Hurtin For Certain

As I wrote earlier this week, I recently started extreme endurance training with the Insanity program once again. Though I am in pretty great shape, it's been 3 days and my body is sore all over. Also, these last few evenings I've felt extreme fatigue. I know, though, that this training will get me back into endurace mode and back to where I need to be to conquer the lofty goals I have set for this summer. So, as a famous Beachbody coach, Tommy Mygrant says, I "embrace the pain" and am looking ahead to the athlete I will once again become.

All of us are at different stages in health and where we are in terms of reaching our fitness goals. If you are sore, beat up, and tired, enjoy your recovery days when they come, eat appropriately, and look forward to your results. You will get better, stronger, and faster, and you will be able to look back and see how far you've come. Keep up your hard work everyone, and "embrace the pain!" thanks for reading!

Today Leads To Tomorrow

Duh, right? Seriously, though, I want to take a moment and talk about discipline. It's a bad word to many of us, and those of us who have learned discipline have also learned we must keep practicing and getting better at it. It's no secret, though, that successful people in any category of business, athletics, education, politics, etc, are disciplined people. I used to see a successful person and try to understand their day-to-day routines, and think to myself, "Wow, but that's ALL they do..." Yeah. Exactly. But now I am realizing that it's not that originally successful people actually want to start doing some of the activities they do. However, when you feel that success...when you feel everything coming together...when the results show their head and you can start to see light...your discipline will have been the thing that has guided you to that point, and you will actually enjoy and want to keep doing the things you are doing!

Today I visited the local park district to get a lap swim season pass so that I can get in the water and start re-learning to swim and get ready for a triathlon this summer, (certainly a subject where discipline will pay off, but not what I want to discuss here). When I was in line, another gentleman was behind me and he asked for a day pass to the fitness center. He asked me if my pool pass included the fitness membership, and I explained my limitations. I said, "I actually work out at home." And he replied, "Well, as long as you do it." "Absolutely, sir," I said. This short conversation really says it all. As long as you do it. Absolutely right. With home fitness, the obvious challenge is also an advantage, so you really need discipline. Since you are at home, you may be comfortable at home, you get to doing your tasks like checking email, cooking dinner, snacking, reading, etc., and many times you will put other activities before your fitness routine, and before you know it...you've run out of time! That's what you tell yourself, anyway. The problem lies in the fact that you've let your fitness slide as a top priority and you weren't disciplined enough to make it happen. However, the beauty of a home fitness system, such as P90X, Insanity, Slim in 6...really any Beachbody system for that matter, is that each day is literally scheduled for you. All you have to do is follow directions. As simple as it sounds, that is really it. We often overthink ourselves to the point of failure.

In a book I am reading, there is a quote from Samuel Hoffenstein,

"Wherever I go, I go too, and spoil everything."

Sounds funny, but think about it. I told a new guy at work today, "You're only limited by what's in here," as I pointed to my head. People, please realize that you can be as great as you want to if you let yourself get there. Discipline, through fighting your urges, temptations, and emotions with logic will get you there. Dig deep within yourself and you will find all that you need to get you there, whatever your goals may be. I'll leave you with this quote to end the blog, taken from the book "Developing The Leader Within You" by John Maxwell:

"What you are going to be tomorrow, you are becoming today."

So, chew on that, and work on today and what you can improve. Then tomorrow do the same, and each day you will come closer to who you want to be. Thanks for reading everyone!

Back To The Asylum

Wow. I just got done with the Insanity Fit Test for my day one endurance training for the summer. I've got some lofty goals this summer including some runs, bike rides, and I'm committing to at least one triathlon this summer which means I'm gonna re-learn how to swim! Anyway, Insanity is what helped me go from 8.5% bodyfat to like 5.5% earlier in the year...in 60 days! Since then I've still been working out with P90X, some Insanity, but the most recent workouts have been a combination of P90X+, One on One with Tony Horton, and I've also had to take a few weeks off to rehab my right foot and ankle, which has set me back. Nonetheless, I ran a personal 5K on Saturday outside, and posted a 25:10 time, which will qualify me for a seeded corral in the 10 miler if I duplicate that time in the Ravenswood 5K! But I'm shootin for 20 minutes flat just for the extra challenge! So, yeah, I'm a little nuts, and today was quite a shocker. I felt so beat after the fit test today. It's an eye-opener, but if you are a serious athlete, and you think you are at the top of your game, you need to click on the title of this blog to visit my site and look to the bottom right of the screen. I'm featuring Insanity on my home page since it is my primary summer program for endurance training. Try it for a week and you'll see it's the real deal. Complete the program and you'll run circles around your competition. So, it's back to the Asylum for me...how bout you? Thanks for reading everyone!

Mixin' It Up

In your progression toward better health and through following directions, you have most likely learned (or will soon learn) how to eat and cook better, how and why to incorporate certain fitness routines and rest days into your schedule, and also how to tweak your daily schedule to fit everything in and get more accomplished. Recently, a friend and busy mom of two small children has been easing her way back into P90X, which is definitely demanding on time, but fully worth the reward of becoming the athlete you've always wanted to be. Anyway, she recently wrote to me about how she has been getting results with a modified schedule, but that she is afraid to commit to the full 90-day plan as outlined in the fitness guide. I wrote her a long comment on Facebook just now, and I thought I would share it for today's blog because you might learn something or get a new idea, or like this tweaked schedule. Whatever the case may be, if you can benefit, it's worth a share. Here it is:

Val-great job and congrats so far! If you are apprehensive about starting the full 90 days, ask yourself, "why?" if it's because you think you can't commit, then throw that out the window because look what you've done so far! This may sound funny but...are you afraid of getting awesome results?? anyway, I can't make up your mind for you, but I can say that what you're doing now is better than resting your feet on the P90X box while watching tv, right? lol..seriously, though, if the schedule you've worked out for yourself is working and you like it, than stick with it. but every 3-4 weeks, swap out some routines. P90X is very versatile once you learn how and why the workouts work and about muscle confusion, etc. so what I would say is if you like more of a cardio focus (which it seems), then here's another schedule you can tweak:

1. core synergistics
2. yoga x
3. kenpo x
4. rest day
5. plyo x
6. x stretch
7. legs and back, ab ripper x
8. rest day
9. core synergistics
10. chest, shoulders, and triceps
11. plyo x, ab ripper x
12. yoga x
13. rest day
14. rest day

As you can see this is a 14 day schedule that combines several workouts and you get a day off after every 3 days. at the end of the second week you get a full 2 days off. try 2 cycles of this and let me know how you feel after the 4 weeks and we'll go from there. otherwise, devise your own version, and whatever you do, KEEP PRESSING PLAY!!

