Half-hearted

By Tony Horton

We live in a society where being number one is all that matters. No one remembers the guy or gal who comes in second place. This mentality wiggles its way into everything we do. We have become perfectionists who hate to fail. We'd rather do nothing as to avoid doing something poorly. Frustration with our fitness plan occurs when we decide to skip workouts because we feel like we can't match the performance or level of earlier workouts. This is crazy because it will prevent you from obtaining anything. The hell with perfect. Do it wrong (not bad-form wrong) and halfhearted once in awhile. Half of a workout done with tons of modifications beats the pants off of the thought of a perfect workout.

Three Ways Not to Overeat

1. Wait. When you decide you're hungry, make yourself wait at least 15 minutes before you eat. This will help you determine whether your hunger is habitual or your body is craving nutrients.

2. Drink. A tall glass of water 30 minutes prior to a meal will reduce your tendency to overeat.

3. Exercise. The perfect scenario is to have a glass of water followed by some exercise, like a walk, a jog, or some stretching. This will take your mind off of food, and you'll be far more likely to only crave the foods your body needs.

Beachbody Tip: Why Strength Train?

By Kathy Smith

Still not convinced you should strength train? Here's a good reason. After the age of 30, we all lose a quarter pound of muscle mass each year. Yikes!

With less muscle, our metabolism slows down and we gain fat—averaging about 15 pounds a decade. While muscle is metabolically active (each pound of muscle burns approximately 35 to 50 calories per day), stored fat is not, burning far fewer calories. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn throughout the day, whether you're walking, vacuuming . . . even sleeping!

What's more, while aerobic activity burns fat during exercise, weight training utilizes fat hours after exercising, so your metabolism stays slightly elevated for a longer period of time following a strength-training session than following an aerobic workout.

Beachbody Tip: Thighs Too Big?

By Debbie Siebers

There is absolutely no way you can put on too much muscle doing squats and lunges using no weight at all. It is impossible. These are fat-burning, high-volume, body-sculpting moves. It's light resistance training that creates lean muscle. The more lean muscle you have, the more your body will burn fat efficiently. If you put on some weight, it is just temporary water weight. Sometimes your muscles want to retain water before letting go. This is a normal process, but it's temporary!

If your thighs are already very muscular and large, it is very tough to get them smaller, but you can. You have to be extremely patient and consistent. Slim in 6® is exactly what you should be doing. Make sure you always use light weights and do a lot of reps—15 at a minimum, but generally more. It's all about sweating and working hard, getting your heart rate up for at least 45 minutes to one hour.

When you finish Slim in 6, you can continue doing Burn It Up!, but alternate it with some other cardiovascular exercise on opposing days. Try doing this for two weeks. After that, I suggest ordering Slim Series ®. This really kicks up your intensity/metabolism a notch, and you burn fat like crazy.

It's taken time for you to create this situation for yourself, and you should not expect it to just go away in six weeks. This is a transition you will have to make and stick with for the rest of your life.

Weight Train to Offset Aging

After the age of 30, our bodies start to lose lean muscle mass at a rate of approximately one percent per year. The best way to offset this process is to do some form of resistance training, like lifting weights. All is not lost after 30 either, as numerous studies as well as millions of real-world examples prove that with proper training your fitness level can improve throughout your life. Think of weight training as your fountain of youth.

Steve Edwards of Beachbody

No Time to Work Out? Work Out Anyway!

By Steve Edwards

Even if it's just for 10 minutes, you will absolutely benefit by elevating your heart rate. While this may not transform the way you look, 10 minutes is plenty long for your body to elevate its metabolism instead of staying in couch-potato mode. If you know that you're going to have a busy day, try to plan ahead. You want to elevate your heart rate, but not sweat too much. Try walking briskly to each destination that day—up the stairs to work, out to lunch, to the next meeting, etc. This will require enough planning to make sure you've got proper footwear for the day. If you have some other downtime, use it to stretch. Brisk walking on pavement can make your muscles tight, but a few minutes of sporadic stretching can do wonders.

Spousal Support

Chalene Johnson

Married 10 years, I know firsthand the importance of a supportive spouse. Even if your partner's healthy resolve leaves much to be desired, with the right approach you can find the support you need and improve your partnership in the process. Consider variations on these five phrases when cultivating the interpersonal support you need to reach your health and fitness goals and bring you closer in the process:

1. "I couldn't do this without you!" Let your partner know how important their help and support is to you. Everyone wants to feel needed.
2. "Want to work out with me?" Even if the likelihood of it happening is slim, frequently invite your partner to join you. Let him or her to pick the workout and you might just get a 'yes'.
3. "Thank you!" Express your appreciation for even the smallest gesture that helps you reach your goal, even if it's just keeping the kids busy so you can Push Play.
4. "Wanna get busy?" Even if your partner doesn't share your healthy resolve, you both profit from your commitment. Communicate the mutual benefits of fitness, including improved energy, a boost in self-esteem, a tighter body, better health, and yes, better sex!
5. "Let's make a deal." Don't expect your partner to abruptly change his/her dining habits because you do. No one likes to be forced into doing something. Make a deal. Offer to do something nice in exchange for his/her promise to "eat in" for the next 10 days.

Beachbody Tip: Rest and Hydration: 8 & 8

Success requires rules and a plan. If you're struggling out there, you're probably breaking the rules and trying to wing it. Most of the information flying around today regarding how to get from here to there in life doesn't cover the basics because it's boring and not new. I believe that the self-imposed pressures of the modern world steer us away from the basic rules of life. One of those rules is rest and hydration. I call this combination the 8 & 8. I've see people follow these simple laws of nature and get their lives back. I'm telling you that if you get eight hours of sleep at night and drink eight ounces of water eight times a day, some of your problems will disappear and your life will improve.

Our bodies are 72% water, give or take, and this water circulates nutrients and hormones, distributes heat, and provides the medium in which chemical reactions take place. Most importantly, water flushes out the toxic substances and waste materials via the kidneys. It's how our basic balance of body chemistry is maintained. Proper hydration plays a huge role in the prevention of disease. Drinking eight glasses of water daily can decrease the risk of colon cancer by 45%, bladder cancer by 50%, and can potentially reduce the risk of breast cancer.

Eight hours of sleep every night restores the powers of the mind, body, and spirit. Proper rest combined with healthy food and supplementation is the best way to improve the immune system, restore cognitive and motor performance, and replenish your energy and enthusiasm for the day ahead. Countless studies have shown that people suffering from irritability, sadness, depression, and anxiety no longer needed medication for these aliments after discovering that proper sleep was the key ingredient to stabilize brain chemistry and improve cognitive performance.

Do yourself a big favor and try this experiment for one week. Hit the hay eight hours before the alarm goes off and drink water (nothing else) eight times in a day. Eight ounces is a small glass, so spread them out throughout the day. Don't try to drink large amounts all at once because you'll lose out on the benefits and stress out the kidneys. Follow this simple 8 & 8 plan every day and you'll find that life will get a little easier, a little less stressful, and a lot more productive. It also contributes to weight loss and better health.

Beachbody Tip: Weight Train to Offset Aging

By Steve Edwards

After the age of 30, our bodies start to lose lean muscle mass at a rate of approximately one percent per year. The best way to offset this process is to do some form of resistance training, like lifting weights. All is not lost after 30 either, as numerous studies as well as millions of real-world examples prove that with proper training your fitness level can improve throughout your life. Think of weight training as your fountain of youth.