New York City’s FOX 5 Sports Director Duke Castiglione started 2014 by tapping one of the best (and biggest) sources possible for New Years fitness advice.
Phil Heath, reigning Mr. Olympia and a FLEX favorite, shared his top tips for making a body transformation and sticking to those personal goals even when it gets tough. Castiglione’s one-on-one yielded several pieces of advice for gym-goers old and new, and the anchor was lucky enough to get a training session in with Phil all the while. If you’re aiming to bring your fitness level up this year, here are Phil’s top five tips for making sure you reach your goals:
5. Have a Plan Don’t go into the gym without at least some mental preparation and a set of moves to start with. “I always tell people to have a method to your madness,” Phil says. “It’s okay to ask a personal trainer, ‘Am I doing this right?’ or read a book or magazine.” He also suggests doing form checks with online videos for important moves like squats and curls.
4. Go Hard and Sharp Avoid distractions and focus in on getting your workout done. “I got a busy life just like everybody else,” he says. “I’m not at the water cooler talking about stocks and bonds, I’m not texting — the only reason I’m using my phone is to change the playlist.”
3. Train 5 Times a Week You need 40 minutes of cardio work 2-3 days a week, plus weight training 2-3 days a week for a total of five days. That’s the sweet spot.
2. Eat Your Way to Success It’s no surprise that eating healthy is extremely important. “I won’t have a whole meal full of bad food — I may have just a taste of it,” Phil says. By introducing healthy foods into your day-to-day, it’s easier to make sure you keep at it. “Once you become accustomed to that, over time it becomes a habit. We just have to say ‘No, I am not going to have those cookies right now, because that does not help me get to my goal.”
1. Consistency is Key “If it was easy, then everyone would be great,” he says. “But it’s those people who have the commitment, the focus and the willingness to learn [that ultimately succeed]. I’m three-time Mr. Olympia, and I’m still learning things about my body.”
