In the letter I shared my personal health and fitness goals for 2012, which just so happened to be the top priority goals for the business this year as well.  If my energy gets drained, or my health takes a turn for the worse, then business slows down and suffers.  That’s not me being egotistical, it’s just the reality of being in a leadership position.

One of the goals I spoke about was the goal of rebuilding and restoring relationships that I have let suffer over the course of my lifetime.  More specifically for this letter I spoke about reconnecting with my father.

My dad agreed to come to Mississippi from Texas for the weekend to join me at a men’s coaching retreat.  I was both very excited and admittedly scared.  It may be difficult to see, but I have a hard time verbalizing my emotions and feelings for those I love.  That’s why I enjoy writing so much…I’m protected by the screen on which I type these words.

So to sit with my dad around a fire with a group of men and talk about the way I feel about him and the desire I have to build a strong relationship with him was frightening.

As the weekend progressed I could tell that my dad was as equally scared to speak into his hearts desire for me, so early Saturday morning I stepped out of my comfort zone and made a deliberate and intentional step toward building the relationship that I want.  I simply looked at my dad and told him that I was scared too.  That I was grateful for him just being there.  And that I loved him.

At that moment the barrier was torn down and my father and I began to grow closer.  We embraced and the chains that held our family from truly expressing our feelings for one another were broken.

The rest of the weekend continued to bring healing and growth.  I had a front row seat to see my father’s heart come alive again!  It was, in one word…AMAZING!

I share this story with you today for two reasons: 1) God did an astounding work in my life this weekend, and 2) It directly shows YOU that when you make a goal and earnestly desire to achieve it, you can obtain that goal…whatever the goal may be.

You see… GOALS don’t magically get accomplished just because it is something you want.  Granted, you first have to determine what it is you want…what it is you DESIRE.

That’s the first step.

But then you have to take ACTION.

You have to INTENTIONALLY and DELIBERATELY align your choices with your goals.

In the case with my father, I had to first invite him to come.  It required me to follow up with him and even when he gave me the excuse of not being able to afford the travel I stepped in and paid for the trip.  I was determined to build a loving, fruit bearing relationship with my dad.  I had a COMMITMENT!

I also had to be in an ENVIRONMENT that was conducive to allowing this to happen.  I didn’t invite him to a noisy bar for drinks to connect with him.  I asked him to a men’s retreat where we sat in a circle around a fire with other men.

Much in the same way you wouldn’t spend all your time at a buffet if you were trying to eat healthier or lose body fat.

But there was something else I learned this weekend that brought it all together.  I learned that I had to TRUST the PROCESS!

Nothing would have changed if I wasn’t willing to show up, take a risk, trust in a proven process, and listen to a coach that guided me through it all.

You want to lose weight?

TAKE ACTION.

Be INTENTIONAL and DELIBERATE with your choices so that they lead to the outcome YOU DESIRE.

Put yourself in an ENVIRONMENT to succeed.  Surround yourself with like minded people that truly want to see you achieve what your heart desires.

TRUST THE PROCESS.

You have to SHOW UP!

And listen to your coach.  If you don’t have one, get one.  They have the knowledge to help GUIDE you through the process.

BUT….

…You have to do the work.

Take responsibility for your own goals and don’t let anyone keep you from reaching them.

When you do, God will show up just as He did with me and my father.

You are ultimately responsible for what you want, but you don’t have to do it alone.

In fact, you and I were never meant to…

The American Heritage Dictionary defines the word as “The return of information about the result of a process or activity; an evaluative response.”

The purpose for giving feedback is to improve the situation and/or performance. That’s a good thing.

What you get out of your sessions depends largely on communication. I imagine the men reading this are already having a harder time breathing. We need your participation but you can relax. It is the job of your personal trainer to ask the right questions and encourage open conversation. It is also our responsibility to constantly monitor behavior during exercise and receive feedback in that way. Few clients have an amazing poker face and are hard to read. The other extreme case is the client who talks and whines so much it’s hard to decipher what’s real!

What it comes down to is this:

• We need to know how you are feeling during and after exercise.
• We need to know if you have questions or struggles or pains.
• We need to know if you are not sure of what you are doing or where you should ‘feel’ the work.
• We also need to know if what you are doing doesn’t feel challenging enough. (Men, sharing means caring so wipe the beads of sweat from your brow.)

