Why Gyms are a waste of Time

Have you joined a gym and excitedly gone for the first month or so only to then use it sparingly? Gyms are joined with the best of intentions but in most occasions they end up not being used and become a drain on your money.

I am sure most people have had this experience. I have this conversation daily with people and they are deflated with their exercise experience. They believed they were going to change their lives as the membership consultant offered them a dream. After a month or so this becomes a distant memory. The sad thing is that people then have a negative attitude towards exercise.

One report that I read researching this article found that 4 out of 5 people who have bought gym memberships end up not using them! This is remarkable and I am saddened by it. I love seeing people succeed in their health and fitness endeavours and these people are being let down. There is always personal responsibility when it comes to maintaining an exercise program but gyms can let their clients down in several ways.

Firstly, I don’t believe that gyms are really driving their clients to a bigger goal. If you are a regular reader of this blog you would know that I am the biggest advocate of goal setting you will meet. Your exercise needs to have a bigger purpose than just ‘exercising because I feel I should’. I have ALL clients complete a goal setting exercise and really aim towards specific short and long term goals. This engages you on a subconscious and conscious level that really drives you to greater potential.

I have seen people achieve incredible results because they have a clear goal in mind. Events such as Tough Mudder, City to Surf etc. are terrific goals for becoming fitter and stronger than ever. Events and training for events also provides the other ‘big’ missing link Gyms don’t have, community.

I haven’t really understood the power of community and exercise until the last 12 months. I have seen people group together and encourage each other to greater heights. I have seen friendships flourish and the support and respect among each other is immense. I have seen this in our event training groups and 8 week challenges in particular.

Lastly, I don’t believe gyms provide accountability. People need accountability to others and this is a core reason people seek a Personal Trainer. They know that person is going to be there for them waiting every session. They know that trainer will get more out of them then they could get out of themselves. I have a trainer and there have been so many times when I just haven’t felt like training (yes I am human) and he has not only got me there but got the best out of me.

If you have a gym membership and aren’t using it then either incorporate some of the principles above if they are on offer or find a place that will support you. Exercise can be a massive joy and not a burden in the right environment.

The Keys to Success by Dan Henderson

I was conducting a consult two weeks ago when I was floored by a question by the prospect. He asked me ‘what makes clients more successful than others with their results’. It was a big question and one that I certainly had some ideas about. My answer was sufficient enough for the prospect to identify with and he committed to training. I thought long and hard after the session and I thought I would convey these ‘success traits’ in a coherent format. I have trained and observed clients for over 6 years and I have seen LOTS of successes but I have also seen clients that didn’t achieve their goals. So, what is the magic formula? I believe it is a combination of the following:

1. You need to WANT it! If you TRULY and DEEPLY want a certain result then you will ACHIEVE it. These results need to resonate with you and get you excited. It needs to be big enough to conquer the inevitable obstacles that will arise. It needs to consume your thoughts, emotions and energy. It will mean constant sacrifices and contentedness with these sacrifices. It will mean discontent with who you are and an excitement for the journey you will embark on.

2. You need to overcome CHALLENGES. We are all confronted with challenges but it is the RESPONSE that determines success. The successful client will meet these challenges head on and will embrace them. They will make the necessary changes but will not deviate from the plan. Injuries, work and family demands and finances will alter the plan but the necessary changes will be made and will not deter the client from success.

3. You need a PLAN. ‘If you fail to plan, you plan to fail’. Without a plan then you are working aimlessly even with the best intentions. You need to know when to progress, how to progress, strategies for plateaus and best practice methodology. Too often I see people who are motivated and hungry for success get disheartened because they didn’t work to a plan! They trained with the best intentions but didn’t do it smartly.

4. You need to take RISKS. You will be committing time, money and energy and it will involve you stretching your comfort zone. You will be asked to do things you didn’t think were possible and you need to do these things to reach greater success. You will be amazed about what you are capable of.

5. You need to be EXCITED. It’s related to my first point but you do need to approach the plan with excitement. It doesn’t mean you will enjoy all the exercises or workouts but you will get excited by your progress and the achievements along the way.

I am not saying you need all these things to exercise successfully or just be generally healthy. But, these are the traits I see in people that have achieved MASSIVE success. They have this incredible drive that I find so inspiring.

How to get REAL Results

If I want to get results in anything I do whether it is business, health, nutrition or a type of training then I consult people that have a proven track record and have achieved results in that particular field. I want to see that they have done it themselves and coached or inspired others to terrific results. This has been a method that has helped me enormously in expanding my studio. I have paid LOTS of money for mentors that have built successful studios that generate great results for their clients.

