mind over matter

No matter who you are, getting in shape starts with getting motivated

Passion and performance. As a professional triathlete, I've spent every waking minute of the last seven years seeking to master these two words. In that time, I recorded the most powerful lessons from tens of thousands of hours of my own training and generations of wisdom gleaned from the very best athletes in the world, then I put them into a book called The Portable Personal Trainer (Broadway Books, 2001).

Filled with simple tools and real-life strategies, my book, excerpted here, gives you everything you need to rely on yourself for motivation and fitness results rather than paying someone else to help you. Motivation is the key to gaining the maximum physical and mental benefits from exercise and turning it into a lifelong passion. Human passion is the most powerful force on earth. It fuels success in everything we do, from exercise to career to life. The following 10 tips will help you tap in to the athlete in you--and this can become a doorway to an empowering, enriching, passion-driven life.

1 Write Your Plan Down & Post It Up

A personalized fitness plan designed by an expert--and you can become that expert--is a road map: It can't ensure good weather, but it will get you to your destination.

Most people approach fitness haphazardly. I am a huge fan of spontaneous workouts, but you will get far better results much faster by writing down your plan.

There are seven simple steps to building a world-class fitness program:

* Determine how many hours per week you will dedicate to it. Be realistic, but it should be no fewer than three.

* Choose two to three rest days, no matter what your level or goals.

* Devote 80 percent of your time to continuous aerobic exercise (cycling, swimming, running) and 20 percent to strength training.

* Make two weekly aerobic sessions your key workouts: a long one (60 minutes or more) and an intense one.

* Keep your key workouts as far apart as possible.

* Post your new program in a highly visible place. The key to sticking to a program is being able to see it every day and scheduling workouts so that no one can take that time away from you.

* Be open to modifying your program. Your body and mind are dynamic; therefore the best fitness program is dynamic--changing constantly but subtly, to match how you are feeling each day.

2 The Perfect Workout

Here's how to get the most from every workout:

* Set a goal. This sets in motion the desired results immediately.

* Eat right. What you choose to eat before you exercise impacts how your body and mind perform during the session. Eat healthy fats (nuts, seeds, flaxseeds, vegetable oils) and proteins before and carbs and sugars after. To maintain steady blood sugar levels during exercise, don't eat for 30 minutes before working out.

* Warm up longer. Take at least 10 minutes to ease into your workout. Warming up prevents injury, increases performance and makes the workout less strenuous.

* Focus on breathing and technique. This keeps your concentration sharp and your performance up.

* Monitor intensity. The only way to accurately gauge intensity is to use a heart rate monitor (see tip #5, p. 61).

* Stay hydrated. Drink four to six ounces of water every 15 minutes during exercise. You'll work out better and recover quicker.

* Cool down. These five minutes reduce lactic acid that builds up during exercise, helping you recover and making your next session feel easier.

3 Think Yourself Fit

Master this skill and there is little you can't do in life. Just as the feelings of fear, anger and frustration can render us powerless, they can motivate each of us to world-class performance. Try this technique: The next time you work out, pick a couple of things that are really bothering you. Assign a color to those negative emotions--say red. This is your "workout fuel." As you begin to exercise, visualize that powerful red jet fuel pouring into your heart, your legs and your lungs. Let those feelings fuel your passion. Now focus that fuel into efficient forward motion: be as calm, strong and focused as possible. Picture the red fuel burning off as you work out. As you cool down, picture an empty tank and let all of the remaining red fuel just evaporate into the air.

4 The 5-Minute Rule

One big stumbling block to achieving higher levels of fitness is staying motivated. If you think too much about whether or not to exercise, you'll never work out. Most of the time our minds convince us to skip exercise when in fact we're ready to sweat. The best way to get motivated is to take action. Just five minutes, that's all you must commit to. Give yourself the option to turn around. Nine times out of 10 you will end up doing your entire workout.

5 Get Heart Smart

A heart rate monitor will give everyone the greatest benefit from the time spent exercising. Heart rate is the most accurate measure of how hard your body is working. As you become fitter, your heart becomes more efficient--it can pump more blood with each beat, allowing you to do the same work at lower effort levels. Most monitors have high and low "alarms" that keep you within the right intensity.