A client asked me the other day why do I think it takes some people so long to get results while other people seem to have faster results. 

I think this is such an outstanding question.

It’s all about habits.  Some people will come in each week and do hours of cardio, but then leave the gym and pay little to no attention to what they eat. Likewise others will come in and do all sorts of rehab exercises and then go and sit in their office chair with their legs crossed for 3-4 hours a day and wonder why their knee or hip is still bothering them.

It’s all about HABITS.  To me the whole idea of working out, exercising and training, is so that it makes what we do in our day to day life easier and more enjoyable. If you spend 3-4 hours a week exercising, but spend 20-30 hours a week sitting improperly or not paying attention to what you eat, you’ve dismantled all the hard work you’ve done at the gym.

See, working out, training and exercising is like fluoride for the body.  It fortifies the body so it doesn’t break down while you’re going through your daily routine. Eating properly does much the same thing. It fortifies and encourages your body to burn fat, digest and eliminate properly and repair damaged tissues.

The curious thing is many people treat fitness like we do our car repair. We think if we just show up and do some exercise, that’s the end of the responsibility. Unfortunately you can’t just drop off your body and pick up a new one, without aches and pains, and with the perfect shape you want.  You have to be aware of your habits outside the gym as well.

Simply put, health, fitness and wellness is a lifestyle.  It is something that should be made part of your everyday living if you are going to get results and reach your goals.

Here are some HABITS to assist you in reaching your goals.

1.)   Focus on the task at hand.  If you’re training, train, don’t make it a social outlet. Get what you came to get done, done.

2.)   Plan your meals in advance. Make food choices that assist you in reaching your goals. You deserve to see the results of all your hard work, and it will help you stay motivated.

3.)   Get body work/massage done regularly. Whether it’s going to a massage therapist or using a roller or tube for self massage, take care of your body. It’s as important as changing the oil in your car.

4.)   Be aware of your posture. How you sit in your chair, how you walk, how you stand. You spend WAY more hours doing each of these things than you do training – Fortify!

5.)   Get your rest. At the pace most of us are working, none of us can afford to miss any sleep. It’s a necessary part of recuperation both mentally and physically.

Your habits, like it or not, decide your success in anything you do in life.  Don’t just go through the motions. You’re putting in the hard work, why not see the results? Whether it’s physical pain, a few extra pounds you want to get rid of, or a financial goal you have set for yourself, your habits will dictate your success.

 

At the risk of sounding a bit too cliche, changing your habits can seriously change your life.

 

Remember the 80/20 Rule -- 80% of your results are based on 20% of your actions!

 

As always, let me know what you think.  

Wow, here we are at the end of February.  It's almost time to turn the page again.

 

How are you doing on your goals? 

 

Are you finding it harder and harder to keep those original commitments that seemed so easy to do in January?

 

It's interesting because you're not the only one.  Every year right around the second week of January there is a HUGE increase in activity at the gym.  I mean a serious increase in new members committing to making a change -- whether it's the typical lose a few unwanted pounds, or those looking to get out of pain.

 

But guess what?

 

If you're like most people, right about now is when they begin to abandon their commitments and begin to lose traction.  Simply put, they start to give up or make excuses. And right now I am noticing a HUGE decrease in those new members that started out with such energy and commitment.

 

Let's be honest, it's WAY TOO EARLY to throw in the towel. 

 

You started with good intentions, you made some solid efforts. But for some reason are still not seeing the progress you would like, and quite honestly -- deserve.  Not seeing results has a lot to do with how you set up and go after your goals. 

 

To be blunt about it, it's the difference between success or giving up.

 

I figured if you were like some of my clients, you could use a little pick me up and perspective overhaul.

 

Well here is a little piece I came across that I thought was right on target.  It's written for big business, but when I read it through and listened to some of my clients, I realized it was right on target for all of us. 

 

Check it out and let me know what you think.

