Has it ever happened that you were planning to start training on Monday or after the New Year? We offer 12 simple steps that will help you set and achieve goals correctly.
Many people, wanting to start a new life, start transforming their body, pump up six-pack abdominal muscles, or simply return to interrupted training, do not even know where to start or set an indefinite “start day”.
If for some reason it is not possible to start on time, then, as a rule, plans are postponed for another week, month or year. During this time, additional extra pounds accumulate, and the decision to achieve the goal becomes further and further away. Despite the fact that all the possibilities are in our hands, it all makes no sense if we don’t force ourselves to take advantage of them. What does Greg Pleet think about this?
With weekends, holidays, and perhaps a few extra pounds, it's easy to lose determination, motivation, and drive—the things that are essential to choosing and maintaining your desired path.
What lengths do actors have to go to for a role?
The other day, the Internet exploded with news about the amazing transformation of actor Kumail Nanjiani - for six years he was known to viewers as the frail programmer Dinesh from the series “Silicon Valley,” but for his role in the film “The Eternals” he turned himself into almost a superman.
Of course, this is not the first time in history when an actor had to do serious work on his body for a role. Below we have collected several other, no less striking examples of how stars lost significant weight and gained weight out of “professional necessity.”
Ready to begin your true body transformation?
Starting or resuming exercise is an important personal decision. But this shouldn't be a burden. Setting the right goal and carefully planning your exercise schedule will help you get back on the fitness track and develop healthy habits for life.
Soon you will find that your body and mind begin to change and work as one.
Having made a decision, the strength to implement it will appear. The first results will push you further and further. You will begin to eat better, become stronger and more confident. Moreover, motivation and focus on the goal will increase.
There is no better feeling than determination and control over your own life. You're back on track!
Chris Pratt
Still from the series “Parks and Recreation”
During his days on Parks and Recreation, Pratt was not very fit. But everything changed as he began preparing for his starring role as Peter Quill in Guardians of the Galaxy. The actor started going to the gym and changed his diet.
“I probably lost about 15 kilos in six weeks. I ran eight kilometers a day. I ate green salads and drank protein shakes. I cut out all alcohol."
, Pratt told Men's Health UK.
Still from the film "Guardians of the Galaxy"
12 Step Program to Achieve a Fitness Goal
If you're ready to get back on track and change your life for the better, don't wait for Monday, New Year's, or the "right time." That time has come right now.
The decision you make requires daily discipline. Focus on the goal and self-control increase the chances of success. Regular physical activity reduces the risk of developing chronic diseases, increases strength and coordination, which will not only help you lose weight, but increase self-esteem.
If you find the prospect of another activity insurmountable, break the main goal into several intermediate ones and achieve them. You are just a few steps away from your dreams.
Flex your mental muscles
Often, the first organ that needs training is the brain. Losing weight or developing strength depends on motivation, desire and discipline. Diet and exercise are not enough. First of all, you need to realize that fitness is exactly what you want to do. Think about the reasons why you want to do this.
The impact of all efforts will be much greater if you focus on the factors that motivate change, and not on the fact of change itself. Without this and without the right goal, you will soon find that you are best at making excuses.
Explore the reasons for the desired changes. You may find that training your mental muscles is most important.
Get a medical examination
To make sure that training will not harm or aggravate existing ailments, undergo a medical examination. Risk factors include being overweight, sedentary lifestyle, age over 35, heart problems, hereditary diseases or any other conditions that require restrictions.
Set specific program goals
What do you want to achieve with your training program? By setting goals, you maintain motivation and also determine what you ultimately want to achieve.
Use the SMART goal methodology (S-specific, M-measurable, A-attainable, R-realistic, T-timed). For example, instead of a vague and vague goal “lose weight by summer,” set a correctly specific goal - “work out three times a week and lose 5 kilograms by July.” This goal is specific, realistic and achievable.
Wear comfortable clothes
Choose comfortable clothing that allows proper air circulation and easily absorbs sweat.
Clothing should not hinder movement. It is desirable that it has as few zippers and buttons as possible. Choose quality athletic shoes that provide arch support. Dress appropriately for the climate. In the cold season, it is better to wear a T-shirt and a trowel or body shirt. This will warm the muscles and prevent them from freezing after training.
The training schedule must be specific and regular.
By and large, any time is suitable for classes. Just choose the period when you are most active and energetic. If you are a night owl, visit the gym in the afternoon or evening.
Either through trial or with the help of a personal trainer, establish a regular schedule of cardio and strength training. Gradually they should become more complex. This will force you to overcome yourself and will not let you get bored.
Keep a training diary
Write down everything - the exercises you do, the weight you work, the number of approaches and repetitions. This will ensure that you stick to the program strictly and also make adjustments as you progress.
