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Regardless of our present circumstances, we can always choose how we want to respond.  Our thoughts, actions and feelings are completely under our control.  We may have trained ourselves to respond in a particular way up until this moment, but the past does not have to be our future.  Be more aware and consciously make an effort to choose how you respond to all the varying aspects in your life.

You have absolute control over but one thing in your life and that one thing is your mind and its very thoughts.  If you fail to control your mind and its thoughts, you may be sure you will control nothing else in this lifetime.

Control of your life starts by controlling the genre of your thoughts.  The positive quality or the negative quality of your thoughts are directly linked to the results you get in your life. Negative thoughts beget negative results… positive thoughts beget positive results. I’ve never seen such an overlooked simple fact.  Use it, to your advantage.

“Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you.”

You exercise personal integrity, when what you do, who you are, what you say, what you feel and what you think… all come from the same place.  A place defined and built by only you.

When we’re motivated by chosen goals that have deep personal meaning, by dreams and aspirations that need doing and completing, by friendship, kindness, empathy and love that need sharing… then we can truly live a life with purpose.

We often forget this very key point – that the human experience and skill set is so varied and our lives so diverse… that we all have our own personal pace at things.  No matter the depth of the subject at hand… it’s never too late to fix, start or stop something.

A good fitness trainer stands for the client… helping them to recall the truth of what they want for themselves and the real possibility of attaining it through consistent, dedicated and directed behavior over the short and long-term – even when the client has forgotten or misplaced their goals.  Standing for the client means having energy when they do not, having motivation when they do not and being what they themselves would like to achieve.

Your conscious mind takes up to 17% of your total brain power… but only controls about 3% of your perceptions and behaviors at any given time.  While on the other hand, the non-conscious mind occupies 83% of your total brain power at any given time and controls around 97% of your perceptions and behavior.  Meaning, that you can know something without needing to know the reason why and sometimes trying to explain what you know to be true can leave you speechless when trying to explain.  In fact, your non-conscious mind can process things up to 800 times faster than your conscious mind.  What a great resource!  Now, some may call it an intuition or merely a gut instinct – but it’s really your mind that already knows the answer and/or the outcome in the first place.  Trust it… and you don’t need to explain!

As human beings we drive ourselves… that’s what can often lead to success and satisfaction in our lives. But driving ourselves toward goals without proper reflection can often lead to results that were not really our true intentions in the first place. Careful assessment of daily tasks and longterm goals are necessary to ensure that our energy is not wasted on outcomes that were never desired in the first place.

Integrity as being defined by adherence to personal moral and ethical principles or soundness of moral character or just plain honesty… is a prerequisite for good judgement and on-going success in life. You can have all the power, beauty, money, intelligence or energy one person can solely possess, but without solid integrity, all those previously mentioned qualities will simply burn, bury, destroy or kill you.

Finding the balance between healthy training and training too much has often been my personal challenge over the years. But recently… I’ve wanted to be more truthful than competitive, more honest and open, than hungry for shaved time and improved race results. A few spots back here, or a few extra seconds there, doesn’t really detract from the physical experience anymore… I think that I’ve finally found some well earned balance.

Because there’s people who need you – enough said.

Recently, I’ve been quite intrigued at how much maintenance is required to keep our lives under control… relationships from growing distant… and everything working smoothly as it should. It doesn’t take long before the grass is overgrown, the paint needs some touching up and we’ve gained a few extra pounds without much notice. Large buildings (although quite small in the scheme of things) have entire maintenance staff just to keep things running smoothly day to day and year to year; without them the entire building would slowly but steadly become useless and even uninhabitable within a few short years. As soon as something new comes flying off the assembly line (including us) it’s working its way toward disrepair and being obsolete within a few short years as well. Things breakdown, fall out of alignment and grow to be no longer needed, that’s the natural cycle of things.  So with this in mind… to be successful and really alive we need to fight this cycle of decay. We need to work hard to shore up things in our life that aren’t quite right… because the natural slippery slope of time will take us to standards that we should NOT be willing to accept. We need to keep our minds strong with positive thoughts, with new ideas and novel books that we’ve been meaning to get to. We need to organize our lives and be better friends while perhaps working for the paycheck a bit less and getting just a bit more sleep, play and relaxation.  In short, we need to fix the things that need fixing and keep up the maintenance on things that matter.

