Help!

I need your help. You look to me for help. We all need to give and receive some help now and then. Giving and receiving help is how things move forward and get done. If it wasn't for the hard working team of people at Beachbody none of us (including me) would be as fit and healthy as we are. If it weren't for the message boards, coaches threads, WOWY, the chat rooms and My Beachbody many us would have failed long ago. This community of giving and receiving keeps us moving forward. If you live on that Island by yourself it's tough to make it in this world. The folks who don't know how (or are not willing) to reach out, fail time and time again.

Everyone of us gets a little lost once in a while, and when that happens it's important to remember that friends and family are there to catch our fall. And if the friends and family at home come up short on occasion then your other family is right here. I've told people at the fitness camps that my desire to press on day after day comes from seeing all of you work so hard at making life better. We are a community (regardless of background, race, religion or political persuasion) that is interested in supporting one another in the quest for lifelong health and fitness.

When I plan my workouts, 90% of them are with someone else. My favorite sports and activities (rock climbing, skiing, Sunday workouts and yoga) are done with friends. This blog, my mailbag and the camps are the best ways for me to connect with you. I feel like I'm hangin and talking with family. It is such a thrill for me to help somebody figure things out. I don't have all the answers all the time, but after 20 plus years I've seen and experienced problems people have when it comes to their health and fitness. In that time I've learned how to help people find their way through the weight lose, health and fitness maze.

When I try to make it on my own I (more often than not) end up where I started...nowhere. When I ask for help and guidance from someone I trust, the experience is always positive and rewarding. The more you know, learn and do, the more you can help others. Human beings evolve by continuing to explore and share what they know. Sitting at home in front of the tube too often (doing nothing) has nothing to do with sharing and helping each other. Down time is important and everyone needs a reprieve from other people once in awhile, but if that down time makes you feel down then it's time to give & receive a little help.

Forget The Rest

When I was in Yoga class the other day I noticed how I needed to back off a bit because I felt like I was getting a cold. Yoga has always been a practice where I never compete with the class before. I never tell myself before a yoga class that I need to go deeper in Warroir 2, or that Crane has to be better than the last time I did it. I'm just glad I'm there, and I do what I can based on how I feel in the moment. That's what yoga is supposed to be anyway.

I'm beginning to apply this philosophy in all areas of fitness. It's making my workouts easier and with better results. My focus is no longer on how to beat my numbers from the time before. I focus on "Doing My Best And Forgetting The Rest." The rest is the mind chatter that prevents me from enjoying what's happening right now. That mind chatter tells me that if I don't continue to improve every time then something's wrong.

Your numbers, reps & strength will improve automatically if you work hard and stay consistent. But if you beat yourself up during the workout because you can't do as many push-ups as last time then the "I'm a failure" mind babble wins every time. Big deal, so what & who cares that you're weaker this time then last. It just is. Are you doing your best? If you are and your numbers are lower than last time, then it's perfect.

Don't let the workout you're in the middle of suffer because you're comparing it to others. Just be glad you're in the middle of a workout and not in the middle of the couch. Stop judging yourself based on past achievements. It'll make you crazy, and it will cause you to ultimately fail in the end.

Forget The Rest & Do Your Best!

San Antonio Campers

Cold Buster

Real Burden

As a trainer I take on various rolls to help encourage, motivate or inspire my clients. I've learned that saying the right thing the right way is the key to getting results. I'm passionate about fitness but at the same time I don't treat it like rocket science. I like to make it fun, interesting or at least tolerable, so that people can stay with it for a lifetime. I've also learned that certain people need different kinds of encouragement to help them through their workouts. Someone who is first starting out needs lots of positive reinforcement because their fear factor is high. Other folks want tons information right away because the more they know the more they can understand the path to success. The opposite of that are the people who say, "Just hurt me & tell me what to do!" I need to be a caretaker, therapist & drill sergeant with different clients on different days because the "my way or the highway" technique will alienate most people.

One of the greatest lessons I'm learning in this life, is to be aware of the truth of what's happening in my world from moment to moment. This is only possible when I really listen to what people are saying combined with how I react to it. I have a tendency to try to manipulate a situation (with humor, bravado & sarcasm) so that the perceived future outcome is positive, for me. When I break the rules I lose touch with the other persons need to be heard or understood. My ego and need to appear a certain way becomes more important than the truth of the moment. In other words, I'm trying to appear to be something or someone that I'm not. And at the same time I'm denying others to be connected to their truth in that moment.

This leads me to Law # 6 of the 11 Laws of Health & Fitness...Reality. Reality is that thing that is happening to you right now. Reality is that feeling in your gut and that state of your mind before, during and after everything you do. Reality is the truth of every moment, not the manipulated or fantasy versions we put out there for others to see. Being real requires letting all of your defenses down. Exposing yourself to the truth of who you are right now. If you can do that simple thing, you can remove many of life's burdens. One way to practice this is to risk bearing your own burdens. My friend Scott Fifer lives by this philosophy. The man never complains or tries to manipulate a situation. He is honest and fair and clear and he never focuses on the problem. He gathers information and plows ahead.

*Risk bearing your own burdens. The weight of your problems is determined by how much you fear them. But the only weight any fear can have is determined by how much you try to push it away. Risk not "sharing" (pissing, moaning, blaming & complaining) your burdens. Stop pushing them on others. The less you burden other people (especially loved ones) with your problems, the less of a burden they'll be for you. Letting your defences down while at the same time learning to focus on answers and solutions is the key to becoming clear, productive and real.