Find a partner
People who go to the gym with a partner stick to their program and miss workouts 90% more often than those who workout alone. Friends with similar goals motivate each other. Having a partner will not only make you feel more accountable, but will also help you stay on track on days when your motivation is low.
Attend group classes
If you're bored of running on a treadmill for 45 minutes, try group classes.
Enthralling music, team spirit and special exercises will add variety. Increasingly popular boot camp classes combine alternating cardio and strength exercises. Many sports clubs even offer outdoor fitness classes.
The importance of warming up
Warming up prepares the body for intense exercise, increases blood flow to the heart and working muscles, raises body temperature, relaxes muscles, increases heart rate, and reduces the risk of injury. On average, the warm-up lasts 5-10 minutes and consists of light aerobic exercise, such as walking, cycling or jumping.
Finish your workout with a cool-down
A proper cool-down restores blood circulation in the body.
You can use the same exercises as during warm-up. Simple active movements will help the body return to its original state. To prevent delayed muscle soreness, it is recommended to stretch at the end of your workout. Cool down time is also 5-10 minutes. All major muscles of the body should be stretched.
Forget about diets. Just switch to healthy eating
Create your own healthy eating plan based on your budget, taste preferences and goals. Introduce lean protein, fibrous vegetables, grains and complex carbohydrates, fruits, and healthy fats into your diet. Also, always drink plenty of water.
Keep a food diary. If you get bitten by it, then write it down. By writing down everything you eat during the day, you can easily analyze your mistakes and correct them.
Get enough rest
Muscles continue to grow even after the gym. Between workouts and during sleep, the body recovers and strengthens. Without sufficient rest, sleep and recovery time, no athlete, even a great one, will be able to work effectively. Rest is necessary to restore and strengthen muscles.
Christian Bale
Still from the film “Equilibrium”
Christian Bale is capable of amazing transformations for his films. He lost weight and gained weight - and got super cool roles throughout his career.
But Bale's most noticeable transformation was for The Machinist in 2005. His weight dropped from 79 to a dangerous 49 kilos. His diet during this period included one can of tuna and an apple, as well as coffee and water. We strongly do not recommend taking note of this diet.
Still from the movie "The Machinist"
@weightlosshero
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“To be honest, it’s not easy for me to publish this photo. On the left - I was so afraid to start. I was so afraid of failing again. Every time I started a diet and didn't stick to it... I lost a part of myself. In fact, I was looking for happiness, believing that I was looking for weight loss. I wanted to feel good. I was looking for a way out of my depression and anxiety that plagued me every day. Step by step, you can do everything.”
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Demmy Moor
Still from the film “Ghost”
In the early nineties, Demi Moore played in the romantic drama “Ghost,” in which viewers saw her as a very fragile girl, and a few years later she returned to the screens as Lieutenant Jordan O’Neal, the first female Navy SEAL.
Moore trained with Gregory Jujon-Roche and Navy instructor Stephen Helvenston to prepare for the role. This meant going to the gym to lift weights for two hours every day, as well as running ten kilometers every day. The result was obvious.
Still from the movie "GI Jane"
Is there any way to speed up the appearance of results?
There is no clear answer to this question. On the one hand, yes, if you train regularly and act comprehensively, then the results will be noticeable faster. On the other hand, some processes in our body cannot be accelerated. “Physiology and nature are difficult to deceive. Therefore, any high-quality training effect requires more time,” adds Ilya Frank. — Each training effect has its own peak time. The fastest way to achieve it is to take sports drugs, which I do not recommend doing. There is a golden rule here: fast does not mean high quality.”
The best thing is to be patient and train regularly, following a routine of exercise, nutrition and rest. “Most likely, you will notice an improvement in your well-being, since all body systems begin to work more efficiently from the very first workouts. This is what we should focus on,” sums up Anna Yurchenko.
Chris Hemsworth
Still from the film “In the Heart of the Sea”
Not only did Hemsworth lose 30 pounds for In the Heart of the Sea, but he also gained weight to play Thor in Avengers: Age of Ultron.
Hemsworth's diet included plenty of chicken and fish, as well as daily protein shakes to increase muscle mass. During training, Hemsworth chose a slow pace when lifting weights to maximize the amount of time his muscles were under tension.
Still from the movie "Avengers: Age of Ultron"
Renee Zellweger
Still from the film "Chicago"
To play Bridget in Bridget Jones's Diary in 2001, Zellweger went from a size four to a size 14.
She gained 30 pounds to play the role (and did the same for the sequel in 2004), consuming 3,800 calories a day, nearly double the recommended 2,000 for a woman her age.
Still from the movie "Bridget Jones's Diary"
What foods should you avoid?
