Pull-ups

Let's have a philosophical discussion today about why we exercise.

Cool?

There are lot's of "reasons" that you would give as to why we exercise. Some might say to "look better or feel better or live longer or have more energy or to perform better". There are lots of ways to look at the same thing.

We exercise for all of the reasons above.

This is true but I think it is more that that.

I think that we exercise not to be more than we should be or more than we are but to be WHAT we would be. We exercise to get closer to our potential.

You see, our bodies are amazing machines. We were designed by our creator to do so much more than we do. Our potential is so much higher than what most of us get to.

We don't exercise to be more than we are supposed to be. We exercise to get closer to our potential than we are now.

Maybe that is a paradigm shift for you. Maybe it is not.

This brings me to the topic of pull-ups.

I recently posted a video of me doing 45 unbroken pull-ups. The day before I had posted an embarrassing video of me and a NO REP clean. With all the, ahem, feedback I got from the bad form video I figured I'd redeem myself and post a video of me doing something more impressive then falling down.

I figured I was in the clear with that video.

Survey says....

Apparently my pull-up form was wrong. I love the Taylor Swift song with the line, "people throw rocks at things that shine."

I open myself up so I have to be a man and take it. It makes for good blog post idea. 

You can watch the video yourself below. 

When I look at an exercise like pull-ups I go back to the discussion from early. Why do we exercise? Why do we do it? We exercise to help us get closer to our potential.

If I were to only move my arms while doing a pull-up is that BETTER than the way that I do it? MAYBE I would focus on my biceps and my lats little more. But why? Is it a better exercise to do that? With a set of 45 pull-ups I am jacking my heart rate up, engaging my hips, using my core and stretching all my anterior and posterior muscles, tendons and ligaments. 

It's funny because people that make fun of kipping pull-ups probably go to the gym and do the leg extension machine and crunches. 

People have had this criticism of "kipping" pull-ups ever since CrossFit started teaching them as standard. Heck, maybe even before. It drives me crazy. 

Here is what I think: straight arms to chin over the bar is a pull-up. Period. Why should we not use our body to do the work in the most efficient way possible?

I am 170 lbs. If I did 20 strict pull-ups then I lifted 3400 lbs over the bar. If I do 45 kipping pull-ups didn't I now lift 7650 lbs over the bar? Which one gets you a better workout? Which one makes your entire body stronger? 

You could do the comparison with so many exercises. 10 leg extensions at 60 lbs equals 600 lbs moved by one muscle group. 10 thrusters at 95 lbs equals 950 lbs moved my MANY muscle groups. 

The people that don't like kipping pull-ups are, in general, people that believe in the "body building" way of working out. In other words you target one muscle group at a time so it breaks down and then grows. I disagree with that mode of thinking. I believe that the body is meant to do many things and the rest and recovery may of my not be available in everyday normal life. We have to be prepared for anything! 

I think strict pull-ups are a great exercise. I have nothing against them and they are a good way to help develop strength. But I like kipping pull-ups so much better because they make me more fit and do a better job at helping me to reach my potential. 

So I guess to sum up my message today I will leave you with a simple though to ponder. At the end of your workout are you REALLY tired? Good. It was a success. Do it again tomorrow but try to get more tired. 

Did you know that 4 time CrossFit Games champion Rich Froning used AdvoCare supplements? 

If you want to take your game to a new level don't you think putting the same supplements in your body as the champ will help? I know it helps me. CLICK HERE to see what Rich uses! 

If you want to get started with AdvoCare products talk to your favorite distributor and they will help you get started. If you don't have a distributor then shoot me a quick email and Teresa and I would be glad to take care of you! 

Did you get value out of today's post? If so could you please share. There are many out there that might need a little encouragement. THANK YOU!

To your success,

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

Your Best Fitness Coach Facebook Page |Instagram: @rickcopley 

352-989-6795 | rick@yourbestfitnesscoach.com

Stupid things people say to avoid being honest

Sometimes I just don't get people.

