New Year's Resolution

New Year’s Resolution

The New Years Resoltion theme comes around every year about this time. Usually everyone is trying to lose the same 10 lbs and a few more each year, or quit smoking an the like. Here is a little article I would like to share with you.

Strategies for Goal Achievement

By Martin Rooney

Date Released : 20 Apr 2007


I believe that physical training can teach you a lot of things to be more successful in life. It is not just the physical strength you develop in the gym that does this but also the mental skills you develop pushing your body. The other day, I realized that I have not missed more than three days in a row of physical training in the last 20 years! This means not only have I spent the last two decades in a lot of pain, but it also means much of who I am physically and mentally were built in the gym and dojo.
Having been around fitness for so long, I have seen that it is the start that stops most people. What I mean by this is that most people know what they should be doing (i.e., exercising, eating right, getting enough sleep). They just never take the initiative to start doing it! As I have come to learn, your thoughts only tell you what you want, but your actions tell you what you get. Of the two things you must do in life to be successful in anything (whether it is training, fighting, work, relationships, etc.), the first is: you have to start!
I have seen many athletes come and go over the years and very few have stayed the entire course to achieve what they first set out to do. Even when many athletes have the power to start something, they rarely have the ability to see things all the way through. This leads us to the second thing you must always do to be successful: you have to finish.
Starting and finishing something may sound very easy at first, but think of all the things you would have either liked to have achieved or started to work at but never followed through (it could be exercising daily, losing bodyfat, quitting smoking, playing an instrument, getting a black belt, etc.). I guarantee that the list is longer than you would like to admit. Now I know you may be saying, “I can't stay motivated,” or “I need some help following through on things.” That is what this article is here to do. You will learn that knowledge is not power. Knowledge is only powerful when you put consistent action behind it. If you never start or finish anything, then that knowledge means nothing. This article is a fresh reminder to get you on track!
Give Yourself a Goal
Now that you understand starting something is the first step toward success, the next step is creating the map toward where you want to go. If you know the destination, but have no map to get there, you will probably never reach it. The map is your goals.
When I ask athletes, they all say they have goals. However, when I ask them to state them, they are usually very vague, and there is no deadline attached to it. Sometimes clients will come to me without much physical training experience and no direction in terms of what they want to achieve by meeting with me, where they want their career, relationship, lives, etc. to be going. My first step is to get them to create a map to success using goal development. Their assignment is to go home after a training session and write out all the goals they have for the future. When they come back, their goals are often still vague like, “I want to lose weight” and “I want to get stronger and faster.” Each one of these goals is missing pieces of the M.A.T. formula: M=Measurable, A=Achievable and T=Time Frame.
Measurable means that the goal has to be something specific you can measure with the results of your training. Achievable means that the goal has to be realistic and is something you can complete. Time frame means you have to give yourself an exact date when the goal should be completed. So instead of saying, “I want to lose weight,” this goal would be better phrased as, “I want to lose 20 pounds by December 31." This way, clients can measure their progress toward that deadline, and it keeps them staying the course. This is very important because if you cannot measure something, you cannot manage it or coach it. Also, another thing I teach my clients it to keep their goals where they can see them. This constant reminder makes them accountable on a daily basis and inevitably helps them to reach their destination.
Answer the Scratch!
Now that your clients have properly written out their goals, they may still need a technique to get started on them and stay the course every day. Recently, I had the opportunity to work with the Arizona State University football team. While I was training there, the slogan “Answer the Scratch” was on the walls and every t-shirt. The athletes also said it to one another as they were training. After I learned what this motto stood for, it made me even better at starting tasks I set for myself. I want to share the story with you in hopes it will do the same for you.
In the 1700s in England, it was popular to breed fighting dogs. The English were attempting to find and then create and breed the toughest dogs on the planet. They did this by placing two dogs with their handlers in a pit, and they would then have the dogs fight rounds. At the end of each round, the dogs were brought back into their corners, and a scratch line was drawn across the center of the ring. The dogs that could “Answer the Scratch” (sometimes with pain, broken bones, torn muscles and more!) were kept and bred for their innate determination and persistence. The dogs that were best at “answering the scratch” were said to have the most valued canine quality of “gameness.”
This story represents that every day, we all have a scratch line we have to step up and answer to in everything we do. From getting ourselves out of bed, to eating the right food, to working out, to doing what we know is right to reach our goals, we must consistently “Answer the Scratch.” Now, during training, my athletes yell this at one another when one is slacking, and I even say it to myself daily whenever I need a little push to go to the line. By answering the scratch, not only does it ensure you start something, but it keeps pushing you until you also finish. When you answer the scratch often enough, not only will you develop your own brand of "gameness," but I guarantee you will move ahead toward your goals and aspirations.
I once saw an interview where a great American writer was asked, “What is your secret to success”? He said simply that he had only 1/7th talent but also had 7/8ths discipline. It wasn’t his talent that got him through. It was his ability to start and stay disciplined to the finish! Now, your assignment, and the assignment you should give to each of your clients, is to first take some time and write out your goals. Once you've created your road map, then you can start to “Answer the Scratch” each day until you achieve the goals you've set for yourself. Now get to work!
Important Disclaimer: No express or implied warranty (whether of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or otherwise) or other guaranty is made as to the accuracy or completeness of any of the information or content contained in any of the pages in this web site or otherwise provided by personal training on the net. No responsibility is accepted and all responsibility is hereby disclaimed for any loss or damage suffered as a result of the use or misuse of any information or content or any reliance thereon. It is the responsibility of all users of this website to satisfy themselves as to the medical and physical condition of themselves and their clients in determining whether or not to use or adapt the information or content provided in each circumstance. Notwithstanding the medical or physical condition of each user, no responsibility or liability is accepted and all responsibility and liability is hereby disclaimed for any loss or damage suffered by any person as a result of the use or misuse of any of the information or content in this website, and any and all liability for incidental and consequential damages is hereby expressly excluded.
© Copyright Personal Training on the Net 1998 ­ 2008 All rights reserved