My consistently favorite reading material outside of the Health and Fitness field (although it can and often does have health and fitness related information contained within it) is “The Economist” Magazine. This is a relatively expensive (typically over $100 per year subscription) weekly magazine packed full of national, as well as international news, science and technology, politics and book reviews.  The title of the magazine is a bit misleading, so don’t let it scare you away. It not only reports clearly on the subject at hand, but offers its opinions and solutions as well.

http://www.economist.com/printedition/

It’s very difficult for any single individual to extricate themselves from the commitments, schedules and stresses of everyday life. Paid employment, slowly over time, becomes wrong employment. Natural gifts such as a free spirit, open-mindedness and playfulness become too restrained and are soon abandoned because of our all too serious adulthood. But one day we realize that we’ve taken for granted the one thing that made us worth being who we are… the joy of physical adventure and physical play. There are few who can exercise the strength of mind to dash the heavy load of reality and enjoy life again once supressed by the full weight of it. The challenge for those who feel trapped in the quicksand is in achieving a study pace of mindful play again and bringing back to life what was once their’s in abundance – physical health!

It’s my goal to blow into a potential fire, creating a spark that lay in all of us, for higher standards and better living.  I find that life and all it’s trials and tribulations tend to be very good at blowing fires out.  Take your motivation, no matter the depth, add a directional spark and see how hot your fire can burn.

Books become influential to someone not just for there content but for the timing of the information as well.  These 4 people, their ideas and/or biographies have had the most important influence upon me.

They are in No particular order:

–Ralph Waldo Emerson (biographies and his prose)

-Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand (biographies and her philosophy).

–Jack Kerouac multiple biographies (did Not enjoy his books)

–Henry David Thoreau (biographies and prose)

Because I spend so much time reading health and fitness related subjects, I make a concerted effort to read other genres of material concurrently. And although my love for health and fitness has provided well for me, it certainly would create an intellectual imbalance if taken as the only ingredient to my daily thoughts.

http://www.amazon.com/Kant-Biography-Manfred-Kuehn/dp/0521497043

There’s been a lot of controversy in recent years on stretching and it’s proper protocol. So, what’s being said right now concerning the application of stretching by the leading institutions and organizations on physical activity, health and fitness? 

Here’s the current scoop! Large and well-funded, well-conducted, randomized, controlled trials provide compelling evidence that pre-exercise and post-exercise stretching does NOT reduce the risk of injury or aid in recovery, nor does it increase the range-of-motion of the stretched joint or area. Also, the available evidence suggests that pre-exercise stretching is detrimental to maximal strength, strength endurance, jumping height and sprinting time and can increase the risk of injuries as well. In other words, stretching causes micro-trauma or minor injury to the related area of the body. Do we really want to damage the necessary muscles right before an activity? 

Given this evidence, it seems only reasonable to conclude that stretching should not be performed before exercise or after for that matter. Instead, warmups should consist of aerobic activities related to the activities soon to be engaged-in which are more likely to prevent injury and improve performance (i.e. walking to jogging) while cool downs, if performed, are best suited by slowing down the very same activity in which  we were previously engaged-in (i.e. jogging to walking). 

What to do? Joint-range-of-motion and joint health are best served by following a smart, balanced and consistently followed resistance training program that engages both (to all sides) of all joints or articulations throughout the human body.

We cannot expect to have it all ways. Life is full of choices and to choose one thing is to forgo another of course. There are numerous tasks throughout the day, some are for you, but many are for others. I question that all these tasks we busy ourselves with daily are all necessary. There are daily tasks that carry a true result for you, your family and friends… and then there are tasks that are simply a waste of time in which you’ll get no credit. Choose your tasks wisely.

At 451 degrees farenheit you create fire. One degree makes the difference between success and failure… because at 450 degrees farenheit you get nothing but heat. Now, take that same idea and apply it to your life (or fitness goals more specifically) and look how close you can be to your fitness goals and still not quite be successful. How close are you to starting a fire?

The 5 primary ingredients for success in life or sport are:

1. Purpose – what’s your goal?

2. Passion – a deep desire to achieve this goal once determined.

3. Planning – how to go about obtaining this goal.

4. Perspiration – work hard, consistently and smart to reach your goal.

5. Perserverance – make sacrifices and follow through daily to reach this goal.

*Sucess defined by the 5 P’s compliments of Joe Friel – author and coach for endurance athletes!