Maybe it's more than sometimes...

So the other day I'm driving home from somewhere. My phone rings and I see that it is someone that is an AdvoCare customer of mine who I hadn't spoken to in a long time. She got right to the point with why she called.

She called to invite me to a business opportunity meeting.

Now this blog is not about the right and the wrong way to get people involved with your opportunity. I am ALL FOR direct sales and a business opportunity. It's just that I already have one that I absolutely love and that pays me well. I wouldn't look at any other ever in a million years.

That's not the point.

The point is that while I was talking to her I was thinking of how I was going to tell her that I couldn't come to her party.

100% honesty. The beach. We were talking the kids to the beach and we just weren't going to be around. That would have been a clear lie and totally dishonest. What other excuse could I make up...? Hmmm....

When she got done with her invite this is what I said, "Thank you for the invite. I am honored that you thought of us but I am not interested. I am happy with what we are doing and I have no desire to look at anything else. So have you been? Keeping busy?"

She understood and that was the end of it.

Most people go the easy and cheap way. They say, "I'll be there..." then they don't show up. Or they say, "I can't make this one, when is the next one..."

Lies, lies and lies.

I really don't know why people lie to get out of things. Why not be honest?

In fitness I see it SO OFTEN.

So why did you stop going to the gym? "OMG, life got in the way....I got so busy.... the kids went back to school....the kids weren't in school...." BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.....

We just don't want to the tell the truth.

"I gave up.... I quit....I didn't have the will power....my purpose wasn't strong enough...."

My message today is simple. Have the courage to define your reality. Have the courage to say, "I quit because I didn't make it important enough. I quit because of me. I quit because I simply gave up. I quit and I am ashamed of myself for that. I need to become a better person and I am GOING TO TRY AGAIN."

Admitting that we failed at something is hard. Sometimes though it is ok to say, "It just wasn't for me." There doesn't have to be a reason.

Just don't lie or say something stupid. You didn't quit because you didn't like the music. Face the truth and you will feel better about yourself.

Hey, are you a runner? Teresa and I are super excited to announce that we are putting on a local 5k in Leesburg on October 4th. It's called the "Running is for the birds 5k run/walk."

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/running-is-for-the-birds-5k-runwalk-tickets-12710751199

Want to know the REALLY cool part? Well... actually two really cool parts.

Much of the course is on the rail trails downtown. Shade and no cars. Awesome stuff!

The other cool thing about the race is that the cost is just $15 to pre-register and $20 on race day. Can't beat that. Here is the link again:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/running-is-for-the-birds-5k-runwalk-tickets-12710751199

Did you get value out of today's message? Please share this post if you did. THANK YOU!

To your success,

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

Your Best Fitness Coach Facebook Page | Instagram: @rickcopley 
352-989-6795 | rick@yourbestfitnesscoach.com

Tough to fathom

I'll be honest. I have a real hard time understanding certain things. I have a couple of examples today.

This is a screen shot of an email I get 3-4 times per week. Do people REALLY believe this crap? It is tough for me to fathom.

I mean seriously. How dumb are we that we will buy something just because it says "burn fat fast, no diet and exercise"?

Have we become that dumb as a society that people actually believe that the only reason 2/3's of all Americans are overweight is that they haven't tried this pill? 

The sad thing is that people do buy this crap.

I am here to tell you that if this worked then the obesity levels would go down and not up. 

Crazy. 

How about this marketing gem that I snapped a picture of as I walked through the grocery store. 

Tell me ladies. Are you going to buy this because it says, "bikini ready". Do you think this "yummy shake" (by the way, "yummy" is a scientific team and the FDA fully supports it.) is the secret that the hot girls at the beach in the bikinis have? 

I know my comments are a little tongue and cheek but I hope you get the point. 

Low grade crap that is marketed to you in a slimy manner just doesn't work. You want to know a secret? If it worked they wouldn't have to do that. It would sell it's self because of the results and the happy customers. 