The same logic must apply when choosing a personal trainer or fitness facility. I am entering my first ever kettlebell competition (I am really scared) in May. This will be one of the most physically demanding events I will ever endure. I want to ensure that I am physically and mentally prepared to the best of my ability. I need a qualified and experienced coach that will inspire me to get the best out of me.

Personal trainers are everywhere….. in fact, it is not hard to become a personal trainer so there is more and more entering the industry at a rapid rate. Like all professionals there is a HUGE disparity in quality. There are the rookies that have completed their 6 week course and wanted to become a trainer because the hourly rate was attractive (these people find out that it is HARD work and are gone within 12 months) and then there is the other side of the spectrum. There are trainers that have years of experience, university degrees, a tonne of testimonials and before and after photos and genuinely CARE for their clients.

I own a personal training education business where we up skill personal trainers nationally. I travel the country teaching these trainers and I see both lots of trainers. I also have a team of 8 trainers and I need to discern which category the trainer fits into when recruiting. So if you want to get REAL RESULTS with your training and really achieve your goals then you need to know if you are in good hands.

So what should you look out for……

1. Do they GENUINELLY care when talking to you? Are they present in the conversation?
2. What is their approach to diet and exercise? Do they look the part? I don’t mean that they need to look like fitness models but they should look fit and healthy
3. Are they continually up skilling? Have they invested in their further education? What books are they reading?
4. What RESULTS have they have helped their clients achieve in the past?

If a trainer fits these criteria then you are in VERY good hands and you have increased your chances of SUCCESS significantly.

I will unashamedly take the opportunity to let you know that we have an AMAZING team at Coastal Bodies. We have decades of experience, several qualifications and dozens of before and after photos and testimonials. You can see the impressive team here.

Last Challenge for 6 Months

We have our LAST 8 week challenge for 6 months starting on Feb 25^th. You would have seen the AMAZING results from the challenge in these newsletters. If you have thought about it for a while then now is your opportunity to get results. Click here for more information.

Females only Pilates Class starting next week

We have a brand new class starting next Tuesday (Feb 26^th) at 10 am. It is for females only and is a mat class. The class will run for 45 minutes and conclude with a coffee at our new coffee bar.

Start with the end in mind

I am huge believer in the power of setting goals, whether it is for fitness, career or financial. A good goal will bring enormous results and the process is a great learning experience.

Every personal training client at Coastal Bodies has to set 3 health and fitness goals. The goals can be around an event (run, Tough Mudder etc), body composition changes (fat loss, wearing a size 8 again etc) or lifestyle (regularly committing to 5 sessions per week). I have had clients set goals for years now but I came to a realisation that I hadn’t yet tapped into this powerful process for my own health and fitness. Don’t get me wrong I exercise 5-6 times every week and eat a clean diet. But that is more for my general well-being and it wasn’t towards a future goal.

So, I decided to set a goal and it was a big one…… I wanted to be one of 10 people worldwide with a Level 3 International Kettlebell Coaching Qualification. Like most participants I failed my exam 2 years ago as I wasn’t as prepared as I could’ve been. So the process started….

Firstly, I needed to be definite and future paced in my setting of the goal ‘It is November 3 and I am a Level 3 Kettlebell Coach’. I read this goal daily and actually visualised myself successfully conquering the assessment.

I knew it was an achievable goal but at the same time incredibly challenging! That is the key with a goal. It needs to be achievable so it doesn’t lead to disappointment or disillusion but it must be something that takes immense effort and sacrifice to achieve. This makes the achievement all that more satisfying.

The next step was developing a plan. The assessment was an incredible physical feat and I needed to be strategic in my approach. I hired a coach and we put together session plans for a 3 month training cycle. He also helped me refine my technique so I was as efficient as possible. He managed my physical workload as my preference is to overtrain and we couldn’t have that.

The third step was being flexible with our plan. Inevitably challenges arise and you need to change your approach to meet your goal. I had a sore throat one week and needed to half my sessions so I didn’t get really sick. I also have moderate elbow tendonitis in both elbows and I needed to shorten the workouts when they became inflamed. It was all about seeing the bigger picture.

The final step was telling people about the goal. This was a great accountability measure for me as people were constantly asking me about my goal. I wasn’t drinking alcohol and I was eating a strict diet and it helped when people supported me and made this easier.

There were many times when I felt like throwing in the towel. The sessions were tough and laborious. Persistence towards the bigger goal here was central. I needed to keep focus on the main goal and push through when it was difficult.

