STOP WORKING OUT!

Time to Practice What I Preach.

2006-10-23T13:42:00.000-07:00

Most fitness experts get really good at telling people what they should do to create significant changes in the way they look and feel, but few will actually lay it on the line and show the public what they can do for themselves.

Over the past year, the demands over my time from new business ventures, significant travel and family responsiblities have increased tremendously. In this case, I have to admit that I am human and have let my fitness level slip to a level that should be considered unacceptable for any legitimate fitness expert.

I have always been able to produce dramatic physique changes in my clients in a relatively short period of time provided that they are truly commited to making radical lifestyle changes for at least some duration. This short term, faster approach certainly isn't for everyone and it's not the safest, healthiest or easiest way to improve body composition, but it is fast.

Given that my typical lifestyle habits are very healthy and knowing that I will easily reclaim those habits at the conclusion of this program, I prefer to take the hard, fast road to shed this excess bodyfat aggressively over the next 4 weeks.

I've created a new blog specifically to share this experience with you at www.stopworkingout.com/travis_speegle . On a daily basis, I will be sharing my personal experience.... the good, the bad and the ugly.

Head on over to my personal fat loss blog and subscribe to the feed, you will be interested to see the methods I utilize and you may find some inspiration that will help spur you to make your own changes.

If it's worth doing, It's worth doing every day

2006-09-02T11:22:00.000-07:00

A few things worth doing every day:

** Move your body with a purpose.
- Some form of exercise or Joint Mobility (ZHealth)

** Eat real food

** Appreciate something or someone in your life.

** Read Something

Simple actions, taken daily, create extraordinary results.

Human Food Harmful to the Health of Animals

2006-08-25T11:08:00.000-07:00

I found this sign on a picnic table in Yosemite National Park. It may be difficult to read in the picture, it reads:

Why is it bad to feed the animals?
Eating human food is not healthy for wildlife as their bodies don't adjust well to the salt, fat, and preservatives often found in our food. They gain weight, lose hair and become dependent on human food. In addition, predators, such as mountain lions, are attracted to areas with a concentration of well-fed squirrels and raccoons.

These words kind of smacked me right between the eyes....

Makes me ask the question; Does the human body really adjust well to the salt, fat and preservatives often found in human food?

Take a look at the people around you, it's likely you'll notice that many of them are gaining weight, losing their hair and becoming more dependent on larger amounts of "human" food.

Interesting, there has been a significant increase of mountain lion attacks on humans in recent years as well. (that may just be a coincidence)

Perhaps just as disturbing, this sign was paid for by a "donation" from the Coca-Cola Company which, of course, is prominently displayed on the sign. One of the worlds largest purveyors of processed "human" food donates to save the animals, with money raised by selling products that destroy the health of those that can actually pay for their products. (now that's just good marketing)

This one states that Human food will ruin their health and encourage unnatural behavior.

Perhaps we should take a lesson from those interested in preserving wildlife and make an effort to preserve our own healthy life.

Choose to eat foods that are closer to the way they would appear in the wild; lean meats, fish, fresh vegetables, fruits, berries and nuts and avoid the processed "human" foods.

Eating more like nature intended will certainly help you avoid weight gain, hair loss, unnatural behavior and a number of other unexplainable ailments... it might even save you from being attacked by a mountain lion.

If you need help understanding exactly which foods will improve your well-being, check out my new eBook.

Enough Already! - athletic coaching

2006-08-23T08:22:00.000-07:00

One of my staff members came in yesterday, for the third day in a row, looking absolutely exhausted. She runs on a cross country team at a local college and had just completed another of her coach's daily, 2 hour workouts.

Competitive cross country races at this level are a total of about three miles and typically take between 16 and 25 minutes to complete depending on the course.

Simple question... Why would you train athletes to run for 2 hours if the performance you're looking to improve takes less than 30 minutes?

Unfortunately, this is typical of current athletic coaching... even at a fairly elite level of athletics.

This is something that makes my blood just boil. We are trusting our young athletes to a community of coaches that either doesn't understand or doesn't care about how the human body actually works.

