MLK Day Inspiration and Motivation

1) Getting through that barrier is what makes the difference- Like Arnold said, its about pushing through those extra reps. It is easy to do what you normally do and train in your comfort zone but push yourself beyond what you do and you will see the greatest gains yet! It is easy not to push yourself, most people don't. The reward in pushing yourself beyond that barrier is not only the success that will come your way but also the feeling of the journey getting there knowing you did what most do not.




2) Never give up-Walter Payton battled not only on the field of play but in life as well. When things get tough, the workouts hurt, eating good is hard, getting to the gym is impossible......this is the time to not give up, this is the time to push harder and work like never before! Giving up will lead you further and further from your goals and achievements you strive for. When you find yourself wanting to give up think about what it is you want to get and why you want to get it. Think about all the positives that will come about when you do achieve that success and how glad you will be that you did not give up but instead attack the obstacles and barriers!




3) This is your time, go and get it! Why wait? Its Jan 16th....its 2012...are you waiting for Tuesday? For Feb? For next year? For when your bigger?Stronger?Leaner? Now is your time so get after it today! There is no reason why YOU cant do anything right now. Be arrogant and realize its now or never! Don't talk about making changes or getting better...go and get it!

Random thoughts....

• I will give you the biggest secret to getting the best results you have ever seen.....ready..........here it is- WORK HARD, STAY FOCUSED AND KEEP MENTALLY STRONG. That's it, seems really simple and it is, just hard to execute it and that is were people fail.

• Fix your own oatmeal-More and more people seem to be getting their oatmeal from fast food joints and restaurants when it is super simple to do themselves. Buy a quality brand from Whole Foods/Trader Joe's and cook it in the microwave briefly ( I know microwaves are awful but just deal ) and then add sliced almond,dried natural cranberries and top it with some cinnamon. BOOM DONE!

• 2 things to focus on for losing weight and getting lean-VEGGIES and PROTEIN.
  

• Take a break from deadlifting and squatting and start doing single leg versions of both. Start off with body weight of each and work on form. Benefits are less stress on the lumbar spine, improves the musculature around the knee and stability.

• Check out this motivational video-

Are you better than yesterday?

Do you wish today is better than yesterday? Are you hoping yesterdays greatness is even better today? You need to be striving for improvement each and every day.Like they say there is no such thing as standing still. If you are not doing anything to stay ahead of the game then your falling behind. Everything starts with your mindset and your mindset starts with you. Your success is what you want it to be. Think about your goals and what you want today and how you will better yourself than yesterday. Don't think about just getting closer to big goals, but think about doing better in your efforts to reach that goal than you did yesterday.

You cant guarantee that you will be in better shape today than you were yesterday, but you can control that you will do more today to get into better shape. Look at yourself right now and think about what you can do today to make yourself better than you were yesterday. If each day you improve then you will always be pushing forward and succeeding in your efforts. If it didn't happen for you today, then make it work tomorrow. Tonight when you go to bed stop and ask yourself " Am I better today than yesterday?"

LOSE THE WEIGHT! GET STRONGER! GET BIGGER! GET HEALTHY!

Make it happen.......NOW!!!!

What are you waiting for you? Why havent you gotten yourself in the best shape of your life yet? Are you scared? Are you waiting for the perfect time? Dont know what first step to take?

Whatever your doing right now stop and think about where you would like to be. Challenge yourself here, how much better could you become? You can control your next step and not make it like any other step, you can bring on a new way of thinking, new way of doing and new way of life! Anyone can talk about doing something tomorrow or a week from now or month from now but not everyone can take action and get things done! Those who take action become successful. Dont be ordinary like everyone else, be better.....dominate!

Let me know what action you take today~

D4R....

6 Reasons you are not hitting your goals

1. All talk and no do-Quit talking about how you cant hit your goals and use that energy to come up with solutions so you can! Take action!

2. You procrastinate-Stop putting things off! If you want to get into shape then do it! Not tomorrow, not next week, not next month but today!