As for foods that should be significantly reduced, the nutritionist named several points.
This list includes:
- sweetened drinks;
- sugar;
- fructose from fruit juice;
- trans fats;
- White bread;
- bakery;
- pasta.
There are many studies that have proven that excessive sugar consumption can cause obesity and further problems.
Sugar and refined carbohydrates tell our hormones not to use fat for fuel but to store it as fat.
One sugar-sweetened drink a day increases our chances of being overweight by 27 percent.
Freshly squeezed fruit juice, which seems very healthy at first glance, contains too much fructose and sugars, so avoid drinking it frequently, especially on an empty stomach.
The nutritionist also noted that you should avoid trans fats and refined carbohydrates such as white bread, pastries and pasta.
Replace them with whole grains, eaten only for breakfast and lunch.
Jared Leto
@jaredleto
Leto, like Matthew McConaughey, lost a lot of weight for Dallas Buyers Club, but he also gained a lot of weight for Chapter 27, in which he played John Lennon's killer Mark Chapman.
Leto told the New York Daily News about how he gained 27 kilos: “I was overeating and force-feeding myself. It was important to make this transformation because I thought Mark's physical self-image was an indicator of who he was. And it changed everything about me: the way I walked, the way I talked, the way I felt, the way people treated me.”
Still from the movie “Chapter 27”
Ann Hataway
@annehathaway
Hathaway lost 25 pounds and shaved her head to play Fantine, a prostitute dying of tuberculosis, in the 2012 musical Les Misérables.
According to Vogue, the actress first fasted and then ate only two thin squares of dry oatmeal every day. "I had to be obsessed with it - the idea was to look close to death."
- said the actress. Again, we do not recommend this weight loss method.
Still from the film “Les Miserables”
Ryan Reynolds
Still from the movie “King of Parties”
Reynolds trained and dieted to gain 11 kilograms of muscle mass for the 2004 film Blade 3: Trinity, which was a far cry from his routine at the time. “I led a pretty unhealthy lifestyle. I didn't care what I ate or drank."
- he admitted in an interview with Muscle and Fitness.
But after three months of training six days a week and following a 3,200-calorie daily diet, he achieved his goal.
“This time changed my life because it taught me to do things that previously seemed impossible,”
he told Muscle and Fitness.
Still from the movie "Blade 3: Trinity"
Get rid of harmful things and buy everything you need
If you have food waste in your refrigerator, now is the time to throw it in the trash. Cookies, sausage, soda, chips and other harmful things should be a thing of the past.
The presence of healthy food in the house: fruits, vegetables, cereals, nuts, meat and seafood, cottage cheese and other dairy products is a necessary condition for a balanced healthy diet.
Invest in basic home workout equipment in case unforeseen circumstances prevent you from heading to the gym.
Natalie Portman
@natalieportman
For her role as a ballerina in Black Swan, which ultimately brought Port at the 2011 Oscars, the actress dramatically lost weight and lost nine kilograms.
“I ate almost nothing and worked 16 hours a day. Now I wonder how people can fulfill such a role when they have a family."
, she told the Daily Mail.
Still from the film “Black Swan”
How long does it take to notice the results of cardio training?
It is with cardio exercises that beginners are recommended to start training (even if their goal is to increase strength indicators). Aerobic exercise helps improve the functioning of the heart and joints, develops coordination, which is very important for mastering any exercise. It is also useful for fat burning and you will notice the effect of cardio quite quickly. “Long-term moderate-intensity cardio training in combination with proper nutrition gives a good effect on reducing the fat component after just a week and a half of regular exercise,” says Ilya Frank.
Mila Kunis
Still from the film “Sex for Friendship”
Kunis, like Portman, lost almost 10 kilograms for her role in “Black Swan” and... ended up receiving only 95 pounds for the film (that’s less than eight thousand rubles).
"I had no tits or ass,
— Kunis told E!
Online“. “ My bones were sticking out.
I thought it looked disgusting." She also added that it took her five months to lose the weight, but only five days to start looking like her old self.
Still from the film “Black Swan”
Seek help from specialists
Understanding the current situation will help you understand in which direction to act.
First, visit your doctor. Perhaps you have health problems that prevent you from losing weight or contraindications to certain types of exercise. Get tested, control your sugar and cholesterol levels, monitor your heart function.
Always consult your doctor before starting any exercise program, and listen to your body. Stop if you feel pain, discomfort or shortness of breath.
Get a sports diagnostic. The examination results will help you evaluate your own athletic performance, determine your body’s capabilities, and build a competent, safe training plan based on the information received.
Don't hesitate to contact professionals. A nutritionist will help you create an individual nutrition plan. An experienced trainer will select an effective exercise program, stimulate and motivate you.
