Step out of your Comfort Zone

There are some mornings I feel like sleeping in, but I refuse to slow down. Today's second leg day session of the week was no exception. Grind through it, go hard after what you want and don't ever get comfortable...things always change. Dealing with change and moving forward, that's up to you how you want to move forward.

- Mike

Monday Motivation

Happy Monday everyone and it's already March! :)  There are times we may limit ourselves because of the barriers we put up.  I've been guilty of this myself at times.  If we can just learn to take down those walls and see what's possible, what's out there, what's been holding us back...can you imagine what awaits us?!  It just gets me excited thinking about it and I hope you all are excited as well! :)  Have a great Monday everyone and those walls that have been getting in way, let's knock them down and head in a positive direction. :)

- Mike

We All Can Make It

Hello everyone! There's nothing wrong with having someone you look up to or someone that drives you to be better. But, feeling you always need to one up someone or doing something that isn't who you are as a person simply to compete with someone...well that's where we might just be steering ourselves down the wrong path.

For those of you that know me, personal training isn't my full-time job. It's a passion I have along with fitness. I love helping people with fitness questions or helping them with getting started on their workout plans. I do a lot of fitness consultations and even though they don't decide to work with me, if they leave that consultation having gained more knowledge and courage to begin a healthier path, than I feel I did what I have always promised myself I would and that is to help as many people as I can so that everyone can succeed.
 

Have a great Monday everyone and if you can, help out anyone you can! :)

- Mike

Monday Motivation

At times we can be our own worst enemy or we can be the one standing in our own way of progress. Break out of that shell and overcome something you never thought you could do!

- Mike

Monday's Thought

Hello everyone. I've been away for a while and hope everyone is still enjoying the journey they're on. Recently I've experienced an event that made me realize that life is too short and things can change in an instant. Everything is ok...but it really opened up my eyes. Storms will cross our paths and may leave some destruction, but by picking up the pieces this is where we gather our strength and become stronger.

There will be things or people that don't serve us for the better. We may think they do, but they don't. And as difficult of a decision it is to leave those things behind, it's for the better, because we all deserve to be happy. We sometimes put too much focus on what was, when we should be focusing on what can be. The future is a great place to live, which is where I'm planning to live, not in the past. I hope all of you will also. So when you feel like you've done everything you can and you can't go any further with whatever you're trying to accomplish, just take that step forward. That step forward into your future just might be the best step you ever take!

Learn to forgive. Call up a friend you have lost touch with and catch up. Let burdens go and focus your time on being happy. Tell that someone you've been holding back just how you feel. Put together that plan you've been putting off. Leave everything on the table and know you did your best and have no regrets. Life's too short to focus on negatives when there are so many positives that we just don't take the time to acknowledge. Have a great Monday everyone and here's to the future and all the great things waiting for all of us!

- Mike

Self-Motivation Do you have it?

I'm in the process of a 6 week program that is pushing the limits of my fitness. There are times during my workouts where my mind is telling me to just take an extra break or go lighter on the next set. But then there is that discipline voice that tells me I can do it and I won't achieve my goal if I don't push through it. I want to achieve my goal. I have a goal set in my head and I know what I need to do to achieve it. We all need to find that motivation within ourselves to keep pushing us towards what we want. Nobody said it would be easy, but it will be worth it in the end. So when your mind is telling you you can't, what are you using for motivation to keep you going? Keep that thought/motivation in your head and you will achieve greatness! Have an awesome day everyone! :)

- Mike

 

Good morning everyone! I love this quote by Jerry Rice. My morning workout session was Back & Biceps. Pullups were on that list. I'm not going to lie, I struggle with pullups. Here's a little fact for you all, even Arnold Schwarzenegger struggled with pullups. I struggle with them, but I force myself to do them and I give everything I've got when I do them. There may be something you guys struggle with also, but keep at it. Today you may struggle with it, but one day you won't! Keep up the hard work everyone, I promise it will pay off! Have a great day! :)

-Mike

Failure Is Just A Word

Good morning everyone! Not only do I think this picture is awesome, I absolutely love the quote! I apologize, it may be a little hard to read, but it says "Don't fear failure...in great attempts it is glorious even to fail." - Bruce Lee.  There may be times when we error on the side of caution because we don't want to fail or look like a failure. But at some point we need to forget about what others may think and just GO FOR IT!! Failure isn't always the worst possible result that can happen. It can be a learning experience or it can show just how hard you want something and you'll be damned if you'll let a little setback stop you. Failure is just a word, and as long as we remember that, there's nothing we can't accomplish when we go hard after it! Have a great day everyone! :)

-Mike

Monday Motivation

Good morning everyone! Hope you all had a great weekend. It's Monday, the start of the week, so what a perfect time to have a fresh start! Make today your day, start the week off on a positive note and keep that positivity rolling through the rest of the week! Have a great day everyone! :)

-Mike

Don't Give Up!

