Fitness On A Budget

Exercise and fitness is a great way to reduce stress, increase overall energy, and maintain good health. During these stressful times, it's more important now than ever to exercise and achieve optimal health. I personally know what it feels like to be on a tight budget and not have the means to pay for a gym or even have the energy to workout.

I embarked on my own personal health and fitness journey back in April of 2001. 8 years ago I was a successful financial advisor at Smith Barney during the tech boom. Up until this point it was a prosperous time but everything changed and the beginning of the end started in April of 2001. The tech bubble burst and six months later my business collapsed and imploded. As a result I was suffering from severe depression and chronic fatigue syndrome and left my financial advisor position at Smith Barney on disability. I spent 7 years studying, training, and working in the financial industry and now my identity and my life had changed. It was one of the darkest times in my life and I felt completely shattered.

During this time I began to do an enormous amount of research in the area of nutrition, exercise, spirituality, philosophy and meditation. This research into the mind body spirit was the beginning of my personal transformation and I began to overcome my health issues. I had a major philosophical shift and choose this profession to help people with their health issues and goals. I wanted to share my story with you because I know how tough it is out there mentally, emotionally, physically and financially. I can completely empathize with someone who is struggling. To all of you that are struggling or suffering, I hope my story will give you hope. I do believe everything happens for a reason and I am confident that things do work out for the best. My message to you is to hang in there. I know how tough it is and I hope that during these tough times you too will have your "inspirational moment" and shift into a new direction - one with happiness and fulfillment.

Now that we've talked a little about life and the big picture, let's go ahead and shift gears and talk about your new fitness program. The goal of this program is to burn fat and to build some muscle. I mentioned 搒ome muscle?because the best way to build muscle is to lift weights. I'll be honest with you, while this program can build some muscle; weight lifting is by far the best way to build muscle in the shortest amount of time. However, this program is an ideal way to burn body fat. If your goal is to lose body fat then this program is for you.

We'll start with 4 different exercises or stations which include boxing, jump rope, sprints, and sit ups. You'll need to pick up a few things from the sporting goods store and recruit a training partner. A partner or a friend will be important for the boxing aspect of this program. Also, you guys can switch turns after a completion of one circuit.

To get you started you'll need an inexpensive set of gloves, boxing mitts, a watch with a timer, 5 to 10 pound dumbbell (optional), a jump rope, and an open field or track.

So let's go ahead and go over the circuit training program. You'll want to find a field close to home to begin this program. Also, I've included a partner in this training program. One of the most important aspects of training that I've learned over the years is psychology and motivation. I can always explain how and why something works but without motivation, a person will never reach his or her goal - they always seem to fall short. A partner is simply a great way to stay motivated. It provides a level of accountability and awareness that will turn into better results.

Here's an overview of one circuit:

?Boxing with mitts and a partner (60 seconds)
?Jump rope for 60 seconds
?1 100 yard dash
?15 crunches (weighted if they are too easy)

Complete 5 circuits with 2 to 3 minutes in between each circuit and no rest in between stations or exercises.
The first station is boxing, where one person will hold up the boxing mitts while the other person performs crossing punches - right hand punches left mitt and left hand punches right mitt. Perform this for 60 seconds and then move to the next station. The second station is jumping rope for 60 seconds.

The third station is sprinting at top speed running 100 yards and the fourth station is crunches. On this exercise keep your legs bent at a 90 degree angle and lift your shoulder blades off the ground. Your lower back should not leave the grass and take 6 full seconds to perform each repetition - 3 full seconds to go up and 3 full seconds to go down. Also if you're more experienced you can hold a 5 to 10 pounds weight at the base of your neck. This will make the exercise much more difficult.

This entire workout should take about 30 minutes. The design of this workout is perfect for losing body fat and increasing cardio capacity. You can perform this training protocol 3 to 4 times a week.
A great way to compliment this training program is to stick to a healthy diet. I always tell my clients that you can always eat more than you can ever try to burn at the gym. To get you started so that you can begin to eat to lose fat, I have a freegrocerylistandmealplanonmywebsite.Togetstartedtoday,gotowww.perfectbodyinc.zl6foryourfreegrocerylist.

Good luck with your pursuit for a leaner and healthier body.

Shawn Phillips
Fitness Expert
www.shawnphillipstraining.com

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