Blog Archives
Do you ask yourself “Where do I feel this?”
I think one of the most important questions we can ask ourselves when doing exercises is – “Where do I feel this?”
Because even if we have perfect form, we may not be activating the correct muscles.
Activation requires us sometimes to actually concentrate on getting the muscles working.
So when you do glute bridges, don’t just go through the motions….Think about squeezing your glutes and make sure to concentrate extra hard on getting them to work.
This focus on the muscles working improves our mind-body connection and makes sure we get the most out of the movement and don’t just go through the motions.
And not only does asking ourselves, “Where do I feel this” get us to make sure the correct muscles are activating, but it also allows us to know if we are doing a movement correctly.
If you don’t have a mirror to check your form, but you feel the correct muscles working, you are most likely doing the movement correctly.
So by asking yourself where you feel the move, you are making sure your form is correct and that the correct muscles are working.
You may even find that sometimes, even though you have the correct form, the correct muscles AREN’T actually working.
For example, glute bridges…Bridge up off the ground extending your hips. This could look correct, but that doesn’t mean your butt is actually activating. It could look right, but you could actually be loading only your hamstrings or low back.
The question is what are you working? Where do you feel it? When is the last time you thought about it? Or do you just usually think about bridging up as high as you can?
Height doesn’t matter. Feeling it in your glutes and consciously squeezing them as hard as possible is what matters.
So right now, try the glute bridge. Where do you feel it? Are you actually working the correct muscles?
No? Maybe adjust where your feet are. Try not to bridge up as high. Concentrate on squeezing your glutes. FEEL the move in the correct muscles!
By asking yourself where you feel it, you will get more out of your workouts.
And all of you trainers out there…You need to not only ask yourself this question so you can better coach moves, but you also need to ask your clients where they feel movements.
It will improve their mind-body connection and allow them to know if they are doing moves correctly when you aren’t there. It will get them even better results and improve their coordination.
FEELING THE MOVES HELPS YOU GET MORE OUT OF YOUR WORKOUTS!
So stop going through the motions and concentrate on where you feel movements. It will improve your body awareness and make your stronger and more coordinated!
P.S. If you are doing the glute challenge, you may want to try these 20 Glute Bridge Variations!
What I hear when you say I CAN’T
I don’t mind complaining. I don’t mind whining….As long as you try!
But I can’t stand when someone says I can’t.
Because when you say “I CAN’T” all I hear is – I DON’T WANT TO TRY.
Or even I DON’T REALLY CARE ABOUT MY GOALS.
Yup…”I can’t” really just means you don’t want to try.
And don’t start making excuses about how that isn’t the case…Because it is.
Most of the time we don’t say “I can’t” if we’ve worked really hard and given it all we’ve got and things just don’t work out. Then we say “I tried,” or “It doesn’t work.”
Not “I can’t.”
“I can’t” is just us giving up. It is us saying our goals really aren’t worth trying.
It is basically us making up an excuse to keep failing at reaching our goal.
It is you telling me that I am wasting my time helping you because you are never going to accomplish your goals because you don’t have the right mindset.
Harsh…Yea a little. But true.
You are also wasting your OWN time working toward something if every time you encounter a problem or hurdle you say “I can’t.”
So what advice can I give you? Decide if your goals are worth risking failure! Because results come when you put yourself in uncomfortable situations and do things you don’t normally do.
And honestly what is really the worst thing that can happen if you TRY? You fail? It doesn’t work and you’re still stuck at the same spot you’re in now?
Well, you definitely won’t move forward if you don’t give it a shot and instead just keep doing the same old things.
Because you can’t expect a different result doing the same old things.
So why not at least TRY!?!
Why say “I can’t” before you’ve even given it a shot? If you really want to reach your goals, you’ve got to be willing to TRY NEW THINGS THAT YOU AREN’T COMFORTABLE WITH!
So next time you think about saying “I can’t” consider what you really mean. Is it really that you “can’t” or is it more that you don’t want to or are scared to try and fail?
