Train + Mean It!

Hey! Happy Friday! Today’s post is just lots of writing. Feel free to click away but i was in the mood for it today, so I hope you enjoy! I will be back this weekend with PICTURES!

Train and Mean It!
Visualize
I know this can sound silly, but honestly I use visualization techniques every single day I am working out. If I am lying in bed with little motivation to get up and moving, I visualize all of those people who got up earlier than me, hit the gym, maybe even some done with their workouts. When I am in the gym, I visualize in whatever exercise I am doing. If I am sprinting, I visualize beating the person in front of me. I sometimes even talk to myself in my head “COME ON, NAOMI YOU CAN DO THIS” it totally works.


In this journey I am on for my first competition, my workouts and diet is definitely more intense and you can’t help but just STAY FOCUSED. As I started progressing forward, I began to know what parts of my body I enjoyed working and what parts were a bit more stubborn, therefore not my favorite to work! IT takes some extra visualization to work those stubborn parts. Imagine what you want to look like and how your muscle is working to really engage it in every way possible. I love working my shoulders, not so much my quads!


Bottom line: Whatever you are doing just visualize your body doing it. The muscles you are working, the finish line, beating your other competitors, or simply kicking your own butt!




Music
Now, I don’t want to get into what I recommend to workout, because well, music is very personal, but I will say that without music, my workout seems 3 times as long! A solid playlist to get you through that workout and pump you up is such a necessity! Whether that be Celine Dion or Eminem to David Guetta or the Glee Soundtrack. Find what gets you hyped up, pumped up and ready to rock! If you are interested in what I listen to when I workout, check out my spin playlists!






Push Yourself
This is a bit different than visualization. I am basically saying here, if you want to see changes in your body, you must get out of your comfort zone. Sure, exercise is awesome and I am all about doing what you love!. BUT to truly see changes in your physique, you must get a bit uncomfortable. If you are weight lifting, those last 2-3 reps in the set should be challenging, however still be able to finish with proper form. Change up your grip; change the angle of the bench to hit a muscle in a different way! For instance, if you are used to a Straight bar triceps push down, simply flip your grip so your palms are up, and perform 1 more set just when you think you are through! Even if you have just 30 minutes in the gym…make the most of it!


If you are serious about building muscle, just push yourself with those weights and fatigue the muscles. You can achieve this with high reps, or heavy weight—just get out of that comfort zone! If you are rocking on the treadmill and going along nice and dandy, up the incline and
If you feel like you are hitting a plateau, check this out and refresh your training!




Focus on your Weaknesses
In life, we are always trying to find the ‘easy way out’ Whether it is taking the elevator rather the stairs, getting the closest spot to the supermarket (even if that means sitting in your car for 10 minutes) or hailing a taxi rather than walking 3 blocks. I think the funniest thing I have seen recently is at my gym where a car was waiting for about 15 minutes for a parking spot close to the gym—all just to avoid walking about .2 miles! And he was going to the GYM! I digress—what I am trying to say here with this point is to focus on your weak points, and try not to take the easy way out. My least favorite body part to work is my biceps, and legs (specifically quads) I just have never liked it, I don’t have a reason—probably because my legs are stubborn to respond. BUT with this said, I accept the fact that I have to work a bit harder on something I do not enjoy as much as say working my shoulders (LOVE!)


Bottom line: EMBRACE your weak points and use this as a motivator to work even harder. Now, I don’t mean to use the heaviest weight you can find to build up this weak part of your body. Start slow and focus on form. When you hit the gym, have that be the first body part you work in your routine so you can really expend your energy and focus on it


Love it
Guys, I talk about this over and over again…but after reading all of this, I don’t want you to think that you have to go lift heavy weights and grunt, and be uncomfortable in your own skin. I want you to walk away from this and feel empowered and strong and focused, no matter what your mode of exercise is DO WHAT YOU LOVE. Today and everyday