Honesty is the best policy

Honesty is the best policy. Have you seen this picture making the rounds on social media?

Brilliant. Freakin' brilliant. 

Dale Carnegie talks about it in his famous book "How to Win Friends and Influence People." What is the most popular word in ANY language?

It's YOUR name! 

It's the word that we all want to hear. We look for it in writing. We listen for it. We want to hear our own name. Research clearly proves that it is the word that we want to hear the most. 

So Coke goes and puts peoples names on their cans and bottles. Wow. That is good thinking. I bet it's made them a lot of money and helped to further our health problems.

Well played Coke. Well played. 

If you don't understand the dangers of soda then you definitely need to educate yourself. Lot's of great resources out there. I would start by going to Google and typing "dangers of Coke".

That is not the point of this article. 

I want to share with you my personal history and my story when it comes to soda and more specifically energy drinks. My hope that is my story will impact and maybe help you in some way. 

I always drank soda as a kid. I was an athlete but I was never told it was bad. I wouldn't say I drank a lot but... yeah...I had my share. 

As I got into college I can honestly say that I got away from drinking soda for the most part. I was never addicted so I just didn't bother with it all that much.

When I got a little older I found Mountain Dew. I LOVED myself some Mountain Dew. I started to get addicted. For a period of time in my early 30's I had to have my Dew everyday. It was a crazy bad habit.

Then came my asthma and other health issues. As part of my change for the better and retaking my health I quit drinking soda for several years. 

It's amazing how much better I felt!

Then I had my first Monster. I think I was doing a a long drive and I needed to stay awake. It's amazing how much of a jolt 16 ounces of Monster Energy Drink will give you! 

A week or two later I bought another one. For a while I had one every other day until the fateful day that I had one two days in a row and I was hooked.

For 3 years I had to have a Monster Energy Drink each and every day. At times I was so poor that I didn't have money to put gas in my car so I could drive to work but I found a way to buy that Monster. It was a sad state. 

Eventually the Monster didn't have the desired effect and by mid afternoon I could either suffer or I could have second Monster. When I had a second one I felt bloated and just BLAH. 

If there was ever a day that I didn't have a Monster you would not believe how bad I felt. 

Then one day I found Spark and I haven't had a Monster since. I feel so much better now that I don't have that addiction. If I don't have the Spark I feel fine. If I have a 2nd, 3rd or 4th Spark I feel good and never crappy and bloated like Monster made me feel. 

This isn't a sales pitch for Spark but that is my story and Monster's are out of my life.

Do you see how it can happen? Share a Coke. Share another Coke. BOOM. Addiction.

My message to you today is simple. Don't play into this stupid marketing campaign; and that is what it is. It's a marking campaign that will make them billions at the cost of your health. 

Please don't play into it. Please don't. 

If you drink soda I would recommend two things. First I would look into our 30 Day Clean Eating Challenge. If you do some clean eating you will automatically start to feel better and it will help you get off the soda. 

Here are the details: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/30-day-clean-eating-challenge-august-tickets-12434448771

Also, I would check out Advocare's Spark energy and metal focus drink. Soda has caffeine and a boat load of sugar and other BAD, BAD stuff. Spark has some caffeine but it is backed up with 21 vitamins and minerals. It costs about the same as soda. Which do you think is better?

Spark: https://www.advocare.com/09073310/Store/ItemDetail.aspx?itemCode=A2093&id=E&flavor=E&size=C

I hope that you got value out of today's post. Please share with your friends if you like the message. THANK YOU!

Have a great week! 

Rick Copley | Your Best Fitness Coach  | "Empowering YOU to be a champion" 

Your Best Fitness Coach Facebook Page |Rick's No Excuses Blog

Instagram: @rickcopley 

352-989-6795 | rick@yourbestfitnesscoach.com

Too busy to exercise?

Today's post if for the person that says they are "too busy" to exercise. Read to the end and you will see 7 tips that WILL HELP you find a solution to that problem.

If course when you say that I don't have time that really isn't the truth. We all know that, right?

There are 24 hours is the day for each of us. We all have the time it's just the way that we prioritize it that is the issue. 



I know that sometimes work is pretty important. I get that. Bills need to be paid. Truth is that we MUST get out of the habit of allowing work and money to get in the way of our health.

If you health is important enough to you then you will make time. Truly you will.

