Wow - my last blog post generated some *serious* feedback!

It seems there are a lot of motivated people keen to lose weight and it was great to hear from so many of you!

The good news of course, as promised, is that applications are now open. The purpose of the last video was just to see if anyone had any questions incase I hadn’t made anything clear but it seems all the feedback I got was 100% positive What a nice experience!

Unless something big comes up we are opening the doors for Peak Physique on 20th of May - and it will be running for 4 weeks in total. I hope in that time you’ll be able to lose around 4 kgs, maybe a little more if you’re lucky.

Please watch the new video I’ve put together which will recap the details and then show you exactly how to get involved!

Here’s the new video showing you how to apply

Incase this is all double-dutch to you, here’s the last post explaining what’s going on

And here’s the first video from Costa Rica

Go on, click that link and watch the new video now. Applications are open

Disclaimer: I will do everything I can to help, advise and motivate you over the next 4 weeks but I’m *not* a professional dietician, personal trainer or anything else. I’m just a regular guy with a lot of passion who has managed to safely lose quite a bit of weight in the past. Please be aware it may be intelligent to contact your doctor before making any changes to your diet or exercise routines, but I didn’t and was fine. I also can’t guarantee your results in any way but I *will* do everything I can to help you lose as much weight as possible in a safe, effective way.

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OK so the weight loss video I made won’t embed in my blog for whatever reason (grrr!) so I’ve posted it over at Google Video.

So first off please go and take a look by clicking here.

After you’ve finished watching, please come on back here for the rest of the this post…

Watched it?

OK, so to summarize -

What I’m suggesting is a 4 week challenge for a highly limited number of people. During that time you will have access to a password-protected area on this site where we can meet daily to share information and tips. You will have your own blog to post updates to and a discussion forum. You can ask any questions you have about your weight loss and I’ll do my best to answer them - though I can’t guarantee I’ll know the answers to everything.

I’ll also do my best to motivate you (and myself!) and basically our small group hopefully can feed off each other and all lose a load of weight! It doesn’t matter if you want to lose just a few pounds or if you have 20 kilos you want to lose - if you’ve got the right attitude I want to hear from you.

I will provide you with food lists, exercise suggestions etc. based on my own experiences of what has worked so you’ll be following a plan I myself have successfully used, plus having my help if things don’t go quite as you’d hoped.

You must:

1) Be able and willing to exercise for around 1 hour per day for a month with one day off a week

2) Be motivated enough to be visiting the password-protected area each day for a month and posting about your experiences

3) Be willing to be supportive of others and help keep the team on the straight and narrow

4) Be willing to post before and after details (no real name or face required if you don’t want) to show us how you did. Not only does this make it more fun but it’s a real motivator knowing the others are going to be seeing you change (or not, if you don’t follow the plan).

Finally the cost is zero - this is for my benefit as much as yours and I think should be a lot of fun.

What I’m asking for initially is any questions you may have on this. Please post them in the comments box at the bottom of this page so I can answer any that I haven’t covered in my rambling blog post and video.

Even if you just want to make a comment (get your name in early, anyone?!) then leave a comment.  

Then I’ll email you again in a few days time (probably Monday or Tuesday) just to let you know the doors are open. It’s at that point that you’ll be able to access the short little application form I’ll build. I’m hoping to get the group rolling a week on Tuesday (20th of May) at the moment so the application process will need to be reasonably swift over the next week or so.

Can’t wait to hear from you!

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Starting to lose weight you need to make a choice. And you need to keep making the choice all the time you’re slimming. It’s this.

Do you want to go all out - correct diet, hard exercise, focus, denial etc - and get the fastest results possible, or do you want to slowly introduce weight loss into your daily routine.

Do you want to spend an hour in the gym then come home to eat brown rice and chicken, or do you want to just take a walk with a friend on the weekend?

The choice really is yours.

Here are some factors to consider…

Generally those who go all out are going to achieve better results, faster, which may well prove very motivating. Seeing the pounds fall off each week is likely to keep you coming back for more.

Equally, people doing so much are, arguably, more likely to give up as they’re putting themselves under so much pressure that eventually something has to give.

Those who introduce things slowly are less likely to suffer from injuries caused by intense workouts and are more likely to be able to live a reasonable life around their new regime, but progress will likely be slow which may cause frustration before long. This could also lead to giving up.

Steve Pavlina who writes an interesting personal development blog some time ago mentioned using the power of overwhelming force to achieve your goals and I think its something you really should be considering.

Here’s the skinny…

Many military battles are won by using overwhelming force. This principle can help a small or less well-armed group win over a bigger foe. You simply apply everything you’ve got a short, sharp, intense hit.

You don’t wander in, fire a few bullets, stop for a bite to eat, fire a few more and so on.

