I’ve seen a lot of people come and go over the years at the gym. Some move on to another place, or even get some equipment at home, which is perfectly fine. But all too often, they simply quit working out altogether.
Now I know it’s tough when you’re busy, but I also know plenty of busy people who’ve found a way to carve out time for their training. Because for them, it’s not just a workout, it’s training. They’re working hard to accomplish something specific.
It might be to get bigger or stronger. Or it could be to get smaller. Both are worthy goals that require lots of dedication and a strong commitment. But once in awhile, they get interested in a particular sport or event.
SALUTE TO THE 2014 CROSSFIT GAMES
Posted: August 05, 2014
Last weekend I had a chance to watch the 2014 CrossFit Games on ESPN. In a word, Wow! I’ve watched it every year it’s aired, and each season they take it up to a whole new level.
They say the athletes are the “Fittest Men and Women on Earth.” It’s probably true. There are certainly some amazing athletes doing triathlons, ultra endurance runs, and the Ninja Warrior series on NBC right now. But nowhere else are they moving not just their bodies, but significant weights too, and doing it quickly, repeatedly, over such a wide variety of challenges.
The philosophy behind CrossFit is not specialize in any one event or sport. Instead, they train as generalists, preparing for a variety of challenges. It’s a good philosophy that has led to wide acceptance across the globe. CrossFit gyms have popped up all over, from what they call “boxes” with minimal equipment, to full scale centers that add this style of training to their traditional equipment.
TEN STEPS TO SUCCESS, IN WEIGHT LOSS AND LIFE!
Posted: July 22, 2014
Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to work with a wide variety of people with many different goals. I’ve seen dozens of Karate Kids who’ve spent several years to achieve their Black Belts. I’ve also seen hundreds of adults take off tremendous amounts of weight in just 12 weeks, and 20 different Biggest Loser groups.
What I’ve come to realize is that even though their goals are diverse, the process is pretty much the same. I was reminded of this recently when doing some planning for our new group of Karate for Kids students and our Biggest Loser “21” group which is also just getting underway. So here are 10 steps that will help each of these groups of kids and adults get where they want to go:
1. Know what you want. You have to have a goal. It’s impossible to set course if you don’t have a destination.
KEEPING THE WEIGHT OFF
Posted: July 10, 2014
Someone I hadn’t seen in awhile stopped me the other say. They’d gained 30 lbs and wanted some help getting going again. I got them started, but couldn’t help but think about the dozens of conversations I’ve had like this before.
Unfortunately, I see this all the time. People will work like crazy for three or six months but then just let it go. I’ve even had several work a whole year to lose 100 lbs, but then put it back on.
What’s so hard to understand is how this happens, especially after someone puts in all that time and hard work. It’s like spending a ton of money for a new lawn and landscaping, and then just deciding not to mow all summer. Or the next year, and the next.
SIX-PACK ABS
Posted: July 07, 2014
One of my friends posted a neat picture of their seven year old on Facebook recently. Jackson had quite the six-pack of Abs going on. Actually, I think he had an eight-pack.
This was obviously the product of good genes, a super-fast metabolism, and lots of activities (he does baseball and gymnastics). While he does eat some junk food now and then, his mom told me that they control it.
His extremely “ripped” condition is also extremely unusual. But it didn’t always used to be that way. Think back a generation or two. I’ll bet you’ll recall that many of the kids were “ripped.” It was so normal that we didn’t even think of it as “ripped.”