Frustration Ensued...

My workout yesterday was tough. Not in the sense that the exercises were too hard or the weights were too heavy. I just didn’t have anything to put into it.

Have you ever had those days at the gym where your whole body feels weak?

You try to push through it, take a deep breath, get your strength back... but it doesn’t happen. That was my experience yesterday. I’d say it wasn’t for a lack of effort but I just couldn’t get it going.

I asked my trainer about it. After we reviewed my diet and sleep, we figured I probably didn’t eat enough and didn’t get enough sleep. Still, it was incredibly frustrating because I couldn’t do things ‘like push-ups’ that are usually my area of strength.

So to be honest, I never really shook that frustration. When I left I felt uninspired and just NOT HAPPY.

Turns out even motivation is not supposed to be easy. The good thing is my trainer at Body-N-Motion wouldn’t let me quit. If I would have been training by myself there’s no way I would’ve pushed that hard.

I’m thankful he did because when I got home my appetite was HUGE and I slept like a baby.

Tomorrow I’ll tell you about Chris’ LEG DAY. (I’m kind of scared!)

Quote for the day: “Vision without execution is delusion.” — Thomas Edison

Day 11, John

A One Track Mind

This is me on Spring Break 2010
I'd say I'm at my heaviest there.

Sometimes your head is all over the place. You know what I’m talking about. You try to focus on one thing or another, but then you end up ‘half-focusing’ on just about everything.

That was the case for me yesterday.

I had about a thousand different things going on at the office, family in town that I had never met and other miscellaneous “stuff” that was keeping me entirely distracted.

During that WHOLE day, working out was the only thing I was really able to focus on. I got up early — about 7 a.m. — and headed to my local gym for a run. I hit the treadmill hard for a mile and then did elliptical for another 20 minutes. That’s the first time in years I’ve been up early to work out. And it felt good!

I pushed through my day until my 4 p.m. workout with Chris. Even though he pushes me really hard every time, I was really looking forward to getting to Body-N-Motion. The trainers there are good at making sure you’re able to focus on your workout.

It wasn’t easy, but we pushed through an intense session of shoulder lifts.

By the time I made it home I was too tired to be distracted.

Thanks man!

Here’s the quote: “We can always choose to perceive things differently. You can focus on what's wrong in your life, or you can focus on what's right.” — Marianne Williamson

Day 10, John

Ouuch!

Just finished my last workout of the weekend and, let me say, those trainers at Body-N-Motion are worth more than they know.

A couple days ago I talked about how I struggled through my 30-minute run. I tried it this Sunday without a trainer next to me. Somehow every minute seemed to last about 5 minutes longer. I actually stopped at the 13-minute mark, I just couldn’t do it.

But I kept going … mainly because I was thinking about this blog.

I figured if I’m going to write about this not being easy and the fact that we all have to strive for self-motivation, than I better discover it for myself. I found the motivation I needed in that. (A little Tom Petty and Usher on the iPod didn’t hurt either.)

I finished the 30-minute run; hit the bike for 20 more; and the elliptical for 15. Not bad for a Sunday evening.

So thanks to all the trainers at Body-N-Motion. You give us ‘normal people’ the confidence to find our own inspiration.

I’m a Colts fan so this kills me. Here’s a quote from Joe Namath: “I’ve never lost a ball game, but I have run out of time on a few occasions.”

Day 9, John

I caught myself cheating!

Thursday’s workout was fun.

Chris was out for the day so I worked out with Pete. His strategy was “keep it fresh.” We moved all over the gym, switching between standard lifts, micro bursts and some swinging-the-weight-over-my-head thing. I’ll admit it was tough, but at the end of the workout I wanted to keep going. I should’ve.

The next day was an important day for me at the office. I had to be in a couple hours early so I scheduled an early morning workout with Mr. Motion.

As I headed home from my workout I felt good about myself and figured I’d earned the right to CHEAT! I got a burger from Wendy’s, some beer from Upland. Yeah. I cheated!

