I am known to be a pretty fearless person. There is nothing that I think I cannot
do. The things that I will not try can
probably be counted on one hand and are pretty much in the life and death
category…like bungee jumping. When it
comes to a “Challenge” (like P90X or Insanity), all you need to do is say the
word and I am there.
“Am I as good as I think I am?”
“Am I better than the kids?”
“Can I make it through this?”
I have an internal mechanism that makes me say "yes" when I hear "challenge." Call it confidence, call it
uber-optimism…hell, call it lunacy…it’s just there. Growing up, I heard all the time that I was
lazy. I never believed it. But that challenge looms in the back of my
mind all the time and drives me. It’s
weird sometimes that the thing I hated hearing the most is probably the most
responsible for my successes in life.
I am self-aware enough to know that fact about myself. I am also aware that others know that about
me. As a friend once said, “You reek of
confidence.” That’s me. That’s not the rest of the world. I have to accept that because it’s reality.
When it comes to these intense Beachbody workouts like P90X
or Insanity, there are many who believe they cannot do it. I can point to my own success with the
programs but, while I am very credible, my known personality works against
me. Many think there is something about
my personality that they do not have…and they think that will sabotage their
success with the same program.
Then there are the infomercials on TV. I love them.
I love them because they challenge me.
Inside, I look at the people on the infomercial and say, “I can do
that. I can probably do it better.” But, and this is a big "but", they are
intimidating. They are meant to
challenge people, and they do that. Many
people, however, will not accept the challenge.
In fact, more than most will forgo the challenge. Many look at those commercials and say, “I
think I need something easier,” or “I could never do that.” Could they do it? Yes, they could. But, is it hard? Yes, it’s hard. But, you know, it’s not that hard. What’s hard is doing it daily and making sure
your schedule can accommodate the plan.
Here is the big secret…
It’s not the program that gets you to lose weight and be
fit. It’s your dedication to the
program. Any program.
To me, knowing that one secret is the key to overcoming the real barrier to entry for health and
fitness. Everyone thinks there is a
magic formula. If Dick St.Jacques is
fit, it must be the P90X. It must be the
Insanity. He must be special. That’s not true at all. It’s the dedication to deciding to exercise
six days a week for at least 40 minutes.
It’s making the right choices when I eat. That’s the secret.
The program is important, don’t get me wrong. The program you pick is important for only
two reasons. The first big one is that
the program is motivating enough that you WANT to do it. The instructors have to be fun and engaging. The workouts have to be energizing. The second is that the program has to be designed
in such a way as to actually be achievable six days per week and it has to have
that discipline of executing the exercises.
There is a reason that the programs from Beachbody come with a calendar
to plan the workouts for you. You don’t
have to think, the discipline is built in.
The achievability factor is also a part of the programs. They have been designed so the parts of you
that you work on Day One are not hampering the Day Two workout. Your body has time, within the calendar, to
rest and heal.
The most important thing to getting anyone to embrace a
health and fitness mindset is to encourage that first step. Walk before you run. Most of the people who will reject a challenge
on P90X or Insanity, would maybe try Slim In 6, TurboJam or Hip-Hop-Abs. They may try other programs as well. You have to know the person you are talking
to. The most important thing is to do
anything you can to encourage that first step.
The first step is the discipline of execution.
I love the Beachbody products. Every single one I have tried has helped me
succeed. My ultimate goal, however, is
to be an example to my peers on how modifying to a more healthy lifestyle of
exercise and eating properly can improve their health, increase their
longevity, and sustain the best quality of life possible.
What is the best exercise program? The one that the person you are talking to
will do every day. Even if it is just
walking daily at a brisk pace for 40 minutes…that might be the best program. If they like the program, they will be
motivated to "push play." The discipline
will be right behind the motivation after a couple weeks. Once the discipline is there, the results
will follow. After results, you get
confidence. Big results follow the
consistent execution which accelerates motivation and then, yes then, you have
someone making a permanent change.
Happy Friday! It’s my
‘off’ day again. You know what that
means. I did AbRipperX this morning.
Enjoy your day!
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