Laws of Success

At NPPT, after observing thousands of clients for 17 years, we've noticed a number of characteristics that separate those who succeed with their fitness program from those who do not. Those who succeed buy into the "Four Laws of Success". You must be ready to accept these laws without exception.

First Law – THE LAW OF POSSESSION

You need to understand that if you are going to achieve results, it is going to be up to you. The phrases "If it’s going to be, it’s up to me" or "If I think I can or think I can't, I'm right," ring very true. You have to take ultimate responsibility for success or failure. Sometimes clients believe their trainer is going to be the one who makes it happen for them. At NPPT, we set them straight right away. All we can do is educate and guide. Our clients must be willing to make and stick to the changes. You cannot completely rely on someone else like a fitness coach or workout partner to make it happen for you and likewise, you cannot blame the kids or your partner for any failures.

Second Law – THE LAW OF EFFORT

Anything worth achieving is worth working for. Exercise and healthy eating takes discipline, will power, character, persistence and a commitment to delayed gratification.

Third Law – THE LAW OF CONSISTENCY

A month-long effort is not going to get you where you want. In order to achieve any goal, you must stick to your game plan on an ongoing, long-term, consistent basis. Getting off track for a week is no big deal if you are consistent in your efforts. But if you are regularly tempted away from your program, you will not succeed. Consistency and persistence are the keys to manifesting any goal. Remember that if you want to be 10 pounds thinner 10 years from now, it is not what you do over the next eight weeks that matters, it is what you do over the next 10 years. All the changes we will suggest must be followed for the rest of your life - so of course, we are going to make room for indulgences. The program has got to be realistic if you're going to stick to it. There are no short-term, quick fix solutions. Researchers have found only one characteristic common to those who succeed with exercise. All such people move toward their goal one step at a time. They are committed to constant, never-ending improvement. In practical terms, it means that regardless of anything else – busy work schedules, lack of energy, lack of time, feeling old, feeling lazy, hating exercise – they made no excuses! They kept exercising, taking their long-term goals and splitting them up into smaller goals. They took it one day at a time.

Fourth Law – THE LAW OF SELF-EFFICACY

This is THE most important factor. If you are already questioning whether or not you can actually make the required changes, you are going to have a difficult time with your program. You must believe you can do it! Think of self-esteem as a bank. Each time you keep a promise to yourself, the store of self-esteem gets bigger, making it easier to keep the next promise to yourself. It's all about "Results Momentum" - achieving one result gives you the confidence to achieve the next goal. Each time a promise is broken, however, your self-esteem goes down, making it easier to break the next promise. Reinforce this belief in yourself by surrounding yourself with others who are doing or have accomplished what you're attempting. After all, if they can do it, so can you!



RM

Semi-Private Training- The Only Way To Go!

As I have mentioned at least a gazillion times on this blog, we have been in business for 17 years! Not too shabby in an industry where the average tenure is less than 12 months. It still amazes me after all of this time how little I actually know. Every year brings several new "ah-ha" moments at which point I wonder why in the heck I didn't figure something out 10 years ago.

One of those moments was early last year when we finally began to understand that semi-private training (2-4 people) is far more beneficial for the client and our business than individual training.

Here are a few of the reasons why.

Benefits to clients:

Cost- It is less expensive. You can get world class programming and training for quite a bit less in a semi-private format.

Motivation- Research supports that people work harder and reach their goals more regularly when they are held accountable by their peers. Check out this info provided by Alwyn Cosgrove's blog:

New Study:

Supervised exercise versus non-supervised exercise for reducing weight in obese adults.
Nicolaï SP et al
J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2009 Mar;49(1):85-90.
This research study looked at the effects of training with supervision/instruction (ie a qualified trainer) versus "advice"


Two groups - Group one met a trainer twice a week for 4 months (as a group).
Group two received basic advice to increase physical activity and access to a fully equipped gym (any exercise they did was unsupervised).


The group with supervision lost on average 362% more fat over a 4-month period. (Total fat loss of 13.4lbs in the coached group - and only 3.7lbs in the advice only group)

Another study came out a few years ago showing that a participant would exercise 30% harder or more (can't remember the exact number) with someone just watching them (i.e. not offering any instruction or encouragement). You can imagine how that could translate into much greater results, when added with a good program, great coaching, great social support and great instruction.

Benefits to the gym or trainer:

You can help more people- Most trainers get into this industry to help others become healthy and fit. With a one-on-one business model, you can only help so many people before you are totally saturated. Imagine being able to help 3 or 4 times the clients you currently service! Also, as a gym owner, you don't need to employ a million trainers to service your clients. This really helps with quality control and continuity in your business.

Community- Nothing makes a facility culture thrive like a great sense of community. You just can't get that in the isolation of the one-on-one training model. We have seen it happen in our business. In the beginning, clients only wanted to work with one trainer or no one at all. Now we can service our clients better by allowing them to come in whenever they want and with other clients that they have met at our facility.