We also want and need to know the positives:

• We need to know when walking up stairs feel easier.
• We want to know when picking up your child/grandchild is no longer a struggle.
• We love hearing when your mac-daddy workout gave you more energy throughout the day rather than zapped it all.
• We need to know when your nutrition is so spot-on that all you craved for dinner last night was brussel sprouts & tilapia.
• We want to know when you feel good! So on, and so forth.

We encourage this type of relationship and healthy rapport so we can personalize your workouts to best fit your needs. That’s why it’s called ‘personal’ training after all!

Feedback is the path to a positive training experience which leads to your goals being met. That is what both the trainer and client desire! We need to know you and what motivates you. Which means we need you to talk to us, communicate with us. Again guys, relax, it’s not that bad!

Laura Thompson
Fitness Coach
Raising The Barr Fitness

While I can definitely understand the hype, and therefore the disdain that has come out of the mass media coverage over the past several years and more noticeably the past couple of months, I merely want to share my thoughts on what I believe makes Tim Tebow so successful, and at the same time so polarizing.  I believe duplicating this trait can help make YOU more successful with your health and fitness goals, and ultimately your life.

There’s no denying that Tim has passion.  You can’t NOT notice it.  On the football field you can see it in his eyes when he’s driving the team to a come from behind victory.  You see it in his emotions when the team scores the game winning touchdown or field goal, which almost instantly spills over into gratitude – another of Tebow’s noticeable traits.  It’s this passion that fuels Tim on the field and has ultimately led to the platform from which he now finds himself off the field.

One of the things that we most often DON’T see is how hard someone works.  But based on comments from teammates like Champ Bailey who said, “I know he’s going to work to get better and be the best he can…he’ll work at it…I expect nothing but the best from him”, it’s clear that those around him the most know that he has a strong work ethic.

Traits like passion, gratitude, and a strong work ethic are all ingredients for the making of a great leader.  Tim Tebow IS a leader.  Two national championships in college and now a turn around playoff run in the NFL are proof of that.  Granted there were some bumps along the way.  I’m sure both Tebow and the Broncos learned a lot about themselves through the process. Tim is also a leader off the field with his unapologetic, uninhibited faith.  He wears his heart on his sleeve and I believe that is what makes him so polarizing.

Tim Tebow is a passionate, hard working, grateful leader.  But as distinct as these qualities are I think there is another that is Tim’s greatest attribute.

It’s not as visible, yet “speaks” louder than all the others traits combined.

It’s a trait that few have mastered (if any) and one that we would all benefit from be better at doing.

I believe that Tim Tebow’s greatest attribute is stewardship.

The verse that comes to mind when I think of the life of Tim Tebow is 1 Peter 4:10.  From the message it reads “Be generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so all get in on it”.  Obviously Tebow is blessed with a natural ability to play football and it’s just one of the blessings that he has received.  He’s caring, well spoken, good looking, and now…wealthy (monitarily).

Tim uses all of his gifts to help others.  I would argue that Tim is on this “stage” to show others how it is meant to be done, which is probably why so many people are taking shots at him.  Tim Tebow’s mission, as stated on his foundations website, is “to utilize the public platform that God has blessed Tim Tebow with to inspire and make a difference in peoples lives throughout the world.”

Tim Tebow is generous.  He never takes full credit for success, and yet owns up to his shortcomings in a defeat.  As one author has stated, “it’s not that he usually says the right things… he ONLY says the right things.”  Up to this point Tim has not sat back and coasted on his natural talents and abilities either.  He confronts the critics head on and tells them that he has things to improve and that he will get better.  And you know what?  I believe him.  Why?  Because he follows through.

Look… I’m not trying to deify Tim Tebow.  I’m positive that he’s NOT perfect and that he has blemishes in his life.  How can I (or anyone) be certain of that?  Because he’s human, just like you and me.  But you can’t argue with the volume at which his life speaks!

Stewardship is defined as the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care.  Choices are a direct reflection of how well we care for and manage ALL the resources that are entrusted to our care.  And by resources that includes our money, our health, our bodies…OUR LIVES.

We can all learn a great deal from Tim Tebow.  We can live life with more passion.  We can show more gratitude.  We can work harder.  And by aligning our choices so that we are better stewards will make us all better leaders… in our homes, in our business’ or work places, and in our communities.

