The Road to Fitness Success - Choose Your Fitness Products Wisely!

There are so many different types of fitness products to choose from... all claiming to be your perfect fitness, health and physique solution.

* So many recommendations... 

* So many famous personalities... 

* So many advertisements...

But which fitness product will work best for you?

Here are some characteristics to look for when choosing a fitness product.

The more of these characteristics the fitness product has... the better the chance you will succeed in achieving your fitness, health and physique goals.

Your Physical Fitness Program Must Be... Effective

While this characteristic seems like a no-brainer... you would be surprised at just how many people are actively using a fitness product that will never give them the results they seek.

Many people say they want improve their level of fitness... and get a bodybuilding product.

Big muscles are not necessarily indicative of a high level of fitness.

Many people say they want to lose fat... and get an aerobic endurance product.

Aerobic training is only a part of the fat loss equation, and will not produce the lean, muscular, athletic body most people want... regardless of all the hard work. The point is, make sure the fitness product you choose is designed to get the results you want... or you are doomed to failure before you begin. If you want to increase fitness, improve health and develop an attractive physique... look for fitness products designed to produce these results.

Your Physical Fitness Program Must Be... Interesting

Let's face it, if you are not interested in the fitness product you choose... you will not use it long enough to see results.

I don't care if the fitness product was proven to work by thousands of scientific studies... it will have no positive effect on your fitness, health or physique if you don't do it.

And you won't do it... if it does not hold your attention and peak your interest.

No matter how many times you say...

"This time I'm not giving up until I get the results I want."

... you will eventually give up if the fitness product is not interesting to you.

Don't force yourself to struggle with a fitness product you hate... look for interesting fitness products that fit into your lifestyle and match your personality.

You should look forward to physical training... not dread it!

Your Physical Fitness Program Must Be... Modifiable

There is not one fitness product in existence that can be all things to all people... regardless of what all the slick-tongued advertisements say.

Fitness products must be modifiable to your goals, needs, abilities and limitations... you must be given a degree of freedom to make the physical fitness program uniquely your own.

You have different wants and needs.

You have different strengths and weaknesses needing specific attention.

You must be able to take an active role in the use of the fitness product... modifying it into your perfect fitness program.

Cookie-cutter programs claiming long-term results do not work.

Look for fitness products that can be easily modified to your unique situation.

Your Physical Fitness Program Must Be... Sustainable The more the fitness product is dependent on machines, devices and other complexities... the easier it is to destroy.

What happens when the machine is not available, the device breaks or the complexity you have based you entire fitness program on is lacking?

Your physical training comes to a grinding halt!

I am not saying you should stay away from fitness products that use machines, special equipment, etc... only don't choose a product that makes you dependent upon them.

You are responsible for your fitness success... not the availability of a piece of equipment, or access to a machine.

Look for fitness products that help you sustain physical training in your lifestyle no matter what the circumstances.

Your Physical Fitness Program Must Be... Progressive

There are many fitness products out there presented as a fixed workout.

"Do this over and over again and you will get the results you want."

And the workout may be effective in the beginning... for some people and for a limited amount of time.

Unfortunately, any workout program not part of a progressive over-all plan is doomed to failure.

This is why you still need fitness products with all the free workouts out there.

A workout without a progressive plan is little more than manual labor... and will fail to take you where you need to go.

Any improvements you see in the beginning will quickly disappear, leaving you asking, "What do I do now?"

Then it is off to look for another workout to try.

Make sure the fitness product you choose is progressive in nature... and not just "add more weight" either.

Progression on many different levels is probably the most important aspect of any successful fitness program.

Your Physical Fitness Program Must Be... Measurable

The pursuit of fitness, health and physique is a journey... and like any worthwhile journey, it should be documented.

The ability to measure your progress will keep you on the track of success... enabling you to see where you've been and where you're going.

Make sure the fitness product you choose comes with a workout journal, or that one can be easily made... Don't underestimate the importance of a workout journal.

Your workout journal will help you...

* judge if your physical training efforts are getting you closer to your goals... 

* decide if you need to modify your fitness program... 

* and determine if it is time to switch to something completely different...

... ultimately guiding and documenting your fitness success.

Look for fitness products making it easy to measure their effectiveness... how else will you really know if it is working for you or not?

Use Your Common Sense

If the fitness product...

* attracts you... 

* speaks to you... 

* excites you... 

* and ultimately makes sense to you...

... it is probably the right fitness product for you.

After all, only a physical fitness program you actually do, and that becomes a part of your lifestyle, will give you the long-term fitness, health and physique benefits you seek.

Now that you have a burning desire to be fit, healthy and attractive, have secretly conspired within yourself to achieve your goals and know what to look for in a fitness product, there is only one thing left to do... act!

In part 4, I'll show you how knowledge without action us useless.

Coach Lomax, founder and president of the Optimum Fitness Network LLC, has gained a reputation for creating and recommending fitness resources that get results. To see his ever growing network of fitness sites, go to Best At Home Workouts [http://www.bestathomeworkouts.com]. His best selling eBook, Workout Without Weights [http://www.workout-without-weights.com] shows you how to perform, feel and look your best without costly equipment or expensive gym memberships.