Experience or.. I've Done Stupid Stuff

I do give advice, mostly when I'm asked, and sometimes when I must...usually when someone is doing or saying something I know a little about. And even then its because I've done the same thing and know it doesn't work.

It's a slippery slope. I'm not a nutritionist. I'm not a personal trainer. I'm not ripped to shreds and I'm not overtly muscular. But I am knowledgeable and fairly well read. I've worked out for years, done pretty much all the Beachbody workouts (P90X, Insanity, Asylum, etc.) so I know what I'm talking about. I've lost near 50 pounds and almost a foot from my waist.

In other words, all the things you think will work and haven't...I've done because I thought they'd work...and didn't. So there's a lot to be said for doing stupid things that don't kill you because you know what won't work and you can save someone else some wasted time.

That is...if they listen to you. But that's another story.

The Scale - Get It Out Of Your Head

Let me reiterate something I've said before: the scale is not your friend.

By that I mean it's not the true arbiter of your health or fitness. You must go by how you look, how you feel, how your clothes fit rather than obsess about every ounce or pound. That's a sure path to unhappiness and possible insanity ( the condition, not the exercise program!). I weigh myself maybe once a week and if I'm up or down a pound or two, or 5.8, I don't worry...I just resolve to work a bit harder, tighten up my diet, and just keep pushing play.

So don't beat yourselves up if you go on vacation and gain a little weight. Your body needs a rest and that time you take to recharge, reset, and recouperate will lead to greater gains and better results!

A Philosophy of Sorts, Part 2

As promised, part 2 of the two axioms I try to follow. So in addition to the previous:
To be Young, Do Young Things, I give you part 2:

To have energy, be energized.

Well, what does that mean? I hear many times from people they want to workout but they have no energy. Or they're tired. Or they just can't get themselves up to workout.

The truth of the matter is sometimes I don't have energy either, and I'm tired, and there are times when I can't drag myself out of bed to workout. So you know what I do? I get up and workout.

Occasionally I have to force myself but when you form the habit of doing this, even of you don't feel like it, you still go do it! And 99 times out of 100, as soon as you start the workout - there's your energy!

So, again in my rambling way, I have to say something seemingly ridiculous - You need energy to exercise but you get energy from exercising!

In other words, Nike was right - Just Do It!

A Philosophy Of Sorts, In Two Parts - Part One

I'm often told, "Oh, Joe, you've been through so much. How do you do these workouts?" "Where do you find the energy?" "I'm too old, I could never do that." and so on and so on.

If you've read the side over there (-->) you'll see what I'm talking about. Some say I'm an inspiration, a term I'm unconfortable with, but it is what it is. So after hearing those comments, and getting some questions, I'm going to tell you two axioms that I've adopted that serve me pretty well in dealing with a bunch of stuff.

Part One, because, to my mind, this is the more important:

To be young, do young things.

It sounds simple enough, but at 53, I see the cards stacked against me. Not with how I feel, but with society...especially the media, at the forefront! I'll give you an example: I was watching American Ninja Warrior and of course most of the competetors are in their 20's-early 30's. They had a few guys who were 41, 47, and 54. To hear the announcers you'd think these guys were at death's door! "How brave they were to even be out there!"

Screw you, buddy!

I haven't gone through the Ninja Warrior course but I walked through fire at an Anthony Robbins seminar. In Germany a while ago, in the Bavarian Black Forest Park, they have a structure called The Egg that you climb up and at the top you can see for miles. Did that. They have zip lines you can take down but we had a toddler with us so...next time. At recent Beachbody Coach Summits I'm among the oldest in my team and of the attendees. Went to the workouts, ass was kicked, had a good time at the afterparty. And don't tell anyone, but I still have a pull at my local comic book store!

I guess what I'm trying to say, in my usual long-winded fashion, is age is a number. It doesn't control you. I often say I'm 53, feel 23, act 13. I.m not saying to go out and be ridiculous but be young. Young at heart at the very least! Because 1) you'll be amazed at what you can really do and 2) it'll make you feel good!

The Program: Don't Reinvent the Wheel

If you've been doing P90X or Insanity or any of the Beachbody programs you'll know they come with an exercise schedule - what DVD to do on what day in what order. These are in the order they're in because the research that went into the program found that to make the greatest strides and achieve the greatest success, this is how it needed to be done. So, I'm here to tell you:

Don't reinvent the wheel!

What I mean by that is simply follow the program as best you can. I know from experience that sometimes a workout comes along that you just can't do for some kind of physical reason. I, personally, cannot do the yoga workouts. I have one bad foot that makes some of the workout insanely painful...and not in a good way - in a "I literally can't walk" way. So I do the other stretching DVD in the program.

If you're doing a workout and decide "I don't like this workout," "I'll skip this DVD," "I'm do this one later and switch this one," and then complain that you didn't get any results...well...this is kind of harsh...but that's on you! So, keep pushing play, follow the workouts as best you can, follow the schedule as best you can, use your coach (that's me!) and you'll be rockin' swimsuit season!

I know it!