Thanks for reading everyone! Happy Sunday!

Attitude and Motivation

Hey all! Today's call was about...you guessed it..."Attitude and Motivation". Please listen via the player below. I hope you all learn something valuable. Next week I'm going to jump right into a nutrition series based on controversies primarily from college text. Thanks for listening, and have a great week!

Step Up

(The post date on this blog is Friday the 26th, but I am writing it on the 27th as my "make up blog", just fyi. )

I definitely have some lofty goals this summer in terms of fitness challenges. I've been getting into running more, and my foot/ankle injury is finally around 90-95%, and I feel good. The finale for this season will be completing the Bank Of America Chicago Marathon, yeah-the big one, in October. I have also registered for the Fleet Feet 10 miler out of Soldier Field coming up in May, and I plan also to complete a century bike ride (100 miles), and a triathlon, which will be my biggest challenge. I am very comfy on a bike, and am getting much better with my feet on pavement, but conquering re-learning how to swim and competing will be a great challenge. Nonetheless, I am positive and besides...I can't wait to get all the t-shirts and gear from these events!! You may have some challenges yourself, and I encourage you to work your way up by completing smaller challenges.

For example, regarding my marathon and the running, I'll be doing it in steps. Earlier this week, I registered for the Ravenswood 5k, which is on April 25th. 5k is around 3.2 miles, and I have a goal. If I can complete this run in under 26 minutes, I will qualify for a seeded corral in the 10-miler out of Soldier Field. So today, I started my training for the 5k. I did a "fit test" for this by, yeah, you guessed it...completing a 5k run! My personal goal is to complete the run in under 25 minutes to ensure I will be able to qualify for the 10-miler, and today I officially completed the distance (according to my Nike+ stats) in 25:10!! Awesome! This means I would have already qualified if it was the official run! Now I am going to set my goal in the next few weeks of training to get it down under 20 minutes, which will be challenging but certainly possible. Now, after the 5k run, I will boost up my training for the 10, and then after that, the full marathon. This way, I will be able to train for the full marathon with smaller events, and I encourage you to do the same. Remember, when you commit to a challenge and can supply yourself with a concrete goal, you will know or at least have a much better idea at how to train for it. Plus, you'll end up with some cool t-shirts!! lol!! Thanks for reading everyone, and have a great weekend!

Check out my nike+ stats for this run at: http://go.nike.com/01o3bhb0

Vision and Sight

Vision. Sight. Too often these two terms are used interchangeably but actually they are quite different. In a book I've been reading, today I read about a question once asked to Hellen Keller. She was asked, "can you think of anything worse than not being able to see?" and she responded, "Having sight with no vision." Wow that really packs a punch. This occurs in our lives constantly.

Do you remember starting your first job? Any job, actually? Really, though. For me at least, there is always a level of excitement. You've worked diligently to find the opportunity, you get ready and prepare, and then it's off to the races, right? Training is always cool because you get to learn new skills and see how the business works. You get inspired and really "buy in" to the mission of the company. But there is tension when there is a gap in what you truly believe in and what leadership dictates, especially if something changes. When this happens, the vision, which is the foundation in any business/venture, is compromised. Any structure without a foundation is bound to blow down with even a light wind. Unfortunately also, when you lose the trust of your people, you will lose those people, and that's sad. Though this may only be a setback, especially since there are more people than jobs nowadays, the momentum has been lost, (the building has been blown down!) though it is possible to rebuild, the loss of momentum will sting and sometimes recovery is not possible. So the thing to really remember (in any business) is that money is never your asset. People are your assets, and this includes employees and customers. Once your product or service has been de-valued, you will lose customers. Once your vision is lost, you will lose your employees. If both of these happen, well, use your imagination. So, have sight and never lose your vision. Believe in your people, and they will believe in you. Develop leaders to help you share your dream, and the sky is the limit. Here's another quote to end with:

"it's better to train 10 people to work than to do the work of 10 people."

Have a great night everyone! Thanks for reading!

Eating Organic

I, like many of you are always in the pursuit of more knowledge and skills in the area of nutrition, and eating organic foods is definitely part of that equation. Today I was reading a great article in Men's Health that describes a lot about what "organic" really means, what the positives are about eating organic foods as well as the negatives about traditionally grown foods. I encourage you to pick up this article at some point, but here are some highlights:

What is organic? "Products given the USDA Organic stamp of approval must be made up of at least 95% percent organically produced ingredients...Any food labeled USDA Organic was grown without the aid of genetic engineering, ionizing radiation, or sewage sludge, and without pesticides disallowed for organic agriculture by the USDA. If it's meat, the animal was raised without antibiotics and growth hormones and fed and organic diet."

What does "Natural" mean? "Foods labeled "natural" aren't necessarily organic...no official standards legally define "natural" for producers or consumers. Nevertheless, the term often refers to foods with no preservatives or artificial ingredients...There is no independent confirmation of that--it's just a word that can be used on any food label."

Pro's of eating organic include cutting your risk of diabetes, decreasing global warming, reducing the chances your children will be autistic, saving the oceans from dead zones, building more muscle and burning fat, increasing your chances of fathering healthy chilidren, and more.

