Grit Before Gold...

Fitness as an industry is a very physical force and I spend much of my time in the physical...it is the nature of a fitness pro (we use the word fitness pro now).

I like to write often as well...it helps balance you out plus it is healthy to get your thoughts down in writing and out there for people to see. It helps define who you are and what you represent. Words have meaning yah?

I like to think, act, and write about having good balance; the goal of a well-lived life. Too many times I see people borrowing from the future to chase the past (I have been guilty of this). I see it in how some people eat (exp. abusing caffeine) but also how they train (exp. without a focus).

You gotta balance it all out...the physical, the mental, the social, the occupational, the spiritual, the emotional, the environmental (take care of your backyard).

You win by mastering all of these areas in your life and then paying it forward.

How can you win when you are not right within?

Here are 3 things to think about as we move into the fall season:

It is never hocus pocus...

It is all about the focus. Goals are actions that lead to results (weight loss is a result/outcome by the way). Results come from commitment to an action; the greater the focus, the commitment, the greater the result/outcome.

Net gain positive...

It is important to consider looking at daily actions from a net gain positive perspective. Sure you will have some ups and downs, but such is the journey of life. It may be best to scale your actions and efforts as progress rather than an end of the tunnel experience; treat life as a journey never a destination. Thrive with an attitude of gratitude and chalk up your daily positive actions as wins (this fuels you through your growth).

Lean physical...

Fitness is a great catalyst if you want to make rapid change in your life. Any fitness pro can help you handle the physical. This will spark a fire in you to go after that optimal balance that we all seek in our lives. Therefore, fitness really is an important part of our life, a destiny driving activity I would say.

Remember this...

Avoid borrowing from the future too much and leave the past where it belongs...

It is always gonna be work before play...

Actions before outcomes...

Grit before gold...

Success And Failure Are In Your Mind...Understand Fear To Make Success Happen

The obstacles holding you back are in your mind. Great people share the attribute of learning how to fail. Success is learning how to fail; learning how to rise to the top in spite of potential obstacles. The average person seems to think successful people get to the top because of "luck." Luck is when preparation collides with opportunity (you probably heard that before I hope LOL). Successful people use failure as a stepping stone (motivator) to a bigger achievement. In other words, they embrace failure rather than letting fear stifle them.

With that being said, failure is never a goal. Although you need failure, never welcome it or seek it. Successful people still hate to fail. Learn to lessen the impact rather than dread the consequences. It is a maturing process brought on by what is known as exposure therapy; exposing yourself to your fears until you dissipate them. You become better by directly tackling your fears.

You need an approach that allows you to power through any BS that gets in your way. Navigate through failure (without fear) and directly into goals.

More on fear...

Fear is a physiological reaction that slows perceived risky behavior. Whether it is joining boot camp, changing your diet, or giving yourself a mental overhaul your brain reacts the same. Fear is also a learned behavior which means mild fear-inducing situations can trigger past moments of more fearful situations. When a challenge (or problem) arises our brain can easily prevent us from taking risks, halting opportunities to put ourselves in successful situations. We essentially sabotage our success do to the mismanagement of fear. This is a survival instinct none-the-less. You are half hard wired to think you have something to lose if you take a chance. If you fail you assume the worst.

Fear holds us back because we value the worst possible outcome over potential gains. In other words, avoiding failure weighs heavier than tasting success. Switching this fear response requires you to process information differently so fearful situations can be viewed as opportunities rather than risks. By perceiving decisions as chances for success, the right side of your brain is activated in ways that mimic euphoria. So instead of running from opportunity, you move towards it.

The worst possible outcome? You fail and no one notices. Sounds pretty good huh? These days nobody has the time to check up on you. Sorry to burst your bubble. People think less about you than you think they do.  Nobody wants to dwell on your mishaps, the failure of your own expectations. Heck, no one wants to dwell on failures period. Use this concept to empower you!

Ask yourself these questions:

Can you live with yourself knowing that you have failed?

If not, is it better to live with failure after attempting to taste success?

Or, is it better not trying at all and living with less than you want?

Is the juice worth the squeeze?

