I am a big proponent of remaining focused in all areas of life for there to be success.  Before we talk about focus, let’s discuss what focus isn’t.

Focus is not spending long hours on something.  It is not just “paying attention” to something.  It is not just being consistent about something.  Those things don’t even approximate focus.

Focus is the unbridled passion for something.  It is the ability to be single-minded about something.  It is getting into the zone and not leaving it.  You can’t be focused if you are distracted all the time, so focus is also about removing the distractions.

What distractions can derail your fitness routine?  There are so many that it would be impossible to list them all.  The most common distraction is just life itself.  Life can get in the way by making you too busy.  However, I find this to be a poor excuse.  We make time for the things that are important to us, so how can we claim that we don’t have time to workout and get in shape?  Another common distraction life throws at us is work.  We work long hours and we are tired at the end of the day.  Even this is a poor excuse.  You can always get up earlier if you need to so that you can fit your workout in before the workday ever begins.  This is exactly why I workout in the morning. I do not want work to become a distraction for me.  It works and my consistency is the highest it has ever been.

Remember that focus is what will bring you success.  Without it you will just float from this to that, never really accomplishing your end goal.

As I worked out today I realized just how important it really is to me.  I felt like I had been reunited with an old friend.  It felt so good to feel the metal bar in my hands.  I felt incredible doing the exercises.  It relieved alot of stress and tension from my body today. 

I will leave you with some more thoughts about social networking and then I am going to call it a day.  I’ve really started spending alot of time on Twitter and I enjoy it.  It is so interesting to follow conversations that go on.  It is awesome to share thoughts and get immediate feedback from other people.  Be warned that it gets addictive in very short order.  At the same time, you connect with some very amazing people.  No matter what the topic, there is someone on Twitter who knows alot about it.  You can follow me on Twitter by clicking on the Twitter icon at the bottom of this post.

Matty’s Workout Log:

With a fat loss program you have to try different things.  It is not as cut and dry as keeping a car running at its best.  However, once you discover what works for you it is then time to be extremely consistent.  For me I have discovered that a diet low in carbs with alot of protein 4 days a week and then a diet with higher carbs and moderate protein 3 days a week is optimal for my body to burn fat.  There is just something about this mix that really stokes the flames in my fat burning machine.  I have found that the flexibility I get with this type of program helps alot as well.

To me, optimal fat loss involves gaining muscle as well.  Some will tell you that it isn’t possible to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time, but I am living proof that it is possible.  The results I got on M4 were amazing.  I gained muscle and lost fat.  I did this through a system of High Intensity Training coupled with what I call High Intensity Eating.  You’ve read my description of my High Intensity Training workouts, but let me explain what I mean by High Intensity Eating.

I eat the same whether I am weight training that day or not.  The only difference is that I will have an extra protein shake on a training day. 

On a training day, the day begins with a 900 calorie shake that includes protein powder, oatmeal, yogurt, non-fat milk, and a banana.  If it is a non-training day I would add peanut butter which would bring the calorie total to 1,000 calories.  If it is a training day I have another shake with peanut butter immediately after my workout.  From Monday through Thursday I will follow this up with 4 more meals that involve alot of protein and alot of lettuce and/or vegetables.  As you can see, I keep the carbs at the start of the day, with next to none the rest of the day.  This is so extremely focused that it becomes High Intensity Eating. 

I get my protein from 3 main sources:  Chicken breast, canned chicken and canned tuna.  I throw in beef from time to time, but mostly this is saved for the weekends.  I use lettuce and vegetables (fibrous carbs) to fill myself up.  I utilize nuts and seeds to keep myself full of energy. 

The key thing to notice here is that I need to hit 3,400 calories every day, Monday through Thursday.  When I have 2 shakes that total close to 2,000 calories combined, it makes it much easier to eat clean.  I have 1,400 calories to make up for the rest of the day and thus, it is much simpler to eat clean when the calorie count per meal is so low (350 calories per meal).

High Intensity Eating is filled out by eating pretty much whatever I want on weekends. I pay attention to the calories, but I am not neurotic about the macros.  As long as I get them close to the planned number I am happy. 

Let this be a lesson to everyone.  I could have gone to the gym, lifted and made my back worse, but instead of doing that I put heat on it and avoided stressing it out.  I am now (16 hours later) feeling much better.  In fact, I feel absolutely no pain in my muscle at all at this point.  Listen to your body!  Your body uses pain to signal things to  you.  You should never just ignore what your body is telling you.  I know had I gone to the gym I would have missed several workouts.

Alyssa decided that she wanted to go to Adventure City, an amusement park aimed at very young children (younger than 10 years old).  We set out to Adventure City at Noon.  As we walked into the place I could see the excited look on her face.  She immediately ran to the carousel and wanted to ride.  I joined her and my youngest child, Mitchell, for a carousel ride.  They insisted that I get on the horse as well, so I did.  We went from ride to ride like this.  Each time she wanted me to join her and each time I did.  The excitement was infectious as we walked through the small park.

Alyssa had a day that she will remember for a long time.  She went on her first roller coaster, a very small, geared for children, coaster that was actually alot of fun to ride.  I enjoyed experiencing that with her. 

It made me wonder why we can’t maintain this type of excitement for our own fitness programs.  We start out this way, but it eventually fades if you let it.  What can be done to keep the excitement?  I think the answer to that question lies in the workouts you do.  Change them up frequently enough and you won’t get bored.  Continue to show progression and you will be excited at your own progress. 

Due to the birthday festivities taking up the entire wonderful day, no video podcast this week.