Here are some other facts: "Studies show that some organic foods have more diesease-fighting antioxidants than chemically farmed foods do." Also, pesticides aren't great for you, but that shouldn't be a surprise. As the article explains, "exposure to some widely used pesticides...can damage nerve cells and deplete your brain's supply of the feel-good chemical dopamine. This could potentially lead to Parkinson's desease..." Among other minuses, pesticides may lower your sperm count, cause cancer, may cause you to develop allergies, weaken your immune system, and there are many other named and unnamed minuses. Why risk it? Doesn't this make sense, though? We weren't meant to eat poison, were we? Sounds simple, but this is the basic logic that should guide you to pull out those extra couple dollars and make an investment in your health. Don't take it from me, and don't believe these quotes from the article if you don't want to or have doubts. What you should do is poke around on the web and/or in the library or bookstore for yourself, do your own research, and learn what to eat and put inside your body and get the most out of your nutrition. I encourage you to please also comment below and/or contact me with some of your gained knowledge to help me and others out in our collective quest toward better health. Thanks for reading everyone!

-note: all quotations and other content in this article were taken from the April 2010 Men's Health Magazine, from the article "15 Ways to Change The World One Apple At A Time" by Maria Rodale

Adjust Your Sail

Short, but concise message today, people. Here's another quote that is always in my mind and I often think about, and it comes from Jim Rone, who has taught me a lot even though we've never met.

"It's not the blowing of the wind that determines your destination. It's the set of the sail. The same wind blows on us all. The wind of disaster, the wind of opportunity, the wind of change...the difference on arrival is not the wind but the set of the sail..."

If we can adjust our philosophy on how we deal with what happens and not focus so much or regret what happens to us, we can help adjust and fix a path toward our goals and we can be sure to achieve success. Here is a related quote from John Maxwell in a book I have recently been reading called "Developing The Leader Within You":

"The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails."

Which category would you currently be in? Don't worry. You do not become a leader over night, but it is possible to learn how to be one. Also, if you consider yourself a leader, you also realize that by being a leader you are constantly "adjusting the sails" because of the ever changing winds blown upon you and those you are trying to successfully lead. Hopefully these quotes and thoughts have got you thinking as they definitely make me think more on a daily basis. I'm adjusting my sail, and I urge you to take actions that will help you set a better sail for your life. Don't worry about being motivated. Just begin to take the actions that the person you want to become would be doing, and you will slowly become that person, and motivation will hit you and drive you to push harder. Well, that's it for me tonight. I'll leave you with one more quote, and I will say have a great night, and thanks for reading!

"I may not be able to change the world I see around me, but I can change the way I see the world within me." -John Maxwell

 

Full Of Light

In my mind resonates a recent quote that goes something like: "In life you can be certain of difficulty mixed with opportunity..." So true. Likewise, you can be certain that there are people that are unhappy with themselves and seem to poison the area around them, or at least try to. The good thing is that for every person like this, there is at least one or two positive individuals, so it balances out in our favor, really, since we always see things brighter and negative people always see it darker! I was reading a bit of the Gospel of Matthew today, and some of it relates well.

"The eyes are like a lamp for the body. If your eyes are sound, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eyes are no good, your body will be in darkness. So if the light in you is darkness, how terribly dark it will be!" -Matthew 6:22-23, as taken from the Good News Bible

I was standing on the train platform earlier today, checking my phone for emails and updates, when I overheard an obnoxious middle-aged woman talking to her husband on the phone. She was loudly cursing and complaining that because of the "f***** idiots" standing near the top of the stairs she missed her train... I smiled and looked up, and I remember thinking, "Well, if she had left a minute sooner or walked a bit faster, or simply planned better, she would have made that train." I looked over to my left and saw a woman looking around, and it seemed we were really thinking along the same lines. I said, "Everyone wants to blame everyone else..." and she smiled and we began talking when the purple line train pulled up, which we had both been waiting for. We sat near each other and began talking. Michelle is an art/design student, and she was telling me about her class and her husband, who is an up-and-coming jockey, and I also shared with her briefly my story and about what I do as a coach. I got off at Belmont, and we exchanged some info with each other, and the encounter really made my day. Too bad for the loud angry lady that she was...well...a loud, angry lady, but this created an opportunity to meet a great person and have a nice conversation to start my afternoon. So you see, there was some difficulty mixed with opportunity, and I do hope Michelle and her husband remain in good health and continue to succeed in their lives. I even hope that the disgruntled passenger finds a level of peace and can realize that the only thing in our control is our attitude. It's so important that we remember this, and more important that we choose to have a positive attitude so that we can see light and our bodies are full of light rather than darkness. Be positive, everyone! Thanks for reading!

Re-learn How To Swim

Thanks Jeannine for letting me borrow that book! Hey everyone, Jeannine, my neighbor has challenged me to complete a triathlon with her this summer. She knows that I have been doing a bit of running and that I know my way around a bike, but I have admitted my weakness: moving through water. I remember after getting in peak physical shape last summer and having the opportunity to swim at my friend Michelle's pool. It was awkward, uncomfortable, and exhausting. I realize by reading more about how to really swim effectively that I had been going at it the wrong way. As it was explained to me, most people concentrate on flailing our arms, kicking, and keeping our head up and are really just fighting "that sinking feeling" instead of moving through the water effortlessly and efficiently like a fish or torpedo would. With some basic drills that will allow me to re-learn balance, comfort, and really a new philosophy toward swimming, I can then learn how to minimize my effort and move through the water without elevating my breathing and heart rate. This will allow me to coserve more energy for running and biking, not to mention I won't feel like I'm drowning!

