Revolution Athletics

Have you ever watched a movie and there's a actor that has a personality flaw that prevents them from achieving greatness or doing something special? You see it in almost every movie. You wish you could reach through the movie screen and just tell them the one thing they need to change that would make all the difference in their life.

I find that same feeling all the time in my profession. I deal with clients who come in to my facility looking for something (improved fitness, better health, to improve endurance for a running race or whatever goal they wish to improve). I go through my spiel about training, commitment and discipline, and they node their heads. We conduct a fitness evaluation and they see what needs to be done. Next we talk about nutrition and what they can do to maximize their benefits. At the end of the session the clients leaves and I feel great because I think I had a positive influence on that person. The trouble is that is not always the case. No matter how motivating and inspirational I am people choose to selectively filter out the message into something they want to hear. Some clients consistently do this! They take my advice, pay their bill and then do their own thing. It drives me nuts. I wish I could reach into their body and change the one thing that holds them back so they could realize so much more in this life.

So what's holding you back? What stops you from following a diet plan or making it to workouts on a regular basis? The following are some of the common excuses I hear in my business...see if one of them hits home for you!

Lack of Energy

Many times this lack of energy is from not eating. I know a lot of women who manage to skip breakfast, hit the Starbucks for a latte and work their way through until lunch. Then they have a salad and maybe an ice tea for their first meal. When they finally get to the gym they might have had 500 calories for the day and somehow complain about lack of energy. How can you expect to make it through your day with so little food? I understand the concept of a diet, but this is not the strategy you should employ. Five to six smaller meals with lots of protein, fruits and vegetables each day will do a lot more for your metabolism and your energy levels. As a side note I keep apples at the gym so when people come in with low energy levels I can feed them during their warm-up...hopefully 20 minutes into the workout they should feel better!

Lack of Time

I hear this one at least once a day. I know some of the busiest people in southern California, and yet they all make time for workouts and meal planning once they realize the benefit. I'm not asking for much time either, just 20 to 45 minutes each day. Not many people can tell me honestly that they can't afford that amount of time for their health. If you can't then either you are too busy and need to cut down on your work (it's probably killing you) or you have poor time management skills. Whatever the problem, hammer this out. You can do this, but you have to want to do this!

I Forgot my Workout Clothes

Pack two bags with everything in them. Leave one in your car and take one to the office. This really isn’t a valid excuse.

Feeling Sick

If you’re genuinely sick then stay home and rest, it really is the best for your health. But if you are sick from a headache, a normal cold, upset stomach, or whatever minor illness then get to the gym. You can always do some kind of exercise, even if it’s at an easier pace. I guarantee you'll feel better once your done!

Too Sore

One of my favorite excuses. Training always reduces soreness as you get blood flow happening to the parts that hurt as well as the various endorphins and hormones that help you recovery from the previous exercise. It will not hurt you to work sore muscles, and in fact it will make you feel better following the workout. You may hate me at first when you start, but you’ll thank me afterwards.

It’s Too Hard

Training can be difficult, but when you see the results and look fantastic you will appreciate the hard work and sacrifice. The side benefit is that training not only builds character, but it allows you to focus on something other than yourself and your everyday problems.

I Had a Bad Day and Now Don't Feel Like it!

Great. Now you can burn off all that negative energy before you go home to your spouse or kids! It will help to clear your head and re-focus your mind. I try to get my clients to hit the heavy bag, slam the d-balls, or do some type of jumping exercises. This goes a long way to changing their mood, with some good old fashion sweat.

As you can see there are a lot of various excuses. When you put these and any other excuses to bed you'll find you start to hit the workouts more often, stick to your diet more regularly and do what your supposed to with your recovery. Done consistently this will make a big difference in your life, I promise.

"Fortitudine Vincimus"
(by endurance we conquer)