A quick disclaimer to you, my loyal reader. You know that we are independent distributors for AdvoCare. I don't ever want to try to promote my product my bringing down another. This post obviously goes in that direction. The intent of this quick message was simply to point out the ridiculousness of the marketing campaigned of these products. I hope that makes sense. 

Happy Friday to you all. If you got value from this post today please share it around so that others can get the message as well. 

If you would like to learn more about the weight loss system that we coach people through CLICK ON THIS LINK and send me an email so we can help you get started and coach you up. 

To your success!

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

B. A. R.

No I don't want you to go to the bar. Not the best idea.

I have an acronym that could change your life for the better. 

Really. Sometimes to make a major change in your life all you need is a slight shift in the way that you think. Are you ready for that shift?

I was at Advocare Success School this weekend. What an amazing experience it was. Cowboy Stadium is a pretty impressive place. Here is what it looked like: 

25,000 people in attendance. Curious thing though. Over the course of the weekend we only got see 20 or so leaders and big income earners. Obviously there are a lot more but it is a relativity small percentage of the 25,000 people in the building. 

In Advocare (the direct sales company that I am part of) only .5% of the 500,000 plus distributorships are on the National Leadership Team. 

It's just like anything else. There are 2.1 million people employed by Walmart. How many make $10,000 per month? I don't know but I bet it's less than 1/2 of one percent. 

The point is that in anything a very small percentage of people excel about and beyond. 

The people that excel. How do they do it?

I think it is super simple. It's the acronym that I mentioned before: B. A. R. 

B - Belief. It may seem simple or it may even seem silly but if you don't truly in your heart believe that you can do it then you can't. Period. If you you believe that you can do it then you can literally do ANYTHING. But belief is only half of the equation. God's honest truth.

A - Action. This is what trips most people up. I am amazed the number of people that talk a big game but yet do very little action to accomplish the goal. You must get off your ass and get to work to get what you want. Truth.

R - Results. With both believe and action you will get results. If you are missing one or the other you will not get the results that you want. It's simple and it's the truth. 

Sadly the achievers of the world are in the minority. Most people aren't successful at high levels. The reason is more simple that most people think. 

It's a lack of belief and a lack of action. 

If you really and truly want something out of life that is more than you already have you MUST start with belief and you must create massive amounts of action. 

I hope you got value from today's simple message. If you did will you please share so your friends can be blessed? 

Are you within an hour or so of Eustis, Florida? If you are Teresa and I are doing a fun workout on Saturday that you may be interested in checking out. It's called "Rick and T's Amazing Race". What is this? You are going to have to come on Saturday to find out! It's going to be fun!

Details and to RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/679465378788278/

Hope you have a great day. You are a champion! 

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

Contentment and ambition.

To succeed to need to balance contentment and ambition. When you can master this skill the sky is the limit. You will be happy, you will be successful and you will live the life of your dreams.

This I promise you.

Why is this important?

In order to move forward you must first be on solid ground. I love how Casey Kasem said it. You need to value where you are before you go somewhere else. 

This is important because in order to win in the end you must have some emotional victories along the way. There victories build on each other and momentum is gained. 

Another way to look at it is that if you are never satisfied with what you have done you will never be able to believe what you can do. 

So how does this help on your health journey? I will give you an example.

You are trying to lose weight. You have ambitions. You want to lose the weight. You want to be better and you want to feel better. Clearly you have ambitions. 

You also need to have contentment. You can can't be content with where you are. You can't be fine with that. BUT you need to have a certain amount of daily contentment in what you have done.

"I walked for 60 minutes today and I ate right." Contentment. 

That is an important distinction. When you go to bed at night you have to be content that you are on the right path and what you have done is right.

You also have to be ambitious. You have to look at what you have done and find ways to improve and do it better. 

Notice the balance. If you are never happy and satisfied with what you have done the question is this: when will you be?You will never be happy if you don't find contentment along the way. 

