The Hot Body Code
You see them at the gym.
Her, with just a sports bra and running tights, glistening like she’s been rubbed down with baby oil. Maybe she has, but she can pull it off because she has that rocking hot body.
And him, with his just-stepped-off-the-cover-of-Men’s-Health body with his thin shirt clinging to his perky pecs, veins bulging down his pumped biceps. It doesn’t matter what he’s doing at the gym: kettlebell swings, box jumps, or playing hop scotch for all we care. He’s hot. And he knows it.
And you stare, drool, then tell yourself that they must have no life, live at the gym, and eat only baked chicken breast and steamed broccoli every day of their lives. There’s no way you could look like that.
But you can.
You just don’t know the code yet.
All the people I’ve trained to get this level of hot-acity have to live by a code that keeps them that way. Start breaking it and it’s time to pull out the baggy sweats and *gasp* put on a freaking shirt.
So what does it take to get and maintain a smoking hot body for years to come? Live by the code. Print it out and post it on your fridge right next to those New Year’s Resolutions!
The Hot Body Code
Work Out At Least 3x/Week
That’s it. No excuses. Hot people find a way to make it happen. They know that if they slack off, their body will too. And no one likes slacking pecs.
Love Your Workouts
Use your workouts as a form of stress relief and you will enjoy them. Take out your frustration with your boss on that kettlebell! Show that guy that hasn’t called what he’s missing by doing a righteous deadlift.
If you need more tips on how to enjoy working out (because it’s not always easy), sign up for the Strong Inside Out email list and get the free guide, 10 Steps You Can Take NOW To Stop Hating Your Workouts!
Push Yourself
So unfortunately you can’t just go hop on elliptical and expect the pounds to melt away.
You have to push yourself to your limits in order for your body to change.
This means eeking out those last reps that feel near impossible, loading up more weight when the move gets too easy, and pushing your pace faster in those sprints.
If you keep doing the same thing, your body will not change. If what you were doing was working, you’d be your ideal body type already.
Rest
Just as important as getting those workouts in is taking the time to rest and let your body recover. This includes getting adequate sleep (a full 8 hours is what most people need to feel fully rested), taking days off from the gym (at least one full day off from working out a week), and making time to relax.
De-Stress
Hot people aren’t usually super stressed out. Frantic people are not usually all that attractive. We are drawn toward grounded, warm, relaxed people. It’s inviting and we want to be around them. These people smile from the inside. That’s hot.
You must make time every week, if not every day, to relax and de-stress. I talked about this before in Get Selfish, and I’ll repeat it here: you have to take the time for you to be worth anyone else’s time. No one wants an anxious mess of a person around them, and I’m sure you don’t want to be one. Just a few minutes a week and you won’t have to worry about it.
If you have trouble de-stressing in the conventional sense (meditating, taking quiet time, etc.), check out “Meditation” For People That Hate Sitting Still.
Eat Clean 90% of The Time
How many times have I said this in the past few months? I’m so adamant about it because it friggin’ works!
If you eat clean and healthy 90% of the time, you will see results and won’t go diet-crazy. Knowing that you can go off-plan and still get results will keep you sane and motivated!
For more info on how to eat clean, check out The 90% Principle.
Let Yourself Have It
Now that we’ve covered the 90%, let’s talk about the other 10. This is my favorite part. :)
Like I said in Meet Amy: 27 Things I’ve Never Told You, I LOVE frozen yogurt. I make room in my diet to pay my friendly Yogurtland a visit once a week.
Knowing that I eat about 5 meals a day, I multiply that by 7 and figure I average about 35 meals a week. 10% of that would be 3.5 meals.
For 3-4 meals, I can eat off-plan. And I do. And I love it.
So many diet plans have failed for me in the past because I would go crazy not having what I love! This is a no-nonsense method to keeping you clean most of the time, without driving you nutso.
Drink Your Water
I remember when I first started on my quest for fitness. One of the first things I did was start drinking eight 8-oz glasses of water a day. Know what happened?
I lost 5 pounds of water weight immediately.
When your body doesn’t get enough of something, it will hold onto it. This applies to food as well as water.
Make sure you’re drinking consistently throughout the day so you can keep things moving!
Fake It Till You Make It
Wear the clothes that make you the most confident instead of trying to hide.
Walk with your head held high, even if you’re not feeling the power yet.
Know you will be where you want to be if you believe you can.
Be Positive
This is what I’m all about. How many times have you met someone you thought was gorgeous, only to talk to them and had their negative nancy ways turn you off?
For me, it’s been many. I’ve gone on dates and not called the guy back because of it.
