As I woke up this morning in southern Ohio, it became apparent it is getting harder to motivate myself to exercise. 

I blame it on the cold weather.  It’s not like its super cold, but it is 46 degrees.  It is dark at 5:30 and requires more than just shorts and a t-shirt when stepping outside.  I am definitely not a cold weather person, and I really like sunshine to start my day. 

Couple thoughts on how I am combating the problem. 

1. New material.  This comes in many forms, first is new self help/self improvement video or audio programs ( I watch them while I lift).  New songs on my ipod (any type of cardio involves music for me).  Lastly, switching up my routine (different exercises, different order, different rep schemes etc.)

2. Pre and post work out rituals.  I clean, read and have solitude time pre-workout, catch up on emails, list of To-Do’s, help get kids ready for school day post workout. 

3. Going to bed earlier.  If I make sure I get in bed by 10 to 10:15, mornings do not come quite so quickly. 

I’m always glad I make the effort to workout vs sleeping in.  Exercise time for me is the most brain stimulating part of my day…something I really need. 

I would appreciate any other helpful tips to get my butt out of bed…I will use them in a future blog.

Thanks for playing,

John

Join the revolution…Coming soon!

Wish I had a dime for every time someone brought the word boredom into the topic of exercise. It seems most exercise routines aren’t enough to stimulate the most avid exercise enthusiast.

It isn’t like there aren’t a thousand exercise routines on the internet, books and infomercials. You would think people would have plenty to choose from to keep them going.

Why is it that people will try several different routines, none of them seem to work and they still use the excuse of boredom as the culprit?

Is there a common theme here? I believe there is.

Most do not know why they exercise. Those of us who do know tend to make gains and reach fitness goals.

Those whom exercise because it seems like the right thing to do based upon popular opinion, copy room chitchat, or late night infomercials do not make gains and/or reach goals.

Could it be that simple?

Well, ask anyone who exercises on a daily basis. The fact they are exercising on a daily basis should tell you something. There is obviously a reason they decided to do this daily.

Let’s look at anything you do on a daily basis. Obviously you enjoy this activity and reap its benefits. In other words, you know why you do it.

Exercise is no different.

If you understand you will have more energy, feel better, look better, be healthier and possibly enjoy life at a greater level. It is worth your time and a perfect “reason why”.

Once you figure out why you exercise there are several ways to avoid staleness and inject variety.

Change reps, the speed of the exercise, the amount of weight you are using, the position you are in (one leg verses two), change the setting (the room in your house, outside, inside, park, with a group etc.) listen to music, change music, pick up new routines off the internet, pick up a new partner.

Let creativity be your guide. No limitations!

I have even been known to listen to a self help audio program or even watch parts of a movie over the course of the week during my workout sessions.

Variety is the spice of life, don’t limit yours by not using your imagination.

Thanks for playing

John

Join the revolution…Coming soon!

One of the secrets for goal free living according to Stephen Shapiro is to trust that you are never lost. He writes, “There are no right or wrong decisions is life. Just decisions. And there are no failures in life, only opportunities for growth. Taking a detour is not bad. Every seemingly wrong turn is a chance to learn and have new experiences.”

I use to bring this up often when I worked with the women’s basketball team at Ohio University. I would ask the girls “what if you never made a wrong decision?”. This brought a whole new insight to how they played the game.

Clients, whether athletes or weight loss hopefuls, have tried different types of program to reach their goals faster. Many of these programs have failed. This does not mean that they can not take something away from the experience.

At the very least they now know what doesn’t work.

What decisions have you made recently concerning your health and fitness? Are you doing something daily to reach your fitness goals?

Sometimes it is just a matter of taking action. As mentioned above, it is just a decision. If it turns out a detour then it was an opportunity for growth.

My most successful clients are decision makers. In other words, they take action.

I am not saying you should blindly go into any type of exercise routine. Find one that makes sense for your lifestyle and goals and simply make a decision to do it.

It may be a road less traveled, but in the long run, you will be heading somewhere.

If your health is important to you, then it will be an easy decision to make. You can always decide if it was a “right” one or “good” one after you’ve taken the first step.

Good luck on your fitness path. Make your decision today.

Thanks for playing

John

Join the revolution…coming soon!

I am constantly talking to my clients and athletes about focus during a workout. Being in the moment is crucial to fitness and athletic success. Your mind needs to be on the task at hand….not on all the other issues going on in your life.

This carries on to the other areas of our lives.

I tell the same clients/athletes to not stray with thoughts and/or concerns anytime.

If you are in class, be in class; At work, be at work; With your family, be with the family!

When exercising or at practice …focus on the workout/practice!

