Stay Committed

You recognized at some point you weren't where you wanted to be. You saw what things could be like. You made a decision to improve, and you may have taken some steps activity-wise that will help you get there. Now it's on you and your commitment to yourself. So how committed are you? One of the questions I ask all of my clients is somewhat of a multiple choice, and goes like this:

"Which of the following best describes your commitment to your goals?

 I wish to... I hope to... I'd like to... I'll try to... I want to... I'm committed to..."

So where do you stand? If you can't say "I'm committed to" without hesitation, it's time to analyze your motivations. Why do you want to reach your goal in the first place? Whatever that reason is, it should make you hunger for success. Then when you can truly commit, nothing will be able to stop you. This includes sacrificing many things, possibly even things you are doing on a daily basis. But you can't expect different results if you are doing the same things, right? That's enough from me today--check out this article by clicking here or on the title to this blog. This article is about your commitment level and is from my Daily Spark newsletter. Sign up for health and weight loss support at sparkpeople.com. Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Endless Rewards

When I began personal training, I admit that one reason was to have unlimited access to the gym for my own benefit as well, however, I have found it has been challenging to train myself the way I want to while making sure my clients are taken care of. I don't have an issue with it because it has been so rewarding to witness even so far some of the changes that my clients have undergone. Some of my clients have already been able to lose a bit of weight, become stronger, and have increased their endurance. Those are the physical changes, though. The changes that have been more profound and noteworthy are the internal, mental changes. Recently, one of my clients called me to postpone an appointment but told me what he had planned to do on the days we would not see each other. Another client has been seeing results by doing workouts and exercises that we had gone through, taking classes, and simply changing her habits. She is noticing results, and we are progressing, and she has stated her own realization that her mindset is evolving, even stating improvements in posture, lifestyle, and work performance. These people have made a true commitment to their health, and I am so excited to be a part of their lives and achievements.

Do you love what you do for your clients in your business? Do you love helping people? If so, you would agree that the sacrifices you find yourself making are easy decisions. It is well worth it to see someone else develop and be part of that development. Service to others leads to greatness, as paraphrased from so many leaders. We can do good for ourselves, which is fine, but when we help others and more importantly empower them with knowledge, self-confidence, and purpose, the rewards are endless. What can you do today to make a positive difference in someone else's life? You'd be surprised, but even a smile to a stranger on a crowded train, opening the door for someone, or helping a tourist find the way to his/her destination are a few small ways that make and "O.K." day into a great day. I hope you are excited for today; I know I am! You have a wonderful day, and thanks for reading!

2 Day Realizations

Today and yesterday I have been going through a Shakeology cleanse. This is a high-nutrient, low calorie 1-3 day cleanse which helps the body work the "junk" out of it and also gives a cleaner, lighter, less bloated feeling. For me, the nutrients I have been receiving through the Shakeology, fruit, and other allowed meals have been sufficient. The hardest part is the caffeine withdrawal. I feel sluggish, slow, and my mind has been drifting. I even fell asleep on the train a few times which I haven't done in a while. I've been getting enough sleep, but I know that my morning coffees have become quite a routine, and not such a non-healthy one either. I feel the caffeine keeps me alert and on my toes, and 9 times out of 10 I don't opt for an afternoon coffee so I'm not up late for no reason. The withdrawal from coffee for 2-3 days definitely helps to bring my tolerance back down and helps "reset" my system, but I find it has hindered my ability to work and perform at a high level. I am going to finish up tonight and go back to somewhat regular eating habits, including my morning coffee. The concern here is not for myself really, but more for my clients. They need me to be on my "A" game at all times, and I don't plan on letting them down because I want to challenge myself to deprive calories. Also, I am ready to continue putting the miles on to prepare for the marathon. 10-10-10 is the date...I can smell the finish!

Do you live on coffee and other processed foods? You may need a break, and I do suggest trying the Shakeology cleanse for at least 2 but no more than 3 days. Make sure you aren't working, though, as the withdrawal from coffee and other "energy" drinks as well as the severe calorie restriction may leave you tired, unfocused, and with a headache. You will definitely enjoy the day 4 breakfast, and you will feel lighter and more refreshed!  Let me know if you have any questions, and contact me for support. Thanks for making a commitment to your health and to yourself, and thanks for reading!

Lean Days

This Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, I am once again taking some time to "cleanse". I am utilizing Shakeology as 3 meals per day while fitting in a piece of fruit and a greens salad with lean protein for the other two meals. All in all I will be taking in somewhere between 800 and 1000 calories, much less than I am burning. The point of this is to get rid of the bloat and extra water weight and to "lean up". It is good to let your digestive system clear out every now and then while also eliminating other "junk" such as caffeine, sodium, and highly processed foods that gunk up our systems. The hardest part is getting through the day without caffeine, especially day one. I'm not going into much detail in this blog, but I highly encourage you to look into this version of the cleanse as it may help you jump-start a diet plan, break a plateau, or just get you "cleaned up" after a party weekend or simply years of unhealthy eating habits and poor diet choices. This is only 3 days and you will feel much better, especially when getting that day 4 breakfast in! Check out my previous blog post regarding the details of this cleanse here, and contact me with any questions. Learn more about Shakeology by clicking on the title to this blog. Have a great day, and thanks for reading!