List all the upsides and drawbacks to decisions you make. If those decisions lead to a balanced life I'll bet the pros outweigh the cons.

Produce More With Less...

Simplify your path to success. Release the stuff that is holding you back. It is a new era of less is more in all areas of life...

It may be time to cut and run. Start clearing some clutter. Eliminate the influx of stuff in your life. We are happier people when we have less baggage (any type), less junk, less clutter, less flab hanging off our bodies, and yes even less workouts (well shorter ones). Less seems to fulfill us more. The stuff we carry often just becomes a burden rather than a true pleasure. It is said what you own can own you. Never let it.  

Want proof? 

Look at your belly. Does it display the residual of all the holiday parties still from last holiday season (that was months ago), even after you jumped out of the gate (again) this last year? 

How does that make you feel? Are you sluggish? Are you the hare? We all carry the itch to make positive change in our lives. Scratch the itch. Relieve yourself.

What about that closet full of clothes you won't wear, some pieces you probably shouldn't? What about your daily life? Do you have sloppy work habits that suck your time away? Do you have relationships that appear to be stagnant? What about burdens you take on that seem sensible and well intentioned at the time? You know those ones that eat up your psyche. 

You feel me yah? You know...stuff.

Redefining yourself can often be a daunting process. We all wanna help people deep down. It is often hard to help the needy if you are one of them (one of the wisest sayings I have ever heard). You must master the mental game to redefine yourself and move toward a more balanced life.  

The challenge to gain the mental edge can be as elusive as executing many of those resolutions you set last January. Remember those? The fitness industry is challenged heavily with providing more mental support and coaching in an effort to complement your commitment to training and nutrition 

(I try to avoid the word diet, it emphasizes fad or trend or a temporary interest).  

Great advice must be coupled with real support to help people make life-long transitions. You can rewrite your life, I assure you. Find the right support.

If you truly want to take your game to the next level fix the flaws in the flow of your values...

Another piece of good advice...

 

If you do this LOL, skip driving your $60,000 car to the drive thru to get a $1 crapburger only to set you up for a $250,000 (maybe more) heart attack later in life. You feel me?

Never give up on your body. Be disciplined. Never cheat the system looking for a quick fix (we call this borrowing from the future).

Yes there can be quick results from quick starts and proper focus with the right support :)

Finish something this year.

Clean the slate in your head, around your office, around your home, and even in your workouts. You will lift a huge load off of your head and your heart. Get out of your own way. Start or reset today.  

Fitness is your foundation to a balanced life.

Remember, less is more even with those grueling sweat sessions...

You Are The Warrior, Never The Worrier...

Many Americans are up in arms about the American Dream as we know it (the American frustration). I challenge you to fear nothing, especially now. Fear has an amazing effect on our decision making.

Fear can paralyze us.

Act with courage. Courage is the ability to overcome fear. You should face fear head on. I challenge you to push through the tough times with health and wellness being a top priority. You will never be able to truly help the needy if you are one of them.

Your conviction and optimism direct your decision making and you strike down fear. Having a warrior work ethic, you battle daily through seemingly difficult issues that upon hindsight are laughable. You are ethical and treat others will respect. You have fun and enjoy the process. You are accountable to yourself and to others. You define what it means to live well and with a purpose.

You are the warrior, never the worrier…

The Other Side Of RHF...We Are More Than Muscle

A Perspective on Training, Coaching, Expectations, Tackling Fear, and Smarter Workouts...

We are more than muscle. We say this quite a bit at RHF...

Yah, we want you strong, conditioned, functional, and ready for a fricken tough world out there. We all know it is tough out there. This is one main reason we train (or should).

But, I have to tell you there is another side, another thought process, another perspective.

In this article we will touch on training vs. coaching, expectations-should we have them?, more on tackling fear (touched on this in the past), and smarter workouts (you should look into these if your workouts need an upgrade). 

Training vs. coaching... 

Unless you knew any better you might think training and coaching are the same thing. They are far from the same. There's a big difference between training and coaching. Training is teaching someone how to do something a certain way (how to squat properly is a simple example).

