What is your fitness personality?

  • August 7, 2008 at 10:42 AM by DreamnBigEliza
  • 5 Comment(s)
  • 132 Total Views

 

Poll

Question: Which are you?

Options:

The Program Collector

The Constant Staller

The Valiant Struggler

The Intellectual Benchwarmer

The Socializer

The Autopilot


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Total Votes: 19

View Results

Journal Post

I thought this was a cool article and wanted to share it with you guys! So many people ask me what I think they should do for workouts--here is a great way to find out! If you want to purchase any of these dvd's you know who to get them from! ;) Take the poll too, it would be fun to see where we all fall into!

DreamMeFit.com


What's Your Fitness Personality?

By Jude Buglewicz

Lifting WeightsDo you have more trouble choosing a workout program or starting the one you just bought? Are you an early morning exerciser or do you Push Play whenever you can grab a few minutes of uninterrupted time? See which of the six fitness personality types best describes you—then find out what you can do to ensure that you get your best results.

The Program Collector

You saw a Slim in 6® infomercial and eagerly ordered the product, only to stick it on a shelf unopened once you got it. Same with Power 90®. Ditto with Turbo Jam®. Your intentions were good at the time, but now you studiously avoid even looking at the DVD covers, let alone taking the discs out. It's a lot easier to keep watching TV and let time go drifting by.

Slim in 6®, Power 90®, and Turbo Jam® Maximum Results

Most common fitness lament: "I just don't feel like it."

Pitfall: No motivation. Or is it intimidation? Fear? You've never exercised regularly or, you're so out of practice, you're overwhelmed by the amount of work you think it will take. You may not have much confidence in your ability to pull it off.

Start with . . . Taking it one day at a time. Break down your overall goal of losing 35, 50, or 100 pounds into smaller, more easily attainable goals; work out for 10 minutes a day, then 15, 20, or whatever you can manage. Start slow and gradually build up to getting through a whole workout. It may take a couple of weeks. Watch Success Stories in the meantime, or check out the Photo Galleries on the Message Boards to get inspired all over again. If they can do it, so can you. Join a WOWY® Workout Group, find some Success Buddies, and set up a support system on the Message Boards. You're not in this alone.

Koko T.Proof: Koko T. "One night, bloated, tired, and I'd say overweight, I saw an infomercial for Power 90 . . . I taped the infomercial so I could watch it again. Knowing myself, and knowing I was a lazy person with limited energy, I forgot about it and tried not to think about exercise and all that nutrition stuff. [Much later] I dug up the Power 90 infomercial, and went to the Beachbody site. I read the stories, saw the products, and wanted this to happen FAST. I ordered Slim in 6 because it was only a 42-day program, but sadly, when it arrived it just sat there for close to a year. Did I mention how lazy and unmotivated I can be? I hadn't even opened the package! . . . One day . . . I did the programs, I stayed with it, [and] I followed the nutrition guidelines and logged on to the Message Boards every chance I got. It wasn't magic. I am now the 'after' photo I always dreamed of [being]."

The Constant Staller

ClockYou can't piece together a regular exercise schedule no matter how hard you try. You're forever starting and restarting programs; the chaos of daily life inevitably intervenes and knocks you off track. It seems like every day someone's birthday celebration, a special event, a personal or work obligation, or a family emergency derails your most sincere fitness intentions. You're constantly postponing or rescheduling workouts, which means you're rarely ever working out at all.

Most common fitness lament: "I just don't have time!"

Pitfall: Distractions. You haven't made fitness a priority in your life, so anything and everything takes precedence over your workout.

Start with . . . Easing into a regular workout schedule. Early mornings might make the most sense for you, since once the day starts unfolding, your chances of escaping the rising momentum of responsibilities are nil. Getting your exercise out of the way first thing means you don't have to suffer the self-loathing associated with a missed workout. You can sail through the rest of the day guilt free. Don't put too much pressure on yourself to radically change your daily routine immediately, though. Start with just two or three workouts a week, and then add more as you get used to waking up early to exercise. Once you notice how much more energized you feel on those days, you'll be on your way to establishing a regular workout schedule.

