Inspiration

I am not going to give a history lesson about how the thirteen American colonies legally separated from Great Britain or who signed the Declaration of Independence. What I want is for you to declare your independence from your couch. Get off your butt and go outside. Go for a walk. Play with your kids at the park. Start the vegetable garden you always wanted. Take your bike off the hook in the garage and go for a ride. Restring your tennis racquet and play a set on the court. Join an intramural flag football team. Put some air in the basketball and shoot some hoops. Meet some friends at the gym. Wrap your hands, slip on some boxing gloves and go a few rounds against a heavy bag. Basically what I am saying is MOVE.

It’s easy to get into a routine of eating dinner on the couch and watching television. Eric, that’s not so bad, is it? The problem is that most people go beyond just eating dinner on the couch. They do it while watching cooking shows and food competitions while sitting through commercials that market more food. They get up from the couch, head back to the kitchen, load up a feed trough and giant beverage cup, and resume their reclined position. So it becomes chew, change channels, sip, raise volume, crunch, rewind the funny part, gulp, etc. In an hour, you can easily take in a thousand extra calories.

It all comes down to what’s most important to you. Your health and fitness or zoning out and being entertained by the TV? TV will not help you lose weight, run a half marathon, improve your tennis serve or reduce your back pain. While I’m on my soap box, I’m going to take this a step further and suggest you declare your independence from sugar, fat and alcohol. I’m not suggesting a diet 100% free of alcohol, for example, just to be more aware of what you’re eating and drinking.

Eric, your timing could not be worse. Don’t you know that we’re heading into 4th of July weekend? Absolutely. Now is the perfect time to make the decision. Not after four days of gorging and imbibing. So make July 4th the day you celebrate your independence from the couch and the day you decided to get in the best shape of your life!

Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference. — Winston Churchill
Our life is shaped by our mind; we become what we think. — Buddha
Henceforth I ask not good-fortune, I myself am good-fortune. — Walt Whitman
I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet. — Mahatma Gandhi
I am a little deaf, a little blind, a little impotent, and on top of this are two or three abominable infirmities, but nothing destroys my hope. — Voltaire

These are much more than just popular quotes. They speak to our inner thoughts, feelings, attitudes and beliefs. The fact is that no matter what happens around us or to us, we ultimately decide how we’re going to respond and feel.

Developing a winning attitude starts with belief. The belief that you’re going to lose weight. The belief that you can run a 10k. The belief that you will rehab an injured shoulder. There’s also the belief that you deserve to reach your health and fitness goals. Do you feel worthy? The answer is a resounding YES.

In my opinion, the best way to develop a winning attitude is to do things that will move you in the direction of your health and fitness goal(s). Like Yoda said “Do or do not.” Start by taking your eyes off the big goal(s) and give yourself smaller manageable goals that will move you in the right direction. Let’s say your goal is to lose 50 lbs in 6 months. That’s around 8 lbs a month right? Or 2 lbs a week? Now let’s focus on what you’re going to do not just this week but today. Go for your morning walk. Drink a glass of water with each meal. Show up to your training session. Lo and behold, at the end of the week you’ve dropped 2 lbs. Congratulations! Now do it again. Accumulate little wins and small successes. In our minds, these all begin to add up.

As the saying goes, success begets success. Ask any top athlete how they won a tournament, broke a school record, went undefeated all season and you will always hear them talk about belief. They believe they can win. And when they believe, they relax. When they relax, they have more fun. When they have more fun, they’re more willing to take risks. When they take more risks they increase their chances of winning. The more they win the greater their self-confidence and belief.

People often ask me how I stay in shape. My answer is that I make daily decisions to move in the direction of my goals. It all comes down to doing. And you do by deciding that you’re going to do.

Now that you have a winning attitude, you need to nurture it. Surround yourself with positive and like-minded people. Avoid the naysayer. Yes, a little criticism can reaffirm your attitude. But too much negative can possibly derail you. Just remember that your success is up to you. You have the tools. You have the attitude. Now go do it!

I’m not going to cite the latest studies about the benefits of music on your workouts. Why? Because you have already experienced it. You know how it feels to get pumped up or “in the zone” with your favorite workout music. It brings out emotions and experiences. You also know how certain music helps you to relax after you exercise. Your respiration slows down and you feel a sense of calm. For some people, light classical music or jazz does the trick.