Thank God

Today was the 40th anniversary of the church I grew up in, New Life Lutheran Church, in Bolingbrook, IL. I drove out yesterday morning to join my parents and brother for a special service and the luncheon that followed. It was awesome to see people I haven't seen in a long time, especially those I haven't seen since my age was a single digit number! I got to see the pastor that baptised me, my mom, and brother, and his wife who both were great influences on our early Christian lives. The luncheon and fellowship was fun as well, but the thing that was very special to me was being at this service and noticing the changes that abound. From music selection to bulletin layout, many things are similar and recognizable, but have evolved with the people and the church. Seeing my parents in the choir singing, I really appreciated all that they have done to raise my brother and me. They are a special couple and have their problems and obstacles like we all do. What has always been constant is their love for my brother and me, and their drive to give us the greatest life we could have asked for. I realize that it is not about having a whole lot of things or being able to afford everything monetarily. We got what we truly needed: love, care, and attention, and two parents committed to each other, a rarity these days. I want to thank God for them and for all of the opportunities that I've been given. I appreciate the hardships in my own life as well as all of the abundant blessings. Thank God, and thank you for reading!

Learn More

A couple hours ago I completed the Susan Komen Race For The Cure 10k run. It was a good tune-up race for the marathon coming up in two weeks as well as a good cause and a reminder that my mom is a cancer survivor! I ran in her honor today, and for that I feel good. On the path, however, there were a couple things bothering me. First was my achilles, which has been giving me pain all week, and I've been nursing it. I found, however, that it loosened up a bit, and I was confident to move faster through the race. It was chilly! It was in the sixties, but boy did it seem cold, especially compared to all the other training and competitive runs I've completed so far this season. My breathing was slightly affected, but I believe my muscles took a bit longer to warm up, too. The thing that bothered me above all, though, was being beaten by my boss. My manager, Drew, challenged me to this race less than two weeks ago, and he's also been talking a lot of mess. I've been beating him in the longer runs all season, including the Soldier Field 10-miler and two half marathons, and I was sure I'd pass and beat him to the finish. Now, the official chip times haven't been posted and I did start a bit behind, so I'm not sure exactly where we ended up. Nonetheless, I feel defeated and humbled by this outing, and I have learned a lot so far. "You learn more in losing than winning..." the voice of Jim Rone has been echoing in my head, and he is correct! I have been imbelishing in late-evening snacks of dried fruit and such and also haven't been as disciplined as in the past as far as consistent planning for training and eating, although I will make adjustments to help me in the next couple weeks. I'm still pretty lean, but I am 3-5 lbs heavier than I'd like to be for running purposes. I will make some adjustments, so this was a great tune-up race!

Evaluate your performance at work, in your family life, and in your health and fitness. I'm sure you have some areas that you feel you are "losing" at or may not be at your best. Step back and analyze what you are doing, and find ways to improve in areas, and you will surely improve. Planning is the key. Spend more time planning than actually executing, and your performance will improve tremendously. Please share an event where you feel you've "lost", and explain how you felt, what you learned, and where you went from there. Please share below in a comment so we can all learn with you! Have a great day everyone, and thanks for reading!

My Achilles

So I'm writing this on Sunday as a make-up blog, but I wanted to write about working through injury. Early this week, on Tuesday, I decided to get in some cross-training, and it was a very ambitious cross training session at that. I began my workout by running a treadmill 5k at time trial speed. Then, I completed a strength circuit and hit the treadmill again for another 5k time trial. I completed another different and extreme strength circuit and finished the workout off with-you guessed it-a 5k time trial. It was awesome, sweaty, hardcore, and yes, it hurt! Literally, I felt like I overdid it when I experienced pain in my left achilles tendon. It made me hobble a bit, and I really noticed it the next morning on the walk to work from the train stop. "Oh no," was my first thought as I began calculating how to deal with this and still complete the 10k on Saturday and still be cool for the marathon I've been planning all season, which is on October 10. Tendon injuries, especially the Achilles on a runner, don't heal as quickly as muscle. One major reason is that there isn't as much blood around the tendon as there is around the muscle, and another reason, especially in this case, is that I can't truly rest this tendon since I'm at least walking around all the time. I decided to continue cross training by doing strength training that didn't involve running or anything involving the lower leg/foot. I took advantage of the opportunity created by this difficulty by swimming on a couple days. This allowed me to get in some cardio, work on my swimming, and helped me to maintain an athletic schedule while taking impact out of the equation. I actually ended up running in the 10k and though I'm still sore, the run actually seemed to loosen up the tight, injured tendon, and I am still confident about finishing the marathon in a couple weeks.