3. Step outside your cave-Try new workouts, exercises, read new material and even workout with new people. You will be amazed at what a change like this will do for you.

4. You give up too quick-Nothing is going to happen over night so don't put unattainable goals on yourself. There will always be obstacles to every goal so you must accept this and keep pushing forward!

5. Fear of the unknown-Maybe right now you are sitting around trying to get yourself up and hit the gym but instead you stay were you are and do nothing. Fear has come over you and thus paralyzing you to make that first step. You are scared how hard it might be and how you are going to deal with possible success and failure. You are in control of your life! Fear cant hold you back!

6. Getting off focus-Instead of focusing on your goals you start letting your mind wonder and you lose sight of the prize. Stay on the path to what you are going for and avoid letting things stray you of course.

Shaking some boredom from todays workout...........

Don't do your normal boring regular old routine today. Instead I want you to scrap whatever workout you were going to do and change things up. We all like to be in a routine in life and it just so happens the same holds true in the gym. Lets face it you start to do what is comfortable and next thing you know you never take that step outside your comfort zone. Maybe you are not even excited for today's workout, maybe you are even dreading it because of the monotony of the whole thing. Below I have given some ideas for you on how to change your workout for today. Who knows maybe a change will do you good.

A) If you usually do splits like back/biceps..or chest/triceps

TRY-Doing back/chest or back/triceps

** Note that doing body part splits is best suited for those looking to gain muscle mass.

B) If you do a certain exercise and or muscle group at the end of the workout


TRY-Doing that at the beginning when fresh and you will see better performance.

C) If you never do supersets or compound sets

TRY-Using both in your workout to amp up the intensity

Superset example- Dumbbell row with squat

Compound set example- Dumbbell chest press with barbell chest press

D) You do nothing but high reps

TRY-Doing nothing but low reps and heavy weight. You will stimulate new muscle and and challenge the body in a new way. Sometimes it feels good to get a heavy day in.

E) You do a low amount of sets.....say 3 sets of 8

TRY-Increasing training volume by doing more sets.....try 6 sets of 8 ( of course you might need to cut down the weight towards the end )

F) You run then lift weights

TRY-Hitting the weights first so you are not maximal strength and then hit your cardio for a brief 10-15 min interval session. This will be more effective and help you potentially burn more fat in your cardio session than carbs.

G) You don't actually workout hard

TRY-Working hard for once and see how much potential you are missing out on!

H) You workout for hours upon hours

TRY-Getting out of the gym within 45min. Cut down on the rest time and pick exercises that hit more muscle fibers and stimulate more growth in less time. Examples are variations of the squat, deadlift, presses and pullups and rows.

Now make it happen and do this today!

Go Dominate

7 Excuses that will ruin your eating plan

1. Just one wont kill me-We all have been in that situation were that one extra slice, piece or serving doesn't seem to be a big deal or issue but in reality it is. Think about how much more work and exercise you will need to do to burn off that little bit. More often then not that just one turns into multiple just ones throughout the day and week.

2. I'm tired and don't feel like cooking so I will just hit up the drive thru-Some fast food choices have more calories in one item then someone should have in a whole day. Instead go to the health food grocery store and do the salad bar or prepared foods bar. Another option is to prep your food one night and that way you can make dinners in a more timely fashion. Don't take the easy way out when it comes to what you put in your body.

3. I'm bored- If your bored start doing crunches, pushups or jackknives( burpees ) on the floor but don't stuff your face. By eating not only will you still be bored but now you will be bored and fat and who wants to be both of those.

4. I am having a horrible day, I hate my boss, traffic was aweful, and everything that could go wrong has- If things are going bad why would you want to punish yourself by eating bad? First, don't let others control your emotions. Second, you cannot control those things going wrong so think about it that way. But what you can control is what goes in your body so do it. You can make a negative into a positive by staying in control with your workouts and eating plan.

5. I hate to waste food- No poor hungry kid will benefit from you eating and not wasting that extra food. It is ok to waste.

