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The following posts have all been authored by Michael Mahony

How to Stay Focused on Your Goals

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stay-focused

Do you get bored with your goals? It is important to stay focused in order to accomplish what you set out to accomplish. You have to dig deep to get through the times when boredom sets in. These simple tips will help you stay focused on your goals.

Concentrate on 1 to 3 goals at a time

Perhaps you are spreading yourself too thin? Pick 1 to 3 goals and then concentrate on those. Don't even think about your other goals until you accomplish the 1 to 3 you chose.

Maybe your goals are too large?

I've taught you how to break down your goals, but perhaps you didn't break them down small enough? Reevaluate where you are and see if maybe you can break your goals down even further.

Create a plan

To stay focused, create a plan for completing the goals you have. It is much easier to stay focused when there is a plan of action for you to follow. We enjoy checklists because they make us feel like we've accomplished something.

Track your results

It’s important for me to track the results of what I do, because otherwise it feels like my actions are not making a difference. Hence, every time I work on a goal, I will identify 1-2 performance metrics, then track those metrics daily/weekly. They are my connection to the end goal, because they let me know whether I’m on track or off track, which in turn lets me know whether to tweak my actions or not.

Start a journal to document your process

Journaling is very therapeutic. It helps you to get your inner thoughts out and that's a good thing. Keeping things bottled up will only cause you to lose focus. If you want to stay focused you have to work at it. Journaling will help with that.

Just stick to it. The goals you set were set for a reason.

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Expose Podcast Episode #2: Hot Bodybuilding Topics of the Day

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Listen to the podcast below

Hi and welcome to Episode 2 of the Expose Podcast. I am Michael Mahony and I will be your host today as we discuss some of the hot bodybuilding topics of the day.

The NPC Nationals were held on November 21 and 22 in Miami, Florida. While there was some debate about the strength of the field, it was rather exciting in the end. There were 62 men and women who earned their IFBB pro cards at this event.

The overall winner of the men's bodybuilding section was Alexis Rivera-Roton. He looked amazing. Awesome symmetry in his physique.

Logan Franklin was the overall winner of the men's physique division.

Samantha Smitchko was the overall winner of the women's figure division.

The overall winner in the bikini division was Laurin Conlin. While to me she looks a little too muscular for bikini and would be better suited to figure, she brought a complete package to the stage to pick up the win.

Marcie Simmons was the overall winner in women's physique.

Susan Marie Smith picked up the overall win in women's bodybuilding.

The NPC Nationals was very well attended.

The following weekend was the Amateur Olympia and Bikini Pro in Moscow.

The reigning Olympia Bikini Champion, Ashley Kaltwasser took the bikini division.

In the men's bodybuilding, Abdelaziz Jellali won the overall title.

Now I would like to discuss something that I think all of you can help with. We need more coverage of bodybuilding events. I know that mainstream television won't pick these contests up, but ESPN would be one place where this would work. I suggest we all write in and ask them to begin covering at least the finals of these events. This is the only way the sport as a whole is going to be popular.

Thanks for listening to the podcast. I will look forward to coming at you again next time!

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Steps to Regaining Focus

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regaining focus

We all experience it. The need for regaining focus in our fitness and bodybuilding lifestyle. Things happen to derail us along the way and regaining focus becomes a priority. These are the steps to regaining focus.

  1. Realize that you have truly lost focus. Like trying to kick an addiction, coming to a clear realization that you have lost focus is one key to successfully regaining focus. Armed with the understanding that you need to get busy regaining focus, the next steps that follow will be much easier.
  2. Reevaluate where you are at. Regaining focus doesn't always mean just doing what you were doing before. Depending upon how long it has been since your focus was crystal clear, your goals might be quite different. Take the time to reevaluate where you currently stand. Validate that your goals are still relevant at this stage of your life.
  3. Change your goals as required. After completing step 3, be sure to change your goals as required by the knowledge you've gained about yourself. Make sure they are SMART goals that will lead you to strong results.
  4. Break your goals down into baby steps. Baby steps are the key to regaining focus. You might well have lost focus all at once due to some life event, but regaining focus won't happen as quickly. You will want to attack things in bite-sized pieces that you are capable of chewing. Sometimes regaining focus takes time and baby steps are going to give you that time.
  5. Reward yourself along the way. Remember that waiting a long period of time before getting a reward for successfully regaining focus is not going to keep you motivated long term. Assign milestones and then reward yourself for successfully reaching them.
  6. Keep building momentum. As you get back to the mission of regaining focus you will gain momentum slowly. Stay with that and the momentum will continually build. This is the desired result.
  7. Don't let small setbacks take you off course. I have been on a mission to regain focus and have even had one 4 day illness that kept me out of the gym. Instead of losing myself in the little setbacks, I simply jumped back on the wagon immediately after I was feeling better. You need to do the same. Don't let the small setbacks dictate your response to them. You have control over all of that.
  8. Enjoy the newly discovered focus. When you make an attempt at regaining focus it feels wonderful. Enjoy your new focus. You deserve it and have earned it.

