ELIMINATING EXCUSES | fitness

Another week is here. Some of you might be dreading another day of classes that bore you; or you might be dreading another day of a job that is not fulfilling. Let’s focus on the positive and be confident regardless of the current situation. Believe that you will be attentive in class, and believe that you are in route to getting the grade you want. Know that you have the skills to excel at your current job and know that a better job is on the horizon.

After a long day of work or school, dig deep and find the energy to workout. It doesn’t matter how many days it’s been since your last work out; and it doesn’t matter how many pounds you are from your desired weight. You have it in you!! A little confidence will go a long ways. We have to take life one day at a time while being confident each day that we will succeed. Look at what confidence did for the NY Giants in Superbowl 42.

DO SOMETHIN’!

In virtually all of my posts, I’ve spent time talking about how to improve oneself via fitness and nutrition. I hope that you have found this information useful and motivating (if you have not, that’s ok because the posts are useful and motivating to me )

Today, I want to share some words on self-appreciation. I share health and fitness information to help us improve on where we are currently. But I am not stating or implying that our current overall physical state is bad. In most if not all aspects of life, we will be continually evolving. Our current state is just that: our current state. Let’s be thankful for where we are because it could be different; it could be worse. I encourage you to acknowledge that your current state has its merits. In you current state, you are physically and mentally capable of doing what it takes to make improvements. Right now you have the power to DO SOMETHIN’! That’s a blessing.

Make the most of today and be good to yourself.

If you are like me, this time of year leads to a great deal of reflection on the entire year. I hope your 2007 was full of growth and development spiritually, personally and professionally. In the areas that may have been challenging, I expect you have thoughts and plans on how to improve. If you are thinking of waiting to January 1, 2008 to act on your plans and ideas, I encourage you to act on your plans today! Tomorrow is not promised to anyone, neither is all of today. Make the most of today. You have the power, so DO SOMETHIN’!

Happy holidays and best wishes for 2008!

Please meditate with me on the following questions:

-What would you do during your workouts if you had no fear of the discomfort of an intense workout and no fear of not exceeding your fitness goals?
-Let’s take it a step further. What you be doing in life if you had no fear of failure?

Those are some deep questions. In order to DO SOMETHIN’!, we have to conquer those fears!

Are you up to the challenge?

For all the folks in the US celebrating thanksgiving, I hope that you enjoyed the holidays. I had a great time with my family and friends, and I ate like a king.

After thanksgiving, some of you may be feeling bad about the food you ate and the amount too. Do not be too hard on yourself. A few days of rich food and/or large amounts of food will not ruin your chances of achieving your goal. Remember that you are disciplined and that you are focused. Get back to your fitness routine and to your normal, healthy eating habits. DO SOMETHIN’ is a lifestyle, not just a fleeting fad; so all the hard work that you have been doing has primed your body to be a high performance machine that can handle occasional deviations in the quantity or “grade” of fuel. Also, make sure that you have set some small goals or milestones for yourself in route to your ultimate goal. Focus on knocking down one milestone at a time and then focus on conquering the next one. With this approach, you are destined for success.

DO SOMETHIN’!

Recently, someone that I thought was a friend lied to me and broke my trust for the sole purpose of his personal benefit. I admit that it was disappointing and also angered me. However, in this situation (as in every situation), I had the power to choose how to react to such foul behavior. Rather than return the negative energy in a vengeful way, I took that energy into the gym and handled some business. Did going to the gym remove all of the anger and disappoint? No, not all of it. Though, the gym did allow me to have some form of an immediate release and to focus that energy in a positive way rather than a destructive manner. After the workout, I could reflect on the situation from a calmer perspective.

When you face similar situations that lead to anger, disappoint and/or hurt feelings, I suggest that you find a positive outlet to help you move forward. Rather than allowing these unfortunate situations to hinder or destroy your progess towards your fitness goals, flip the script and use that energy to propel yourself to that next level of fitness. Two wrongs don’t make a right and negative energy often finds its way back to the originator.

