Are you training or trying?

I’m lucky to be involved in a few different fitness groups. Some with the top fitness professionals in the country. One of them, Paul Wright shared an occurrence with one of his clients:

"A couple weeks ago I had a client come into my office and ask me a simple exercise-related question (a very common occurrence for all of us). I answered to her satisfaction and as she left my office she said, "Well I guess I'll go try to do this" to which I responded with a question that
has become one of my new business directives:

Are you training or are you trying?

She didn't quite understand what I meant so I explained that when you're "training" to accomplish your goals you are focused, systematic, analytical and eliminate "chance" from the equation. You have to be purposeful in your actions and then evaluate the outcome of those actions.

If you're merely "trying" to reach your goals then you've allowed chance to be your guide and you're haphazardly going from one diet to the next or you're sporadic and unfocused in your exercise routine."
This is a HUGE shift in mindset. So, are you training or trying?

This is transcendent. It goes way beyond exercise. It really hits on the difference between mediocre results (or none at all) and game-changing results in every aspect of our lives.

We're all so busy, with so much to do just to keep our heads above water, let alone really thrive.

Your health and fitness is hard work. Infinitely harder than just cutting a few calories out of your diet.

But when you do things right consistently, the work load becomes more manageable and things start to really click.

The secret, is focus.

You have to eliminate distraction.

When I feel really good, fit and healthy, it's because I'm not resisting structure.

Here's what I mean by that.

Like most normal people, maybe you, I like to indulge my sweet tooth. If you put donuts in front of me on Sunday morning I’ll have a glass of milk before you can say Maple Glazed Long John! If I’m really craving it, I’ll seek them out and stray off track.

But it tastes good. Really good. That’s the upside. But if you're not in control of that (emotional) tendency or compulsion (however you want to characterize it), you can quickly fall into bad habits and just as quickly put on extra pounds.

That's why structure is so vital.

Here are a few tips for keeping structure and helping you reach your weight loss and fitness goals:

Accountability: Make sure you schedule appointments every week. Our clients keep a standing schedule. Meg knows she’s training every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 11:15. Most importantly she’s being held accountable. We all need accountability. I practice this with my own workouts too.

Motivation: At first sight exercise stinks. It looks hard, you sweat, it makes your muscles burn, it tires you out. But those that are in a consistent program know how it makes you feel after the workout. Endorphins kick in and soon becomes a drug you gotta have.

But it’s easy to lose that feeling. You might even lose it after one week. Which is why motivation is so vital to your fitness program. Everyone needs a coach to support, motivate, and give them that extra push when needed.

Assessments: I’m amazed at the amount of people that still use ONLY a scale to measure their success (thank you Biggest Loser). You can’t manage what you can’t measure. You know muscle weighs more than fight, right? So how do you know if your weight gain of 2 pounds wasn’t you tightening up your arms and butt? Usually a gain of two pounds (if done correctly) is something to be happy about.

Efficiency: No one has ever sat down with me and said, "I have all the time in the world Tim. I’ll workout as much as you need me to." I’d call shenanigans if that ever happens. It only makes sense for your program to be efficient. Get in, get fit, and get out. No need to prolong the process. By the way, our workouts are 45 minutes. Any longer and you’re probably inefficient.

Customization: Your program must work for YOU! Not your spouse, or your daughter, friend or co-worker. You, and you alone.

Finally, have some fun and keep things fresh. This whole exercise thing is not a fad. You won’t be doing this for the next 12 weeks and then put it up on the shelf. It’s vital for a long, healthy, and prosperous life. Be aggressive in reaching your goals, but as the saying goes, "Success is a journey not a destination." So have fun with it.

To your health and fitness,

Tim Chudy

P.S. Trying to figure out fitness and weight loss success on your own can be a needlessly frustrating experience when you have access to the best of the best who are ready, willing and able to help. Request a complimentary consultation here.

P.P.S. Or you can always receive more health and fitness info at our website or by going here.

An often overlooked secret to fitness success and some BIG news!

I'll get to the big news in a minute. But first, the secret...

I just implemented a Corporate Wellness Program with an insurance firm in Clayton. We’ve put together an 8-Week Challenge to help everyone get motivated and in their best shape! It’s a ‘Biggest Loser’ Challenge in-a-box if you will.

Last week as we were going through their Fast-Start Orientation we covered goal setting.

This step is often overlooked with an exercise program. But it’s so important! If you don’t have anything to work towards, then you’ll end up just spinning your wheels. And that’s not productive.

To help ensure weight loss and fitness results you must set goals.

As I spoke to the group of 20 or so, most hadn’t heard of S.M.A.R.T. goals. SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. Your goal must incorporate each category. I’ll break them down one by one and give you a few examples.

Specific - Your goal must be specific. "I want to lose weight" is not a goal. That’s simply a wish. But, "I want to lose 18 pounds" is a specific goal. Now we know where you are (your current weight) and where you want to go (your current weight minus 18 lbs.).

Measurable - Goals must have some form of measurement. Weight is easy. You step on the scale, and then you step off the scale. What about getting in shape? How do you measure that? Maybe it’s walking up a flight of steps without panting. Maybe it’s to run 30 minutes without stopping. Whatever it is, make sure your goal can be measured.

