Staying Motivated to Exercise....It Ain't Easy

So, I was working out the other day, and a thought crossed my mind.  It went a little like this:

Why the HELL am I doing this??

This sucks.  It hurts.  It isn't fun.  I'm not coordinated, or fast, or ...well, you get the point. I'm not sure when the thought hit me...if it was while I was squeezing out a few more plank pushups, or ski abs, or it if was while I was jumping and squatting and punching all at the same time....I'm just not sure--but at some point in the workout it occurred to me--this really isn't a whole lot of fun!

I'm not smiling.  I'm not chatting with friends.  I'm flailing around like a newborn calf, sweating and grunting like a wild boar in heat--and I'm constantly looking at the timer on the screen to see how much longer I have to endure this.

So why on earth do I do this, day in and day out--if it isn't fun?  Isn't working out supposed to be fun?  Aren't we supposed to enjoy it?

Well, here's what I think.

I did finish the workout--as much as I struggled, as much as I hated it, and as much as I cursed 'really bad curse words' at Shaun T.  I did my level best--kept going when it hurt--and by the end of the adventure I was on all fours, heaving like I had just given birth, and feeling quite proud of myself indeed.  In fact, I felt pretty damn good.

I felt like a rock star. Make that a superstar.

And then it hit me--it's not necessarily supposed to be fun!

Maybe it's supposed to hurt, and make us struggle, and make us heave.  Because, when we're heaving, and jumping, and squatting, and punching and swearing--that's when the magic happens!

That is when we start really challenging ourselves, and believing in ourselves.  We prove to ourselves that we actually can do this stuff!  We are athletes after all!

I used to think that only athletes and people who were 'genetically predisposed' to having good bodies were the only ones who could get nice abs and toned arms.  Now I know that I was so so wrong.

I know that if I work--and I mean truly work--haul ass and sweat and struggle--I can achieve what I want. I can be who I want.

And it is because of that I am motivated to do this every day.  I struggle and I see results.

I believe in myself, and I become confident. I become the person I've always wanted to be.  The best version of myself possible.

And can all of that come from an Insanity workout?  Yes.  And the answer is Yes because it's hard.  It challenges you to do work harder than you've ever worked before.  It challenges you to dig deep within yourself and muster up that reserve of strength you never thought you had.  It challenges you to believe in yourself.

And when all is said and done, and you're on all fours, panting like a boar, feeling like he just gave birth--you'll know it's worth it.

To close, take a look at this video I made a while ago about a serious condition that affects many athletes, called OSTS:  You don't want to miss it!!

Dig Deep, my friends!!

Is Beachbody Fitness for You?

I think it's pretty safe to say that we all want to be fit and healthy. We want to feel good in our own skin, and we want to enjoy an abundance of energy.

However, finding the Holy Grail of "Holy Crap You Look Good" is easier said than done.  If you take a look around any mall or restaurant you will notice that there are a fair number of people out there who are packing more pounds than they should.

And I get that.  For years I too carried a few extra pounds on my arse and belly.  I got sucked into the world of stress eating, turning to food to comfort me when times were tough.  I convinced myself that I wasn't one of those people, you know, the ones who had ripped abs and toned arms.

Those people were just lucky.

So I continued to eat nacho's on Friday night, ice cream on Saturday, and pizza on Sunday, convinced that I was eating healthy.  I plugged bread and pasta into my mouth on a daily basis, and never thought much of eating boxed food, because it had a green check mark on it.

And yet, between croissants and chips I continually despaired that I couldn't seem to lose the weight! What was I doing wrong? I was eating healthy....most of the time!

Well, here's the deal.  I hadn't gotten to that point where I was being real with myself.  Truly, and utterly REAL.

I let myself believe what I wanted to believe, because it was easier that way.  What? Cut out processed foods and sugar from my diet? Are you kidding me?  Seriously?  Do significantly tough workouts almost daily?  Are you nuts!

I was poking my head up somewhere where it's nice and warm and dark, and wasn't facing the fact that if I truly and seriously did want to get healthy, I was going to have to work for it.

I was going to have to cut some crap, okay a lot of crap from my diet.

I was going to have to do workouts that made me sweat and huff and puff, and do them regularly.

I was going to have to make a commitment to put the effort into this that success required.

For years I had always believed that people with ripped abs and toned bodies were lucky. It was pure genetics. I didn't actually think they worked for it, nor did I believe that it was something that I could accomplish.

But here's the deal.  It is.  Sure, I haven't built my 6 pack yet, but after doing these Beachbody programs I look 100% better than I did before.  My mid-section is slimmer and more toned.  My arms don't look like spaghetti noodles, and my arse isn't bulging out of my jeans like a sausage factory!  I feel better, I'm happier, and way more confident too!