Coaching is much more...

While you train people you also have to teach them to unleash their inner desire (light the fire) which creates intrinsic motivation. This is not easy, especially with fitness and the many distractions in today's world (80% of the world fails miserably at meeting basic exercise recommendations...crazy), but once you engage someone with proper coaching the sky is the limit.

Once they get it they often keep their own fire burning after we light the match. They pay their experiences forward much quicker. They also take full responsibility for THEIR program. Fitness pros serve people best when they train them and then let them loose a little to see how they respond. If we set them up properly we create a better coaching path. Properly set is partially reached. 

The best program? The best program is the one you work at, the one you put true effort into. Read more on true effort. 

A little more on motivation... 

Motivation fuels fitness. Period. Why do some people struggle and other people seem to breeze through? Why are some people stuck to the couch after just a few sweat sessions while other people take the bull by the horns and run with it?

We know that action cures fear. We know that the work will teach you how to do it. Put the work in.

What really drives us to push through? 

Well, as with many answers I give people, it depends. It depends where your motivation comes from. Does it come from the inside or outside? Are you gratified? How quickly are you gratified? Instant gratification can serve you. So, keep reading to better understand this.

Working out to look better, release weight, improve general health, or even because you feel guilty are thought to come from the outside according to some sports psychologists. These motivators are considered tangible indicators and can give you some level of instant gratification which is needed, but more often than not short lived. These changes take time so they carry less instant gratification which can stump you at times.

On the other hand, internal (intrinsic) motivations, seemingly more intangible, bring a more immediate reward and come with a stronger, let's say shelf life, because of its "in the process" mental engagement. Things gradually become clearer when you have the internal drivers that keep you going. This is as basic as flipping the switch on your attitude during the workout or feeling accomplished because you completed an off-the-wall finisher move (a mental hurdle). These accomplishments bring instant rewards. People will change a behavior for the better if they can FEEL a reward now versus later. Therefore, FITNESS IS A FEELING. CAPTURE IT.

You can use both internal and external motivators to your advantage... 

Look, releasing weight, maintaining or improving fitness are all great reasons to workout. For a higher octane approach learn to enjoy your workouts. It will minimize guilt. You know that thought in your head that says you should be doing it versus I want to do it? This will leave you more inclined to keep your attendance optimal and for the right reasons too. Also, instead of counting sessions to drop 30 pounds activate the drivers that will allow you to pat yourself on the back after each and EVERY sweat session. You will soon find yourself looking forward to your sweat sessions. Enjoy and trust in the process. Activate the internal drivers. 

Should I expect certain outcomes when training? 

Tackling the mental game can be tough at times. Expectations can be poisonous. Never assume you can control all the variables life throws at you. Only expect to work hard and control you. How you train, what you eat, and a strong mental approach (those internal drivers) are all three important components for success on a fitness plan.

98% of elite athletes learn by trial and error. As a coach you just want to keep them in a constant state of learning. This is most effective by keeping the growth and development process simple. Maximize learning. Minimize expectations.

Often times people attempt to become somebody rather than accept who they are. Some of the most successful people that ever lived or are still alive (start reading autobiographies) live(d) their whole life as a function of how much pain they can endure. Seems kind of weird huh? It is true for many people.

What are you willing to go through to be better?

Want to be fearless? Handle fear while pushing forward on your fitness plan... 

Understand the context of your training, its purpose, and meet it with no resistance. When you doubt you often go without. Understand those voices in your head are just arbitrary thoughts that are driven from your state of mind. They never mean anything. They are a direct function of your mood and that is all.

Read more on fear. 

Look into smarter workouts... 

Let your sweat sessions serve you. Your workouts give you so much than you can ever give them. Be sure that how you train fits your lifestyle and your goals. There has to be a match in order to achieve long term success. Check out metabolic training.  

The bigger picture... 

You end up with a lot of success by focusing on the small things that are often overlooked in any process. For maximum effectiveness do the small things (daily action) all the time. One change a week is 52 changes a year! As mentioned above maximize learning with no resistance and minimize expectations. And remember as always, action cures fear. 

