Nordine's Tips To Getting In Total Shape

I remember the moment I realized I was no longer a professional athlete. It was in 1992, a year after I had retired from the International Federation of Body-Building (IFBB). I was languishing on the treadmill in my neighborhood gym after a long day training people, session after session (5 am to 8 pm), when a huge and ripped guy walked in and began warming up with 220 lbs, before starting his legs training session and disgustingly bulging his gigantic body. I smiled weakly in his direction and thought; I used to look like that not too long ago. And of course when he passed me, I ran faster like there was no tomorrow.

Obviously, my 60-minute training sessions weren't having the same chiseling effects as the 4-hour training sessions I endured when I was in a competitive level. That's when I realized I'd have to change my stay-in-shape strategy. Here are a few of my pro-to-real-world fitness secrets.

VISUALIZE THE BODY USING YOUR INNER POWER

Many professional athletes practice visualization, which means picturing themselves going through the motions to achieve a certain goal — complete with sounds, colors, tastes and smells — and have seen it pay off big time. It really works. What you can conceive in your soul and create in your mind, you WILL EXPERIENCE with your body! During my 7 years professional career, I spent 10 minutes a day visualizing and looking at my body the way I wanted it to look and feel, the result that I mentally conceived in the visualization were experienced in my training sessions, making them tremendously intensive and effective. Now, whenever I work out, I close my eyes and visualize whatever I wish to accomplish in my workouts.

"As I use my inner power to visualize my outer looks, I create the perfect environment to materialize physically the image of the body I want.”

SET REALISTIC GOALS

You aren't likely to hear some rookie say he plans to win the Olympia championship when they finished in last place the year before and he has yet to get off the bench. In other words, most professional athletes set realistic goals. So face it: You're not going to lose 30 pounds by your 10-year class reunion next weekend. (A more realistic goal is approximately two pounds per week.) Focus on taking one baby step at a time, keeping your ultimate goal in mind. It will be all the more rewarding when you finally get there!

FIND A WORKOUT THAT WORKS FOR YOU
My challenge after retirement was to maintain the weight and body fat composition I had achieved as an elite athlete. No easy task when you're working a full-time job, right? Because keeping in shape also means aerobic activities, my body was used to fast, quick, blood-flow — something pedaling on the stationery bike or walking/running on a treadmill couldn't match. But then I came to believe that a simple pair of dumbbells could do wonders. When time is an issue (and when isn't it?), you need to focus on finding workouts that give you the biggest bang for the buck.

CHECK YOUR FUEL GAUGE

While you'd never put sugar in your gas tank, many of us put junk into our bodies on a regular basis and then wonder why we don't have the energy to get through the day. While training for the World Championships, I made myself eat healthfully because it was very obvious that my physical and my mental shape depended upon it. After I retired, however, I developed a weakness for junk food, despite the fact that it made me feel sluggish. Then my yogi master reminded me that I'd only been addressing half of my fitness dilemma. Besides focusing on exercise, I also needed to eat more wisely. Now I give in to my junk food cravings only one day a week, and my body feels and looks much better.

MAKE APPOINTMENTS WITH YOUR BODY
It's easy to put your body first when it's the source of your income. Still, as soon as I finished my training session, I started filling my Palm Pilot with clients one on one session. No wonder that at the end of most workdays, I was either too zonked or too preoccupied to go to the gym. So on Sunday nights, I began checking my calendar to determine my business and social obligations for the week, then penned in when I planned to work out each day, literally making appointments with my body to exercise. And just like I faithfully stuck to the rest of my schedule, I never once canceled a workout.

ALWAYS BE READY TO WORKOUT

As a professional athlete, competing and working out are always in the forefront of your mind. The rest of us have 28 million other things to think about, which means that we need to make exercising as convenient as possible. I joined a gym close to home, and being able to drive, run or bike there has proven effective in keeping me on a consistent schedule, regardless of the weather. For added motivation, I always keep a clean set of workout clothes in my car so I can head to the gym or the local park on a whim. (After all, if you don't go home first, you won't find excuses to stay home.) I also keep a stash of fitness gadgets in my closet, including a medicine ball, workout bands and a stability ball. These let me exercise my entire body and, because they're so different from what I usually do at the gym, I generally look forward to using them again. Plus, most of these items travel well, which allows me to work out when I'm on the road.