I write this not to boast but rather to encourage. I have seen incredible results from my clients when they have a definite purpose. I have now experienced this first hand and it is my desire to see more people achieve incredible health and wellness goals. Follow the process above and I can assure you that you will experience great success.

I’m Excited…….

This week’s blog is somewhat different to what we have shared this year. We have sought to educate you on the Paleo diet, portion sizes, variety in diet, alcohol etc. However, I would like to write more from heart and less from an academic journal for this issue.

You see I can’t help but share how excited I am with Coastal Bodies at this very moment. I am overawed by our clients and the results they are getting and the enthusiasm they have for being healthier.

I started Coastal Bodies 4 years ago after leaving a decent corporate job because I loved imparting my passion of health and fitness and seeing people share that. I never had any business growth plans but only plans to see people get fit and healthy. I have had the great joy in seeing our clientele steadily build as well as the Coastal Bodies team over the years. This has been really encouraging!

However, in the last 3 months the Coastal Bodies community has stepped it up and has really taken it to another level. I see clients totally and utterly commit themselves to our 8 week challenge. We have a closed group on Facebook for all participants and the support each member is giving to each other is brilliant. Members are sharing meals and recipes as well as training plans. Clients are interacting with other clients about their training and how they can improve.

The results clients are getting are also so inspiring! I had three clients train their butts off for the 20 KM obstacle course ‘Tough Mudder’. I was so proud of the dedication and commitment they showed and it made me improve as both a trainer in my own training and knowledge. Clients have done runs or are signed up for them and the body composition changes people are getting are mind blowing! Clients are showing no signs of letting up and this excites me no end.

The enthusiasm clients have for their training and nutrition is infectious and I know both the team and I really feel it. I want to thank you on behalf of the team for this enthusiasm and I am personally looking forward to seeing many more great results in the very near future.

If you are reading this and are not a part of it then I encourage you to be a part of it. You will be supported, encouraged and inspired to improve your health and well-being in a pretty awesome environment.

Why a Transformation Challenge is a good idea

I have a confession to make…. After years of writing in this blog about why I don’t like ‘Transformation Challenges’ I am now holding one!

So what has caused the backflip?

My reason for not being a fan of challenges is because I see health, exercise and nutrition as lifetime habits that cannot be done in one small intensive block. I still hold this view but can now see that a challenge brings a lot of benefits that don’t conflict with this view.

A challenge inspires you to take a more serious commitment and it can take your results to the next level. You have the incentive of a prize as well as competition amongst other competitors. People are motivated by different things and the pursuit of a prize or competition may be that trigger you need.

A challenge can also provide some variety in your program and can be refreshing if you have done the same thing time and time again. I have clients completing the challenge that have been training with me for years. They like the idea of embracing a new challenge with some new training routines and nutrition plans.

Our challenge in particular is also very educational. You will gain a better understanding of what constitutes a healthy meal, some easy recipes to add to your collection and some killer home exercise routines that require no equipment.

I have seen this with our trainer Jason. He is a young single guy that now knows 30 basic recipes that have him cooking tasty healthy food. This alone has made a big difference to his health and is something he will carry long after the challenge.

I am now making my own healthy snacks such as almond butter cookies, protein super balls and super shakes rather than having to eat the limited healthy options that are available at most places.

I am happy to admit I was wrong and I was too ‘black and white’ in my approach. Seeing people get healthy and amazing results is far more important than my pride. Challenges serve a great purpose and I am happy that we can now provide an excellent challenge to people.

Our challenge has both an online and face to face option so you can be located locally or even overseas. The program is accessible for all so there are no excuses.

We have just booked out our first challenge and we are limiting the next one to the first 30 people. If you want to be in the best shape of your life and take your health to the next level then please check out our challenge website. It is http://www.coogeechallenge.com.au/

 

The vast benefits of group training

With the weather the way it is, our motivation to get out of bed and go exercise alone is challenging. Working out with a friend/friends has been proven to provide positive aspects to your workout that simply can’t be achieved on your own.

Here’s a list of benefits of exercising in a group:

Encouragement: The encouragement given by others who have similar goals to those that you desire will give you that extra push in the right direction.

Accountability: You are not only accountable to yourself in group training you are accountable to the other members of the group. This will sway you to attend each session so group goals can be achieved.

Competition: Most of us are competitive so in the group situation we strive that extra bit harder to achieve our goals and to do the best we can.

Social: Group classes can be both physically and mentally demanding, having peers challenging themselves at the same time creates camaraderie and builds friendships.