No, you hit the enemy force with *everything* you’ve got - all your soldiers, you have planes dropping bombs, rockets firing at them and so on.

The enemy force doesn’t know what’s hit them!

How can you apply this overwhelming force to your weight loss? Tell your friends what you’re going to be doing. Clear out the kitchen cupboards to get rid of junk food. And so on. I’m sure you can brainstorm dozens of ways in which sticking to your diet is made more difficult or at least not as easy as it should be.

Make a list of these factors and turn them around so *everything* is focused on helping you achieve your fitness goals.

Popularity: 9% [?]

So you don’t like running and you don’t own a bike, but you still want to get fit? Well here’s what I’m hoping is the longest list of fat-burning pastimes on the net. There must be *something* here for you to try…?!

(Oh, and please add any you think I’ve missed to the comments at the bottom)

Abseiling
Aerobics
Archery
Assault Course
Badminton
Ballroom Dancing
Base Jumping
Baseball
Basketball
Belly Dancing
Billiards
BMX
Body Boarding
Bowles
Boxing
Break Dancing
Caber Tossing
Canoeing
Circuit Training
Climbing
Cricket
Cycling
Disco Dancing
Discus
Diving
Dog Sledding
Elliptical
Football
Free Running
Go Karting
Gymnastics
Hammer Throwing
Hand Gliding
High Jump
Hiking
Hockey
Horse Riding
Hula
Hurdles
Ice Hockey
Ice Skating
Javelin
Judo
Juggling
Karate
Kayaking
Kendo
Kick Boxing
Kite Surfing
Kung Fu
Line Dancing
Long Jump
Marathon Running
Netball
Nintendo Wii
Parachuting
Paragliding
Pilates
Pogo Stick
Pole Dancing
Pole Vault
Pool
Pot Holing
Rafting
Rodeo
Roller Disco
Rollerblading
Rollerskating
Rowing
Rugby
Sailing
Salsa
Sex
Shotput
Skateboarding
Skiing
Skipping
Sky Diving
Snooker
Snorkelling
Snowboarding
Soccer
Spinning
Sprinting
Squash
Surfing
Swimming
Table Tennis
Tae Kwon Do
Ten Pin Bowling
Tennis
Trampoline
Triathlon
Triple Jump
Twister
Vaulting
Volleyball
Walking
Windsurfing
Wrestling
Yoga

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We all know that spending an hour on a stationary bike staring into space can be pretty soul destroying, but we also know how necessary cardio is to our workouts so the key is to keep things as interesting as possible. Because when you’re enjoying yourself, you’ll come back for more. There’s nothing worse than the growing gray boredom of a workout or a diet you’re getting sick of. It’s only a matter of time at that point when you deicde you simply can’t be bothered any more and give up. Not an ideal solution.

So here are 9 ways I have found to make cardio that litle bit more enjoyable - see how many you can use.

1) Watch TV

Many gyms, including my own, have big TV screens near the cardio equipment. So plug your headphones in and enjoy a favourite TV show.

2) Read A Book

OK so this one’s a lot harder to do (try reading a book on the rowing machine!) but if you’re using a stationary bike it’s entirely possible to catch up on some reading. Infact, I did it yesterday and my 20 minutes on the bike flew by in what felt like 2 oe 3 minutes -seriously!

3) Mix It Up

Rather than spending an hour on one machine for example, spend 20 minutes on 3 different machines to keep some variety. You’d be surprised how quickly just 20 minutes goes on a machine.

4) Go Outside

if the weather is good enough, go and run, cycle, swim etc outside. With the sunshine on your skin and plenty of different things to look at each exercise session will be different.

5) Do Some Thinking

Got a big problem that needs solving? Trying to work out what present to get someone or what to cook for that big family dinner? Set your mind on that one big problem and aim to have the answer by the time you finish. I even take a notepad and pen with me sometimes to jot doen ideas that come to me while working out.

6) Zone Out

You might prefer the opposite. If you’re a busy person - long working hours, crazy family life etc. - then simply closing your eyes, clearing your mind and focusing on just being there in the moment without any inturruptions might be a suitable solution for you.

7) Listen To Music

My MP3 player is my best friend at the gym. Find music you find uplifting and change it regularly. There are tracks that litererally guarantee me another 5 minutes of exercise time if I start to slow down. I skip through to one of these tracks and I’m off!

8) Change How You Use The Machine

Many cardio machines have different programs on them. You can go faster or make it hard or long or, or, or. Try out a new program. Maybe aim to go the same distance as usual in half the time. Or make it harder but go for the same time and so on.

9) Flirt!

OK, so forgive me for putting in this one - and as someone who is happily in a relationship I can mention that I definately don’t use this one (any more!). But gyms attract some good-looking folks so have some fun! If you’re a little bit more bashful then take along a friend and just have a chat while exercising.

Popularity: 36% [?]