Of course...you've been waiting...I AM going to tie in a universal message! Lol! Seriously folks there's a lot to learn from this to apply more generally in our lives. So often in our health and in our lives, we may feel we are "fighting that sinking feeling" instead of moving efficiently and effortlessly toward our goals. I can't stress enough the importance of mindset. Once you can adjust your philosophy on fitness and nutrition, and really your life, only then will you stop struggling and fighting to stay afloat and you will be able to "re-learn" how to eat, be active, make better decisions, and live your life to the fullest. It starts with you. You have to be willing to admit you need help before you can follow directions, and once you do, you will truly flourish and grow. Thanks for reading everyone, and have a great week!

Scheduling

Today was the second Power Call and the topic was "Scheduling". This is a topic I mentioned in last week's "Getting Started" call, and it's definitely a key in developing a successful daily routine. Below you can play and listen to this call, which is brief and to the point, and please contact me with any questions, comments, or feedback. Thanks Vinay for jumping on the call today, and please, everyone, join us for next week's Power Call. Same time, same channel. I am still working to set up my official podcast, and I'll blog about it once I do so that you can listen to these on your way to work, running errands, etc. We all have busy lives, which is why scheduling is so important. Thanks again for listening and reading, and if you haven't already, visit my coach page by clicking on the title to this blog, clicking "join" and from the chart pick a club or "try for free" to get a totally FREE membership to Team Beachbody as a member of my team. There are many tracking and support tools available, and as I mentioned in the call, "WOWY" is a huge part of scheduling your fitness, so check it out! I also mentioned "Shakeology", which is a great way to replace a meal with over 70+ whole food ingredients and it's easy to fit it in to your busy schedule, lose weight, improve your digestion... find out more at www.shakeologylife.com. Thanks again everyone, and have a great week! KEEP PRESSING PLAY!

Shuffling Patience

This Sunday is the "Shamrock Shuffle", a run marking the springtime, and to some, marking an official beginning of summer fun and athletic events. I didn't register to run, but I know some people who are running and I was considering going to support them and volunteer to pass out water. I've been nursing a sprained foot/ankle for the past few weeks, and I thought I was close to full speed. This past Sunday I did a bit too much too early and aggravated the injury, so this week I've had to force myself to abstain from my usual workouts. What doesn't help is that my job entails standing and constantly walking back and forth which makes my bad foot real are by the end of the day, so my progress has been slow.

This weekend I have plenty to do, but I will stay iff my feet as much as possible and try to maintain a level of patience that will help me rehab and recover. It's hard and surely we have all experienced situations where we know our patience and commitment to future goals include an anxious period of tedious waiting. However, we must maintain positivity and look at the opportunities that our dilemma presents. In my case, I have 2 extra hours of office and/or family time which I've been taking advantage of to get things done that I've been otherwise putting off.

To end, there's a quote from Jim Rone, I believe, that says, "life presents us with difficulty mixed with opportunity." I'm paraphrasing, of course, but that really says it all. "Shuffle" your patience, people, and look for the opportunities! Thanks for reading everyone and Happy Friday!

Stay On The Green

I just got the new Men's Health for this month, and I happened to read an interesting article about Ricky Barnes, apparently an exciting new PGA Tour golfer. A few years back he was at the top of his game and everything seemed to be going his way. He was paired with Tiger Woods and actually finished 7 strokes better than him in the Master's tournament. This is where the trouble began for him, because he admitted that "The Masters made me feel as if things would always be easy." He was complacent with his position and he allowed himself to practice and work less, and the article goes on to describe how he fell off for a few years until he started making some changes, re-examining his philosophy, and hiring a new coach who would help him open his eyes back up.

"He rmembered that success is earned, not owed." Barnes is now making a comeback, and he's doing so not because of the clubs he uses or the brand of golfballs either. It's that "stay hungry" mentality, that student's approach that is making it happen. I often tell people, "the moment you know everything is the moment you stop progressing." We need to keep open minds and soak up knowledge, challenge ourselves, and gain more and better skills to keep improving. If we do this, we will find ourselves landing in the green and avoiding the rough. Thanks for reading everyone and have a great day!

Emerald Green Day

Today I wanted to be festive. I got up, drank some Irish Breakfast Tea followed by Green Tea. I also wore a buger-green shirt instead of black to work, which worked...(in my mind at least!) I had my Greenberry Shakeology for lunch today, and really had a happy day. I had some corned beef and cabbage for dinner, and even wore the "Clean and Green" green t-shirt I designed for our neighborhood clean-up last year at home while I was chillin'. To cap it off, I received an envelope from Beachbody today. Inside it was my certificate and pin commemorating my milestone promotion of "Emerald Coach". I've been an emerald coach for a few weeks already, but this definitely made it more official, and it was fitting to get a green pin on St. Patty's Day!

Being an Emerald Coach basically means I have recruited at least two coaches who are gettin' healthy and helping others, which is only the beginning! It is the true beginning where I am starting to earn income part-time and I am helping more people every day. I can't tell you how rewarding coaching is, and how deeply committed I am to this. Since I have overcome great obstacles to make it to where I am now in my health, I only want others to succeed in reaching their health goals, and I get paid when others get healthier! It's a gift, and I am working with the greatest company in the greatest industry possibly. Together, we will turn the obesity epidemic around in Chicago, then the entire midwest, then we will join the other Beachbody coaches to revolutionize the health of this great country! It may sound crazy to you...but in my mind I and others like me have and already are achieving what we thought to be impossible in our lives, so we know that NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE! Thanks for reading everyone, and make your own luck today, whichever day it is you end up reading this--join my team today! (click on the title to this blog to link to my coach page for more info and to join my team)

High On Life

It's getting warmer in Chicago, (which if you live here is a huge deal). Today was a great day at work, and when I got off the train, I noticed the warm temperature and immediately began to feel good. While walking home, I looked up at the blue sky, took a deep inhale of Spring air, and was overcame with a natural euphoria. I noticed when walking through the bank courtyard that the guard I usually wave to in the booth was outside instead. I shook his hand and we had a moment where we shared the enjoyment of the weather. Ahhh. What a great day to be healthy. Maybe it is the Shakeology talking. Maybe it's the fact that I'm fit and I eat the most natural, healthiest foods I can find. Maybe it's knowing that each day I am closer to financial independence through helping people reach their fitness and health goals. It's probably a combination of these factors, but I know that I am grateful for each breath of life, and I no longer live like I take it for granted.