GREAT BODIES THINK ALIKE

When I was competing as a Pro, I had various training partners and a crowd of fans — not to mention a paycheck — to motivate me to stay fit. In the real world, we have to find other sources of motivation: friends, family, even a local sports team. When you've entered into a pact with someone else, you're more likely to remain committed. Once you've found a workout partner, consider signing an agreement that outlines your fitness goals. Seeing your fitness dream written down on paper may give you the boost you need to achieve it.

CELEBRATE YOUR SUCCESS

When I was a pro, working out regularly and being in top shape was a given. These days, I feel an incredible sense of achievement whenever I complete an ordinary 60-minute workout. Sure, I use to push and pull over 15 tons of iron in a single session, but now I'm beside myself with joy when I break the ton or two. Aiming to stay at the gym 60 minutes but can only stay 30 minutes? Celebrate anyway, because you're on your way. You can give yourself little rewards here and there — as long as it's not junk food. Instead, splurge on a smoothie or a low-fat yogurt. Every 6 weeks of success for sticking to your training routine, celebrate big time by treating yourself for a big night out, dinner and popcorns at the movies. You will be able to have a cheat day on a weekly basis once you have reached your optimum weight and body composition.

Fundamental Questions (Excerpt from an Interview with Nordine, conducted by John Assaraf, Star of The Secret)

John:
How does fitness affects one's spiritual being?

Nordine:
Your Spirit is the universal battery to your mind and body.
We use spiritual substitutes such as alcohol, food or even drugs to make us feel good for a short, short time, but in the long run the results are devastating.
When I was competing as a top athlete, I use to think that I loved myself but in reality I was obsessed with my physic. I think I stopped loving with my heart back then, I was satisfying my ego instead. When you are obsessed you forget how to love yourself and everyone around you;you're not here, you're somewhere else, a place where ego is comfortable.

There is no SUBSTITUTE for spirituality other than respecting yourself, your body and everyone around you. When you are fit and healthy, you are inspiring everyone, and that my friends is spirituality at its best. Love is the antidote to obsession.

John:
I really want to change but how?

Nordine:
First you must acknowledge the current YOU then move on to acknowledge that you want to change, accept the change and let go of the OLD YOU. Acknowledge, accept, let go; I call this the Ta Kwon Do method. Because if you don’t, you'll feel that you are not fully satisfied with your life, something will be missing, you won’t know it but you will certainly feel it. You'll feel a chronic anxiety, something missing, a life off-balance. If you are not fulfilled with your life, you will get full some other way, eating, drinking, taking drugs, sex, name it.

John:
How do I know I have a desire to be fit?

Nordine:
You know you have the desire to be fit when thinking and seeing yourself fit creates an amazing excitement just as if you were falling in love again but this time it will be YOURSELF that you falling in love with. How can people expect others to love them if they don't love and appreciate themselves?

John:
How can I exercise without thinking of it as a burden?

Nordine:
By seeing, feeling and being the change you want to create. When you think and see the end result as if you were actually already achieving it, you will feel excitement rather than anxiety which is what hinders all your efforts to change.

John:
What are the three fundamental expressions of life?

Nordine:
The expression of body, of mind and of spirit. We are three part beings. Neglect one and you will be living in disharmony.

John
What are the three fundamental expressions of life?

Nordine:
The formula to perfect fitness to me is: 60% Heart & Mind – 30% Nutrition and 10% Exercise. You live in your heart and mind most, you feel, you think, you create, you experience, such is the real cycle of life.

24 Minutes are Enough to Do the Trick

Do you feel destined to be unfit or not as toned as you would like to be? Many people feel like with work, kids, community activities, and all of their responsibilities that they simply don’t have the time that it takes exercise and feel good about themselves.

Many of us live from year to year never really being happy with the way that we look but settling because we believe that this is the best that we can look and feel. The fact of the matter is, you don’t have to spend hours at the gym each day or each week to look and feel good. Instead, you can spend less than 30 minutes and get the workout that you need to impact your body in a positive way and tone up.