You always need small victories to keep you going. 

I hope that helps you. Be happy with your daily progress. Go to bed at ease knowing that you have done your best.

But get up and fight like hell for your dreams....

If you got value out of today's short post please share around so that others can be blessed as well. If you are new to my blog please join our Facebook page so you get notifications what a new blog post comes out. I usually do 10-12 posts per week so you want to make sure you be in the know! Here is the link for the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Your-Best-Fitness-Coach/132860716766468

As you know we have started registration for the August edition of the 30 Day Clean Eating Challenge. Here is what one of the July participants had to say: 

"I absolutely loved the 30 Day Challenge!! Teresa did an amazing job.  I loved how organized and well thought out each week was, and I defiantly noticed a huge increase in my energy.  (I dropped a few pounds, too!) All though, I would like to say that we eat fairly well at my house, this challenge showed me new ways to incorporate more nutrient dense foods into my daily diet.  One of my greatest challenges is coming up with healthy meals and this took all the guess work out of it for me. I haven't taken the time to sit down to find new meals, but with this challenge you did all the work for me.  My whole family enjoyed the meals.  Now I have many delicious meals to add to my boring routine!" - Kristi  

Does this sound like a program that would impact YOUR family? If so then click on the links below for details or registration:

DETAILS: http://yourbestfitnesscoach.blogspot.com/2014/06/30-day-clean-eating-challenge.html

REGISTRATION: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/30-day-clean-eating-challenge-august-tickets-12434448771

Till we meet again! 

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

Top 10 ab exercises

Everybody want to look good on the beach. Everybody want to look good in mirror selfies. Everybody wants to feel good about what happens to their shirt when they lift their hand over their heads.

Everybody wants abs.

The problem is that when you go to the beach or the volleyball courts you don't see a lot of abs. The last time you went to the beach did you did as many hot abs as you saw people doing crunches at the gym? Somehow I don't think so. Likely you saw a lot of this....

Hold on to your hats because today I am going to give you the top 10 ab exercises to help YOU get those flab abs that you have always wanted! 

Are you ready? Are you ready for those killer abs that you thought only the girls in the bikini magazine could have? Here you go. The top 10 ab exercises based on my 15 years experience as a personal trainer and fitness coach! 

Super secret special EXERCISE #1: BURPEES. Wait. What... What? How do burpees work the abs? What about crunches? 

TRUTH: You can't spot reduce. You can only bust your ass to burn calories so you can eliminate fat. Most people will drop fat all over and the fatty layer on top of your abs may be stubborn but it will come off. 

Check out Teresa's abs! NO CRUNCHES!

Burpees are the best exercise out there to get your heart rate up, help you develop functional strength and flexibility and get you super fit. 

The process to developing killer abs is SIMPLE: Lower your body fat. Burpees are the best way to do that.

Here is a video showing you how to modify a burbee:

EXERCISE #2: Thrusters. This is also know as a squat to press. You can use kettlebells, a barbell or dumb bells.It really doesn't matter as long as you have weight in both hands and do a full squat and lock your arms out overhead when you come up.

This is a great core stability exercise and a real leg burner. You utilize the biggest muscles in your body (glutes) and well as your shoulders and arms. Make sure that you start with light weight and progress in weight a reps slowly. Here is a short video showing you how:

EXERCISE #3: Running (or walking FAST and HARD) with INTERVALS. Don't forget the intervals part. What is an interval? It's a period of hard work followed by a period of period of rest. The interval time doesn't matter as long as the rest is no more than double the work. If the work is 30 second then the rest should be 30-60 seconds. 

A great interval workout is: 20 minutes of minute HARD, minute easy. Simple and efficient. Here is another: Each hard interval is followed by rest of the same amount of time. 1-1-2-1-1-3-1-1-2-1-1. The time combinations are almost limitless. You can do this on grass, on the roads on hills, on trails or on a treadmill. 

