastic for fat burning as it increases calorie burn for up to 24 hours after the session is over, it’s also great for fitness and strength gains because people get out of their comfort zones, often exercising at an intensity they thought they couldn’t manage – and that’s what makes changes happen.

You can try out the Forge Accelerator workout and experience this for yourself right now, totally free…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOihYtZ2W1o

How does Fat Loss Actually Happen ?

Noticed that people with careers related to medicine or biology tend to be leaner? Understanding how fat is stored and burned by the body makes it much easier to know how to control our body fat levels.

Of course, it’s a very complex process and most of us don’t have the time or inclination to take a degree in human biology just to be lean. But that’s OK, you don’t need to understand it on a super-deep level, just the basic principles will be helpful enough.

The problem is, it’s rare to find an article which explains them in a way most ordinary people can understand… So, I guess it’s down to me!

Here goes!

How did this fat end up on my body?

When people talk about wanting to lose weight, what they really mean is they want to shed fat, which means they want their body to burn off it’s fat stores. Seems simple enough. But how does that work? How does the body “burn off” fat – and where does the lost fat go?

When you eat food, you’re taking in energy (usually measured in calories). You also use a bit of energy throughout the day, even doing simple things like walking around the house or pushing a trolley down the aisle at the grocery store. Working out uses up more energy, but works in the same way. As you move, you use up the energy you’ve taken in – the same way any machine uses fuel.

There’s a reason both eating well and exercising regularly are part of a healthy lifestyle: it’s all a matter of taking in energy and using it up. If you take in less energy than you use, you’re at a deficit.

Today’s processed foods are so energy-packed that it has become really easy to take in more energy than we end up using, which means we end up with a surplus.

What happens then? First understand where the energy you take in actually goes.

What happens to the energy you take in?

The energy contained in the foods and drinks you consume either goes straight into your bloodstream for immediate use, or to replenish energy stores in your muscles or, once those stores are full, it gets stored as energy in your fat cells.

At any given moment, you’re both storing and using energy at the same time. The more of a surplus of energy you have in your system, the more energy your body will be working on storing for later in your fat cells.

Think of fat cells as something like water balloons in a bucket. The more excess energy you have, the more balloons you’ll fill up inside that bucket.

Where does fat go when you lose it?

It’s important to remember that your body will primarily use the energy stored in your blood stream and muscles before it starts using significant amounts of the energy stored as fat. Put simply, fat is the last thing your body is going to let go of when you’re using up energy stores.

Once your body starts tapping into fat stores, the more energy you use, the more fat you lose. But you don’t actually lose any of the balloons inside that bucket, they just shrink inside the bucket. Meaning that next time you take in more energy than is immediately required they’ll fill on up again.

When you use more energy than you currently have stored in your bloodstream – let’s say you’re working out in the morning and haven’t eaten breakfast yet – your body starts to pull more energy from “storage” (your bucket filled with water balloons). This is why dieting of any kind usually involves taking in less energy than you use (no matter how it’s dressed up). When enough energy leaves your cells for your body to use over a longer period of time, your fat cells start to “empty.” An energy deficit is the only way this happens.

When your fat cells empty out – when those water balloons shrink – the fat doesn’t literally burn, but those fat stores do get used as fuel, in a way. The science behind this process is sort of complicated. Eventually, the fat stored in your cells gets broken down into its components – carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. What your body does not use of those chemicals, it gets rid of. You either breathe it out (exhaling carbon dioxide) or excrete it as water (through your urine, sweat, etc.).

Win at Fitness in 2017 by doing this Now 

As corny as it sounds, New Year is a great time to bring in changes.

We can’t help looking back on the past 12 months and take stock. Lines are drawn, we evaluate and plan what to improve.

It’s no suprise that statistics show weight loss tops the list of popular resolutions and, although I often encourage people not to wait for some special moment to start on their fitness journey, for many the start of a New Year is just the extra bit of motivation they need.

Unfortunately, very often that motivation is short lived.

By no means do I want to discourage you, but the truth is that most “big” goals remain unattained.

If you want to make real changes to your lifestyle, attitude and your body, changes that last a lifetime, start small.

By that I mean that it will only seem small, because what I have in mind will take real dedication. The effects will be lasting and profound and gradually be compounded as you build upon them until those seeminly small changes become transformative.

Do this for 4 Weeks In January and make Your 2017 Fitness Resolutions a Reality

Instead of setting lofty long term goals that make you feel anxious or are unrealistic, start 2017 by committing yourself for just four weeks. Four weeks is enough for you to see and feel changes, to get into healthy habits and to kick start your year. Do this and by the time February arrives, you will be stronger, leaner, and happier. Think how good that’s going to feel.

By doing this, you won’t hit February at a point where your motivation is wearing thin and have your good intentions gradually slip away. You’ll have seen real progress and you’ll have already achieved your first goal!

Think about what that will do for your chances of sticking with healthy habits throughout the year.

Want to See and Feel Real Changes?

In my previous post I told you that progress in fitness happens over months, not days. Indeed, no training plan can transform you from size 18 to 8 in just one month, but what the 4-Week Breakthrough can do is transform your attitude, put you back on the fitness track, and set your New Year off to a great start.

Setting manageable goals doesn’t mean being lazy; it just means being smart. The one month long training plan will take effort, consistency and focus. But take it one workout and one food choice at a time and you absolutely can do it.

I know you’ll be thinking about where you ultimately want to get to, and that’s great. But lets face it, in previous years you’ve gone off hell for leather in January without a real plan or any milestones to aim for along the way and how has that worked?

A Plan for Your Level and Your Life

The 4-Week Breakthrough offers two levels of intensity depending on your starting point. The basic schedule will have you working out three times a week, while the full schedule doubles the number of training sessions. To amp up the intensity, you can also use dumbbells and ankle weights (optional).

Each session takes about 30 minutes, or closer to 20 minutes if you subtract the warm up and cool down. To maximise your effects, eating guidelines are provided.

Step by step, I will guide you through the 4-Week Breakthrough to a healthier, fitter you.  You’ll workout with me in videos and I’ll also answer any questions you have personally in my weekly Q&A videos.

The only thing you have to do is stick with it. Just show up. It’s a commitment of only half an hour a day in front of your computer, wherever you are, no matter how busy you are. And boy will it be worth it!

Start Creating a Foundation Now!

In 2016, this training plan proved a hit among the Gold Members of my online gym, so in 2017 I decided to open it up to all my Silver Members as well. This means that you have access to hours of unique online training sessions, as well as simple eating guidelines, for just £6.50 a month. Sign up here, and let’s kick ass in 2017!

If you join today you can start whenever you like. I have lots of foundational workouts waiting so you can begin building up your fitness base to really smash 4-Week Breakthrough in January.

Visit juliabuckleyfitness.com to join (where you’ll also find lots of inspiring transformation pics to help kickstart your motivation).