Hello everybody, my name is Rashad Bailey and I am a lifestyle and fitness coach. I currently own a company named after yours truly, Roc’s Lifestyle, which is located in Southern California. Furthermore, I am also a retired US Marine and a Pro Natural Bodybuilder for the INBA PNBA. Leading up to this point “life has not been a set of crystal stairs”, but filled with a lot of doubt and despair. Unfortunately, while serving as a Marine, I was injured and had to be medically retired. To make matters worse, I was told I would never be able to enjoy the things I love to do anymore. As such, continuing being an active duty Marine could no longer be a part of my future. From this point on, I had a choice to make, sit on my butt and do nothing or stand up to get better. Fortunately, I chose to get better and I embarked on many different endeavors before finding my niche in the fitness world. Not only did I reach the professional rankings of bodybuilding, I also learned how to prioritize, find the right nutrition, understand physiology and how to adapt your workout based on your own body and personal goal, and more importantly, create a new lifestyle. I want to share with you some of the things I learned to help you reach your goals and potentials with 5 Simple steps before changing your Lifestyle. It wasn’t easy to get to where I am at today, but through trial and error I learned many great valuable lessons.
Here are 5 Simple steps before changing your Lifestyle that will help you not only save time and money, but will help you create a healthy lifestyle worth living.
Step 1 Knowing your Body Type
There are three main body types, Ectomorph, Endomorph and Mesomorph. These three body types are all different and have unique characteristics that make each of them special.
Ectomorph
➢▪Long and Lean
➢▪Hard to gain weight
➢▪Marathon runner body
➢▪Fast metabolism
A majority of your workouts should be compound movements. Don’t run away from the isolated exercises. Simply use them to finish off the workout. The ectomorph diet should consist of high protein and a well-rounded diet. Consistency is the key! A routine diet will help in the growth and strengthening of the muscles.
Endomorph
➢▪Stocky body
➢▪Pear shape
➢▪Stores both fuel and fat in the mid-section of the body
➢▪Has the best strength of all body types
➢▪Slow metabolism
The best way for an Endomorph to lose weight and tone the body is HIIT training (High Intensity Interval Training). Keeping the heart rate high during the workout will ensure that the body is being pushed to its full potential for maximum results. Don’t try targeting certain body parts, full body workout is highly recommended for best results. This is when HIIT training comes into play, HIIT allow you to combine multiple exercises to work different muscle group. So combining a set of Jumping jacks, push ups and lunges allows you to use more muscle and burn more fat at the same time.
Your diet should consist of smaller portions of Carbohydrates and larger portions of lean protein. Stay away from simple carbohydrates such as white bread, cakes and soda.
“Complex carbohydrates are for you”.
Mesomorph
➢▪Middle of the three body types
➢▪Can be lean and muscular
➢▪Block in shape
➢▪Have to be smart when building muscles “don’t over do it and hurt yourself”
The best workout plan is to use moderate weight to develop your muscles. Once the muscles develop, increase the weight. Do this until you plateau. Also, make sure you include exercises that speed up your heart rate. Remember, aerobic and HIIT exercises will help create a balance physique with both form and function.
A Mesomorph‘s diet should consist of equal amounts of protein and fat. Complex carbs are recommended because it gives the body energy during your workout and throughout your day.
Step 2 Making time for yourself
We can all agree that this is one of the hardest things to do sometimes. Remember to tell yourself that “You are worth it”! Making time for yourself is not only important for your body, but your mind as well. Once you understand this, you will begin seeing the benefits. Begin by removing the things out of your life that are stopping you from meeting your needs. Lets try something simple the “TV”. This object takes up more time than you think, I’m just asking for 1 hour. Sacrifice 1 hour of this time or social media, to do something for yourself. It could be you going to the gym or meal prepping for the next day but do something for your new lifestyle. This small sacrifice will turn into big add on to your plan to success. 1 hour will turn to 1hour 30min and that will turn in to 2 hours, more and more you understand its importance your time will grow.
Time for yourself is important for a higher quality of life. It allows you to reset and reflect on your happiness. So, sit down, and tell yourself “I AM WORTH IT, I AM WORTH IT”! Now, it’s time to make a change, the new You start’s today.
