EXCUSE: THE ACHILLES TENDON OF THE STRONG

          I recently read an article in a National Strength and Conditioning association journal wherein the author, an exercise/sport psychologist, addressed a universal enemy of athletes. It is that insidious beast, that pestilent antagonist of humanity called excuse. She declaimed the various ways that it creeps into training and terrorizes even the best of us.
 
          I began to think about my training in recent months and in the last few years, and within moments her points began to appear in my retrospection. She listed all of the justifications we make for training poorly or not at all. She highlighted how destructive it can be to ultimate success and progress.
 
          Even as a trainer—someone who purports to be an expert in health and fitness, I see my life and values undermined by certain excuses I have made my whole life. There is always that doubt that keeps me from attaining what I know is possible and reaching out for what seems impossible. The result is that I feel like the ultimate impostor. I don’t feel like I can take a stand and challenge people in weak areas of their lives. It is a nasty creature, excuse.
 
          Part of the purpose of my last blog was to demonstrate that I am going to hold myself to the same scrutiny as my clients. Surprisingly, oftentimes I really don’t. I sit on my pedestal of education and knowledge and avoid getting dirty the way I must to be a role model, a coach, and an educator. I think to myself that I can give a minimal effort and still accomplish twice that of the typical gym crowd. The truth is that I can derive some success with this mentality, but only to a very finite degree. However, I am robbing myself and missing out on the energy of total immersion.
 
          And so . . . I am ready to take my humility pill and get my hands dirty. I am going to make myself accountable to the standard that I project to friends, family, clients, and peers. Yes, we are plagued by excuse—that mean villain—but we don’t have to be ruled by him! We can begin each day with new fervor and give our best. At the very least, we can resist by not being deceived, by being accountable, and by creating and cultivating new goals and aspirations for ourselves.

Coming Soon!

          At the beginning of this New Year, I am leading a weight loss program that will take my clients into the Spring—at which point I hope they will be at new levels of health and fitness. In previous programs, I provided as many resources as possible to the participants and attempted to instill in them that spirit of determination, investment in the future, and diligence that helped me change my life about half a decade ago in college.
 
          I am convinced of the value of weight loss programming because it is a system that overcomes many of the major hurdles to success: ambiguous goals and training timeline, go-it-alone mentality, poor knowledge of exercise technique and methodology, personal fears of being in a gym setting alone, lack of accountability, and the list goes on forever.
 
          However, as invested as I am in this training tool, I have never put myself in the mix with my clients from a dietary and investment standpoint. I have envied their clarity, focus, and singular devotion. I think it is because exercise is part of my life to the extent that I can sometimes float along on autopilot—even as I continue to challenge myself. So I am planning with my wife to take on a more restricted diet for the duration of the program, and I am going to develop new goals—just like I require of the weight loss participants.
 
          I hope that this process makes me more considerate of the challenges and concerns of my clients, but I also hope to derive new energy and results. It should be entertaining to say the least, and I am honestly looking forward to it. I’ll keep you posted!

I just don’t get it…

          Throughout my life and career as a personal trainer, I have been perplexed, overwhelmed, and disheartened by a very common behavior that seems almost universal. I see it in myself at times, and I wonder how someone devoted to health and fitness promotion could exhibit it. It is simply put a sabotage lifestyle marked by yielding to unhealthy behaviors such as binge eating, drinking, avoiding positive routines, and generally indulging in immediate gratification over long term balance. It is that sort of diseased thought process that says “what the heck? I might as well!” “We’ll deal with it tomorrow.” “Maybe the consequences will pass me by.”

          It is painful for me to observe this behavior in other people who seem to have given up on life—who behave in ways that cause me to cringe, merely because they have given up on the fight to be more, to be better. I recently saw an episode of Bridezilla where a young bride-to-be exhibits this sabotage mindset to an almost comical degree. She must have everything her way, and when she fails to fit into her expensive dress, she opts to beg her parents for a new one without any attempt to change her eating or exercise. In fact, she actually scoffs at exercise and eats scoops of ice cream after being forced to work out. The whole show is meant to be humorous, but I was disgusted. This individual would rather eat herself into a new, expensive, and larger dress, than deny herself the pleasures of overindulgence.

          In response, my wife made the insightful observation that everyone around her pays for her poor decision making! Ultimately, she will pay for them too, if she doesn’t experience a conversion of sorts. The show highlights how we can be blind to the effect we have on others through our choices and bad habits. I believe we are each called to more, and we each have a group of people who share in our triumphs and failures. Don’t we owe it to them to give them more success than tragedy?

          So what can be done to temper us against this insidious foe? How can we ensure that it doesn’t get the best of us? The solution, I’m sure, is more complex than I am qualified to prescribe. However, I do know that we must have a core system of values—a sort personal honor code by which we live. That set of values must incorporate knowledge of the fact that our actions “echo in eternity.” Our values must play out in every part of every day. Every decision, great or small, must adhere to that standard. Yes, we will fall, time and time again. But the beauty of the system is that it forces us to continually strive for something more—that ideal existence that we know is possible but fear most days to make reality.

 

8 Reasons Why Personal Training Is For You!

          So maybe you’ve considered getting a personal trainer but have never followed through. Maybe you feel like you don’t need a trainer or don’t want one… Either way, I’ve found that there are 8 primary reasons why you should seriously consider getting a trainer. Consider the following:

ACCOUNTABILITY— Whether you are a weekend warrior or a trained athlete, adherence to a program can be challenging. Scheduled appointments with a trainer can keep you on track and ensure that you meet your goals.

MOTIVATION— We all have good days and bad days, driven days and unmotivated ones. Meeting with a trainer one-on-one or in a small group setting will drive you to the limits every time.

EDUCATION— At Source Fitness Training, we are convinced that proper education with regard to strength and conditioning is the key to success, safety, and adherence.

ASSESSMENT— Setting goals can be impossible if you have no idea where you are or where you are going. Therefore it is crucial to meet with a trainer who is qualified to measure your fitness. Once you know where you are, you can begin to become who you want to be!

INDIVIDUAL ATTENTION— Why do celebrities and professional athletes hire trainers? It is simple! They know that having one-on-one attention can give them a competitive edge, whether it be on the red carpet or the sports arena. When you elect to hire a trainer, you provide yourself with a resource that is exclusive, proven, and devoted to your needs and desires, whatever they might be.

PROGRAM DESIGN— You might have played football in high school or lifted recreationally since your teens, but do you know anatomy and physiology, the art of scheduling workouts, when you are going through the motions or pushing yourself too hard—what muscle groups or movements you are training? Qualified trainers bridge the gap between science and applied fitness, and they know the secrets you need for success.

NEW TRENDS— Is your workout regimen getting dusty and boring? Have you hit plateaus and grown tired of even coming to the gym? Source Fitness Training is committed to monitoring the fitness world and research to give you the latest and greatest workout possible.

ACCESSIBILITY!!!— Individual and small group personal training are no longer overpriced amenities of the wealthy. The outstanding services offered by fitness professionals are increasingly demanded by individuals from all walks of life. You will be surprised by the low prices offered by Source Fitness Training, I promise!

          If you have read over and considered this information, but you are STILL not convinced, schedule your free session today—and experience it for yourself!

 

-Andrew Kurek

NSCA Certified Personal Trainer

SourceFitness@gmail.com