So maybe you're at the point where you're really and truly hating the place you're at right now.  Maybe you're sick of bulging out of your jeans.  Maybe you can't face a mirror another day.  And just maybe you are like I was, convinced that you couldn't possibly handle a Beachbody workout program, because you're just not in shape. Maybe you're convinced that you will never achieve your goals so why bother trying.

Here's the deal.  The answer is yes.  Yes you can handle a Beachbody workout!  Sure, it might be tough, but that doesn't mean you can't do it!  We all struggle at this stuff, but it doesn't mean we don't see results.

And yes, you can cut crap from your diet and survive.  Your body will not crumble into dust if you stop putting brown sugar on your oatmeal and a mountain of cheese on your eggs.  You can do it too.

And yes, once you get real with yourself and make that commitment to yourself to invest in your future, you will see results.  It might take a day or two, or even a month or 2, but it will happen.  Slowly but surely.

Invest in yourself.

You are worth it.

If you are ready to get in the best shape of your life, click here to join my team and receive a free copy of my ebook, THE PLAN!!

Top image courtesy of Freedigitalphotos.net

Falling in LOVE with Insanity Training

Well, it's Saturday afternoon and I'm just hanging out, sipping a Shakeology and contemplating life in general.

It's been quite some time since I entered a blog post, shame on me! Now that I've gotten a bit of a handle on this 'coaching' thing, I am now ready to post on a regular basis. I enjoy 'chronicling' my Beachbody journey, and sharing my Insane experiences with you, so it will be fun to start writing more about this adventure.

And what an adventure it has been!!

I am a new woman! Or I feel like it, at least.

Yes, the big wigs at Beachbody-ville knew what they were doing when they named this Insanity.  There is really no other way to describe it.  It's bloody Insane!!  Right from the get go it forces you to push your body to the max with exercises ranging from doing pushups and punches and running--all at the same time!  It makes you question your ability, your will to succeed, and it forces you to dig deep within yourself to unearth a hardened gritty determination that can only be found from doing things like power jumps and suicide drills. It makes you believe in not only yourself, but in your ability to succeed.

And the thing that I find very interesting about this whole experience is just how empowering it can be.  Insanity and P90X are both known for being very tough, especially Insanity, and I think most people generally talk themselves out of even trying simply because of its reputation.  It goes without saying that this program will make you sweat, and so to even contemplate starting it, much less completing it is a feat unto itself.

So, the question begs to be answered, is it really that tough?

I have a few things to say in response to that question.

For one thing, yes, it is physically demanding. The first time I did the workout the warm up itself damn near killed me, and then when I got to the actual workout part, I made the mistake of thinking, well, it's only 20 minutes long!  How hard could that be?  Pretty freaking hard, I'll tell you that much. But what makes it 20 minutes of sheer hell is the fact that A) there are hardly any breaks and B) the exercises are truly unlike any other exercise you may have done in the past.  You are expected to jump high in the air and then flop down and do 32 push-ups, followed with some plank running and ski abs.  And then just when you think you've had enough you get to move down into a squat position and jump back into the air for what seems like 15 minutes but is actually only 30 seconds!  And don't get me started on suicide drills!

So, ya it's tough because you're doing all sorts of things that your body isn't necessarily used to. And don't forget the fact that many of us (including myself) have been lured into thinking that if we go for brisk walk or do some light weights at the gym that we're doing one hell of a workout.  We don't even break a sweat yet we head to Tim Hortons for a chocolate strudel because we've just 'worked out.'  So when we strap on our shoes for a round of Insanity, we are shocked and dismayed at just how physically demanding it is. Sweat? It didn't look like I sweated much when I did my first workout; it looked like I had just gotten out of the shower! AND run 25 miles!

So, yes it's tough, but is it sooo  tough that the average Jo walking down the street can't do it?  Is it too tough? 

No.  Plain and simple, no.  What I think gets people, the general population is that it makes us work.  It makes us question our abilities, and it forces us to recognize that there are no quick fixes here, and in a lot of cases, we're just not used to that. We're used to living in a world where we can take a pill and get skinny in 2 weeks.  We can walk into a clinic with wrinkles, and walk out looking like Jessica Biel. If we want it, we get it--right now. But it doesn't work that way with Insanity.  If we want to look like the guys and gals who have had amazing transformations with Insanity we will have to work, and work damn hard to get them.  There is a reason why the shirt says, "I earned it'.  Because you'll have to. You'll have to commit to showing up every day, doing your best, struggling, and yes hating it.  You'll have to do things that don't necessarily feel great or are a lot of fun.  But if you do commit, you will reap the benefits of having a stronger, leaner body.  You will be fitter, firmer and faster. You will be grateful that you did it.

And what you may be really asking right now is can I do it?  The answer is simple.

Yes.

Will you be glad you did?

Absolutely!!

Click here to get started on the Insanity Journey of  a Lifetime!!

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