CANADIAN PHYSIQUE ALLIANCE July/August 2020 | Page 26

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need full rest days. Yes rest is
important, yes muscle grows
when you rest, yes you can
overstimulate the CNS. But
99% of people I know do not
train hard enough in the gym
to actually warrant a full rest
day where all they do is lay
and eat. So no matter what
your goal is, make sure to
move daily and gets that blood
flowing. If you are following a
structured fitness regiment
you are already one step
ahead. If you are someone
who has not taken their first
step, start going out every
morning for a 30 minute walk.
You can focus on getting your
heart rate up and breathing
through your nose.
3. Brain Exercises - You may
exercise your body 7 days
a week but, if you do not
exercise the mind you are
setting yourself up for failure.
The mind is much stronger
than the body, and your body
cannot go where the mind has
not been. By strenghtening our
minds we are able to develop
patience, resilience, intensity
and perseverance. Pushing
your body in the gym to get an
extra rep or an extra 5 lbs on the
bar is not physical, but mental.
The body would never do it if
your mind did not direct it to
go there. Any gym I walk into I
can always count on one hand
how many people are working
hard enough to stimulate a big
change in their body. I also see
many people mindlessly living
their life and wasting all their
free time on Instagram and
in front of Netflix. Find ways
to strengthen these neural
pathways. It could be by
playing chess, sudoku, doing
puzzles and reading. Visiting
a neurological expert may be
appropriate. They may assess
any potential imbalances you
may have and give you brain
exercises to maximize your
brain activity. The mind is like
a muscle in the sense of, if we
push it, it gets stronger. Being
in front of the TV for hours on
end and not using our critical
thinking skills can be a sure
way to cut your potential short.
Begin by looking for puzzles or
another form of entertainment
that will have you focus on
critical thinking for at least 15
minutes a day.
4. Stop saying “TRY” and
“CAN’T” and replace them with
“GOING TO” and “CHOOSE
NOT TO”. I am guilty of this
too from time to time but
I have done a great job at
catching myself when I do
it. It is simple. The only thing
stopping you from reaching
your goals is your belief
system. Stop saying you are
going to try and get in shape.
Or that you are going to try and
not stray from your diet this
week or that you are going to
try and lose those 10 lbs. Say
that you are GOING TO! Same
thing with can’t. When you say
you can’t make the gym or
that you can’t afford to get in
shape or that you can’t get the
body you want is not true. You
are CHOOSING NOT to do this.
I promise you if you start using
these words, you will see the
reality of your situation and
start taking responsibility for
your own actions. Begin by
telling those around you that
you have removed these 2
words from your vocabulary.
If they catch you saying them
you owe them $1.
5. Proper Sleep- Listen, I
wish I only had to sleep 3
hours a night so I could be
productive for 21 hours every
day. I would do more courses,
train twice a day, learn a new
instrument, open up a new
business and take on dozens
of more clients. It does not
happen like that. Research
points that on average having
7-9 hours of sleep every night
(depending on your individual