The top 2 things you MUST do to transform your body

Hello, I hope this update finds you healthy and on your way to success. I am beginning a health and fitness newsletter to share valuable information with you on achieving peak success with your programs, so pay attention closely.

I want to share with you today briefly the top two things you must do to transform your body into what you really want. I share these with you both from personal experience, as well as from my personal observations of others as a gym manager and personal trainer.

1. Lift weights.
2. Follow a customized nutrition plan.

1. Many people out there are "cardio junkies"...they do endless cardio either from addiction or from belief that it is going to completely transform their bodies. Don't get me wrong, cardio has many great benefits including improved circulation, fat loss, and improved systemic body function to name a few. However, in order to obtain substantial visible change, resistance training is also mandatory. Muscle burns fat, and in order to raise your basal metabolic rate, you need to add muscle to your body. Furthermore, resistance training allows your body to continue burning calories after your workouts for up to 48 hours, resulting in far greater fat loss than what can be accomplished through cardio alone. Although cardio does burn calories while your heartrate is elevated, once the workout stops, so does the calorie expenditure. Ladies, don't worry, you are not going to bulk up from lifting weights because men have far greater levels of testosterone than women and thus our bodies respond differently to the same workouts. Men will add some size and definition, while women will tone up. So the question now becomes, does your current program incorporate resistance training in addition to cardio? If not, take a good look and see how you can add it because you will love the results! If you need ideas, I am the one to ask.

2. What we put into our mouth determines 80% or more of the results we achieve in our fitness programs. Following a customized nutrition plan is absolutely vital to achieving success in any new program. You can work out all day long, but if you are making poor food choices, you will never get the results you desire. The body is a delicate machine, requiring foods in the proper proportions and at the proper times to achieve peak performance. When following a weight loss or muscle bulking regimen, this becomes even more vital to achieving success. Furthermore, since over half of our bodily composition consists of water, proper hydration is a must. I cannot stress enough the importance of drinking water throughout the day to aid in your health and fitness program! Whole food nutrition is also essential, as many of our daily nutrition requirements are impossible to meet in today's fast food world. If you need guidance in obtaining a meal plan catered to your particular situation, all you need to do is ask.

Good luck. I am here for you.

Neil Koehler