Attainable - I’ll admit this is my least favorite. I like to be aggressive with my goals. And I hope you do too. But keeping a foot in reality is important. For instance, a goal for me "To make it in the NBA" would not be realistic (no matter how much I would like it to be :). I’d be setting myself up for failure. Make your goal aggressive, but attainable.

Realistic - This one is somewhat like attainable. Losing 30 lbs. in 30 days is not realistic. Nor is it safe! Give your goals some boundaries. When setting health and fitness goals you must keep physiologic abilities in mind. When losing weight, 1-2 pounds of weight loss per week is a safe estimate, but having a resting heart rate of 30 or doing 1000 pushups in a minute is not realistic.

Timely - Last but certainly not least. I heard someone say once, "Nothing would ever happen without a deadline." And you know what? It’s true. Without a deadline or some sort of timeline, the chances of follow through are slim to none. Adding a time element creates a sense of urgency. Going back to the goal of "I want to lose 18 lbs," adding "in 12 weeks" now gives you your deadline. Always, always, always have a deadline.

Goal setting is always our first step when setting up a health and fitness program. A SMART goal is one that works. Take out a pen and paper now and write down some goals. Make sure each one includes each category. (If you have an ipod, stay tuned... my brother’s company is putting together a SMART goal App as I write. I’ll keep you posted!)

To your health and fitness success,

Tim Chudy

P.S. If you think your company might be interested in the "8-Weeks to Your Best Body" Corporate Challenge please call me directly at 314.863.7799.

P.P.S. Hope you had a great holiday weekend. Over the past couple of years you may remember me mentioning my girlfriend Joella. Well, I took a surprise trip to New York City over the weekend and popped the question. She said, "Yes!" making me the happiest guy in town! I couldn’t be more excited and thought I’d share the awesome news with you. I love you Jo.

Has this ever happened to you?

This happened to a lady I was talking with
the other day. And I feel like it happens to
a lot of people.

Has it ever happened to you?

You step on the scale Friday and it gives you a
number you’re ok with. Maybe even a little excited
about. Going into the weekend, you’re very
motivated and determined.

Then on Monday you step on the scale and your
weight is up 4 pounds!! What the heck. Is this a
joke? Is someone playing a trick on you?

If this has happened to you its frustrating isn’t
it? A few attempts of effort with those results
makes you wanna throw in the towel.

It’s the point at which you become fed up with
failure. And it’s usually when people call me.

Your desire, effort, and commitment are there. But
results aren’t. And it’s disheartening for me to
see.

If this has happened to you -or is happening to
you- there are specific mistakes you’re making
with your efforts. It makes me think of the quote
I'm sure you've heard of; doing the same thing and
expecting different results is the definition of
insanity.

Well, the good news, you’re not insane. But you
are doing something wrong. If you would like to
find out the mistakes you’re making with your
fitness results you’re welcome to a personal
consultation.

But I’ll venture to say I can guess some of them
right here. So, here are a few mistakes to avoid
when trying to lose weight and get in shape.

1. Only doing cardio. This is a BIG no-no. Why
weight training gets a bad rap I’ll never know.
But look at any Hollywood actress or actor and
they ALL work out with weights. At least 3 times a
week. That gives them a lean and toned look.
(And they NEVER get bulky.)

Strength training has so many benefits to it. And
you probably know them all. It spikes metabolism
and sends your body into a fat burning frenzy. It
tones and tightens your muscles so putting on a
sleeveless shirt is a fun and proud experience. It
strengthens your body as you continue to age. And
the list goes on.

2. Stepping on the scale. If you’re trying to lose
weight please do me a favor... stay off the
scale!! Your weight will fluctuate up and down,
day to day. EVERYONE’S does. And muscle weighs
more than fat. So a lot of times you’re making
positive changes, but the scale is telling you
otherwise.

We weight our clients once a month. That’s it.
That’s all that’s needed.

3. Only paying attention to calories in, calories out.
This is another common mistake that most fall for.
Now, in theory this is true, but usually it’s not that simple.
There’s more to it than just calories. You should
be watching calories, macronutrients (protein,
carbs, and fat), portion sizes, frequency, and of
course depending on the exercise you’re doing
plays a part.


Here’s a simple equation to follow to keep
everything in check: ST + CT + BM + E3 = R

Strength training + cardio training + balanced meals
every 3 hours = results!!

So what’s stopping you? Well, most of the women
and men I talk to don’t really know where to
begin. Or how. You can go to the gym... do a
little of this, a little of that, and an hour
later not really have accomplished anything.

But that is why we’re here. To help you! You can
easily get a customized plan to make your workouts
not only EFFICIENT but EFFECTIVE too! All you have to
do is ask.

I hope you find some of this info helpful. If you
have a question about this or want to leave a
comment please do below.

To your weight loss and fitness success,

Tim Chudy

P.S. Remember, you can request a consultation
here. If you’re not quite ready but still want
info on our programs and services click here.

P.P.S. Post your comments or questions below.