Back in college, my third-year roommate made me an awesome workout tape. Notice, I didn’t say CD. Mostly hard rock and heavy metal. Metallica anyone? Hey, I was a 20 year old college student. It would help reduce distractions in the gym and I could focus inward. The fact that the volume was on high helped drown out any noise. The tape was 60 minutes long so I knew exactly where I was in my workout when a certain song came on. For those days when I was going to have a more moderate workout or go for a jog, I’d choose lighter rock music or something with a consistent beat. As I ran, I’d try to land my footfalls with the beat. I’d get lost in the music and sometimes find myself running farther than I had anticipated. When I got back to my car or home afterwards, I’d listen to something light. I wasn’t comfortable with pure silence. I needed something to help slow me down. Otherwise, it felt like hitting a wall. Wham! Workout done and music off.

The video below features O Fortuna from Carmina Burana. The first time I heard it was at a bodybuilding competition twenty years ago. The defending champion, Dorian Yates, used it for his posing routine. The music is powerful and will give you chills.

I was twelve years old when my father turned 40. Twenty-eight years later here I am. There’s some gray in my beard and on my head. At least Heather says it looks distinguished. And honestly, I feel great. I’m quicker and more agile than I was twenty years ago. Knock wood, I’m injury-free too. Between two major car accidents and some sports related injuries, something usually comes up. But I try to practice what I preach about body intuition and having fun.

Some people say that my energy is naturally high. I think it’s a combination of diet, exercise, sleep and attitude. A cup of coffee doesn’t hurt either :-) Recently, I was playing doubles tennis and ran down a few drop shots. One of the guys on the other team said “Eric, what are you, 25?” I smiled and thanked him for the compliment. 40 seems like big number, but as the sayings go “Age is just a number.”, “Age is a state of mind.” and “You’re only as old as you feel.” My three boys (ages 8, 5 and 2 weeks old) help keep me young too. This may sound cliche, but I’m passionate about living life and helping people achieve their health and fitness goals. . . and having fun along the way. It’s all about the journey, or as Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Life is a journey, not a destination.” So what does the next decade bring for the Healthiest Man in America? That’s easy to answer. Live life to the fullest . . . and schedule my colonoscopy for my 50th.

It’s great to be validated by a famous Japanese samurai. Recently I read The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi. Written 370 years ago, Musashi discusses battle and warfare, but most importantly using your intuition, being instinctive, observing what’s going on around you and varying your tactics. What does this have to do with health and fitness? Everything. Achieving your goals is not about following a set pattern of exercises or a specific diet plan. It’s about learning, adapting, improving, prevention and, ultimately, formlessness. If you decide the battle (to lose weight or run a marathon) is already won, then you’ve won. All you need to do is put in the work to make it happen.

What amazed me was how modern and applicable the book felt. Written more as a guide or how-to book, I suggest reading it in small bits. Don’t just read it and say you’re done. Absorb and implement his words. I can truly see how this book can be used with athletic teams, businesses and individuals. I highly recommend it if you’re looking to take your health and fitness to the next level.

Do you want to make 2013 the year that you get in the best shape of your life? If you answered YES then follow these 10 steps:

1. WHAT is your goal?  Picture it in your mind. Is it losing weight, feeling better about yourself or lowering cholesterol levels? Your goal is your target.

2. WHY do you want to achieve this goal? To be more confident or to prove to yourself that you can do it?  Imagine what it feels like. This is what’s going to motivate you every day.

3. WHEN is your goal going to be realized? This spring? A year from now?  Give yourself a date and now you have something to aim for.

4. WHAT do you bring to the table? Take a personal inventory of your strengths and weaknesses. Under strengths, maybe you can include “a willingness to learn”. Under weaknesses, maybe it’s a “fear of the unknown”. Now what do you do with that? Improve your skills and turn your weaknesses into a strength.

5. HOW much are you willing to invest?  This has to do with time, money and knowledge.  It takes time to exercise or read a book on nutrition.  It takes money to buy new athletic shoes or hire a personal trainer.  In my opinion, the most important investment is knowledge. Take the time to learn about yourself.