Good morning everyone! Some words of wisdom/motivation to start off your week:

Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up. - Thomas Edison

Don't give up! The beginning is always the hardest and there's going to be challenges along the way, but stay positive, stick to your plan and don't get discouraged. I believe in all of you! Have a great Monday everyone and let's start off this week in a positive direction. :)

- Mike

Great words to follow! Making changes in your lifestyle, whether it's eating healthier, working out more, dedicating your time towards a goal...whatever it is, it's a journey. Take a look back a few weeks ago, a month, a year and see how far you've come. Keep up the good work everyone and take some time to be proud of yourself for your dedication. I believe in all of you! Have a great day everyone! :)

-Mike

8 Ways To Have Fun With Exercise

Hello everyone!  The biggest excuse that people give to not working out is that they don’t have enough time.  Another common excuse is that they don’t enjoy it.  We all like to do things that we enjoy and for some people, working out isn’t at the top of their list.  Here are 8 tips that you can try to incorporate into your workouts that just might help make it more enjoyable.

1.  Try Something New

I’m a big believer in switching things up and trying new exercises.  Boredom in the gym is the root of all evils.  I usually switch my routine up every month or two to challenge my body in new ways and to make working out exciting.  Trying a new HIIT routine one month, then switching to a low rep/heavy weight the next for example.  Throwing in a kettlebell routine during the middle of the week and the next day follow it up with a plyometric workout.  Whatever it may, change things up and try new exercises to not only keep your mind stimulated but your body as well.

2.  Crank The Tunes

You may have read one of my earlier posts about Workout Playlists and how listening to music can get you through workouts.  Put a playlist together that will get your energy level up and let you have fun while working out.  Workouts are meant to be energetic so why not crank the tunes and enjoy it!

3.  Track Your Progress

Tracking your progress and seeing results is a great way to make exercising more exciting!  Keeping a workout journal is a great motivational tool you can use because it can make gains more tangible, and who doesn’t enjoy the thought of making gains?!

4.  Set Goals & Reward Yourself

Whether it’s to lose 1 pound this week or make it to the gym 12 times this month, make sure you set some realistic and attainable goals for yourself.  Determine your reward ahead of time and make sure you follow through.  This can make reaching your goal even more exciting!

5.  Enjoy An Outdoor Activity

Working out isn’t just limited to going to the gym.  Take your workout outdoors for a fun change!  The workout routine I’m currently doing calls for rest days and on those rest days it’s an active rest day.  Go for a walk on a trail through the woods near your house.  If you’re a golfer, walk 18 holes.  Could the exterior of you house use a little sprucing up?  Do some yard work.  Doing an activity outside of the gym can be fun and you can still get that exercise.

6.  Get A Workout Buddy

Working out with a friend isn’t just a way to squeeze in some face time with them, they can help push you and make your workouts more fun.  If your friend is tied up, try looking into local running clubs or fitness groups.

7.   Don’t Dread It

What I mean by this is switch the difficulty order of your exercises around.  While it’s beneficial to stack the most challenging exercises towards the beginning of your workout, don’t feel like that’s what you have to do every time.  Also, saving the toughest exercise for the very end of your routine doesn’t really leave you motivated to finish your routine when you know what’s coming.  Try sandwiching the really tough exercises with some of the more enjoyable ones and the whole workout can seem much more pleasant.

8.  Shorten It Up

Workouts taking too long?  Try shortening it up to 30 minutes of purposeful exercise.  Short and intense workouts can be really effective when it comes to building muscle and endurance and can be fun in the process!

Lift Your Mood With A Workout!

Good morning everyone! :) Depending on where you are in the country, if you're here in Minnesota in my neck of the woods, it's a windy and rainy day. But I'm not letting the weather get to me. I took advantage of the wonderful ability of our brain to release endorphins after we workout. It can work wonders on your outlook of how you feel today, especially during this weather. I did just that by getting my workout in this morning to start my day off in a good mood! :)  So if you're feeling a little down by the weather today after the great weekend we had, get that workout in to release those endorphins to take your mood to a more positive state. Check back tomorrow where I'll offer up some tips on how to make working out more enjoyable. Hope you all have a great day! :) 

-Mike

Have an awesome day everyone!  I believe in all of you!!  :)

-Mike

Any Progress is Good

Good morning everyone! Taking on a healthier lifestyle is a journey and along that journey we might get a little sidetracked or discouraged by results that you might feel you should be seeing. Just keep these words in mind, because as long as you're making progress in your health, any progress is better than no progress. Have a great day everyone! :)

I know that we may find it hard at times to keep up with things, stay motivated, feel like we're overwhelmed...whatever we're finding difficult to deal with we know it's easier when you have someone there to support ...you. I have people that care about me and support me, and I know all of you do also. So let's all just keep that in mind when you're struggling with something and use that as fuel to keep us going! Now let's go have a great day!
 

Positive Influences

Sticking to a workout program can be tough at times.  We have good days and we have bad days, and sometimes we just feel like giving up.  This is where we need to focus on changing that mentality. We all have self-efficacy when it comes to working out.  A best way to determine our self-efficacy in the exercising sense is to look at our past workout experiences.  Were they bad and turned you away?  You didn't achieve the goals that you set out for?

Some people give up because they are the only one's in it.  Granted, you are making a decision to change your life for yourself or for your loved one's by choosing to be a healthier you, but sometimes you don't always have to be the only one in it.  Having outside support is a great way to stay motivated and sticking to the choice you made to live a healthier life. This can be done by having a good friend, or a family member, provide you with that positivity we all need. 

So surround yourself with people that will support you and not bring you down...surround yourself with people that will see something worthwhile in you!