Warming Up

The Introduction

‘The doctor of the future will give no medicine,
but will interest his pa􀆟 ents in the care of the
human frame, in diet and in the cause and
prevenô€†Ÿ on of disease.’
Thomas Edison

Are you confused?
There are so many books written en on health and weight loss,
do we really need another one?
We are inundated with information on and experts telling us what to do yet we still don’t seem to have the answers, let alone the results we want, do we? How is it that: obesity is skyrocketing and cancer, heart disease and diabetes (which are predominantly lifestyle related and thus preventable) have become the number one killers in our society? When it comes to health, weight loss, what to eat and what to do, people are sô€†Ÿ ll confused. We need a real approach to this stuff that is easy, simple and achievable and that includes you, doesn’t it?

Why this book is unique
This book is really quite unique, because despite being a book about health, fitness and weight loss, it includes NO diets and NO exercise programs! ‘How can that be?’ You will soon fi nd out! Most people don’t fi nd health and weight loss simple and easy, but I do.

I’m going to make it easy, simple and inspiring
for you and even a little fun too!
We will start by talking about something that most health and weight loss books don’t touch upon, yet without it, you probably won’t succeed – the basic principles of success. This will virtually ensure your success this time! Sounds good, huh?
We will look at some basic stuff that you must do every day, the stuff which forms the foundation of optimal health. Naturally we’ll talk about food, but I’m going to make it really simple, and as I said, there are no diets to follow! We’ll talk about exercise, but I won’t be giving you any exercise programs either!

We are going to talk about some things often overlooked, like stress and living a clean, chemical free life. Finally, we have an all-encompassing finish, looking at another overlooked but important component of health and quality of life.

The book is written in a logical sequence starting with the most important stuff first. So make sure you get to grips with each section on before skimming ahead to the next one.

It is my goal to educate and inspire you, not to tell you exactly what to do, like all the other books out there. You will be empowered to decide what changes you need to make in your own life; in fact, this is the most effrctive way to bring about successful change! By empowering yourself and coming up with your own solutions.

Is this book for you?
This book is for you if you are still frustrated and want to improve:
• Your weight
• Your image
• The way you feel
• Your energy levels
• Your stress levels
• Your sense of self
• And if you finally want to take positive and lasting action to improve your health and quality of life, once and for all, rather than constantly struggling year after year
If any of these things resonate with you then this book is definitely for you!

‘Who the hell am I anyway?’
While this book is defi nitely all about you, before we get started together it would be polite to take a moment to introduce myself.

‘My name is Timo Topp, Sydney’s Topp Personal Trainer. Boom boom! And Yes that’s my real my name!’

I’ve spent twenty years helping hundreds of people around the world enjoy better health and fitness, to ultimately change the way they – and people like you – enjoy life.

I’ve spent my whole professional career learning about health and fitness, taking courses, attending conferences, working in conjunction on with other health experts, reading books, but most importantly by living it myself and discovering what works and what doesn’t.

I get this stuff . I know it works and I can promise you, it’s a whole lot easier than you think. In this book I’m going to make it real easy for you. I know, I keep saying this over and over again, but you’ll soon discover that it’s true.

You’ve done the hardest part and one of the toughest exercises (that horrible word already!) just by picking up and holding this book. Simply by doing that, you know there’s something about your health and your life that you want to improve. So, are you ready to make a real diff erence to your health and your life? Turn the page and let’s get started!

A Quick Word Before We Get Started

First, be realistic about who you are
Before we do get going, it’s important that we do a quick reality check. I want you to be inspired, but I also want you to have realistic expectations. Unrealistic c expectations lead to disappointments, and we don’t want those, do we!

We can all improve our bodies but we cannot totally change them. Sorry to burst your bubble girls, but some of you will never be as slim as Miranda Kerr. And guys, some of you will never be as athletic as Brad Pitt.

The reality is that we all have different body types. Some people are naturally thin, some heavier set, some naturally athle􀆟 c. To avoid disappointment, it is important to understand this and get an idea of your body type.

William Sheldon1 was an American psychologist who spent his life observing the variety of human bodies. He established three main body types, of which you can also be a combina􀆟 on of:
• Ectomorph
• Mesomorph
• Endomorph
The body type you have will also be relevant to the types and intensity of the exercises you should do.

Which body type are you?
The Ectomorph
Ectomorphs have a thin, leaner appearance. They can lose weight easily and tend to have low levels of body fat. However, they also have a harder time gaining lean muscle mass. The Ectomorphic body type is characterised by long arms and legs and a short upper body:
• Delicately built body
• Flat chest
• Fragile
• Lean and thin
• Lightly muscled
• Takes longer to gain muscle
Famous Ectomorphs include Lisa Kudrow, Kate Moss, Brad Pitt and Edward
Norton.

Ectomorph exercise strategy
Weight training should be moderate to heavy. Ectomorphs can afford to eat more calories. Whilst cardio training is not a priority to burn calories, it is still very important to build the stamina necessary to train at a higher intensity.

The Mesomorph
Mesomorphs are usually described as having an athletic build. They have dense, mature muscle and usually good posture. The majority of Mesomorphs have broad shoulders and a narrow waist.

They have a fast metabolism and can lose weight more easily than Endomorphs. Female Mesomorphs have an hourglass shape and males have a wedge shape. In a sense, Mesomorphs are the luckiest of the three body

The Endomorph
The Endomorphic body type is someô€†Ÿ mes referred as ‘apple’ for those who put the most muscle and fat on the top half of the torso, and ‘pear’ for those who put the most muscle and fat on the bottom half of the torso. This body type is characterised by an increased amount of fat storage, due to having a larger number of fat cells than the average person. Characteristics include:
• Soft body
• Round physique
• Round faces
• Difficulty losing weight
• Gains muscle easily but has high body fat

Famous endomorphs include John Goodman, Roseanne, Jack Black, Jennifer Lopez, Marilyn Monroe and Kate Winslet.

Endomorph exercise strategy
Many endomorphs tend to desire a leaner, more defined look. In addition to a strong focus on healthy eating, the key is to increase aerobic or cardiovascular workouts. They need to exercise more often than others at a moderate intensity.

Combinations of body types
Whilst there are some people who clearly fall into one of the three main body types, most people are a mixture of the categories. From the above descriptions, you should get a reasonable idea of your body type and therefore have a more realistic expectation of what you can achieve and how to achieve it.

You might be wondering which one you are. Others may instantly recognise which one they are. Don’t stress too much about it. The main point is that nature has dealt us a set of cards. We can improve our hand, but we can’t play a different game altogether.

Just be realistic about your expectations:
it’ll save you from losing faith