Questions and Answers
Some questions posted by users:
3 August 2009
Q. Brian:
Hi Geswindt,
I'm 27yrs young male living in JHB & I have a set of weights at home. Please
advice me on discipline as I train only when I feel like it. It kills me to
have the equipment & not use it. I'm build very excellent as I might eat as
much as I want but will never gain weight even if I go 2 weeks without any
sweat.
A. Craig Geswindt
Hi Brian,
Thank you for your question.
We all have issues with discipline. So don't feel unique in this area.
To achieve success in anything we need discipline. And so too, with fitness, exercise you need to be disciplined.
Listen to this: "A man will die because of lack of discipline." Well it's true that you can literally die because of lack of discipline. But also you
will not achieve your goals and dreams because of lack of discipline. So yes discipline is extremely important in achieving the body of your dreams.
Discipline is the one thing that will set you apart from the rest. Discipline is what helped me get where I am today. So what is discipline and how do you get it in your life?
Discipline is acquired when you become stronger or more in control of your THOUGHTS, EMOTIONS and ACTIONS. When you discipline your THOUGHTS, you are able to harness and control your EMOTIONS which results in you harnessing and controlling your ACTIONS! You become disciplined by putting in many hours of PRACTICE to perfect what you do. In this case, training/exercise. By being consistent and regular in your exercise routine you will become disciplined. Like me, I train 4 times a week. It wasn't easy. But now I'm so disciplined. Why? Because I practiced & practiced. When I slipped up, I didn't give up. Guilt tried to get hold of me. But I put those guilt thoughts out of my mind. I told myself: "You made a mistake, You slipped up! But get up! and try again. Don't Stop!". Yes, I literally thought that AND I spoke it out loud to myself. I went to a mirror, look myself dead in the eyes and said those words! I got back up and tried again. I kept trying, I kept going! And each time I became stronger and little did I know I was becoming more and more disciplined! Now, I'm like a SOLDIER! I'm a far cry from what I was and it shows. It shows in my body, in my emotions and my actions. I achieved disciplined in many areas of my life not just training. How? By simply PRACTICING everyday. And not giving up! Even when I didn't feel like doing it, I got up in the mornings and went to gym. No matter how cold it was. I started to train my mind to be strong. My mind had to control my body and not vice versa. Train your mind to be strong. Your body will always rule you if your mind is weak. Train your thoughts to be strong. So when your body says: "NO! I'm tired. It's too cold. Lets give up". You train your mind to say: "YO! You're not in control. I am. Get up and let's go! Go! GO! GO!"
And the way to get discipline, is practice, practice, practice! Everything we do and become in this life starts with a thought. So start thinking about training. Start thinking that: "I'm gonna get up 4 times at such a time, say 5am or 6am, and I'm gonna train for 30 minutes or 45 minutes". Put together a
plan. Stick to the plan. Change the plan(remember a plan should be DYNAMIC and not STATIC). Stick the plan on your mirror, on your wall, next to your bed. Put it where you can see it. Get awesome quotes. Quotes that will inspire you to start and keep going.
Stick these quotes on your mirror, on your wall. So you can SEE it everyday. And so you can stay MOTIVATED. For great quotes goto http://www.geswindt.co.za and click on 'Mind Over Matter' link!
Start with small steps. Start slowly. Be consistent. Start visualizing how you want your body to look. Visualize your legs. Visualize your chest. Visualize your Abs. Visualize every part of your body. Visualize how awesome your clothes will fit you. Play those
pictures and movies through your mind daily. And your body will slowly start to follow the thoughts in your mind.
Lets leave it there for today. There's lots more I can tell you but then I would be writing a book. ;-) So I encourage you to buy my ebook coming out soon, become a fan on facebook and visit http://www.geswindt.co.za often. I always blog on these kind of topics and others.