Here's my lesson for all of you today: The governing principle by which the body improves is known as the S-A-I-D principle. (Specific-Adaptation to-Imposed Demand) The body Adapts to exactly what you Demand of it very Specifically... and it's adapting all the time.

Your body gets better at whatever your doing, EXACTLY. If you try to create too great an adaptation too quickly, you get injured.

This is a simple concept, but coaches still don't seem to understand how to apply it.

If I run, grueling, 2 hour workouts, my athletes will become better at performing grueling 2 hour workouts.

Does that improve race performance? Not necessarily.

Does the excessive volume create increased chance of injury? DEFINITELY!

Bottom line... the type, volume and frequency of training should be directly related to increasing the performance of the event. THE PURPOSE OF ALL TRAINING SHOULD BE TO IMPROVE THE PERFORMANCE OF THE EVENT WHILE MINIMIZING POTENTIAL FOR INJURIES.

Be aware of what's happening to your own body. Pain is one indicator that something's not right. Training should remain pain free. Other indicators of overtraining include: irregular appetite, poor sleep, lethargy, chronic illness (may seem like allergies), depression, declining athletic performance.

If you think your coach's workout program is excessive or inappropriate, talk to him about it. If that doesn't work, find another coach or look for other places to compete.

Regardless of your sport or level of competition, you are ultimately responsible for keeping your body healthy. A healthy, properly trained athlete is the only one capable of performing at the true peak of her potential.

Overuse Injuries in Teen Athletes

2006-08-09T12:56:00.000-07:00

An article in the San Jose Mercury News this morning caught my attention "No pain, no gain taken literally by teen athletes as injuries rise"

As young athletes are being pushed harder to perform better in specialized sporting events, the prevalence of potentially debilitating overuse injuries is increasing at a near epidemic rate.

This is a significant problem that requires intervention from all parties involved, coaches, athletes, physicians and parents. Most coaches think the only way to improve an athletes performance is to do more repetitions, more work... The attitude "practice makes perfect" still prevails. Parents blindly let the coaches control the child's training, as that was likely the way they were coached. Physicians prescribe treatment for the injury, but rarely help the athlete address the cause of the injury. This all leaves the athlete in fear of losing ground in the competitive landscape, perpetuating the cycle.

The attitude needs to change. Replacing the outdated methodology of "hard work and repetition" to one of "healthy individualized development" will result in athletes that perform better and more consistently over the long term.

Coaches need to utilize methods for developing athletic skill with attention on; correct biomechanics, nervous system development, strength development and adequate recovery as pertaining to the sport, integrated with outside lifestyle demands of the athlete. It's not an easy shift, but we have trusted the development, health and competitive success of our youth to coaches that haven't had the opportunity to build the skills necessary to perform efficiently in today's environment. If we expect more of our coaches and encourage the use of new tools and techniques that may contradict our old world "common knowledge" beliefs, we can influence a rapid, significant improvement in the overall quality of youth athletics.

Young athletes are capable of performing at an elite level, with fewer incidents of injury when provided a truly integrated approach to training.

Information Overload

2006-08-07T12:03:00.000-07:00

I just received an email from one a client telling me that he's again changed his mind about the objective of his training.

He's been reading more from the MMA (mixed martial art) community about the qualities required to be an effective competitor. A week ago he wanted to gain more muscle mass. Three weeks ago he had read an article about cardiovascular health and aerobic exercise and wanted to improve those qualities.

It's great that individuals have access to so many opportunities to educate themselves on virtually any subject imaginable. But at what point does more information just get in the way?

In terms of physical fitness, being properly informed is essential. However, in order to make any significant changes in one's physiology it's also necessary to stick with a consistent program for some period of time.

The unfortunate part of all the information available is that it's difficult to know what's actually true and what will be of productive use to the reader. Honestly when it comes to fitness research and information, it's very likely that you can find supporting information for almost any theory you're looking to prove.

As coaches, this presents us with the challenge of personally deciphering the information to advise a client in the most appropriate manner.

As a client, you have hired a coach and asked for professional advice to achieve your fitness objectives. Realize that your coach knows you personally and has taken into account your individual circumstances prior to suggesting anything. No magazine article or research study can say the same.

If you need help understanding why your coach has you doing something, ask her to provide you with supporting sources or explanations.

