Be Yourself

Something that's important for me to keep in mind as a Personal Trainer is that my goals are not my clients' goals. Yes, some people want to do Mud Runs; some people want their body fat % in the teens; a few people even enjoy Burpee, Push Up & Pull Up challenges and pushing themselves to their max.

But, most people just want to look & feel good without changing their daily habits or pushing themselves too much. I know this. And, I must adjust my programs accordingly.

It's also important for me to keep in mind that other people—my family, friends, even successful people in my field—have goals that I don't need to have. Just because I respect someone, doesn't mean I need to do what they're doing.

We teach kids "just because everyone else is doing it, doesn't mean you should do it too". This usually refers to something they shouldn't be doing. But, it really applies to everything.

Sometimes we get caught up in a great idea, but just because something is a great idea doesn't mean it's a great idea for us to pursue. I fell into this trap last year. I started to pursue a bunch of "good ideas" that other people were engaged in, but found myself spread too thin. I needed to step back and focus on what was my best next step.

You're probably spread too thin. You're time is valuable. Make sure you're spending it on things that are best for you.

Let yourself be motivated by others, but think hard about what you really want and your plan for achieving it.  It's important to set goals, but make sure they're your goals—they fit into your life, your priorities, and your plan for the future. 

Completing an Ironman is a great goal. But, if one of your top priorities is putting in extra hours at work to get a promotion, training for an Ironman isn't a good goal for you right now.

Volunteering for a non-profit group is a very nice thing to do. But, if the organization you approach is looking for you to commit to being somewhere at the same time each week, and you have kids with busy sports' schedules, it isn't a good fit for you.

You get the point.

As Oscar Wilde said, "Be yourself; everyone else is already taken." :)

So Many Classes...

Zumba, CrossFit, Cycling, Bar Method, Kick Boxing, Pilates, Yoga, TRX, Boot Camp...it seems like there's a new way to workout every month.

Classes and small-group training provide an atmosphere that can be competitive, yet supportive. And, working out with friends and family can provide some distraction to make the session seem to go faster and even be fun.

Sounds like a good idea, but your next door neighbor swears by SoulCycle; your best friend loves LA Boxing; your co-worker won't stop talking about her pilates instructor.

How do you decide what's right the right class for you?

Ask yourself the following questions:

1)  What are your goals?  Your goals dictate what type of exercise you should be doing.

• If your goal is weight loss, you need to be lifting weights and working at high intensities — Boot Camp, Cycling Classes, Kick Boxing, TRX & CrossFit will all help you achieve your goals.
• If your goal is increased flexibility, you want to be doing things that work on stretching & lengthening your muscles — try yoga or pilates.

2) What do you think you would enjoy?  I realize that most likely, you're not going to LOVE working out. But, you don't have to hate it! With so many options, surely, you can find something that's not utterly distasteful?!

• Do you like dancing? Try Zumba.
• Do you want to release some serious steam (get out some aggression)? Try boxing.
• Are you looking for something more peaceful, something where you concentrate on yourself? Try yoga.

3) What level are you?

• If you're just starting your workout program, you need to start at a lower intensity and learn how to do basic exercises—CrossFit & Boot Camp aren't your best choices. You might want to work with a personal trainer to get your form perfected, and increase your strength & endurance before starting one of the higher intensity classes.
• If you've been working out a while, choose something that will challenge you.
• If you have past injuries/pain when working out, classes aren't the best choice for you—you want someone who will watch your form and design a program that will help you feel better, get stronger and avoid further injury.

Now that you have a starting point, it's important to keep in mind two important facts about whatever you choose:

1. Give it enough time to do something for you. If you still can't touch your toes after a week of yoga, don't give up! Give it at least a month.
2. Don't make it the only thing you do. You need to challenge your body in different ways. Taking spin class five days a week will help your cardiovascular health and strengthen your thighs, but it won't give you a well-rounded workout. I made this mistake for years—first, I ran and ran, the same course, at basically the same speed, almost every day. Then, I stopped running and started spinning 4-5 times a week. I got big thighs. It wasn't until I started lifting weights and mixing up what I was doing, that my body totally changed. Again, a personal trainer can help you with this.

So, try something new. Make sure it challenges and motivates you. And, enjoy your transformation :)

Surround Yourself with the Right People for Success

Motivational speaker Jim Rohn famously said that we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with. Think about who those people are for you. They have a huge impact on your life.

Now think beyond those five people, to larger groups of people you spend significant time with. Those people affect you as well. They affect what you eat, where you go to eat, what you wear, if you workout, how you workout, what you do in your free time, what tv shows you watch, what books you read, what activities you have your kids do.

Do those people enrich your life? Are they happy? Do they make you happy? Are they successful? Do you respect them? Do they encourage you? Do they have healthy habits? 

Think about your ideal self—the person you try to be daily, and the one you are working towards becoming. Do the people you surround yourself with support your efforts? Will they help you become your ideal self? Are they the types of people that your ideal self would surround herself/himself with?

If you answered "yes" to all the questions above, great! Continue to get support and inspiration from those people. 

If you answered "no" to any of the questions, you need to find people who will help you be the best you. There are plenty of them out there! They may not live next door, but there are groups for just about anything these days. And, with social media, it's easy to find like-minded people.

I work alone and want to connect with other fitness professionals who share my enthusiasm for helping people lead healthy lives, so I attend industry conferences; I joined a mentorship program; and most recently, got involved with a company that offers all sorts of ways to help people achieve their fitness goals (my goal!).

I just ran an online nutrition and workout challenge through a private Facebook group I set up. People posted what they were eating, doing, their questions, struggles, and total strangers responded with answers and support - it was great!

Even if you are successful, independent, motivated & optimistic, you can still be negatively affected by some people. But luckily, the opposite is also true—you will benefit from being connected to people who are prosperous, disciplined, healthy & happy :) So, find those people! 

Make sure you are connected to people who will help you be your best self—you deserve it!

No Need to be Embarrassed

After the Superbowl, a reporter asked Peyton Manning if the loss was embarrassing. Peyton replied, "It's not embarrassing at all. I'll never use that word. There's a lot of professional football players in that room, that locker room, who put a lot of effort into being here and playing in that game. The word 'embarrassing' is an insulting word to tell you the truth."

This is hopefully what we were taught, and tell our kids—"as long as you try your best, that's all that matters". Unfortunately, when it's your job and lots of money is at stake, that's not the whole story. 

But the point remains true: you can only do your best. And, you shouldn't be embarrassed if you do your best. At worst, you won't do as well as you would have liked, but you will learn from that experience and will be able to do better next time.

The hard part is always trying our best. Sometimes it's hard to motivate. Sometimes what we're doing is difficult. Sometimes it's scary—we haven't done it before; we might mess up. When I am having these thoughts, I find the following two quotes motivating:

"We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face... we must do that which we think we cannot." - Eleanor Roosevelt

"A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing." - George Bernard Shaw

Whether you use these quotes or something else, find what motivates you to put forth your best. And when you do, move forward with the confidence that whatever the outcome, you'll be better for it.