To add to this great feeling, I logged in to my Facebook account today and saw a post from one of my team members, Pat Donahue. Yes, I'm namin' names! This dude had a tank top on and I could see such a dramatic difference in his appearance that I got so pumped up! I showed my wife his previous profile pic and a pic from last summer from his album, and we compared it and it was night and day! I left him a comment, and he responded. He is in his third week of month 2 which means he's around HALFWAY through and he's lost 21 POUNDS already! Give it up for Pat. What's the secret? No secret. Work hard, focus on your goals and why you are doing this. Don't let anything or anyone stop you from doing what you need to do to reach your goals, and in this case, just follow directions, and KEEP PRESSING PLAY! Click on the title of this link to visit my coach site to learn more, and join my team today! Thanks for reading everyone!

Be Selfish Or Be Selfless

First of all, I want to thank and welcome Sasha Smith for making the decision to take charge of her health and her life and in doing so help others along the way; she just joined my team as a coach, and I got the opportunity to meet with her yesterday and help her get set up for success! What a great young woman and a great family as well. I conducted a fit test for her, and in doing so, her little brother Chris became interested in what we were doing and decided to see where he was at too! He is 13, and unfortunately, he is one of the many obese children in the United States. Fortunately, on the other hand, he has a sister and family members that care about him, and it seems like he really wants to start making improvements now. Not to mention he wants to gear up for football season coming up in the fall. Anyway, Sasha had mentioned to me that she was concerned with her brother as well as some of her family and friends, and is involved in a weight loss challenge with some of these people. Sounds like a familiar situation to me and most of you I'm sure.

The most important thing we can do is identify our goal initially, identify our reasons for wanting to reach those goals, but also I recommend thinking about and listing all of the people that you care about and that care about you. I'm sure you have a list of people, so think about this: if you don't think it's worth sticking to your plan to reach your goal for yourself, or you find you are tempted to break down and go back to an unhealthy lifestyle, then think about the people on your list and do it for them. If you aren't selfish enough to want it bad enough for your own reasons, be selfless and push harder for the people that need you in their lives. This is what I preach and this is what I practice. I understand, especially since I have committed to being a coach, that people need the guidance and example, and seeing and working with me and learning from my story shows them that it is real, and nothing is impossible. In telling my story to inspire others, "sharing is caring", but I don't tell my story to highlight my own success. Actually, I enjoy telling the stories of people that I've already been able to help, and it means so much to have had the opportunity to make a difference in someone else's life. Are you ready to set an example and be a leader for yourself? Your family? Others that need help? Click on the title to this blog and check out my site. It's never too late to start, but it's always too late to wait. Thanks for reading everyone!

Lost Sheep

This Sunday in church, the Gospel was a familiar story from Luke, and it was the story of the prodigal son. If you are not familiar with this story, it is from Luke 15:11-32, and I highly recommend reading this story and thinking about how it applies to you in your personal life. To me, it makes me think about my values and how, growing up, I was living how my parents raised me to, and my relationship with God and health was a good one. I got away from that as I grew into a young adult and squandered those values away through an unhealthy lifestyle, but now I feel I am living the life my parents and the Lord can be proud of. I feel like the prodigal son who has returned to find my Father welcoming me home with open arms, and I have been reunited with those wholesome values that I knew early in life and now am able to apply those by helping others find their way to better health and a better life. I only touched on this story briefly because I wanted to talk about a related lesson.

While going over this story in the Bible, I read a bit before this about the story of the lost sheep. The following is from the Good News Bible:

"One day when many tax collectors and other outcasts came to listen to Jesus, the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law started grumbling, "This man welcomes outcasts and even eats with them!" So Jesus told them this parable: "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them--what does he do? He leaves the other ninety-nine sheep in the pasture and goes looking for the one that got lost until he finds it. When he finds it, he is so happy that he puts it on his shoulders and carries it back home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says to them, "I am so happy I found my lost sheep. Let us celebrate!" In the same way, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine respectable people who do not need to repent." Luke 15:1-7

This is a simpler but similar story with a message like the story of the prodigal son. As a growing fitness professional, I feel it is my mission to help my team achieve success, and for most of us, that means losing weight and reaching seemingly unattainable fitness and health goals. I am already finding that much of my team takes guidance well and runs with it, but sometimes people can get off path or lost as the one sheep does in the above story. Likewise, there are many people in life that are doing well health-wise, financially, and in other areas, and they don't necessarily need the support that others might, but many of us face hardships at one point or another, and we need that guidance. I am happy to be a coach and offer that guidance and support, and when I find a lost sheep and I can carry it on my shoulders back home to help that person overcome their obstacles, I, too rejoice and tell others the good news! Also, there are times that I feel like a lost sheep myself, and my family is here to support me and bring me back home, and for that I am eternally grateful. Identify the times in your life when you've felt like a lost sheep, one of the flock, or the shepherd. What role do you play currently, and how can you be a better shepherd to your flock? If we all help each other, surely, we will all belong to a flock and also be a shepherd to others. I hope you enjoyed that, and I'm glad I could share that with you today. Thanks for reading everyone!

Getting Started

Today was our team's first official "Power Call". The topic was "getting started", and I focused in on some areas to work on, and if we work on these areas, we will improve at whatever we are doing no matter what point we are at currently. Susie Joined me on the call, and I want to highlight what she is doing. Apparently, her and some friends got together, threw some money in a pool, and decided to have a weight loss challenge, and whoever makes the most progress at the end of the challenge wins the pot! Awesome idea Susie! Hey guys, if you need motivation, often money will do the trick, and there's no shame in that. Also, no matter who wins the money, everyone would have lost weight and realized some sort of progress and would have learned in the process, which is huge. So everyone is a winner here, folks! Anyways, feel free to listen to the recorded call, and please join us next week! I will be doing a weekly Power Call on Saturday mornings at 9:30A.M. The recorded call and info to call in is listed below. Please contact me if you have any questions, or need more support and personal attention to help you reach your goals! That's what I'm here for! KEEP PRESSING PLAY everyone! Have a great weekend, and thanks for reading!