6. Everyone else is eating it- Good let everyone else be out of shape and fat, but you wont stray away from your goals. You run your show and no one else does.

7. I will eat better tomorrow/ I will start tomorrow-Yes you can slip and get back on track but why waste a day. Take advantage of the present and don't waste anything!

6 Ways to stay motivated

1) Be real with yourself and find out why you are working out and what outcome/results you are striving for. It is hard to stay motivated toward a goal if you do not know what that goal is.

2) Get rid of negativity! The " I cant's ", "I'm tired", and " It hurts" will only hold you back and keep you from making progress. Think it terms of the positives of what will come about from you exercising. Visualize how good you will look and feel.

3) Know going into it that working is hard and will be painful sometimes. If you expect everything to be roses and a walk in the park then your wrong. This will be a tough journey, but this is what makes it badass the fact that not everyone has the strength and toughness to do it and that is what will separate you from the average person. Go get it!

4) Reward yourself when you reach small goals or make progress. Self acknowledge that you now can do 10 full pull-ups or can go a whole 45 minutes of working out with minimal rest. Maybe you buy something or maybe you give yourself a cheat meal to enjoy your favorite food.

5) Get to know others in the gym. One of the best ways to stay on track is to find other people who have similar goals as you. On those days when you don't feel like working out they can help push you through your workout. Once a community atmosphere starts to build you will now become more accountable and be more likely not to miss workouts.

6) Change things up! It gets easy to become unmotivated when you are doing the same thing over and over. Get yourself amped up to go to your next workout by doing something new. Change creates change.

Excuses dont make champions

A friend of mine who runs a personal training business always says excuses don't make champions and I love that saying so I am stealing it. Below are some common excuses followed by ways to combat that excuse.

EXCUSE #1-NOT ENOUGH TIME- Horrible excuse plain and simple. You make time for things that are important to you in life end of story. If your not making time then it is not important to you. Its time to figure out if exercise is a priority.

SOLUTION-Use your free time to workout and not to watch tv or search the Internet. You don't need a ton of time, give yourself 40-45 minutes and that's it. If you can pick a time that you can consistently have free then it will be easier to get the workouts in. Even if you have just 20-30 minutes that is fine.

EXCUSE #2-I AM NOT VERY MOTIVATED-You can help yourself with this in a couple of ways.

SOLUTION-You must first find out why you are working out before worrying about anything else. What are your goals? Once you know what your purpose is then write it down and make sure you look at that everyday. This simple task will help remind yourself why you are doing what your doing. Another option is to find yourself a training partner. Get a co-worker, friend or even a spouse/boyfriend/girlfriend. Usually if you go to the gym around the same time you will see the same group of people and somebody will always be up to train with you. By training with someone you can hold each other accountable and you can help push one another. It is a fact that people do better when around others in any situation. Personal training is another option.

EXCUSE #3-I CANT MAKE IT TO THE GYM-Very common excuse.
SOLUTION-When it comes down to it you don't need anything but your own body and a small amount of space to get a good workout in. Sure it would be nice to have numerous machines, dumbbells, barbells and equipment at your disposal but it isn't necessary. Things like pushups, squats, jackknives ( burpees ) and lunges can all be done at home. If you purchase an exercise ball, band and maybe two pairs of dumbbells you can really do some good things at home. You just need you for a good workout so make it happen!

EXCUSE#4-IT IS HARD- Of course it is! If working out was so easy and quick then everyone would be walking around looking like fitness models.
SOLUTION-Make working out fun and interesting. Take a new class or try a new workout, shake things up a bit. But in the end.......SUCK IT UP AND DEAL WITH IT! Yes it is hard, so take it as a challenge. The rewards of your hard work will feel that much better when your done.

Go Dominate!

The biggest road block to weight loss success

The one thing keeping you from losing the weight is YOU. Yes....It starts and ends with YOU! Even if you know everything about how and what you should be eating, YOU still need to make that choice and execute. Even if you know how to workout and what you should be doing in the gym, YOU still need to go and get through the workout and execute.

