Top 10 keys to physical progress
1. Constancy
Quitters never win, and winners never quit. Heard that one before? Well, it holds true all the way - if you're not sticking to the schedule, you'll never get as good results as if you would, period. This is not to say that a rest-break when you're on the border of overtraining is bad, but the 2-week spurts followed by 4 weeks of rest you often see are out of the question. If you're actually unable to follow the schedule you've set up - not by laziness, but because of reality - save yourself some trouble and change your schedule.
2. Positive attitude
"I can't" is a phrase you should ban from your vocabulary. If your mind can't imagine success, your body sure won't do the job for you. Only when you can picture yourself actually pulling something off and come out a winner - may it be losing 5 lbs of fat or winning a contest - will it be possible. Did you see "The Matrix"? Even though the movie is completely fictional, it puts some light on the incredible power of the mind that we actually possess. Arnold proved what focus can do to a body as well as a career.
3. Eat smart
If you want to gain weight, a moderate over-consumption per day is the ticket, without going to extremes. On the flip side of the coin, if you want to lose weight, maintain a slight deficit over a long period of time.
As always, the key is moderation and sanity. Discard the crazy ideas you get from the pro's. Stick with what is healthy and feels good for you, and the results will come over time. Nothing beats good ol' food.
4. Taking supplements
Protein drinks are great, since they give you a boost of nutrition without triggering an insulin-release. Creatine monohydrate is another supplement that most weight lifters will find useful. A multivitamin/mineral capsule should be the mainstay of every active person's breakfast. Thermogenic enhancers, mainly the caffeine/ephedrine-combination, can do wonders in getting rid of bodyfat during a diet (given that you are physically fit and Ok'd by your physician, of course).
Maintain certain skepticism to the latest "miracle supplement", whatever it is. If it sticks around and keeps growing, like Creatine, you've probably got the real thing. Something that was hyped like crazy for two months and then sortof faded, is much less likely to be a hit.
5. Kill your darlings
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