Charline B.Proof: Charline B. "To those of you who say, 'I just can't find the time to do this,' I am here to tell you that if you want this badly enough, you will do whatever it takes. I had to change my schedule and faithfully log in to WOWY (another GREAT Beachbody tool!) at 4:30 AM six days a week to get in my workouts. Trust me, I am NOT a morning person, but this way I KNOW I'll get in my workout. No excuses. The changes in my life have made it worth whatever it takes."

The Valiant Struggler

The Valiant StrugglerYou exercise four to six times a week but hardly ever at the same time of day. You grab 20 minutes here, 40 minutes there, fitting in a workout whenever you can. Or maybe you've got a regular workout time, but your fitness "regimen" is all over the place—no rhyme or reason as to why you choose a sculpting or cardio routine. You do whatever workout fits your time frame or suits your daily mood—or spills out of the DVD cabinet.

Most common fitness lament: "I'm not seeing results!"

Pitfall: No game plan. Or no intensity.

Start with . . . A specific goal. Do you want to lose a certain number of pounds? Get your waist down to a certain number of inches? Fit into a specific dress or suit size? To sneak a little order into your routine while preserving your need for flexibility, try programs like Power Half Hour® and Slim Series®—they provide different kinds of workouts that you can customize to your needs, as well as recommended weekly plans, allowing you to add more cardio or targeted sculpting workouts depending on your goal. To ramp up the intensity, you can try working out with a progress tool like a heart rate monitor.

Proof: Anna Eriksson, Beachbody Product Development Director. "It wasn't until I strapped on my first heart rate monitor that I realized I'd been babying myself for quite a while. Later, I was asked to try a couple of workouts using a particular resistance band, a heavier band than I normally use. And what do you know? When I stopped, my arms felt . . . not sore . . . but worked—just by Pushing Play and ramping up the intensity."

The Intellectual Benchwarmer

The Intellectual BenchwarmerYou know all about the benefits of exercise and the hazards of obesity. You read fitness columns every day, subscribe to health magazines, and may even spend hours online chatting with other like-minded folks, soliciting advice and tips about fitness and nutrition. You spend so much time thinking or reading about working out that you hardly have the time or desire to actually do it.

Most common fitness lament: "I need more information!" or "I don't know how to do it right!"

Pitfall: You think too much.

Start with . . . Just doing it, to paraphrase the Nike slogan. Stop worrying and studying and start Pushing Play. Because intellectualizing exercise is your forte, it'll probably be easy for you to maintain an exercise journal. Try to keep it simple, and use it as a tool to track your progress over time. Make sure you give yourself a chance to experience the process before you rush to analyze every ache and pain and then talk yourself out of doing your program every day. It's great to be interested in fitness and to be aware of all its benefits—so long as you get away from your computer or put down the magazines long enough to actually work up a good sweat.

Ronald M.Proof: Ronald M. "As a registered nurse, I'm fully aware of the negative health consequences of obesity and inactivity. Yet, I still did not exercise and my waistline continued to get larger year by year. My eating habits were atrocious; I would eat whatever, whenever (many times after midnight), and as much as I could eat. Every summer for the past 7 years I've told myself, 'This is the year I'm getting in shape!' Power 90 works because Beachbody has laid everything out for you. Follow the workouts and the diet guidelines and you will succeed. After 90 days, I lost a total of 25 lbs."

The Socializer

SocializersBesides Pushing Play, you're chatting with a program trainer a few times a week and setting up workout times with your WOWY Buddies. You may be a Beachbody Coach or a regular at Tony Horton's Fitness Camps. You share advice and maintain connections on the Message Boards. You post your progress photos every few weeks and have a solid support network. After all, it's easier to stay committed if you're accountable to people. And it's worth even more if your experience can make a positive difference in someone's life.

Most common fitness lament: "My Internet connection is too slow!"

Pitfall: There really isn't a downside to this one—unless your fitness routine is solely dependent on others.