If you face injury or other adversity, don't be down! Instead, take a moment to analyze what you can do, and seize the opportunity to do different activities that you now are able to turn to since you have been limited. We will always have a mix of difficulty and opportunity in our lives, and it is imperative to take advantage of the opportunities we do have instead of dwelling on the ones we don't. Stay positive, and enjoy life! Thanks for reading!

Tackling Fears

Today I had an opportunity to help someone get over some fears. No, not spiders and snakes! Seriously, though, a new client was apprehensive about a specific weight machine. It might have something to do with hanging and not feeling safe although she was supported from below. It might have something to do with her fear of not being able to complete the exercise. It may just be fear of the unknown, and admittedly, she was outside her comfort zone for many of the other exercises as well. Today we broke ground. She needed me to give that little extra push and to set an expectation. I also believe I helped her believe in her ability to complete the exercise, and I wanted her to realize I was there to spot her if she needed it. In doing so, we were able to squash some of her fears, and she seemed more comfortable near the end of the session.

Is this you? Can you identify with this both in and out of the gym? In every day life we face fears. We are apprehensive. Sometimes it is our doubt in ourselves that keeps us from completing a task. Much of the time we don't like to be outside of our comfort zone. A different client discussed with me yesterday about his meeting at work, where he introduced the fact that changes were coming. He told me people were nervous, and that it created discomfort. I understand this, and you most likely do to. Once we understand and identify that changes need to be made, even if we don't like it, we must implement small changes and constantly evolve. We can't expect different results and progress if we continue doing the same activity. So challenge yourself, and don't be afraid to ask for help. Keep progressing and tackling your fears, and you will surely keep moving forward. Have a great day, and thanks for reading!

Psyched Out

This weekend I'll be running in the Susan Komen Race For The Cure 10K event. My boss actually challenged me to this race as a "tune-up" race before the marathon. He has been quite diligent in his training, and he will be trying to beat me here. He is a taller guy, and last year he was real bulky and muscular, but since the spring has been getting down to more of an endurance athlete's build to help his run times and to prepare for the Urbanathlon in October. We both raced in the Soldier Field 10-miler, the 13.1 half marathon, and the Chicago half marathon. I was ahead of him by about 6 minutes or so in the Chicago half marathon, the most recent race, and am confident I can stay ahead, especially since I have been ramping up my mileage to prep for the marathon. That said, I haven't been doing as much speed training, but I should still be good to go.

Over the past week or so, we've been getting competitive in the gym, exchanging stares and checking each other out. I gave him that gesture of pointing to my eyes then pointing at him as to say, "I'm watching you!" It has been fun, but I have to admit he has been doing his best to psych me out. Yesterday he came in and he asked me what I was down to, referring to my weight. "I don't know," I said, "150 give or take a pound or two." "You're looking a little heavier," he said, or something of that nature, and told me he had lost about 10 lbs. over the past 2 weeks. I do have to admit I've been tempted by the before-bed dried fruit as a sweet snack, and I haven't been watching the evening calories as much as I should, but I'm still pretty lean. I have to admit, I did work much harder on my cross-training workout, and did very well as far as my calorie discipline. So whatever he did, it's working. When I told him today that he was psyching me out, he said, "I don't know--sounds like you're psyching yourself out." Hmmm. Maybe. Is it bad, though? Sometimes we need an extra push from someone to "psych us out" of our perceived complacency. Always look to improve, especially on the disciplines that have gotten you so far. In this case, getting back into a solid routine of planned, rigorous workouts with optimal nutrition and precise nutrient timing. This spans into your workplace, too--what have you been lax on, and what could be tweaked and improved? Remember, even when we're driving straight we have to make those small steering adjustments to stay on the road. Keep making those adjustments, and keep moving forward! Have a great day, everyone, and thanks for reading!

The Importance of A Coach

Why is it important to have a "coach"? Everyone has different goals, but it is very important to have someone that has succeeded and is knowledgeable in the areas you are trying to work in. More importantly, a coach can be someone to hold you accountable, give you support, and be there to help you through obstacles as well as celebrate your achievements with. Today I read a great newsletter from ziglar.com, and it goes into more detail. Click here or on the title to this link to check out the newsletter, and please comment below on what you think. Do you have a coach? Do you need one? Is reading this blog enough for you, or would you like me to give you more one-on-one support? Please let me know as that's what I'm here for! Keep working hard, have a wonderful, positive day, and thanks for reading!