We end up getting poor results when we do not focus where we need to focus.

I got a good dose of that yesterday.

Spent the day with my girls (soon to be 6 and 10). Early in the day I was thinking of all that needed to be done, woven within Daddy/daughter day. It was obvious to them that I was not focusing enough on their needs and they let me know it with repeated question and frustrated complaints:

“Why are we doing this? Daddy, are you listening? When are we going to do something else?”

The tides turned when I focused on them and their needs …the smiles came out and we relaxed, had fun and had a fantastic day!

My point?

We all have areas of our lives where we need to pay attention to details and be in the moment.

Maybe it is with your family, your job, and/or your workouts? Whatever the case, if you are looking for better results, it might be a matter of applying a little more focus.

As Earl Nightingale reminded us, “You become what you think about!”

Thanks for playing!

John

Join the Revolution!…Coming soon!

Anything that is important to us is worth making time for. Whether it be family, friends, work or exercise. I am constantly reminded by clients of how hard exercise is to fit into their day.

I am a fan of circuits.

What is a circuit? Circuits have become popular over the last few years in the strength and conditioning world. They have been around for decades. The benefit is to do intense exercise in a short amount of time. Thus the popularity in mainstream fitness is their ability to fit exercise into a busy schedule.

How do they work? Circuits can take many forms. In a nutshell, group of exercises done one after another with little to no rest between exercises. The Hip To Be Fit am and pm routine (www.hiptobefit.com) is set up in a circuit.

For example, instead of doing two or three sets of squat to press you would do squat to press, squat turn and press, push ups and rows one after the other with little to no rest. If you are going to more than one set you would repeat the circuit (all four exercises). Circuits are good for strength, strength endurance, balance, Proprioception and tailored the correct way…cardiovascular enhancement. They are a great way to get several exercises in during a single workout session. For those of you concerned about getting exercise into an already overwhelming schedule they are a great “tweak” to your exercise program.

For more information on circuits, their benefits or those involved in the Hip To Be Fit program go to www.hiptobefit.com

Thanks for playing,

John

Join the Revolution…coming soon!

The world changes all around us. Seasons change, people change; it is an inevitable part of life.

This summer has been very busy for my family…we are going through many changes personally and professionally.

Everyone deals with change differently. Some embrace it and desire it, others hate change.

Is it a good thing or a bad thing…this change?

My dictionary defines change this way: To cause to be different; alter…another word used in another part of the definition is to transform.

I like the word transform when speaking of change. To me, you are either changing or you are dying. Hopefully one changes in a positive manner, i.e. improves themselves.

I think the fear of the unknown is why people do not like change. The unfamiliar is too often uncomfortable. This is until we get familiar or comfortable with the new situation, then everything is ok again.  I think it tends to be this learning or adjusting process where the problem lies with change.

As I discuss in my book, Hip To Be Fit, a lot of our values are learned at an early age from parents and friends. We have thoughts engrained that are hard to “let go.”

To think differently would mean we would have to change and that would be uncomfortable. We would have to think and reason outside of what we have been taught and that would take some work…maybe even a little research.

It would be more comfortable just to let someone else tell us how to think and then we would have less to worry about…less responsibility.

There is a wealth of sources for information these days and everywhere you look ( including on blogs) you can find an opinion for yourself on just about any and every topic. It is easy to let someone influence your thinking and opinions.

When I first started college I allowed others opinions (professors, other students) to influence my thinking. My confidence was low as a young man in a new environment.

It was very troubling and uncomfortable.

As soon as I became more comfortable with being uncomfortable, things began to change.  I realized my thoughts were my own and that was ok…even if they were different.

I stopped fearing failure. I began looking at “failures” as learning experiences and moved forward with more confidence.  I still try and do this today. I talk about it often with my own children.

It is a process. This process involves change.

And I like it.

Whether it is a job, a relationship, an exercise /weight loss program or a political viewpoint; search out a different way of doing or looking at it today.

If you want different (or better) results, change your stimulus (or thoughts).

I will leave you with four points my mentors have taught me in the past that have made a huge difference in my life.

1. Always ask questions.

2. Never be afraid to fail.

3. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable

And last but possibly most important, and, by the way, involves the first 3…

4.  Look for ways to improve.

(This involves change!)

Thanks for Playing!

John

Join the Revolution!…coming soon!

Having to work with athletes at all different levels you pick up or use terms that tend to have multiple meanings. Words like intensity, effort as well as phrases such as hitting a wall, giving it 110%, all have particular meanings to different people.

Last time I checked 100%, was just that, and hard to go beyond it. If it’s humanly possible to give 100% and you can’t go beyond, I unsure where the remaining 10% derives from. I’ve always been confused by this.