Everyone today likes to blame everyone else for their problems and issues. Nobody likes to take ownership and responsibility. Don't be like everyone else........YOU are responsible and YOU can change things. YOU can make it happen just get your mind right and do it! Once YOU decide to eat well and workout and follow the plan then YOU will see the results YOU want.

Go Dominate

Remembering a fitness legend....

Jack LaLanne died the other day at the age of 96 in his home in California. LaLanne loved fitness and nutrition and is known as the " father of fitness" as he is recognized as the founder of the modern fitness movement. Most young people, including myself know him as the Power Juicer salesman on tv. He was a great man and without him the world of fitness would never be the same! Jack LaLanne was a man who did some incredible physical stunts. Below are some of the things LaLanne did through his years.

• At the age of 40 he swam the entire length of the Golden Gate Bridge underwater with 140 pounds of equipment including two air tanks.
• At age 66 he towed 10 boats in North Miami. The boats carried 77 people and he carried them over a mile in one hour

This guy was a stud! Checkout the video link below to see more classic footage of Mr. LaLanne.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIVfe-crHDs&feature=player_embedded

More random thoughts...........

• With holiday partys almost every weekend and bad unhealthy food everywhere you turn it can be hard to stay on track this time of the year. The key is not to fall off the cliff, try and at least limit the damage until years end and then start fresh and go get it Jan 1!

• Please stop doing 3 sets of everything! Everyone loves doing 3 sets, trainers included. We tend to think that 2 sets is too few and 4..well that's way too many...so 3 becomes perfect. WRONG! You must change things up. You will not be looked at funny in the gym if you do 5 sets....so do it! If you are trying to pack on some muscle volume is essential so up your sets here and there.

• Greek yogurt is superior to regular yogurt. Its higher in protein and lower in carbs which is perfect in my book. Chobani is my favorite brand.

• Doing nothing but cardio makes you look doughy........resistance training makes you look good. Your choice.

• A great thing to do is buy a big jar and put a bunch of mixed nuts and dried fruit ( the good quality kind not the kind loaded with sugar and preservatives) in it. Anytime you need to feed grab some for a great protein/slightly sweet snack.

• Ladies if you want your legs to look good then you need to focus on angles and variety. Do lunges forward, backward, laterally and in every direction you can. Do squats, deadlifts, lateral steps, forward steps, just move at every possible angle and your legs will get the look you want. Sprints are great as well.

• If your trying to get a bigger bench and bigger triceps then you better be doing close grip presses.

• I was sick for bit and wasn't able to workout until just recently and let me tell you it felt amazing! You cant beat the feeling of working out and changing your body. If you don't get that rush when you workout its time to check yourself and find why you do what you do in the gym. Give yourself a reason to love your workouts.

Go Dominate!

6 more weight loss tips

1. Pay attention to night time snaking-Mindless eating generally happens after dinner. You go sit on the couch and let yourself relax and that is when you tend to grab the chips or candy or some other garbage snack. Your best bet is to not allow yourself to eat after a certain hour. Another option is to eat a small healthy snack like an apple or handful of mixed nuts.

2. Eat protein every meal- Protein is more satisfying than carbs and fat so make sure you are eating it! Getting enough protein ensures you to maintain your muscle which helps you keep a high metabolism. Aim for lean meats, nuts and yogurt.

3. Spice things up- Foods with more spice with add a flavor boost to foods you might call " healthy and tasteless" and will be more satisfying so you don't eat as much.

4. Keep your cabinets stocked with healthy options-If you keep good stuff around odds are you will eat good stuff. Convenience is another big key, so if you have foods that are easy to prepare or easy for you to make you will do better. Here are some things to keep around-

• Fat free popcorn


• Pre-cooked chicken breast


• Containers filled with brown rice


• Whole grain wraps or pitas


• Bags of pre-washed greens


• Frozen veggies

5. Don't cope with stress with food- Sooner or later the time will come when your super stressed and you will want to eat something that will make you feel better. Most likely when you go to de-stress by eating you will grab something that isn't good for you. A better option is to go listen to music, read a book, write in a journal, or exercise!