All the best. Don't hesitate to ask any other uestions you may have. I'm here to help wherever I can. Have a great day Brian! ;-)
And Remember: You Only Have One Life To Live. Live it to the FULLEST, Brian. You can DO IT! I know you CAN! ;-)
2 August 2009
Q. Alana:
Hi there I have seen a lot of advertising for Acai saying it is a
great way to hep weight lose what are your views on this?
Thanks
Alana
A. Craig:
Hi Alana,
Thanks for the questions. There's a lot of new stuff in the market and new stuff coming out everyday. Some gimmicks and some truth or half-truth.
So here's my advice, stick to the basics:
- get your mind right. Slim people are slim because they think differently. They think differently about themselves, how they eat, and their attitude towards exercise is different.
- Eat properly. Leave out the junk. It you wanna eat junk food, then do it once a month in moderation.
- Eat healthy meals. Lots of veggies, lots of fruit.
- watch how you process and prepare your food, e.g. try not to cook with oil. Cook with water or low-fat margarine.
- lower your salt intake
- increase your water intake
- exercise everyday (lots of cardio to BURN the fat)
- be conscience of what you put in your body
- stay away from processed food (like canned food, white rice, white sugar, white bread) - they add no value to your body and are simply stored by the body as fat.
Remember its a lifestyle. Once you can master the above, then you won't be blown to and fro by every new weight-loss fad that comes around (almost every week). I'm not saying the Acai diet is fad. I've heard about it. And I've read about it. But I've never tried it. So I can't give you an honest opinion.
Read some of my blogs. I'll be posting more.
All these principles come together to help you lose and maintain your weight. There is no one single answer to weight loss and maintenance.
Its a lifestyle. There is no single pill or plant or fruit that will make you lose weight while you at the same time maintain an unhealthy lifestyle. This is not possible.
I hope that this helps. Look out for my eBook and DVDs coming out soon. There'll be loads of info in there. Useful info. And become a fan on facebook. I give good tips everyday.
Thanks again for your enquiry. All the best.
3 August 2009
Q. Alana:
Hi Craig
Thanks for getting back to me. I have lost just over a stone so far but I am really
struggling with the last 5 pounds that I want to shift.
I am a vegetarian and I think I eat very healthy food I do have the odd treat but
always in moderation. I am a dance teacher so know I should be doing exercise how long
would you recommend a day for exercise?
Thanks for your help
Take Care
Alana
A. Craig:
Hi Alana,
My pleasure.
One thing to remember: exercise and nutrition go hand in hand. If you want the best results then you must do both.
To answer your question:
Minimum 3 times a week, 45 minute session each day.
But keep your sessions intense. Don't rest too long between exercises. 1 minute max.
Intensity and workout tempo is key. Focus on the muscle you're training. Focus on what you went to the gym to do. Focus on losing the extra weight. Don't let your mind wonder in those 45 minutes. Train hard. And when you leave the gym be sure that you know that
you gave it your best! ;-)
Get some protein into your diet. Protein does 2 things:
- it builds muscle
- it burns fat
Because protein is a macro-nutrient the body uses alot of energy to break down protein and in the process it also burns fat.
Examples of good protein sources:
- raw eggs (white not yolk)
- cheese (in moderation)
- fish
- chicken
- red meat (I dont eat red meat) ;-)
- nuts (almonds have lowest carbs I think - dont quote me on this) - but eat nuts in moderation
- protein shakes
- protein bars (in moderation)
This a lot to know. A lot to learn. And keep this in mind: Its not the destination so much, but what you learn on the journey.
Things you learn:
- you learn about your body
- you learn about different foods
- you learn different exercises
- meet people
- you lose weight
- your mind becomes clearer and uncluttered
- your self-image improves dramatically so much.
But you're own the right track. So keep learning. And you're welcome to ask me as much questions as you like.
Have a great day! ;-)
17 April 2009
Q. Melisse:
my hubby has recently taken up body building as a hobby if thats what you want to call it
-he did gain muscle quickly and i was suspicious, i recently found a very small blue
tablet that he says is part of the protein intake coarse is it possible that it could be
steriods and what are the side effects or how will i know if it is or isnt steroids ,i
have checked on the web but i am not really clear on what to look for
A. Craig:
Hi Melisse,
I have never taken steroids so I have no idea what they look like.
