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Wednesday, November 23rd

We always talk about the mind side of what we do in the gym, and how valuable it is to get your mind clear, and strengthen it.

 

You cannot be successful long term with your health and fitness programme without trying to grow mentally along the way.

 

Unfortunately, many people say, i can’t exercise until i get my mind right. You may be waiting a very long time, because that moment can take a while to show up and we don’t often recognise it when it does.

 

Exercise helps strongly to get your mind clear, to get it stronger and finally get that long lost self-confidence back.

 

Don’t think you are a one off too if you are struggling mentally to adjust to getting fit. Being healthy takes many every day adjustments before it finally gets like second nature. You don’t do it in one session, a week, or a month, its a process of reinforcing every day positive habits until they stick.

 

Our kids go to school everyday to get fed positive lessons in educational terms and  in life.

 

When we leave school, lots of those lessons are forgotten, this is why we need to “re-programe” ourselves to perform better, and stick with our ever evolving plans to improve our health and indeed life in general.

 

Attempting to get fit and healthy in a positive, supportive environment is absolutely vital for your long term success.

 

Leaving someone on a treadmill, showing the operation of one or two machines, then forgetting about them is a disastrous way to start a gym, and one which ensures the member will never engage with a gym as they are never shown properly, and OFTEN enough for the idea of exercise to stick.

 

We are not machines or robots, we have to be prepared mentally for the fitness journey ahead, accept we are on a personal growth journey too, and react positively to the many challenges that come when we are trying to get fit and healthy.

 

This is why support from your gym is vital at all times to get you through the ups and downs that will surely come once the novelty wears off after the first couple of times.

 

Exercise and eating healthy not only sets you off not only on a physical improvement journey but one of feeling better mentally, and seeing life in a much more positive way.

Twitt
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Thursday, 9th November

Once we realised the sun did come up again after President Trump’s win, we start to realise that relying on an election result, doesn’t change a whole lot in our immediate lives. Never rely on one person or organisation to tell you what’s possible and what’s not. History backs us up on this time after time.

No government goes out of their way to help us, and we realise the candidates have big flaws just like the rest of us.

The old saying that 90% of what we worry about never happens, and the other 10% we can’t do nothing about anyway, has never been more true.

The UK general election, Brexit, US election, sports protests on human rights in the states (whatever your views) has shown that the public has been in protest mode for some time, and most are not willing to accept what the establishment has dished out for the last 40 years or more.

I hear more and more of people who aren’t willing to accept frozen food in chain restaurants, going to a gym and nobody ever helping you, management in the workplace not appreciating your efforts and opinion, there is strong evidence on more people in Wales launching their own business, some of you launched your own charity out of nothing, helped thousands and counting, because the system wouldn’t help you (Active for Autism-Tom Shaw) etc.

When my father started our gym in 1957, everyone thought he was mad, some doctors for years even claimed weight training was dangerous. Making your own path where nobody has gone before is risky and tests your self-belief to the limit, many will even laugh at you, but your have to follow your heart and passion, and see it through knowing deep down you are doing it for the right reasons, and you are aiming to creating an overwhelmingly positive impact in people’s lives.

Things are changing fast and i commend many of you on your independence of thought and self-belief that you can succeed and never accept the status quo any more. Sometimes, being a non-conformist is amazing because it creates breakthrough change that nobody thought possible apart from YOU.

When you are feeling rebellion, taking control of your health will transform you to a whole new level, help you attain amazing life long dreams in your life, and develop the sustainable energy and drive to create a new history for yourself.

What makes a far impact in our lives is our opportunity to change our own lives for the better, no government can take that away. If you aren’t feeling well physically, and struggling mentally as a result, then starting cautiously on a health and fitness programme will become one of your greatest achievements.

Exercise is like a journey that has ups and downs but the overall destination is incredible and strong foundations will be built, and your wonderful feeling of wellbeing along the way will positively impact all of those around you that are most important.