Don't get sucked into the concept of long easy run all the time. They are OK but if you want to shed fat you need to do intervals.

EXERCISE #4: Kettlebell swings. I love kettlebell swings. We were just doing some last night and they were really killer. Swings can be a little technical but with some good instruction and a low starting weight they can be really beneficial. Before doing swing with challenging weights MAKE SURE you get some instruction from a qualified coach. If you do these wrong you can get hurt. 

If you do them right you will prevent injury, have a strong back and sexy abs. SO DO THEM RIGHT!

EXERCISE #5: Sumo deadlift high-pull. (SDHP) I joke because when I write SDHP on the board I have people that have been working out with me for years that STILL ask what it is. Really...?!

The SDHP is great exercise that is easy to learn and easy to transition into during a quick metabolic workout. Just like the swings it is important to use good form and to be careful when you add weight. Make sure to challenge yourself as you get more proficient but don't be too aggressive. You doing want to get hurt! 

EXERCISE #6: Push-ups. We do hand release push-ups which most everybody can do. Here is quick video showing you that those are: 

 

A lot of people shy away from push-ups because they are hard. That is exactly WHY your SHOULD be doing them., The modification for the hand release push-up is to simply come up on your knees then lift your knees off the ground at the end. You will be amazing how many people can do this when they think they can't! 

EXERCISE #7: Jump rope. Jump rope for on minute without stopping and see if you are out of breath. I dare you! 

EXERCISE #8: Box jump. Same as number 7. Do 60 seconds of box jumps and your body fat will be running for the hills.

NOTE: If you are VERY overweight (i.e. 100+ lbs) you should avoid #7 and #8. The impact if you are very heavy is going to likely do more hard then good. Advice from a qualified professional is ALWAYS a good idea. 

Jumping up onto a "box" doesn't have to scare you. Start but jumping up onto something just a few inches off the ground then stepping down. Slowing add height and jump down on two feet as you get stronger and feel more confident. Box jumps are a REAL heart rate shocker. LOVE THESE! 

EXERCISE #9: Pull-ups. Another body weight movement that will rock your world. I am OK with assisted pull-ups because most people can't do full on pull-ups. Make it a habit of doing full range on motion (chin over bar, elbows locked at the bottom) on each rep and CHALLENGE yourself. 

EXERCISE #10: Air squats. My suggestion on air (body weight) squats is to do a lot of them and the touch your but to something. A bench or a medicine ball work great. Don't sit (Unless you are just staring off. If you are then that is a great modification!) 

Why not weighted squats? I really truly believe that for weighted squats to be of benefit you need to be really strong and most people are not. Air squats are easy to perform and you can do them anywhere. No equipment is required and they are super easy to transition into. 

Did you notice something about this list?

No crunches. No ab machine. No bicep curls. No elliptical trainer. 

Why do people continue to go to the gym and focus on exercises that don't do them any good? I just don't know. 

The real question SHOULD be this: How do you use these 10 exercises to get abs?

Do them as much as you can with varied weight, varied reps, varied order and shock the crap out of your body. 

Do you want to see that we do for workouts? I post my daily workouts on Instagram. You can find me @RICKCOPLEY. I also post a lot of my workouts on my other blog. CLICK HERE to jump over to my "No Excuses" blog. (ricksnoexcusesbolg.blogspot.com)

ONLY 6 DAYS left to register for the 30 Day Clean Eating Challenge. This program was so popular in July that we decided to open it up for August. Time is limited. As soon as you register you will have access to the program and to the accountability group.

Register TODAY ---> https://www.eventbrite.com/e/30-day-clean-eating-challenge-august-tickets-12434448771

If you have any questions PLEASE contact me and I will help you. My personal cell number is 352-989-6795. 

If you got value from this post please share. THANK YOU!

To your success! 

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

p.s. Did you hear that Rich Froning is the fittest man on earth for the 4th straight year! Guess what supplements he uses?

Build up. Don't tear down.