You can earn more money- For the very same reasons mentioned above, you can earn 50-100% more revenue in the same amount of time. You provide a great service and you should be able to make a decent living doing it!

These are just a few of the benefits of semi-private training.

If you are a potential personal training client, look for a facility that offers semi-private. You will save some hard-earned cash and be more successful in your quest to reach your goals, all while having loads more fun.

If you own a facility or just train your own clients, you would be absolutely crazy not to switch to the semi-private business model. Not for self-serving purposes, but for the noble reason of being able to reach out to 3 or 4 times the people than you would with individual training!

Stay tuned for programming tips on how the semi-private training model works from a technical standpoint.


Rick Mayo

Baby Boomers

Here is a little something for the baby boomers.

Boomers




Rick Mayo

My Vision Has Come True!

Our vision statement for NPPT reads, Personal Training for Everyone. At first glance, it looks pretty generic and broad, but the truth is that is our mission. Who couldn't benefit from a coach helping them to understand how their body works and create a program to improve their health? Put it this way- if it were free, 99.9% of all people would take advantage.

This morning, as usual, I trained at the local high school track. I did pull-ups, high box jumps, one arm push-ups and 100 meter sprints. When I first arrived there were 3 kids with a trainer working on speed drills on the turf. Not long after, a cross country coach showed up to train one of his kids in a private lesson. Finally, another trainer showed up with a 40 something lady and had her hit the focus mitts and run stadium stairs. This is all in a span of 45 minutes and on a Sunday morning!

Maybe my vision is coming to fruition. Maybe, after 20 years in the industry, I have accomplished the ultimate goal of helping bring personal training to every population in my area.

On the other hand, I should probably get my butt back to work. Apparently, I have a lot of competition and they are willing to work early on a Sunday morning!

I promised to fill you guys in on the details of my Performbetter conference in Orlando last weekend. As it turns out, I never made it out of the airport in ATL. There was a huge cheerleading competition in Orlando on the same weekend and I was flying stand-by on a Delta buddy pass. No luck. Damn cheerleaders!



I did see former UFC light heavy weight champion Forrest Griffin at the airport. Sweet! I thought of challenging him to a straight up bare knuckle brawl, but I only had one change of clothes (underwear). He is sooo lucky.























We got an interesting offer from a stranded flight attendant to drive to Orlando (8 hours). Hmmm. Eight hours in a car with two men you just met. I'm thinking rabbit boiler. We declined.



















Rick Mayo

I Have Huge Balls!

A few months ago I ordered 5 D-Ball medicine balls (10,20,30,40,50). Heavy med balls are great for safely teaching cleans, front squats and overhead presses. As a matter of fact, one of my favorite exercises is a combination of all three of those moves. Nothing works more muscle and elevates your heart rate like a clean/squat/press!

The nice lady from D-Ball mentioned that they had some blemished balls, if I were interested. She explained that the blem balls were 100 lbs and priced 50% off. I thought about it for a millisecond- I gotta have one!

You should have seen the UPS guy roll that box out of his truck, across the sidewalk and into our facility. He is really funny and always comments on the weight of our packages. He did not seem too amused with this monster.

I couldn't wait to rip off the package and get started. My enthusiasm soon wained as I realized that while a 100 lb barbell is really light, a 100 lb soft blob is an absolute beast to handle. The shape and texture make it feel 3 x heavier than it is. I have a whole new respect for the guys that lift the Atlas stones in the World's Strongest Man contests.

It turns out the blemish is simply that the ball is marked as a 10 lb ball instead of 100lbs. No big deal, but comical when people try to lift it only to find that it is "glued" to the floor. I decided to mark it correctly (to prevent anyone from ruining their entire spine) and then nickname the bastard appropriately- Lil Evil.

My first experiment was with a clean from the floor. Again, the weight is light, but getting a grip on the ball is not an easy task. I finally figured it out and did 40 clean/squat/presses. That was it- I was dead! My forearms were killing me and my heart was pounding. Good fun!

Jon Hinds, owner of Monkey Bar Gym, did 100 clean/squat/presses with the 100 pounder in under 18 minutes! That dude must wear a cape cuz that is a crazy feat. I haven't worked up to that yet, but it's a new goal.

If you don't have big balls, you're really missing out. No really.

Buy yours here.

Rick Mayo

Nancy Pineda's Success Story

I lost 23 lbs of fat!

Nancy lost 23 lbs of pure fat on minimal exercise. By adjusting her eating habits and building some fat burning lean tissue, Nancy was able to drop from a size 12 to a size 6! Nancy’s success demonstrates how we can all lose fat despite a super busy schedule.

Why did you start exercising?

I was getting bigger and my legs were weak and loose. Also, my stomach was growing! I would get out of breath racing to answer the phone, I had no energy and I had a sore shoulder.

What is your current exercise routine?