You Don’t Have to be a Slave to the Gym

Did you give up on that gym membership long ago because you just don’t have the time? Or, have you kept that gym membership in hopes that you suddenly find the time? The fact of the matter is that you don’t have to spend hours a day in the gym to tone up and feel good about yourself. In fact, you can lose weight and tone up in as little as 24 minutes a day. While that might even sound like a lot of time to you, we can all easily carve out 24 minutes in our day to feel and look better.

Making a conscious choice to take time to exercise by preparing your mind first. If you are willing to do this you can become the toned individual that you have dreamt of being but assumed that you couldn’t. Having the mental preparedness is 60% of the battle.

How to Tone up in 24 Minutes

A resource that hundreds of thousands of people have found to be very effective is my book Mind Over Body: The Key To Lasting Weight Loss Is All In Your Head! In this book you will learn how you really need to put your mind to losing weight and toning up. In the book there is a short and amazing workout that will allow you to tone up with less time and effort than you would have ever thought possible. The philosophy is that you really have to be prepared mentally to tone up and get in shape, and when you do this you can achieve any goals.

The book is very positive and will give you all of the information that you need to change your life, your mind, and of course your body. When you are able to reprogram your mind you will be able to change your life, which will ultimately change your body. The change can be a lot less painful and time consuming than you might think!

Don't Let Weight Gain Ruin Your Vacation

A summer trip is easily one of the most anticipated events of the year-the chance to get away from work and to relax with your loved ones is priceless.

With all of the excitement, it's not surprising that most people unknowingly end up gaining a pound each day of their vacation. And if you're going on a cruise then your weight gain may be closer to two pounds each day.

But wait, your summer vacation doesn't have to end in weight gain. Keep the following tips in mind as you embark on your summer adventure and you may come home fitter than when you left.

Tip One: Have a Plan
Vacations are the perfect place to gain weight since it's the last thing on your mind. Your best line of defense is to keep your fitness goals at the forefront of your mind. Before you leave for your trip sit down and set a goal.

A realistic goal is to maintain your current weight or to lose a pound or two. Get the whole family on board and keep each other accountable throughout the trip.

Tip Two: Make Exercise a Must
So often exercise is looked at as a chore, but vacations are the perfect time to really enjoy a good workout. You won't be rushing home from work trying to squeeze in a few minutes at the gym, rather the vacation workout can be a relaxing and enjoyable experience.

Virtually every hotel these days has some type of workout room equipped with cardio machines, dumbbells and a universal machine. If you are taking a cruise then you are in for a real treat – most workout facilities on cruise ships have huge windows that look out onto the ocean.

Vacations are also a great time to take your workout outdoors; take a run on the beach or do sprints, pushups and crunches on a grassy field. If you want more ideas of workouts you can do using just your body weight then give me a call or send me an email.

Tip Three: Maintain your Metabolism
When traveling it is easy to go for hours without a meal-between flights and long drives food sometimes isn't readily available. The problem here it two fold. First your metabolism slows from the long absence of food. Secondly you are more likely to indulge in a high calorie meal when you get around to eating next.

Avoid this yo-yo of starvation and overindulgence by carrying healthy snacks with you and eating something every three hours. A handful of almonds, a piece of fruit or a small protein bar are fantastic options to keep on hand.

Tip Four: Eat Smart
While we all know that eating in is usually healthier than eating out, on the road you simply don't have a choice – all of your vacations meals will be eaten out. So take the time to order with your health conscious mind, and not simply your taste buds. Watch out for extra large portions-don't be afraid to take a doggie bag back to your room (assuming of course that you have a refrigerator).

Another thing to keep in mind is to keep fried food consumption to a minimum. Fried foods contain more fat and calories than other options, they are also likely to give you heartburn and indigestion-two things you don't need spoiling your vacation. Stick with dishes that contain veggies, lean meats and whole grains.

Enjoy your vacation! And when you get back into town call or email me for a fitness and fat loss consultation and I'll show you a step-by-step plan for getting you the body that you deserve – in less time than you think.

The Magic Fat Burning Pill

Nonsense! There is no such thing. Don't fall for the latest diet pill craze. Have you ever noticed that every weight loss pill specifically states that it works when combined with proper diet and exercise? Well, they are right-proper diet and exercise will cause you to lose weight-without the bogus pill.

Summer time means one thing – it's barbecue time!

While outdoor cookouts are a great opportunity to relax and visit with friends and family did you know that the average barbecue meal exceeds 1500 calories? That's almost an entire day's worth of calories in one meal.