If you want it, you have to WORK
Despite being told hundreds of thousands of times, and our common sense yelling at us that there is no magic pill, we still hold out hope. We still believe that someone out there just doesn’t have to do anything and they look, feel and live the life of their dreams without ever having to suffer or sweat or work for it.
And I’m sorry but that’s just ridiculous.
At some time, in some way, everyone has had to work and sweat for their success. At some point they’ve had to sacrifice (even if they somewhat enjoy the sacrifice) and put long-term goals ahead of instant gratification and enjoyment.
Because the simple fact is that success means HARD WORK. It does mean some sacrifice. It does mean sometimes thinking long-term instead of simply living in the moment.
And it also means taking risks that could lead to failure. Failures that make you then reassess and adapt. That test your drive and dedication.
Failures that can make you better if you pick yourself back up and again…WORK HARD.
I know we’ve all seen the fitspo that say:
And honestly…It’s so true!
Often when we see people enjoying the fruits of their labors, we don’t think about all the work they had to put in to get there. We just see them enjoying their success and then assume it was easy for them.
But trust me. They worked. And they may not remember all of the sacrifices, and they may even romanticize the journey now that it is done, but they freaking worked hard.
Because achieving your goals really does means working hard. There is no magic pill. There really is no short cut. There really is no one that is just so lucky to have everything come easily to them.
So stop spending a lot of time and energy looking for a short cut. Apply that time and energy toward something beneficial…Like actually WORKING toward your goals.
And can I also say…This goes hand in hand with MAKING TIME FOR YOUR GOALS.
Let’s face it…There is never enough time in the day. But if you want something bad enough, you will make time. You will make it a priority.
So stop making excuses and searching for something that doesn’t exist. Instead get started working toward your goals before the New Year. Why not go into this New Year already moving forward? Why not WORK HARD and MAKE TIME for what you want!?!
Because if you want to succeed, if you want to make this next year an even better one, you will have to find the time to work hard at your goals. No Ifs, Ands or Butts about it!
It all boils down to MINDSET
I often roll my eyes when I see quotes like this:
But today it got me to thinking about how much your success is completely and utterly dependent on your MINDSET.
Because if you want something enough, you will find a way…which is what, today, I interpreted the above fitspo to mean.
We make time for things that matter. We make time for things we want.
We prioritize things even when we are busy.
When you say you don’t have time to exercise, time to eat well, you are basically just saying those things aren’t a priority to you.
And honestly, that is your choice. They don’t have to be.
But if you want to make changes, if you want a different result than the one you are currently getting, you need to change your priorities and your mindset.
As Einstein says:
Seems to obvious yet, for some reason, most people do expect different results without changing their behaviors.
And maybe that is because often our diet and exercise programs merely focuses on new behaviors and not changing the mentally and mindset behind our current behaviors.
I’ve said it numerous times before, but I think that exercise can be empowering. I think it can change our mental attitude and make us into stronger, more confident people inside and outside of the gym.
But it isn’t as simple as just lifting weights and BAM! we are more confident.
It is about the positive self-talk we learn to do so that we can lift heavier.
It is about the strength we find because we learn how to mentally push ourselves further.
It is because in the gym we can learn a new mentality IF we take the time and don’t just go through the motions of exercising.
Because it isn’t enough to simply DO something. Mindless action isn’t enough.
You need to be intentional.
And I’m not even talking right now about designing workouts or eating according to your goals.
I’m talking about thinking through things and changing your mindset.
If you haven’t been getting results, you probably really haven’t changed anything. And if you haven’t changed anything it is because mentally nothing has changed.
You probably still have the same mindset.
The thing is, mindset is way harder to change than actions, but to truly change your behaviors in the long run, you need to change your mindset.
That is why you need to take a good look at yourself any time you want to start creating a program to work toward new goals.
Assess what has hindered you getting results before. Was it really the program or the fact that you made excuses?
Honestly….It was probably excuses.
And if it was excuses, what were your common excuses? Stress? Lack of time? Didn’t enjoy it? It was too hard?
Consider those excuses.
