Gettin' er done!

A number of years ago I had a client who was in his 50s and way more fit than most 25 year olds I've known. His warm-up alone would be a "Workout of the Day" for most. He strength trained 3 times a week, was an avid cyclist, skiier, and hockey player and regularly attended yoga classes (even though he was a foolishly busy real estate developler). Although he was a client of mine, I couldn't take much credit for his incredible physical condition because I had only been working with him for 2 years. This guy had been training regularly his entire life.

Now this guy, let's call him Mr. Fit, had a best friend who I also trained...on occasion. They had been friends for over 25 years and shared a lot of similar interests, with the exception of dedication to an exercise program. Mr.Fit's friend would workout 4 or 5 times one month, then he'd disappear for 3 months. This process repeated itself for the entire time I worked with him. Talk about frustrating. I couldn't wrap my head around how these 2 guys, so similar in so many ways, could have such different approaches to their training.

So one day I asked Mr. Fit, "What has been the secret to your consistency all these years?". He explained that each day he simply didn't give himself the option not to workout. You know that little voice in your head that says "You know, wouldn't it be nice to just stay here in my pajamas and watch re-runs of Fresh Prince"?, Mr. Fit didn't give that little voice the time of day.

It's been 4 years since I've trained Mr.Fit, but that conversation resonates with me with regularly. We all hear that voice from time to time. It's normal. Some of us fall victim to it more times than others and I believe not listening to that evil little voice is crucial for maintaining long-term health. As in the case of Mr.Fit's friend, nothing can be more frustrating for a trainer than inconsistent training. Always starting from square one, making any kind progress nearly impossible. On the flip side, nothing can be more inspiring than individuals who are able to silence the evil little voice and show up day-in and day-out, year after year, gettin' er done!

Top 5 Excuses for Not Exercising;

1. My dog ate my heart rate monitor.
2. I'm way behind on my random internet surfing.
3. I'm still embarassed about falling off the treadmill last week.
4. I already have an IQ of 175. It wouldn't be fair to have brains AND brawn.
5. Since the majority of the population is overweight, I'm already way ahead!