Starting fitness programs is easy, and often it even easier to stop. Staying motivated is possibly the biggest pitful most people have when it comes to loosing weight, bulking up or just getting fit. Weightloss motivation and exercise motivation are closely tied, and it comes down to creating habits & routines. We’ve all heard this before and we know what is required, yet we let it slide. 

Weightloss Motivation & Exercise Motivation

We all get off to a flying start, excited about our workouts, excited about the benefits just around the corner & excited about the new you. So why do these plans usually come to a screaching halt? Simple, we loose focus. Workouts can be a drag, especially if your pulling yourself out of bed at unearthly hours to pump iron early in the morning before work. If gains were to come ultra fast, then we wouldn’t have a problem. It’s when you seem to be getting know where, is when you start skipping workouts & eventually that gym membership is just a wasted bill you pay each month. So besides setting plans & goals, what else can we do to keep motivated? The answer….watch movies!  

Both your mother and your old 4th-grade teacher would strongly urge against this. So would the U.S. Department of Education.

We, of course, are none of the above. So next time you’re feeling a little bit lame and tame as you prepare to head off to build those abs, loose that gut & pump that iron- watch some TV!

This idea may seem as silly as the movies we’re about to suggest to you, but there’s nothing more inspiring than a good flick that gets the blood pumping and the juices flowing. (These are hand picked beauty’s, don’t laugh!)

Many athletes and bodybuilders have claimed that their favorite flicks have energized them before major competitions. So pour a glass of Met-RX, grab the remote, and sink into the sofa for a little pre-workout jolt.

Here are some classic titles that will pump the testosterone into your veins and inspire you to stage a gym production of your own.

ROCKY IV: Okay, so the man can’t act. He can’t speak, either. And he’s not exactly going to serve you up the next “Schindler’s List.”

But nothing (other than a supermodel, perhaps) can get your heart racing the way a Sly Stallone flick does, especially in the fourth installment of the infamous “Rocky” series. The training sequences alone are breathtaking. The running, the crunches, the tree-chopping, the wagon-pulling. On the villain’s side, Dolph Lungren grinds through a hi-tech workout with machinery from the 22nd century.

Then there’s Rocky bolting to the top of the mountain, arms outstretched, as he echoes “Draaaaaago!!!” throughout all of Russia. Like that doesn’t make you want to squat 800 pounds!

Watching the shredded Stallone pound the tar out of the towering Ruskie in the final 15 minutes will make you want to conquer mountains of your own once you get to the gym.

As far as mindless inspirational filmography goes, this flick is the undisputed champ.

PREDATOR: For most of the movie, you can’t even see what the hell they’re chasing throughout the jungle. But it doesn’t matter. This is the ultimate action movie if you like watching sweaty muscle bound grunts running around amid mindless mayhem. Although Arnold is certainly in top form here, the 1987 spin-off of Alien also features Jesse “The Body” Ventura and a torn-up Carl Weathers (Apollo Creed from “Rocky”) adding to the fun.

Arnold’s climactic battle with the hulking space alien will jolt you with the impact equivalent of 12 cups of coffee.

BLOODSPORT: This movie, like its star, may not have a brain in its head but for pure violent entertainment, the name speaks for itself. This is probably the only Jean Claude Van Damme flick that wasn’t nominated for a Razzie. This movie was to Van Damme’s career what “Rocky” was to Stallone’s. It was the base for which all misery followed.

Watching the half-naked Muscles from Brussels pound the Chinese baddy into oblivion will make you want to do much of the same to your muscles at the gym.

And for the ladies…

G.I. JANE: Hide the electric shaving equipment, ladies. This movie is inspiring enough when it comes to kicking ass and taking names, but really, we don’t need you shaving your head over it.

The crew cut Demi Moore sports in this 1997 heroine flick is hardly the only eye-popping trait that she bears. Sporting a chiseled, shapely bod, the former Mrs. Bruce Willis has never looked better. (ok ‘Striptease’, I lied)

The boot camp sequences, in which Demi is seen rubbing elbows with Army platoon tough guys, will have you churning out an extra ten on the treadmill for sure.

TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY: We’re glad Arnold lived up to his promise of “I’ll be back.”

Not only did Schwarzenegger bring back a riveting sequel, he wisely brought along Linda Hamilton for the second ride as well.

With her character Sarah Conner, Hamilton may have revolutionized the stereotypical “badass chic,” sculpting her into a lean, mean Terminator-fighting machine. As rewarding as Arnold’s performance is in this 1991 smash hit, Hamilton’s stunts are just as juicy.

Eight years ago, she almost single handedly changed the face of women’s fitness, as millions of women flocked to the gym to blast away on those body parts, saying “Hasta La Vista” to nasty body fat.

Well there we have it, those hand picked gems are more than enough weightloss motivation & exercise motivation to keep anyone coming back for more. Hopefully they should be able to see you through the best & worst of times. Watch them before you begin new programs, during programs & of course when your about to throw in the towel.

Good Luck & Don’t Quit!

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Weight scales are excellent in tracking our weghtloss, but can they always be trusted? Firstly we must realise that our weight is going to fluctuate somewhat.  Secondly then we must also take into account in the notion of muscle weighing more than fat, and if our goals are to build muscle the increases in weight can be a good sign.  The following article explores the dangers of weight scales and what you should keep in mind.

Dangers of Weight Scales

It happens every morning when you mosey out of bed, somewhere between the time you take off that robe and the instant you step into the shower. For others, it happens immediately after a workout, as soon as you peel off those sweaty clothes and stand aimlessly in your birthday suit.

Then, the big moment arrives. The excitement, the tension, it all forms a giant knot in your throat. This experience is a lot like playing the roulette wheel and you know you have plenty riding on this one. Hence, the numbers that come up can spree a variety of reactions.

You step onto the scale in your bathroom and peek through your fingers at the fate staring back at you.

To some, you jump up and down like you just hit the jackpot. Others shriek as if they’d just crapped out.

Well, the scale is indeed a useful tool to monitor your weight-loss developments. What other method is there to track specifically how much you’ve progressed in your endeavors to lose weight?

Yet, the scale can be like a lousy personal trainer. It can be giving you bad information. In other words, do not become too dependent on this devilish, little device sitting on your bathroom floor. Here are two reasons why:

*  Weight Scales are not perfect. At any given moment, it can go from being your best friend to your worst enemy. If the scale isn’t tipping your way, it can throw your entire mental state off the mark. Weight scales can often deceive you into thinking you’re heavier – or lighter – than you actually are. In more case, it’s the latter. And by thinking that you’re that far ahead of the game, the only one you’ll be fooling is yourself. Instead, try going by how your clothes fit on your body or how you feel internally than relying on some imperfect machine. Take a picture of yourself at the beginning of the month and then at the end of the month to evaluate the progress. Obsession with the scale is not unlike other fixations – it’s certainly not healthy.

*  Weight Scales tend to dictate. Too many people are consumed with the numbers on the scale. It’s not unlike the scenario of a baseball player who is completely engrossed in his batters’ average. The average is just a number. He should be more concerned with winning the game. The same goes with the battle against weight loss. The goal should never be a number. If you become too concerned with reaching a specific number, by a certain time, it can lead to starvation, bulimia, malnutrition, many conditions that are not beneficial to your body or you’re health.
 
*  Remember, the best scale you can have is your mind. If it’s telling you that the unwanted fat is disappearing from your figure like a dress on prom night, chances are that you’re right.

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