Now get at it... 

We are more than muscle...

Tips to enhance a champion...

Train Outside The Box.
Find a baseline method for your lifestyle, but do include a variety of methods to beat the boredom and to fight off overtraining and overuse. Consider fusing methods like metabolic training, boxing, and Pilates to name a few. 

Refuel.
The type of training you do will dictate your nutrition plan. Consider proper supplementation to fill in the gaps especially when the days are long with work and training. 

Mental Preparation & Motivation.
Your plain and simple mantra is to be better. Improve yourself in all areas of life. Be a better version of yesterday. Outperform your past self and help other people do the same. Live well.

Are You The Tortoise Or The Hare?

If you want a new perspective this year please read the entire article...

Setting goals can be a very up and down process for most people and without systems in place it can drive you crazy... 

  

Let me explain... 

Yes, you wanna set goals for yourself, but you should set everything up in a framework that YOU CAN ENJOY and that you have reasonable control over. The end goals are important, but the process is more important. We live in THE PROCESS, not the end goal. 

Structure determines function and creates freedom...

The goals take care of themselves when the systems are set up properly to support them. Being systematic in today's world can be of great help to you. We all have many things going on in life and we all need to create structure to maintain a sense of sanity. Discipline and structure also create freedom.

We all have things we want to achieve in life (I hope). We all should wanna be more fit. I wanna continue to build a successful fitness facility and change the culture of fitness (daunting I know). Some of you wanna write a book, raise a family, travel more, or retire young. WE ALL WANT A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE. WE ALL WANT TO ENJOY LIFE. 

The New Year conundrum...

Typically around this time of year we create or reset our end goals and (hopefully) create action steps to reaching them, but I recently realized that people get so caught up in the end goal, and so overwhelmed that it stumps them on the action steps and they miss out on a fun and challenging process. There is a better way to navigate through it.

Your systems are your support networks and your daily action steps that you enjoy are your tools to success...

If you just do the systems, the goals often take care of themselves. An athlete's system is practicing according to a schedule each week. A writer's system is to write for a time frame each day. A fitness enthusiast's system is to complete the daily workout regimen (and seek balance).

Do the daily action steps. Enjoy the process. Become a better version of yesterday. 1 change a week is 52 changes a year!

The problem with focusing on the end goal too much...

When we set a goal and stay solely focused on the goal itself we often forget about the people that make it possible. We often also forget about hobbies, relationships, etc. We miss out on a whole lot of living. We miss out on balance.

Are you good enough?

Often times as we work toward a goal the internal dialog in our heads may shout "I'm not good enough yet...but I will be." I know it is a weird way to think about it, but I bet it is true for many people that struggle to reach a goal.

Avoid the huge burdens...

In the past you may have created a huge goal for yourself, you write it down and even create a vision board to tap into the feelings that you may experience when you get there. All the while you miss out on the journey to get there. A huge goal can be a huge burden if you fail to keep a proper perspective on the process.

Rethink the goal setting process...

I would encourage you to look more at actions steps and systems and go with the flow in 2015. Yes, you wanna set some goals for sure, but you should put most of your focus on the work, the good stuff where life is lived. Be in the moment. Be in the flow.

Many of us stress ourselves to the maximum (the opposite of what you want on a fitness plan) every damn day of our lives. We stress over weight loss, finding love, business.

Keep it simple. Focus on today. Scale back/taper off on bad habits. Skip the cold turkey or all-or-nothing crap.

Wanna release weight?

Get to the gym and control what you put in your pie hole.

Wanna rebuild some relationships? Get off the internet and texting and call somebody.

Get real with yourself. You will attract better.

Quit wasting your days solely focusing on the big end goal. You will feel defeated. There are too many tasks to get to the goal. Embrace the systems. Do the steps. 

What happens when you reach a single goal?

Do you stop working? Many people do. What will motivate you going forward? This is a big problem that creates an up and down effect in your life at the expense of your happiness. You create a set point of happiness. 

It goes like this...

Focused. Depressed. Energized. Super depressed.  

Is that a well-lived life? Certainly not!  

