Surprise Yourself

In the past 2 months, the gym has exploded. We have had a lot of things going on inside the gym, as well as outside the gym. With the spring and summer brings new fitness goals as well as busy personal calendars; weddings, vacations, bachelor and bachelorette parties, and somewhere in there, a fitness business that is blowing up like the fourth of July.

We aren’t arrogant, we simply believe in what we do. We are confident that you will find success at On Target Fitness, whoever you are.

So, with that said, we have been participating in the nationwide Lean Down Challenge. It is put on in exclusive locations throughout the US, and we were lucky enough to have been one of those gyms. The aim of the challenge is to help people lose 20 pounds of weight or reduce body composition by 5 percent. In 6 weeks.

Is that even possible?

Yes. It absolutely is.

The results have been surprising for many people, in more positive ways than you might think. Check our Facebook page to see some of them.

Here are some common trends that we as a staff have been seeing with the people that are most successful with this challenge, and any other big health change you might want to make.

Full Commitment

With many of the folks participating in the LDC, people that are most successful come in ready to commit, take on the challenge, and never look back once they start. The same rings true to anyone starting a new routine. You have to see it through, or you are wasting your time. As coaches who understand psychology and physiology, we recognize the immediate barriers that stand in your way. Fear. Ambivalence. Money. Self doubt. Those challenges are real, and we cannot act like they don't exist. 

With that said, if you let those things define you and shape your being, you aren’t being your true self. You are fighting a losing battle. Change starts to happen the moment you truly believe it can.

You can.

Ownership and Zero Excuses Attitude

We don’t need to dwell on the past, but we need to at least understand where your personal battles lie. What has limited you before needs to be out of the equation. That’s why the meal plan is strict. That’s why alcohol is not recommended. For this period of time, your full attention is required. Additionally, many successful people do not make excuses for their setbacks.

They acknowledge them, and move on. Chasing perfection is a sure way to be miserable. Mistakes happen. We can get caught in the undertow when your actions become justified through unrelated things. This is the adult version of “my dog ate my homework.” Stop.

Own it, learn, and get better. You control you.

Hard Work, in and out of the gym.

Photo Credit: Calum McAuley, Stocksnap.io 

Nutrition! Do you think the gainz happen without the stuff to build them? No way.

Someone smart said that most fat loss happens inside the kitchen. It’s true. There is no substitute for hard work inside and outside of the gym. We’ve seen great adherence and with it, great results for people who simply pay attention to what they eat. They make sure they get enough calories to crush training sessions, but stay within the limits of the LDC meal plan.

Are they perfect? No, we’ve even had people tell us they’ve had a couple drinks on the weekend and still have significant weight loss at the end of the week to show for it. It’s all about balance!

Happiness

Man, this might be the most important. You simply cannot make yourself miserable and expect to get the results you want. Seems easy in theory, but the fitness and nutrition industry is full of quick “fixes” and magic pill marketing. If you have to starve yourself and think you can get your dream body in only one month, I’m sorry, but it doesn’t work like that.

Having health and having fitness is a journey. There’s no reason you can’t be happy, and make positive changes for yourself. It takes consistent work and constant understanding of yourself, to be able to adapt to challenges and give yourself fulfillment. The people in the LDC that have been the most successful at our gym have understood from day one, that this is not just a six week challenge. They have made fitness part of their life, and continue to use it to better themselves.

After all, you only get one.

Thanks for continuing to inspire us, and keep trying to surprise yourself.

The "19th" Time

Hello everyone!

Yes. I know. It’s been quite a while since my last post. A couple months actually.

So, if you’ve been waiting by your computer anxiously for this moment, thank you! I’m back. Today I’d like to share a few things with you. The first, is a concept that hit me mid drive on the way to work. I originally learned if from Gary Vaynerchuk, who is a really inspirational figure for many people these days in the world of social media. Gary is a guy who many people know well for his outspoken nature and the amount of straight up action he delivers to his audience. But, he keeps it real, and honesty is a good thing these days.

One day I listened to Gary being interviewed on a podcast (EOFire, which Meg LOVES on road trips) and he said this:

“It’s a constant grind. It’s about work ethic. It’s about really really really pushing it, but, it’s also understanding that you can never waiver from what you believe in.”

Boom.

The reason being, as he went on to explain, is that your audience and the people you influence are constantly evolving. At some point, the light bulb is going to go on for someone. Maybe not on the first, second, or third attempt. Maybe it takes 19 times for someone to have that moment, it doesn’t matter. It will happen one way or another. Sometimes it just takes a a little longer.

My Epiphany: Deanne

Deanne is one of the clients who I’ve had the opportunity to work with over the past few years. She came in needing some guidance on pretty normal stuff for a mother of 3 who had been out of the gym for a few years.

Weight loss. Strength. Mobility.

At the end of the day, we all want to look better, feel better, and move like ninjas at a Phish show.

Mike's Song - Mann Center - Philadelphia 07/09/2014

Note: I don't own this video, and I think the person who put it up on YouTube dubbed in the Phish music, but either way it's hilarious. I love how this guy breaks it dowwwwn. All credit to him. 

So, I had been working with Deanne for maybe… a year and a half. We started to have some injury setbacks. She got more nervous and frantic because the scale wasn’t changing. She started to doubt herself. She was right to, I mean, she was putting in the work; hustling; grinding; but had no results to show for it.

I just kept reassuring her that she had to stop worrying and keep at it. She had to make her own changes that worked for her. But, that was easy for me to say.

Eventually, it got to the point where her body just said no. Deanne was worn out. Her joints were cranky and inflamed. She was stressed, anxious, and wondered what she was doing wrong. She took some time off from training, and I was happy to see her do it.

It was time for her to figure it out on her own terms. Without me, without the pressure of getting to the gym, and without anyone’s opinion but her own. In the end, she was in her own head, and I knew that. I even talked to her about giving her an opportunity with another trainer. I wanted to help her that badly.

And then, she let go of what was holding her back.

She started to believe.

To believe, in herself.

Yup. That’s the key.

She started taking a more serious, balanced approach to her diet. She was smarter about exercise, being more mindful of incorporating rest days. Deanne even started trying new foods, types of exercise, and embraced that it’s okay when things don’t go as planned.

To date, I think Deanne has lost over 50 pounds, is looking shredded, and is more confident in herself than I’ve ever seen her. She’s crushing it, and I couldn’t be more proud.

So we went from Gary to Deanne, but why?

Okay, I'll tell you.

Deanne helped me realize why what Gary was saying is so important. Know who you are trying to help, and stand strong with your message through the process. Don’t waiver. 

For Deanne, it was all about faith. You have to believe in yourself like you believe in nothing else. You’ve got to put the pedal to the floor and keep pushing forward. Eventually, the time will come where your goals are in sight. 

Hopefully no one is crying. I told her story because:

1. She said it was okay.
2. Everyone has been there.

Keep working towards your goals. You may hit some snags along the way, but that’s kind of the fun part.

Thanks team. You are awesome.

PS. Deanne is such a badass she tattooed “Believe in yourself” on her forearm. Yeah. Not kidding.