Archive for the tag - excuses

Stop Standing in Your Way.

October 9, 2012 By

Right now, I want you to spend 30 seconds thinking of your number one fitness goal.

What would it be? Maybe it’s releasing 20 pounds of body fat. Maybe it’s releasing 200 pounds of body fat. Maybe it’s adding 10 pounds of muscle or maybe it’s building stronger core muscles.

What’s your number one goal?

Write your goal down on a piece of paper. Study it for a few moments. Feel it with every fiber of your being.

What I’m going to tell you next is critically important. Listen to me carefully because this is absolutely huge - and it’s the key to making your goal a reality.

Ready for it?

The only thing standing between you and your goal is the bullshit story that you’re telling yourself about why you can’t make it happen. Your story is only true to the extent that you believe it.

The first step is achieving your goal is recognizing that your story is bullshit. Believing otherwise is easy and convenient - and it’s a great excuse for not achieving your goal. But whatever your story is - whether it’s that you’re too old, that you have too many medical issues, that you have no money or anything else - it’s bullshit. While it may be true that you’re older, or that you have medical issues or that you have no money, none of these have anything to do with not achieving the goal that you have written on your piece of paper.

Your story is not serving you. In fact, quite the opposite. It’s time to let it go.

In a life as short as this, no one has time for bullshit - especially bullshit that sabotages us from achieving our dreams. Stop lying to yourself. Recognize that your goal is within reach and that you are capable of extraordinary greatness in all areas of your life.

Today is the day you stop standing in your way.

Filed Under: Tips Tagged With: , , ,

Too Tired for the Gym? 8 Tips.

September 27, 2012 By

Hi Davey!

I have a question: Is it possible to be too tired to go to the gym or to work out?

I leave for work at 7am and don’t come home until 6pm. I’m perpetually tired and sleepy. I often come back from work and think I’ll rest for an hour and then go to the gym, but then I realize that I am too tired and end up sleeping. Am I too tired for the gym?

Best,
Edward

Dear Edward,

The real question isn’t if you’re too tired for exercise. The real question is why you’re letting this excuse prevent you from enjoying the benefits of regular exercise - like increased energy, better sleep and the release of “feel good” hormones.

While it may seem counter-intuitive, experts agree that regular exercise boosts energy levels. In fact, a recent review of 12 large-scale studies found a direct link between physical activity and reduced fatigue. And though it may feel challenging to hit the gym when you’re depleted, the good news is that even small increments of exercise can help. According to one study from the University of Georgia, even a simple walk may be better than a nap for reducing fatigue and increasing energy.

If you feel too tired to workout after a long day of work, try these tips:

  1. Go directly to the gym after work. Don’t go home first. It’s easy to get caught up in television shows, talking with friends or napping. Keep yourself on track by bringing your gym bag to work - and then going straight to the gym.
  2. Try working out in the morning. If you’re more of a morning person, try going to the gym when you wake up. Obviously, you’ll have to shift your sleep schedule accordingly - but you’ll probably have more energy to power through your workout. Moreover, it will energize the rest of your day.
  3. Enlist the help of gym buddy. One of the biggest benefits of a workout partner is accountability. If you know that you’re meeting a friend at the gym, you’re less likely to skip it.
  4. Take an after-work yoga class. I’ve always found yoga to be both energizing and de-stressing, especially after work. Moreover, you’ll get a great workout and increase flexibility! Check your gym’s schedule for classes.
  5. Don’t workout every day. If you’re just starting out, exercise a few times per week. Anything else will be unsustainable - and your risk of burnout will increase exponentially. Going to the gym should be a wonderful treat for your body. It shouldn’t feel like a prison sentence for your schedule.
  6. Change into your gym clothes at work. It’s a simple and silly trick - but it works! Before you leave work, slip into the bathroom and put on your gym clothes. It gives your brain and your body the message that it’s time to workout.
  7. Know the difference between a tired mind and a tired body. Angry customers or phone calls or endless meetings may exhaust your mind - but your body is still fired up and ready to go. Don’t confuse mental exhaustion with physical exhaustion.
  8. Focus on the benefits. Don’t view going to the gym as just another commitment or as an expense of time. On the contrary, exercise is an investment in yourself and it comes with a number of fantastic benefits. Rather than dreading the gym, focus on the benefits of exercise that inspire you - like increased longevity, decreases disease risk, improved sex life, better sleep, boosted energy and so on.

What it really comes down to is this: Your low energy levels are a reason to workout - not an excuse to skip the gym. To that end, I hope the above tips help.

Love,
Davey Wavey

P.S. If you can relate to Edward’s question, let me know in the comments below! Do you have any additional tips or trick that have helped you?

Filed Under: Ask Davey, Tips Tagged With: , , , ,

Hopeless about Working Out.

September 6, 2012 By

Dear Davey,

I have been trying to write this for a while now. I just haven’t been able to find the correct wording I’ve wanted to use.

It is frustrating and intimidating when I go to the gym and see all of these muscular, fit guys. They all have been working out since they were in their teens and have >8% body fat. They know what they’re doing because it seems they’ve had years and years of instruction and their bodies have adapted to their fitness lifestyle.