Trusting your coach and following the training prescription is your most direct path to the results you really want.

Just Do Something

2006-08-02T10:21:00.000-07:00

I was recently referred to this site published by a woman with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia.

I am inspired by the ways in which she actively addresses the problems looks at what can be done rather than what can't.

The site is entitled CFS or Fibromyalgia, and Exercise? You have got to be kidding!

Take a few minutes to read about her personal experience... While I may have different suggestions for ways to deal with the same problems, the fact that she has done something and shares the experience is remarkable.

Eat Whatever You Want.

2006-08-01T09:06:00.000-07:00

Learn to want foods that nourish your body and provide clean sources of energy.

Think about why you really eat all of those high calorie, non-nutritious foods.... Is it because you want to have unstable energy levels? Do you want to continue gaining unhealthy amounts of body fat? Do you want to encourage the growth of disease within your body?

In reality, more of the poor food choices people make are because of habits rather than conscious thought about what they really want.

Learn to want nutrient dense, healthier foods and then Eat What You Want.

"There's No Such Thing as Failure..... Just Results!"

2006-07-29T12:26:00.000-07:00

Here's a principle you can live your life by.

Think about it.

What's Holding You Back?

2006-07-27T16:34:00.000-07:00

If you've never seen one of these before, it's a cow barrier.

This small grate is the only thing standing between herds of cattle and a world of freedom.

I understand that a cow can't really jump over the moon, but it's pretty hard to believe that a cow would be physically incapable of taking a leap of faith to cross this 2 foot grid.

In reality they are simply scared of crossing it.

Looking at one of these made me think about how many people I see that are being held within their own mediocre situation by some simple, insignificant barrier.

If anything about your life isn't the way you want it, chances are there is a small barrier that you need to cross. Sometimes they have been there so long that you don't even notice them anymore, but it's still holding you in your current pasture.

Take a few minutes to identify your barrier.

Then go ahead and cross it, just to see what's on the other side.

Happy Birthday, Lisa!

2006-07-15T11:42:00.000-07:00

Stretch Like a Cat

2006-07-13T07:12:00.000-07:00

I recently heard reference to a university study of cat behavior that showed that cats stretch between 150-250 times per day.

What the heck does this have to do with you?

This is interesting because numerous studies in humans have shown that stretching reduces the incidence of a bunch of problems including: arthritis, osteoporosis, loss of mobility, low energy, even depression and low self-esteem.

The background reference also indicates that cats have low rates of aging complications and tend to retain their strength, mobility, and energy through middle/advanced ages better than many other mammalian species.

Would you like to retain or improve your levels of strength, mobility and energy as you advance in age?

If you've ever watched "fluffy" for any period of time you may have noticed that he stops to move his joints through a full range of motion nearly every time he gets up. Either stretching out through the paws or arching and extending his back, yawning.

He never takes a break for 15 minutes of stretching, but he moves every joint in his body at some point in the day without too much extra effort.

Give the cat's method of stretching a shot. You don't have to schedule it in, or sign up for a class. Just think about it and start today.

Every time you get up today (or any time you think about it) move an area of your body through it's full range of motion. This could be as simple as a couple of head tilts or full extension of your arms and hands. Simple movements could easily add up to 100+ times a day.

Without too much effort you will find yourself with more energy, greater mobility and a significantly reduced chance of injury.

Do we know how to Run?

2006-07-06T08:31:00.000-07:00

Why do so many avid runners end up injured from this activity that they love so much?

This has been a question that I have been content to answer with something as simple as "don't run". I really haven't been much of a fan of running as a form of exercise given the number of injuries I've seen as a direct result of distance running.

Lately I've been thinking more about running..... There has to be a better way.

If the human body was designed to run, then we should be able to do it without getting injured.

The thought started when I looked at a picture of an American ultra-marathon runner in stride next to a Mexican Indian runner. I noticed that the American was wearing cushioned running shoes with his heel ready to hit the ground. The Mexican, in contrast, was wearing sandals (nothing more than leather soles tied to his feet)and in his very relaxed stride his foot was poised to strike the ground on his forefoot.

Which one was more efficient?

