I was asked last night at an AdvoCare event to share my story in front of about 200 people. It wasn't a big deal. I'm proud of my story and I enjoying sharing. Sometimes people are blessed when they hear the journey of others. I actually did enjoy sharing.
I said something last night rolled off my tongue pretty easy but it was a pretty bold statement for a guy pushing 42; especially a former collegiate athlete and wold class age group triathlete.
Here is what I said: "If someone were to ask me RIGHT NOW when i was in the best shape of my life I would ask them WHAT TIME IS IT?"
In other words I am in the best shape of my life at this very moment. Today. Right NOW.
7:59am, Friday August 1st. Without a doubt.
Don't get me wrong. Back in the mid 90's I could run like the wind. In the early 00's I was a terror on a bike. As recent as 4-5 years ago I was a local triathlon stud flying all the around the world racing and beating the worlds best.
Yet...I claim to be in the best shape of my life now.
There as several reasons for this.
First and foremost it is a DECISION. I have committed myself to fueling my body and moving my body in the way that gives me muscles, strength, endurance and energy.
Yes I take supplements. Yes I eat clean. Yes I workout.
But it all starts with a decision and a commitment to me MY BEST and to be my best NOW.
I accept nothing less and that is my choice.
So what does that mean?
It means that everyday I get up feeling like I can conquer the world. It means that everyday I look better than I ever have and I have confidence that does along with it. It means I don't go to the doctor and I don't "feel" 41. It means that I have energy and enthusiasm up the wazoo.
It means that I can live a life of value and significance.
I have chosen to be in the best shape of my life and I am here to tell you that it is truly amazing and it is truly a blessing.
It is also truly ME and DECISIONS that I have made.... and so can you.
To many people just don't have the belief that it is possible. Another way to look at is this: You just don't think that you can figure out the route to get there.
I am here to tell you that it isn't nearly as much about the HOW as it is about the WHY or the PURPOSE.
Once you have that purpose and make the decision then the how will come to light. I promise you that. Choice to be something and make it important in your mind. The details of the how will be filled in.
Have you made that choice? Are you fed up with being in the worst shape of your life and ready to be in the BEST shape of your life?
Awesome. Remember how I said that I take supplements, eat clean and workout? If you are truly ready to change then you can join me and be coached by me ON ALL THREE! Here is how:
CLICK to LEARN about the AdvoCare 24 Day Challenge. CLICK to LEARN about our 30 Day Clean Eating Challenge. CLICK to LEARN about the ASM Fitness where we do our fitness classes.
If you are ready then why not make the choice and jump on board with us? We would be happy to help.
Did you get value from today's short message? If so then please share this article around on social media. Somewhere someone needs this message. You might be about to change a life today. THANK YOU!
To your success,
Rick Copley | Your Best Fitness Coach | "Empowering YOU to be a champion"
Before I dive into today's topic I want to explain a little bit about the tittle of this post.
Normally I would keep things in a positive light. Normally I would tell people to not focus on what's wrong but instead focus on what is right.
Why be normal?
Really. People are so different and some people can't ever reached some ways. Hopefully today's post will help people that have failed to try again and learn from their mistakes. Hopefully someone reading this post will someday succeed.
Today I want to make a difference in at least one persons life. Maybe it will be you?
Lets assume that you want to lose weight. At least that was the goal. You either are not succeeding and still trying or you have given up. Or maybe you are just getting started and want to succeed. No matter where you are on the journey this information will be valuable to you.
Top 10 Weight Loss Mistakes
1. Lack of a defined purpose. If someone says to you, "Why do you want to lose weight?" What do you say?
Do you say something like, "My brood pressure is high" or "My doctor said I need to lose a few pounds" or "I have a Reunion coming up" then you are already heading down the wrong road.
Seriously. In the grand scheme of things how much does it matter if you look like you are 40 at your 20 year reunion instead of looking like you are 60? Do you really think your high school classmate from the 90's are going to be impressed by your 10 pounds of weight loss? You will NEVER look like you did at 18 so why the hell are you trying?
Showing up at the gym because SOMEONE ELSE said you should is also a recipe for failure. When you show up at the YMCA to tell the wellness coach "My doctor said I need to workout" well then what you are REALLY saying to yourself is, "I'll show him...this is not going to work."
Never do something because someone else says you should.
