Monday, August 24, 2015

What are you afraid of?!

As you get older you start to realize just how much you didn't know when you were younger. I turned 44 a few weeks ago, and it took me the majority of those years to learn some simple life lessons. One thing that I've dealt with my entire life is fear.  I know I’m not alone in this, and fear can be extremely paralyzing. When you're a kid everything seems so big, especially things that you are afraid of.  In reality, my childhood fears were relatively simple, like being afraid of the dark, scary movies, girls, clowns, etc., or if you were like me, the Incredible Hulk. This is the one story my two older sisters love to tell.  According to them, I wouldn’t want to sleep alone if I had watched the Incredible Hulk recently. To this day, I deny that I was every afraid of the big, green man, but in actuality, I was terrified.  I am happy to report that I have overcome that fear, as you can see from the picture below that was taken a few weeks ago.



     All kidding aside, fears can be even worse as an adult. I've had to overcome a lot of fears in my life, and I’ve grown so much each time I've faced them and didn't allow them to hold me back. As you continue to face your fears head on, something amazing begins to happen.  You get stronger, and you eventually conquer those fears. I'm an introvert. Sometimes, being around people, especially groups of people, can stir up a lot of fear inside of me.  I've always had a strong desire to help others, so you can see where my introverted nature is a hindrance to this desire.  It has taken time, and I’m still not completely where I want to be, but I've allowed my desire to help others to be stronger than the fears I have from my introverted personality. There have been many circumstances and people in my life who have helped me overcome my fears.  I have been able to do things that I didn't think we're possible, one of the most important being my job as a coach. I have gained strength to conquer my fears through what I've learned from training. When you do things you didn't think were possible, it gives you an internal strength that makes you feel like you can conquer anything. I’ve had the privilege of witnessing this first hand.  When I get to see someone get their first chin-up or first real push-up, it's amazing to see their whole demeanor be transformed.  That person is no longer paralyzed by fear, but is ready and anxious to take on more challenges.
     I ask you what is a fear you have that's holding you back from accomplishing more in your life? We have a saying In Training for Warriors “Train more fear less”. That's not just about training in the gym, but in other areas of your life. Are you putting the extra time and effort into your job that will allow you to stomp out your fear of failure because you're more prepared? Are you eating healthier and taking the time to exercise to get rid of the nagging fear that you might not be around to see your kids grow up, or to hold your first grandchild?  I could give numerous examples, because everyone has at least one thing they are afraid of.  Maybe it’s a fear of working up enough courage to simply step foot into a gym.  If so, I want to help you kick that fear’s butt!   We have an 8-week warrior challenge class starting after Labor Day that will help you do just that. It's a step-by-step program that starts off with small steps, and progresses to give you the tools you need to succeed.

     Let’s face it; fear is an inevitable part of everyone’s life.  The difference is found in how someone responds to that fear.  Do your fears control you, or do you control your fears?  Ask yourself this question, “Do I need to train more and fear less?”  If so, take that first step toward conquering your fears and contact me today to sign up for our next 8 week warrior challenge.  I can promise you this, the 8 week warrior challenge isn't anywhere close to being as scary as the Incredible Hulk!

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Do you want to be a Superhero?!

My wife and I traveled to North Carolina last weekend to attend the Training for Warriors (TFW) annual affiliate summit. We started the weekend with an epic superhero deadlift party, and we set another Guinness Book of World Record during that event. The energy during that hour of deadlifting was unreal.  When it was over, I had seven other people who were on my team, that I had a connection with because we had just pushed and encouraged each other to accomplish more than we thought possible. I knew, at that moment, I had made the right decision to become a TFW affiliate. 
For the rest of the weekend we got to hear so many great speakers that not only motivated us, but also inspired us. One of the biggest takeaways from the weekend is that TFW is not just a workout system that's cool, or that will get you ready for the beach or a wedding, which all of those are worthwhile goals.  TFW’s main purpose is to save lives. Martin Rooney, the founder of TFW, reminded us that "obesity, diabetes, and heart disease are at an all time high, while self esteem is at an all time low", and TFW is doing its best to make an impact. I got into the fitness business because I wanted to help people, but sometimes you need a reminder of what's really at stake, people's lives. 

A great example of how TFW can help change your life is what it's done for my mother-in-law. She is 68 years old and is a type two diabetic. When I had my first TFW class last November she said she wanted to try it. I'll be honest, I didn't think she would last, and I thought she was just doing it to give me an extra person to make the class a little larger. I’m here to tell you, she has stuck with it during some tough beginning practices for her, and along the way has inspired everyone in our class. That's not the best part though, the best part is that her A1C levels have dropped so drastically that she is very close to being able to come off of her medication. She has five grandchildren that range from two months to seven years old.  It's great to know that she is not only adding years to her life, but she’s also adding quality to her life.  It's easy to look at someone else’s success and say that's great, but I don't think I can accomplish what they accomplished. This is a lie!  It’s vital that you realize you can make a change!  It is going to be challenging, but it will also be very rewarding. If you are someone who is ready to take on that challenge and make a change, we have something just for you.

After Labor Day, we will be starting some new 8 week Warrior Challenge classes.  This is an awesome opportunity for you to learn exactly what TFW is all about, and to jump start your life.  The classes will meet for an hour three times a week for 8 weeks.  This is a great way to ease into the TFW workouts and to build a foundation for graduating into the regular TFW classes.  Just think, by giving 24 hours of your time over an 8 week period, you could be starting a journey that could add 20 plus years to your life, help you burn fat, build muscle, and feel good!  That is huge!  Because here is the reality, yes, we dressed like superheroes, yes, we deadlifted for an hour, and yes, we broke a Guinness World Record.  It was awesome, and a moment that I will never forget.  However, it is all futile if I leave my cape in North Carolina at the summit, and I don’t come home and start helping others and saving lives.  Because the truth is, everyone is a superhero to someone.  Whether you like it or not, you have someone in your life that you are a superhero to.  So don’t let them down by wasting your life away.  Because giving your family and those you love 20 more healthy years with you, that’s priceless.