Thanks to the cheating, I woke up late Friday and missed my workout. A big part of this challenge for me, aside from showing up, is to maintain my consistency and motivation. Especially when I’m not feeling inspired. Some days you have to dig pretty deep to find that inspiration but... it’s not supposed to be easy.

On those days you wish you had someone to pat you on the back and push you forward. However, life doesn’t work like that. To really see results you have to drive yourself! I’m not great at it yet but, hey, it’s not supposed to be easy.

So I’ve decided that cheating cannot be an option. I’m going at this with everything I’ve got. You have to do that to get everything you want.

That reminded me of something a very wise woman used to say: “Act the way you want to be and soon you’ll be the way you act.” — (from my great grandmother)

Day 8, John

Motivation is a Funny Thing

It’s easy to be motivated when things are easy.

Here’s an example: You haven’t exercised in a while and you’re determined you are going to get into shape. So the first day you decide to take a walk in the evening. Even though it’s just walking, you’re out of shape and it’s a challenge, but you’re out there.

It’s easy enough to get started, but it starts getting hard when you’re taking that first walk and you reach the end of the block. You may start thinking about your options:

     1. “I’m pushing through to the next block.”

     2. “That’s a good start. I’ll just turn back.”

     3. “Maybe I can start jogging now.”

If you do choose to turn back then you’re not really trying. Remember: It’s not supposed to be easy.

If you choose to push on through to the next block, how many blocks will you travel? Can you walk through the whole neighborhood? If you do, can you go a little further tomorrow?

Everybody has this inner struggle, particularly with fitness, but it applies to life as well. The inspiring thing about motivation is when you go further than you thought you could that motivation gets a THOUSAND times stronger.

It happened for me yesterday. I finished a hard day of heavy chest weights and was ready to leave. My trainer asked if I wanted to do some cardio. I thought sure, I can hit the treadmill for 5 minutes. He was thinking more like running hard for 30 minutes!!

Like my walking example above I thought, Well, I will at least give it a try. At the 10-minute mark, I was convinced I wouldn’t make it. In my head I said, “It’s not supposed to be easy,” so I kept pushing through. At the 15-minute mark, I asked the trainer if I could turn the speed down.

His response: “Only if you don’t want to get better.”

I decided to push through. At about the 17-minute mark, I was convinced I would quit at 20 minutes. When that 20-minute mark came around, I kept pushing through.

Long story long — I made it to 30 minutes.

And I’ll tell you what. I don’t know if I could’ve been prouder of myself and I’m more motivated then ever to tackle the 45 minute run!

My quote for the day comes from my grandmother: “It’s alright to fail; it’s not alright to fail to try.”

Day 7, John

A New Begining

"It's not supposed to be easy".

That's what I tell myself every time I want to quit. It's so true!

My name is John. I'm a 23 year old college student and new media professional. Former smoker and party animal (still the animal occasionally) I have recently decided life it too short to sit back and think about who I want to be.

My new goal is to use exercise and a healthy diet to propel myself into a life I want to live.

Now for a little background... in high school I was a wrestler. I was in great shape, had healthy lungs and an unbridled zeal for living. Then I discovered several recreational activities outside of athletics. I focused all that positive energy into negative efforts. Fast forward 7 years and that zeal was gone! When I say gone I mean completely gone.

That catch was, I wanted the same things, the same success I had wished for back in high school. The difference, as an adult you don't have the luxury to wish something into fruition. The truth is, the only way to be who I want to be, be where I want to be is to start NOW and take it one day at a time.

Today is day 6... and I'm not going to lie, it's hard. But today is going to be a great day. The sun is finally shining, I'm looking forward to Chris' hellacious workout and I can't wait to start it all again tomorrow.

Each day I'll try to leave with a quote of inspiration. It may be a famous saying, something I've heard that day or maybe even my own. I hope sharing the struggles I face along my path will help to inspire you on your own path of self-worth and discovery.

Today's quote is from my trainer Chris - "Half measures avail as nothing in all aspects of life. We have to charge at life with an all or nothing attitude! "

~ Day 6, John