Now think of how you are going to OVERCOME them.
Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
Plain and simple.
Did you lack motivation when you got stressed?
Could you then think of something to keep you extra motivated during times of stress?
Maybe a visual would help? Or getting friends involved. Or maybe simply having to log public would hold you accountable.
Or maybe simply it was creating something you could mentally prioritize. Like instead of going to the gym when you are stressed, you can put going for a walk ahead of simply going home and watching TV.
Or maybe you could make 15 minutes of working out at home a priority even if you can’t go to the gym.
The crazy thing is…All of these things will change your behaviors and your mindset.
They will get you moving in the right direction while changing how you prioritize and see things. They will create ways for you to mentally overcome the excuses and change your mindset.
Because success boils down to MINDSET.
You could have the best laid plans, the perfect program out there, and it won’t work if you don’t have the right mindset and really get yourself to truly adhere to it and give it your all.
So if you want to achieve results this week, how are you going to change your mindset?
What keeps you motivated and has helped you prioritize working toward your goals?
What To Do When You Don’t Want To Do ANYTHING
There are going to be days when you just don’t care. When you just don’t feel like working out or eating well.
When you are completely stressed out, busy and unmotivated.
The question is, “How do you keep moving forward toward your goals when you just don’t care or have the time?”
Because the thing is, this lack of motivation…life getting in the way…it happens to everyone.
EVERYONE!
The thing that makes the biggest difference is how you handle it.
You can either give in and let the stress and bad mood derail all of your hard work or you can force yourself to push through. And when I say “push through” I don’t always mean going to the gym and getting in an intense hour-long workout.
Sometimes pushing through means picking one thing to focus on OR it means doing just a little of each.
Maybe it means you stick to your clean eating program but just don’t make it to the gym that night.
Or maybe it means doing an unscheduled short workout or even less intense workout because that is all you have the motivation for.
The point is to do something and not just allow excuses to derail your progress.
SOMETHING. Not the best thing or exactly what you planned to do or…Just SOMETHING.
Walk around the block. Eat that healthy dinner but have that cookie you wanted.
Find a balance.
There are going to be days when you are stressed out and life gets in the way. And you can’t control or even plan for them most of the time.
All you can do is take them in stride and make the most of them. Do little things to keep yourself on track.
And those little things may just get you motivated enough so that you do exactly what you are supposed to do.
For example, if you tell yourself you are even just going to stretch out and do a quick little workout, you may find that once you are dressed and moving, you want to do the longer workout you had planned.
Or maybe the 10 minute walk you set out as the compromise, since you didn’t want to do your workout, turns into a 20 or 30 minute walk.
The point is, if you can make yourself do something, that something will keep you on track and even help you find motivation to continue pushing forward.
Anyway, the point is MAKE YOURSELF DO SOMETHING….Because every little something really does add up!
Goal Setting and The 3 Words Project
Goal setting is essential to success.
But it’s boring.
And goals are easily forgotten in the heat of the moment.
So if goals are important, but easily forgotten, how do you make them something you can easily stay focused on day in and day out?
I thought this “3 words for 1 year” idea that I saw on Julia Ladewski’s blog was a great way to keep your goals easily in the forefront of your mind. (Here is her post and a post to the original 3 word project if you want to learn more.)
This 3 word project gives you an easy and quick reminder of what your goals are. It makes visualizing your goals on a weekly, daily basis easy and quick.
And I personal think it is super motivating.
What you do is basically pick 3 WORDS that represent your goals and will motivate you to keep working toward them even when the going gets rough. These 3 words can be a great VISUAL for you to even post somewhere. While no one wants to post long freaking sentences of SMART goals, posting a word or three really isn’t a big deal and is very easy to do (and a much prettier visual…not to mention quicker to read and refresh your memory and improve your mindset).
My three words are below.
I’ve picked words that will instantly remind me of my WHY, my reason for setting my goals in the first place. These words, for me, also instill the emotion I’m looking for when it comes to my goals. For example, the word pause makes me think to breathe deeply. It makes me think RELAX and that is a big part of the goal it is set to represent.