Unplug The Knots

While listening to "Success With A Positive Mental Attitude", the audiobook of the original written text, I came across this story, which I thought I'd paraphrase and share with you today:

For years a man had been ordering firewood from the same company. The man at the company knew that the man needed the wood cut to a certain dimension, otherwise the logs wouldn't fit in the fireplace, and the wood was always delivered as ordered, on time, and to the size specified. One day the wood was delivered while the man was out. When he got home, he noticed the wood was too large to fit in his fireplace, and he called the man at the company. He explained the wood was too large and asked that it be cut down to size. "That would cost more than the whole shipment itself," the man at the company told him, and refused to fix the job. The man, keeping a positive mental attitude, decided to cut the wood himself. During the process, he saw in one of the logs a huge knot that had been plugged. He unplugged the hole and in it he found over $2,000 in old, brittle, 50 and 100 dollar bills!

The story goes on to elaborate more, but think about this. If the company had continued to do its due diligence in getting the job done right, the odds are that they would have found this money, right? So you could assume that it would have been well worth the extra work, even if it was after the original delivery. I don't really know whether this story is true or not, but it doesn't matter. Let this be an analogy for you in your health, fitness, career, and other tasks and responsibilities. Be detailed and maintain quality in your work, and you will truly be rewarded! Likewise, if you are on the other end, be positive and don't get discouraged when you get a raw deal, for you will be rewarded for your positive approach, humility, and dealing with your own issues. After all, it is only your attitude and actions that you have control over. Don't let someone else ever ruin your day. If you haven't read the book, I encourage you to pick it up or order the audiobook from audible.com. Start your week off with a great attitude, and thanks for reading!

What Got You Here

"It's hard work that gave me success in college, and it's hard work that will help me succeed in the NFL."

Matt Forte, the Bears running back, made this statement in an interview when discussing his work ethic in preparation of this season. It's true--many of us are successful in different areas of our life including career, family, sports, health, etc. Often our success may plateau or even decline, and we wonder, "why?" Take a look back and analyze what got you past success. Is there a difference in the passion and drive that you had at that point in time and now? Most likely there is. It will help to revisit thoughts like this often, especially when facing a tough challenge such as completing a long project, losing weight, etc. So think about what got you here in the first place, and re-establish your work ethic and skills and keep working to improve. You can never learn too much, and though you can strive towards mastery, a true master always believes improvements can be made. Have a great day, and thanks for reading!

On The Level

"I wish I could...I hope I can...It would be nice to...I really want to..." What's the common theme here? All of these phrases are types of things I hear when people describe their health and fitness goals. Also, none of these statements issue a commitment. These are the types of statements that describe daydreams, aren't they? It is good to dream and envision promise, but this will only get you that far if you never truly commit and make changes. What level are you on with your health and fitness commitment? Is it different than the commitment you've made with your family? If it is, I challenge you to reconsider. If you truly care about your family, you would agree that you'd do anything to be there for them, wouldn't you? And if this is the case, you must see that maintaining your health through fitness and nutrition is essential to your being there for your family. Think about it this way, and make that commitment that seems so difficult. Once you do, take the next step by contacting me to get a fitness assessment and to pin down your goals and create a game plan to get you on track. What level are you on? Have a great day, and thanks for reading!

Solutions Not Sales

Many of you admittedly are in sales. Acutally all of us are selling every single day! Selling ourselves, our ideas, our wants and needs even. Do you have children? They are some of the best salespeople there are! Think about it--when was the last time you had to convince someone to go to one restaurant over another? Movies? Shows? The list goes on. Odds are you either downplayed the other choice and/or explained how and why the choice would benefit the other person, right? How successful are you at this? Some of us are real good at convincing people we care about to go one way on certain topics, but at work sales are mediocre. If this is you, then you must be using different techniques! If you are selling products and services, then stop! Ask your prospect questions. Divulge a bit of information about yourself. Learn about them, their personality, and why they are talking with you in the first place. Also, think about it this way: When you go bed shopping, do you really want a bed? No. You want a good night's sleep, right? And that's precisely what you buy, especially if the salesman is good. He/she will explain why you will sleep so much better, have less back pain, and be healthier on a particular bed, right? Today I will be grocery shopping. I am buying food, but what I'm really buying is nourishment for my body. I'm buying fuel and athletic performance. I'm purchasing energy, really. And I am sure to buy the absolute best forms of energy I can! Not to turn this into a blog about nutrition today, but what type of fuel are you buying? 87 octane or 93? Think about it next time you go shopping, and I'll leave you with this:

"You will make much more money and be much more successful solving problems than you will ever be selling products." -Zig Ziglar (I believe I heard it from him anyway)

Have a great day everyone, and thanks for reading!

Race For The Cure

I'm so glad to have my mom around. Thanks to successful cancer treatments, surgeries, therapies, and preventative medicine, she has survived for over 10 years! I have decided to run the Susan Komen Race For The Cure next weekend to tune up for the Chicago Marathon coming up and also to support this great cause! Please help by clicking on the title to this blog or here to check out my official page for this event. Thanks for your support and donations as every dollar helps! Let's keep moms like mine healthy and surviving this horrible disease! Thanks everyone! Short and sweet today...have a great night and thanks for reading!