That can really added unwanted inches to your waist line over the course of the summer.

The good news is that barbecue season doesn't have to be fattening. In fact, with a few small changes to your barbecue menu you can turn summer into the perfect opportunity for weight loss.

So before you slather on the sun screen and fire up your grill, read the following tips to lighten up this summer.

On the Grill: Believe it or not, grilling is actually a very healthy way to cook meat. Of course the type of meat that you choose will make all of the difference. Burgers and hot dogs are traditional barbecue meats, though they aren't the healthiest. Try the following:

- Choose lean cuts of beef, pork or poultry
- Marinade with low fat dressing
- Make hamburgers with extra-lean ground beef
- Take the skin off chicken before grilling
- Replace beef patties with ground turkey patties
- Grill up salmon or cod
- Forego the meat and grill veggie burgers

Side Dishes: This is where most people run into trouble. Barbecue side dishes are typically filled with one thing - fat. Creamy coleslaw and potato salads can hold as much as 15 grams of fat per serving. Try the following:

- Make veggie kabobs and grill them
- Replace the mayo in your salads with low-fat mayo
- Serve fresh salad with light vinaigrette
- Try whole-grain macaroni for your pasta salad
- Grill up corn on the cob
- Put out a veggie tray with low fat dip

Drinks: Most people don't realize that beverages play a big role in summer weight gain. Margaritas, beer, soda pop and punch all contain tons of empty calories. Try the following:

- Drink water, it is always your healthiest option
- Stick with light beer (if you really want to drink beer)
- If you have to have a soda pop stick with diet
- Brew unsweetened ice tea and serve with lemon

Dessert: Yes, there are ways to satisfy your sweet tooth while staying healthy. Think outside of the box instead of turning to the typical fattening options like ice cream, pie, cake or cookies. Try the following:

- Grill mango, banana and pineapple on kabobs
- Stick with sorbet instead of ice cream
- Replace peach pie with grilled peach halves
- Choose light ice cream over regular

Remember, it's ok to splurge every once in a while. Enjoy yourself. Just keep in mind that by taking a few of the above suggestions you can enjoy great food while getting back into great shape.

If Only I Had The Time...or Do I

'I don't have time' is the reason that most people don't exercise. Well, they call it a 'reason' I like to call it what it really is - an excuse.

Most people believe their workouts need to be 60-90 minutes in order to really count. With this kind of time commitment it is no wonder that exercise becomes the activity that you simply don't have time for. Before you know it one missed workout becomes two and soon you realize that you haven't put on your gym shorts for a month.

Missed exercise is a slippery slope toward irreversible consequences. Obesity wasn't gained in one day…or even in one year. Neither was heart disease.

Question: Have you ever wondered if long workouts really deliver the best results?

The truth is that exercise doesn't have to take 60-90 minutes anymore. The experts agree that short, intense bouts of exercise can actually deliver better results than traditional low intense exercise.

In fact, a study was conducted at the University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine that tested whether multiple short bouts of exercise would deliver better results than one long bout of exercise. They found that participants who performed short bouts of exercise stuck with the program longer and experienced greater weight loss than the participants that performed long bouts of exercise.

Throw out the idea that you need an entire afternoon or a free evening to have a great workout. It simply doesn't take as much time as you think. Here's one example:

12 Minute Results-Driven Workout

-Dumbbell Squat Press: Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder level. First lower down into a squat position. Make sure that your knees do not go past 90 degrees. Exhale as you press the dumbbells overhead while you straighten your legs and return to the starting position. Complete 12-15 repetitions.

Sprint or Jump Rope for 30 seconds.

-Dumbbell Lunge and Curl: Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand down at your sides. Exhale as you lunge forward with your right leg and curl the dumbbells up toward your chest. Make sure that your knee does not go past 90 degrees. Inhale as you return to the starting position and repeat on the other side. Complete 12-15 repetitions.

Sprint or Jump Rope for 30 seconds.

-Dumbbell Bent Over Rows: Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand. Bend your knees and lean forward from your waist, keeping your back flat. Exhale as you drive your elbows back and squeeze your shoulder blades together. Inhale as you return to the starting position. Complete 12-15 repetitions.

Sprint or Jump Rope for 30 seconds.