2 weight training appointments a week. Walk around the block for 20 minutes 4 or 5 times a week.

What keeps you motivated?

Hearing my friends notice I’ve lost weight and having my clothes taken in. Someone called me “slim” and that was the best!

How has NPPT helped with your success?

It has been a great experience. I HATE GYMS! I figured I would quit this like I did all the others. The friendliness, location, and style of exercise all fit me very well. I actually like going (Go Figure).

What are your long-term goals?

If I can just stay on course- not give up. Also, I would love cut arms and calves!

What advice can you offer others that are just beginning their program?

Cut out the junk food, white foods and soda. Do a little work everyday and tell your friends and family about your goals so that they can hold you accountable and support you.

Find a gym you enjoy and someone who can make it fun. Don’t replace your workout with other “busy” activities- you can always find something more urgent to do, but it will have to wait a ½ hour.

Nancy’s new motto - Embrace Hunger!



Rick Mayo

Weight Loss Secret- Revealed!

This picture has nothing to do with this post! Just thought the fellas needed some love after yesterday's post. Guys- I give you Megan Fox- and you're welcome.















Simple, but not easy- that sums up fat/weight loss. Andrew Heffernan did a great job explaining just how simple it is:

I try to follow the idiot-proof Mike Boyle/Chad Waterbury maxim "Eat lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, and fish oil." It's pretty darn simple. Those guys add "avoid grains like they're poison" if you're trying to lose lots of weight.

It's a ridiculously easy formula to remember: no glycemic index (which has fallen out of favor lately--anyone else notice?), no checking your blood type, no phoning your great aunt to figure out which boat your ancestors came over on. You know what's allowed and what's not.

I've started to give clients this formula. Inevitably, they ask, "What about sugar in my coffee?" "What about a bagel in the morning?" What about this, what about that? I say, sure, do it. But just know that you're deviating. Know that it's a cheat.

Now, do I always follow this formula? Certainly not. But I'm always aware of when I'm doing it right and when I'm not. For lunch today, I stood in the kitchen and ate scraps of mixed greens out of a plastic box and little scraps of cold chicken pulled right off the bone. Appetizing? For me, weirdly, yeah. Healthy? Yup. Boring as hell? Affirmative.

In the words of Forrest Gump, "That's all I have to say about that."

Rick Mayo

Matthew McConaughey Workout

I think I speak on behalf of all heterosexual men when I say, "I am really tired of seeing shirtless pictures of Matthew McConaughey". That being said, the dude is in great shape! 99% of guys I know would probably go to the mall shirtless, if they looked that good.

How does McConaughey do it? He does the basics! He lifts his body weight, kettlebells, and even big rocks from time to time. In other words, he works harder than most guys who go to the gym and do the same old stuff on the same old machines. Also, he prefers to exercise outdoors whenever possible. Pull ups on tree limbs, push ups on park benches and steep hill runs are the norm.























So fellas, ask yourself these questions while pondering where you might go shirtless, if you had McConaughey's abs.

Do you focus on the basics? Pull ups, push ups, dead lifts, squats, Rows... or do you spend your time on exercise machines?

Do you work hard? Do you really push yourself enough to ellicit change?

Do you train hard and then go out for a burger and a cold one?

It may be time to make a few changes.



I'm off to the PerformBetter One-Day seminar in Orlando today. I'll touch base on what I learned next week.


Rick Mayo

Needs vs Wants

Awesome game last night! Since I didn't have a dog in the fight, I found myself cheering for the team that was trying to make a comeback. I guess you could say that my team won!

Towards the end of the game Honda ran a commercial for the Accord. Basically, the commentator explains that why we may want something sexy and cool, what we really need is a safe reliable car at a fair price? The entire commercial featured a still shot of a basic (boring) model Accord just sitting idle. Brilliant and timely!

This commerical got me thinking about how the wants vs needs idea applies to health and fitness. I wrote a post a while back about a lady who stopped in to see me one day. Her Dr had suggested that she start exercising immediately due to some health issues. After speaking with her for 30 minutes regarding what she would need to do to improve her condition, she left without enrolling, citing money as the reason. After leaving, she slumped into her $100k car with the dealer tags still on the back. Huh? Clearly, this was a case of her wants vs needs being a little out of whack.

Here are a few more examples:

Wants- home exercise equipment

Needs- research supports that people with home exercise equipment exercise less than those who don't have equipment at home. Save your money and apply it to someone who can help keep you accountable to you goals.

Wants- to lose weight, but you can't afford a gym

Needs- stop eating out! I challenge you to track your weekly expenses. It is always a shock to see how much money is spent on dining out. If you eat at home, you will eat less calories and save a ton of heard-earned cash. This is a win win choice!

I could go on and on, but I'll spare you.

My point- use this time as an opportunity to review what you want and what you really need. Focus not on what you can't control (economy, politics), but apply yourself to the things that you can immediately impact- your health!

Rick Mayo