Anyway, give your goals some thought. What would your 3 words for this year be?
Pause – This word means a couple of different things to me this year, but they all boil down to RELAX. Pause and take a second to relax if stressed. Pause to take a second and step back and think. Paused to take a second to celebrate the small successes. Pause and enjoy life and don’t always get bogged down with moving right on to the next project. I like to keep going. I have trouble stopping at points…partly because I love what I do and partly just because I’m type A. But celebration, relaxation and shutting your brain off are super important components of not only a healthy lifestyle, but also of success. Take a second today and PAUSE!
Thought this was another great reminder!
Uncomfortable – It is strange to feel like I’m listing “uncomfortable” as a goal. But by using the word uncomfortable, I’m reminding myself that it is good to stretch my boundaries. That feeling “uncomfortable” is not only OK but GOOD. We’ve all see those motivational pictures and quotes stating that success happens outside your comfort zone, and it’s true. And while I find I’m good at tiptoeing around outside my comfort zone, I sometimes lack the will, the strength, to just throw myself in the deep end. So here is to throwing myself in the deep end and not fearing the unknown, the uncomfortable!
Love this quote.
STRONG – Strong is a super meaningful word to me. Each and every year I want to grow stronger, both physically and mentally. And while I don’t always want to get stronger in the same way, I do always want to be getting stronger, learning more, growing. And with that strength, I want to inspire others to find their strong. So to me strong means not only growing myself both inside and out of the gym, but also helping others to find their physical and mental strength – to become more empowered! This year is about remaining dedicated to becoming STRONGER.
What are your 3 words? And what do they mean to you? Share yours and inspire others!!!
Half Marathon Training – It’s all in your head
I want to start this post by giving a BIG shout out to Jodie for completing her first half marathon this weekend.
She overcame huge hurdles on Sunday to finish 13.1 torturous miles. And her victory, her determination and perseverance in the face of some pretty sucky circumstances inspired me to write this post.
Take a second right now and think about your training, be it training for a race, a sport, life (actually most importantly life) or a powerlifting competition.
How often do you train in pretty comfortable circumstances? In a warm gym. Or on a route you know and may have even run before. With music you like to listen to that motivates you. Following your normal routine surrounded by people and places you are fairly familiar with.
Most of us probably always train in pretty comfortable surroundings following our own basic routine.
I mean why wouldn’t we? I know I generally do.
But guess what…A lot of unexpected crap can pop up when it comes to competition. We all acknowledge this, yet rarely do I really ever hear or read about people TRAINING for the unexpected crap. High level athletes, yes, but weekend warriors, no (and the crazy part is, those of us training for LIFE, for HEALTH, encounter more unexpected stuff than anyone else, yet we train for it the least!).
And when it comes down to competition time, guess what matters more than all the hours you spent strengthening your body?
How strong your mind is.
While training, even under ideal circumstances can still make you mentally tougher, it doesn’t necessarily make you ready to handle crappy situations when they pop up unexpected during competition.
Because unfortunately, they sometimes do. And when those situations arise, it doesn’t matter how strong our body truly is. All it matters is whether or not our mind can carry us through when the going becomes so much worse than we could have foreseen.
This past Sunday, Jodie had the perfect storm. Mid-race, on a course much tougher than expected, Jodie’s ipod died. Just completely shut off.
And when you’ve trained day and in and day out with your music that is a huge blow. Who would ever expect your fully charged, brand new phone to suddenly shut off!?!
Mentally the shock of something like that happening can be a death blow. Especially when you still have 6 more miles to go and the last few are on a hill that people the day before kept complaining and whining about.
But Jodie pushed on.
Then what do you do if your body chooses that day to rebel? You’ve trained hard for months. You are physically strong enough, but your stomach just doesn’t seem to care.
What do you do then when you have no music to distract you (like you’ve had ever run for the past few months while training), your stomach is telling you to stop and your body is fatigued from unexpected hill after hill?
It all comes down to how strong your mind is.
