My Home Workout Space

A quick glimpse into where I spend an hour or so just about every day! You don't need much room to make it count!

Nine Little Words That Change Lives

I'm sure by now you've all seen the informercials with the amazing personal transformations; the fella who went from being a pudding of a man to the picture of health or the woman who was, frankly, a big fat thing who is now slim, trim and insanely lovely. And I'm sure one of the things that went through your mind was, "I can't do that." "She doesn't have kids." "He doesn't have to travel for work." "They probably have plenty of time on their hands." "I can't do that."

Kim B. A sweetheat if ever there was one!

News Flash! Those people are the same as you! But they did one thing - they made a decision. Either they saw themselves in a mirror, or got some bad news from a doctor, or even were able to see themselves as they appear to others and said, "I've got to do something. I can't go on like this. I look bad and feel worse. I've got to change." And then they said nine little words that changed their lives:

And this time I'm going to stick to it.

That's all it takes. That mantra that this time you're going to accomplish it, you're going to be fit, healthy, maybe an inspiration to your family. And in the process save your life.

Tommy M. Super Energized Master Motivator!

And this time I'm going to stick to it.

I've actually met some of the people you've seen on the P90X or Insanity infomercials. Big secret? They're no different from any of us. They just decided to do something.

And this time I'm going to stick to it.

Me. 52 years old. This time I stuck with it.

They're nothing special. They don't know any secret. They don't have the special sauce. They changed because they decided to. They were sick and tired of being sick and tired. Nothing special. I know...because I did it too. Why?

I stuck with it.

There's no stopping you. I believe it!

Attack of the Treadmill!

Here's a Citibank commercial featuring the unluckiest treadmill user...ever!

If They See It...Believe It!

In my travels around the lands of Twitter and Facebook I've noticed I've become involved in several conversations with folks who are near completeing P90X or Insanity or Turbo Fire, etc that go just about like this:

Them: "Day 58 of Insanity!"

Me: "All right! How did you like it? Did you notice a lot of change in your body? I bet you're looking great!"

Them: "I don't see it but everybody I run into says I look so different. My clothes are looser but I don't think I look that different."

Here's my question - you've just completed 60 days of Insanity, the toughest workout on the planet, or 90 days of P90X, the most life-changing workout on the planet, and everyone you run into says you look so great and so different. Why don't you believe them?!?!

We are our own toughest critics which, I think, leads us to being our own worst enemy! We'll totally transform our bodies and when we look in the mirror all we see are that little bit of stuborn fat around our waist, or the tiny pimple on our forehead...not the abs that are popping out, the lean physique that everyone else sees.

If they're seeing the huge difference we've made -Believe It! You've worked hard, you've sweat like a pig, cried a few tears, denied yourself that chocolate cake, and built a body that people notice and wish they could have. And they're probably asking how you did it! (Unabashed plug - get paid to work out, check out the P90X, Insanity Coach opportunity at Be a Beachbody Coach. This concludes the pluggage!).

So be proud, hold your head up, and believe them when they say how great you look. You do!

Joe

Committment!

Here's a short Video Monday featuring me after a P90X Core Synergistics workout talking about committment. You may need to turn the volume up a bit.

Tweak It!

I was stuck. My goal weight, for some time now, has been 190 pounds, and I had been stuck a little above 200 for weeks. I usually weigh myself once a week, for the scale is not our friend, and every time the numbers leered back - 201, 204, 205, 202, 203, 206, 201 - a seemingly endless progression of the device laughing "Ha Ha! Not this time! Thanks for playing and we'll see you next week!"

My eating and diet had been pretty good. My training had been going great guns. So I thought and said to myself, "Self, " says I, "its got to be something you're doing and not noticing." And then I did something radical. I started to pay attention to the little things I was doing everyday that I assumed were fine and were probably the culprit. Enlightenment followed.

I love coffee. I drink coffee everyday. And, no, I didn't stop drinking coffee but...no matter the amount of coffee I was drinking I would put in 2 tsp of sugar. 22oz or 8oz or anwhere in between - 2 tsp of sugar. So I cut that down to 1 tsp (because I'm NOT going to stop putting sugar in my coffee).

The next weigh-in? 196 lbs.

The long winded point of this is simply to be aware. One little thing you can tweak in your diet or training could lead to gains in muscular size, a drop in weight, the breaking of a pleateau, or even the discovery of a new and better way of doing things. I thought I was dead-on but 1 tsp of sugar was the source of the hang up. Last scale day I was at 193 so it's working.

Think about where you can make a small adjustment and see what happens!

Just one little tweak can make a huge difference.

Joe

Spartacus Actors Getting Gladiator Ready!

This Video Monday installment features the actors from the first season of the Starz series Spartacus: Blood and Sand. All had to attend a few weeks of boot camp to get in super shape for the physically demanding roles.

Please note the late, great Andy Whitfield, the original Spartacus, who passed away recently. It's always a wake up call to see someone so young and vibrant taken away. Time is short. Do the work and enjoy the results!

The Work You Don't See

I'll be talking to someone about working out, what I did that morning, or what I was eating and sometimes I'll show a photo of one of the women I've met who's had fantastic results doing P90X or Insanity or any one of the programs and ususally, with alarming regularity, I'll hear this:

"Oh, she doesn't have to workout!"

Then I'll see if I can find the persons before photo and get a "That's not the same person," or "What kind of surgery did they have," which usually culminates in "You're a filthy liar!" (I'm not really...I'm quite a clean liar, thank you very much!)

People seem to have a mental block...when they see the photos, or see the woman or man on the beach with the fit physique, that they were lucky or just born that way. They don't realize the hours of work in the gym, with the workout DVD's, the correct eating habits, that allow that girl to wear the tiny bikini and look that good. It's not a case of osmosis. She or he didn't just rub the P90X DVD's all over their bodies and get results.

It was the getting up at 5am so they could fit that workout in before work - the only time they could do it. It was the commitment to eating healthy and right. It was forming the habit of fitness. It was getting into the mindset of just pushing play, or going to the gym.

I suppose "Oh, you don't have to workout." is kind of a compliment.

But really it's all the work you don't see.

Joe

Greatest Muscle Up Celebreation Ever - the JOY of Fitness!

Video Monday begins with a great video I think shows the sheer JOY of accomplishment! It wasn't perfect. In fact it was probably the ugliest muscle up ever but the celebration afterwards is priceless!

Truthfully, if I had been there, I would have been jumping and screaming along with them.

And that's what I do...scream and jump and cheer YOUR I-did-it-iv-ness...because it's not about me, or "I", but you! I really feel that when you succeed, I succeed.

Please let me know what YOU think!