This is a VERY serious topic and I am going to look at it in a way that you may not expect. This may just change the way that you treat succeed and thus achieve success.

People throw rocks at thing that shine. I know it's line from a Taylor Swift song but it's the truth. To many people would rather bring someone or something down then try to build themselves up.

It's the easy way out. "I can't do that so I'm going to bring it down..."

A couple of examples.

CrossFit seams to be quite a lightning rod. Those that love it are REALLY passionate about it. Those that don't love it. Try to bring it down. I saw a thread on Facebook recently where some don't said, "CrossFit is a joke" and continued to rail against it for a few paragraphs.

Why would someone day that about something that so many people are passionate about?

It's becasue this person feels better bringing others down then building himself up.

Kind of like kids on a playground. Why do kids make fun of each other? It's because the haven't learned this yet. They think that to build themselves up they need to bring others down.

It's like the scarcity mentality. The thought process is that there is only so much so you need to horde what you have or it will be taken from you.

It's a bunch of crap.

Another example.

Recently a Facebook "friend" posted a couple of passive aggressive little comments on her wall that were clearly aimed at bringing me down. Why would you post something that is pretty clearly an effort to make someone else look bad? Isn't that what we stopped doing in 3rd grade when we realized that other people have feelings?

More examples.

A while back one of our Advocare team posted on social media about how she had lost weight and was loving the products. One of her so called friends replied with a soliloquy telling  her friend to "be careful" and how her other friend got sick from Hydroxicut or some such thing. Really lady? What does that have to do with your friend be happy to lose 10 lbs?

Last one. What we share on social media. What is the point of sharing stories about death, prisoner abuse, animal cruelty, criminals getting beat up by cops and politics? There are things that bring us down. These do not build us up. There are so many stories out there about people that are doing GREAT things. Mission trips, charity work, cats getting rescued from trees.... SHARE THOSE THINGS. Build people up. Don't try to bring us all down.

I could go on all day.

The point is that people need to be built up not torn down. When you build people up you are empowered, they are empowered and everybody wins. When you tear people down they are hurt, you are empty and everybody loses.

I say all the time that negativity is dense. It is 100% true. The good feeling we get when we feel good about ourselves after bringing someone else down goes away quick.

The good feeling when get when we build someone else up stays with us forever.

I will leave you with this today. Stop trying to bring others down by arguing with them. Stop trying to make yourself feel better by pointing out everyone's flaws.

If you want what someone else has then go out and get it. Grow into those big shoes.

When you believe in yourself it becomes much easier. Be more to be more. You can do it!

The 30 Day Clean Eating Challenge is coming back very soon. Shoot me a quick email so you can be one of the first to get the NEW and IMPROVED version!

Please share this with your friends. Somebody out there just might need this message.

To your success!

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

Are you coachable?

The biggest success in life come when you are coachable. The lesson here is simple. Want more from life? Become coachable.

I had a lot of good qualities as an athlete when I was young. Being coachable clearly wasn't one of them.

It took me a long time to learn that one. Really wish I had picked it up earlier. More about me later....

So what does it mean to be coachable and how can YOU be coachable?

First we should look at the people that are un-coachable and PROUD. We all know these people. These are the one that will squawk all over Facebook, "I did it all myself with diet and exercise" or the people you know that are going to this or do that and create an entirety new way to do the thing that millions have already done another way.

Do you get my drift on this one?

One of the principles in Jack Canfield's AWESOME book, "The Success Principles" is SUCCESS LEAVES CLUES. In other words if you are trying to do something that many people have done doesn't it make sense to learn from their victories and their defeats.

This is the essence of being coachable. This is a lesson that we all need to learn.

If you have a task at hand, a goal, a desire, a dream....the first thing you need to do is to find someone that has done what you want to do and emulate them. Do what they did.

It is also a good idea to be COACHED by someone that has helped others do what you want to do.

I would go as far as to say that the MAIN REASON people fail is they do not seek out guidance from people that have failed and succeeded before them.