Look at your path closely and deliberately… and do this frequently throughout your lifetime. Going off course can be gentle and subtle without any awareness of your misdirection. As Carlos Castaneda wrote “if your path has heart, then your path is good, but if your path has no heart, than your path is no good”. Careful consideration should always be given to the mere 24 hours in your day. Not a day should be wasted or simply tolerated. Make the most of it by choosing your path.

Give less credence to any thought or decision that was not born through exercise. While moving about freely, engaged in adult play, in which your muscles and mind are free to celebrate and feast on pure and natural energy, your mind is at its best. Clear thinking develops over the duration of physical movement and good judgement is the byproduct you enjoy when the moving has ceased for the day.

Written by Tim Noakes and updated frequently (currently on it’s 4th edition) this book is still the best physiology book on running ever written.  It’s digestable, interesting and comprehensive.  Much of the science in this book relates to all endurence sports – not just running.

http://www.amazon.com/Lore-Running-4th-Timothy-Noakes/dp/0873229592/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1259762692&sr=8-1

The biggest obstacle that we face in reaching our personal goals isn’t our genetics, careers, money, family or relationships… it’s ourselves. If you want something bad enough you need to make it happen by following through with a game plan and remaining positive throughout its pursuit. You need to shut down the voice in your head that speaks so negatively and doubts so loudly. Reprogram that negative inner-voice to say things that support your goals, endeavors and wishes. The voice inside your head isn’t some unknown negative critic that has taken over your thoughts without your permission… it’s simply you being negative.

Got health and fitness questions?  Maybe you have the  answers! 

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http://www.solesportsrunning.com/forum/index.php

We may not know why or how… but we’re here on this planet and that leaves us with two choices.  You either become productive and positive reaping the rewards of positive behavior or you become unproductive and negative reaping the consequences of your negative behavior. The choices are minimal and the options are limited; I guess that makes choosing the correct direction just that much easier then, right?

I’m nearing 20 years of personal training and without a doubt the largest macro-nutrient responsible for the weight crisis in this country is fat. Replace high fat foods with Organic Vegetables, Organic Fruits, (very lean) Proteins (little to no red meat), various Grains, Legumes and supplement with a high quality Essential Fatty Acid (Omega 3) product. Simplify your food! The more complex and copious the ingredients in your meals, the more room for excess calories, fat and various toxins to sneak into your diet. Read your labels carefully. Know the ingredients in your food. Eat out less often… and keep your foods simple and as nature designed them.

To exercise for a life-time, with a balanced approach, you need to learn and understand the basics of strength training. Strength training is required just like pouring a concrete foundation for a house is required for the house to last a life-time. All to often, we are inclined to simply start moving to whatever the latest infomercial is selling or local gym or personal trainer is exhorting, without realizing that the foundation of all movement is a strong and balanced body. Learn how to approach and strengthen your body correctly… and you’ll be on your way to a life-time of health and vitality!

Human beings are fighters by nature… living and remaining alive is a tough job and we’re often reminded of this when we hear bad things happening to good people. We’re faced with challenges from extreme weather, diminutive insects that spread diseases such as malaria and accidents we can’t even see coming.  When we were young we were often fooled into believing that life was safe and secure, but as we grew older we realized this was only an illusion projected onto us by those who loved us and cared for us. To live well, is to fight for life. Are you fighting the way that you should? Are you forcing “father time” to take from you… or are you merely giving your health away?

Remember, the Fitness Trainer you choose will and does make a difference in your success. Ask these questions when looking for a qualified personal trainer: can you afford their price on a monthly to yearly basis? What’s the experience they claim to have? Will they still be a personal trainer 6 months from now? Were they a personal trainer 6 months ago? Do they have a degree “within” the field of fitness, as well as a personal training certification from ACSM or NSCA? (Important to note here: there are currently over 350 personal training certifications available and very few hold any credibility within the fitness industry). The prevalent “ACE” certification is one of the easiest and least expensive certifications available today within the fitness industry and is considered low quality within the profession. The letters “CPT” merely mean certified personal trainer… certified by whom? Do they have liability insurance?

You see, there’s vast differences between personal trainers; please do your research. Typically, the larger the health club, the more inexperienced and less paid the personal trainers, while on the flip side, it’s one of the most expensive venues to receive personal training services; there’s simply a lot of overhead to cover and too many hands in the financial cookie jar. Effective personal training takes years to acquire, there’s a craft to this profession, as there is with most. An extended and varied education within the field of health and fitness, long term exposure within the industry, solid athletic experiences and active (on-going) participation in athletics is very important within a quality personal trainer.