I found that there is a small movement of runners and scientists that are advocating a forefoot running style. The most prevalent of the bunch seems to be Dr. Nicolas Romanov's "Pose Method" that teaches what appears to be a very efficient technique for distance runners. A google search on "forefoot running" will also yield a number of very interesting articles and debates.

My initial opinion is that the forefoot technique is a far better option for the body.

One of the best indicators in my mind is to take a look at the shoes:

A typical heel strike runner needs a heavily cushioned shoe that absorbs the shock of each stride and supports the muscles, joints and tendons of the foot.

The flatter,very flexible, lightly cushioned shoe of a forefoot runner (think of track shoes), allow the muscles, and joints of the foot to dissipate force and manage the load of each stride, utilizing the appropriate amount of muscle activation throughout the kinetic chain to actually adapt to the activity.

Bottom line, the foot works the way it was designed in conjunction with the body in a forefoot stride, while a heel strike stride utilizes the compensations of a shoe to make distance running possible.

As I have been playing with this myself, something else about a forefoot running technique that I have noticed..... It's going to take more time to adapt to running long distances. The small muscles in the feet and lower legs need to be strengthened and thus, won't allow for putting in much more distance than you are ready for. This more gradual addition of volume should prove more appropriate for the body and keep the process injury free.

Perhaps we simply need to take the time to learn the right way for each of our bodies to run. Running is one of the few activities that we tend to be pushed into practicing with more and more volume over a lifetime, without ever getting any coaching or instruction on doing it right. Practice does not necessarily make perfect.

This may be more of a question than an answer at this point, but take some time to think about it. There may be a way to run for a lifetime without pain or injury.

Let me know what you think.

Happy Independence Day!

2006-07-04T08:38:00.000-07:00

Take time today to appreciate the opportunities and freedom that you have available to you.

"The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles... but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly."

Buddha

Continuing to be dependent on the past or the future, we cannot fully recognize the independence we have worked so hard to attain.

Live Today!

Experts Debate Labeling Children Obese

2006-07-04T08:37:00.000-07:00

CHICAGO -- Is it OK for doctors and parents to tell children and teens they're fat? That seems to be at the heart of a debate over whether to replace the fuzzy language favored by the U.S. government with the painful truth -- telling kids if they're obese or overweight. Read the Full Article Here

This is getting out of control... I am very particular about the words we use and the ways in which they effect our quality of life. But, the use of more "politically correct" words to soften a serious situation or spare the feelings of someone that has put himself in that bad situation, is not solving anything.

Obesity is a problem. It's not too many years ago that activists fought to classify obesity as a disease. The good news about this disease is that it has a number of very effective treatments and cures.

Have you ever heard arguments over weather to tell kids they have cancer? "Maybe we shouldn't call it cancer, because cancer sounds like a mean word" It's ridiculous!

If someone is diagnosed with cancer, they are told honestly, given treatment options and then, in most cases, fight like hell to beat the disease.

Obesity should be dealt with in exactly the same way. If it's a disease, it should be diagnosed honestly, treatment options clearly explained and then fight like hell to get better.

Here's the big difference: If you're diagnosed with cancer and sit around feeling sorry for yourself, you usually get painfully sick and die fairly quickly.

If you're diagnosed with obesity and sit around feeling sorry for yourself, you can continue to live a relatively normal life until you develop other problems as a result of the obesity, which may be years down the road.

In terms of diseases, obesity is a pretty good deal. If it were approached like any other disease and fought with real commitment, it can be cured and many of it's adverse affects can actually be reversed.

We really need to stop tip toeing around this obesity epidemic and start treating it like the problem that it is. Let's be honest about it and fight like hell to make ourselves and our kids better.

Are You Looking for Problems?

2006-07-01T15:54:00.000-07:00

My wife and I went out to play golf this morning. We both tee'd off and hit shots that had less than desirable results. Since we didn't get to the course in time to warm up, we both decided to take a "mulligan" and hit another ball off the tee.

We arrive at our playable balls in the fairway, when a woman drives up to us in her cart and exclaims "if you guys are going to be taking practice shots, then we are going to catch up to you and be "pushing" you, when that happens you will need to let us play through." (we were playing as a twosome and they were two couples playing as a foursome, which under almost any circumstance would make their play take longer. There was also a group directly ahead of us.)