And all I can tell you is, I ran with one strong lady on Sunday. Up a hill that felt like it lasted for an hour, Jodie pushed through finishing her half marathon with no music and a body in rebellion.
She was a bit disappointed when we finished because she wanted a bit more out of the race. And then she turned said to me, “I think I should have trained on more hills.”
While yes, a bit more hill training could have made that last hill feel a little less awful, I don’t think hill training was what was missing from our program.
The hill did deliver a blow, but the real battle started when her music shut off. All she then had were her thoughts and a mind that now had nothing to distract it from the pain building in her body.
It made me realize that what had been missing from our training was a true mental test.
I never once thought of having us run without music. I never once thought of creating a ridiculously, outrageously hard unexpected route.
I never thought of having her train in a way that would mentally make her suffer more than her body was.
I did everything to prepare her for the route we thought we knew we’d be running and the circumstances we thought we’d be running under.
Heck, the only mental training we really did was the few times I forced her to run sore just in case her body didn’t feel perfect the day of the race. That way at least she’d know that she’d done it before feeling worse.
Anyway, the point is, it really doesn’t matter how much you train if your mind isn’t going to be prepared to handle adversity. And while I was so proud of Jodie for the mental strength she displayed, a bit more mental training could have made yesterday a walk (ok maybe a run) in the park for her even with all the crap that popped up.
And just because you aren’t training for a race doesn’t mean you can skip the mental training.
Adversity doesn’t just pop up in competition. It happens in everyday life.
We are truly only as strong as our minds believe we are. It’s as simple as that.
So while I’m not suggesting you force yourself to go outside and deadlift in the snow to prepare for unforeseen circumstances at a powerlifting competition, I am suggesting that you occasionally force yourself to train in circumstances that challenge your mental strength.
What I am suggesting is that, while you may get into a routine and generally train in that routine, you every so often force yourself to deviate from that routine just so you know that you don’t NEED the routine to succeed.
Like maybe if you always run with music, you try a few runs without it just in case your iphone decides to stop functioning mid-race…
Training can’t just strengthen your body, it must also push your mind.
Because as I said before…
YOU ARE ONLY AS STRONG AS YOUR MIND BELIEVES YOU ARE!
Congrats again Jodie. I want to say how proud of you I am for finishing that half-marathon strong!
Give Yourself a Break
We are not perfect.
No matter how much we may strive to be, we simply aren’t.
And that isn’t a bad thing…even though we often treat ourselves like failures when we don’t live up to our own expectations.
The bad thing is when we hold ourselves back for longer than the failure itself does because we keep berating ourselves and preventing ourselves from moving on.
I say all this as a person who can be very very tough on herself when she doesn’t accomplish things exactly how and when she planned to.
I say this as a person who is incredibly demanding of herself and can bring herself to tears because she beats herself up over a “failure.”
I also say this as a person who is working to correct this and learn how to “give herself a break.”
Because mistakes AREN’T failures unless we don’t learn from them. And the harder a time we give ourselves about our mistake, the longer we stay in that failure mentality and hold ourselves back from moving forward.
Random (but not so random)…Have any of you read “Oh The Places You’ll Go?” (If you haven’t I suggest you do as it probably is one of the best “life lesson” books out there.
Here is just a little excerpt:
I’m sorry to say so
but, sadly, it’s true
and Hang-ups
can happen to you.You can get all hung up
in a prickle-ly perch.
And your gang will fly on.
You’ll be left in a Lurch.You’ll come down from the Lurch
with an unpleasant bump.
And the chances are, then,
that you’ll be in a Slump.And when you’re in a Slump,
you’re not in for much fun.
Un-slumping yourself
is not easily done.
It’s all right there in that children’s book – Shit happens. Mistakes happen. “Failures” happen.
But the worst part isn’t that failure, but the “slump” you are in after it.
Because generally that slump is what TRULY holds you back.
And as the book says, “Un-slumping yourself is not easily done.”
Why is it not easily done?
BECAUSE WE EXPECT PERFECTION! Even though we know it isn’t possible.