Start with . . . Making sure you're self-accountable. It's wonderful that you're sharing your fitness success or offering support to others—we wish there were lots more like you! You probably have what it takes to motivate yourself and Keep Pushing Play, but just in case you found yourself stranded somewhere indefinitely without an Internet connection . . . you'd know what to do, right?

Tony B.Proof: Tony B. "I have renewed vitality and vigor combined with a whole new outlook on diet and life [after completing Power 90]. Never in my life have I been in this good of shape, not even when I was in boot camp . . . I would like to thank the fitness advisors for their prompt answers to questions and to all the people I have talked to on the Message Boards. [ . . . ] I would like to share my experience with as many people as are willing to listen. Because of my cardiac limitations, I feel I can help people who are feeling timid about not being able to keep up or that might have to adjust and modify certain exercises to suit their specific needs."

The Autopilot

Dumbbell WorkoutYou've established the habit of exercising almost every day, at the same time each day. You follow workout programs to a T. Exercise is a priority and you schedule your day around it. You're self-motivated and you manage your time extremely well.

Most common fitness lament: "I'm bored," or "I'm not seeing results anymore."

Pitfall: Plateaus or even injuries. Working out the same muscle groups week after week in the same way may create imbalances or weaknesses in opposing muscle groups that could lead to injuries.

Start with . . . Mixing it up. When you get bored with the same old thing, or you're stuck at a certain weight, or you stop seeing results, you know it's time to make some changes, either in your workout intensity, your diet, or both. Try incorporating new fitness gear into your usual routine—a balance ball, a sculpting band, a heart rate monitor, weights, or weighted gloves—or else change fitness programs altogether. Switch to a more advanced workout series, try a different trainer, or alternate workouts from different programs. Or turn to others who've been through the same thing to infuse you with inspiration or jump-start your motivation.

Jimmy F.Proof: Jimmy F. "Meeting Tony in Hawaii was a really motivating experience. I also met Beachbody's Mike Karpenko, who gave me some awesome tips on the P90X Nutrition Plan and how to make it really work for me this time around. I met Dale C., who got totally fantastic results from Power 90 and P90X, and talking to him really lit a fire under me. So I came back from that trip ready to commit and really BRING IT for a full 90 days!!!! The workouts were new to me all over again."

Tags: workouts, fitness, working out, beachbody, fitness coach, work from home, diet, turbo jam, p90x

Comments:

maurel80

Heehee..at the time I'm on auto pilot. I'm pretty much doing the same thing over and over. I checked my measurements the other day (I do this on a monthly basis) and there was MAYBE one change...AHHHH!! It ddrives me crazy b/c I feel like I"m doing everything right but, in reality, I'm not changing things up. So, I'll stay at one weight for weeks without seeing any changes. This can be VERY discouraging. So, I've finally made my mind up that I'm going to order some of the Turbo Jam dvd's!!! YAY ME!!

maurel80 Aug. 7, 2008 at 11:22 AM

maurel80

I could actually be considered the program collector too..lol. I have several ones that just sit there...untouched. I have a taebo dvd but, I really didn't like it (I did try it) So, I haven't even looked at it since the first time I tried it. I don't know what all I have except for that and the pilates 10min. solutions. I do use the pilates, just not as much as I should. So, I"m kinda a mixture of the choices you gave! LOL

maurel80 Aug. 7, 2008 at 11:24 AM

vicesix

I am definitely an "Autopilot" (this seems to apply to every area of my life, not just working out!). I get very much into my routines and have a difficult time wanting to try anything new, other than increasing the length or intensity of the same stuff I'm already doing. It doesn't help that it takes me forever to learn a new routine-that really discourages me from wanting to try. I feel like I get a more intense workout if I stick with what I know so I'm not fumbling around the whole time, trying to keep up. On the other hand, I know I should branch out, expand my fitness horizons, lol. One step at a time.

vicesix Aug. 7, 2008 at 11:25 AM

Moomie

You don't have a "just plain lazy" option!

Moomie Aug. 7, 2008 at 10:07 PM

massa...

is a constant staller!

massagegiftmom Aug. 11, 2008 at 9:46 PM

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