People with a positive outlook are open and naturally attractive. Again, smiles come from the inside.
Even if you are not yet ready for your photo shoot, knowing that you are taking action toward it should give you confidence. You’re not sitting back wishing for someone to do it for you. YOU are taking action! YOU are doing it! Let this empower you and motivate you to achieve those goals!
And smile why don’t you? Nothing adds points to a hotness score like a big ol’ happy smile.
Now go get hot, inside and out. :)
Did I miss anything? What would you add to the code? Tell me in the comments below!
Photos 1, 2, 3 and 6 from Fotolia, photo 4 by dollen, photo 5 by Pink Sherbet Photography, photo 7 by eflon
Amy, is it possible to get a hot body without going to the gym? I had to cancel my gym membership due to my financial circumstances. Is there a good workout DVD or program you would recommend? Thanks
Oh definitely, Eva! You can get great results from bodyweight workouts and this same code still applies! Check out The TV Workout, The Empty Pockets Fitness Guide, and How To Lift Like A Girl for some tips on bodyweight workouts sans gym. I don’t have any dvds or programs in mind as I tailor mine toward each client specifically. These links are a good start, though!
Amy,
I have to admit I’m guilty of not following some of these rules :). I think eating is my weakness and even if I eat some high calorie dessert I justify it with “ah, who cares I’m going to surf tomorrow and burn it all off.” Of course my little sister who is medical school always seems to be interested in telling me her health opinions. When she saw the stack of Trader JOe’s lava cakes in my fridge she said “you realize our family is diabetic right. just because you surf everyday it doesn’t mean you can eat like this.” Anyways, thanks for the reminder. We still need to get out and surf together.
Srinivas recently posted..The First Step
As much as you surf, Srini, you still have to eat for health! Just as you make sure to sleep enough before an early session, fuel up right and you’ll notice a difference in your energy levels while you’re out there!
I’m so in for going out there with you! It’s just freaking cold right now!
Amy, I particularly like the Yoga photo you included here. But, I may be a bit inclined towards that! :) Great and helpful post.
Nina Yau recently posted..Sankalpa: “I am,” rather than “I want”
Pretty amazing isn’t it? Glad you liked the post, Nina! You know I’m a fan of your blog and your bad-ass-ness as well! ;)
I dont know how much truth there is in it but I have just read that you are better off drinking green tea than water, would this be one of those many excercise myths or do you think there is something in it?
Claire recently posted..Watch NFL games on your PC
Hey Claire! Welcome to the comment boards!
I haven’t read enough research on the topic to tell you either way. I know both are incredibly good for you, but I wouldn’t go ahead and say that you should drink green tea OVER water without reading some extensive research into the pros and cons.
Green tea is known among the fitness world as one of the strongest natural fat burners and energy boosters. I haven’t experienced any ill side effects except becoming over-caffeinated (but that’s when I was mixing green tea in with espresso… not in the same drink!). Start with one cup a day and really pay attention to how it affects you. If you feel jittery, maybe it’s not the best thing for you. Remember, every BODY is different.
Let me know if you have anymore questions, Claire!
Thanks, so as long as there are no bad effects from drinking it I am guessing its safe to keep increasing it each day (green tea intake?) the reason i ask is that I read one study which said that drinking over 20 cups a day has proven to reduce cancer – but this seems like a crazy high number!?
Claire recently posted..Snow socks for tyres
I have read similar studies that have been done on rats. There are many differences between our systems and rats’ and in just about all of the studies, I believe rats were taking a derivative of green tea (either the catechins or another antioxidant) at the level of 20+ cups/day; NOT 20 actual cups of green tea per day. It IS a crazy high number, so unless you want to be peeing all day, I would look into decaffeinated green tea supplements. Though, keep in mind, these affect everyone differently. I couldn’t take them with some of my other supplements I was on at the time because they made me neauseated. They’re also quite pricey for the good ones.
I say, concentrate on a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and avoiding drugs and alcohol. These steps alone should be enough to prolong life if not to just improve the quality of it.
Haha this post was a good reminder for me. Kind of forgot about the drinking water part, but I won’t be slacking off now! Also, just wanted to say that I’d adopted your motto of “strong inside out”. I really like what it means, so whenever I don’t feel like working out, I tell myself: I want to be strong inside out! Keep rocking! ^^
Gerry recently posted..A running spell
YES! So glad that you’ve adopted the motto! Right on, Gerry!
Drinking water is soooooo important to staying fit. You gotta keep everything moving in there! ;)
If I can be of any more help, shoot me a line!