Fun: When exercising in a group situation a lot of the time you are having too much fun to realise that you are actually improving your health and fitness.

Why not try one of our small group classes. Ask your trainer or ring Jason on 0423 865 860 for more info.

Also, stay tuned for our first annual “Get in top shape for summer” challenge that will be announced in the coming weeks….

5 reasons why you’re not getting the weight loss results you want!

You know the drill. You get excited to exercise, and maybe even join a gym or a new program. You go well for a while and get some good results and then your motivation drops. Why does that happen? Your mindset is the KEY that determines your results. Here are the 5 mental mountains that prevent you from being motivated!

1. You’re only motivated by NOT being fat

When you think about your body you focus on the fat bits, and wish you could squeeze them out, to get rid of them pronto. You look at slim people and wish that you were like them and could easily stay slim. You desperately want to change your body and hate it the way it is now.

The thing is, motivation works in two ways. You are either motivated to get away from something painful that you don’t want (being fat), or move towards something pleasurable that you do want (becoming slim). If you are only focussing on losing weight and being less fat, you are only using half the motivation equation. If you’re only motivated by what you’re moving away from then the slimmer you get, the more your motivation will wane ( because you’re not fat anymore). The key to keep motivation up as you get slimmer is to focus on the slim, healthy you that you are moving towards and becoming more every day. Get really clear about imagining in vivid detail your moment of success.

2. You think “all or nothing”

When you get started you do everything perfectly! You keep your food diary, weigh your food, count your calories and train like a demon. Then you have a crisis at work or with your family and don’t go food shopping, get caught out somewhere starving hungry and eat a giant muffin, then say to yourself; “I’ve blown it” and go home and eat a packet of biscuits. You want your program to be perfect and so when you slip up it’s all over.

The truth is you don’t need to be perfect for it to work. In fact, it works better if you accept it’s not going to be perfect and just do the best you can at each and every meal and training session. Aim for 80-90% of your plan and accept sometimes you slip up, that way you can stay on track and get back to it straight away.

3. You replay your past failures and beat yourself up

Whenever you do something wrong, you tell yourself you’re a failure and remember all the other times you did stuff wrong and replay those memories over and over and over, on a loop until you feel bloody awful.

Remember, your past cannot affect your future unless you let it. You are in charge of your thoughts. Instead of replaying and visualising all the ways things went wrong, play out in your mind and imagine all the ways things could go right and you can succeed.

4. You don’t feel worthy of success or slimness

Every time you get close to success you sabotage yourself with a binge or a blowout, because deep down inside you’re a bit afraid of what would happen if you actually got this. It would change things in your life and even though you want it, there’s a part inside that’s afraid of that change and what it would mean for the other areas of your life. These fears are often unconscious, but if you sabotage yourself and have been struggling with your weight for a long time, they’re there.

Investigate what’s really behind these fears, think about them and analyse it critically. They are not true. You have just been believing that it is, based on your past experiences or decisions. You could simply decide today that you are worthy and that you will have the life you deserve. You can overcome any obstacles and you will enjoy the new slim life that is ahead of you. Let the past go and create the future as you want it to be. You have within you all the inner strength and courage to overcome these obstacles!

5. You haven’t connected with your core reason WHY you’re doing this

When your trainer asks you why you want to lose weight, you reply, “to feel better”, or “to fit into my jeans”, “look good at my sister’s wedding” etc. These reasons are ok, but they’re not the real reason why. They’re not a core, emotional reason that will help you get up and train when it’s raining, or when you’re tired and you don’t really feel like it. The truth is, sometimes you’re going to need to overcome that inertia to make a change. To do that you need a powerful reason why.

You need to discover your true motivating reason. What is it that you really want? How would your life change when you have overcome this and can be slim and healthy every day, without thinking about it? What other possibilities will open up for you? What else can you achieve after that? Write out 100 reasons why you want to get slim and healthy and discover the core reasons that make you emotional when you think about them. That’s a start. If these sound familiar to you then you need to make a change to your mindset in order to begin getting the results you really want and the most out of your Personal Training sessions and Gym Memberships.

You can change your mindset and release these negative thinking habits with Mindset Coaching. I am a specialist Weight Loss Motivation Coach. I utilise Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Meta-Coaching, and Hypnosis to help people overcome their self-sabotage, cravings, emotional eating and lack of motivation. When you change your mindset then it becomes easy to follow your trainers’ advice and keep yourself moving toward your goal. You will find that your lifestyle changes become effortless when you have a clear goal, a strong compelling reason why and you have cleared out all the negative and sabotaging beliefs and thoughts.

