There are lot of things that men are responsible for each day, from family responsibilities and obligations, to duties and commitments at work.
To say that a guy is busy these days does not even begin to describe the life of a typical man.
This often leaves little time for other things, such as recreation and hobbies.
For many men, this means that working out and sports are frequently a distant memory of what life was like in the past.
Muscles that were once rock hard and sculpted are now often soft and flabby.
Part of this is because of a lack of exercise, but a large part can be linked to a lack of carefulness about diet and nutrition.
Careful food choices about healthy eating, along with a high metabolism, have given way over time to making food selections best suited to eating on the run (mainly fast food).
Convenience has its cost, though, and slipping into bad habits and laziness are frequently the results.
However, with careful planning and diligence, these can be changed and replaced with good habits.
The goal of many men, particularly those with full time jobs, is to shape or firm up muscles as well as to maintain or improve weight.
One way to begin a fitness program is to think about the goals that are desired, and achievable.
What does this mean for you? Are you looking for a physique that simply looks good in the mirror each morning? Would you like to be able to run in a 10-K, or mountain bike in the hills? Are you secretly dreaming about being able to take your shirt off at the beach or by the pool at any time next summer? It is up to you to work towards making this happen.
To make such a dream a reality requires planning, hard work, and commitment.
First, the desired results have to be considered.
Is it simply improving the physique, or is it a matter of building, strengthening, or conditioning muscles to be able to perform in a particular sport or activity? The types of exercises and the schedule on which they are to be performed, as well as the diet to be followed, are important here.
Another thing that needs to be considered is the amount of time available each week to be able to train.
Many coaches and athletes recommend training 3-5 times per week, depending on the type of training being done.
For most men three sessions per week is sufficient, allowing for reasonable rest and recovery of the muscles between trainings.
These are elements of the training and conditioning plan that cannot and should not be left to mere chance if a particular goal is in sight.
It is true that such planning will take some time and effort, but it will all be worth it in the end.
Next, the matter of hard work has to be honestly faced and considered.
It takes effort and endurance to properly build and condition muscles to go beyond the starting point of the fitness program.
While the overall endeavor might be inspiring and exciting, the individual training sessions and routines may at times seem tedious and not a lot of fun.
There is also the inconvenience of sore muscles after the work out, even the morning following.
The real issue of hard work is putting forth the effort to go through a session when there is little motivation to do so, and to simply not do it.
This is where the matter of commitment comes up.
Part of this is in following and continuing the training schedule regularly over a period of time.
A larger part of this issue involves what goes on in life outside of formal training, namely in maintaining the proper diet and getting enough sleep and rest each night.
It is easy to eat anything that looks and tastes good, but it takes a certain amount of thinking and restraint in sticking to any training program, particularly if it is one involving weight loss.
There may be days when you don't want to train, because the results are not appearing fast enough, or you don't like always having to work so hard, or you just don't feel like training at all.
This is the real test here, where the original goal has to be put back into focus and efforts redoubled towards it.
This is not always easy to do, in fact it is quite hard, because it means that at this time, this is the only thing that needs to get done, at the expense of other things.
The important thing to remember is that motivation and commitment lead back to the original goal.
It is possible for men who are have busy schedules and commitments to have their own training programs for conditioning and developing muscles.
In order to do this it involves three things.
First, planning which considers the various elements of obligation and circumstances in a man's life, as well as the desired results of what a training and conditioning prigram is to accomplish.
Second, hard work is involved, where the actual effort of physical training is put forth, and this may be accompanied by some degree of inconvenience such as muscle soreness.
Also important to consider are the issues regarding food choices and the proper nutrition associated with the training program being followed.
Third, commitment is required, where participation and diligence in regular work out sessions, as well as consistent attention to diet and rest are maintained.
This may be difficult at times, and finding ways to stay motivated to keep training are most important.