October 21, 2019
Some (not “The”) Rules of Fitness…
Each year I get upset when I see Trainers in our Field author articles talking about “Lessons they have Learned”, or “10 years and 10 Truths”, or even better, “The Rules of Fitness Engagement”, etc…
I get angry because Fitness is different for everyone, and almost impossible to narrow down into perfect little Mantras or Sayings…
So what do I decide to do?
Beat em’ at their own Game!
Or, be a heaping pile of Hypocrisy!
Read the Article and You can Decide!
Here are Some of the “Rules” of Fitness
1) Everybody Has to Do “The Work” …
The next Shortcut that provides Improvement without Excessive Cost or Long-Term Ramifications after Short-Lived Success will be the 1st!
No matter who you are, Gender, Color, Race, or Socio-Economic Standing, the Weights don’t Lift Themselves…
There is Work to Be Done, and a Process to Be Had, so Embrace It and Get After It…
2) You Don’t See Results “Tomorrow” (this Ish takes a while)
After You Read and Embrace Rule 1, the Love is very Slow to “Show”. We have written about “Lag Time” previously, and although Improvements are Coming, they are taking their sweet time…
3) Most of your Work won’t be in the Gym (the Kitchen + Bedroom are Key!)
Start Working Out, and I think many things in Your Life Improve:
Your Energy, Confidence, Health, etc., the Benefits are Awesome…
You will “Feel” as Good as You Have in a long while…
But most of Us want to Look Good as much as we want to Feel Good…
And to Look Good, or Better, you need to venture to your Kitchen and Bedroom more often…
Get in the Kitchen and Cook your own Food, for as many Meals as possible each week.
This strategy works both Short and Long-Term. Cooking is a skill that never gets old and only gets better with Age and/or Practice…
Head to the Bedroom, a Room to only be used for Sleeping (not TV Watching or Phone/computer Netsurfing) and Spend 8hrs Sleeping(to get at least 7.5hrs) each night…
Removing Barriers is typically the fastest Path to Improvement + Success, and Sleep is a Barrier for almost 50% of the Population we Train…
4) You Need a Goddamn Plan! (We All Do!)
Don’t “Wing-It” with your Training. Honestly, I am not sure “Winging-It” is a sound strategy for anything more than 1-2x…
Join a Gym (Any Gym if you don’t like Ours), ask for Help, in the Form of a Trainer or a Group, and Learn as much as you can…
Ask Questions, Watch the People around You, don’t get fooled by “Highlight” Workouts on YouTube, and Do the Basics Very Well. Day after Day…
It may appear to be common sense, but you can see a lot of crazy junk online or in Gyms every day…
You may see some Cool Clapping Push-Ups, but not the sore joints or sprained wrist that came with it…
You may see some Sick Battle Ropes, but not the sore back or neck that accompanied it…
You may see some Terrific Bodies doing interesting things, but not the weeks of Good Nutrition (or Starvation) or the months of Basic Lifting that got them there…
Stay away from the Highlights, and walk towards Consistency…
5) There is Strength in Numbers. Get a Friend, Partner or Group and Go!
“Partnership” comes in many Forms and with many Benefits:
Companionship.
Accountability.
Confidence.
Faith.
Reinforcement.
There is truly nothing like looking someone in the eye and telling them you will _____ (whatever it may be). The Power of your “Word” may be the most Powerful Weapon of Purpose in your Arsenal…
Taken further, you become a “Partner” for someone else, and that may be the greatest gift that anyone can receive. You have the opportunity to Help Someone Improve, to “Make Them Better” than they would be on their own.
Being a Great Partner, in Health, at Work, as part of a Relationship, or in Life, is simply the Greatest Opportunity we have, and greatest Compliment we can receive. Be a Partner that someone can rely on…
6) Your Health is Really, Really Important. Re-Read 1-4 and Get Back At It!
People Fail all of the Time. At Everything. They make Questionable Decisions with their Diet. They get Frustrated and Stop Going to the Gym. They End a Relationship for the wrong reasons. They have Impulses, Urges, Dark Days and Overwhelming Highs. Hell, this isn’t even the 1st Draft of this Article.
We all have “Flow”: The Highs and Lows of Life that come at us with no End in sight…
Just Don’t Stop Taking Care of Yourself…
Your Health is always Important, but we typically Discover this profound Truth after we have it ignored it…
You can hear it from many People: Your Dr., Your Partner, Your Children/Family, even Your Mirror may Deliver the Message: You Need to take Better Care of Yourself…
Family History? Keep Training to for Health.
Injury or Accident? You stay Healthy while Working to Return to Play, Work, Life, or all of the Above Baby!!!
Think you are Capable of More? Get as Fit as you Need to be to Utilize your Best Efforts Daily!
Lacking Self-Confidence? Put the Work In and It Always Rewards You. Because You Did It and No One Did it For You…
Don’t Stop.
If You Do, Get Back At It.
Your Health is a Lifelong Pursuit.
Not a Goal on the Calendar or a Month of the Year.
It’s also not a Pursuit of Perfection.
It’s What you Do to Live the Best, and Longest Life you Can.
Stay At It.
Thinking about it now, I probably didn’t need a whole article to get the points across…
I could probably sum it up simply:
Go to Bed early. Wake-Up early. Eat at Home. Train with Intent.
Be a Good Person. Help Someone Else Improve… Day after Day, Week after Week…
