When working out as a team, there are more catalysts to push you when the motivation is dwindling.
What does teamwork mean to you? TEAM is a group of interdependent individuals who work together toward a common goal. Teamwork is the collaborative effort of a group to achieve a common goal. This is when I stopped judging at the gym and started joining. Now when I walk into the gym everyone there is on my team. I take advice, give advice, and we all work together on pushing toward our own personal goals.
Morning Motivation to Stay Focused
Alarm buzzing at 4:00 a.m., a little caffeine, and at the gym by 5:00 a.m. Well, every person is going to be a little different on when they are more motivated to work out. I know for me, I find my motivation more in the mornings with a small group, and if I have to do an afternoon workout, I find it hard to get motivated and focused. I personally like to get that accomplishment done and out of the way so that I can focus the rest of my day being successful in other areas of my life. Since we are all different, the times we might be training will vary – but a great way to get any team more motivated is by training that is fun and keeps everyone engaged. Not only can you do a workout that is fun and more of a game, but you can make it effective while burning fat. Also, uplifting each other goes a long way. Just hearing someone say “looking good” or “I see the change” usually lights a fire under me and the motivation jumps back to the top. Making gains in our fitness levels while working and having fun as a team is one goal I strive for as a trainer. One of my major focal points while we work out is the core and spot toning areas.
Dropping Belly Fat
People think, “Oh I have all this belly fat, maybe I just need to do 1,000 sit-ups a day and I will have a six-pack.” Sorry to say, it just does not work like that. Spot reducing fat from your body is not realistic, but spot toning your muscles most certainly is. Putting repetitive stress on a muscle causes positive adaptations in those muscle fibers that range from improved cardiovascular efficiency to increased bone density and neuromuscular control. The bottom line is that if you put repetitive stress on your core muscles by doing sculpting exercises, you will improve the strength, power, endurance and coordination of those muscles. By all means, never give up if you’re not seeing that washboard stomach yet. Time takes time. You must have a correct diet plan for your specific body type and your objective. Everyone is different. Most core exercises, especially any exercise that includes abs, are not, in fact, going to create the shredded, toned belly you want if it’s still covered in your holiday food fat. So why should we do core exercises at all?
Why You Can’t Spot Reduce
Here is why: working the core will give you nice, lean strong muscles that will be on display once that layer of fat is burned off by doing cardio and cleaning up your diet. Cleaning up your diet in probably the most important area of leaning down and developing that physique you’ve been wanting. Let me jump back to spot reducing fat for a little explanation: as you stay on track with your workout and your diet, you will slowly see the fat stored in your body decreasing everywhere. I love to look lean and shredded but truly dislike the way my face loses the fat in my cheeks. This is one example of how you just can’t spot reduce fat from specific areas.
Benefits of Team Workouts
As a team in and outside the gym, you can hold each other accountable and share diet ideas and even new workouts. People need people. When we’re on the same wavelength and are focused on the same fitness goals, there’s nothing that can hold us back. Having an accountability team to call you out when you’re slipping up on your diet or skipping days at the gym helps to push you in the right direction. Here are a few workouts that you can use together as a team at the gym. I have found these few to work the best to sculpt and shred while tightening your core.
V-Sit Weighted Ball Toss (2 people)
Sitting on the ground across from each other, lift your legs into a V-sit position with your feet about 6-12 inches off the ground. One person will start off by tossing the weighted ball (usually 4-10 pounds) to the other person while both have their feet raised. The goal of the workout is to throw the ball where it is hard to reach but still able to catch it. Continue this back and forth for a count of 30-40. Repeat 4 times.
Russian Twist Ball Toss (2-3 people)
Sit on the ground across from each other with bent knees and your feet 6-12 inches off the floor. Exhale as you twist with the weighted ball to the left, punching your right arm over to the left side. Inhale back to center, and then do the opposite side. Back and forth for a 20 count, and then toss the ball to your partner across from you. Remember to keep your feet lifted through the entire set. Each set will consist of 20 reps back and forth, 3 times. Repeat 3 times.
Cable Straight-Bar Curls: “Countdown to Finish”
(same with cable triceps pushdowns)
The objective is to stay at a weight that you can at least get 10-15 reps with. This exercise is great as a finisher for biceps and/or triceps. The challenge is to start to curl on the cable machine with the weight you decided you can get 10-15 reps. Keep count because the first one to reach 100 total reps wins, and the “loser” has to finish with one set of as many push-ups as you can get in one set. It’s a great finisher to your workout.
Partner Clap Push-ups
Get into a plank position with your arms straight and hands a bit wider than shoulder-width and across from each other. Lower your torso until your elbows form a 90-degree angle and push back up. At the top of your push-up, you will both lift opposite-side hands and clap them together with each other. Keep your neck neutral. Repeat with opposite hand push-up clap. 3 sets of 12.
You don’t want to spend months trying to burn off that spare tire to reveal, well, nothing underneath. Exercise is very important but the reality is you must clean up your diet and push yourself to be repetitive. I have found that Determination and dedication must take over when the motivation is gone. I personally don’t wake up at 4:00 a.m. every day motivated for the gym, but I do have people (a team) that drive my dedication. I will then roll out of bed with the determination that today will be a great day with a killer workout. Find your team, find your group and keep your motivation high to be the best you. Love, pray, and help others.
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