Are You Starting At The Right Point?
Frustrated by a lack of progress? Maybe there is a better starting point for you?
Do you ever get frustrated by a lack of progress? Like you've hit a wall and results just aren't happening.
Maybe you would benefit from a different entry point.
Let's say you want to learn how to play hockey. The first step probably wouldn't be to throw you into a professional hockey game and hope for the best.
Or maybe you've played hockey for many years, but have aspirations of playing at a certain level. The first step probably wouldn't be to throw you into your 5-year-old cousin's hockey practice and hope you learn something.
Where you start is important. We want the appropriate level of challenge.
The same goes for improving your health and fitness.
We want it to be hard enough that we are able to improve, but not so challenging that it becomes overwhelming.
Where you start is important. It's ok to take a step back when things aren't working. Maybe then you will be able to take two steps forward.
Motivation Won’t Always Be There. That’s OK.
What is more powerful than motivation? Purpose.
A common reason that people start to work with a coach or a trainer is to help them stay motivated.
I get it. You want someone to help you with something you are struggling with; the motivation to do things to help you improve.
Here's the thing: they can't. Not long-term.
Sure someone can be encouraging, supportive and energetic. Maybe you respond well to that. It gets you motivated. But for how long?
I don't believe motivation is the issue.
It's purpose.
You need a driving force for your actions.
Something to fall back on when motivation is not there.
I can't define your purpose. I can't make you do the thing.
Only you can do that.
But I'm here to help. To guide you there.
The Purpose Project: a self-directed guide where you get the opportunity to ask yourself some challenging questions. Dive into your goals. Find a driving force for your actions. The purpose for the things you want. Because your motivation won't always be there. But your purpose will be.
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Get Started. Then Keep Moving.
Perfect conditions don’t exist. So you might as well get started.
If you are waiting for the perfect conditions to make progress on your goals you will be waiting for a very long time. Because perfect conditions don’t exist.
You can make progress with the conditions and constraints that you have.
Sure, maybe if there were fewer obstacles you could make more progress.
But we don’t need to wait for the obstacles to magically disappear.
One small step forward is better than none.
Get started. Then keep moving.
Need help getting started? Let's chat.
Your Resolution Can Be About More Than 2022
What is your New Year’s resolution about?
Your New Year’s resolution could change the rest of your life.
2022 is a small portion of your life. But it could have a lot of impacts.
You do not need to set New Year’s resolutions.
But if you do, let’s make it impactful.
Maybe it’s making physical activity a part of your life.
Maybe it’s addressing that pain you have had for years.
Maybe it’s improving the way you fuel your body.
Those things, if implemented over the long term could change your life.
They could lead to the best version of you.
They won’t happen immediately. They will take time. They will be challenging.
And they will be worth it.
Need help with executing your goals? Let’s chat.
And subscribe to my newsletter for more New Year’s Resolution tips. Link in bio.
It’s Not About Fitness
Are your goals about fitness, or something bigger?
I realize that if you want to lose 20 pounds, it’s not just about the weight.
It’s about how you think you’ll feel when you’ve lost 20 pounds.
If you want to get your first pull-up, it’s not about the pull-up. It’s about feeling strong and confident.
If you want help getting rid of aches and pains, it’s not about the aches and pains. It’s about being able to do whatever the pain is keeping you from doing.
People come to me looking to get fitter. I realize the results they really want are to feel the way that they think a fit person feels.
Your goals aren’t silly.
It’s not about fitness.
It’s about how fitness will help you feel.
It’s about what you can do and who you become through fitness.
Let’s work on becoming that person, together.
What Is Your Perfect World?
What is your perfect world scenario?
If you could snap your fingers and make anything happen, what would your perfect world look like?
This was a question I asked a client recently as we discussed goals.
Sometimes people have very specific goals with their training. Maybe it’s to do 10 pushups, squat their bodyweight, or to not experience pain when they deadlift.
But if you wanted to make anything happen in your training would that be it?
Or is there more to it? What is the reason for those specific goals?
I have found that people can sometimes set really small goals out of fear or uncertainty of what a bigger goal would entail.
Maybe they are afraid that a bigger goal would cost them more time, money or energy.
Or maybe they lack confidence in their ability to execute on a plan for a big goal.
Maybe with a snap of a finger those people actually want to be as strong as their mom. Or to be able to say yes to activities with their kids without the fear of pain. That’s their perfect world.
