10 Great Reasons To Work With A Personal Trainer
By: Taylor Empey, Nationally Certified Fitness Trainer and Nutrition Specialist
ISSA – CFT, SFN, SET, SSN, and Elite Trainer Level I
YOU ARE UNIQUE
We all have different goals, motives, body types, lifestyles and time constraints, so a “cookie cutter” exercise program just won’t work for everyone. A good personal trainer will create a personalized program tailored to your specific needs and requirements.
YOUR TIME IS VALUABLE
It’s important to make the most of the time you have. With the knowledge and expertise of a Personal Trainer, you’ll avoid common pitfalls, getting maximum results in minimal time.
YOU ARE HELD ACCOUNTABLE
Having an appointment represents a commitment and a responsibility. By employing a personal trainer, you’re less likely to skip a session simply because you are tired, unmotivated or too busy.
BLAST PAST PLATEAUS
It’s not uncommon for you to experience plateaus as your body adapts to your program. It’s during these times that a personal trainer will revise your exercise program and refocus you mentally to push you past your plateau.
TRAINING SHOULD BE FUN
One of the things that hits even the most health-conscious person is boredom! Your personal trainer has a repertoire of exercises and programs geared towards keeping you active and interested in your training.
PREVENT INJURY
A very common mistake that many individuals make is doing what they see others doing in the gym. Until you work with a trainer, you may not get the proper education in exercise technique, and run the risk seriously injuring yourself. A personal trainer will constantly monitor your technique and ensure your program is ideal for you, reducing the risk of injury.
GET PROFESSIONAL GUIDANCE AND EXPERTISE
Any good personal trainer will keep in touch with the latest advances in exercise science theory and practical research through on-going training. This means your personal trainer will keep you ahead of the game.
REGULAR ASSESSMENTS
Any personal trainer serious about helping you achieve your goals will do regular in-depth assessments to ensure you’re on track with your training. From fitness assessments, your trainer can progress your program to suit your rate of development.
UNPARALLELED MOTIVATION
It’s easier to exercise with someone around and a personal trainer is just the right person. A good personal trainer will know when to act as a tough general, but also know when to take appropriate rest periods. Your trainer is also a source of encouragement and inspiration or simply someone to talk to about your training concerns.
BUILDING A SOLID FOUNDATION
Any structure is only as strong as its foundation – your body is no different. A personal trainer will put together a well-balanced fitness program and give you the requisite knowledge and tools you need to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Studies have shown that people who work with a personal trainer are 80% more likely to get the results they want compared to working without a personal trainer!
“If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got!”
Getting In Shape Is Not A “Routine” – It’s A Lifestyle Change
By: Taylor Empey, Nationally Certified Fitness Trainer and Nutrition Specialist
ISSA – CFT, SFN, SET, SSN, and Elite Trainer Level I
Many individuals feel that if they can find a “routine” that works for them, they can continue to perform that routine over and over again until they get into the shape they want. “I’ll just cut calories, and do more cardio.” or “Monday, Wednesday, Friday is all I need.” or “Can you just write me an upper and lower body workout that I can cycle each week?” These are comments that we hear much too frequently. Unfortunately, there is no quick fix to fitness.
If you want to get in shape (and I mean it is truly a massive priority for you to get in shape), what you’ll need to do is anything but routine! The only thing that will be routine about your regimen is consistency.
It is consistency, perseverance, and determination that will provide you the endurance to push on towards your goals. It is not an easy road; ask anyone who’s done it and they will tell you about the muscle soreness, the fatigue, the self discipline, the meal plan, the day-in, day-out grind at the gym, the plateaus, the muscle confusion, drop sets, super sets, pyramids, high intensity intervals, etc. The list goes on and on, but if you truly want to reach your goals, you need to understand it requires a lifestyle change. You can’t keep the same old habits and then throw the gym in there 3 days a week and expect 10 dress sizes to be lost. It requires immense unwavering dedication and determination to make it to the end.
“Where you are in life is the sum total of every decision you have ever made up until this point”, which means that it is your habits, and your decision-making that got you there. This means in order to accomplish your goals, you can’t be the person you are currently; you have to become someone else entirely. You have to change your habits, your decision making, your thought patterns, your mindset, and your lifestyle in order to become the new you! It’s your old ways that got you to where you are now. Once you recognize this and rid them from your life, you’ll start to see progress.
Don’t just start the year of with another “New Year’s resolution” or another “routine”. Let today (not tomorrow) be the beginning of the rest of your life as the truly fit and healthy individual you deserve to be.
