In your mind you have pictured yourself in better shape… not “fitness model” shape… but in better shape.

• You know you don’t want to lose any ability (ski, run, play…)
• You know you want to avoid health crises (heart, lungs, obesity…)
• You know you need a fall-back plan for aging (hips, knees, back…)

If you’re a casual Do-It-Yourself’er, you’ve likely “Googled” all about exercise, skimmed a few issues of Mens’ Health, and probably have friends who have reached the success you want.

What about your results?

In today’s busy life, and for lots of busy people in it, coaching has become the key ingredient to success – not only to learning more about fitness & nutrition in general, but to real body tranformation in particular.

Doug

Think about life in the 21st century, and all the crazy parts of it that make up your day.

Is it any wonder that our reptilian need for comfort (the “default”) so easily over-rides our logical desire to do something we know is more healthy?

Particularly when it means purposely putting ourselves in a place that requires:

• enduring some discomfort (like sweating, huffing and puffing)
• restricting activities (like channel-surfing)
• avoiding foods and drinks that usually soothe us (like ice-cream and chips)
• adding more demands to an already busy schedule (like time for fitness, and preparing nutritional meals)

It takes practice, time and patience to successfully create a life-long fitness and nutrition habit.

Small steps. One day at a time. Looking forward.

You can do it.

Doug

 

New graduates holding some form of sports certification typically hunger to become prized, elite strength coaches – “to the Dream Team”… to the “Bodybuilding supermen/women”… to the “UFC cage stars”.  Fame and glory.

In the end, some will. But most won’t.

Take heart though, because I know for certain that an experienced Personal Trainer can be far more knowledgeable than most strength coaches every become.

Why?

An elite strength coach typically works about 8+ hours each week with one or more genetically gifted, young individuals who often train and practice full time for one specialized activity. No other job. No other responsibilities.

On the other hand, a Personal Trainer may only get 2-3 hours per week with men and women of various sizes, various ages and various fitness levels. Most are “athletically challenged”, and most have a full time job, competing priorities, and a host of other stresses in their lives.

Getting these people to the results they seek requires MORE ability. MORE understanding. MORE adaptation. MORE empathy. MORE inspiration. MORE knowledge.

And believe me, when that client – the normal, everyday, on-the-go, what’s-for-dinner, late-for-work - guy or gal finally exceeds their fitness goal and starts to believe in themselves and their small corner of a fit & healthy world again, it will knock your socks off.

It will provide you with a much longer-lasting feeling of personal accomplishment than any winning sports team or any individual athlete ever will.

Mark my words.

Doug

 

A striking silver & blue can sits on a table in the middle of the gym, and I watch as after each exercise the old-school lifter ambles over and takes another swig.

Red Bull. Monster. 5-Hour Energy. The name isn’t what really matters.

It’s what’s inside.

Lifestyle in a Can | Psychology Today.

You’ve heard me talk about the importance of good form to an effective weight-training program.

You might also remember reading my “Ready-Set-Go” principle for preparing yourself before each exercise.

This now brings me to what I consider is a rock-solid case for redecorating the gym.

How cool would it be to re-surface all the walls, floors and ceilings in an even, Tron-like grid pattern?

Read the rest of this entry »

A book that I recently read contends that for one to sustain enough Motivation  to successfully make a behavioural change requires having: a) a damn good reason for making the change, and b), a great deal of trust in your ability to succeed with what it takes.

Without both, the book goes on, your motivation will surely die – regardless of your initial intention.

IMPORTANCE + CONFIDENCE = MOTIVATION

Relative to personal health and fitness behaviours (and from what I have experienced in and out of the gym), I agree completely.

If you can’t generate a good enough REASON for starting or sticking with a fitness program – your original intentions will quickly go out the window. Similarly, if you don’t feel CONFIDENT that you are able to participate in a fitness program (whether it be yoga, weight-lifting, cardiovascular exercise, or just walking every day), again, your original intentions will quickly vanish.

This is where professional coaching comes in.

Not only is it the role of a good fitness coach to teach you solid, safe skills to perform exercise effectively and to nourish completely (thus increasing confidence), but also to help you identify the personal and important reasons  behind your intention.

Once you have those two supporting pillars in place, it becomes a lot easier to sustain Motivation, even in crappy, dark winter weather. And from there, absolutely nothing stands between you and your Personal Fitness Vision.

Doug

I challenge you to be as healthy as possible this week… mind and body:

- To avoid “man-made” food.
- To do a great workout or (at least) stay active for 30 minutes a day.
- To avoid as much negativity while remaining as positive and optimistic as you can be.

Check back with me and tell me how it goes!

I am a self-accountability junkie.

That’s certainly not to say that I never apply situational blame when appropriate; what it does mean is that I generally hold myself accountable for all of my actions – AND the results of my actions, good and bad.

I needn’t explain any further that this mindset has many applications in life, including exercise, fitness and nutrition.

Please don’t take me wrong though.

“We do that which is most important to us at the time”.

Let’s face it, life is filled with many competing priorities – job, family, social commitments, et cetera. Logically, any of those aspects may have a higher priority at various times than regular exercise or good nutrition.

However, after I have listened to you repeatedly blame those aspects of your life for a sluggish mood /various aches & pains /an unappealing body /atrocious eating habits, or other condition that you feel miserable about… just know that I will always challenge you with 2 solutions:

a) “DO”. – This means you’ll stop blaming external forces for your internal resistance and will take action now.

b) “DO NOT”.  - This means you’ll joyfully (repeat: joy-fully) accept that there are higher priorities in life at this moment, and that you’re consciously choosing to defer action until later.

“Just don’t pee on my leg and tell me it’s raining”.