Of course there is nothing wrong with asking a slower golfer ahead of you to let you play through, but the fact that she had made an assumption that we would be slowing their round and made the effort to voice her concerns in such a condescending manner, made me think.....

What benefit do any of us have in assuming a problem and spending time or effort to solve it before it materializes?

At that point the only thing you have done is put yourself in a mindset to look for problems.

If the problem never happens you have wasted your time and energy, and perhaps you have involved someone else in your negative views.

Have you ever noticed that as soon as you start consciously looking for something, you see it everywhere? Like that new car that you have "never" seen before, suddenly you see them all over town.

If you spend your time looking for problems, you will most certainly find them.

Given this choice, I suggest that you invest your time looking forward to more positive outcomes.

Remember, you tend to find what you pay attention to. With a positive focus you are far less likely to find yourself with problems at all. If you do run into something problematic, you will have the ability to quickly find a positive solution and move forward effectively.

Focus on what you want!

You will be much more likely to end up with exactly what you want, and you will certainly be living you life with much less wasted time and energy.

Chew on this....

2006-06-30T06:26:00.000-07:00

Here's another one of my simple nutrition tips:

CHEW YOUR FOOD!

Part of the trouble with the typical American diet is that people are in such a hurry that they simply don't take enough time to actually digest the food they put in their mouth.

Up to 30% of the digestive process is designed to take place in the mouth and act of chewing actually sends signals to the rest of the system to begin the efficient metabolism of those ingested nutrients.

Your grandmother probably told you something like "chew your food 20 times" ... That's a good start. Or you may have heard "chew your liquids and drink your solid foods" meaning chew all foods until they become nearly liquid in your mouth and even chew a couple of times when taking in beverages to start the digestive process. Good advice in either case. For now, let me just suggest that you make an effort to chew everything twice as long as you think is necessary.

This will also slow down the pace of eating and may give you the opportunity to recognize that you feel full with less food.

Take the time to enjoy the foods you eat. Even if you don't change any of the things you eat, you will make a significant difference in the way your body looks and feels by simply chewing the food completely.

Multi-Task Training Sessions

2006-06-28T21:32:00.000-07:00

A training session doesn't always need to be a structured event that happens around specific exercises. With a little creativity, you can make some of your everyday activities into training sessions by simply applying an addtional purpose.

For example: I needed to get the cars washed today and didn't have time to fit in my energy system training and wash the cars before my appointements for the day. So, I decided that if I put on a weighted vest and washed the cars as normal, I could get both things done at once. Wow! What a huge difference taking care of a normal task with an extra 30 pounds on my body. It felt great to be burning some extra calories and getting work done at the same time.

Look around. Could a few extra trips up and down the stairs make a difference? How about walking to the grocery store?

Get a little more involved in playing with your kids, that's an easy way to get the heart rate up.

Walking through the mall? Throw on a back pack with some heavy items in it.

Carry your golf bag around the course today, instead of using the cart. Add a squat each time you need to pick up your ball.

Be creative, move a little more, just have fun with it and be proud that you have taken definite steps toward better fitness.

Are you navigating life in the Rear View?

2006-06-27T09:58:00.000-07:00

My wife and I took a little road trip up the northern California coast this past weekend in an attempt to escape the temperatures in the valley that were pushing 110 degrees.

During the drive at one point I became fixated on something in the rear view mirror...Now, I can't remember if it was one of the stunning vistas of that stretch of coastline or one of the huge trucks threatening to run us down and devour our little car.... In either case, my attention was drawn away from my course of travel. Finally, I look glance back toward the road, adrenaline rushed through my body as I stomp on the brakes and narrowly avoid disaster....

A big brown cow had wandered onto the middle of the highway! That's certainly something you don't expect.

Had I not been fortunate enough to look up when I did, the event of hitting that cow, at that speed, on that stretch of road, would have been potentially fatal for all parties involved.

The thing I realized after this experience is that many of us spend most of our life fixated on the things in our own "rear view mirror". We have been told by many an "expert" that the best indicators of the future are in the past. We validate who we are by the performances of the past. Look for the reasons we are who we are by the things that happened to us as children. Spend countless hours trying to figure out what went wrong with this or that.