So today stop stressing over little mistakes, little slip ups, little failures.
Take a deep breath and release all the tension all the anger.
Let the mistake go and get out of the funk. Don’t let a slump hold you back for longer than is necessary!
Learn from your mistake and move on!
On a side note….
Here are a couple of fun workout memes to hopefully make you smile and a couple of cool links to check out! (Plus a whole WARM UP GUIDE I just created with pictures!)
The toilet seems so low after leg day!
I love the minions
haha
Dedication vs. Motivation – by Colin at Uber Beast Mode
Liar, Liar, Legs on Fire: Deception and Other Mind Games to Help You Keep Running When You Feel Like You Can’t Go Another Step – by Charlotte at The Great Fitness Experiment (Thought this was interesting after reading some of Jen’s recent posts at Wine to Weightlifting…and after having to run lots of long distances…. BLEH)
Thoughts on Rest Days – by Abby at Back at Square Zero. Rest days are important but aren’t always easy to take. Interesting little discussion on them…
Taking another whack at the Olympic distance triathlon – by Caitlin at Fit and Feminist. Liked this a lot….So much of what we do is out of pride and to prove something to ourselves. It isn’t about whether or not anyone else knows but about showing ourselves we can do it! It is about working hard because WE will know if we slack off.
AND a few of my own in case you missed them:
Fixes for two common running injuries – Shin Splints and Plantar Fasciitis
(Included these last two because they are legitimately two of my all-time favorite moves and ones I think everyone should be able to do)
And finally….My new post about how to warm up…. 15 Simple Dynamic Moves for a Full-Body Warm Up
It’s Never Too Late – Becoming a Beast at Any Age
I have many older adults that come to train with me who think that certain exercises, activities that they even used to do, are now out of reach….I find it is especially common among women.
But that simply isn’t the case.
Even as we age, our bodies are capable of so much more than we give them credit for.
Getting old doesn’t have to mean the end of being an athlete. It doesn’t have to mean accepting pain or not being able to do fun and crazy workout moves!
No matter your age, or even whether or not you were an athlete, you can become a beast. Yup…that’s right…you can become a beast at ANY AGE!
Really becoming a beast isn’t about developing more strength or even better movement patterns – it is about developing CONFIDENCE in yourself.
It is about not being intimidated and believing you CAN do it.
And for women, especially older women who may feel like there are things they can no longer do, the physical fitness realm can be intimidating, which doesn’t make becoming a beast very easy.
You hear fairly often how weight rooms are intimidating for many women. And honestly, for many they only become more intimidating with age.
Heck I’m sure many of you have experienced the dread and fear of walking into a busy weight room. I know I’ve seen it on many of the faces of women I train (before of course I win them over with my great sense of humor…just kidding…sort of…)
I mean…I get it.
Thinking about the gym I work in now, I could see how some of my older women are at first intimidated.
They walk in and there are professional MMA fighters and crazy people running around sweating and grunting. There are chains and tires and sledge hammers as well as other stuff that doesn’t even look like gym equipment lining the walls.
They see people doing handstands and swinging around gigantic kettlebells. And everyone is sweating profusely. (hey we don’t have air conditioning…there are very few people who don’t sweat even without air conditioning…I do know a few…but not many!)
Sometimes it just looks crazy. And there seems to be a lot of stuff going on that looks impossible to do. (And once the first shock is over, most of my older adults, especially the women, love the craziness, but that initial shock can truly intimidate.)
I mean…handstands at 60?
Heck many people aren’t doing handstands at 15 let alone 60!
But they aren’t impossible.
And the only reason I mention handstands is because that is one of those exercises that many women see and turn to me and say, “I can’t do that.”
I always respond the same thing, “Well have you tried to do one?”
The answer is always, without a doubt, “NO.”
Or better yet, “No. I’m too old!”
So they haven’t tried one, but there is no way they are going to be able to do one.
And somewhere along the line, they decided there is an age limit to handstands. (Even after all those videos of the 86-year-old gymnast!)
But doing a handstand, or any exercise like it, is truly all about confidence.