Consistency

Consistency in working a simple plan is vastly under appreciated.

You can take and simple idea that works and repeat it 100 times and you will have a noticeable amount of success.

We know this to be true in business. Look how simple the Model T was for Henry Ford. It only came in 1 color (black) and had the simplest of technology. Even for the time it was simple. The model T was wildly successful. Same is true of the VW Beetle
Simple and Consistent

Start simple

Be consistent


Basic Wt. Loss looks like this
Good Nutrition eating 5-6 x a day
Resistance Training 2-3 x a week
Cardiovascular 3-5 x a week

What might you be missing?

Step it up after you have this down!

Wt Loss Basics

Hi,My name is Mitch Mohs. I would like to share with you the 3 areas that a person may need to lose weight. I would love to help you get started even beyond this post. Feel free to e-mail me at mmohs@lifetimefitness.com.
1. Good Nutrition. The better you eat the easier weight loss can be. If you are not losing the weight you set out to do your nutrition is the first suspect. Real food is important, like fruit, vegetables, lean protein, and water, not McDonald’s Subway and boxed food. The more organic the better it is for you. We have Nutrition Coaches here at the clubs to help you one way or another. Ask them about the Resting Metabolic Rate test we have. Nutrition is the most often over looked area. There is a lot of misinformation out there. Getting a bit of help for the pros will go a long way.
2. "Intense" Strength Training. Arm curls, triceps extension, crunches and thigh machines are not going to cut it. Most folks take it too easy on themselves when they do weight training. Weight loss will happen if you get serious. Multi-joint exercises like Push ups, Row, Lunge and Squat are a great start. These exercises will increase your metabolism and get that toned muscle you are looking for. If you get into a great circuit program you can burn 400-1200 calories lifting weights in an hour. Lifting weights will give you LASTING RESULTS in weight loss. Don’t just lose weight –keep it off by getting into a lifting program.This is the Personal Trainers realm. We have a bunch of trainers that do this all. Get involved by asking for a Fit Point Assessment or consultation. We have a multitude of ways to serve you.
3.- Cardio is third. This is where most people start and end. Cardio alone will most likely not get you lean. Cardio has its place and needs to be done. One wishing to lose weight should look into the Cardio point test. The Cardio point test will lay out a great plan that is customized for you all based on Heart Rate. Some people are too intense Some are going too easySteady state cardio is not as effective as intervals. Ask a Personal Trainer for more information.Get a plan that works!If you are missing 1 or more of these 3 areas of Weight Loss you are not alone. But now you know what is next and who can help.Feel free to e-mail me at mmohs@lifetimefitness.com and I will help you out!