Takin' It Easy

As the date of my first marathon inches closer and closer, I am ramping up the running mileage to condition my muscles and my mind for the daunting distance I will face. Yesterday, I needed to get a nine mile "easy run" in. This means I need to slow down the pace and get pure mileage in. I usually run what's known as a "dress rehearsal" which means I am running just as I would in a competition setting--pushing my limits and working to imrove my pace and time at a given distance. This is okay, but not appropriate for getting miles in. One of the greatest challenges is getting to race day without injury, and running races every day will surely prove detrimental as training. Anyway, I also needed to get a haircut yesterday, so I plotted a course from the gym to my barber shop configuring a nine-mile route and just ran to the barber shop! Two birds with one stone! It worked out well, and I found myself pacing around 10-15 beats under my usual race cruising heart rate. It was a beautiful day, so I just zoned out to the music and tried my best to keep a consistent pace. When I finished, I was not worn out, not hurting, and I understand what "easy running" is all about. I will do another easy run today and also this week I have a speed workout, a long run, and some rest, recovery, and cross training as well. I am testing out the iphone application from Runner's World Magazine, "Smart Coach", which customizes a running training schedule based on your timeframe, how many miles you can put in per week, and even provides goal paces based on your recent race time. Check it out by clicking on the title to this blog. Have a great day everyone--"take it easy!" Thanks for reading!

Leadership And Management

Are you a manager or a leader? Do you feel you are both? In the job title sense, managers are responsible for making business work through organization, developing personnel, scheduling, and so on. Most likely, they manage one or two leaders--these are the people who embrace their jobs/roles and excel. They do the things they know need to be done in order to succeed. They may not like or enjoy these activities and tasks, but the focus is not and should not be on the activity itself, but rather the results. Often times, however, leaders are not as good as managers. Leaders, like everyone else, need organization and guidance. Leaders have the motivation and discipline, but need the direction to take them to greater heights. A great manager will be able to guide their leaders (or themselves) through the activities that will help bring out the greatness in the leaders.

This translates into areas other than business, such as in the community, church, family life, etc. Do you feel you are a leader? If so, how are you managing this? For me, I have to constantly work toward better management of time, processes, and prioritizing. I have done well in my own independent ventures, but I do recognize I produce the best when I am managed and coached by others. For example, I am both an Independent Beachbody Coach as well as a Personal Trainer in a fitness club. I am ramping up to full-time very quickly in the gym while my coaching business is slow and steady but not progressing as much at the moment. I'm fine with that, but I do recognize it has a lot to do with the fact that my self-management is not as proactive as my management at the gym, even my own time management is geared mostly toward my clients at the gym. Again, this is okay for now and appropriate, but I wanted to give a recent example. Does this happen to you? Are you a better manager or do you see yourself as a leader? Are you both? Take some time to think about this in the areas of life that are important to you, and if you identify more leadership traits, work to manage yourself better through scheduling, activities, and accountability that will help you develop more. If you are a better manager, think about what it means to be a leader and how you can take action to develop those skills. Think of it this way:

"Not 'you go do it' but 'let's go do it'" - Jim Rone

 Have a great day and thanks for reading!

Yelp Brunch

As I mentioned yesterday, I completed the Chicago Half Marathon. I beat my previous time though my goal is to break into the 1:20's for that distance. Anyway, I have done a few runs, and we have been creating sort of a tradition of going out for brunch after leaving the race/festival. My mother-in-law has been joining me solo on these last two events, which we had to get up real early for. Yesterday we decided to go some place different, and we found ourselves on Clark Street driving through Andersonville when we came across Charlie's Ale House, which had a weekend brunch sign. We decided to try it out. It was very clean in the dining room and the bathroom, and we were served right away. The coffee was delicious, fresh, and hot, and the food was the same. My mother-in-law got Salmon Benedict which had a generous portion of salmon, soft poached eggs, and just enough hollandaise for flavor, not smothered like in typical waffle houses, etc. I decided to get the breakfast burrito, which was little more than a generous portion of scrambled eggs, onions, bell peppers, and some beans, which I asked for. There was not a drop of grease or oil to be found which was awesome, and the roasted salsa went well. The potatoes were great, and again, no grease! Afterward, we even split a few pancakes with some fresh fruit, and those were fluffy and delightful as well. (I treated myself!!) We will be going back there for brunch again...I gotta run more races!! Stop in and try Charlie's out as it is a more refined alternative to the usual greasy spoon. That's my yelp moment! Have a great day everyone, and thanks for reading everyone!

