“But you’re not exactly the Men’s Health kind of guy…” That’s usually the response I get when I tell people what I do (write for this magazine, that is). And, in typical fashion, I’ll try to salvage the credibility of the brand by retorting that the typical Men’s Health reader isn’t “the Men’s Health kind of guy”. He’s the average man on the street – a guy carrying a little excess weight, who knows he should be working out more (but doesn’t), and who usually faces an annual struggle to clear his army IPPT (Individual Physical Proficiency Test). So who else is going to be better at understanding this target audience than one of their own?

The truth is, we really do believe what we preach. The Men’s Health team comprises ordinary guys who are in the constant process of trying to become better men in spirit, mind, and body – just like most of our readers. The thing is, I don’t think I’ve been trying very
hard. In the past year since I started writing for the magazine, I’ve somehow managed to become medically overweight and unacceptably unfit. I was obliged to attend Remedial Training (RT) for the first time after flunking my IPPT (not for the first time), and I was also told that I had a dangerously high resting heart rate of 82 bpm.

Needless to say, I need to get back in shape and I’m going to do this by practicing what this magazine preaches. I’ll be applying the following rules for a successful weight-loss effort, and if you’re trying to get back in shape yourself, you’re most welcome to join me on this journey as it happens.

10 Rules for Getting Back In Shape Successfully

Rule # 1 Tell everyone you’re training
Nothing firms up a commitment like going public. Tell everyone at work that you’re going to the gym every lunch hour. If you don’t go, you’ll lose face. Plus, everyone will ask you how the workouts are going. It’s positive reinforcement.
In addition to broadcasting this in public on this blog, I’m also telling everyone. In a magazine (This article appears in the January 2010 issue of Men’s Health). One that’s read by about 105,000 people. How’s that for commitment?

Rule # 2 Set goals
You have to know what you want to achieve. Whether it is to lose 10 per cent of your body fat or to get a 40cm bicep measurement, be specific. Write it down.
Check out my goals (below). No grand plans. Nothing that is too unrealistic.

Rule # 3 Take action
An ounce of action is better than a ton of theory. Everyone wants to get fitter and healthier, but engage in actions that match your goals. Don’t make the mistake of having lots of big, fancy goals without the action to support them.
Last Friday, I kicked off my preparations for the Urbanathlon by going for a 40-minute run at East Coast Park with other Men's Health team members also taking part in the race. The next day, I also participated in the first Urbanathlon Training Workshop with True Fitness and Roland Kickinger, as well as a 1.5-hour futsal session immediately after that. All of this felt more like fun, rather than a chore.

Urbanathlon Training Workshop with True Fitness and Roland Kickinger	Some of the lovely ladies in the Men's Health team and I camwhore with Roland Kickinger. He was the Arnie T-800 body double in Terminator: Salvation, but I remember him best for his role as the beefcake lifeguard in the Baywatch spoof, Son of the Beach.

Rule # 4 Exercise at least 4 times a week
Studies show that at least four 30-minute exercise sessions per week can help you lose a significant amount of body-fat mass, and is a good guideline when you want to burn off excess body fat.
I’m definitely going to try my best to keep to this, but I realise it’s easier said than done. Whatever happens, every time I succeed or fail at my goals (and I will fail), you’ll read about it here. It’s all part of the process.

Rule # 5 Find the right workout for you
Fitness beginners would do better if they find the right sport for their personality. Several major characteristics factor into selecting a program, so if you’re a social type, consider team sports; risk-takers may like rock-climbing or martial arts. Movie star Paul Walker (The Fast & The Furious) doesn’t have a nutritionist or personal trainer, but his program – a very effective and simple one – is to play one sport a day. The only formal fitness training he has is mixed martial arts, which strips unnecessary bulk while building speed, balance and flexibility.
I’ve never been a gym person — I’m just turned off by it. Sports are my preferred form of exercise and I already play futsal at least once a week. Like Paul Walker, I’m more of a risk-taker type, and I’ve similarly decided to employ mixed martial arts as my primary mode of training. I’ve signed up with the Evolve Mixed Martial Arts gym (evolve-mma.com), where our MH Advisory Board member and resident fitness expert Mitch Chilson is a director.

Rule # 6 Keep a training journal
If you don’t keep a record, you are just guessing and will never know when or how to adjust if things need to change. How you feel that day (on a scale of one to 10, with one being the least motivated, and 10 being absolutely awesome and ready to set a new record!); the exercises you performed; the weights you used; the number of reps you performed; the rest periods you took between sets and exercises; record them all.
My training journal will be this blog. That means my journey of getting back in shape will be real-time. No gimmicks. Where possible, I'll try to include photos and videos to prove it.

Rule # 7 Consume 6 meals a day
To lose weight, you have to raise your metabolic rate to burn more calories, even when you’re not exercising. If you eat six times a day – three meals and three snacks – you’ll stay satisfied and free of cravings, while avoiding the daily metabolic highs and lows that
make you more likely to overeat.
This will be one of the toughest rules to apply. The office canteen selection isn’t the best, or the healthiest. I’ll probably have to pack meals from home. As a guide to how much I should eat, and what I should eat, I'll be referring to this diet plan.

Rule # 8 For one meal a week, eat anything you like
Plan for one meal during the week where you forget about good carbs and good fats. Eat whatever it is you miss the most. Savour it and then be your better self for another week. The point is to control your diet by planning your weekly cheat meal ahead of time. If you schedule it, you’ll stick to it.
Done. It’s whether I can keep it to one that’s a doubt.

Rule # 9 Keep the ball rolling
Consistency gets results, but you’ll still achieve your goals by scheduling your training to suit your lifestyle. To win the war against fat, your assault strategy must deal a deadly blow that lasts. In training, this means sticking to a workout that keeps you motivated.
I don’t have a gym subscription – only a bare-bones home setup – and I only have time to train after office hours. That
means any weight training I do will be done at home with minimal equipment. Thankfully, this website has a ton of suitable workouts I can employ. I’ll show you which ones I use.

Rule # 10 Try new things
Interacting with a variety of people and trying to achieve the same thing in different ways makes us smarter. And naturally, doing
something “new” in your training and nutrition will also make you better. It’s not about defying the scientific principles of training and nutrition, it’s about making space for new activities that fit your current goals.
I’m adopting a Yes Man attitude. I won’t say no to a round of squash (I’ve never played), to try a new low-fat cereal, or to take part in a do-able sport event. Men’s Health Urbanathlon, anyone?

My Short-Term Goals
✔ Maintain a regular fitness regimen.
✔ Complete the Men’s Health Urbanathlon in January.
✔ Pass my IPPT by March.
✔ Get fit enough to scale Mount Kinabalu in March.
✔ Reduce my weight from 75 to 70 kilograms by March.
(I’ll need to achieve a weight of 66 kg to get my BMI down to a healthy range).

Tomorrow: Gavin Gets Garang Day01 - I kick-off my training plans by attending the Media Workshop at Evolve Mixed Martial Arts Academy's new and massive Far East Square branch! Updates and pictures to follow!