How to get started on changing your life

YOUR PLAYBOOK:

The last practice is the hardest part of the season for some, but for most it is the beginning of the grind season.

Of course, it is hard to start, but just spending 10 minutes on abs can make the biggest of gains. Follow three simple steps to get where you want to be: push yourself, never take days off and always eat right.

1. SET A SCHEDULE

Taking days off can ruin the growth of muscle and fat loss. It eventually leads to taking even more days off, making muscles weaker. Make

a flexible schedule that consists of an alternating workout plan. For example, setting every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for doing a

cardio workout or a weighted bar workout.

According to Lockhart, you can workout daily in some way shape or form.

But working out every day is dangerous if done incorrectly. Working out every day, especially the same muscle group, might cause your body not to recover from intense sessions.

“You don’t need to be sitting on the couch to recover,” says Lockhart. Instead, try lighter workout like a bike ride or a walk to get rid of lactic acid in the muscles. Lactic acid build up can cause your muscles to cramp unexpectedly. Hunter Winnie, a senior football player, devotes his time to getting better in the off season by pushing himself in the weightroom.

“To get lactic acid out of my muscles, I do aerobic exercises to break it up so my body can release it.”

2. EAT RIGHT

As far as getting rid of lactic acid, eating right is the glue that holds the plan together. After every workout, ingest tons of proteins to allow your muscles to rebuild themselves and become stronger

According to Lockhart, the best proteins to eat are organic. This includes beef, pork and nuts, and as well as anything that are plants or animals. Protein is the building block of the body. It has the ability to rebuild your body unlike any other, dietary component. Winnie also eats as much proteins as he can to get the nutrients.

“For me eating healthy is the best way for me to gain muscle,” Winnie said. 

3. WORK HARD

Pushing yourself is one of the most important things to do in order to increase muscle mass. The way that muscle rebuilds is by constant tugging and pulling on them, essentially ripping them.

“To challenge your body to fatigue is the best way to break down muscles,” says fitness trainer Susan Lockhart. By using as much energy as you possibly can, working out improves muscle growth.