Then I walk in.

Embarrassed to be even near them, I am in my late 20’s, 6’4”, 320lbs and approximately 25-28% body fat (by skin fold calipers). I am a self-conscious overweight gay man in a conservative Midwestern city and I’ve been single all my life and I don’t have a support system. I hate hearing “I’m sorry, I just don’t date fat guys.” I have never played a serious sport; I sat inside, read, played video games, and ate my feelings. I have been trying for years to get into an attractive shape.

I know I have an awesome personality, I just want a body to go with it, you know? I have a large frame and I could look wonderful if I could just get myself to do it. When I go to the gym, though I get jealous and annoyed at people who look like you do. I become hopeless that no matter how hard I work I just won’t look like they do because I haven’t been working out since I was 12. I just want results now, even though I know that obtaining what I want to achieve will not happen overnight or even in a year for that matter. How do I get over this fear and jealousy?

From,
Scott

Whatever your excuse is, it's time to stop believing it.

Dear Scott,

After reading and re-reading your email, I’m most struck not by your hopelessness, but by the many excuses you use to justify it.

When I was younger, I wanted to get into shape to look like the chiseled Abercrombie models plastered across my local mall. Like you, my motivation stemmed from a desire to look a certain way. But, as I worked out and transformed my body, I was surprised to discover that exercise is about more than the superficial changes. I suddenly had more energy, zest, confidence, better sleep habits and improved focus. Beyond transforming my body, exercise and proper nutrition transformed my life.

And like you, I had my excuses. Yours involve:

  1. A history of being sedentary,
  2. A lack of support,
  3. The need for instant results,
  4. Lack of fitness knowledge,
  5. And jealousy.

As a personal trainer, I can tell you that I’ve heard all these excuses before. You’re excuses all have one thing in common: They’re bullshit. And I know this because I’ve used many of them personally.

To your four excuses, I say this:

  1. Just because you haven’t exercised doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy fantastic results. In fact, since you’re new to exercise, you will notice huge changes fairly quickly.
  2. If you don’t have a support system, join the club or build a new one. Or be you own cheerleader in chief.
  3. Though you won’t have your dream body overnight, each day is a day closer to your goals. And a year from now, you’ll be glad you started today.
  4. If you feel like you don’t know what to do, educate yourself. There are a million resources, books and articles that will give you the information you need. In fact, I’m going to send you a free copy of Davey Wavey’s Ultimate Guide to Working Out to get you started.
  5. Don’t waste your energy cultivating anger or jealous - especially about the way another person looks. If anything, be happy for their success and tap into their wisdom. After all, habits are contagious!

You have the ability to shift the conversation in your mind, and I suggest you use the power of your thoughts and intentions in such a way that they support the changes you’re looking to make. Choose and cultivate those thoughts that bring you closer to your goals. Instead of sabotaging yourself before you begin, use the power of your words to your advantage - and be driven by the many, many improvements in the quality of your life that exercise will bring. Rather than make excuses why not, make reasons why.

Let the light that is your amazing personality (you yourself admitted you have an awesome one) burn so bright that it illuminates your pathway to success. I have no doubt that you can do this. I believe in you. The only question is, do you?

Love,
Davey Wavey

If you have an exercise question, ask Davey!

Filed Under: Ask Davey, Weight Loss Tips Tagged With: , , , ,

Do People Who Exercise Make More Money?

June 11, 2012 By

When it comes to exercise, I’ve heard all the excuses. And a lot of them have to do with money.

Here’s a common one:

Joining a gym, hiring a trainer or buying a workout program are expensive. I don’t have that kind of money.

Or:

If I spend time at the gym, it will take time away from my job. I need to put in all the time I can to get ahead.

But a new study is calling these excuses into question. Published in the Journal of Labor Research, the study found that regular exercisers make more money than their non-exercising counterparts. And the difference isn’t small.

According to researchers, the wage increase for regular exercisers averages 6% - 10% - with frequent exercisers making even more. That translates to several hundred thousand dollars over the course of a lifetime. The study even concluded that non-exercisers often receive a pay boost when they begin exercising.

Clearly, a number of factors can be at play here. In-shape people are considered more attractive by society - and there is a well-documented link between attractiveness and increased wages. One study found that attractive people make, on average, make 3% - 4% more than less attractive people. But beyond attractiveness, exercise has a number of deeper benefits than can impact a person’s job performance. Exercise results in increased energy, focus and decreased stress. These benefits can translate to huge advantages in the workplace.

The researchers recognize that more research is needed on the subject. But what do you think? Why do exercisers make more money? And are these findings motivation enough to get you off the couch and moving?

Filed Under: Research Tagged With: , , , ,

The Martyr Excuse: Time For Everyone But You.

November 29, 2011 By

You need to make time for yourself to make the most of your time for others.

Over the years, I’ve become quite accustomed to hearing exercise excuses. Indeed, there are as many excuses for avoiding physical activity as there a people in the world. However, few of those excuses are as convincing as the ‘martyr excuse.’

