What is Normal

I conceived this blog post on the treadmill at 3:45am and in particular the question ‘what is normal’.

I certainly felt abnormal as I looked around at an empty gym.

I felt abnormal when I explained to clients later that day what my morning entailed and saw the look of bewilderment on their face.

This got me to reflect on what is normal and I really started to give it some thought over the coming week.

What I determined is that there really is no universal normal, there’s only what’s normal to you. This theory applies to all areas of life;

• Injury – I can train two clients with the same injury who are capable of completely different things.

• Blood tests – we can test the testosterone of two different men and they can be the exact same level in both men and they both could show significantly different testosterone related symptoms.

• Nutrition – we can take two people, the same age, same back ground, same education and one will sit down to a salad for lunch and the other will consume fast food daily.

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There really is no normal in the sense that there’s a one size fits all description that works for all people. There are however some ‘norms’ that need to be shifted in order to achieve a desired outcome.

The reason I was on the treadmill at 3:45am is not because I enjoy being up at that  time but rather that I didn’t have the time in the day ahead to dedicate time to cardio. I made a decision that day to change my normal in order to achieve a goal for the day – 60min of cardio.

This change to my normal fits into my life as part of the overall picture of good health and regular exercise I have come to expect of myself.

If you are looking to make a change for the better I recommend starting with has become your normal.

What is your normal level of exercise?

What does your normal consumption of food consist of?

What does your normal mental state look like?

Answer these questions truthfully and closely and make the necessary change in order to get what you deserve!

Listening to Respond - NoT to Learn....

Having worked in the fitness industry for over 10 years I have worked with and consulted with thousands of clients. These clients have ranged dramatically from those looking to lose their last 5kg to those that have never exercised in their life and now find themselves morbidly obese.

With a plethora of information now available on any and every subject imaginable finding the truth can be harder than just asking the question.

However let’s assume that asking the question is where it starts.

In a digital age where information is at your fingertips 24/7 asking the question is easy and getting ‘a’ response is instantaneous however the task quickly becomes what to do with that information?

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Many times we are given the answer to our question before we ask it;

Infomercials that flood our TV screens and social media platforms telling us how to lose 10kg in 10 days without getting off the couch are everywhere.

All this information can put the average punter looking for direction in a difficult position. As a result many times they end up consulting with a local fitness professional albeit after a few failed attempts at the instant result TV fat blaster.

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It is at this point in time where the title of this post can becomes an issue - Listening to Respond…. Not to Learn.

Often seeing a fitness professional is a last resort, it often means, that you have ‘failed’ to achieve the results you desire on your own.  This can create a defensive mindset and one that can ultimately lead to postponing the results you desire even further.

Because you are defensive you may be Listening to Respond…. Not to Learn without even realising.

Example Conversation;

Fitness Professional – What does your regular diet consist of?

Potential Client – My diet is good, I don’t eat any processed or fast foods. I mostly eat fruits, vegies and some kind of protein.

Fitness Professional – Do you exercise regularly and if so what do you do?

Potential Client – I have tried everything and no matter what I do I can’t shift this weight.

In my experience this conversation has been rehearsed in the potential clients head many times. I believe these responses are prepared in advance in order to justify why they may have failed in the past and to externalise the problem.

On the other side of the consult desk the trainer asks these questions hoping to learn what he/she already suspects, there is an underlying issue of poor diet and exercise habits that have not be correctly nurtured into something of importance.

What this conversation may also indicate to the fitness professional is the level of difficulty/resistance this client my present when it comes to achieving results.

I have never worked with someone that was overweight that exercises correctly and eats correctly on a regular basis.

Consider this; if you were a fitness professional and you have an obese person sitting in front of you who says they eat well and exercise regularly and they have tried everything but just can’t shift the weight what do you do?

Personally I consider what I have seen in the past. The fact is that I have never seen these things align – perfect eating and exercise not result in weight loss if that was the goal. With this information the fitness professional’s job then becomes more difficult and sensitive.

I believe the potential client is doing one of two things;

Listening to Respond…. Not to Learn.

Or

Responding with what they think to be the truth – they think they really are exercising and eating well.

Both situations require the fitness professional to break the process down and point out where the client may be going wrong.

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This story is so common I see in on a weekly basis. Perhaps this is your story.

Understand that  if your car is not running right you take it to a mechanic and you explain exactly what you know in order to fix the problem as simply as possible.

Think of a fitness professional as your body’s mechanic. If you present to them with a story that makes you feel better about yourself but is not 100% faculty accurate you are most likely lengthening the time you will be in the state that you have grown to dislike.

You have nothing to prove to your new trainer, you also shouldn’t feel as though you have to lie about some area of your current situation. If your trainer doesn’t understand or makes you feel uneasy you need a NEW trainer.

Approach a fitness professional as you do your mechanic - expect that if you explain the situation you find yourself in, they will have heard it before and have experience in dealing with it. If you then go on to following their instructions you will correct the problem.

Listen to learn - not to respond!

Go Up Goals

Throughout your fitness journey you will encounter a number of people, some of whom may show an interest in what you are doing and why you are doing it.

In every program I have ever been involved in someone inevitably brings up a concern about those around them being negative or trying to bring them down for the new choices and changes they are trying to implement. 

This is basic human nature and if this has already happened to you understand that you are not alone.

World famous motivational speaker Zig Ziglar once said, share your ‘Give Up Goals’ with everybody but be very careful with whom you share your ‘Go Up Goals’.

Give up goals are simple to understand and they offend very few people, for example giving up drinking or smoking, giving up swearing or going out. These are simple ideals that generally speaking don’t offend others and are obvious choices when it comes to self-improvement.