6. Keep working out hardcore-Don't let the workout get you.....but you attack the workout! Go Dominate!

Random thoughts.............

• Nothing beats the feeling of dominating your workout-if you don't have the I just conquered the world feeling when you are done odds are you don't workout hard enough. Feel like a badass when you walk out of the gym!




• Egg nog is a good option around the holidays for your post workout shake- Yes it is high in calories, fat and sugar but if you are trying to pack on muscle it is amazing! If your trying to trim up then not so much.




• If you don't own a foam roller then buy one-If you workout often you need one of these to keep your muscle tissue feeling good. http://www.performbetter.com/detail.aspx_Q_ID_E_5566_A_CategoryID_E_235




• Nothing beats the Victoria Secret Fashion Show- If they all were not so thin I would offer to train them.




• Guys should NEVER...NEVER.....NEVER wear tiny shorts to workout in-I witnessed this a week ago at the gym I work at and it just is not good for anyone.




• Most women don't work out with enough intensity and that's why they cant get a smaller butt or thinner thighs or toned arms-Ladies you need to drop People magazine and start working out with some authority and then maybe you will notice some changes.




• Christmas music is just perfect this time of the year




• The basic Chin-up is great to add some size to your arms




• Kind brand bars taste amazing and are great for you! The basic fruit and nut bar is one of my favorites. http://kindsnacks.com/
  

BHM- Between Holiday Mindset

For those of you rocking through your workouts and in your best shape yet then ignore this post but for everyone else who needs that spark...LISTEN UP!

Thanksgiving has come and gone and odds are as you look at yourself in the mirror you notice a couple extra pounds on that body of yours and realize your not liking it. Thanksgiving is not the easiest of holidays on the body......carbs and more carbs and deserts galore get stuffed into your face like a vacuum. The good news is you now have some time to prep yourself before the next set of holidays near. You have exactly four weeks until Christmas to ramp up your routine and eating plan to get yourself in the best holiday shape yet. Use this time constrain as your motivation and to help you keep focused. Remind yourself to go hardcore for 4 weeks and you can reap the rewards! The eventual goal is that once you get rolling for 4 weeks that it will be a whole hell of alot easier to start the New Years Resolutions than if you were starting from scratch.....think less pain and time.

Lets first focus on your eating for the next four weeks. The holidays are a time of special treats, cookies, pies and breads.........so make it special and don't eat them until Christmas or Christmas Eve days! For the time being focus on limiting carbs to the mornings and post workout only. Lean proteins are a must at every meal. If you can think of doing one thing during the next four weeks I would say try to make a small change each day and that is it! Don't try and change everything and do an overhaul just think of ONE SMALL CHANGE......you would be amazed what a difference that would make.

Now lets change the focus to the workouts. First, I want you to drop whatever program you are on and toss it! You heard me! Stop another day of whatever you were doing! I don't care how amazing it is or even if you have made insane gains with it......STOP IT! It was once said " that the best workout for you is the one you are not one." Now that you have done this go ahead and grab a scrap book or piece of paper. I want you to list exercises you don't like to do or ones you have not do in a long time. When your done, look at everything you have down on that paper and there you go.... before you is everything that will be included in your workout for the next 4 weeks. Below is an example:

If you wrote down the following-

THINGS I NEVER DO

Legs....like squats and deadlifts

• Triceps


• Anything cardio


• Circuits


• Pullups, inverted row

NEW WORKOUT

• All circuits


• Involve leg work 2-3x week


• Start doing assisted pullups and inverted rows


• Add interval training to your routines.......read my post from a couple of days ago

I want you to seriously give this a try and let me know your results. Go Dominate.

Getting your goals- The HARD is what makes it great!!