I mentioned the book The Last Lecture in a previous blog. Randy Pausch uses the term “head fake” a couple times in the book. That’s when you teach someone something by having them believe they are learning something else. A “head fake” to my high school basketball coach is totally different. The way Randy Paucsh uses head fake is the way my business partner and I use the term “dominoing”. “Dominoing” to us is a way of influencing others or a situation to go the way you would like it to go. Is a way of persuading others to see your point of view and often involves indirectly doing so. For example, if I want a patient or client to work a particular body part I may have them do an activity or movement not seemingly related to that body part to get the reaction I want.

If I want my child to act or react in a particular manner I may indirectly influence their thinking in a “off the topic” manner.

Ultimately, we have the best interests of those being influenced in mind. We all tend to learn lessons subconsciously or even consciously in the process.

If you have read anything by me in the past whether a blog, article or my book, you know one of my favorite quotes is by George Bernard Shaw. “The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want , and, when they cant find them, make them”… or domino until you do.

I guess my point today is, in life we have to figure out what we want. Know there are circumstance and people if creatively influenced can help us to achieve our desires. So, whether we give it 110% by “dominoing” or using a “head fake” there is always and answer to get you where you want to go.

Thanks for playing,

John

“Join the revolution”…coming soon!

I had the pleasure of speaking at a local TOPS meeting this weekend. TOPS stand for “taking off pounds sensibly.” It is and international group helping people make appropriate lifestyle choices.

During the questions and answer period, someone mentioned how the athletes in the Olympic Games are in such great shape, have low body fat how great it would be to look like that.

They added they can probably eat whatever they want.

My comments stated with the fact that the majority of them were in their late teens or early 20’s unlike the 40 plus population in the room that day.

I added that they burn thousands of calories daily and there will be a day they will have to be smart about the choices they make as far as food consumption.

However, the bigger point was this: Have you noticed the spectators at the Games? ..Those from other countries that are fans/ observers?

Most of the fans from other countries were thin and healthy looking. You did not see an over abundance of obese individuals with their shirts off and letters painted on their chest , much like you would see at a pro football tailgate.

According to the news reports, the Chinese love their food. The fit appearance is not from a lack of eating or starvation.

My “ah-ha” for the crowd is people in other countries are sensible about what they eat and the portion sizes of what they consume.

They also move more. Even with similar technological advances they work outside, walk and ride bikes to places and do some form of exercise regularly.

The lesson was about perspective.

Move more and eat smart. Take care of your body.

It is like a former coach and now Athletic Director likes to say, “ If I knew I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself.”

Thanks for Playing!

John

Join The Revolution…Coming Soon!

There was a great piece on Primetime a couple weeks ago on Randy Pausch. Pausch was professor at Carnegie Mellon University. He was diagnosed with terminal cancer.

The piece depicted the last part of his life, the “last lecture” he delivered at the university giving the viewer and inside look at Randy’s mindset on life.

In his book “The Last Lecture”, he talks about his days in pee wee football. He had a very intense coach who was riding him pretty hard one day. Randy was upset and felt belittled over the whole experience by the end of practice

The one of the assistants told him this: “Coach Graham rode you pretty hard today didn’t he?….that’s a good thing….When you’re screwing up and nobody says anything to you anymore, that means they’ve given up on you.”

Pausch goes on to comment; “When you see yourself doing something badly and nobody’s bothering to tell you anymore, that’s a bad place to be. You may not want to hear it, but your critics are often the ones telling you they still love you and care about you, and want to make you better.”

Reminds me of my athletes and /or weight loss clients.

I am always trying to build on success with their programs, but nonetheless still “stay on their case” about trying to improve on a daily basis. I would not say anything if I did not care.

Same with my family. Saying nothing would me I did not care, whether about sports school or simply being better at life itself.

A similar situation just happened in reverse for me with my great friend and business partner. Apparently I answer my phone too frequently, especially when we are in business planning mode and need less distractions, not more.

She let me know all about it as a hung up the phone for about the third time in a 20 minute span.

I went right back at her by justifying the need to answer with…The calls were “important for the business”. She was just upset about something else with her family and decided to take her frustration out on me, I reasoned.

Could I have returned them at a better time?

Yep.

Would I be disappointed if she didn’t call me out and expect the best for me and our business? Yep.

Parents, Coaches, mentors and accountability partners are all important to help us reach our potential.

Next time you get a “nudge of constructive criticism” from someone know that it is a good thing…not a bad one.

For more on Randy Pausch go to www.thelastlecture.com.

Thanks for playing!

John

Join the Revolution…coming soon!