Here is your action plan to achieve virtually ANY goal. Ready?

1. Define your WHAT. It's to be CLEARLY define and stated in the present tense. "I am feeling proud and fit weighing in at 130 pounds SO THAT I can be an energetic mother."

Where did I get this from? Did I make this up? No. It came from Jack Canfield's book. If you start making up new ways to succeed based on what you made up then you are setting yourself up for failure. Get guidance. The top success coaches ALL say that you need to know what you want before you can do anything about it.

2. Define you why. This is along the same theme as number one. It need to MEAN SOMETHING. Thus the SO THAT statement.

3. Get help and accountability. FOLLOW A SYSTEM that works. Posting on a Facebook asking a bunch of people that don't know what they are talking about is not the best practice. Find someone that has had proven results helping others and seek guidance from them.

4. Create an action plan and stick to it. The action plan is going to be one that fits your needs but it is going to be one that has worked for others like you.

This is how people succeed. They define what they want, they know why they want it, they get help and accountability and they get to work.

So many people get lost in this process. USUALLY it comes down to people that think it is some big fat badge of courage or something to say, "I did it one my own."

Nobody cares if you did it on your own. It doesn't make your accomplishments mean any more. It just means you are stubborn and uncoachable.

The fact of the matter is that somewhere, someone JUST LIKE YOU did what you are trying to do. There is a system and method. Why make up your own when you can just copy someone else?

I can't tell you the number of times that I have heard people tell me all this crazy stuff they are trying to do to lose weight. Most of those programs don't work.

So to close out today's short post I want to share with you a personal story about me as a young athlete.

I had lot's of success as a runner back in the 80's and early 90's. To be honest I was a handful for my coach. I didn't seek guidance when I should have an I did my own thing more than I should have.

If I could go back I would change one thing and one thing once. I would have trusted my coach more and been more coachable.

I can't change that but you can change what you do. Seek guidance. Be coachable. Succeed. 

It's a winning formula.

My wife and I have helped many hundreds of people succeed in the area of weight loss. We do offer distance coaching to people to help them they their workouts. If you live far from us we can still guide you.

We are here to help. Call me if you you need a coach (352-989-6795)

If you think that there may be people out there in your Facebook world will you please share this post. You might be able to change someones life.

To your success!

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 

Action

I had a blog article planned out for this morning. I had already written it in my head.

A Facebook post changed my mind. I am a blogger. I have the right.

Today I am going to write like I write best.....from the heart.



If you want something you have to create the action for it to happen. Honestly think in your mind how often you say that you want something. A new car. A new pare of shorts....a new life.

We do this all the time. The real question is how often to we get off our asses and do something about it

My friend Mike couldn't fit on a roller coaster at Universal Studios. Going home disgusted he DECIDED that he was going to get into action. Action he took. Today he is 130 lbs lighter.

I have a new friend named Brittany. She needed to take a CPR class to do something that was very important to her. Trying to kneel down to give CPR to a dummy she realized she couldn't kneel down. That was 2 months ago. She hasn't missed a day of exercise since.

Follow Brittany on Instagram: @letsplaybarbies

Those are just two example of people that TOOK ACTION.

Are you talking about action? Are you dreaming about action? Are you wishing someone else is going to take action for you?

The message of today's blog is meant to be simple. It is meant to be short. It is meant to impact YOU.

Stop being the person that SAYS they want something. Be like Mike and be like Brittany.

Get your ass off the couch and get to work. You not going to win the lottery and the miracle cure for whatever ails you isn't coming. 

Your results are going to be 100% based on what actions you take.... RIGHT NOW.

Get to work.

Are you getting ready for a fall marathon? My wife and I are currently working with individuals on there training and nutrition. If you or someone you know is looking to run a fall marathon and want to do it right send me an email (rick@yourbestfitnesscoach.com) or call me on my personal cell (352-989-6795) and I will see if we can help in some way. 

Time for ACTION! 

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