What happens when you set a goal and miss it?

Many people feel worthless.  

What is worse missing a single goal or missing out on the life you gave up? 

This is a process you can enjoy...

Try and focus much energy on the process you can enjoy and make that your system to get you to the level you want to be.

If your goal is to release 50 pounds focus on making it to your workouts and cleaning up your nutritional approach (quit jumping around).

(We make it all fun at RHF. Find a place that can create that environment for you.) 

Control what you can and avoid delusion...

Goal setting can make your feel like you have control over things you may not have control over. This is called delusion. Avoid delusion.

Traditional goal setting approaches involve setting a goal, creating a plan, objectives, action steps, and even mini-action steps. We plan the entire process around a date. Life then happens. Circumstances come up and we often miss our mark. YOU CANNOT CONTROL EVERYTHING. You can however control what you do right now, in this moment.

Tortoise and The Hare...

Are you the hare getting started?  

Strong out of the gate? Blinders on?

Full speed ahead to tackle that goal?

It goes like this...

Life then gets in the way and you miss a week, which turns into 4 weeks, then 6 months later you are spinning going: "WTH just happened? I spent all that time writing my resolutions!"

As that is happening, the tortoise just trots on past you, smiling and enjoying the journey! 

If you can slow down and do a few consistent things you love to be better than yesterday you will achieve success without ever being overwhelmed about the goals you laid out.

Goals do work. Write them out. We just want you to focus more on the systems, the processes' that goals are attached to. Life is lived in those moments. The process to getting to a goal always empowers you more than staring at an end goal.  

Just focus on what you are going to do right now.  

It will lead to a great year and beyond. 

Will you capture the great moments that await you this year?

Are you the tortoise or the hare?

You get what you go after...

Metabolic Mayhem: The Fat Burning, Youth Enhancing Advantage...

Many people, especially as they age, lose faith in their ability to burn off fat effectively and get in shape (or stay in shape). This has everything to do with how they move, train, and of course it is linked to what they take in (eat). Inward circumstances produce outward consequences.

People very often give in to the idea that a poor body shape (and composition), weak muscles, and a sluggish metabolism are inevitable...

 

Often people also think that their best days are behind them...a weak mindset.

 

NOTHING could be further from the truth!

 

Your body has simply changed. Times have changed. Training techniques have evolved. Deal with your frustrations in a smarter way.

Chances are doing what MAY have worked for you years ago may simply NOT work today.

 

Always do what you are always taught and you always get what you always got...

 

You need an approach that takes advantage of a recent breakthrough in exercise science that combats a poor functioning metabolism...

Many people try to start exercising more, or harder too quick, or in the wrong cycles, but that only makes a bad situation worse as your energy levels plummet, your appetite skyrockets, and intense cravings set in. This sends you into a vicious cycle of poor and impulsive/compulsive eating, puts you at high risk of overtraining, and can even increase your risk of repetitive use injuries. I have seen this over and over in the last 10 plus years as a professional. Quick fix mentalities often lead to long-term disasters.

Some people try the infomercial DVD workouts that assume you have the fitness level of a 20 year old, again putting you at risk for overuse, leading to damaging your joints, pulling muscles, or injuring your back. This is a bad idea without proper setup or guidance.

 

The good news...

 

Emerging research is showing that a smart form of training is remarkably effective at combating undesirable fat, weak muscles and a sagging body.

 

We call it Metabolic Training (MT). It fuses many fitness concepts into one. More on that down below.

 

Turn back the clock on biological aging...

MT also helps turn back the clock by saturating your cells with a cocktail of anti-aging bio-chemicals that stabilize blood sugar, optimize your cholesterol, lower resting heart rate, lower blood pressure, lift mental performance, and strengthen your heart and lungs. This is what I call EARNED anti-aging.

We will show you exactly how you can do that at RHF!

 

This can be done in short work cycles over the course of 30 minutes or less!

 
It all starts with these 3 powerful metabolic advantages that get REAL, VISIBLE results...and you can get them fast!