Just imagine if more athletes took the time to invite a person in need to a game and spent quality time with them to put a smile on their face.  And imagine if you and I did that on a daily basis, reaching out to someone just to let them know you care.  What kind of world could we create?  How much more would our community thrive?  And how much healthier could we be if we simply managed and cared for our bodies with greater conviction and passion?

Think about it.  And the next time you see Tim Tebow, let that be a reminder of how powerful a stage God gives all of us.  Even if it’s not front and center in the NFL, people are watching.

Thanks for reading!  And God Bless!

Clint

No really I mean it.

Are you seriously concerned about your health?

I would assume so since you are reading a blog on a fitness website.  I’m not going to “guilt” you into anything and if it’s not something you can budget there is no reason to compromise your financial health.  But in regards to the later, I would challenge you to add up all the money you spend on going out to eat and drink and see how it compares.

So why do people get personal trainers?

I’ll give you a few reasons… some good, some not so much.  I’ll also give you few ways to see if you are getting a reputable one.

So here are the reasons starting with the BAD ones first:

• Social status – Simply put these clients like telling their friends they have  a personal trainer like the Hollywood stars do.  Now this isn’t always a bad thing necessarily.  For example, if someone says you look great and your response is “Thanks, my trainer has been kicking my butt!” But what irks a trainer is when a client hires them but doesn’t work. Instead they use their sessions to socialize.   Most good trainers will soon replace these types of clients.
• The trainer is hot -  Don’t go there… EVER.  Just sayin!
• To fix all your problems -  I get it.  We do have the term “personal” in our title and there is some truth to that.  But we do not have the expertise of a psychiatrist, doctor, accountant, etc.   So relying on a trainer for that type of thing can only get both of you in trouble

Now for the GOOD reasons:

• Accountability -  This is the number one reason most of my clients give me.  They look at it as an investment that they don’t want to waste.  These are my guys and gals that get the best results.  They have to show up even when they don’t want to and would normally skip it.  This simply equates to consistency, consistency, consistency.
• Motivation –  And I’m not talking about the screaming in your face kind.  The kind that gives you confidence knowing that someone is in your corner and knows what they are doing.  Which leads me to……..
• Expertise -  So you don’t go off and be done broke yo-self.  Also, if you’ve been working out on your own and haven’t really gotten the results you wanted, now you can find out why and how to fix yo-self!

So when you decide to invest in a personal trainer, how do you know if you are getting a good one?  First things first, I’d check out the place where you’ll be working out.  Is it a place you feel comfortable in and where you want to spend time?  After that, try to get a vibe about the personality of the staff.

Now onto the trainer.  More than likely they will interview you to see what your needs are.  If not…….run!  So if they are asking you questions and you are going to be paying them money, maybe you should interview them as well.

Here are a few of the things I would suggest asking:

1. How long have you been a personal trainer?  They do not have to have been a personal trainer long to be good but that should lead you to other questions.
2. Are you certified and with who (or is it whom? anyway)?  ACSM, ACE, NASM, NSCA are some of the more well known organizations (and most respected).
3. Do you specialize in any particular area?  Some trainers may excel at rehab and recovery.  Some sports performance.  Most will be proficient in strength and conditioning training.
4. Last but not least, do you feel you have rapport with the trainer.  After all they’re gonna be the one who will see you at your worst and celebrate with you when you’ve done your best.

So, do you really need a personal trainer?  I would say YES!  Everybody can and will benefit from having an expert guide them in a structured environment to the result they desire.  And one of the greatest reasons why you need a personal trainer, is because of the knowledge you gain and habits you create that equip you to maintain the health, fitness and body transformation result you achieve.

Doug Hammond
Fitness Coach
Raising The Barr Fitness

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

This is a favorite scripture of mine and it is very applicable to anyone who may question what the Bible says about how we should treat our bodies.

As another year begins, many people set “New Year’s Resolutions” in hopes of finally turning that corner to a new and healthier lifestyle.

Finding the motivation to continue past January with your renewed commitment can sometimes be a struggle.  However, when in doubt, look to scripture to find your answer.

God states that our bodies are a “temple of the Holy Spirit” and that we were “bought with a price” and we should “glorify God” in our bodies.  I think God wants us to maximize our potential spiritually and physically.