-V-Ups: Sit on the edge of a chair or bench and lean back. Exhale as you drive your knees in toward your chest, squeezing your abdominal muscles. Inhale as you lower your knees back down with control. Complete 15-20 repetitions.

Sprint or Jump Rope for 30 seconds.

-Think outside of the box. Could you do a 10 minute workout in the morning and a 15 minute workout before bed?

Let's be honest, you make time for the things that you feel are important. If I told you that for every minute you spent exercising I would give you a thousand dollars, would you find a minute to exercise? Sure you would! You'd probably find quite a few minutes to exercise.

Short bursts of intense exercise will give you the results you want, all you have to do is make the time for it.

Somewhere deep down inside you know that it's now or never.

Will you choose to simply close this email and allow your hectic schedule to slowly push you down the path of obesity and health risk? Or will you find creative ways to fit exercise into your day as you steadily regain your shape and health?

Make this the day that you finally make the change. Click on the title of this post to schedule your no-obligation fitness coaching consultation and I'll show you many other high intensity time effective workouts that deliver amazing results.

The choice is yours.

The Answer

My good friend John Assaraf, a New York Times Best Selling Author has writen a book you don't want to miss. This amazing book called "The Answer" is finally out and you can find it in every bookstores across America and around the world. In this book John outlines the methods that made him and his co-author Murray Smith make millions and help others do the same. This book is just not only a business book but a book for Life Success rather.

You can get a glimpse here at http://www.readtheanswer.com.

The Mind Over Body Solution

You see dieting is not just what you eat. What are you really feeding your body? What is your mind feeding it? What is your spirit feeding it? This will all eventually show up in your physical state of being.Your fitness level is very much controlled by how you think and feel. Your body is a direct reflection of the inner soul. What are you really carrying around? It may be more than a few extra pounds. Blocking emotion and carrying negative thoughts can cause you to carry extra weight. Weight can actually be an armor built up to create a wall that actually keeps you from being who you really want to be. Break through that wall and you will begin to create the physical body you want to achieve. If our physical being is our car that we ride in, it is the mind and the spirit that drives it.

Most people think losing weight, looking great, and getting fit has to do only with exercise and diet and this is really only a tiny part of success-only a tiny piece of the puzzle. It’s a behavioral pattern caused by a certain belief system or old conditioning that is responsible for past failures. The Mind Over Body Solution is a new approach that will reprogram your life, the way you think and feel and in turn affect the way you look.What I’m talking about here is a process I developed of total health and fitness that includes physical, mental and physical aspects. The biggest secret I’ve learned and the reason most people don’t succeed in getting fit, losing weight or even achieving a happy contented life (and remember I’ve trained thousands) is that these people try to start from the outside-in (ego-thought causing certain behavioral patterns by using external motivation) rather than from the inside out (soul-energy fueling your inspiration).

If you have tried diet after diet, hired trainer after trainer, bought program after program but still failed, then give yourself a chance and join the Mind Over Body Solution Coaching Program. I promise you will not fail!

http://www.nordinez.com/coaching

The Inner Diet

Find Out Why You Are Not Losing Weight!!!

My good friend Dr. John Sklare , Ed.D, President Inner Resource Corporation and creator of The Inner Diet have made a joint effort to bring you the best assessment tool available today. The Inner Diet is not simply a product that I sell…it's a program that I believe in. If you're tired of yo-yo dieting and making poor health choices, I recommend that you incorporate The Inner Diet into your weight loss and wellness program. This personalized program will provide you with the awareness, the understanding and the direction that you need to create real change…from the inside.

As The Inner Diet so aptly states, you can't change your weight until you change your mind! I couldn't agree more!! The Inner Diet is a personalized tool that addresses emotional eating. After completing the questionnaire, your answers are computer analyzed. The result is your own unique Inner Diet Personal Profile.

This profile will do three things for you. First, it will specifically identify which of the six Inner Diet "emotional triggers" are causing you to overeat. Second, it will provide you with an explanation of your six scores. And finally, The Inner Diet Activity Book will provide you with specific instruction on how to effectively address those underlying issues. Combined with the application of the process of my book Mind over Body: the Key to Lasting Weight Loss Is All in Your Head, you will have no more excuse left and will be way ahead of the weight loss inner game you have been playing all along.

Click here to get started!