How To Accomplish Massive Goals
By: Taylor Empey, Nationally Certified Fitness Trainer and Nutrition Specialist
ISSA – CFT, SFN, SET, SSN, and Elite Trainer Level I
Determine What You Truly Want
In order to accomplish any goal, big or small, you must clearly define what it is and what it is not. What is the goal, what does it look like, how does it make you feel?; and so forth. You must also determine a specific and definite time frame to accomplish the goal. Make a deadline, or you run a severe risk of procrastination and never accomplishing your goal. You should, however, give yourself an appropriately reasonable amount of time to accomplish the goal while still making sure that the time frame is short enough to inspire a sense of urgency within you.
The last thing to remember here is that you need to clearly identify what is holding you back from reaching your goal. Let’s be honest, you’ve failed up to this point because something held you back. You need to identify what that was, eliminate its effect on you, and begin moving forward.
Begin With The End In Mind
You need to clearly define your end game. This is not the goal itself, but the results, affects, outcome, and ripple effect that has taken place in your life after your goal has been met. Who are you now as a person? What did this goal deliver into your life? What have you become? What is your level of happiness now? Was the goal ultimately worth it?
After you come to a positive conclusion and you picture the end in great detail, it’s time to work backwards and set specific milestones to accomplish on smaller time frames so you see incremental progress, have a sense of reward, and use the Law of Averages to ensure that you reach your goal.
The Law of Averages states: Future events are likely to balance any past deviation from a presumed average. What this means is that if you average out your annual goal, for example, into monthly, weekly, and daily milestones, and you actually hit those milestones, you will establish an average performance very close to reflecting your projected outcome. This is key in accomplishing goals; without it, the effectiveness of goal-setting decreases severely.
Establish Your Priorities To Overcome Interference
This is often referred to as your “Why Power.” This should be a written statement, mission statement, or mantra that you recite to yourself daily. It is the reason you’ve chosen to undergo your endeavors, why you’re pursuing your goals, why you’re taking the high road. It’s what keeps you going even when it seems futile and foolish to continue.
Your Why Power must be so powerful that it can withstand the onslaught of any interference that will most definitely come during your journey. You need to ask yourself, “What am I willing to sacrifice now for what I will attain later?” Interference can come in the form of temptation, presumed reward, short term satisfaction, guilt, shame, opinion, other people, criticism, skepticism, doubt, disbelief, etc. The list goes on and on.
Make sure you understand it is a simple concept of Pain vs. Pleasure. You are undergoing temporary pain for long term pleasure, or the short term pleasures of interference don’t outweighs the consequences and ultimate long term pain that they cause down the road. Remember that anything actually worth having requires effort. Anything that comes easy never lasts and is often forgotten.
Maintain Positive Thinking Power
Maintaining a positive mindset is one of the most essential and effective principles and tools we can use in personal development and goal achievement. It causes you to look at all the good any situation has caused you which immediately brings positive significance and reenergizes you to keep moving forward despite any interference or negativity that comes your way.
Remember that, if you have got haters, then you’re doing something right. If this form of interference comes, be glad and rejoice because what it means is that you are showing others that you are strong enough to pursue your dreams and strive for a better life when they are too cowardly to do so themselves. You’re making that very clear to them. That is why people try to tear you down. Most people don’t actually get excited about harming other people; those individuals are known as sociopaths. Most people are just ashamed because you showed them that they are capable of accomplishing the same feats, but don’t possess the self-discipline to do so. However, let this happen because you may just inspire someone!
Just remember that most people give up before they even start! Do NOT end up like one of these people who lack so much confidence they don’t even TRY! This leads perfectly into the last step of effective goal setting.
Immediately Take Action
Don’t hesitate for one second! Not tomorrow, not after lunch or work! NOW! The second you’re done reading this paragraph, go out and take 1-3 steps towards making that goal happen right now. Don’t procrastinate, begin the process, and build momentum. If you can manage to take action immediately, you’ve done what 75% of people fail to do time and time again. Go out there and start living the life you’ve always wanted right now!
Five Fitness Tips For Better Eating Habits
By: Taylor Empey, Nationally Certified Fitness Trainer and Nutrition Specialist
ISSA – CFT, SFN, SET, SSN, and Elite Trainer Level I
Drink More Water
Drink 0.8 fl oz of water per day for every pound that you weigh. (Ex: 165 lbs x 0.8 = 132 fl oz. = approx. 1 gal.). Did you know that 80% of daily minor ailments, headaches, and fatigue are a result of dehydration? When you realize you’re feeling thirsty, you’re already 1% dehydrated!