Twitt
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Wednesday, 9th November

If you think of people who changed the world, you may think of Beethoven, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Google founders, Abraham Lincoln, etc.

They seemed one of a kind individuals, producing breathtaking work that would affect their generation in a mind blowing way.

The truth is that they are more normal like the rest of us than you think.

Beethoven for instance gets 6 pieces music into the top 50 of all time classical music. Mozart gets 5 and Bach gets 2.

To put it into context, Beethoven composed 650 pieces in his career, Mozart around 700 and Bach around a 1000, yet they are all remembered for mostly those few works that they are most famous for.

Do we say that they should have only concentrated on the half dozen that were any good? Do we say the other 643 or so were useless and not worth bothering with? The facts were they never knew which ones would be great as they toiled endlessly over them. It was up to the audience to decide.

Steve Jobs initially was sacked by Apple, had many failures in between until he struck it big second time around with Apple. Bill gates had many ups and downs before proving himself with Microsoft and breaking down doors in software world, Google initially wanted to sell the company for $2 million after some initial success but nobody wanted to buy it.

Abraham Lincoln was one of the biggest down, down, down and then up political stories in history, and the trend goes on.

One thing they had all in common. They all put a lot of work in, got a lot of it out to the public, many of it discarded, but on a couple of things they struck gold. They never gave up.

Research shows us unless you are willing to put the work in continuously, be able to accept some of your efforts may not work every time, then you are highly unlikely to achieve success with anything.

Science helps us train much smarter now and results can be achieved a lot quicker, but unless you have an attitude of getting continuously better, progress will stall and your hunger to get better will disappear.

I notice that through training people for many years, the ones that ALWAYS succeed are the ones who develop a high work ethic. They will be with you for training no matter what, dark cold wet nights, they will be there.

They hate it when they are ill, they can’t wait to get stuck in again and feel amazing because they know it’s all about feeling good.

If you are willing to show up regularly, keep putting the work in whatever field you are in, then great things will eventually happen as long as you learn from your mistakes, continually research that what you are doing has strong foundations, and be willing to work as hard, if not harder than anyone else.

It is said to master something it takes 10,000 hours of intense practice, or 10 years in every day language. Most are not prepared to put that work in, but if you do, incredible things are indeed possible.

Keep putting the work in, you will be judged for your life’s work right at the end, in the meantime enjoy following your passion, keep shipping your work and efforts out to the world, surround yourself with positive people and never let anyone put you off.

Everyone has something in them that makes them original, EVERYONE has that unique talent that sets them apart. Your hard work ethic will soon discover it, use it to help people and change your own world and others for the better.

Twitt
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Tuesday, 18th October

Probably the greatest sporting team on the planet, the All Blacks rugby team put culture above everything else. This is shared by the coaches, the kit men, the players and everyone involved with them. Nobody is bigger than the team, and everyone contributes in any way possible.

Four of the greatest All Blacks ever, played against Wales in 2010 in “the house of pain” in Carisbrook when New Zealand won comfortably 42-7.
Straight after the game and a shower, these players when into the changing room and starting picking up a brush and swept up all the mud and rubbish associated with a rugby changing room. Nobody batted an eyelid as this is the way it is.

This showed that the All Blacks culture was all-inclusive, nobody was above even menial tasks, and the message was loud and clear that the All Blacks look after themselves, and that they all support each other no matter what.

A team full of character they say, beats a team with a few individuals with a lot of talent, when it becomes to harnessing the power of a team and raising your culture to the very highest levels.

To show up on time and consistently for training takes character.

To carry on training, eating right and resting enough takes character when the easiest thing to do is to go off track or simply quit.

Character is required to make a transformation in the way you look, feel and and perform.

Character at our gym is vital. Supporting others is expected, treating everyone the same is expected, and taking responsibility for all your actions must be second nature. The standard must remain very high or everyone suffers. Once it becomes clear only the highest of standards are accepted, then it becomes second nature to be your best and try your best at all times.

Individually your character shows your mental strength, how you bounce back from adversity and how you overcome the many challenges that comes your way on a regular basis.