Think Improvement

Today I ran the Chicago Half Marathon, which means yet another event in my debut season as a runner. That makes four total, including the Ravenswood 5k, the Soldier Field 10 Miler, the 13.1 Series half marathon, and now finally the Chicago Half as well. My season will culminate soon with the completion of the Chicago Marathon on 10.10.10. These halves are no joke, so I know that I have much preparation to go, but I do have a training plan to get me there. These half marathons and training for them has taught me a few things--how to push myself, where to keep my heart rate, how to draft and/or find someone to keep pace with or allow me to recover, and plenty of other things. I started to supplement during the race with more-or-less the Results and Recovery Formula from Team Beachbody. This has an appropriate blend of carbs, protein, vitamins, electrolytes, etc. to replenish what the body is using up and to help recovery and to stay in the game. One thing I have noticed when training and running with this formula is that around mile 10-11, I get this "gotta-go" bellyache and it actually effected my run today as well. Before, I attributed this to just a common bathroom break, but it has been consistent, and though I did push through, I believe it is effecting my performance. I theorize it is the fructose in the formula that is upsetting my stomach, so I will explore other options such as endurance formulas, gels, or perhaps even my own concoction. Overall I am happy to have issues like this now so when the marathon comes, most or all of the kinks will be out and I'll be at my best.

I encourage all of you to keep thinking during activities such as training, events, etc. What do you notice? What is your body telling you? What could you be eating more/less of to encourage optimum performance? Are there lifestyle sacrifices that you could make to help you improve yourself? Also, though these questions are geared toward athletics and sports, they will definitely translate into daily life as well as your career and job performance. Think about it! Have a great day everyone, and thanks for reading!

No Stones

A potential new client I will meet soon has recently had her gallbladder removed due to issues with gallstones. I decided to do some research to educate myself about these issues, surgery, etc, and I found some pretty interesting stuff. Your gallbladder essentially helps your body process excess fats by housing and regulating bile, a "digestive juice" created by the liver. It excretes this via thin ducts into the small intestine to aid in the digestion of fats, especially when your body takes in foods high in fat content. Millions of people have gallstones, (solidified cholesterol build-ups), but usually they are so small that they pass through the bile ducts without pain or discomfort. However, some people can develop larger stones that cause extreme pain and discomfort, and this is when measures are taken to treat the stones. One of the treatments is having the gallbladder removed entirely. To learn more about this, please click here or on the title to this blog post.

I want to take an extra moment to explore the underlying issue. From other articles and forums, the typical person who has this issue in the past has been women in their forties, but this has not necessarily been the case in current times. The keyword here is "highly fatty foods". A reasonable assumption about the diet that will cause this issue is fatty, fried, fast-foods and other overall poor choices. This is a digestive issue and can be avoided by learning and practicing healthy food choices and an overall low-fat, high-fiber diet. If you have had your gall bladder removed, it is even more important to maintain a low-fat, high-fiber diet. From some forum posts I have read, this is the type of diet that people find themselves moving to in order to avoid discomfort and diarrhea and to maintain a level of health. I encourage you to do your own research, and start learning to eat better. This is one of the many "Western diseases" I'm sure you'd agree you would rather not go through. Have a great day, everyone, and thanks for reading!

Home Team

I can't say enough about the importance of working together with your spouse and/or family members. Working together effectively will create a home that you want to be in, and it will enhance all of your relationships. Today I got the chance to spend yet another day with my wife. She's had the last 3 Fridays off which has been great. Usually, I go grocery shopping myself, and I don't really mind. Jasmine has been coming with me, and we've been getting everything done as well as spending some much needed time together. Also, when we got home, I put the groceries away and did my thing in the kitchen while she vaccuumed and conducted her usual house chores. She came back after to assist me with getting some dishes cleaned, and we shared some snacks as well. It was such a great thing to realize that our relationship is sound, and I attribute that to both of us, and our willingness to work together and make individual sacrifices for the good of our "team". I just saw a recent post by a friend on facebook that he and his wife had recently split up. So many people that have great histories together have been getting married and separated/divorced in a relatively short period of time, and I will venture to say it has a lot to do with one or the other or both not being willing to do the little things and make those necessary sacrifices to help their marriage evolve and grow properly. This same concept translates to the workplace and other relationships. Communicate with your "teammates" about the aim of the relationship and what each of you should do to make sure it succeeds. You may have different ideas than the other(s) and vice versa. Get on the same page, and play as a team, and your lives will be enriched and you will appreciate each other much more as well. Marriage is not easy, but then again, it wouldn't be so great and worthwhile if it was. Have a great day, everyone, and thanks for reading!