Watch this clip and pay attention to the last 20 seconds or so and listen to Tom Hanks words of wisdom.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndL7y0MIRE4&feature=player_embedded

I hear too often that working out is HARD. I want to get toned and lose weight but it is just sooo soo HARD....I mean I really want to but why does it have to be so HARD. Yes, working is HARD and yes it wont be easy but that's what makes it great! If it wasn't hard to drop weight, gain muscle, get stronger than everyone walking this earth would be. The fact is it will be HARD but that at the end of the day that's what makes it worth every ounce of blood, sweat and tears! At the end of your journey you can look yourself in the mirror and say yeah it was damn HARD.....but I did it and it was freaking great! Make it happen!

Staying motivated!

1.Get re-motivated everyday- Most of the time motivation doesn't last, it comes and goes and sometimes totally disappears. Motivation must be renewed every day if you want long term success! Get up and get yourself READY!

2. Have a vision or plan- The root word of motivation is " motiv." The definition of motive is " A reason to act." This is your vision. Your vision of what you want and what you want to get out of your workouts should be big enough to motivate you to act on!

3. Act on passion- So much of motivation comes from emotion. Use whatever emotions you need to draw from to get yourself motivated. It might be seeing someone close to you have health issues hence driving you to start to exercise or maybe being overweight all your life finally emotional drives you to become the " fit" guy.

4. Get results- If you work hard and get results it makes things waaay waaay easier to stay focused and motivated. When you start having success at anything you will be encouraged to keep going no matter how hard the goal is.

5. Ride the momentum- You will always get to that point when you are hitting on all strides....you will be getting great workouts, eating amazing, and taking care of your body like never before. When this happens dont let up! Use the momentum and keep riding the wave!

CONSISTENCY- You must have it!

Are you stuck in a rut that you cant get out of? Are you seeing limited results in your workout program? Are you not hitting your goals like you thought you could? If the answer to these questions is yes than you are most likely lacking consistency in your program. In my mind consistency is the key to getting results.

First, lets take a look at your workouts. Are you consistently going to the gym day in and day out or do you go for three days and then miss the next two? You will never get what you want if you follow that type of pattern. That's great if Monday you just kill it in your workout and dominate it like no other, but if Tuesday through Thursday you don't get back into the gym then I don't care about your monster Monday workout.......you wont get results! Be consistent in the gym and you will get consistent results...period! No matter what your goals you must be consistent to gain the strength, strip the fat, or gain the muscle.

Second, lets look at your eating habits. How many days would you say you actually eat stellar in a week? If the answer is only a few than you aren't consistent. Your eating should go hand in hand with your workouts. If you eat super clean for two days you better not be spending the next day at the buffet and Dairy Queen. Eat consistent throughout the whole week and the results will follow.

Take away message- Take the idea of consistency and use it in play everyday. If you want to be like everyone else and not get results than that's fine.......but if you do want to get ahead of the game and take your body where you want to go than be CONSISTENT! It starts today! Get excited that you had a great day both eating and in the gym but remember that is day one of seven....don't slide, but stay the course!

Go Dominate people............

Get motivated! Some of my favorite inspirational/motivational videos

I always talk to my clients about attitude and their mindset. Its about giving it your best....your absolute best......nothing less...don't quit......give it you best and keep going! Its that extra that will take you over the top, its doing what you would do and THEN SOME! It is the THEN SOME that will separate you from others. Check out some of my favorite videos below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSM1mvMypWU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPnudujlBZI&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tjYoKCBYag

TRY

One thing I tend to hear a ton from people is the word TRY. "I am going to TRY and make it to the gym".............." I will TRY and eat better".........................."I am going to TRY and reach my goals" are some of the most used. Don't TRY and do anything......do it!!!! To me TRY stands for

T alking about

R eaching

Y our goals

or

T hinking about

R eaching

Y our goals

I want action from you! Don't Try and eat better.....do it! TRY is what people say to make it seem like they are going to put max effort into doing something but without the obligation of saying " I am" or " I will ". Trying is like putting 50% of your effort into accomplishing a goal. Next time don't TRY and workout......... but simply workout! YOU will eat better, YOU will workout harder and YOU will get your sleep. Its about making things happen and taking action to reach what you want. Go dominate.