Training hard, constantly improving, eating right, sleeping enough, staying positive throughout, takes a lot of character when your efforts are pulled in many different directions and many people will try to put you off your path to greatness.

Above all, its your character-sticking to your highest standards no matter what, being honest with yourself, being and staying humble, and fighting through the endless inevitable challenges that come along most days, will determine how great your own individual culture becomes.

Twitt
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Saturday, 15th October

This is MY journey and nobody else’s

The road to health, fitness and wellness is just that, a journey. The idea that you can change your diet and lifestyle around in six weeks is a idea built in the media’s mind to capture you into the dream.

Of course, real life isn’t anything like the dream and so we must take it one step at a time.

Be patient

There is a tendency to want results to come instantly, especially if you find the diet and exercise hard going and not particularly enjoyable. I often think, there is no destiny to arrive to where body image is concerned. Let go of that young girl running across the beach in a string bikini up her arse lol! Concentrate on your inner feelings instead. The journey is one to happiness and contentment. Are you happy counting the calories and the scales? Are you pinching your skin everyday wondering if you will lose those two stones in the next two days? Take an inventory every day of your feelings.

Every day when you get up, say one positive thing about your body, character or training regime.

A great mantra is, ‘I am getting stronger in my body every day’ Or ‘I am a little bit stronger today than I was yesterday’.

Here is where the real transformation takes place. Being comfortable in your own skin is priceless. Being finally able to trust yourself to see it through and getting out of your own way!

Getting out of your own way

It’s funny how many of us have a set gauge of how well we are mean’t to do in life. I have this all the time. I will do really well for a while and then I get in my own way. ‘Who am I to do this? I think I should go back to the old me now. Then just quit out of the blue.

When you start having these negative feelings, the best way I have found is to try and work straight through them. Once you start honouring these feelings, it’s game over. Train harder and keep telling your little old self, the ego, that tries to pull you down all the time, this is MY mountain and I am going to climb it to the top!!

Have bucketloads of compassion

With yourself that is. With yourself first. Whenever you have a big blow out on the biscuits or crisps, write down all of the reasons why that happened. Are you stressed? Do you need to find a way of processing some old or new emotions? Are you bored? Finding new ways of relaxing and hobbies to keep you busy is crucial in the nights, especially at the beginning of your food journey. Maybe it’s as simple as not having the foods in the house in the first place. If it’s there, you WILL eat it, guaranteed.

Stop caring what others think

This is a real toughie. When friends and family stop or don’t even encourage and support your new lifestyle it’s a real challenge. Most of us want to please and be liked and so it can really derail you.

This of course has more to do with them than you. Often human nature doesn’t like change as it refects things about themselves that they would possible like to change but feel like they can’t. In other words, you changing, makes them feel awkward. We can all relate to that on some level. It’s a good idea to try and get your friends or family on board with you, so you all help and support each other. This way, your social time will end up in the gym or local park, and not in the pubs and cake shops.

Stopping drinking at parties or eating all the cakes during lunch with girlfriends is a real challenge for instance. You may worry that you look boring, some friends may even call you that, and you may even be scared you will lose friends over it.

It all boils down to your commitment and reasons why you are doing it. Having a very strong list of positives of why you are doing it is very beneficial. You have to learn how to stand your ground here. From experience, saying you are not eating crap or drinking alcohol for health reasons, is usually sufficient in stopping the pleas and begging. Also, if your family and friends are really becoming jealous or resentful, try and find some other people who are more supportive of your goals to train with, for instance.

You don’t have to let it get you down, just do make sure you protect your dreams like a little baby. You wouldn’t hand your precious newborn baby to just anyone, and you shouldn’t hand over your dreams of a new life and goals over to just anyone either, for them to comment and make judgements over. It takes a lot of energy and commitment to make even small changes for a new life, career or new body. Be kind to yourself and just take small steps in the right direction every day, even if it means drinking that water!!

Have a nice weekend,

Nicola.

Twitt