11 years ago I got my first job in corporate America as a
web developer for a huge Japanese multinational company.
I was thrilled to have such an opportunity.
So thrilled, in fact, that I was set on learning Japanese. It
wasn't necessary but I figured it was a way to move up in
the ranks and impress the boss.
Every day for a couple hours I studied the language. I was
very motivated and diligent about it. I figured if I continued
at this pace I'd be fluent in no time.
This lasted for all of one week.
After that I just couldn't bear the thought of memorizing
another word of Japanese. I was completely burned out. I
swore off the language, never trying to learn it again until
I went to Japan a decade later. I had completely lost interest.
So what happened? If I was so motivated and disciplined at
the beginning and did put in the time, why did I give up?
The problem was that I had tried doing too much too soon.
I wasn't mentally prepared for this. Of course I'd get burned
out. Who wouldn't. I was force-feeding myself something I
hadn't yet developed a taste for, something that was foreign
to me. I was a beginner and couldn't handle the load.
If I had eased into learning Japanese I no doubt would be
fluent by now. But instead I'm back to square one. What I
should have done was start with 10-15 minutes a day and
worked up from there.
Then I would have been able to handle the load and learned
at a better pace instead of ramming it down my throat.
Something so new, so much and so fast was too much for
me too handle.
I see so many people start their exercise program the way
I tried to lean Japanese. He'll bust his hump at the beginning
for hours a day trying to make up for lost time. Or she'll start
off by jogging 10 miles a day, cramming years of exercise into
a week.
No doubt these people are gung-ho and motivated, and I
admire them for that, but they're not prepared to do so much
so fast so soon.
If you're new to exercise you need to start off slowly to acclimate
yourself. Don't do too much at first, just a few minutes a day
to ease yourself into it. This way your brain and body will adapt
and build a strong and stable foundation.
It's also the best way to get results fastest. Only when you're
more advanced can you then do a long, hardcore, intense workout.
But not when you're a beginner.
Start off easy and do a little bit, then increase gradually.
Your body will then learn to enjoy movement this way.
When my brother Andy and I developed our Gymnastic Abs
program http://www.eddiebaran.com/gymnastic_abs.html it was
specifically designed to take a beginner and progress them
through the exercises. By gradually increasing the level of
difficulty in a series of progressions, you are assured of
success. You'll build a rock-solid foundation and have a
trackable goal to work toward.
This is the same way a gymnast trains. No gymnast starts
at the top. He starts at the bottom and works his way up
through a series of small goals and progressions. Then
one day he finds himself moving his body in amazing ways.
Same goes for everyone else, no matter what the activity.
Start where you start and go up from there one step at a
time. Don't force it or rush it, or it won't happen.
Fitness is a lifetime journey. Build your foundation first by
doing it the proper way. The results will be fast and permanent.
Wishing you the best,
Eddie Baran
P.S. They don't call me Easy E for nothing. I'm an easy-going
guy who likes to ease myself into everything. I teach the
same to others, especially when it comes to exercise. The
fastest way to strength and conditioning is by easy progressions.
Start from the beginning doing easy and short workouts.
Graduate up the scale to more difficult and longer workouts.
Read how it's done here http://www.eddiebaran.com/gymnastic_abs.html