Are you just now getting into the world of strength and fitness? Congratulations to you. Have you hired a personal trainer to help you along the way? Even better! Your health is the one of the only things you truly own, and its also the only thing that you can choose to improve or let decline.
Know that you will probably hit many bumps along the path. There will be times that you get unmotivated. You will run into periods that it seems like you are working harder than ever, and you are only going to see miniscule, if any change. You’re not going to see changes over night either. Depressing isn’t it? Does it make you want to quit right now, before you invest your time and hard earned money into it? Don’t quit yet. Read the rest of this first.
If there is one piece of advice that I could give you, it would be to stay the course. I know it doesn’t sound like much, but this has been one of the most valuable pieces of information that I have ever received in my 15 years under the bar, in and around the weightroom. You have to remember that training in the gym mimics life outside the gym. You will have good days, and, you will occasionally have bad days. You will have days where everything seems light, and you could train forever. You will have days where everything seems like it is twice as heavy as it should be. The question is can you deal with the ups and downs? Stay the course.
If you sat down and really looked at your life, would you be willing to say that you have more good days than bad? Would you say that the highs are higher than the lows are low? I know I would, and I’ve been through some of the worst situations you could imagine. Four years ago I was wounded by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. I spent almost 3 months as an inpatient during my 18 MONTH stay at a military hospital. 3 months on my back laying in a hospital bed going through surgery after surgery. Did I have some bad days? Absolutely. I also had great days too. Some of the best memories and fondest moments in my life happened during those 18 months. Knowing that, do you think I look at it a good experience or a bad one? I also got laid off in the middle of the worst recession and one of the highest amounts of jobs lost since the depression. Do you think I’m sitting around moping? Hell no! I’m taking action to have the future for myself that I want. You have to take action NOW! I’m staying the course to better myself, and make things better for my family. Are you doing the same?
Your life can be the same way, you just have to stay the course. You have to remember that those 20 pounds you want to lose didn’t just appear overnight. You wont be able to lose them overnight either. You’re not going to add 30 pounds of muscle in a week. No Personal Trainer can do that.You have to realize that it is going to take some hard work and dedication to reach your goals. It’s also going to take some time. You have to remember though too the additional things that you are giving yourself while you work toward your goals. You will feel better. For some people this is immediate. For others, it takes a bit longer. That being said, you WILL feel better. What is that worth to you? I’m sure there are some people who will read this who feel like they have never really accomplished anything in their life. If this is you, why don’t you start working right now to accomplish something? You may not realize it, but if you’re reading this, you already have. Then the question becomes are you willing to do what it takes to accomplish something and really reach your goals? Are you willing to put in all of your chips and really get after it? Dedicate yourself to positive lifestyle changes and new ways of thinking of yourself? One of the most important things you can ask yourself is Are you willing to do what it takes to get what you want? Will you stay the course?