POWER CALL INFO Saturdays at 9:30AM CST Dial-in Number: 1-712-432-3100 Conference Code: 314779

Got Figs?

Each week at church, there is an insert in the bulletin called "Taking Faith Home", which lists activities and verses to look up during the week to learn from and apply in our daily lives. There was a verse assigned for Sunday that I've been thinking about all week, and it's a parable told by Jesus, and a good one at that, and I want to share it with you here.

"...There was once a man who had a fig tree growing in his vineyard. He went looking for figs on it but found none. So he said to his gardener, ‘Look, for three years I have been coming here looking for figs on this fig tree, and I haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it go on using up the soil?’ But the gardener answered, ‘Leave it alone sir, just one more year; I will dig around it and put in some fertilizer. Then if the tree bears frigs next year, so much the better; if not, then you can have it cut down.’" -Luke 13:6-9(words from the Good News Bible)

The story ends abruptly, but we can draw our own conclusions. To apply this in your life, imagine the fig tree as your goal in whatever area of your life. Maybe you're up for a promotion or interviewing for a new job or trying to lose weight. Maybe you've been going through the motions for a while, and it doesn't seem like anything is getting accomplished. Be patient, and give yourself the best chance for success. Lean on the people who support you, and do all of the little things to "fertilize" your growth in whatever areas you need to. With time and the proper activities, you are sure to reach your goals, like the tree in the story is sure to bear figs when given the proper fertilization, care, and time to fruit. Think about it, and I hope this helps you with patience in your life. Thanks for reading everyone, and happy Friday!

P.S.-Don't forget, I'm hosting the first "Power Call" for our team tomorrow morning, and everyone is welcome! Check my Wednesday blog for the info, and if you can't make it, it will be recorded. Have a great weekend either way!

Big City

As many of you know, I am developing myself and others as Beachbody coaches part-time while working full-time downtown in a healthy fast-food place called Freshii, located in Equinox on Monroe and Wells. As Jim Rone would put it, "I'm working full-time at my job, and part-time on my fortune." Anyway, it's getting nicer, and on the way home, I've started walking to Clark/Lake and sometimes all the way to Merchandise Mart to catch the brown line. It's a beautiful walk and I don't have to circle the loop in the train, so I end up getting home faster. During my walk, I listen to Muse or a personal development audio while looking to the sky and appreciating the magnitude and magnificence of this great city. I look up, (much like tourists do), to check out the tall buildings and marvel at the architectural brilliance that many of them emulate. I think to myself and wonder at the stories behind them, and the people whose dreams were realized. You see, these tall buildings were once a thought, a dream perhaps, of one or more people.

Take one building, any of the big, great buildings, and think about this. Imagine there was one main architect behind it. This individual didn't just wake up one day and draw up some blueprints and that was it. No. Rather, I believe, this individual experienced life as many of us did and are now: he went through school, met challenges he was faced with, made mistakes, grew and learned, made more mistakes, grew and learned, faced tough financial hardships, maybe interned and worked odd-jobs while learning more and more each day. Little by little, this person did the things he knew he had to do to have a chance at being a great architect. Then this person was given challenges and became very skilled. He most likely helped designed many smaller, more standard buildings, oversaw construction, made mistakes, and learned. One day, one great day, an opportunity arose and this person contributed to designing and building one of the great buildings that I now marvel at on my walk to the brown line. That building represents a dream realized, and had it not been for many dreamers, this big city wouldn't be filled with all of the historical and great buildings that make up our skyline. This is a city of dreamers, and we can all reach our dreams. When you walk through the city next time, think about this and what it means to you. What is your dream? What are the things you can do each day to bring you one step closer to that dream? Isn't it worth making the necessary sacrifices to get there? Yes, it is. And remember: nothing is impossible. Thanks for reading, everyone!

Growing Team

I am pleased to say that our team is growing, and I have decided to begin hosting a weekly "Power Call" to get the team acquainted with one another, highlight and celebrate successes and milestones, address challenges and obstacles together, and discuss a topic to develop and further ourselves through ongoing education, motivation, and support.

Here is the information regarding what will be on the call for this week:

Topic - "Getting Started"
Saturday, March 13, 2010
9:30 A.M.-10:30A.M.
1-712-432-3100 - phone number for call
314779 conference code 
  
This call is open to anyone and everyone, and I encourage you to call in. I plan to record the call because I understand everyone won't be able to make it, and I will post it on the web and/or as a podcast for review. Thanks to Jen Mangum out in Colorado for having me on a guest on one of her calls and for introducing me to this idea, and thanks to my coaches and my team and anyone I have inspired, because you are all an inspiration to me. Tomorrow I will write a regular blog, but today I just wanted to thank all of you and let you know about how this team is growing and to let you know we are headed toward success!

G.I. Tom

From time to time I take the opportunity to talk about someone influential in my life, and today I want to talk about one of my good friends from work, Thomas. Thomas, or "Tom" (although he states he doesn't like this shortened version of his name) is a break dancer and is also on my team and working out with P90X. He has seen and felt great results, and he is actually enlisting in the Army and will leave relatively soon for Boot Camp. One of the cool things to mention is that in discussing his workout routine with his recruiter, the recruiter told him that he knows since he's been doing P90X he's obviously in great shape, but to go to the scheduled class where they go over fitness to "show them what a fit person looks like". What a great compliment to him! He did admit there were some big dudes in there that excelled in some areas, but Tom posted a 12:00 2-mile run! Incredible!