6. WHO can help you? Identify resources (people, books, apps, or websites) to help you succeed.

7. Anticipate SETBACKS. Realize that things don’t always go as planned. What’s the solution? Be flexible and understand that you will need to overcome obstacles in order to achieve your goal. It comes with the territory.

8. Take LITTLE STEPS. Let’s say your goal is to complete a 5k walk/run in mid-April. What are you doing right now to move towards your goal? Look at the calendar and see how many weeks until the race. In this example, about fourteen weeks. Next create a plan of action for every week, progressively increasing the distance and/or shortening the time. In week 1, maybe you’re walking 1/3 mile. In week 2, you walk 1/2 a mile. And so on. By the time you are at thirteen weeks you’ve done it!

9. DECIDE to do #8. This is about making daily decisions. Every day decide that you can achieve your goals and that you deserve it.

10. HAVE FUN! Getting in shape doesn’t need to be a big production.  Enjoy the journey!

Need some inspiration? Watch this clip from one of my favorite movies.

How motivated are you by your health and fitness goals? Are they inspiring you to get off the couch? Do you feel fired up to go to the gym? Losing weight for your cousin’s up-coming wedding or dropping four pants sizes are good goals, but are you passionate about them? So often people will say “Eric, I went to the gym 3 times this week.” That’s great. Was it productive? Did you enjoy it? Is it moving you closer toward your goal? Or did you go just so you could mark it off your list?

This brings us back to the basics of goal setting. Bigger than your health and fitness goal is the WHY of your goal. Like you, I have trained hard and cleaned up my diet for upcoming trips, 5k runs, weddings, etc. Those are good motivators and have helped me to stay focused and get in better shape, but what’s the bigger picture? After you get healthy and fit what are you going to DO with that healthy and fit body? Try a new sport? Maybe teach somebody else how you achieved your goal(s)? If this is getting under your skin, that’s good.

Be passionate about using your body. Test yourself. Enjoy the competition, whether it’s with yourself or with others. Remember, it’s not all about the goal, it’s about striving, aiming and reaching for your goal. It’s the journey, the experience.

In previous posts, I’ve talked about my oldest brother, Ken. He is built like a linebacker, lifts weights like a powerlifter, but also plays doubles tennis. Confused? He definitely breaks the mould. His zest for life is infectious. When we spend time together or talk on the phone I always enjoy hearing about a recent tennis match or weight lifting accomplishment.

If you want to see passion firsthand, I strongly encourage you to watch the London Olympics. The athletes definitely bring the Olympic Creed to life. “The most important thing is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.”

Losing weight. Getting lean. Building muscle. Improving cardio. It all sounds so serious. Remember that getting in shape doesn’t have to be a big production. As a matter of fact, you should enjoy the journey, the learning, the challenges. Make fitness fun. Tennis pro, Mansour Bahrami, has been making tennis fun for over forty years. Check out his funny antics and unbelievable skill. This guy’s having fun!

Would you like to achieve your health and fitness goals faster? If you answered YES, I’m going to share a secret with you. Something other fitness gurus don’t want you to know. Are you ready? Take a break. Give your body and mind a chance to decompress. Think about how you feel when you’re on vacation. Inhale and take a deep breath. You’re relaxed. As my Dad says, your biggest worry on vacation is what you’re going to have for lunch. Not too stressful.

Changing your daily routine keeps you from getting stagnant. When you come back from a break, you feel refreshed, refueled and invigorated. It might only be a weekend, but it makes a huge difference. Sometimes clients will express apprehension about not working out while they’re on vacation. I assure them that it’s okay, and there’s a good chance that when they come back they’ll be stronger. And I’m not just talking about taking a break from your exercise routine. I mean your routine of checking email every five minutes, driving the kids to soccer practice or hurrying to your next appointment. Just typing the last sentence made my chest tighter. Ugh!

My big brother, Ken, visited last week, and when I dropped him off at the airport yesterday he said that it was the most relaxing vacation he’d ever had. He got a chance to read (for fun), wake up to singing birds (not an alarm clock), sit in the passenger seat of my car (not driving in stop-and-go traffic in Los Angeles) and eat home-cooked meals (without having to prepare them). His battery was recharged. The funny thing is that Ken lifted weights in my studio once and we played tennis five times during his trip . . . and he was still re-energized. So when is your weekend getaway?