DO SOMETHIN’!

Struggling to find the discipline to hit your workouts consistently? Looking for a way to push yourself to that next level?

Finding a workout partner could help in both areas. You and your partner can help support each other in your respective efforts and you both can remind the other to be accoutable for being disciplined. Who would make the ideal partner? I’ll leave that for you to decide based on your personality and your goals. However, I believe that anyone can make a decent workout partner as long as you both vow to encourage each other and to give your best efforts to DO SOMETHIN’! It doesn’t matter if your partner is stronger or has more endurance. While you two may be able to compete with each other in a healthy and supportive manner, remember that your ultimate goal is to be the best you that you can be. So focus on giving your all and on supporting your partner; and she/he should do the same. When you are working towards those last reps, your partner’s words of encouragement and her/his ability to provide a spot if needed could help you to knock out thost last reps and even some extra ones. In addition, you and your partner can help critique each other’s form and technique on exercises to minimize the risk of an injury and to maximize your muscles’ efforts.

DO SOMETHIN’!

Last Monday in my important message I briefly touched upon the connection between health and fitness and conquering challenges throughout life by stating the following: “My passion for health and fitness stems from my belief that good health and fitness better equips one for conquering challenges throughout the journey of fulfilling one’s purpose in life.” I’d like to elaborate on this point.

As you reach and surpass your health and fitness goals, there’s a sense of accomplishment that is empowering. You learn that your body is stronger, more capable and has more stamina than you may have thought. You realize that if your mind can envision a goal and if you believe that you can accomplish it, your body will deliver. The discomfort of lactic acid, soar muscles and other signs of physical exertion no longer distract your focus as you pursue your goal. On the contrary, you look forward to these feelings because they are signs of your hard work and give you the opportunity to DO SOMETHIN’!

These feelings of confidence and empowerment will permeate other aspects of your life. The path to success in reaching and then exceeding your health and fitness goals will serve as a template for achieving success in other areas of your life. You’ll begin to ask yourself, “If I can DO SOMETHIN’ during my workouts, why cannot I DO SOMETHIN’ at work?” You’ll say, “I had mental barriers in the way of my fitness goals; but I persevered and prevailed, and I continue ascending to higher levels. Why can’t I overcome my mental barriers that prevent me from closing the deal? from pursuing my true passion in life? from starting my own business? from going back to school? from giving that dynamic speech?” With your new found confidence and boldness, you will eliminate excuses.

I wish you the best in your journey. Do not settle for less than your best and do not doubt yourself. Be audacious and confident in the pursuit of fulfilling your purpose. Ignore the haters. Always DO SOMETHIN’!

Ready for another weekend?! Make it a great one and be good to yourself.

Don’t settle for less than your best. Why be a 7 or an 8, when you can be a 10?!

DO SOMETHIN’!

Ok Fellas, I addressed the ladies in my post yesterday; now I have a message for you.

Many of us have this idea that our manhood is somehow tied to the size of our muscles. I know I went through a phase where I wanted to “beef up” after being a skinny track guy for so many years. As I was hitting the weights and eating copious amounts of food, I started asking myself, “Why am I doing this?” I realized that I thought that being bigger somehow made me more of a man and that it would improve my fighting ability. I was wrong on both accounts. What makes a man a man? That’s a complex question that I won’t get into here. But if you really want to know, talk to your parents, grandparents or an older person that you love and respect; I bet you’ll get a good answer there. When it comes to fighting, being big and bulky is not ideal. For example, who would have won this fight: Muhummad Ali at his prime vs. Arnold Schwarzenegger at his prime? I cast my vote for Ali. Weightlifting can enhance your ability but it doesn’t teach you technique or strategy. If you want to learn to fight, study boxing, karate and juijitsu.

So fellas, keep training hard. But don’t hold the misconception that muscle mass is indicative of manhood or fighting ability. You are much more than the circumference of your biceps.

DO SOMETHIN’!