Category: motivation

The barometer I use when it comes to decisions, often big ones, is the “Rocking chair test”.

I’d imagine I’m 80 years old on a porch somewhere and looking back on my life, and remember the pivotal and crucial decisions that shaped my life-when things could have gone one way or the other.

Our crucial decisions in life are often gut-wrenching, they make us feel sick (some of you have seen me in that state) but it’s often the uncomfortable choice that makes us grow, eventually become better and ultimately become much more fulfilled through our courage and bravery in our moments of indecision and deep doubt, when the only doubt would have been in ourselves (often stupidly and against the actual evidence of our real ability do smash that task/role/job/game/business expansion etc).

So when you are 80 years old, 99.9% of the time you look back at your life and you say “should I have gone for that big meaningful thing in my life”, you will say “HELL YES” pretty much EVERY TIME!!! You will laugh at 80 being scared at the things that you put off at 20,30, 40, 50 or ANY AGE-HAVE A GO NOW!!!

Those powerful life-changing decisions aren’t possible though WITHOUT GOOD HEALTH, that is a pre-requisite for executing those amazing things in life you still want to do, inspire your kids to do  and your grandchildren too, because they will always look up to the healthy example and life you lead (even if you don’t think they do).

So transport yourself back from 80,or even 100 (we have plenty of members in their 80s!) and decide to LIVE LIFE NOW by seizing each moment and getting things done today-DON’T PUT IT OFF and take the plunge!!.

I’m starting to hear of quite a few people retiring, some very early, some hanging on until “they get an offer” and many wanting to go on the holidays they have always put off all their lives.

Some retire and then get another job straight away or even start a business, good for them I say it keeps their mind active.

I am thrilled for them, and extremely happy for their shows of joy.

But……..it will never be for me.

I’ve always focused on getting a little bit better all the time, and the people I train-YOU-are constantly pushing me to keep on getting better.  The demands are only RISING, there a problems to constantly work out in terms of training solutions and I love it.

The more challenging people that walk in the gym, the more my I sharpen my craft, the more I realise I have to get better, and the more as a gym I realise we have to keep delivering more and more.

Our sense of purpose at the gym has never been higher and this depends entirely on who walks through the door, and we have NEVER been so excited to keep coming up with more new stuff that will take you all to new unexpected personal bests. We have the highest expectations for you all

Retiring for me would be the beginning of ageing quickly, for losing our our big purpose in life, and the beginning of the end and a sign to throw in the towel like I’ve seen so many do, and a sign I don’t want to work on my craft anymore-couldst think of anything worse. 

I realised long ago that getting better to serve better is a lifetime pursuit ( we never know it all),  and serving people feeds my mind and spirit and gets me excited to wake up early and get going each and everyday.

Our minds thrive on challenges, deadlines, problems, and to a degree stress (good stress I mean not horrid stress that can destroy so many), we need the feeling “can we do it this time” as well as self doubt which makes us rise to the occasion and prove so many people wrong, and the last thing we need is mind numbing predictability that never stimulates us and makes us much older and degenerates us way before our time.

As I was growing up, I became aware that some of the people I came into contact with were either “up” or “way down” in terms of their moods.

The callous comments from some would come in thick and fast-they are on “uppers” or they are on “downers” in terms of pharmaceutical help for their big mood swings.

As I started training people, I became aware that these prescription drugs were in wide circulation and very common, and the more I became aware of them, the more I saw they were an everyday part of life for so many people.

Then I started hearing about the side effects and addictive nature of some of these pills, and these conversations and reports continue in a big way today in the media.

When I started training yet more people, I became aware of the powerful effects of exercise on the people’s minds I was training-this time with no side effects.

The more people showed up, the demeanour of so many people changed-for the better. When they had time off training, their mood swings started returning, anxiety and depression started to return, and some couldn’t get back in the swing of turning up for training again because life felt so dreadful once again-even if it did not on the outside.Most prominent doctors and experts now in the field of mental health put exercise right in the FRONTLINE of the battle for good mental health and there is strong science to prove it.

Many of you struggle with mental health issues and all of us a susceptible to a a few bad days turning into something far more permanent and in some cases life-threatening.

If I have seen a big range of cases, I urge you to keep showing up, keep exercising, keep coming into to have a chat, have a laugh, have a pick me up and remember what the best FRONTLINE strategy is to face down your demons and put yourself in a much better place mentally every day.

When it comes to your health, everything is earned.

When you put in a great workout, like many of you have today, you have earned better heart health, better lung capacity and a great sense of wellbeing.

If you put in good food throughout the day, you will repair your body well from your efforts and feel full and energetic-you EARNED that feeling.

If you rest well and hit the sack early, you will be well rested, your body will well and truly in the healing process and tomorrow has a much better chance of being a great and productive day. You have earned it that’s for sure.

Missing a workout today? You haven’t earned a thing, you may be a little anxious, on edge, and someone may have convinced you that scrolling social media and watching a box-set is a “workout” of its own somehow?

Eaten rubbish all day, and even “spoiled yourself with a takeaway” on a monday, with a “I deserve it” attitude? 

You didn’t earn a thing, and after talking to a very valued member at the gym tonight on what really goes into the more popular dishes in fast food places, it wont be doing your heart, lungs and arteries any good, and throw in rubbish mental health on top. With all the chemicals that throw your brain and central nervous system everywhere.

Eating badly, and missing a workout is a perfect recipe for a terrible night’s sleep, throw in a glass of wine on a monday and you be sleeping like someone on the organising committee of the “Gwen Gwen festival” watching the ceiling all night with a multitude of worries and anxiety.

Health is EARNED never forget that, the best thing is that you can earn it every day if you put the work in, feed and hydrate your body right which is very likely to give you a great night’s sleep.

All choices, make your workouts and eating right a MUST DO and your whole life changes-FOR THE BETTER,

A man was walking along the beach and saw another man fishing in the surf with a bait bucket beside him. As he came closer, he saw that the bait bucket had no lid and had live crabs inside.

“Why don’t you cover your bait bucket so the crabs won’t escape?” he asked.

“You don’t understand.”, said the man, “If there is one crab in the bucket it would definitely crawl out very quickly. However, when there are many crabs in the bucket, if one tries to crawl up the side, the others will grab hold of it and pull it back down so that it will share the same fate as the rest of them.”

If the crab persists, they will tear the legs off the crab and if it still persists, the other crabs will kill the crab.

This is very typical with humans and we see this happening around us all the time . If someone tries to do something different, maybe get better exam results or sporting success, improve his or herself, escape from negative people, forge a different path for themselves, or dream big, other people especially those who don’t like others getting on, will try to drag he/she back down to their level of mediocrity in life.

Ignore the crabs and prove them wrong always!

Have a go and do what is right for you. It won’t always be easy, and you may not advance as quickly as you would like, but you will NEVER share the same outcome and miserable life as those who never try.

We have had countless members at the gym with every reason to not even try or have a go, every reason to feel sorry for themselves instead of give a big effort every day, BUT they both chose to “climb the crab bucket” instead of listening to others or letting their challenges.disabilities to stop them from changing their own world and everyone around them in the process..

Don’t wait for the “perfect time or conditions” because they don’t exist, never let people’s words and opinions to stop you from achieving your dreams.

Will you keep climbing out the bucket or stay with the “crabs”?