 

3 Ways To Blow Your Goals For The Year

 

You've got to think of this way.  If you were traveling to work or taking any journey and for some reason a certain freeway or street was blocked, you would just make an adjustment in your plan and continue forward. You wouldn't just quit. Your goals were worth making and they are worth following through!

 

 

Well, it's Monday again.  So of course it's time for some information that actually works and saves you the trouble of trying to make sense of all the media hype and misdirection.

The first article is for those of you who are wondering does timing of meals really matter when it comes to putting on or keeping your muscle.  Believe it or not, it actually does matter.  Research has confirmed something that those of us in the fitness community have known for a while, eating an easily digested meal, high in protein and low in fat, directly after your workout preserves and assists you in gaining muscle.  And remember the goal when it comes to transforming your body -- maintain your muscle and shedding the body fat. 

Here's a little help:  Muscle Building Effect of Protein Post Workout

The second article is an excellent read.  Especially for those of you who really don't want to keep track your fitness progress and goals.  Believe me when I say, it doesn't matter until you write it down.  I don't exactly know what mechanism it is, but there is something about writing down a goal that is very motivating and spurs a sense of accountability.  And what better way to achieve a goal than to make yourself truly accountable.  That's how success happens in any realm -- making yourself accountable.

Need a reason?  Here's 5 Reasons to Keep Track of Your Fitness Goals

And then we move to an issue that is always concerning to me, people looking for shortcuts when it comes to weight loss. I have to admit, there are many "diets" that can provide short term weight loss and body transformation, but few of them are truly safe.  And to be quite honest, virtually none of them are something you can keep up for any length of time.  So why bother?  I mean seriously, transforming your body is a lifestyle change that takes time.  It is something that you do step by step -- getting a bit more consistent each day and each week.  Lasting body transformation is not something that happens quickly -- we're talking about changing habits here.  So even the most committed do back step once in a while.  But with a good program, consistent effort and realistic goals, You Can Do It!

Check this out:  The Danger of Weight Loss Shortcuts 

(by the way, holding your breath as a form of body transformation, doesn't work)


Only the real deal info here --

So Get On Track and Stay On Track!

We all have goals we would like to achieve.  It doesn't matter what that goal is quite honestly.  For my purpose I want to help you achieve the your best body. 

I want you to live without having pain. 

I want you to be the weight you desire. 

I want you to like what you see when you look in the mirror.

I want you to be able to do what you truly love doing, whether it's gardening, knitting, playing a specific sport, or working out.

I know you work unbelievably hard at your job each day, each week.  I believe you work just as hard at home, to the best partner, husband/father or wife/mother.  It's a grind sometimes, let's be honest; but you do the best you possibly can each and every week.

Yet amongst all those responsibilities we have to find some you time. 

I know, I know, it can be a daunting task at times.  But if we don't take good care of you, you won't be able to show up in the other areas of your life the way you want.

I don't know about you, but when I don't take good care of myself, feeling as though I'm running from one obligation to the next; I get cranky, have difficultly sleeping, and quite honestly, am not that pleasant to be around.

I respect the amount of time you spend at work and at home, so I spend each week carefully choosing subjects and information that will inspire, educate, and motivate you into action.  Action that will give you a renewed sense of "get it done".  Because you and I both know the better you take care of yourself, the better you're able to give to others.

But sometimes it's hard to find that time, or so I thought. 

What I've come to realize is, it's not about finding the more time to get everything I need and want, done.  No, actually it's about me managing the time I have.  Does that sound like you? 

The first thing I had to do is have the discipline and the courage to create a goal and the plans to make it happen.  These two items were a big help:

The_Indispensable_Quality.doc

The_Time_to_Act.doc

The older I get and the more I think about it, the more I realize success has more to do with managing what you have than it does with longing for something outside of yourself.  And the funny thing about managing what you have is that you often times find yourself getting more of what you want and need.

But the first thing that has to happen before you can start working on any of this, is a sense of urgency.  A sense that it's time to make a change.  Time to stop filling up that closet with regrets and missed opportunities.