It goes something like this:

I’d love to exercise but I just don’t have that luxury. I’m busy with work. Sometimes I have to put in 50 or 60 hours a week, or even more. I even work on Saturday’s, too. And when I’m not working, I’m taking care of my sick mother who just drains me of all my energy. I don’t have time exercise.

In more words, the martyr excuse says, “Poor me: I can’t exercise because I make time for everyone and everything but myself.” While it may sound outwardly convincing - and perhaps even worthy of sympathy - it’s indicative of delusional logic.

First and foremost, exercise doesn’t require require a lot of time. While no one can “find” time for exercise (when was the last time you discovered an extra 30 minutes in your day?), everyone can create time for exercise. Yes, it may mean shifting priorities - but, at the end of the day, all of us can schedule 30 minutes a few times each week to get our heart rates up. As I’ve said before, if president Barack Obama can find time to exercise, then you can, too.

Second, if your life is really about serving other people, then you must recognize that you serve others best when you are the best, strongest and healthiest version of yourself. Exercise improves mental clarity, increases energy, decreases your risk of illness and disease and provides innumerable other benefits. By skipping out on exercise, you’re not delivering on your full potential. You need to make time for yourself to make the most of your time for others.

So, I don’t buy it. If you’re really the martyr that you claim to be, you’d recognize the important role of exercise in fulfilling your responsibilities. Though the martyr excuse is outwardly convincing, it doesn’t hold up - and it doesn’t make sense.

So let’s stop letting it sabotage our exercise routines.

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4 Steps to Eliminate Exercise Excuses!

July 4, 2011 By

Red, white and do me.

Today is the fourth of July, and so perhaps there is no better time to “declare your independence” from… excuses.

As a personal trainer, I’ve worked with a number of clients. And each of them has brought any number of excuses to the table. Some believe they are too old to exercise. Or too out of shape. That getting fit will be too hard. Or require too much time. Or that they are too injured. While all of these so-called excuses might represent some real challenges, it’s clear that - in actuality - the biggest obstacle is the client themselves.

It’s not your excuses that are holding you back, it’s you. Once you realize this, you can begin to turn things around.

Dr. Wayne Dyer wrote a book on excuses appropriately titled Excuses Begone. The process developed by Dr. Dyer is pretty straightforward, but also very helpful in overcoming excuses - which are really no more than imagined obstacles that prevent us from creating the reality we desire.

  1. Ask yourself, is my excuse 100% true? Can I be absolutely certain that it is true? If you really ask that question, then the answer is inevitably that you cannot be 100% certain that your excuse is true.
  2. Reverse the excuse. What is the opposite of your excuse? If, for example, your excuse is that getting into shape will be too difficult, then the reverse is that getting into shape will be easy. Identify the reverse for your excuse, whatever it may be. And then…
  3. Ask yourself, is the reverse of my excuse 100% true? In the same way that your original excuse cannot be confirmed with 100% certainty, neither can the reverse. Both your original excuse and the reverse of your excuse may or may not be true.
  4. Believe that which creates the reality you desire. If neither the excuse nor the reverse are necessarily true nor false, you might as well believe that which will help create the life you desire. Make the decision to believe the reverse of your excuse.

If you believe, for example, that you are too injured to exercise - then one thing is certain: Whether or not this excuse is true, believing in this excuse will definitely prevent you from getting into shape. You’ve essentially sabotaged your success before even starting.

So, on this symbolic fourth of July holiday, I invite you to declare your independence from the excuses in your life. Follow Dr. Dyer’s 4-step process and create the reality that you desire. And stop holding yourself back.

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You Don’t Have Time NOT to Workout.

October 1, 2010 By

One of the most common excuses that I hear is, “I don’t have time to workout.”

It’s an interesting excuse because it’s so obviously untrue.

Did you know that Barack Obama spends 1 hour a day exercising? If the leader of the free world has time to hit the gym, then so do you.

But let’s dig deeper. Exercise extends your life and it prevents debilitating disease.

There is a famous Harvard study (graph pictured) that shows the relationship between physical exercise and longevity. It’s simple: Work out and you’ll live longer. You’ll have more time to do the things you love.

When it comes to disease and illness, think about how debilitating a head cold is. It keeps you out of work, off your routine and prevents you from tackling your busy schedule. Now imagine how debilitating a stroke would be. Or a heart attack. Exercise helps prevent all of that by lowering “bad” cholesterol, enhancing blood flow and helping your heart function more efficiently. Exercise also helps prevent Type II Diabetes, Obesity (which can lead to a number of time-sucking medical issues) and osteoporosis, among other things.

So it’s not a matter of not having enough time to exercise. It’s not having enough time not to exercise.

It’s also about making time. Chances are, you don’t have an hour of nothingness time built into your schedule that you could dedicate to exercise. It’s about moving things around and giving things up - like not watching Jersey Shore or America’s Next Top Model. It’s about prioritizing you, your body and your health.

The bottom line: You don’t have time not to work out.

Any questions?

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