Daily Intake of Calories Compared To Grams
Fitness research indicates that women should consume 1-1.5 g of protein per pound, per day, that they weigh, 1 g per pound in complex carbohydrates, and 0.5 g per pound in healthy essential fats. Men should consume approximately 1.5-2 g per pound, per day, that they weigh in lean protein, 1 g per pound in complex carbs, and 0.5 g per pound in healthy essential fats as well.
To know how many calories are in each gram depending on whether it is a protein, carb, or fat, see below. However, remember that you should focus on the quality and ratio of macronutrients that you put in your body more than the total caloric intake. 2,000 cal of the right ratios of protein, carbs, and fats is better than 1200 calories of deficient protein, simple carbs, and saturated or trans fats.
Women: 1-1.5 g Protein (x4 = cal) 1 g carbs (x4 = cal) 0.5 g fats (x9 = cal)
Men: 1.5-2 g protein (x4 = cal) 1 g carbs (x4 = cal) 0.5 g fats (x9 = cal)
Use The Hand Rule
If you aren’t able to measure out perfect serving amounts, then use the hand rule! Your whole hand size is your protein source, the palm of your hand is your carb source, and 2 thumbs is the size of your fat source per meal. Simple!
Varying Your Daily Consumption
This concept is very simple. When you work out, your body will burn and require more fuel in order to maintain a healthy fat-burning metabolism. If you underfeed it on a workout day, you’ll actually be doing more harm than good. Have a higher total caloric consumption on workout days.
On a non-workout day, lower your consumption by a few hundred calories so that you don’t run the risk of excess fat storage. You aren’t going to burn as much as on your workout day, so don’t justify eating the same amount or you could be storing the excess that you don’t burn!
Don’t Work Out On An Empty Stomach:
So many people think it’s better to come into the gym after fasting because it will tap into their fat stores instead of burning the food; this is partially true, under certain circumstances. However, statistics show that you’re actually more likely to tap into your fat stores if you’ve stimulated your metabolism by feeding yourself about 90 minutes prior to your workout. Just don’t overdo it. All you need is a small snack size meal with only a couple hundred calories to stimulate your metabolism and give you some energy prior to your workout. Wait until it’s digested and then go work out. Your metabolism will be kick-tarted, you’ll have fuel for your workout, and you’ll still be able to tap into your fat for energy as well!
Here Is An Easy Way To Calculate Your Individual Calorie Needs Quickly
By: Taylor Empey, Nationally Certified Fitness Trainer and Nutrition Specialist
ISSA – CFT, SFN, SET, SSN, and Elite Trainer Level I
Many factors determine exactly how many calories you should consume. You need to consider the fact that you are different from everyone else. Factors such as height, weight, age, gender, body type, metabolism, activity level, job, current fitness level, injuries, medical conditions, and your goals all play a huge role in how many calories you should consume.
Let me help you shed some light on where to start with your caloric intake. Don’t worry, I’m not going to give you an elaborate series of equations to work with even though sometimes I have to say I enjoy doing that myself to figure out just exactly what someone’s metabolic rate is.
So here’s a simple formula for calculating your individual nutritional needs.
Sedentary (Minimal Exercise)
Fat Loss: Weight (lbs) x 10-12
Maintenance: Weight (lbs) x 12-14
Muscle Gains: Weight (lbs) x 16-18
Moderately Active (Exercise 3-4 x/Week)
Fat Loss: Weight (lbs) x 12-14
Maintenance: Weight (lbs) x 14-16
Muscle Gains: Weight (lbs) x 18-20
Very Active (Exercise 5-7 x/Week)
Fat Loss: Weight (lbs) x 14-16
Maintenance: Weight (lbs) x 16-18
Muscle Gains: Weight (lbs) x 20-22
If you find that you still struggle with understanding what you need to do, please don’t hesitate to ask for help!
Whether you have questions about your workouts, nutrition, or just simply understanding where to start or how to get out of a plateau, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I’ll be happy to schedule a free one hour session to sit down and meet with you, discuss your goals and what you need to do, as well as give you a free workout.
7 Fat-Loss Myths De-Bunked
By: Taylor Empey, Nationally Certified Fitness Trainer and Nutrition Specialist
ISSA – CFT, SFN, SET, SSN, and Elite Trainer Level I
Everywhere you turn there’s another headline about how to lose weight and shave off fat. Many of these eye-catching headlines are myths, plain and simple. And if you’re not careful, they can suck you in and spit you out, without helping you lose any weight at all.