Step 3 Finding a place to workout
The most common place people go to work out is the Gym. The gym for some of us can be a scary place. Trust me when I say, don’t let this stop you and let me remind you that you can turn any place into your own private gym. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need weights to help you lose weight, build muscle, or get strong. All you need is time and space. Functional movements and body weight exercises are the best workouts when starting a new lifestyle. Being able to control your own body weight is the first step into getting a proper workout. Functional workouts such as, “Bends and Twists or Windmills” are key movements that will help you with control by using your natural body weight. Exercises like this will help strengthen the body and prepare you for lifting weights. This will also improve your balance and wake-up some of those muscles you haven’t used in a while. As for the people out there that don’t mind going to the gym, DO YOUR RESEARCH!
Make sure the price of the gym membership fits into your budget. These big fancy gyms are nice, but unnecessary when making lifestyle change. Unfortunately, most people stop working out because the cost of the gym membership becomes overwhelming. The truth is most realize that they were paying for things they never even used in the first place, which makes them regret or even resent getting a membership in the first place.
Step 4 Understand Your Fuel
Understanding your fuel, aka “Food”, is not as hard as it seems. But first, let’s talk about a tricky one, Carbohydrates. Let me set y’all straight, not all carbohydrates are bad for you. The three main types of carbohydrates are sugar, starches, and fiber. The two types I want you to get familiar with is Complex Carbohydrates and Simple Carbohydrates, also referred to by many as Good Carbs and Bad Carbs. Carbohydrates, often called “carbs”, is your body’s primary energy source. It is a crucial part of any well-balance diet.
Please understand, we need carbs in our diet for energy! Let’s break down why?
Simple Carbohydrates, commonly referred to as “bad carbs” are made up of easy-to-digest, basic sugars, which can be used for energy, but not long lasting. Some of these sugars are natural, which can be found in fruits and some vegetables, unlike refined or processed sugars. These are the sugars that are added to candy, sodas, white bread, energy drinks and cakes. This is where most get fat from. As of July 2018, the FDA has mandated that all nutrition labels must identify the amount of added sugar per serving in the products. So next time you buy that soda or whatever you drink that maybe sweet, check out the back and see what it is exactly that you are drinking. This is the least recognized form of carbs that is making your weight go up and up. Now, ask yourself how much do you want that soda now?
Now, Lets talk about carbohydrates
Complex carbohydates are found in whole grains, legumes, and starchy vegetables. Complex carbs have longer chains of sugar molecules which takes the body a longer time to break down and use. Since complex carbs take longer to digest and break down, they provide you with longer and a more consistent source of energy. This is the same as putting premium gas in your car, ie better fuel, better performance.
Let me be clear, and I know what some of you are saying, “all simple carbs are bad”. Unfortunately, the answer is “No”. Not all simple carbs are bad, fruits and vegetables are a great source of simple carbs that contains vitamins and minerals. My point is just try to keep the cookies, sodas, and candy to a minimum. This is something I want you to try, replace most of your simple carbs that you have in your diet with a few complex carbs. To make things simple, here are a few choices you can use: whole grain bread, wheat flour, brown rice, quinoa and oats. Trust me I think you will like the results that comes from these simple substitutions.
Step 5 Getting your gear
The things you need for the gym is just as important as the exercises. Proper workout equipment is very important, from picking the correct shoes to the towel you need for your sweat. Being comfortable and confident while working out is a main component in dedication to your new lifestyle change. This will also promote consistency. Go out there and get you favorite color t-shirt, shorts, head band, and anything else that makes you feel like a warrior. You want to know what I do, when I was a child I always wanted to be a Superhero but my time never came. Now, I have a perfect place where I can go and be a superhero and it’s the Gym. Like I told you earlier your gym can be anywhere, so I workout in Superhero shirts from Batman, Iron Man to Superman I love them all. I know what you might be saying, a little silly right but I never felt stronger. Simply put, if you feel good, you will perform better.
In this article, 5 Simple steps before changing your Lifestyle, we covered the fundamentals. Step by step we went over the importance of proper planning saves on time and money. Knowing your body type helped you understand what workouts and food is more effective for your body type. Step 2 went over how making time for yourself is beneficial to a better quality of life, mentally and physically. Step 3 showed you how to find a place to workout, understanding the Gym is not the only place to go. We also covered understanding what fuels your body, digging in on how Good Carbs and Bad carbs are measured. Last but not less but one of the most important steps, getting your gear and being the best You. Being comfortable goes hand to hand with being confident. Go out there and get the best gear for you. If you so happen like to rep your Black Sheep pride, check out our store to get your exclusive gear.
If you have any further questions feel free to linkup with me on My Facebook: Rashad Bailey and IG: roc_2000.
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