Posted on

Wednesday, October 2nd

When the ministers from the government show up tomorrow at 1115am, we have a secret weapon in store for them.

Of course, I will show them the new equipment, of course I will tell them the evolution of the gym, tell them proudly about our kids and adults classes, the free fruit from the Coop, and I will be showing them the new outside and what’s to come.

BUT, the secret weapon is our people. The stories YOU will be sharing with them tomorrow is our nuclear weapon that bowls over and inspires the most hardened of characters.

We all have similar ability, but it’s the ones that grab that ability and run with it are the ones who inspire me the most.

When those people arrive tomorrow, I know have an easy hour because I hand them over to you lot, great inspirational characters who speak so eloquently and passionately about your often very difficult journey in life.

How you put your trust into exercise and eating right, and how it lifted you out of the gloom and hardship that you may have been feeling at that particular time in your life.

The greatest pleasure I will have tomorrow is not the visitors arriving although they are very welcome, but the stories you will come out with and how life changed when you became more active, when you started eating right, and most importantly, all of that gave you the power to believe in yourself once again and set your life in an incredible direction once again.

Tomorrow is about you and telling your story, let’s be proud of what we have achieved against the odds, and get ready to hit them with everything we have.

Twitt
Posted on

Tuesday, 1st october

Finding your competitive fire again can be liberating.

Being competitive with YOURSELF is not a dirty word.

Many people remember their “best years” as 18-35, but we prove every day that this is a big lie. Once you realise, once you find out that you can do great things again, it literally changes your life in all ways.

I know that Kay Owen at 79, come rain or shine is still flipping tyres out the back of the gym, and never wants to lose that strength. She still pushes the prowler across the car park where the grind is really tough. Her competitive fire never goes out, she does what she needs to do to not only still do great things, but she wants to feel great things too, and every day.

If you have given up on yourself at 40-90, then there is strong evidence it’s nothing to do with your body, it’s much more likely that you’re telling yourself a story that it may be easier to believe, much easier than to climb out of the hole you may be in and become fit, strong and healthy again both in body AND mind.

If you are are angry reading this then fantastic, it may even trigger enough anger in you to stoke that fire within you again. Most of us need a catalyst, something to get us off our settees and doing things in life that can make us proud.

Do me a favour, do not ask someone who never exercises, someone who eats crap, someone who drinks every night whether you should exercise again, whether you should eat healthy again, because they will be very happy if you feed rubbish into your body every day, it will make them feel a lot better for the lifestyle they lead.

Better to ask someone who has come back from the brink of years of not exercising, eat rubbish for years, and who has become a champion (in my eyes) again by getting fit, healthy and strong again. and ask them right now how they feel, and what the difference really is between both lifestyles.

There’s only one winner. Will you tell yourself the truth and re-kindle your fire or live a lie telling yourself you cant do it anymore, and worst of all you’re not going to even try?

Twitt
Posted on

Monday, September 30th

We swipe the slate clean every day.

No ego’s. no favouritism, you are judged on how much effort you give. If you want to get better, you need to show up and you need to bring enthusiasm with you.

In our atmosphere, you should be capable of training at a higher level than you would be on your own. It’s your attitude that counts, it’s how you think that counts because we know you have it in you.

Each and every one of you has huge potential. Your actions will dictate how far you go, make no mistake about it. We all have doubts whether its worth it at times, but it’s at those exact times that you need to put your fit on the accelerator and blast your way through it.

If you are not willing to knuckle down and pack your kit ready for tomorrow, no matter how cold, dark or wet it is, then question your attitude and question your desire.

How much do you want this? How much do you want to raise yourself to another level of performance, happiness and wellbeing.

Do you want to work hard, feel fantastic and feel full of pride? Or will dodge the hard work, make excuse after excuse when hard questions come your way?

We all have questions asked of us daily. Are we going to be good enough, do we have the balls to go for it or not, do we have the fight to stay in the game, what have we really got deep inside when the going gets tough.

Whatever you really want in life write it down. Then put a list of things that you need to do continuously to get it. There it’s right in front of you, you now what you must do, and it really depends on how much you want it.

Every day you need to swipe the slate clean, tomorrow is another day, do your best with each gift of a day and see where that hard work takes you, most likely MUCH further than you ever thought

Twitt
Posted on

Wednesday 25th September

Every tough situation you are in right now may seem like it’s the end of the world, why you again, and you may as well accept that bad luck often happens to you.

You wait for light to come into your life. The easiest thing is to wait, then wait, then wait some more.

However much you struggle, every time you exercise the light comes in a little more. Every time you show up tomorrow, you win, every time you have social interaction you win, and the light becomes brighter.

I find there is ALWAYS someone at the gym who wants to talk to you, want to help you and give their advice from their perspective as lots of members have been through some very dark times. We are blessed with their help and magical words.

Social interaction can turn into carmaraderie.

That support from our red army can sharpen you again like iron sharpens iron. You need to be up for the fight, and I want you to become a true warrior again.

A true warrior shows up no matter what their mind is like and however much that process hurts, they have a job to do, they have hard work in front of them and they are going to battle through no matter how tough it is, because they know its for the greater good.

I truly believe in you, I trust in your great ability and your deep desire to get out of this hole and become a true champion that stared stress, anxiety and adversity in the face then kicked it flat out in the balls, and then it was slain once and for all.

Train hard, rest eat well and repeat for life.

I’m asking you to dig deep, to show up and face your fears and smash them right where it hurts.

Twitt
Posted on

Tuesday, 24th September

I used to hear it a lot in the 80’s, still a lot in the 90’s and not quite so much now but I do here it now and again. “I don’t want to lift weights, I want to lose the weight first doing just cardio”. This is a blatant lie that society has fed you for years.
I have to re-enforce the reply just like I did in the 80’s. Whoever says you only have to go on a treadmill, bike or just walk and run to lose weight/body fat is making you take on a plan that’s not sustainable long term and will NOT CHANGE YOUR SHAPE as dramatically as getting stronger will.
We strongly support walking, running, cycling of course as most of our members do these activities anyway in our programmes, and we have lots of beginners all the way up to ultra-marathoners but you have to balance it all with getting stronger into your programme.
When you weight train, you get a lot stronger and protect your bones, which is highly important as you age.
When you use weights, you increase your metabolism because muscle needs burns calories just to survive. Every day your body will become far more efficient at burning fat if you have a strength training programme.
Your shape will change the quickest when you work out with weights, working in a well-designed plan at your own pace with a proper coach will accelerate your progress greatly.
Many people used to think that when they reached 40 years of age, their best years were behind them somehow.
We are proving each and every day that many of our members in their 50’s, 60’s, 70’s and 80’s are getting into great shape.
They are re-shaping their bodies with weight training, improving their balance and endurance through specific science based exercises, and boosting their well-being and self-esteem out of all recognition.
My greatest joy is seeing all of our people get into great physical condition as well as becoming so much more mentally strong.
Exercise has a direct relation to your mental health and there are numerous studies to support this.
Being strong is not just for teenagers or 20 somethings, you can become strong, fit and able at any age, and you can discover your true potentlal again at any age.
Science is very much on your side, get strong again by using weights, become better balanced than you have ever been to avoid falls in later life, and start believing in what is really possible in your life once again.
Twitt