What myths are out there waiting to trick you? Here are seven that you’re most likely to come up against.
Fat Loss Myth #1: You Need to Work Out Every Day
A little bit of working out will help you lose a little bit of weight, so a lot will help a lot…right? Possibly. If your “little bit” of working out involves taking a walk from your living room to your mailbox, ramping up to a jog around the neighborhood, then everyday is a good thing. However, if you’re pushing it hard at the gym five days a week, adding another two days isn’t a great idea. Not only do you increase your chance for overuse injury, but you don’t give your body time to recover. If your body can’t recover, you can’t get your peak performance every day, making it harder to burn fat.
Fat Loss Myth #2: No Coffee!
For many people, having to drop coffee is unbearable. Fortunately, if you’re a coffee lover and you’re trying to lose weight, you don’t have to give up your hot caffeinated goodness altogether. What you WILL need to do is cut the sugar and creamer. Once you get used to the taste of black coffee, you may find that drinking a cup half an hour before your workout will actually propel you to your best sessions ever.
Fat Loss Myth #3: Slow Is Better
Slow-moving folks rejoiced at the idea that a slower pace could mean more fat burned. And while moving slower—walking instead of running—may seem more appealing, there is a problem. Because moving at a faster pace and pushing yourself harder will always burn more calories in less time. Of course, if you plan to walk at a moderate pace for three hours, you will burn more than if you sprint 100 yards and call it quits. But if you can sprint 100 yards, walk 20 yards, and then sprint again, repeating the process for an hour, you’ll easily shed more calories, fat, and pounds, than just going for a walk.
Fat Loss Myth #4: Cardio Is All You Need
Want to lose weight? Good. You’ll need to get some cardiovascular exercise. But don’t buy into the idea that cardio is all you need to lose weight. If you don’t lift weights or do some sort of strength training, your aerobic workouts will eventually work to burn off your muscle as well as fat. In the end, this means less strength and a lower metabolism—both which could lead to an inability to maintain a workout routine.
Fat Loss Myth #5: Your Workout Should Be Killer
Ever feel your workout didn’t work you hard enough? If you’re improving and increasing, don’t sweat it. That’s just a sign that your body is growing stronger and better able to handle whatever you throw at it. While many think a workout isn’t good unless it leaves you unable to stand up straight or lift a book, don’t believe the hype. Pushing your body so hard that you can’t function after a workout may give you mental assurance that you’re working hard, but it’s putting you at extreme risk for extreme injury.
Fat Loss Myth #6: Heat Burns More
Slide this one under the heading “Stranger Than Fiction,” but according to research, those hot yoga classes may not be paying off like you expect. Strangely, they found that people who slept in a colder environment increased their weight loss ability substantially more than those who slept in a warmer temperature. Granted, the study involved sleeping and not exercising, but the chill should transfer to your workouts. Get the temp turned down a notch for a month or two and see if there are any changes!
Fat Loss Myth #7: There Are Negative-Calorie Foods
Whether you’ve bought into the myth or not, you’ve likely heard that certain foods—celery is a favorite—burn more calories via digestion than they contain. So if you eat nothing but celery, you’ll burn more calories than you consume, which catapults your weight-loss ability into the heavens. Unfortunately, this isn’t true. Celery is low in calories, but you couldn’t survive on it if there was no other food available.
No Time to Work Out?
By: Taylor Empey, Nationally Certified Fitness Trainer and Nutrition Specialist
ISSA – CFT, SFN, SET, SSN, and Elite Trainer Level I
The number one reason you don’t exercise is that you don’t have time. At least that’s what you tell yourself. I know we’re all busy. Between getting to and from work, balancing responsibilities and having time for yourself, there’s little left over for workouts. With summer in full swing, your busy schedule is sure to get even busier. There’ll be vacations, cookouts, and family gatherings. It’s no wonder that exercise quickly takes a backseat to summer activities. You don’t have to succumb to weight gain this summer. Escape the time crunch excuse in three easy steps:
Step One: Schedule Your Workouts:
You’ve heard this before, and it makes so much sense. If you treat your exercise time with the importance of a work meeting, then you’d never skip a workout and you’d be in amazing shape. While the scheduling concept is brilliant in its simplicity, you have to put it into practice to reap the benefits. Pull out your calendar and a pen. Don’t laugh, I’m serious! Just do it. If you want to get into shape it starts with committing to a revised schedule with a set exercise time. Identify three 40-minute time slots and mark them on your calendar. That is when you’ll exercise. Remember this: if the thought that you should exercise this week is floating around in your head, but you haven’t anchored it down to a specific time and date, it will quickly disappear.
