I must admit, sometimes I get my ideas from places that you wouldn’t think possible.  If you read my posts often you know I draw parallels between things in life and fitness.  That’s because I believe fitness is a life thing – not a “I need to lose weight” thing.

Right now I’m reading a terrific book.  It’s called The Shack, by Wm. Paul Young.  Last night I was really taken by some of the lines I read:

“…I will take a verb over a noun anytime.”

Now I don’t want to give you the context of this as I don’t want to spoil the book – I want you to read it on you own!

But more importantly I wish to talk about that statement and how it relates to life and your fitness.

Are you a NOUN?

Are you a static,  non-moving loaf?

Or are you VERB?

Are you an ever changing, dynamic, moving, living, loving, growing, dancing and active participant in your life and in the lives of others?

Does your life look more like a noun…or a verb?

Here are three ways to turn your life into a verb:

1. Stop loving others more than you love yourself
2. Do something nice for someone unexpectedly
3. Be active most days of the week

Just how does this relate to fitness?

How will this make me lose fat?

Try it and see for yourself…I dare ya.

Be a verb. Be Active. Win.

Dave
www.homeofficeworkouts.com
“Fast, Repeatable, Efficient, Effective”

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Fitness is all around us.  There are lessons everywhere we look – if we are looking.  How much exercise is right vs. too much, what are the best exercises for fat loss, etc.

Saturday morning I was snuggling on the couch with my boys, Trevor and Andrew, during their usual wake up ritual of cuddling and watching TV.  I was thinking about my next fit tip, or fitness blog entry and my plan for my womens bootcamp at 10am.

We stopped channel surfing when the popular Bob the Builder animated program flashed acrossed the screen. 

Bob the builder was constructing one of those exercise trails.  You know – you run or walk for a bit followed by an exercise like pull ups, push ups, stretching etc.  I started to pay attention.

While Bob was hard at work one of the characters, Scrambler, was playing the role of Personal Trainer for Mr. Bentley (the Mayor of their little make pretend town).  I thought this was an obvious attempt to promote the importance of exercise to little kids.  I was right but to my surprise it went further than that!

As the story continued Scrambler essentially drove the poor Mayor into the ground.  His excitement in being the Personal Trainer for the Mayor clouded his judgement and he never gave the Mayor a break.  At one point as Scrambler takes off to find another steep hill for Mr. Bentley to run up, the exhausted Mayor takes it upon himself to take a little break under a tree – and falls asleep. 

To be brief, Bob the Builder comes to the rescue after Scrambler (and friends) cannot find Mr. Bentley.  Bob the Builder then explains the importance that rest plays in an exercise program and then makes sure he build a rest zone on the new exercise trail.

Two hours later at my women’s bootcamp I asked one of my campers if they have had a day off from exercise lately – she was clearly struggling.  She is involved in a “Biggest Loser” contest at a local gym.  The answer was no after 7 straight days of a long drawn out and ineffective cardio.  Her “legs were killing her”.  I asked how the rest of her team was doing and she told me some of the other women wanted to quit.  They were getting moderate results.  The very next day they would begin a 7 day weight lifting challenge.  14 days, that I know of, of straight workouts – most of which are high volume workouts.

This is more that professional athletes endure.

If Bob the Builder can get it right…why can’t the rest of us.  As a fitness professional this disgusts me.  As a human being I can’t help but feel for these women that have the best intentions.  IF they don’t get hurt they might actually achieve some results.  Then what?

Will they know what its like to fit exercise into their lives?

Will they take 3 months off after this challenge because they are burnt out?

Are they being set up for success…or failure?

I think you know the answer.

Exercise. Rest. Win.

Dave
www.homeofficeworkouts.com
“Fast, efficient, and effective”

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I was sitting in the lobby on the Hilton Hotel in Stamford Connecticut, surrounded by the top 1% of the fitness industry professionals in the world.  An overwhelming thought keeps crossing my mind that I believe I need to share with you.  These people get it done.  Since last night there have been a virtual sea of laptops with keyboards being pounded as these true professionals are working on their business and with their clients from a far.

I initially questioned how many of these trainers and business owners are actually accomplishing tasks that will ultimately help them reach their goals and how many of them are just doing “busy work”?  Another word for busy work is procrastination.

How about you and your fitness goals and dreams?

Are you just doing busy work or are you getting it done?

Are you procrastinating while you hide behind your inefficient workouts?

Are you eating foods that you deem “not bad for me” or are you making choices that will help you reach your weight loss goals AND keep you healthy?

Are you wasting your valuable time?

By the end of the weekend there was absolutely no doubt in my mind that 99% of the fitness pro’s I witnessed were actually getting important things done.  This crowd is the best of the best.

Are you surrounding yourself with like minded, positive people or are you being bullied by negativity?

I have purposely asked more questions in this post than given answers.  The questions are mine.  The answers are yours.

Ask.  Answer.  Win

Dave
www.homeofficeworkouts.com

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Atleast that is the picture that is trying to be painted by a few commercials that are airing on television.  Fellow fitness pro Scott Colby first blogged about it last week.  At the conference in Connecticut I went to I was able to chat with Scott about it for a few minutes with Scott Tousignant, both are very respected and extremely successful in the fitness industry.  We all agreed there is a play on words and it was very interesting that in both ads the target market was not the people in the actual ads…it was kids.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVsgXPt564Q]

This one is even worse:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEbRxTOyGf0]

There are a few problems with these ads in my opinion:

1. What is moderation?  Take a trip to your grocery store and make a list of the items that do not have high fructose corn syrup.  Before you raise your hand – look only on the shelves beyond fruits, veggies and meats.
2. What is moderation?  “How much can I have” is the question most often.  As little as possible is the answer.
3. High fructose corn syrup isn’t as bad for you as “they” say.  What I believe these commercials are actually saying is that hight fructose corn syrup is no worse that any other sweetener.  Maybe true – but I don’t want you ingesting those either!

The conversation I had with my colleagues didn’t end there but I want to leave you with time to think, question what you witness and form an intelligent opinion that you can take action on.

Please, write your thoughts and comments down!

Watch.  Think.  Win.

Dave
www.homeofficeworkouts.com
www.homeofficeworkouts.net

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What obstacles stand in the way of you losing weight and getting in shape?

The first time I saw this video I cried my eyes out.  Followed by the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th times.  I can now watch it keeping my composure but I still become very emotional and it has as much to do with the underlying message as it does my own personal faith in God.

No matter what your own personal religious beliefs (or even if you are agnostic or an atheist) you can relate to the struggle.  The struggle of trying like hell to lose weight and workout from home.  To many things – LIFE – pulling at you to get it done.

Watch this video.  Get motivated and win!

Do you workout religiously but never seem to get the results you are looking for?

More realistically, most people workout from home like crazy…for a short period of time – then life gets in the way and they stop.  What comes next, eventually, is another restart after going through the emotions of submitting to the fact you can’t lose weight (again), feelings of failure and negativity followed by acceptance that “this is the way it is”.

It doesn’t have to be.

Get more done in 10 minutes than most people do with their hour and a half workouts.

Peace,

Dave
www.homeofficeworkouts.com

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