Leading a life where regular exercise and healthy eating habits is present is pleasing to our spiritual father in heaven. Our bodies are not our own…

Life is a gift!

We are only here for a short time so lets make sure that our time spent on earth lasts as long as possible. So when you hit that wall, step back, say a prayer for increased strength and determination, and push on through!

In Christ,

Brett Watkins
Fitness Coach
Raising The Barr Fitness

It takes time and dedication to reach goals and make sure your efforts result in lasting change.

So, how can you sustain yourself for the long-haul and keep your attitude positive to ensure success? There is a secret trio of ingredients that go into any successful weight-loss plan.

When a balance is struck between these three things, weight loss success will happen and the pounds lost will likely stay off for good.

What are the secrets to success? Make sure to strike the right balance between:

• Food – Rather than starve yourself or go on a fad plan that won’t produce lasting results, learn to adopt sustainable, healthy eating habits. Avoid processed foods and be sure to include plenty of vegetables, lean meat, legumes, low-fat dairy and other smart options. It is also wise to consider eating less at a sitting, but increasing the frequency of “meals.”
• Activity – Exercise is simply critical for weight loss success. The best plan includes about five days a week of activity that extends for 30 to 60 minutes each time. Make sure to blend in both cardiovascular and strength training for the best results.
• Attitude – This is the real secret ingredient necessary to enjoy healthy, happy and successful weight loss. It does take time, dedication and a willingness to make weight loss goals happen. When you develop the right positive attitude, you can sustain yourself even during the roughest of days. Set realistic weight loss goals, strive to achieve them and focus on mini-successes along the way.

When you strike a balance between eating, exercising and attitude, obstacles will not stand in your way. You’ll have the inner strength to power past weight-loss plateaus and you’ll gain the fortitude necessary to carry you throughout your entire journey.

If you’re having trouble with any of these key ingredients or want some insight on setting realistic goals, talk with a personal trainer or the pros at your local fitness center. They can help you tailor a plan that will work best for you.

Money:
We live in a world where money makes the world go round so it must play a role in your success. Naturally if you invest in stocks you must put in MONEY to make MONEY. The same can be said for most things in life.

For example, if I wanted to be a famous pianist I wouldn’t just bang on some rocks. I’d have to first purchase a piano with MONEY, as well as invest in some lessons from a teacher so I can progress in the right direction. We can see the parallels in fitness almost everyday.

The fact of the matter is most people spend money to get in the gym and the people that actually GO typically have no idea what they are doing in there!! They must have guidance FIRST to have any clue as to what direction they are headed so a teacher MUST be involved. And again this almost always requires money.

BUT the good news is that this is all an INVESTMENT!

So money must come out SOMEWHERE right? Until you’ve seen the medical expenses of unhealthy people as they get older, you sometimes feel like you’re spending too much on your fitness. But in reality the money you are spending now, in the long run by taking care of your body, is small in comparison to what it will cost you if you don’t keep it in top shape!

So we must be willing to invest MONEY into our HEALTH STOCK!

Time:
Time is the second most important part of your investment. If you aren’t willing to make the sacrifice of time then the money you’re investing is immediately WASTED!

When investing in stocks very rarely do you see any kind of profit in a small amount of time. Same thing is true about exercise. You must be willing to sacrifice time spent doing others things to experience any kind of progression.

Time is a major factor in success. Sacrifice time NOW so that when you’re older you can have more time to enjoy life on this earth!

Effort:
Finally, there stands one element that holds this whole scheme together. Without it, money is wasted and time is pointless.

EFFORT!!!

If you show up to your workouts every day and never give it 100% then you are only cheating yourself.  You can dump all the money in the world into fitness and spend years upon years being involved in fitness in some way, but if you don’t put the effort needed to see success then all is for naught. It’s the only true way to grow.

What does effort look like?

It’s not just going 100% in the gym, but 100% OUTSIDE the gym as well.

Your eating habits, your drinking and smoking habits, and of course, stress habits all are included in this word “EFFORT.”

You must be willing to give it all to get it all! If you’re not willing then the results you seek will always just be out of reach.

So…

GO HARD!

INVEST IN YOUR HEALTH ALL THE WAY!

Daniel Woods
Fitness Coach
Raising The Barr Fitness