How to Exercise - Not as Important as You Think
I understand this headline is probably one of the last you'd expect to read on a fitness website, but I believe any great trainer would agree with me.
Now, I'm not saying learning good form and technique isn't important at all (This is a major part of my livelihood), but for true success in any fitness endeavor, you MUST have a strong vision of who you want to become.
The why is much more important than the how.
Take a guy who is new to working out but sees himself as Arnold Schwarzenegger while he's at the gym every day and compare him to someone who's read 30 fitness books but only sees a weight bench when the mood catches him every week or so. Who is going to be in better shape?
Obviously, the guy who visualizes himself being Mr. Olympia.
The difference between the two is the first guy has attached his life vision to his daily activity, whereas the second hasn't figured out a good enough reason to practice what he reads.
Think about it this way: the reason America has such a high rate of obesity isn't because there is a shortage of fitness information out there; anyone with a smartphone has access to the near-entirety of human intellectual achievement sitting in their pocket at any given moment.
The disconnect happens because people don't know how to motivate themselves. True, consistent motivation isn't something you can receive from other people, it has to come from yourself.
Only you can tell yourself why you should ______.
At least, only you can tell yourself why and actually listen (tell me you haven't tuned out your mom, a friend, or a teacher when they accost you saying, "You NEED to blah, blah, blah!!").
And if you can't figure out why to do something, you'll have a very hard time getting it done.
The hard part of my job isn't showing my clients how to place their feet during a squat. The challenge is helping them create a vision of who they want to become so they'll continue to train long after I'm no longer working with them.
If you've been batting around the idea of getting in shape, a good trainer will definitely shorten your learning curve when it comes to exercise mechanics and building a better body. But if I can help you with your vision and mindset, your whole life will change.
Although I can't create your vision for you, here are some questions you can ask yourself to get the ball rolling:
How do I want to feel when I look at myself in the mirror?
Do I want to feel self-assured or nervous when I visit my doctor?
What am I missing out on in life because of my health?
When was the last time I hiked a mountain without stopping to catch my breath?
What would my relationships be like if I were more fit?
How would my kids see me if I improved myself?
Please let me know if this helped you and share this with people you want to see succeed!