If we spend so much time fixated on what's happened in the past, how can we have a clear picture of where we are going?

If it happened behind you, it's behind you and there's nothing you can do to change what's already happened. I don't care how many "experts" have told you different, you cant' change the past.

The only place you have control is in the road ahead. Had I been looking forward I would have seen the cow, I definitely could have avoided her and perhaps would have seen something remarkable in the process.

Stop fixating on the rear view of your life! If something doesn't go as planned, let it go. It was just a result.

You will avoid disaster by seeing the unexpected up ahead and You can change the result of the future by focusing on what you want that lies ahead of you.

Drive forward!

Decide and Do It!

2006-06-26T12:21:00.000-07:00

I just looked outside my window and noticed three birds sitting on my fence.

If one of those birds decided to fly away, how many birds would there be on the fence?

I ask a question similar to this very often. About 98% of the time I get the same answer... "There would be two birds left on the fence"

I'm sorry! Try again.

The answer is... All three of the birds are still on the fence. I said that the one bird decided to fly away, but the mere decision to fly doesn't mean that he actually did anything about it.

This is an important distinction because, all to often, we decide to do things and then think that we have failed when we don't get the result we wanted. When in reality there was no action taken that could have moved you closer to the outcome you wanted.

How about this situation....

You decide you're going to go on a diet and lose some weight this month. End of the month comes around and you really don't see the weight loss you were expecting, so you tell yourself that diets just don't work.

If you look back, you will probably find that your "decision" was followed by weak actions that lasted no more than a day or two.

Good decision does not equal a better outcome. A Good decision plus committed action creates a successful outcome.

Practice making better decisions by realizing that a decision doesn't mean anything unless you actually do something about it.

In my book STOP WORKING OUT! I explain this process in detail as well as some specific actions that you can take toward your decision to create a healthier, better looking body.

Never leave the site of a decision without acting upon it!

Summer Is Here!

2006-06-21T09:14:00.000-07:00

Summer officially started this morning at 5:26 A.M. PDT.

Today will bring us 14 hours and 47 minutes of sunshine... Get out and enjoy some of it.

Sometimes Fitness is just about taking the time to appreciate what our world gives us.

Make today a great day!

A Simple Start Toward Healthier Eating

2006-06-20T07:26:00.000-07:00

This is the most simple tip that I give people about diet:

"Avoid all foods that contain either HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP or HYDROGENATED OIL"

It's simple... just read food labels. If those words are on the ingredients list, don't eat it.

Do this one thing and I can virtually guaranty that you will lose fat, feel and look better.

Give it 2 weeks and let me know how much better you feel

Are you a statistic?

2006-06-19T10:41:00.000-07:00

By now you are all probably aware of the epidemic increases in obesity and health related problems in this county. Here are some statistics that may make the picture a little bit more clear:

- One billion people in the world are obese.

- 65% of Americans are now overweight, up 18% since just
1994.

- 30% of Americans are obese, up 30% since 1994.

- Diabetes is now an epidemic in children.

- Over 40% of Americans have high cholesterol.

- 50% of Americans over 65 have high blood pressure; 28.7% of all Americans have high blood pressure.

- 5.1% of us have type 2 diabetes, a staggering 104% increase from 1980 to 2004.

- Over 100 million Americans have significant risk factors for heart disease.

While these numbers are disturbing, perhaps even shocking, the amount of money that is spent trying to cope with these problems is truly staggering:

- Americans spend $117 billion annually to treat obesity-linked diseases including heart disease, diabetes, dementia,
cancer, and arthritis.

- Over $50 billion is spent on weight loss alone.

- Of the $1.9 trillion spent on healthcare, just 2% is spent on prevention.

- Since 2000 the cost of health insurance is up 59% while wages have increased a meager 12%.

- Medicaid expenditures will increase an estimated 8.9% a year from 2002 to 2012 with Medicare rising by 6.7% per year
over the same period.

- Healthcare costs have risen 250% since 1990, from $717 billion to $1.9 trillion in 2004.

Something is obviously not working...

We need to do something different.... YOU need to do something different!