Go up goals on the other hand are more dramatic and make those around you question themselves and their beliefs at a fundamental level, be it consciously or subconsciously. For example, improving your health or losing weight, starting a business, improving your sales, making more money, buying an investment property etc

These ‘go up goals’ make those around you who may not be comfortable with their position in the world uneasy and as a result they take a shot at you and your dream in order to feel better about themselves. If there shot works and you fail they somewhat validate their position of being ‘stuck’ where they are.

If you are on a journey to better health or better financial stability or any other positive self-improvement destination choose wisely those with whom you share your ideas.

For those that find out along the way and try to bring you down, and they will try to bring you down, understand why and where they are coming from and understand that their position has no reflection on your choice to do what’s best for you!!

What others think of you is NONE of your business! It doesn’t affect you, it doesn’t change you and it CAN’T stop you!

Be Relentless

‘Motivation is like bathing, it must be done daily to be effective’.

Someone much more intelligent than me once said that a long time ago but it’s as true now as it was then!

I try really hard to feed my desire for positive motivation daily however some days it just doesn’t happen – life simply gets in the way.

What I have come to realise is that we must be committed to finding motivation in whatever we can. However to keep us going on the days in which motivation alludes us we must develop a determination that leads us to become relentless.

• A relentless determination is what gets you out of bed on a rainy cold morning to go to the gym.

• A relentless determination is what empowers you to turn down a drink at a social occasion.

• A relentless determination is what empowers you to train in your hotel room by yourself with no equipment.

• A relentless determination is what one must develop in order to achieve success that is life changing.

I’m not taking about losing 5kg, or watching what you eat, I am talking about the life changing results that see you smash the health and fitness goals of your wildest dreams.

This relentless determination is the stuff that normal everyday people don’t ever imagine. At this level of relentless determination you don’t miss a meal because you slept in. You don’t miss training because your child is sick.

At this level you make excuses that enable you to get to your goal ahead of schedule rather than accept whatever misfortune the day may bring.

If you have made it to this point in the blog let me encourage you to make a commitment to yourself – not me, not your partner or your kids – make a commitment to yourself right now - commit to finding your relentless determination that lies within.

Find it, grab hold of it, nurture it and allow it to propel you to the exact place in life you want to be!!

Counter Productive Input

We live in an age where input is all around us and it’s instant.

Social media, advertising, marketing strategies, the list goes on and on.

In the days of the newspaper and radio we needed to seek out this input however we now have more input than we could consume in a lifetime in our pocket. 

As a result it is now easier than ever before to be exposed to input that is counterproductive and could potentially derail us from our goals and desires.

This could happen in all areas of life however lets specifically discuss health and fitness.

Facebook and Instagram started as a social platform however they have rapidly developed into a market place for a multitude of businesses and this is particularly true of the fitness industry.

If you become interested in health and fitness you may choose to start following some fitness identities online.

 The social media algorithms built into all platforms identify that you are searching fitness related topics and then commence sending content your way. This is great and very helpful when you are on track and motivated however what happens on a day when you get out of bed feeling ‘fat’ and ‘negative’ – by the way this happens to everyone at some point in time!

In this instance your news feed can quickly become your enemy. All of a sudden you don’t want to see the butt of a size 6 model or the pecs and abs of a male physique competitor.

Very quickly positive input can become negative depending on your state of mind and level of internal stability.

So what do we do about it.

1)      Be aware – input can be positive or negative simply by the way we feel and the experiences we are exposed to. This change can be instant!    

2)      You are in control – if what’s in your news feed no longer fits with your mindset, change it. Don’t allow external input to change or negatively affect your internal dialogue!

3)      It’s a business – understand that your favourite fitness model is bearing all as part of their business; this is what pays their bills. If your lively hood depended on great photos of you in a swimsuit you would only post great pictures too!

In short take any input you can in order to build determination, motivation and courage to do what must be done. However understand that when you change so must your input in order to keep you on track and moving towards your goals!

Sceptics Are Healthiest

• Multi vitamins are essential.

• There’s no difference between synthetic and natural supplements.

• 3 minutes each day is all you need.

• Weight training will make me bulky.

• A calorie deficit equals weight loss.

• Low fat is the answer.

The list of health and fitness related claims is endless and we all know them, have seen them and may have been guilty of being fooled by them.

It’s not hard to see why when we take a closer look.

First and foremost, it’s essential to understand that behind every product or claim there is a business and the goal of that business is to create revenue. While a health and fitness product uses the guise that its first priority is ‘you’, make no mistake the key driving force is that of any other commercial enterprise, profit generation.

Now that we understand this we can begin to look at things a little more subjectively.

Why would a fitness product spruik that their idea or product requires only 3 minutes each day or a low fat diet is key.

The answer is that ‘we’ the general public have essentially told big business through our spending and consumption habits what we want and how it needs to be delivered to us. Using the two above listed examples let’s look closer;

3 minutes each day appeals to our desire to have it all instantly. It allows us to continue life without change. It allows for the ‘cake and eat it too’ mentality.

‘Low fat is key’, means that we can have food that is nutritionally poor that tastes great. It means we can tell our family and friends we are on a diet that just happens to be tasty and easy to follow. It means that we need to make that bear minimal in changes to our usual routine to ‘fit the guidelines’.

Consider this – if it sounds too good to be true, it is! Without making a change how can you expect change to occur?

We understand these concepts when they are broken down and considered for their simplicity however when they are wrapped up in fancy marketing and advertised directly to us, the truth is harder to define.

When it comes to your health and fitness you owe it to yourself to look a little closer. You owe it to yourself to ask questions and demand reasonable answers.

When it comes to your health and fitness be willing to make changes in order to improve and grow; after all our health and fitness is all we have!