Puppy Love

No I'm not talking about teenage romance here! I do want to talk about learning from our four-legged friends, though. What do you do for a living? Whatever it is, odds are you work with people, even if you aren't "selling" anything. How do we get along with people? Build relationships? Make life more worthwhile and meaningful? It's mostly about being cared for and caring about others the same way, wouldn't you agree? Let's face it--we're generally interested in ourselves, right? So you can be sure the people you interact with are too. So when approaching someone, especially someone new to you, take an interest in them. Find out about them, ask questions, see what their interests are and why they are there. This may be on a sales call, talking to a new co-worker, or simply getting to know the person who is making your cup of coffee every morning. You will find that people will be more interested in you because you took that extra interest in them.

So what about the doggies? Think about it--if you have a dog (or are familiar with dogs), when you come around the corner or enter your home, the dog is sooo excited to see you and show you love. The dog doesn't want to sell you something or want anything other than your love in return. And unless you are an Alaskan sled driver or breeder, etc, your dog probably doesn't work for a living. We are so happy to care for our dogs because they show us that unconditional love and loyalty that we need. So let's learn from this. I'm not saying jump on your next prospect and lick his/her face. That might get you into trouble! But show someone some genuine interest, and start building some meaningful relationships. Have a great day everyone, and thanks for reading!

Do More In Less Time

During your conditioning and constant fitness progression, you will find yourself able to lift more and be less tired with the same workouts. When working with my clients, I identify the fitness level increases through tracking and constantly work to increase intensity with individual exercise progressions as well as accelerating their circuit and even repeating the given circuit in the same period of time. Recently, one of my clients finished a circuit two times through in the same period of time it took before to go through it once. We will keep working with double the movements and this will help to increase the level of endurance, strength, and conditioning. And yes, it does mean that you will be doing almost double the workload in the same amount of time, leading to more calories burned and more results.

Remember to keep challenging yourself, and track your progress. Going into a workout without a pre-designed workout, worksheets, and/or pen and pad will sell your workout short. I'm sure if you are a business professional you wouldn't "wing-it" on the job, would you? In the same regard, come armed with a plan and a program and push yourself by establishing numbers, moving right to the next exercise, and use these numbers to push yourself harder the next time. When "I don't have time" is the biggest stated obstacle, you need to maximize your time and overcome this obstacle. Have a great day everyone, and thanks for reading!

Family Time

Yesterday was Labor Day. Though I did work and was at the gym for a good portion of the morning and afternoon, I came home and gave work a rest. Usually I've been coming home and immediately planning and preparing for the following day. My usual Tuesday 6am client has had to postpone his sessions due to a lingering injury, so I was able to hang out a bit longer last night. It was nice having everyone home and happy, relaxed, and not stressed. If your family is anything like mine, you know that everyone is usually doing their own thing, and it is very rare that everyone is home together at one time, much less in one room. I was able to stay off my computer and spent some quality time with my wife just lounging. Felt good. It was definitely a much needed "recovery" day from the usual, and it did the job. I slept like a baby and am ready to get back to the grind today. I hope all of you had a great weekend and you hopefully got a chance to enjoy some much needed family time. At the end of the day family is what keeps us going and why we strive to do better and be better. Here's to you and yours! Have a great day everyone, and thanks for reading!

Excitement And Ambition

I am blessed to have some great people as clients. Each one of my clients has different fitness goals and is in a different situation in their life. Likewise, each approach I've been taking has been slightly different, and nothing makes me happier than to see them excited about their own health and fitness. If my clients aren't excited, it simply won't work. Also, some of them push harder than I think they knew they could, which is awesome. During a strength set, some even pause then tell me, "I'm gonna do 3 more!" I love it! They are ambitious and excited, and that combination will help you succeed in any endeavor. Their excitement gets me excited, and as a result, I push harder during my workouts, my dietary discipline, and in my personal development. So to you, my clients, (you know who you are), keep pushing yourself and pushing me! You're doing great! Have a wonderful day everyone, and thanks for reading!

Forest Of Change

On some nights, I listen to an audiobook as I fall asleep. My mind sometimes races through the things I have to do the next day or just usual life stresses, and I find if I focus on the story or subject, I can relax and get to sleep. Yesterday, I woke up during the night and couldn't get back to sleep right away, so I picked a random part of "Buddha", written and narrated by Deepak Chopra, to listen to. There was a certain part of the story in which the Buddha was discussing personal change with other monks. I'll paraphrase here, but the analogy was something like, "You may think walk through the same forest every day, but each day every leaf in the forest is different, so it is actually a different forest every day." This is exactly how we are as people. Each day we are faced with different circumstances, situations, and challenges that change us in some way. Recognize that we are constantly learning and growing and we, like the leaves in a forest, are different each day because of it. Embrace this change, especially if you are working toward a goal or goals. Realize that you can't get different results doing the same things just like you can't improve or change over a period of time without making small changes daily. Work to make small improvements each day. Learn to live better, and you will be better.

"If we can improve by 1% each day, after 30 days we will have improved by 30%!" - Robin Sharma, "Extraordinary Leadership"

 Have a great day everyone, and thanks for reading!

