NO EXCUSES

     Last week was such a long week!  Between training clients, working a full time job and making sure I got my own workouts in, it did not leave me much time to do much of anything else.  I am trying to get myself back into the habit of doing whatever it takes to get my workouts in, even if that means waking up at 5am which is what happened twice this past week.  I am by no means an AM person but I keep remembering that I have goals to reach!  So I set my alarm for 5am, set the alarm to be a song that motivates me, and low and behold I was up and at em and even got there early.  It was by no means easy and the first day I climbed back into bed and was ready to just pack it in and not but, but I jumped out got up and got my ASS out the door!  Its going to be ME vs. ME all the way through and nothing but a catastrophic circumstance is going to stop me!
     This leads me to all the excuses that are constantly being thrown around, and I want to share a story as well.  Early last week while I was on a treadmill I witnessed a couple walking arm and arm into the gym, I thought it was a little odd but did not think to much of it.  He walked in the locker room and she waited right outside the door for him.  When he came out of the locker room they went back to being in arm in arm, it wasn't until he walked her on to the treadmill two over from me that I realized she was blind.  I heard them talking and she was talking about how badly she wanted to get into better shape and that she was tired of the extra weight she had to carry.  I was caught a little off guard!  Not because she was blind, but because it was something that led me to think about all the excuses we make, hell even I make!  This was one of those moments that made me realize that I do not have a legitimate excuse EVER to not be there, to not put in the work, to not reach my goals.
     It also led me to thinking about the excuses we make each and everyday as to why we can not exercise and I thought of a few ways to nix those excuses in the butt every day, week, and month.

1.  I do not have the time:

• Wake up earlier and get the workout in before the day starts and life throws you those curve balls!
• Pick up a set of dumbbells, resistance bands, and a DVD with a workout you enjoy that you can do at your own home.
• Do not want to spend the money on equipment?  Why not use household items?  If you are just starting to get into shape you can use anything that adds resistance to many things you do on an everyday basis.  Think of a squat that is done in a gym, this can be replicated just by holding on to 2, 1 gallon milk jugs and sitting down and getting up off a chair.
• Cut out the amount of things you have DVR'd (I am just as guilty) and take the time you would use to watch these shows and get a good workout in.  If it is really that big of a deal, get active during commercials.

     2.  I do not have the energy:

• Wake up earlier and get the workout in before the day starts and life throws you those curve balls!
• Getting a good workout in will give you a boost of energy to get your morning off on the right foot.  If you get your workout in later during the day you will get that blood flowing which will make you feel better and give you that feeling of an energy boost.

     3.  I do not know what I am doing:

• Ask the gym if they offer one complimentary session, most gyms do and you can get a small idea of things that you could be doing.
• Hire a personal trainer, they can teach you proper technique and give you a better understanding of what machines or exercises will aid you in reaching the results you want to reach.
• Pick up a book or magazine.  While this isn't the method I would personally prefer as most people do better in a setting where they are actually being showed the exercise right before they are doing, there are tons of resources that will help you.  First find the exercises or workouts that you wanna try, try them while your reading the article, if you can not visualize or complete the exercise, check out YouTube, just type in the exercise and tons of videos will pop up to show you exactly how to do it.

    Those 3 happen to be the ones I hear the most, and I know there are hundreds more!  But remember a workout does not have to happen in a gym, or a class.  Workouts can be done at home using household items that can add that resistance to make your workout just a little harder!  So get up get moving, and starting heading down the path towards reaching your goals!

Feel free to comment or add your own, if you do please make sure to add ways to break these excuses!