Also, he recently got a membership to a gym where he and his wife workout, and he told me today that he did a P90X workout at the gym, and everyone on the machines were watching him kick @$$ and commented on his work ethic. "You're makin' us all look bad, man" one of the guys told him. Hey-if this stuff isn't a testament to the intensity and serious training you get from P90X, I don't know what is. Thomas is a very outgoing and fun guy to work with, and I consider him a good friend. I will miss him when he leaves, but I am very happy for him and his wife because they are taking steps to evolve themselves as adults and making strides towards a successful marriage and life. I wish him the best in the Army and definitely will pray for his safety, wherever he is serving and whatever job he is doing. Thanks for living the example, Tom! Thanks for reading everyone, and have a great night!

Yum!

Hey guys...short blog today cause I posted a great recipe for using up your overripe bananas. These are a healthy version of banana pancakes. Try tweaking foods you like with healthier ingredients, and the'll turn into foods you love! In this case, I used whole wheat flour and flax meal, used a less refined version of sugar, olive oil instead of butter, etc…the possibilities are endless and you can get more from your calories and feel great, too! Please share your recipes and ask questions if you got em! Thanks for reading and check out my recipe blog in my links section over on the left.

What's In Your Burger?

This blog could be really long, but I won't make it that way. Instead, I want to highlight some enlightening pieces of media that I highly recommend. A few months ago, my good friend Alpesh recommended I read "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan and watch the movie "Food, Inc." I took his suggestion and immediately ordered the book, and I finished it about a month or so ago. It was an enlightening look into the evolution of farming in America into the Industrial machine it is today and the implications and effects this has had and is having on farmers, consumers, produce, animals, and the overall health effects that it is causing. It saddens me to say that what most of us feel is the greatest country on Earth can reduce its food industry into a huge sweatshop for lack of a better term with complete disregard for the costs to health, food, and the planet. If you read one book this year, read "The Omnivore's Dilemma" to learn what you are really putting into your body. Today, my wife and I watched the movie, "Food, Inc." which is much of the information from the book and some shocking truths about why this industry is the way it is. Again, very enlightening, and if you watch one film this year, make it "Food, Inc." And don't do it for yourself if you don't feel you care enough or want to remain ignorant like the food industry wants you to. Do it for your children and the children being born and living today that have to eat and drink foods produced from the mockery of nature we call the food industry today. We can change this for them one meal at a time, so educate yourself and start helping America get healthier now. Click on the title to this blog to link to the site mentioned in the film and learn more. Thanks for reading everyone!

Great Soul

Recently I have been reading a suggested book on leadership called "Developing the Leader Within You" by John Maxwell. It is definitely a great read and quite the page turner, especially to and from work on the L. Maxwell talks about leadership as being defined many different ways by many different people, but the most basic and true definition is "the ability to obtain followers". Very simply put, but this is very logical. In the past and present, there are positive leaders and negative ones, leaders that make contributions to society and those who are a detriment as well. One of the leaders named was Gandhi, and last night, the movie "Gandhi" just happened to be on T.V., so I took the time to watch it.

Now there are many things I can mention about the movie, but I want to talk about what impacted me and what I observed about the character of this great human being. The first thing is that Gandhi wasn't who he became to be overnight, and none of us really are. He had an original goal of getting his people out of jail, and he succeeded with this. From here, I believe he began to think about what he could achieve on a bigger level, and by devoting himself 100% to his ideals, he was able to achieve this over a lifetime. He believed in order to represent India, he had to live like the people lived, impoverished and humbled, and through this he was able to feel what he represented, and also the people could believe in him because he wasn't just another politician. He sacrificed so much for the sake of his people and his country, and he wasn't passive, but nonviolent in his approach. Through media and a worldwide following, he was able to reveal what was really happening through British tyranny, and eventually, the country became independent, although the Muslim and Hindu conflict caused two independent nations of Pakistan and India instead of the dream of one united nation. Regardless, Gandhi was a great leader because of his dedication to his ideals and the ideals of his people. He led and inspired his people instead of lobbying for any political agenda, and through his profound consistency of character and what he believed in, he was able to gain millions of followers and admirers, and they called him "Mahatma" which means "Great Soul". Gandhi is definitely a historic figure that led by example, and there is much to learn from his writings, actions, and beliefs, and I will aim to learn more. If you haven't seen the movie, I suggest you do this if you have the desire to lead in any area of your life (i.e. parenting, business, sales, coaching, etc.), and I guarantee you will learn something as well as learn more about real human history. Thanks for reading everyone!

Stressful Adjustment

A while back, I had finished some rigourous runs, the last of which was my second 10-mile run logged on Nike+. After that day, I experienced tremendous pain in my right foot in the arch and ankle areas. I thought this may have just been muscular pain due to the extreme exercise, but it hasn't fully went away. On recovery weeks and when I was sick recently, the pain subsided substantially, but the other day after my Plyometrics and 30-minute run combo, much of the pain came back, and I've been popping ibuprofen and applying Icy Hot, etc. Yesterday I was reading some study materials for my personal training certification test (no tentative date yet) and I learned through various descriptions of injuries that I most likely have a stress fracture. This is common after intense use and overuse, and the foot is one of the most likely areas.

I am in the middle of a scheduled P90X+ program currently, however, rather than perpetuate the injury and risk more serious damage not to mention taking hits in performance in the upcoming runs I have planned, I have decided to take a break from the set program and design something that will incorporate cardio and strength training to keep up my fitness level while toning down the heavy impact and stress on my foot. Below is what I have planned for the next 2-3 weeks, and I am posting this as an example for some of you who have injuries. Please let me know if you have a different injury or condition you are challenged with, and I will help you to find a workaround for it. Thanks for reading!

mon  -  upper body weight lifting/abs (custom using bench/no standing lifts!)
tue  -  spinervals (cycling training dvd)
wed  -  "X Stretch" (from P90X)
thurs  -  10-mile spinning (or outdoor ride)
fri  -  upper body weight lifting/abs (same as mon)
sat  -  "Fountain Of Youth" (1on1 w/Tony Horton)
sun  -  full rest day

Good Stuff!

