(ThyBlackMan.com) Self-care of the Body Temple is a huge factor in strategies for change and achievement. Research has confirmed that the more you get out of your body, the more you get out of life.
But what is a strong body? What does it mean to be ‘fit’? According to the National Federation of Professional Trainers, being physically fit is:
“…having the energy and strength to perform daily activities vigorously and alertly, with energy left over to enjoy leisure activities or to meet emergency demands. Your heart and lungs, and muscles should be strong. Your weight and body fat should be within a desirable range. For women, fat should not exceed 25% of their body weight. For men, fat should not exceed 18% of their body weight.”
And of course, being fit leads to a number of healthy outcomes for your life.
If you are in the gym or considering getting an exercise program started, here are three tips for building your best body!
Don’t Focus on Pounds
In most cases, losing weight is relative to your state of health. If you 
are dealing with high blood pressure, high cholesterol or have been diagnosed as pre-diabetic, then dropping pounds is more urgent than the person who just wants to tone their physique. In my experience as a fitness professional, I have seen clients start out wanting to lose x number of pounds and end up achieving the same effect by losing half.
Don’t focus on pounds, though. Instead, focus on implementing good, solid habits – especially in the area of nutrition. I guarantee you if you put your efforts into developing a non-exercise routine, your exercise routine – and thus pounds – will follow suit.
You Don’t Fail you Try Harder
When your goal is to get and keep your body strong, there is no such thing as failure. Getting fit has its own built-in rewards. Your body gets stronger; you improve heart and lung function and you also maintain bone density.
One way many people gauge failure or success is overusing the weight scale. A number is just an indication; it does not mean that you have failed. Do not weigh in every day. It’s unnecessary. Weigh in once a week.
Make a change in your routine. Try using different rep ranges. Don’t always use the same cardio machines. In fact, do cardio outside with power walks or sprints! The key is to try harder and don’t look at yourself as a failure.
Have a Realistic Time Frame
This is why most people give up: they were unrealistic as to when they could get in that dress or prepare for that marathon. Most people do not take into consideration the actual number of hours they have to contribute to their exercise plan. They mistakenly believe that, if they work with a fit pro, their work is done afterwards – when in fact it isn’t.
The key is to allow a realistic timeframe for getting fit, regardless of whether you are working with a fit pro or not. It generally takes about four to six weeks before you will begin to see changes.
The recommended rate of weight loss per week is one to two pounds per week. Anything above that requires extreme – and usually unsafe – measures.
If you don’t focus on pounds, try harder and have a realistic time frame, you can build your best body!
Staff Writer; W. Eric Croomes
This talented brother is a holistic lifestyle exercise expert and founder and executive coach of Infinite Strategies LLC, a multi-level coaching firm that develops and executes strategies for fitness training, youth achievement and lifestyle management. Eric is an author, fitness professional, holistic life coach and motivational speaker.
In October 2015, Eric released Life’s A Gym: Seven Fitness Principles to Get the Best of Both, which shows readers how to use exercise to attract a feeling of wellness, success and freedom (Infinite Strategies Coaching LLC, 2015) – http://www.infinitestrategiescoaching.com.