Time making tip #1: Go to bed earlier and get up earlier. OK, you need to leave for work at 7am. Cool. Normally to make this happen you get up at 6am. Get up at 5:30am and do a 30 minute workout.

I'm sorry. Did I lose you there? I know this is pretty complex. Get you ass up. If you go to get at 11pm and get up at 6am then go to bed at 10:30pm and get up at 5:30am.

What do you do after 9pm? If your answer is "watch TV" well then there is an easy solution. Go to bed!

Time making tip #2: 3 words ~ pack a bag. You should have 3 sets of gym cloths. One bag is your car, one bag at work and one bag at home. Check one my first workout yesterday:

I did this 3 mile run in a park ON THE WAY HOME from teaching class. After my refreshing run I put a towel on my seat and drove home. 30 minutes out of my day. I made the time!

If you work a long day then I would suggest that you workout on the way home. Even if its a simple stop at a park for a run or a stop at the gym. Just do it.

Along with the gym bag idea is this: how about the mid-work break to workout? So check this out. I know everybody is different in job with beaks and lunches. Let's say you have an hour for lunch and two 15 minute breaks. Do 30 minutes for lunch and now you have an extra 30 minutes to workout! Change your clothes, run 5 minute down the street and then 5 minutes back, in an empty room do a 10 minute AMRAP of 15 squats, 10 sit-ups, 15 jumping jacks and 5 burpees...

Shower or towel off of whatever it is you need to do to get back to work.

There are lot's of ways to squeeze a workout in if you pack a bag.

Time making tip #3: Join a class that you pay for. The more $$$ the better! This way you see VALUE in what you sign up for. Paying $20 for a 6 week program shows there is no value in the program. Why bother? Paying $180 for a 6 week class at 6am will make you go! You don't want to waist that sort of money.

I would suggest they type of program where a training is going to harass you if you don't show up. A 6am kickboxing class or a 5:30pm Zumba class isn't going to do that for you. These classes are great, don't get me wrong, but if you are not paying extra then they aren't going to hold you accountable.

Time making tip #4: Be efficient in your workouts. If you haven't already read it then YOU NEED to go back and read THIS POST about how we waist time at the gym. (http://yourbestfitnesscoach.blogspot.com/2014/07/5-things-we-do-at-gym-to-waste-time.html)

If you think you need to be at the gym for more than 30 minutes at a time then you are mistaken.

Time making tip #5: Become goal orientated with you health. I would even go as far as saying that you should reward yourself! Some goals could be with fat loss or a weight lifted. Maybe you want to do a 5k or a marathon or a CrossFit competition. Find something to train for and train for it!

If you place more importance on working out then it is morel likely that you will do some of the actions listed above to get it done.



Time making tip #6: Schedule your workout time like an appointment. Quick. Look at your calendar on your phone or on your computer. Do you have your workout time on there? If you don't then you should.

Treat workout time like an appointment. Are you going to skip an appointment with a client because you were to tired? No. You show up anyway. Treat your workout time like that as well.

Block it off and let NOTHING else mess with your workout time!

Time making tip #7: Do something longer on the weekends. If you are pressed for time all week then do a long hike or a bike ride on Saturday and Sunday. Maybe go rock climbing or kayaking. Take advantage of having "time" and do something with it. If you have a day off are you really sitting in front of the TV watching football or laying in the sand.

These are decisions my friend. Do something active if you want be healthy. Watch football after you bike ride. Always workout fired then relax later!

I hope that if you try to use the excuse "I am to busy to workout" you understand that in most cases it is simply just an excuses. When you peel back the layers you will see that it really comes down to your priorities. If you can't find the time then clearly it's not important enough to you.

I don't mean to be harsh but it's the truth.

You need to workout. Figure out how to MAKE the time.

Do you want to know one of my secrets for getting my workouts done and staying focused throughout the day?

Spark! It's essential in our lives and MANY others. Stuff works. Plain and simple. There are 10 flavors now.

Here are the flavors that we have: Mandarin Orange, Mangostrawberry, Citrus, Cherry, Watermelon, Grape, Green Apple, Pomegranate, Fruit Punch and Pink Lemonade. 

If you haven't tried Spark then you should. Stuff is awesome. CLICK TO LEARN MORE. 

If you have any questions please give me a call. (352-989-6795) We love Spark!

If you got value from today's post please do us a solid and share it around. Share with the people that you think would benefit. You might change a life. Someone will thank you later! 