Together, we can find real solutions to problems like these and make drasitic improvments in your own life as well those around you.

Keep reading the STOP WORKING OUT! blog, I will continue to deliver useful tools that will help you avoid living your life as one of these statistics.

STOP TRYING!

2006-06-15T22:18:00.000-07:00

If you've read much of my material, you know that I'm a strong believer in the fact that the words you use have a significant effect on the quality of your life.

A few words that I hear regularly really get to me. "Try" is one of those words.... "I'll try to eat better"... "I'm trying to fit training into my daily schedule"..."I'll try to be nicer to my wife"... "I'm trying to be successful".

Can you see the problem with these trying statements?

"TRYING IMPLIES FAILURE"

If you are trying to do anything, you are simply DOing nothing. In order to use the word "try" you can not truly believe in a positive outcome.

Choose to be successful...Stop TRYing and start DOing!

Consistency Counts

2006-06-15T14:40:00.000-07:00

I hear the excuses all year long, but never are they as loud as at the beginning of summer. I know, the kids are out of school, social events are pulling you in a dozen different directions and of course it's vacation time too. Don’t get me wrong, I love it when the weather gets nice and we all seem to get a little more active, but this could be the worst time of year to start neglecting your physical training program.

For many of us, this is the time of year that we were "hoping" to be in shape for. You really thought you wanted to have a swimsuit ready body by now. Unfortunately those missed sessions, here and there, have added up and really effected your overall result.

Notice I said that you "thought you wanted" a swimsuit body and "hoped" to be in shape. Had you truly been committed to a better result by summer you would have done anything necessary to remain consistent with your scheduled training sessions.

Think about this...

If you miss one session, no big deal, Right?

If you miss that one session only once a month, are you still giving yourself the opportunity to create the changes you want?

Missing only one session a month over the course of a year, adds up to TWELVE missed sessions. You will have missed a full months worth of training sessions, yet you still hope for impressive changes. Unfortunately, it just doesn't work that way.

You made a decision to take part in a physical fitness program. You made a commitment, at some level, to following through with the program. Now, we have to do whatever it takes to remain consistent over the timeframe required to get the result you really want. In most cases, 3 months of truly committed, consistent training will yield far better results than 6 months of training in which you miss only 1 to 2 sessions per month.

If you've committed to a 3 days per week training schedule, makes sure you train 3 days a week. If something comes up at your regularly scheduled time, reschedule that session and remain consistent with your 3 sessions per week commitment.

This seemingly small change will, without question, create more momentum for your program and much faster changes in your body.

Watch Your Language

2006-06-14T07:50:00.000-07:00

"STOP WORKING OUT!"

Take a look at the word "work out". Your mind associates those words to mean that you are going to subject your body to some additional form of work until you run out of something (fuel, energy, the will to survive). Rarely does that sound like fun.

Whether you know it or not that simple association is one of the reasons that you continue to have limited success with your physical fitness program.

My suggestion is to change the way you refer to your exercise regimine to something more productive, such as "Training" or "Practice". In either case these words give your activity a positive purpose. These are words that tell your mind and body that you are doing something specific that will improve who you are.

Pay attention to the language you use. It will make a difference in your attitude and your result.

Start today! Train with Purpose.

I'm Back!

2006-06-13T12:55:00.000-07:00

I've been off developing new ideas, new business, new strategies and techniques that will make everything you do more efficient.

The wait is over.... you're beliefs about Fitness are about to change.

Buy the book!

2005-05-18T14:47:00.000-07:00

I wrote STOP WORKING OUT! for you, not for me.

This book is the real deal. No fluff, no BS, just exactlly why you need to Stop Working Out! and exactly what to do to finally get healthy and fit.

I understand that you've heard all the promises before. Heck, I probably wrote some of those empty promises. This time is different,

I realized that marketing and product sales were coming before your health and fitness. So I decided to do something about it.

I learned everything I could about the deep dark secrets, and slimy tactics of the fitness industry from the inside. In this book and through the course of STOP WORKING OUT! programs I will reveal everything that has been keeping you from getting the results that you truly desire.

Go Get the book, read it and stay tuned, this is going to be fun.

www.stopworkingout.com