I do know or have heard that you get them in tablet and in liquid form - the liquid form
is normally injected into the shoulder, leg or buttock. The more common steroid is depotrone (i think thats how you spell it).
I also know that anybody on steroids will show very rapid muscle gains and will be able to lift heavy weights. However, the consequences can be detrimental in the long run if indeed he is using steroids and continues to do so. It can be addictive since he will want to sustain his growth and muscle.
I believe in the Principle of Process - to everything in life there is a process. But this takes time. Most of us do not like this principle because it takes too long or we don't understand the principle. It also means a lot of effort and pain on the part of the person who is looking for the result - and when you don't see it come quick enough you have a choice:
- take the easy way out (and use steroids), or
- hang in there and keep going. Being consistent and exercising discipline and self-sacfrice at times.
These are another 2 very important principles that I live by. The Principle of Discipline and The Principle of Sacrifice. They go hand in hand with the Principle of Process.
It's amazing how much one learns when you follow the Principle of Process. Not only do you eventually achieve your goal but you learn to appreciate it, and you learn things about yourself and you may even learn other things like patience, discipline, self-sacrifice. These are just some of the benefits of the Principle of Process. It's taken me roughly 6 - 7 months to get where I am now. But I was not overweight. I was not slim either ;-) It was not easy but it was worth it. I have learnt so much along this road of Process and I am still learning. However, everybody's goals are different. My goal is not to become a huge bodybuilder - my personal feeling about that is that it is not natural. But everybody is not the same as me. I guess we all believe and feel differently about certain things in life.
We spend years eating wrong, living wrong, misusing our bodies and then we think we can get a quick fix by using steroids. Its dangerous and depending on the steroid he may be using can put his body under huge amounts of stress. This can lead to cancer in the bone
marrow. You can sometimes spot guys who use steroids. They have muscle, but they are awkwardly built - bones tend to be bigger(because of the steroid), head tends to become smaller. You must understand that most of these steroids were created for animals such as horses and not for humans. There is no human steroid - only animal steroids.
I'd say you should check for:
- label on the bottle (he may be getting it from some so called 'expert' or buddy in the gym)
- he may have weird mood swings
- he may feel tired and irritable
- irregular sleeping patterns
- maybe take one of the tablets to a pharmacy and ask them to check it out for you.
Encourage him to do the right thing. Try to say things to him that will make him think and help him make a choice to do the right thing. Like maybe show him ther guys that have achieved success with fitness and/or bodybuilding without using steroids. Or buy him a gym video of famous body builders that do not use drugs. Think of other creative things you can do to help him become fit the right way. There may even be a deeper reason why he feels he needs to use steroids and gain muscle quicker. It may be the guys at work that make him feel inferior or something that happened in his past. Or he may feel inadequate in some way. Or he might be influenced by some of the other guys at the gym and feels that he needs to do what they do in order to fit in. Sometimes we look at the surface of things and yet there is something deeper driving a person to behave in a particular way. Sometimes all it takes are consistent kind words and consistent love to change a man or woman's heart and cause them to do the right thing. ;-)
Hope this helped you. All the best. ;-)
--
Best Regards,
Craig Geswindt
Geswindt.co.za - You Only Have One Life To Live
+27 83 212 7601 (Mobile 1)
+27 83 222 5585 (Mobile 2)
http://www.geswindt.co.za
My most persistent and urgent question is, "What am I doing for others?" ~
Martin Luther King(paraphrased)
"It is literally true that you can succeed best and quickest by helping others
to succeed." - Napoleon Hill
"No one is more cherished in this world than someone who lightens the burden of
another." - Anonymous
2 June 2009
Q. Raymond:
Where do you get yor protein from? Conventional diets/eating programs include a portion
of protein with every meal. Most of these programs also tells you to stay away from too
many fruits a day - especially fruit juice (due to high sugar content). Am I wrong in
believing that protein feeds you muscles?
