Positive Changes for the Off Season

I've been looking at some of Craig Harper's articles today and decided to use A Better Life in Seven Easy Steps to help me make some positive changes for this off season:

Step 1: My stumbling blocks - food and motivation
I competed in November 2006 and decided my next show would be October 2007. At Christmas I stuffed my face, eating way past the point of fullness on several occasions. By mid-April 2007 I had lost motivation, stopped going to the gym and started making and eating a lot of muffins. From mid-May onwards I was cleaning up my diet and increasing my cardio to get rid of the extra weight instead of using that time to focus on putting on muscle.

Step 2: Dealing with my stumbling blocks
1. Stop dieting for shows and start thinking about my body on a long-term basis.
2. Understand that motivation is temporary. If I only exercise when I 'feel' like it, I'll never be consistent and I'll never create life-long change.
3. Break up the off season into one-month blocks, so I have new goals each month.

Step 3: Specific goals
1. Limit myself to one cheal meal per week. Too much 'free' food will make it harder for me to track whether I need to increase the amount of clean food I'm eating to gain muscle.
2. Do my prescribed weekly exercise sessions even when I'm not feeling motivated. Once a session's done, I'll be glad I did it.
3. For each monthly weights program, aim to be stronger by week four.
4. Drink 4L water per day.
5. Include one yoga session per week as part of my training.

Step 4: Plan
1. Journal my eating - it will keep me on track longer and make me feel more successful.
2. Exercise first thing in the morning. Just get up and go. Then there are no execuses.
3. Record the details of each workout so I can constantly improve. The last two reps of every set must be extremely difficult to complete. If they're not, keep going - don't just stop at the prescribed number of reps!
4. Buy water bottles to measure my water intake for the day. Finish it all by the end of the day. Refill and refrigerate for the next day.
5. Buy a block of yoga classes so I'm 'booked in' to attend, or buy a yoga DVD so I have no excuses if I don't feel like going out.

Step 5: Take action
Each month I will:
1. Get bodyfat tested to see how much muscle/fat I've gained
2. Take girth measurements to see which areas have increased in size
3. Have photos taken so I can see any changes
4. Do a strength test to see how effective I've been in the gym

Step 6: Improvise & adapt
From the results of my assessments I will see if anything needs to be changed for the following month.

Step 7: Finish what you start
'Even when the motivation wears off (and it will) do it anyway.
Even when it ain't fun (and it won't be sometimes) do it anyway.
When most throw in the towel, stay committed.

If you want to be like everybody else, then do what they do.

If you want to be exceptional, then do exceptional things.'