Step Two: Get the Most from Each Minute:
The days of endless, mind-numbing cardio are over. A great workout can take place in under an hour, when done correctly. The idea is to burn more calories each minute. This is done through short, intense bursts of exercise. Use the following three tips to bring your routine up to the next level:
1. Be Unstable:
Use your entire body, and target your core, by performing exercises that engage stabilizing muscles. To do this, use an exercise ball, a balance board, a balance disk, or you could simply stand on one leg.
2. Add Resistance:
The more resistance you incorporate with your routine translates into higher intensity and more calories burned. Some ideas for adding resistance include: carrying dumbbells while doing lunges, wearing a weighted vest while walking or jogging, or putting a weight between your feet while doing leg raises.
3. Use Intervals:
Interval training is an amazing tool for creating short yet effective workouts. Don’t worry, it’s not complicated. Interval training is simply alternating between different short bursts of activity.
Here’s An Example:
Let’s say you want to focus on your legs and abs and to also get an effective cardiovascular workout. This would be a great interval routine for your goals:
Lunge while curling dumbbells, 15-20 repetitions
30 seconds of intense cardio: sprint, jump rope, or jumping jacks
Squat while pressing dumbbells overhead, 15-20 repetitions
30 seconds of intense cardio: sprint, jump rope, or jumping jacks
Crunches on an exercise ball, 15-20 repetitions
30 seconds of intense cardio: sprint, jump rope, or jumping jacks
Leg raises off the end of an exercise bench, 15-20 repetitions
Step Three: Twice the Results in Half the Time:
What if I told you that I have a proven way to deliver twice the fitness results in half the time? It’s simple really… When you attempt to lose weight or meet a fitness goal on your own, the odds are stacked against you. Sure, you could do it over time – but it’s a long and lonely road…a road lined with detours that threaten to undermine your progress. When you start a program with me, you suddenly have the upper hand on weight loss. You have me in your corner, coaching you each step of the way, keeping you accountable to workouts and giving you that dose of encouragement when the going gets tough. And I’ll be the one congratulating you when your goal is met.
The Five Easiest Nutrition Habits For Fat Loss
By: Taylor Empey, Nationally Certified Fitness Trainer and Nutrition Specialist
ISSA – CFT, SFN, SET, SSN, and Elite Trainer Level I
In this week’s fitness post, I’m giving you some seriously effective nutrition advice in a simple format so here are some quick questions to ask yourself each day to help you keep your eating habits on the right track. If your answers don’t correspond with those provided below then simply adjust your nutrition habits accordingly to reflect them.
When Did You Last Eat?
If it’s been longer than 3-4 hours, then it’s time to eat again. Meal frequency keeps your blood sugar more stable throughout the day, thus preventing spikes, lows, and cravings, and helping to keep you on track with your meal plan.
Where Is The Complete Protein?
Are you about to eat at least 1 serving of complete protein? If not, you need to eat some. Healthy lean protein sources help elevate your metabolic rate so you can burn more calories, they develop and maintain lean muscle, and they also help curb appetite.
– 1 serving of protein for women is about 20-30g.
– 1 serving of protein for men is about 40-50g.
Where Are The Veggies?
Are you about to eat at least 2 servings of veggies? Prepare them any way you like (except boiling), but eat them with every meal or snack. If you’re going to live a health-and-fitness-oriented lifestyle, you need to make sure you are getting adequate micronutrients from veggies.
– 1 serving is about 1 cup and your target is 5-10 cups of veggies per day.
Where Are The Healthy Carbs?
If you haven’t worked out yet, you should not eat dense carbs like pasta, bread, rice, or other starchy carbs. Focus on eating 1-2 servings of fruits and veggies instead. If you’ve just worked out, then you may eat a variety of healthy carb choices including some dense carbs.
Where Are The Healthy Fats?
Make sure you are getting an adequate amount of healthy fats from animal sources, oils, nuts, and seeds. Spread them throughout the day, but make sure to add them into your diet. Remember you need to eat healthy fats in order to burn fat.
The Top 8 Reasons People Fail To Reach Their New Year’s Weight Loss Goals
By: Taylor Empey, Nationally Certified Fitness Trainer and Nutrition Specialist
ISSA – CFT, SFN, SET, SSN, and Elite Trainer Level I
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With the holidays and New Year’s right around the corner, countless individuals are undoubtedly starting to look towards their waistlines and those ruthless numbers that seem to creep higher and higher on the scale. The holidays always bring about great fun, family time, unforgettable memories, and…about 10-20 pounds.