You your success!

Rick Copley, Your Best Fitness Coach 

"Empowering YOU to be a champion" 

rick@yourbestfitnesscoach.com

Rick's No Excuses Blog

Instagram: @rickcopley 

352-989-6795

Your Best Fitness Coach Facebook Page 

Self confidence in the face of adversity

A little different message today.

What is one trait that all successful people have? I would argue that part of it is self confidence. Makes sense, right? People that are successful have self confidence.

Not much room for argument there.

What I would argue is that there is more to it then simple "self confidence".

I believe that successful people have the ability to have self confidence in the face of adversity. Successful people have the ability to look defeat in the eyes and fight on no matter what.

My cross country coach used to tell us keep passing people at the end of race until "we get out of the finish shoot". Now I don't condone that but the point is to keep fighting until the there is literally no fight left. Keep pushing until everybody else quits and you are the last one standing.

Watch this quick video to here a story from my racing days then I had self confidence even when there was no reason to have self confidence. It was a race that I could not win.

How do you find self confidence when there is no reason?

I think that you look for small victories or small efforts to build towards bigger victories.

Let's look at weight loss.

One day you wake up, look in the mirror and see a big fat stranger staring back at you. For whatever reason you DECIDE you are going to lose weight.

You can do it, YOU WILL DO IT. You are fired up. You are confident!

You lay out a plan. You get to work. You are excited. A week into your mission you look at the scale and you are up 3 lbs and your knee is sore.

It's day 8 and you look in the mirror to see that say person, now with hurt knee.

Do you still have the same self confidence?

You see it's not being confident. It's having self confidence when the chips are down.

Have you ever noticed that the champions fight till the bitter end? That's how you become successful. You keep fighting no matter what.

The message today is this: have confidence in yourself. Be proud of who you are, what you have done and where you are going. If you get knocked down get back up. Do this over and over and over again to win in the end.

Be confident no matter what.

Want to know the real key to success? The more you fail the more confident you should be.

Hope that helps. Did you get value? If you did please share this around to you your friends and family and make sure to like our Facebook page. 

To your success!

Rick Copley, Your Best Fitness Coach

"Empowering YOU to be a champion" 

rick@yourbestfitnesscoach.com

352-989-5795

Sluggish and tired. The American way....

Today I want to discuss an email I got just the other day.

This email from one of our clients is so amazing that I couldn't have said it better myself. Here it is an written to me email account...

"Figured I would go ahead and confess..........Yesterday I was running late and figured it would take me less time to stop at a convenience store for breakfast and caffeine than it would take for me to make my Breakfast shake and get my spark ready for the day.  BIG MISTAKE!!  So my breakfast consisted of a honeybun-----icckkkk!!! and my caffeine of choice was Diet Dr. Pepper----ugghh.  I haven't felt so sluggish, tired and just all over bad, since starting my Advocare journey!!!( Go ahead and say I told you so)  Add to the fact that I was a total slacker and didn't make it to workout---nor did I run(which is what I usually do if I can't make it to see your smiling face) and yesterday was the worst feeling day I have had in LONNNNNGGGG time!!!!  So while I may not be the MOST compliant Advocare user, just know that I have been and will continue to be VERY compliant with my Meal Replacement Shakes and Spark!!!!!!!!  Happy Friday!"

Does that make sense?

Do I even need to add words to what what was written.

Watch this quick video to hear a story from my about a similar experience.

So what do you do to avoid this happening to YOU? 

I think the best piece of advice that I can give you is to PLAN you food intake. don't be lazy and hit the snooze another time. Get up at 5:30am if that's when you need to get up. Not enough time for breakfast? Get up 10 minute earlier. 

On the road? Three words: cheese sticks and fruit. 

Don't fall in the "quick fix" mentality. 

"I'm hungry and I need food NOW." 

You are not going to die. Make a good choice. 

What is this "Spark" that my friend above mentioned. It's liquid awesome. If you are interested a free sample of healthy energy with TONS of nutrition email me your address and I will send you a sample.

Limited supply. First 10 emails that I get a FREE sample. Send email and snail mail address to: rick@yourbestfitnesscoach.com. 

 To your fitness!

Rick Copley, Your Best Fitness Coach

"Empowering YOU to be a champion" 

rick@yourbestfitnesscoach.com

352-989-5795