If you show up at the gym with tears in your eyes saying, "I need to be able to keep up with my 2 year old because she can run faster than I can..." or "I feel like I am not going to be around to see my kids graduate high school...." or "I am discussed by what I say in the mirror this morning..." then you are on the right track.
There is nothing in this world that is worth a crap that you will accomplish without having a strong purpose. Find your purpose and you are on the right track.
2. Going on a diet. I am about to offend MANY people in the next paragraph. My advice is that if you have thin skin and are offended easy then stop reading. My advice is that if you are a professional blamer and excuse maker you may want to close your browser now.
Shit's about to get real.
Diets are stupid. Diets don't work. Diets will never work. Diets are a short term solution to a long term problem. Diets are an amazing scapegoat for people that really don't want to change. Diet plans are simply a money making tool for people that don't care about you.
There. Hopefully we weeded out posers and the people still reading are the ones that actually want to lose weight.
This article is about the mistakes that people make and not necessary a detailed explanation of what you do. There are lot's of other articles about what to do. To learn how to EAT PROPERLY and not ever again "diet" check out our 30 Day Clean Eating Challenge. For more advice on eating the right foods via pictures I suggest that you follow Teresa on Instagram. You can also follow Rick on Instagram. This is not dieting. It's about eating right!
Did I hammer that one one? "Going on a diet" doesn't work. It just doesn't.
3. Wanting to lose the weight before working out. I don't think I have ever met anyone that lost weight and then decided to start and exercise program. Losing weight is about synergy and balance. It's about empowering your body to shed fat and built muscle. It's about loading up your body with nutrition and growing your fitness though metabolic conditioning.
If you tell people that you want to lose the weight then you are going to go to the gym then you are setting yourself up for failure. Trust me. This plan doesn't work. It's a stupid plan. I will use this Cars.com commercial over and over again because it is total awesomeness....
4. Don't get help. Have you ever run into that person that says, "I'm going to do it on my own."
Why?
What is the purpose behind that? I put on on this weight and I am going to lose it all by myself? I don't need help. How narcissistic. Really, whats the point?
I see it all the time. It's just an excuse. You need help. You either needs an accountability group, a coach, a trainer, or something to hold you accountability. You need support.
What truly successful person do you know that says they did it all themselves? It's just silly but many people say it. Your accountability doesn't have to be defined by someone else. Don't get me wrong. You don't need to spend a lot of money on a personal trainer or some exclusive membership but you do need help; we all do.
5. Focusing on one aspect of exercise. Running to lose weight. Yoga to lose weight. Zumba to lose weight. The Stairmaster to lose weight.
I know. We ALL know someone that lost 100 lbs by running. Maybe we saw a YouTube video of someone doing Yoga and the weight falls off.
Those are anecdotal. People win the lottery also. You aren't going to run out and buy a ticket just because some retiree in Iowa just won $160 million....
Please tell me you wouldn't do that?
Your body will quickly get accustomed to what you are doing and it will stop shedding fat and start shedding muscle pretty quick. You must vary what you do!
6. Doing the "circuit" at the gym. This is a hard one. People tell you all the time at the gym to do the circuit. The trainers tell you. Sorry, folks. The circuit at the gym is the opposite of helpful long term.
Here is why.
First you may start shedding some fat and gaining some muscle. You body quickly adjusts and the fat loss will slow. You will gain muscle in a "non functional" way which can lead to injury. When you get injured you aren't as likely to work out. It's a vicious cycle.
You must do free weights and functional movements to lose weight and gain fitness. The circuit is very much like a diet. It look good in the beginning and you will likely get some quick results. In the end is is simple a short term fit for a long term problem. It is the "easy" way out. We all know how taking the easy way out works in the end, right?
7. Counting calories. I can hear the protests now. "But I read in BLAH BLAH magazine.... They said in Weight Watchers..."
Don't get me wrong. Excess calories can be a bad idea.
The reality is that it's not about calories but it is about quality.
We are doing a program called the 30 Day Clean Eating Challenge. One of the participants asked me yesterday why there was no "portion sizes" listed on the program. Isn't portion control a problem?
Ask people that are over weight why they are overweight. You will get a variety of answers. I would bet a slice of pizza that NONE of them will say they they were force-fed broccoli and salads growing up.
I would argue that you really can't over eat high quality food. When you count calories you also can find frustration in a number that means nothing. We are all different and trying to figure out what number you need is silly. Nourish yourself if a balanced way and you will lose weight. Period.