If you’re reading this article, chances are you’ve set New Year’s Resolutions in the past, shown initial dedication, but then found yourself frustrated, burned out, tired, or uncommitted to them shortly thereafter, causing you to give up or slack off on those goals until next year. Trust me, I know how it goes. I have worked with hundreds of people, predominantly on weight loss goals, year round for nearly a decade. I know how you feel, and I know how frustrating and disappointing it can be, but it doesn’t have to be that way this year.
I felt compelled to write this article this year because I have found myself curious as to why so many individuals struggle with weight loss in general, but especially around this time of year.
Below are The Top 8 Reasons Why People Fail To Reach Their New Year’s Weight Loss Goals. It could be one or any combination of these reasons why you haven’t reached your goals in the past. I believe by bringing these limiting factors to the surface you can make a more informed decision this coming holiday about how you will go about your new fitness goals.
1) You Have Too Many Goals, They’re Unreasonable, or They’re Too Vague
Many people who set New Year’s resolutions want to conquer the world immediately. They often set too many goals and end up stretching themselves thin, committing only a small amount of time to a laundry list of goals. This is the quickest way to get nothing accomplished. Recent research has shown humans cannot effectively multitask. We can shift our focus from one task to another quickly, but that is just it; our focus can only be placed on one thing at a time, thus meaning we will neglect the other things we were focusing on in order to place our attention on what is in front of us at the moment. Don’t get caught up making a laundry list of goals this year. Don’t make a list of goals, period. Focus on one goal, commit to it religiously, accomplish it, maintain it, and then move on to another. That’s it.
Many people also set unreasonable goals. They want to look like a professional fitness model or trainer in 3 months or less. You have to realize that, though you do need to dream big, you need to do it in the confines of what is reasonable for you, your lifestyle, your health, your work, etc. You’ll need to make sacrifices in these areas to reach your goals, but you need to make sure you are trying to be the best YOU and not the best somebody-else.
Many people also struggle with reaching their goals because, though they have an idea of what they want to do, they are far too vague in what their goal actually is. Most people when asked will say,
“I want to lose weight.”
“I want to get back into shape.”
Or, my personal favorite, “I want to look good naked.”
These are great ways to start describing your goal, but they are much too vague to make specific progress towards. Here’s an example of a specific goal:
The Who: (You)
“I. Me. Myself.”
The What: (The Goal)
“I am going to burn 24 lbs of body fat and keep the weight off.”
The When: (The Timeframe)
“I will start working on this goal immediately, right now, today, this moment. I will not stop or waiver until my goal is reached. I will aim to reach this goal in a reasonable 12-24 weeks.”
The Where: (The Location)
“I will commit to my plan to reach my goal everywhere I go. If I’m home, if I’m at the gym, if I’m at work, out with friends or family, if I’m on vacation, if it’s the weekend. I commit to my goal wherever I am. No exceptions.”
The How: (The Method/Your Plan)
“I will do this by committing to scheduling my workouts into my daily routine, planning my meals ahead of time, making sure my health comes first, attending the gym at least 3-4 x per week for 30-60 minutes, working on all essential components of fitness including nutrition, cardio, weight training, flexibility, and recovery. I will do this in a manner that is reasonable for me and my body to ensure that I don’t get burned out.”
The Why: (The Why Power/Your Reason)
“I’m going to reach this goal because I’m sick and tired of looking at myself in the mirror and feeling unhappy with myself. I am doing this to better my mindset, my quality of life, my self-confidence, my health, and to be an example to my friends, family, and children that being healthy is one of the most important things in life and to me.”
2) You Don’t Want It Bad Enough
To be honest, I’ve trained many clients who initially stated they wanted it, they needed it, they were a 10 out of 10, they were willing to do “whatever it takes” to get to their goals, but in the end they weren’t.
In order to want it bad enough to actually reach your goal, you have to establish what I just mentioned in the last section above. Why Power. You have to learn to understand and develop your Why Power. As cheesy as this sounds, it’s true. You can refer to this as your “motivating factor” behind why you are striving toward this goal. If you don’t have a reason you’re doing all this hard work towards your goals, you will never reach them. Any I don’t just mean any old reason like, “I want to feel better.” I am talking about getting down to the core of it. The best way to do this is keep asking yourself “why” until you can no longer come up with a more specific answer.
“Why do I want to get into shape?”
“I want to feel better.”
“Why?”