Yes, doing handstands requires strength.
But you would be amazed at the number of women who haven’t lifted that much and haven’t ever really done handstands that can do the second, or even third, level of the handstand progression on their first or second day.
And the best thing EVER is that look in their eyes when they are amazed at the fact that they can walk their feet up the wall and hold a true handstand.
It is all about confidence.
If we don’t believe we can do something, we aren’t ever going to attempt it.
We aren’t ever going to give ourselves a shot.
Yes, our bodies change as we age, but that doesn’t mean that all of a sudden we are restricted from doing a ton of things!
Aging doesn’t mean we have to accept immobility and pain. Aging can still mean running and playing! Heck, there are grandchildren to chase after!
There is no cap on improving your physical fitness. Aging doesn’t have to mean going downhill.
You can become a beast at any age and take on a ton of new physical challenges. I’ve seen it happen.
I have 60-year-old clients who have never been athletes, or really ever even worked out before, find joy in doing chain plank pulls (100 lbs chain plank pulls for that matter).
I bet you if you asked them if they’d ever be able to do something like that, they would have told you NO.
Or what about the woman who came in and lost over 50lbs and regained her ability to do cartwheels after not having done one since high school?
She wasn’t just always a super athlete.
Just because you aren’t a beast right now, doesn’t mean you can’t become one.
Give yourself a chance.
Tell yourself you CAN DO IT and start training today.
Age doesn’t have to mean we are limited! We can be beasts at any age!
If you have discovered your beastliness later in your life, share your story! Comment below and help inspire others to pursue their own “beastliness!”
Are they all just excuses?
Let’s face it, if you want something bad enough, you are going to do whatever it takes to get there.
“Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”
End of story.
And I’m getting really sick of all the excuses that we make about why we CAN’T live a healthier lifestyle.
Not enough time. Too tired. Too busy. It’s not working quick enough. Stress. I NEED the bad food. I NEED the cheat. Healthy food is too expensive. There aren’t options easily available. I don’t like it. I don’t know how. I’m just not one of those people. At least it is better…Right? I can’t do that…..
I’m pretty sure everyone out there has said at least one of those at some point.
And frankly, they are just all excuses.
We all make them, myself included, but that doesn’t change the fact that they are simply excuses – they are simply us letting ourselves off the hook for something we know we SHOULD be doing.
And we only seem to make excuses when we don’t value our goal enough. Because let’s face it, if you have a powerful reason WHY you want to accomplish something, you are going to make it happen. As I said before, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”
So if you figure out WHY your goal is truly important to you, your WILL will be strong enough to find a way.
Oh but…You DO really really want to feel like you are in better shape. You really do want to workout 3 times a week.
There just truly isn’t time for you to go to the gym.
HA!
For one, you don’t need to go to the gym. Here is a body weight workout you can do at home.
Two, you don’t need that much time to workout! Really you don’t have 15 minutes three days each week to workout!?! Really!?!
Come on!
That’s right…You DO actually have time. You just haven’t sought out a way to make it happen.
Instead you’ve just made excuses.
Same goes for healthy eating. People tell me they don’t have time to cook. Or that eating healthily is just too expensive.
Honestly, those excuses are both CRAP.
For one, it doesn’t take that long to cook especially if you just take one day and prep meals for the entire week.
Two, there are LOTS of places to buy great, healthy foods that aren’t that expensive. Even Walmart is now carrying local produce! And farmer’s markets are another great less expensive option.
Three, you can do lots of quick fixes to make things healthier without spending more money.
Can’t spring for grass-fed beef?
Fine…But make your traditionally farmed meat better by cooking it in grass-fed butter, olive oil or coconut oil.
There are small little changes you can make, that aren’t more expensive, that can make a big difference!
So take a couple of minutes this weekend and think about all of the reasons WHY you CAN’T do something.
Then make a decision…
Do you really want to accomplish your goal?
If the answer is truly yes, they buckle down and find a way to overcome the excuses.
Stop giving yourself the option to fail. Buckle down and DO IT!
Man Bicep 