Sunday, December 28, 2008

Not The Same Old Resolution...


Every Year millions of people across the globe set themselves up for absolute failure. Even though most intentions are strong minded, the vast majority come up very short on setting reachable resolutions for the next 365 days.


Unfortunately, most settle for "Getting healthy and losing weight" or Losing weight and exercising more".


I hate to tell all those that have set one of these two as their resolutions, you are doomed to fail!!!


Becoming healthy is not a resolution. Losing weight is not a resolution. Exercising more is not a resolution.


Resolutions are much more specific - if you want to achieve any of the above. Better examples of more specificity would be...


1. I'm going to exercise 30 minutes, 4 times per week, every week with a mix of cardiovascular and resistance exercises, so I can lose weight and become healthier.


2. I'm going to eat 5 times per day while combining a protein and complex carbohydrate every time I eat, so I can lose weight and become healthier.


3. I'm going to replace all white breads and white pastas with whole wheat breads and pastas so I can become healthier.


By setting a more specific resolution for your health related goals, you will be 100% more apt to achieve them. Don't cut yourself short by making a bad choice to start off the new year.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Your Christmas Eve Day 4 Minute Workout

Don't forget to get a workout in on Christmas Eve and Christmas. I know that you are spending time with family and enjoying great moments of holiday cheer, but it doesn't take much to get a good workout in. In fact the above video is a 4 minute total body, resistance and cardiovascular workout for you that EVERYONE can do.

IT'S ONLY 4 MINUTES!!!

All you have to do is hit play and follow along with me.

You will feel better about yourself that you got your exercise in on the days where you know you just might not be eating the best.

Again, IT'S ONLY 4 MINUTES!!!

Enjoy!

A Movie Worth Watching...

If you want to be inspired, there is one particular movie I highly recommend watching…

It’s called Peaceful Warrior.

It came out in 2006 and has Nick Nolte in it.

It’s kind of a sports movie, but more a movie about how you think, how you perceive things, how to block things out and focus on the moment, not what you are doing 10 seconds or 10 minutes from now. It’s about living each moment to the fullest, blocking everything else out and focusing on what you love doing. It is also a true story, which I love.

I just happened to come across this movie on TV and right away it hooked me in. It was like I was meant to watch it at that particular time in my life. I needed a little focus in my life at that time and this movie certainly gave it to me.

I can’t tell you how inspired I was after watching it - in making me better and making my business better. I’m at a peaceful place right now because of this movie. And whenever I leave this place, I’m going to turn that movie back on, until I’m back in that peaceful place.

One of the main lessons I learned from this movie is…Make sure you love what you are trying to accomplish in life. I mean really and truly love it. Like you were meant to do that particular thing.

For me…I realized how much I love what I do. I knew it, but I had forgotten it for a while. I was focusing on the future and not what I was currently doing. I have to think about the future a little being a business owner, but I need to live in the now, not in the later. I was living in the later for a long time, and I realized it was not a good place for me. Now, since watching this movie, my life is much fuller and more in-depth. I’m much more aware of everything, and I truly love helping people reach a better place in their health.

If you want to be in a better place in your life…go rent “Peaceful Warrior”.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Motivating You

I’ve been talking about motivation the last couple of weeks. Any idea why? I’ll tell you… Because it’s December, and in this month of great holiday cheer, there are more people than ever that become depressed.

Motivation is a key factor in helping many get through this great time of year. Motivation comes in many different forms…friends, loved ones, music, family, movies, book and many, many more. Take time out for yourself to get motivated again for the future. Forget what has happened in the last 12 months, and focus on what’s ahead, on what can be accomplished in the next 12 months. What haven’t you achieved yet that you wanted to achieve in 2008, but didn’t? What new goals do you have for the upcoming year? These goals are yours for the taking! Anything can be accomplished if you want it bad enough!

Everything takes work, and everything is achieved with help, so accept all the help that is offered. No matter what…go get what you want. Just go get it. Make it happen.

I highly suggest listen to or reading motivational books, surrounding yourself with the kind of people you want to be and soon you will be one of them and others will want to be like you.

Here are many motivational sources you have to help you get started…
http://www.AndyAndrews.com
http://www.straightfromthegut.com
http://www.DanKennedywebsite.com
http://OgMandino.com
http://www.johnmaxwell.com
http://stephencovey.com
http://www.gitomer.com

Enjoy!

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

34 Healthy Gift Ideas!


It’s that time of year. In just a matter of weeks, we will be celebrating Christmas, Hanukah, and New Year’s. While many people are typically in a festive mood, it is also a very stressful time for many others. The hectic pace, the shopping, the holiday parties, the travel, and all that goes with this time of year, makes it a rather interesting time.

Being in the fitness field, I try to keep pumping up my friends, family, and all my clients with lots of positivity. I try to keep them motivated to continue with their workouts, and just because there are two big holidays within a month doesn’t mean to stop eating healthy. I also try to make it easier and a little less stressful by giving many holiday healthier gift ideas, so here are "34 Healthy Gift Ideas" for you to give to the special people in your life.