I recently did a podcast on regaining focus that you should listen to. In it I describe some of the challenges to regaining focus. I hope you enjoy and that your focus is renewed and even more powerful than previously thought possible.

 

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Monday Madness: Push Yourself Harder

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push yourself harder

Push yourself harder. I am sure you've been told that at some point. I am here today to be blunt and direct about this topic. If you leave having learned something then my mission will be accomplished. I am not going to worry about your feelings. This is not going to be a politically correct article. This is going to be a “getting real” article. Yes, shit just got real!

Go Beyond and Push Yourself Harder

I will start by saying there is pain and then there is soreness and discomfort. Pain is something you should pay attention to. It is a signal from your body to stop whatever you are doing. Soreness and discomfort are another story entirely. They come with the territory. How many of you have stopped doing a bicep curl because the pump was too intense? If I did that each time the pump was too intense I would never make changes to my body. Go beyond the discomfort. Don't allow yourself to be held back. It is a self-limiting factor that many people have and need to lose.

Push Yourself Harder by Taking it to Failure

Can you even take a set to failure? Have you actually experienced what it is like to not be able to do even one more repetition? I know so many of you are saying you can and have, but I am calling bullshit. You have generally stopped short on every exercise. I see it all the time in the gym. A guy has the weight too low and is repping out. Suddenly he stops. Why? Did the weights say he was done? I don't think so. When you have more left in you, push yourself harder. It isn't a difficult concept to understand but apparently it is difficult to execute on.

Push Yourself Harder and Stop Whining

I am so tired of watching people phone in their workouts. They are whiney and shouldn't bother lifting weights. Go to the group exercise room if you want to whine. The weight room floor isn't the place for whiney people. This is where the serious people get the job done. Push yourself harder than you ever thought was possible. You will feel amazing afterwards and you will begin to see some amazing results. Check the whining at the door. Give it a shot and see what happens.

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Burn Fat with Tom Venuto

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burn fat

Burn fat–that's what Tom Venuto wants to teach us. It is part of the title of his book, Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle. Tom has become somewhat of an internet legend with his practical and easy to follow approach to fat loss. If you've been reading this site for long you will know that I have great respect for Tom and the things he teaches. In fact, despite all the different nutritional approaches I've written about, they all have their basis in the principles Tom puts forth in Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle.

If you are looking to burn fat then please read on because Tom Venuto is an authority on the topic. He has taught many how to burn fat efficiently.

Who Is Tom Venuto?

tom-venutoTom Venuto is a bodybuilder, gym owner, freelance writer, success coach and author of “Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle” (BFFM): Fat Burning Secrets of the World's Best Bodybuilders and Fitness Models. Tom has written over 150 articles and has been featured in IRONMAN magazine, Natural Bodybuilding, Muscular Development, Muscle-Zine, Exercise for Men and Men's Exercise. Tom's inspiring and informative articles on bodybuilding, weight loss and motivation are featured regularly on dozens of websites worldwide.

The above is what Tom's bio on http://bodybuilding.com says. I would like to add some of my own information about Tom as a person because I think sometimes it helps people to get into a program when they understand the author and his or her motivations.

Tom is one of the most personable people I have met in the fitness industry. His concern for others shows through from your initial contact with him and you never lose that feeling. He runs the Burn the Fat Inner Circle and is very active in the forums there. He does not hold back information. Tom is also very active on Twitter (@tomvenuto). Send him a tweet and you will likely get a reply. I had the good fortune of meeting Tom online through some other freinds. He has always been encouraging and helpful to me. He has never acted superior or even hinted that he is bothered by any contact I've ever had with him. It always amazes me considering that he is light years ahead of me when it comes to fitness and the fitness industry.

One of the friends of Fitness Expose, Jackie (aka Girlwithnoname) has done an interview with Tom and I post it below. It is a good watch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nt2085bjczc

Burn Fat With Tom Venuto

In his book, Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle, Tom presents several balanced approaches to nutrition that I definitely agree with. At the most basic level, Tom recommends paying close attention to your macronutrient ratios and suggests keeping them in the 40/40/20 (protein, carbohydrates and fat) range. He gives some great lists of food sources for each macronutrient. For anyone with no clue how to start, Tom's approach will get you results. Tom also lists carb cycling as one of the methods he uses to get stubborn fat off his clients. He gives one of the best explanations of carb cycling–both how to do it and why it works–that I have ever read.

Tom also presents a program for weight training. Tom comes at it from a bodybuilder's perspective, but he explains how the average person can do the programs he sets forth. He understands that not everybody trains exactly the way he does, but he encourages you to train with intensity and get that heart rate up.

If you are looking for a practical way to burn fat and get into shape then Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle is the book for you. You can trust the author (Tom Venuto) and the content. It isn't the best-selling eBook on the topic by luck. You will burn fat consistently by following the principles Tom sets forth.

As I said previously, there are many exotic and crazy approaches to fat loss, but Tom's methods work. They are tried and true ways to burn fat. Give them a shot and you will not be sorry you did.

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New eBook!