“I want to have more confidence.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t have any.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t / my spouse doesn’t/ think I’m sexy anymore.”
Boom! That’s the real reason. Dig deeper and deeper into yourself, keep asking yourself “why?” and you’ll eventually find the true answer behind why you want to get into the best shape possible. Only once you find your true Why Power will you be able to want it more than any temptation that can come along and screw you up. You have to find your Why Power in order to be able to overcome temptations of food, going out for drinks, not sleeping enough, working too hard or too long, not wanting to go to the gym, feeling sore, etc.
Find your Why Power and you will find results.
3) You Aren’t Committed To A Permanent Lifestyle Change
Many individuals “want” to be fit, but aren’t willing to change anything about themselves, their habits, or their lifestyle in order to do so. It’s like they just want to order a magic pill off of an infomercial and immediately drop 15 lbs, or sprinkle some magic powder on their meals and think that they will be able to lose weight and keep it off.
This is not how it works. Fad diets, crash diets, magic pills, excessive supplementation, or miracle programs for the masses will not work. You may seem some initial results, but it is not going to transform you or make a permanent change in your life until YOU change.
“Once you change, everything will change for you.” That’s from the late Jim Rohn.
If you want to have the best body possible, you have to look at every decision you’ve made up to this point. That’s how you got where you are. It wasn’t that you were suddenly overweight. You made every decision that got you to this point, which means that your current lifestyle has to change or you will never change.
You have to change your sleeping habits, your eating habits, what you eat, when you eat, how much you eat. You have to say “no” to a lot of things. You have to make going to the gym the majority of the week part of your daily routine, you have to schedule it in, you can’t miss it, and you have to miss other things in order to do it. You have to commit to cleansing your house of the temptations, all the bad foods, all the processed foods, all the snacks, crackers, unhealthy cereals, sugary foods, candy, treats, etc. If you really want to be an example to yourself and your children, you’ll also have to get rid of all of those foods that you’ve been feeding your kids.
You’ll have to change the way you think and look at exercise, activities, fitness, and lifestyle. You have to be willing to say, “This change is not temporary. How I start living today is how I am going to live the rest of my life.” If you can’t do that, you won’t see results.
4) You Have The Wrong Approach, Mindset, or Mentality About Your Goals
Many people set goals and fail even before they start. They shoot themselves in the foot because they have the wrong approach mindset, or mentality.
Many people don’t believe they can even reach their goals so they don’t even try. Many people approach weight loss as “I don’t want to be fat anymore,” instead of saying, “I’m so excited to start living a healthy lifestyle!” Many others think it is a temporary commitment. Once they can buckle down, commit, and then reach their goal, they think, “Yay! I can do whatever I want now that I am fit!” Then they slowly but surely regress back to living the way they used to live.
To reach your goals and stay there permanently, you have to reset your fitness and mindset “thermostat.” You need to demonstrate that you now think positively about yourself, you believe in yourself, and you must commit to doing whatever it takes to get to and maintain your goals – no matter what.
5) You Aren’t Thinking Long Term
Much of the time, people don’t reach their goals because they aren’t thinking long term. They think that reaching fitness goals is a sprint instead of realizing it’s about consistency and endurance.
Too many people think they can transform in 12 weeks like all of the TV programs and media state you can. While some exceptional individuals may be able to do that, you may not be under the same circumstances they are.
In my experience, in order for an average individual to go from where they are, to where they want to be and beyond, in order for them to get to their goals and learn enough and implement enough to maintain it on their own, it usually takes at least 12 months. Again, you didn’t get the way you are overnight. It took years and years compounded on top of themselves in order to get you to where you are. You aren’t going to reverse your lifestyle in just a few days, weeks, or months.
Plan on at least one year of unwavering effort, commitment, and consistency. Only then will you truly be able to transform yourself. Think long term, not short term.
6) You Haven’t Set Up A System of Accountability
Many people start their fitness journey alone, without any accountability system. One of the easiest systems of accountability that works for you without effort is your social network. Utilize your friends, family, spouse, co-workers, neighbors, therapist, coach, trainer, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or other social media to tell everyone you know about what you are doing.
Tell them you’ve “had it”, that you’re ready to become the best you ever. Tell them the specifics of your goals as described earlier. Tell them how you plan to do it. Then the best part – ask them to hold you accountable. Ask them to regularly check in with you and ask how your fitness goals are coming. Ask them to push you. Ask them to call you out when you’re wandering away from your new healthy lifestyle. Trust me, people love this. True friends love to see others succeed, it inspires them to do so themselves.