High Pressure

Many of you may be on medication for high blood pressure, or hypertension. If this is the case, the odds are that you are overweight and have a poor diet and are not getting enough exercise. Think about that for a moment. There are many Western diseases and conditions that are caused by conditions that we allow to happen. Why would you want to be on medications? Why should you be? If all you had to do was to live healthier, would you do it? I know that sounds really simple...because it is! Some of my clients are treating high blood pressure as well as lipid disorders with medication, and my goals for them are to get healthy and be free of medications! The best cure is to live healthy people! This means eating healthier, being active, and as a result, enjoying life! If you aren't worried about your high blood pressure or pre-hypertension, you should be. Sparkpeople.com notes that

"High blood pressure can cause damage to many organs, including the brain, eyes, heart and kidneys, as well as to arteries throughout the body. If you have high blood pressure that has not been diagnosed, or that is not being treated adequately, you are at greater risk of having a heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure."

Is it time for a change? I hope so. Click on the title of this blog to see the whole section, and do your own research. Give me a call, comment on this blog, or email me if you are ready to start changing your "high pressure" situation. Have a great day everyone, and thanks for reading!

The Haves And The Be's

Recently I've been listening to the audiobook, "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People," by Stephen R. Covey. If you know me, you know I'm big into personal development, and this book is one of my latest new ones. In chapter 4, there is a great concept I came across, and I wanted to share some ideas with you. "One way to determine which circle our concern is in is to distinguish between the 'have's' and the 'be's" Covey writes. For example, "I'd be happy when I have my house paid off...if I had a better job, boss, more obedient children, more time, etc." Then there's the "be's"--"I can be more patient, be wise, be loving, etc." The main idea is this--when we feel that our problem is "out there" or external in nature, that very thought is the problem! We must move to a character focus and work on what we can inside of ourselves. Realize that we must change before our circumstances and/or situations change. The "inside-out" approach we can call it. It reminds me of one of my favorite quotes from Jim Rone-- "It's not the blowing of the wind that determines our destination, but the set of the sail." We must learn to set a better sail, moral compass, etc, and really keep focused on improving what we can. Also, maintaining a positive mental attitude is huge (I know I go over this a lot). So work on being better, and you will then be able to have more. Be wiser in your choices and priorities, and surely you will have the success you want! Have a great day everyone (by being great!) and thanks for reading!

Freestyle

As many of you know, I've been my own swim coach. Utilizing training fins and several drills, I've made a lot of progress so far in the water. I went from fighting for air and wearing myself out to getting comfortable and actually swimming in the water. My recent pool sessions have been good, but I kind of hit a wall. My drills would go well, but when I finally wanted to swim a few lengths, I would still get tired or have to stop after 25-50 meters. I started re-thinking it today and just decided to not use the same constant arm motion that I thought I was "supposed" to use. I thought, "I just have to be comfortable" and go at my own breathing pace. I began slowing my strokes and counting "1-2-3-4" while exhaling, then taking a stroke and an inhale. Also, I slowed my kicking down, and the combination seemed to keep me moving at a steady and reasonable pace. I felt I was at a comfortable cardio pace and was able to complete 150 meters without taking a break! Wow, I felt great! So if you are swimming, or learning a slew of other skills, for that matter, sometimes it helps to do what works for you. This may mean that you don't do it exactly like everyone else, but if it helps you, then work on it, and develop your own "freestyle". Have a great day, everyone, and thanks for reading!

Take Advantage

It's been a stretched week for me this week, as I have been waking around 3ish to get to the gym by 6 and have had intermittent appoitnments and shifts throughout the day, so I've been getting home and to bed closer to 9pm. Today and tomorrow are also scheduled similarly, but not quite as crazy as Monday and Tuesday. This morning I got up and started getting ready. I don't have any floor shifts today, and actually only have 3 sessions. One in the morning, one mid-day, and one at 6:30pm. So I planned to drive, then come home and get in some office time and perhaps a run, weather permitting, before I went back. I have become a man of routine, so I made my tea, had my Shakeology, and sat down to write my blog. I got an email from my 6am client stating she would have to reschedule. This actually works well for today as it gives me the morning off. Then I thought, "Should I go back to bed right now?" I could, I guess, but I thought of the routine, and I decided to not change anything. I almost waited to make my usual 2+ cups of coffee, but I decided to take advantage of the extra time and get some things accomplished now and maybe rest in a few hours. The real killer of my daily accomplishments, if any, would be procrastination. (I'm sure many of you would identify with this.) If you find you have some extra time in your schedule due to cancellations, think about the time and how productive you would be during those appointments, and take advantage of the extra commute and/or appointment time to maintain your level of productivity with different important and urgent tasks. What have you been meaning to do that haven't had the time for? There are certainly plenty of things to get done and never enough hours in the day, so take advantage, drink your coffee, and make it happen today! Have a great day, everyone, and thanks for reading!