I've had several conversations regarding some of the great things Beachbody has to offer as far as nutrition goes, and I have to say I've had the opportunity to use many of this, and I'd like to post some reviews for you today.

1. P90X Results and Recovery formula - This is hands down my favorite for the extreme workouts of P90X, P90X+, INSANITY, One on One, etc. I get the packets and drink a recovery drink every day after my workout. It tastes great and has everything my body is craving after the rigorous workouts. I highly recommend this as an essential part of your post-fitness nutrition.

2. P90X Protein Bars - with 20 grams of protein, these are all delicious and pack an awesome amount of bang for your buck. I use these as my afternoon meal, and if you are on the lighter side, you may want to eat only half since each bar is 270 calories.

3. Shakeology - I alternate between greenberry and chocolate, and I still can't decide which one is more delicious! This is absolutely the best nutrition in a meal possible on earth! My digestion and mental focus is better, and it gives me the energy I need to work through the lunch rush at work. My mom, dad, mother-in-law, and wife are also replacing a meal with Shakeology, and they have noticed dramatic improvements in their health as well. It's absolutely worth the price. Think about it...what has your latte done for you lately?...and what good is a $7 salad? Shakeology is less than 4 bucks a meal for the best nutrition on Earth, and I wouldn't tell you that unless I use and believe in it!


Well, there are some nutrition reviews for you. Click on the title to this link to go to my coach site and check out all this stuff at my store! Beachbody often has deals goin' on so feel free to ask me about anything you are interested in! Thanks for reading everyone!

Testimonials!

Today I received a testimonial of progress from one couple, who are trainees of mine. They have recently started P90X together, and I must say this is an awesome thing! As individuals, we have the potential to do many things, but together as a team with others, if we reach towards the same goal or dedicate ourselves to a similar ideal, nothing is impossible. I'd like to share this testimonial with you since it is fresh, but there are countless others that have their own stories to share as well. Do you have a story to share? Send it to me! (Click on the title to this blog and link to my coach page. Go to contact and write me there! Thanks!) If you don't yet have a story, but are looking to improve your health and your life, contact me and join my team today! Here's the testimonial:

"Hi Mike,

Just  a quick update.

WOW what a tough work out these are.  So my husband and I decided that we were a bit to heavy and out of shape to just jump right in. 

Sunday the 21st we prepared meals from your phase 1 fat shredder plan and walked, did pull ups and sit ups all week.  By sunday the 28th, James lost 6 lbs and I lost 4 lbs.

Last Monday we started the CD's, and man are we sore.  James has been able to get through 45 mins and I am only making about 30 mins, but we are not going to stop.

We talk about our food and how much and were it hurts and what's on the work out for that night everyday.

So far so good.  I will send you another update after this week.

Tina & James Campbell"

Thanks to Tina and James for staying committed and congrats to them on their progress so far! I hope you are inspired as much as I am by this update, and I hope to hear from some of you very soon! You can do it...WE can do it! Thanks for reading everyone!

Great Friends

This morning I was checking my Facebook page on the way to work and noticed my best friend Tony had left me some very inspirational messages that really helped me to realize how much support I have from him as well as my other friends and family. It means so much to have great friends and a great family. It means even more to know that you are supported in your actions, your beliefs, and in pursuing your goals. Family and friends are the people that mean the most to me, and I know for you this is true as well. I hope all of you have great support systems in place in your families, and likewise I hope you offer your support in return because it means a lot to those people as well. I'm going to keep this short, because there isn't really much more to say. Thanks to all of you who are close to me, because great friends are hard to come by, and I miss some of my great friends of the past who have lost touch or who have passed away. And thanks, Tony, for dropping me those posts today; it really meant a lot, and I appreciate you. Thanks for reading everyone!

Cost vs. Price

When thinking about buying a new product, do you ever compare cost and price? "What's the difference?" you are probably wondering. Well, for example, if you are looking to buy a new blender, for example. Let's say you are comparing a $15 Hamilton Beach blender to a $40 Oster blender. (I owned a cheap Hamilton Beach blender, and now I own an Oster blender, so I am using this comparison). The initial price of $15 looks appealing. The two have similar features--they crush ice, they both make smoothies, etc. Let's say you buy that cheaper one. Well, a month or two in, you turn the bottom where the blade screws in to the pitcher a little too hard, and the plastic cracks on the pitcher. You look into buying a new pitcher for the thing, and you can't find one. Even if you could, it would be about the same price for a new blender, right? So now you go back and buy the Oster blender, which is made from thick glass and is simply better quality. You end up using this one for a few years, (let's say 3 for this example's sake). Barring that you don't burn out the motor or break the glass, the whole thing will not break easily on you and you have a solid product. So you had the Hamilton Beach Blender at the price of $15, but you only had it for two months, so it cost you $7.50/month. When you bought the Oster blender at a price of $40, and you were able to get 3 years out of it, it ended up costing you about $1.11/month. Now, if we compare the cost, which one has a better value to you?

Think about this. And think about price vs. cost in another way. Most or all of you reading this know that I market and sell home fitness and health products, depending on the needs of my trainees/customers and what will work as a solution for them. What I suggest to you may seem a bit much as far as price goes, but surely you should see that for whatever the price and/or cost of products that will vastly improve your health and quality of life, you will get a superb value when comparing this to the cost of things you will most likely need in the future if you don't decide to take care of yourself and make some wise purchases now. Things like...diabetes testing supplies, blood pressure medicine, doctor and hospital visits, sleep apnea machines, and other medical supplies. You get what I'm saying? So make an investment in your health today that will save your health and save you money in the future. I don't know about you, but I'd rather enjoy my life rather than simply preserving it. How bout you? Thanks for reading everyone, and have a great night!