Those may be big goals. They require a plan.
A knowledgeable coach can help you plan that process for you, while addressing any uncertainties that you may have.
Beliefs and Success
What is a crucial component of success?
What is the most important component variable in your success in training?
Your beliefs.
If you believe it will work, if you feel confident with the plan, this will lead to the highest likelihood of success.
The details of the plan and process are important, but they are not the most important. Your beliefs are what matters.
If you are going through a rehab process and believe strongly about the use of a specific thing or exercise, this will greatly influence your success.
If you are choosing an exercise program and believe strongly about a certain form of exercise, this will greatly influence your commitment to the process and the results that come from that.
If you do not believe in what you are doing for training or for rehab, changes need to be made.
Maybe something is unclear about the purpose of certain things. A good coach could help clarify that to help you believe in the process.
Maybe there are movements in your training program that don’t align with your goals. A good coach could optimize the movements in your training program to make them specific to you.
Maybe you aren’t seeing the results of the rehab program you are on. A good coach could help clarify expectations and timelines to increase your understanding of the purpose, while also trying new things that may work better.
You don’t need to settle for something you don’t believe in.
Normal Does Not Exist
Are you normal?
For something to be abnormal, we also need to know what normal is.
I use range of motion assessments with my clients. We measure and assess so we can improve.
But no one is normal or abnormal.
It can be easy to slide into the idea that if you are not like someone else, that something needs to be improved. That if you don’t meet someone else's idea of “normal” that you need to change.
But we are all different and unique.
Maybe a client has 3.5 inches of dorsiflexion on their left ankle and 1.5 inches on their right.
So what would the desired range of motion be for that client?
It depends on their goals. Maybe they need 3.5 inches on both legs. Maybe they need 5.5.
But we don’t base the process on others' perception of “normal”.
We base the process on the clients goals.
Because normal is a made up thing, and it's full of bias.
Not Enough Hours In The Day?
How many hours in a day are for you?
Let’s make some progress. Even if it’s not the big step you wanted to take.
You’ve had a stressful day.
There are many tasks remaining on your to do list.
One of those tasks is working out.
Normally your workouts take 60 minutes.
But today that 60 minutes isn’t in the cards.
So what do you do?
Do you skip it? Or do you try to force it into your schedule?
If you would need to sacrifice food or sleep to fit that workout in, then that workout is not needed. Prioritize sleep and food, those aspects are crucial for how you feel the next day. You are moving the needle forward in your recovery.
How about adjusting the plan?
Maybe you can get 10, 20, or 30 minutes of movement. That’s still moving the needle forward.
That could be doing the warmup that was programmed. Or doing part of the assigned session.
One small step forward is better than none.
A good coach will help you prioritize what is important in your training with the time you have.
The Roadmap
This is the roadmap to results.
You’ve hit a fork in the road. There is an obstacle in your way. Your training isn’t progressing the way you want it to.
This process is for you. This is how we achieve your goals together.
Step 1: Locate.
What good is a map or GPS if you have no idea where you currently are? Maybe you can see the end destination but you have no idea where you are. This gets us nowhere or even going in the wrong direction.
So we assess. We look at your current abilities and other factors that play a role in your progress (lifestyle, stress, sleep, food, support, etc). This is our starting point.
Step 2: Move.
We chart our course. We address the roadblocks that you have. Sometimes this requires taking 1 step back to take 2 steps forward. We find the most optimal course for you. This is the direction that we feel the most confident in being able to execute on.
Step 3: Cruise
We continue making progress. Some goals take longer to achieve, while some can be achieved rather quickly. We trust the process and find our cruise control. No need to push the limits if we don’t have to. Very few goals require a rushed process.
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Where Do You Start?
You’ve got a goal? Where do you start?
You’ve set a goal. You’ve set a destination.
What's next? Now that you’ve decided what you want, how do you get there? Where do you start?
That’s the role of a coach.
It’s the role of a coach to figure out where you currently are so a path can be laid out to get you where you want to go.
This involves questions and assessments.
An assessment is your locator. It tells you where you are. It finds areas to work on.
Imagine deciding you are going on a road trip. You set a destination. But your GPS doesn’t locate you. How can it tell you what roads to take? How can it say how far away you are?
It can’t. Without that assessment, starting points are just a guess.
When it comes to people’s health and fitness, I’m no fan of guessing.
I like more certainty than that.