That’s what happened for me when I lost 25kgs over 8 years ago, within 3 months, after struggling for years with my weight. I found the key to changing my mindset and once I did, everything changed. The fat just dropped off because I was finally doing all the things I knew I should do all along!

Article by Kylie Ryan. Expert Weight Loss Motivation Coach.

Get your Free Massive Motivation E-book and hypnosis session www.MyMindCoach.com.au

The Best Exercise for Fat Loss

I often get asked on what is the best and fastest training method for losing fat fast. There are a plethora of training options out there but my belief, as well as science, shows that High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is the winner.

Research has shown that HIIT is one of the most effective methods for weight loss. The main reason for this is the elevated metabolism post exercise. Research has shown that metabolism can be elevated for up to 24 hours post exercise. HIIT also significantly lowers insulin resistance and causes skeletal muscle adaptations that result in enhanced skeletal muscle fat oxidation and improved glucose tolerance.

Furthermore, in a study that compared participants in an endurance training program and HIIT program they found that the energy cost of training was ninefold greater in the HIIT program. So not only are you burning more energy and fat post exercise but you are during the session as well!

It is really important to have a base of conditioning before you do HIIT. This is because the demands are high and the intensity would not be sustainable for any length of time.

A HIIT session consists of a warm up period of 5-10 minutes. This is followed by 6-10 repetitions or 30-90 seconds of 3-6 high intensity exercises such as 400 m sprints, hill climbs, box jumps and clap push-ups. The workout finishes with a cool down exercise. The whole session should only take 30 minutes. It is really important that a warm-up includes lots of stretches, activations and releases.

Coastal Bodies has circuit classes that follow the HIIT principle and they are a great way to burn fat and change your body composition. For more information click here

 

These words couldn’t be truer for manyCoastal Bodies clients. We have an amazing number of clients that are getting terrific results because they want them and are training consistently to get them!

 

Implementing diet change for long-term health and improved body composition

Most of us have had success with diet and exercise programs where we lose body fat in a short space if time. We then get hit with a major plateau and the body fat moves slower and slower. This is a very common complaint from a lot of my clients who are trying to lean up. It can be reasonably easy to lose a few kilos by cutting the obvious bad bits from your diet and becoming more active, but losing the fat that you have spent years putting on will require a little more strategy. Since diet makes up such a large contribution to your body composition it’s now time to be a bit more structured with your diet, and step beyond simply cutting out all Big Macs and fries!

The first thing to do is to reconnect with your goal. You need to be reminded every day of what you’re trying to achieve, so that you’ll find it easier to choose something good to eat whenever you’re faced with a decision. Things like putting an old picture of yourself, or a pair of your favourite jeans that you wore 10 years ago on your door are a couple of ideas.

It is then time to implement changes in your diet. The first step is eating smaller portions. If the food you eat doesn’t contain much protein and quality fresh fruit/vegetables then you will struggle to feel full or satisfied. The poorer the quality of food means the more you need to feel satisfied. So increase the quality of your meals and reduce the size!

Next is to implement one of the following rules into your day or a single meal with the mantra ‘food is my fuel and nourishment, it is not my entertainment’.

Rules of healthy eating for optimum health and body composition:

1. If it has sugar added don’t eat/drink it
2. If your great grandmother wouldn’t recognise the ‘food’ you’re eating then avoid it
3. Don’t get sucked in by ‘low fat’ foods. Fat is not the enemy, processed carbs are. eg bread, pasta, cereals.
4. Drink at least 2-3 litres of water every day
5. Eat fresh fruit/vegetables and protein with every meal
6. Alcohol can sabotage all your good efforts
7. Snack on real food. Eat walnuts, carrots, apples, bananas, rockmelon, fresh young coconut (water and flesh), tuna/salmon/sardines in a can, mixed bean mix with chopped onion, pesto, etc.

Choosing one rule at a time will make the process of solidifying a habit much easier than trying to do everything at once. Once you have one of the rules ingrained as habit for one meal or the whole day (water, no alcohol, good snacks), then try 2 meals or apply 2 rules to one meal. For example to start out drinking 2-3 litres of water every day, once that feels easy to do try not eating anything with added sugar in your breakfasts, then if you want to really step it up make your dinner so that it only contains protein and vegetables. The key is doing things in small steps by adding just one rule at a time. Remember if done slowly these eating habits will be with you for the rest of your life, so there’s no rush to do them all at once.

If you’re stuck getting started then just remember what Aristotle said. “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit.” Which rule would you like to make a habit first?

 

Next Page »