1. Motivational books or books on tape (CD) such as any of Andy Andrews books.
2. Massage gift certificates (at Shaping Concepts)
3. EatWell Magazine subscription
4. Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar – great for healthy salad dressings!
5. Sessions with a nutritionist or fitness professional about healthy eating habits
6. A healthy cooking class
7. Fitness boot camp sessions (at Shaping Concepts)
8. A crock pot, rice cooker, or steamer
9. Workout clothes for indoor and outdoor activities
10. An outdoor bicycle
11. A week with an "Expert" fitness trainer (with me at Shaping Concepts)
12. A phone coaching session with an "Expert" fitness trainer (with me at Shaping Concepts)
13. A Pedometer
14. Subscription to a healthy magazine such as Shape, Health, Self, Men’s Health, Women’s health, Wellness, Prevention, Men’s Journal.
15. A fancy Water Bottle
16. Sport Bag
17. Boxing Gloves (great gift for women!)
18. Punching bag
19. Heart rate monitor
20. Gift certificate to a healthy restaurant
21. Gift certificate to Barnes & Noble
22. Gift certificate to I-Tunes
23. I-pod
24. Wii-Fit
25. Healthy organic food basket
26. Light weighted medicine balls
27. Small free weights
28. Massager seat
29. Jump rope
30. Individual trampoline or Rebounder
31. Stability ball
32. Workout Bands
33. Karate or boxing lessons (another great gift for women)
34. Bottle of favorite wine

Okay, you are completely set and now know what to get everyone on your list. Happy holiday shopping!

Check Out Shaping Concepts in the Bluffton Christmas Parade!






Thanks to everyone that helped in making this happen!
A special thanks goes out to Tom, Emily, Tim, and Dave!

Inspiring Movie You MUST See...

I was watching a fantastic, very inspiring Christmas movie with my daughter over the weekend. You might not normally think it is an inspiring movie, but there were parts in this movie that I needed myself, to push even harder in business, with my fitness goals, with many of you to reach your fitness goals and more.

The movie I’m talking about is "Polar Express".

I highly recommend everyone see it. If you don’t have it, go rent it, barrow it, whatever, just watch it!

Tom Hanks stars in it. He plays a train ticket collector. He punches words in the kids tickets at the end of the movie according to what has happened to that particular child.

One ticket he punched had the word "Learn" on it, as in lesson learned. Let us all keep learning more and more about ourselves.

Another ticket had the words "Depend on, Rely on, Count on", as in you can count on me. Let us feel safe about counting on others to help us through all different times in our lives.

Another ticket had the word "Lead" on it, as in leader or leadership, or leading the way. Let us be leaders in what we believe in and strive for.

The entire movie was based on the word "Believe", as in believing in Santa and the Christmas spirit. There was a bell that was given to a child by Santa, and he could only hear it if he truly believed in the Christmas Spirit and Santa himself. Let us all believe that we can reach the goals we set, whatever they may be. Then many more of those goals just might be accomplished.


There was one thing in the movie that struck a huge chord with me. I’ve used the phrase before, but when you hear it in another way, it makes you think a little. The phrase was "One thing about trains, it doesn’t matter where they are going, what matters is deciding to get on."


I’m the conductor of this fitness, weight loss, healthy train, whatever you want to call it, and I’m going Full Speed Ahead, with or without you. If you decide to not get on, not to take the ride with me, that’s fine, and I wish you well, but if you want to hop on and go on the ride of your lifetime, I’m very happy to have you on board with me, cause I’m going, and I’m going Full Speed Ahead and I’m taking everyone who joins me to a new and exciting place in their lives!

You decide!

What really matters is deciding to get on!

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

I Had The Worst Day Of My Life!

Back in 2001 I was working at a plantation activity center doing basically janitorial work and only training about one time per day as an assistant director. I absolutely hated it! I mean I felt like puking just driving to work. Not kidding! Few things are worse than doing janitorial work when all you want to do is train people to become healthier, stronger, leaner people. So after one particular crappy day, I mean really crappy day (more than normal), I decided I was going home early and also took the next day off to think about what I was going to do for the rest of my life.


That next day just so happened to be a day that totally changed my entire life, as well as most other people. You see that day was 9-11. I know everyone’s life was changed that day, but mine was a little different. Because I was home alone watching everything unravel on TV, I realized something. I realized my life was meaningless and going nowhere, as far as my professional career.



I was still in my first year of my marriage, had no kids, was in a brand new house I had just built, and had no clue where my professional career was going with the job I was in.


Watching everything that happened on TV that day did not let me think about my future as I wanted to that day, however, what it did do was clearer and much simpler. It made me realize I had to make a change in my life, immediately!


The next day I went in to work, quit my job on the spot and became my own boss as an independent contracted trainer for hire. I didn’t know anything about business, about getting a lot of clients off the street, but I did it. I had to! I had no other choice. I must have been really bad, because my wife backed me 100%!


I completely took the leap. I took a chance on myself. A chance to become something more, something better. A chance to help me grow as a person, inside and out.


Well, needless to say within 3 years I was named as one of the top 100 personal trainers in the nation. I educated myself more in those 3 years than what I learned in all my years of schooling. I went to clinics, seminars, met some of the best fitness pro’s in the world. I was completely driven to make it on my own and improve my life, and I did!


Today, I own a successful fitness studio. I’m a great copywriter, speaker, educator, entrepreneur, as well as being an expert in the fitness field. I’m also married to the best women ever to walk the planet (in my opinion). I have 2 wonderful, healthy kids, have built our second home, and much, much more. I have grown so much as a person. Much more than I would have in that crappy job I used to be in.


Trust me, things didn’t change over night, like I wanted them to. There were good times and many hard times. But I know for a fact that I have worked my butt off since that unforgettable day.


The fact is, I made my life what it is today. I went out and got it. I never gave up. I never quit!

If you’re having one of those days, where you feel like you are at your lowest point, I’m here to tell you to get your butt off the couch and go make yourself a new life! If you’re depressed about your body, your weight, the way you look and feel, your energy level, your health, if you’re pissed off at how you arrived at this point, I’m here to tell you to do something about it. NOW!


Don’t tell me you cannot afford to eat right or to join a gym or to hire a trainer. Don’t tell me that it’s the economy. It’s not circumstance. It’s you! It’s the decision you make.


If you simply want to make a change, a lifestyle change, if you want to do more, be more, like now, then the fastest and most certain path for you is here:




Make your own destiny!