A. Craig:
Howzit Raymond,
Protein contains amino acids which are used to build your muscles.
Thats basically what builds your muscles. Together with the right
training methods and proper REST and good sleeping patterns/habits.
Also, it's important when you take in the protein.
I use Muscle Science's Protein products.
Other sources of protein that I use:
- nuts (mixed nuts - preferably raw and not salted. Woolies has but they are salted - I normally put the nuts in a towel and shake out most of the salt) dont eat too much nuts - they also contain fat - but its good bad. not bad fat. If u have a good cardio program then nothing to worry about
- almonds (raw, no salt - from Woolies) - almonds contain the lowest fat out of all the nuts in the nut family.
- tuna (pref. in water) - u can have it on toast with Onion/Tomato mix and pepper & light salt. Or in salad - but i never use salad dressing or mayo - but thats just me.
- I don't eat red meat (have not eaten red meat for many years now)
- I eat eggs every blue moon - but now Im trying to stay away completely
- no junk foods WHATSOEVER. I mean NOTHING
- you should eat fruit. At least 3 a day.
- stay away from liqui-fruit type juices. (they sweeten the juice with sugar)
- get a blender and blend your own fruit juice. (use honey to sweeten if u like)
- I eat chicken once, maybe twice a week. I do a stew (with semi-hard mix veg., baby potatoes and brown rice) or stir fry (with mix veg(steamed) and pasta). - you have to balance out your carb intake. U definitely need your carbs but in the correct proportion, prepared the correct way and the right carbs. For eg. chips is not good carbs. baked potato is. Why? because of the way it is prepared. Another example, white rice is not good carb. but brown rice is.
- I eat fish once a week or once a fortnight. Not fried. Boiled or steamed.
- I drink water. I almost never drink juice.
- I dont drink coffee and tea at all because they stimulate the body to crave for unhealthy type foods.
The way you PREPARE and MIX your food is important too. Eg. Its no good eating veggies but you cook them to death. And then mixing. For eg. don't mix bread and fruit juice because it ferments in your stomach. And there are other combinations of food that are not good
because they cause your body to become acidic.
To do the above, you need to overcome the small organ in your tongue called the taste bud. Thats what 99% of people have a major problem with and thats why they eat wrong and thats why they struggle to see results even though they go to gym religiously.
Its more of a lifestyle than a diet. U shouldn't go after diets - for me its a waste of time and its unhealthy.
Its important to monitor and measure yourself and get to know your body. The only way to do this is through consistency. In other words, you try a few things for 2-4 weeks consistently and then measure the results. And then you try something different for a while and then check again. But you have to be consistent(in other words, if I ask you what you ate on a Monday 3 weeks ago you should be able to tell me everything u ate from the time u got up till u went to bed) otherwise you won't get a true perspective of what works for you and what doesn't. Once you understand your OWN body and how it responds to food and exercises you'll have no problem making it look the way you want it to look.
Always take in the right amount of protein for your weight.
- protein burns fat (even while you're not training)
- if you're wanting to rip then cut the carbs
- don't cook with oil
- have an intense 10min cardio (like treadmill) before you hit the weights
- squats burns fat like crazy and works your core
- DON'T eat after 8pm - if you feel hungry have a protein shake
- get good sleep every night
Most people lose on the weekends - so watch how you eat and live on the weekend
Hope this helps.
--
Best Regards,
Craig Geswindt
Geswindt.co.za - You Only Have One Life To Live
+27 83 212 7601 (Mobile 1)
+27 83 222 5585 (Mobile 2)
http://www.geswindt.co.za
My most persistent and urgent question is, "What am I doing for others?" ~
Martin Luther King(paraphrased)
"It is literally true that you can succeed best and quickest by helping others
to succeed." - Napoleon Hill
"No one is more cherished in this world than someone who lightens the
burden of
another." - Anonymous
Send me your questions via the form below and I will respond as early as possible ;-)
