It’s up to you! These are both the most empowering and scariest words you can hear. What do I mean by that? It’s simple. Those words put the responsibility on your shoulders. They give you the power! That’s great because you are now the one in control. The one who decides what to do. Unfortunately, for some people those words are scary for the very same reason. The twist is in how you look at it. If you don’t hit your goal, then you’re the one to blame.
Do you want to lose weight? It’s up to you. Do you want to get stronger? It’s up to you. As a trainer, I’ve helped people with all sorts of goals, but the people that have had the most success are, very simply, the ones who work the hardest. They have decided that it’s up to them to put the work in. My job is to present them with the best program and make sure they’re using correct form, but other than that, it’s up to them. They are the ones who started eating better. They are the ones who exercise and put in a great effort whether I’m there or not.
Getting our bodies to change isn’t easy. Due to thousands of years of evolution, our bodies have learned to be extremely resistant to change. In other words, your body doesn’t want to lose that last ten pounds or give you the ability to bench 300 pounds. It still thinks that winter is coming up and it has to preserve all excess energy and tissue. It doesn’t want to waste energy doing something silly like getting stronger, or doing something dangerous like losing tissue that it might need for fuel during those long, cold winter months. You have to remember that it’s a relatively recent development that we can get food pretty much when we want it, and without having to scavenge and hunt for it, too.
Saying that though, we are remarkably adaptable. When we continually force our bodies to perform a new task, our bodies will change over time and adapt to the new demands we place on it. That’s how we eventually get stronger or faster or learn to play the bagpipes.
What I’m trying to say is this: Your body will do what you want it to do whether it’s it’s lose weight or play the drum part to “Tom Sawyer”, but it’s up to you to put the time and effort in to make it happen.
If you need some help to make your goals happen, call me, and remember, it’s up to you to consult your doctor before beginning any exercise program.
P.S. A huge thanks to Jesse, Shane and Mario at Prevail. They taught me everything I know. -from the Castro Valley Forum, January 27, 2010 Mitchell Rothbardt, CPT MitchRothbardtTraining@yahoo.com 510-754-7113 Discover Your Strength!
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