8. Letting lame excuses slow you then stop you. We have all seen people get a head of steam and start to lose weight. Then they lose it.
Sometimes it's the lame excuse that we actually let ourselves believe.
"I have a blister."
"I had to work late."
"I didn't have a clean shirt."
"I have no money."
"My knee is sore."
"My back is sore."
"I'm spending to much time away from home." (READ Spousal Sabotage)
"I have a cold."
"My family is in town."
"I had to let the dogs out."
You get the point. Sometimes we have a valid excuses to workout but usually it's pretty lame. Once you accept one excuse it becomes easier to accept others until eventually you forget that you were trying to lose weight all together.
Now do you see shy number one is so important? If your purpose is strong enough....
9. Have unrealistic expectations. Sometimes I'll ask people during a consult what weight they would like to be. I have heard a weight before and asked the follow up questions, "Why that weight?"
Sorry, folks. for most of us over the age of 25 your high school weight is not a good goal. Setting weight loss goals is a GREAT idea but not silly goals. Set mid range goals. Losing 10 lbs in a month is a great goal. Losing 100 pound in a year is a great goal. Getting to same high school weight at 40 is usually not such a great goal.
10. Not understanding the importance of supplementation. As we age it gets harder and harder for our bodies to absorb nutrition. Also, as the years go by the nutrition density of our food is going down down down. These two double whammies are impacting us all. It also means that we NEED supplementation.
If you want to learn about absorption and supplementation I encourage you to go this here link and watch the 30 minute video. It is the best video out there about the importance of supplementation: https://tomorrowschampion.com/seminar/ (Mark McCoy is a dude that knows a heck of a lot more that I do)
If you aren't using the correct supplements then I definitely thing you should. As you know we use Advocare.
Here is a quick 4 minute video telling you more about the company.
If you want to get started no some products shoot me a quick email with your phone number and I will call you help you get on the right path.
We help people. It's what we do. My email is: rick@yourbestfitnesscoach.com and my personal cell number is 352-989-6795. Give me a shout if you want some help. There is no harm is seeing what it is that we can do for you!
As I was compiling this list I did think of others reasons. Hopefully you get the point and I will stop at 10. It really isn't one of the 10 but people really do fail at weight loss simply because they give up. One of the 10 leads to frustration and quitting. Maybe more than one. Maybe all 10.
Tomorrow I will do part two of this article. Part two will be the top 10 things that people to do to successfully lose weight. Make sure to check back tomorrow for that one. You will get a ton of value!
Do you like these articles? Do they make a difference in your life? Maybe there are people out there in your Facebook world that would also need this. Can you please share with them?
We would appreciate that!
The 30 Day Clean Eating Challenge is open for 36 more house. It closes on Tuesday, July 8th at midnight!
Today I want you to take a look at your workout in a different light. Sometimes when you change your perspective you can create BIG changes and BIG results.
You want to get results from your workouts, right?
I want you to get results.
The problem, quite honestly, is that most people don't get good results. The short answer to "why" this is really is simple in my mind. We don't get results because most people don't understand the mindset that it takes to get results. Our expectations are different from out outcomes so we get frustrated and give up.
So it stand to reason that if we change our thought process and we change our expectations we should have better results. True?
I think so.
Today I am going to focus on one single solitary aspect of the health and fitness paradigm. We are going to look at the actual workout. We are going talk about the 4 pillars of the workout that WILL get you results if you understand how they work.
Many people don't succeed with their health goals because they focus on one thing when they work out. They run, do classes, lift weights, do a circuit or do a sport.
These are all great things but they ignore the 4 pillars of the workout that I am going to go through in a minute.
If you want results you will not get them if you just do one activity. Change you expectations here. If you run a lot you will get faster but your fitness will never get to what you want it to be. Again: TRUTH.
So now I will present to you, in order, the 4 pillars of your workout. You must consistently battle with each of these pillars. When you learn how to do this guess what happens? Yep. You are the one with the abs, the energy and the beach body.
Teresa works hard so she looks strong and fit!
PILLAR #1: Your mind and your body.
When you workout you must push your body. You must tell your body to do what it needs to do to finish what you are doing.
Sometimes you may feel to tired or winded to go on. This is when the workout counts. This is when it means something. It's called a WORKout. It's not called a COMFORTABLEout. Suck it up and push your body beyond what you think you can do.