 

#1 Metabolic Advantage: Fusion Training

 

If you do traditional cardio like running, spinning, aerobics, jumping jacks, etc., you will burn some fat, but you may also burn A LOT of muscle. You may end up "skinny fat" with saggy, droopy skin, and flabby muscles. You look how you train, simple.

Weight training can be good for building muscles if done correctly. If done incorrectly it can slow fat burning, overtax joints, and make you bulkier, limiting range of motion and functionality.

Yoga (or stretching) is GREAT for nervous system coordination, flexibility and core strength, but it falls short when it comes to burning fat. Yoga is just not designed to do that.

What is the answer?

 

It is to combine the best of all 3 types of training into a single, ultra-short session that torches fat, tones muscles, and that is safe for anybody to do at any age, exactly what metabolic training does.

 

#2 Metabolic Advantage: Fat Burning Window Expanded

Another major problem of conventional workouts is their focus on burning fat DURING the workout.

That is a HUGE mistake that can damage your metabolism and furthermore can rob you of your full fat loss potential. There is a smarter way...

The key is to trigger your body to burn as much fat as possible AFTER your workout, exactly what metabolic training does. Metabolic training increases post-workout fat metabolism.

A study conducted in 2008 published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning showed that compared to regular workouts, a metabolic workout can burn up to 10 times MORE fat.

It does this by releasing a tidal wave of special metabolic molecules DURING the workout that send a powerful "adaptation" signal to your body to boost metabolism, burn fat, and cool inflammation AFTER the workout.

Your body then scrambles to replenish the intramuscular raw materials it burned up DURING the workout in a process that burns fat calories for up to 2-3 days AFTER the workout.

And guess where it gets the raw materials to replenish those resources?

Thankfully, straight from the fat that is parked on your belly, hips, thighs and butt. This is one reason we need fat on our bodies.

 

#3 Metabolic Advantage: Upgrade Fat Burning Permanently

Burn fat all the time, regardless of what you are doing...

Metabolic training does this with advantage #3 which sets off a process known as mitochondrial biogenesis, a fancy term for building new energy-producing power plants in your cells. Many of these cells are in your muscles.

The effect...

Your muscles improve their strength and tone, which in turn, dramatically improves your body shape.

In fact, that same 2008 study also showed that those doing metabolic workouts improved muscle shape by 82.2% vs. the traditional workout methods.

Give thanks...to all of those new fat burning mitochondria (cell power plants) which allow you burn more fat calories while at rest, making you a better fat burner, not just 2-3 days after your workout, but ALL OF THE TIME!

If you begin to train metabolically, your body will burn a higher level of fat than that of your old traditional training approach.

 

How Can You Do Metabolic Training?

 

Metabolic training is something that anybody can do, regardless of their age, fitness level or physical condition.

 

It is all a matter of degree...

 

NO equipment is needed, just your body weight to start.

In fact, studies have shown that the older and more out of shape one is (including those with type 2 diabetes and heart disease) the greater the benefit they may experience.

Plus, unlike many new workouts around, proper rest is encouraged. You are SUPPOSED to rest as much as you need to. The workouts are semi-self regulated.

Sounds crazy, but proper rest cycling is what allows you to up the intensity enough to trigger the release of those metabolic molecules that cause the post-workout fat loss and mitochondria-building.

Proper rest is also the key to unleashing that tidal wave of anti-aging bio-chemicals that give you a makeover from the inside out... This can make you look and feel 10-20 years younger! No joke.

Most people totally screw up this rest part. Many people try to work out as hard as they can (often too early in the program), for as LONG as they can, which just damages metabolism, accelerates metabolic aging, and zaps energy.

BETTER is better. More is not better.

 

You can read much more about Metabolic Training from the original post on the RHF Blog. Click here.

The best part about MT is that the exercise sequences are SUPER short, only 3-6 minute work cycles.

And the results are fast...In just a few sessions you may start seeing the inches come off, feeling the surge in energy and loving the fact that you have gotten back into the swing of things, enjoying life again.

 

After all, the point of exercise/fitness is to help you enjoy life and your true potential by pushing physical boundaries.

 

Add life to your years with metabolic training, or what we call metabolic mayhem...