Pessimism has protective values; when things don’t go our way it simply confirmed what we expected would happen in the first place. The downside to pessimism is it keeps us stagnant at best and it often leads to a boring and declining over-all enjoyment level in our lives. Optimism, on the other hand, comes from successes in challenges sought and eventually met, big or small. Without the presence of mind to push forward with a new challenge periodically, we don’t even come close to performing at the best of our abilites. Being a pessimist gives us the delusion of being safe and comfortable, but ultimately it robs us of our greatest successes in life which would have led us to greater confidence in our abilities and greater enjoyment in our lives had we simply challenged ourselves.  Think positive and challenge yourself… it’s generally worth the effort.

If you’re going to reach your goals in a timely and efficient manner you must be equipped with the right information; there’s a lot of confusing and conflicting health and fitness information (and opinion) cluttering up the airwaves and more importantly… people’s minds. An exceptional fitness trainer (and most are not) will cut the path clear of these obstacles, making the path as smooth and straight as possible. There’s a level of craftsmanship to nearly all activities in this day and age and this vocation is no exception. There’s very few right ways to approach fitness that will last and be enjoyable for a life-time.

We require adversity in life to reach our greatest potential, but for many of us adversity is not met with the right fortitude and discipline that’s required to benefit from it. To reach your potential, you must choose adversity with a keen sense of strategy – not recklessness and despair. Embrace inevitable hardships with the deep stare of conviction and the willingness it takes to get through it and improve. You can find plenty of voluntary adversity through fitness. The on-going discomfort, the all-encompassing fatigue and the minor to major injuries that come through striving – it’s all there in fitness. Practice voluntary adversity through fitness and you can achieve personal improvement and the capacity to deal with unvolitional adversity outside of fitness as well.

We hear this word “self-esteem” thrown around a lot, and most claim they have it and in high degrees, but unless you’re living a life with little discrepancy between your ideal-self and your actual behavior, you’re more than likely low in self-esteem. What you want to be in life, and who you are, should be closely intertwined when living with high self-esteem. In fact, high self-esteem will pull your personal ideals and actual daily reality closer and closer together over an extended period of time through aligned behavior; you create high self-esteem through your consistent daily actions. Who you are and what you want to be are pulled closer and closer together when high self-esteem is present.

There’s nothing but superficial pleasure in daily self-gratification. So, to live a life worth living and later remembering at its conclusion… competence and challenge are necessary in life. Go after self-improvement vigourously… and general-well-being, happiness and fulfillment will be yours at the other end.

My personal success in fitness is not necessarily what you deem correct or necessary. The way that I define success for me, is based on my own personal experiences, genetics and interpretations of what value a particular fitness goal and fitness level has in my life. Your success needs to be based on similar personal criteria. See it, define it, work towards it and then grab it! Success is relative… what does your 100% look like?

The chance of something unexpected, important or urgent rearing its ugly head when you’re scheduled to exercise is to be expected. So you shouldn’t be surprised when it happens. If you set the time to exercise, keep the time to exercise and get the job done – no excuses. Life will still be waiting for you when you get done with your workout and you’ll be better prepared to deal with it.

Courage is not necessarily a single act, rather, it’s more broadly defined by a lifetime of correct actions, even under difficult circumstances. Many spend their whole lives not knowing if they have significant courage. Physical fitness provides a benign and relatively safe venue to test yourself at the deepest level physically, as well as emotionally. What a great opportunity!

If I were to wish for anything… I would not wish for wealth or power but for the intense energy and passion that comes from a high level of fitness. There’s nothing I would rather have personally, than my good health and the deep vitality that comes from its possession.

Losing weight and getting fit is hard work and you’re going to be uncomfortable with hunger pangs, sore muscles and fatigue at times. But do you know the difference between pain and suffering? Your perception of the experience… that’s it. Being uncomfortable is only suffering if you think about it in this negative way. Embrace the conditions and make all that hard work a sense of pride, satisfaction and accomplishment.

Successful people of all stripes, distinguish themselves by doing, suffering through, and sacrificing all those things that less successful people are not willing to. Unless one gets extremely lucky… you have to pay the price if you want the results that go with a big-goal met. That’s what makes the price so high and the results so worth while.

Through a consistent and progressive fitness program you can gain confidence by preparing and then hitting your training goals, while gaining support and friendship with quality people, with similar interests. By taking on the adverse conditions found through consistent training, you will gain a sense of self that cannot be bought or found anywhere else.