To get results the most important thing is that you us your mind to push your body beyond it's limits. If you give up and give in then you will not succeed. You must push yourself!
PILLAR #2: The movements. To get truly fit you focus on movements. You do them right first then you add speed. This could bring up the discussion of working "muscles" versus working "movements".
We will talk about that in another blog post. If you have been following me for any length of time you know that we NEVER work muscles. We ALWAYS work movements.
With pillar number two you need to battle with the movements.
Whether it's running, biking, push-ups, squats or bench press you need to go to war with the movements. You don't always need to win but you always need to fight like hell. Don't take short cuts. Fight the movement till the end.
PILLAR #3: The clock. Your workout is going to have some sort of clock. This could be reps as well. That is a version of a clock.
Train your mind to do the movements properly for the whole 10 reps. See how this ties together?
Command your mind to, with proper form, do continuous wall bars for the next 30 second till the time runs out. It all goes together.
Kind of an interesting way to look at your workout, right?
You fight the clock every time. You fighting with all your heart means you win. Fight to win.
PILLAR #4: Other people. Check this out. You are running a 5k. There is a half mile to go. You can see the finish line. You are tired but you DECIDE to push to catch some guy (PILLAR #1). You lift your chest up, drive your knees forward and pick up the pace (PILLAR #2). You can see the finish line getting closer. (PILLAR #3) That no-name dude is getting closer to you FIGHT to catch him. (PILLAR #4)
Sometimes when you are working out with a partner you try to best the he or she in the bench press or rowing 1000m or something.
Throw down a challenge with another human being and go after it.
What do you thing SPORTS are? How fun would basketball be if there were only one team?
You use other people to push you because they will. They certainly will! When you are pushed harder then you WORK harder. When you work harder you get better results.
Look, I have muscle now!
So take a look at these 4 "pillars" of your workout. If you aren't getting the results that you want then maybe one of your pillars isn't quite as strong as the other ones.
Very few people will look at workouts this way. Its goes to reason that very few people are super fit. I wonder if there is a connection. Hmm....
So, if you want to get better results from your workout you need to learn to focus your energy and efforts on working hard, doing the movements properly first while adding weight, speed and reps next, working against the clock and using others to help push you.
You do this and you will get results.
Today's post focused on what you do with your body. When you put into your body is just as important.
There is still time to sign up for out 30 Day Clean Eating Challenge. This programs is really going to change a lot of lives.
Since we talked about working out today I want to leave you with a quick video that I did a while back. If you are interested in some supplements to help you recover then you owe it to yourself to watch!
It is my belief that most of what we do or do not accomplish revolves around our mindset and out DECISIONS. The difference between success and failure is almost always about the way we THINK.
Let me set the stage for you on how this topic came to light for me.
Part of the workout yesterday was a rope climb. Love the rope climb! It is a massive challenge but doable for anybody if your mind is set to accomplish the task!
Coach Katrina KILLING the rope climb!
If a member couldn't do the rope climb we modified it by letting he or she simply hang.
Most couldn't get up the rope. A couple did but the rest simple hung for 30 seconds.
Gidget, however, was having none of that. She knew she couldn't climb the rope but she didn't want to be relegated to hanging. Here is her attempt at a rope that she had never before gotten off the ground with:
Gidget didn't make it up the rope.
This is a failure. So what now? Does Gidget take this an opportunity to work harder and fight for a goal? Or does she simply quit and say, "It's too hard..."
The results is yet to be determined but my money is on Gidget.
Today's video message is about how failure is simply an opportunity to make a decision. This is POWERFUL stuff. This message could change your life. Check it out.
We are super excited for tomorrows webianr. This is going to be BY FAR the most free content that we have ever put our there. In 45 minutes you are going to learn how to eat to: shed fat, gain energy and add lean muscle mass.
Step by step guide of how to eat. No scientific jargon. Just strait forward nuggets from myself and my fantastic wife on WHAT TO EAT.
If you know anyone that may want to learn how to eat properly to shed fat, gain energy and add lean muscle mass could you share this with them so we can add value to their live. We appreciate that!
PS. Check this out. My wife is going to be part of the webinar on Wednesday at 8pm! Some people may just know her as the super hot and super fit wife BUT...this girl has amazing before and after pics! Check her out!