Excuse_Me_Your_Life_is_Waiting.doc

It's your life.  You deserve to have the type of life you want.  There is nothing you can't accomplish.  It will take a plan and some effort, but it IS within your grasp. 

Just take the first step -- that's all I ask.

Now Go Out and Get It Done!

Let's keep it simple as we are on our last week of the year.  An absolutely excellent time to kind of prime the pumps for the coming year. 

After you've taken the time to blow off some steam and have a wonderful New Year's celebration, also take some time to review you last year.  Did all go as planned?  Probably not, when does it?  But more importantly did you achieve the important items that you had on your list? If you did, could you accomplish even more this year?  If you didn't achieve the points that were important to you, take a moment and ask yourself why not.

Whether you did outstanding last year or didn't quite make the mark you had set, it's a new year now.  And it's time to set new goals to achieve. Take a moment to decide what you plan on achieving this year. 

Then check out the video below so you know which you should be following, Dreams or Goals, if you plan on being successful. 

Is it going to be a roll of the dice again this year to see how things happen to you, or are you going to create your future this year?

I thought about it for quite some time before I decided on this title.  I look at it this way, you have an owner's manual for everything from your toaster, to your blender, cell phone, automobile, computer, and stove, etc.  And let's be honest, how well you follow the owner's manual great decides how long that item will last.  Either you follow the manual and have significant success or you don't and . . . . 

Pretty much anything that has any value to you, you have an owner's manual for, right?  But for some reason when it comes to getting out of pain or improving the quality of your fitness, people just tend to "wing-it".  Then they wonder why they get the results they get.  It's not by accident.

But there is so much information out there, how do you know what is good information guiding you in the right direction and how much is just hype and trends? 

Check out today's video blog and know which is the right information that will help you quickly build your own manual.

I was just painfully reminded of how important it is to keep things simple in life. Had an unbelievable workout on Saturday, only to awake on Sunday feeling as though I had been run over by a truck -- repeatedly.  Yes, I do typically feel my workouts a few days later; but this soreness was far beyond that "typical" feeling.  So I traced my steps back to see what was different.  What I realized is that I had tried out some new "exotic" movements in my warm-up to replace some of my usual movements.  Doing my usual research, I came across some stretches and warm-up movements that were said to replace several other movements I was already doing.  So I figured, hey, that sounds like a good idea, if I can save time and accomplish the same amount of quality work, why not do it.  What I quickly realized is that these new (exotic) movements in fact did not work as well.  They did not warm my body up properly nor effectively prepare me for my workout.

And of course being me, I started thinking about how this example of using the "new and improved" happens in not only when it comes to staying healthy, but in life. 

Check out today's video blog post to see what I mean:

At work today I was approached by a gym member and asked about 2 specific issues: How to get rid of knee pain, and The most effective way to lose weight and keep it off.  Needless to say I loved the questions because it gave me an opportunity to help someone achieve their goals by sharing the experience I've had as to what works and what doesn't.  But what was really interesting about the whole conversation was the person's high level of knowledge.  This person already knew what they should be doing as well as how often they ought to be doing it.  But for some reason, even with all of that information, the person was still in pain and not getting the weight loss results they wanted.

By the end of the conversation I came to one of those light bulb moments.  Actually it was so powerful I kind of had to look up and make sure there wasn't actually a light bulb above my head.

Check out today's motivational video to see what I mean.  I think you'll agree with the conclusion.

It's a new month.  And we are on the cusp of another holiday season.  What's your commitment to, comfort or success? So many people say they want success, but seem to miss this one point that would literally change their efforts from frustration to success.

Check out today's video blog and start being a success.

Welcome back to another Mid-Week Motivation Post. 

I don't know if you're familiar with the term, but it seems that many people have been using this type of approach to fitness in order to achieve their results.  I must admit I have not heard any credible or lasting results from the process, but for some reason it hasn't stopped many from continuing on this path of frustration and angst.

If you're looking for a clear and to the point way to get out of pain, or make changes to your body, then I encourage you to check out today's video blog post.