If you have people in your life who are negative, that’s okay too. We call these people HATERS (Having Anger Towards Everyone Reaching Success). These people will make sure to tell you when you aren’t following your plan. They’ll call you out, they’ll taunt you, and they’ll be cynical when they see you going off of your plan. They’ll try to tear you down. They will tell you you can’t do it. They will try to tempt you to go off of your plan.
When you see this happening, don’t get down on yourself. Use this as a gauge; a system of accountability and inspiration to slingshot you back into focus. Say, “thanks for sharing!” And then jump back on the horse and keep riding.
Another system of accountability you can use is to find a motivational goal picture of a person the same height and general build as you, but who is in the ideal health you feel you can reach. Search Google Images; trust me, you’ll find one for yourself that will work.
Once you found the right picture, put it everywhere. Put it on your mirror so it is the first thing you see when you get up. Put it on the fridge and the pantry door so you’re reminded of your goals every time you go to eat. Put it on your desk at work and in your wallet or purse so, when you go to pay for some unhealthy food at lunch, you think twice before buying it.
Another great thing to do to complement putting your goal picture everywhere is to accompany the picture with your detailed and specific goal as described earlier. That way, you’re reviewing your goal every day. Recite it to yourself out loud. Trust me, it will resonate and stay in the forefront of your conscious mind, thus making it easier to stay committed and motivated.
7) You Aren’t Tracking Your Progress or Reviewing Your Goals Regularly
Another great example of accountability is tracking and reviewing your goals regularly. The best way to do this is to have a fitness journal; this is a notebook you track everything in. This can be one of your greatest tools to accomplishing your goals.
You know when you are in the gym and you see the weirdo with the clipboard or the notepad who goes to the gym day in and day out, who does his or her reps and sets, and after every set they right down exactly what weight they used, how many reps they did, how fast or slow they did them, and then they reach up and check their pulse on their neck or their heart rate monitor while watching the clock? Yeah, those people. I want you to be one of those people. Why? Because they’re the ones who are going to see results, and if you don’t implement most of what they’re doing, you won’t be the one seeing results.
Use your fitness journal to write down every workout, every rep, every set, every exercise, every day, every week, and month that you work out. Use it to track all of your meals, when you ate them, every serving size, every bite, every calorie, and every fluid ounce you drink. Use it to track how many hours you slept the night before. If you just carry a pocket size journal around and each time one of these activities comes up, I guarantee you’ll see far better results than if you don’t use a fitness journal.
Though it sounds like a lot, it really only takes a few seconds to jot down each of these things at the time you do it. By doing this it brings awareness to your health and fitness and any potential habits that could slow you down. If you take a second to write something down, you will have that second to decide to make the healthier choice. It forces you out of autopilot and into a more aware and healthy lifestyle.
Another thing to add to your fitness journal is to track all of your weigh-ins, measurements, body fat percentage, and body mass index (BMI). Before you even start your program, go on Amazon.com and order a digital scale, a hand held body fat tester, and a tape measure. You can get all three of these items together for less than $100, maybe even cheaper. Use these items once every two weeks to track your progress. Write it all down in your journal. This way, even though you may not feel like you are visually changing, you can see if your body fat is going down, if your lean muscle mass is going up, if your weight is going down, and if you’re closer to your ideal height to weight ratio (BMI). Again, track all of this in your fitness journal. You will be far more likely to reach your goals.
Be the fitness nerd. Be the meat head. Be the gym rat. Trust me, it is far more rewarding in the end.
8) You Simply Don’t Know What Exactly To Do or Where To Start
The last, and probably one of the most frustrating limiting factors people run into when trying to reach their New Year’s fitness goals, is that they have the motivation, they have specific goals, they are committed to a lifestyle change, they want it bad enough, they have the tracking and accountability systems, they are thinking long term, and they are ready to take all the other steps necessary, but they simply don’t know what to do or where to start. Maybe they’ve never worked out before, maybe they don’t know where to look online for reputable sources of fitness information.
This is when you reach out for help. This is when you need to work with a professional and experienced trainer. You wouldn’t go into court without a lawyer, right? You wouldn’t go skydiving without an instructor, right? You wouldn’t buy a house without a realtor, right?
The same principle applies with fitness. You shouldn’t try to workout and diet on your own without a good trainer if you have no idea where to start or what to do. The best option for you is to seek out the best trainer for you. Shop around and find the best option for you and your goals. Sometimes the best thing you can do for your health and fitness goals and education is to find the right trainer for you and stick with them until you feel comfortable to continue producing results on your own.
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