What am I really trying to achieve?

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

This is a quote from the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial in Washington, DC. I’m starting with this quote because it’s applicable to every aspect of our lives. I see it as a symbol of maturity and growth. It may sound cheesy or cliché, but I don’t think we ever stop growing as people. There is no end line in terms of learning; we are never complete. How can we be when everything around us changes on a minute-to-minute basis? Part of being an ‘adult’ is accepting the fact that we can always grow and change, but we must be open to it. We must be ready and willing to adapt to new situations in order to better ourselves. I apply this to myself in terms of physical fitness.

I’m sure I don’t need to tell you how easy it is to wake up in the morning and say “I don’t want to work out today” or “wow the internet looks especially interesting today, I think I’ll skip my workout and just go online instead”. If you aren’t sure how easy it is do to this, it’s easy. Try it tomorrow, I’m sure you’ll understand. Here, we have our challenge: we know that it’s healthier to push through a workout instead of lazing around all day, but it’s so much easier to sit than it is to be jumping around and getting all sweaty! However the real challenge is not the workout itself, is it? Perhaps, and hopefully, workouts are challenging; however, the real challenge is much deeper than that.

When we constantly skip our workouts in lieu of resting, we are giving in to our inner spoiled child. Now don’t get me wrong, we all need rest days. The difference I am trying to highlight is that we can’t be telling ourselves every day that we ‘deserve’ a rest day. This is a pitfall that I experience constantly. I will go about my day with every intention of working out, and then I find myself saying “you know what, I think I’m good for today, I’ll just skip it” and I will! I’ll go back online and talk to people or find the end of the internet instead of taking a simple 25 minutes to work out. To me, this says that I am lacking maturity. I have given in to that inner child who is screaming at the grocery store for their favorite food until mommy finally gives in and buys it. I want to be very clear here as this could easily get misconstrued, I am not saying that I am immature or that anyone who does this is immature. I am saying that this is a moment where maturity and willpower is lacking. By no means does this make anyone a bad or weak person. One moment does not define who we are, it’s when we are always having these moments that it becomes time to take a look at ourselves and say “what’s really going on here?”

The quote from the memorial says that we are measured by our actions in challenging and controversial times. So what really is the challenge in this case? The challenge is overcoming ourselves. I know that I have the ability to be incredibly fit and healthier than a horse, so why aren’t I? Because I am turning myself away from that opportunity. I know that when I push through a workout even on a day when I’m feeling lazy, I will feel better about myself because I will have shown maturity. I will have acted strong in a time of challenge as opposed to taking the easy way out, and this is a distinguishing factor (for me at least). I want to know that when the going gets tough, I won’t be the first one out the door. I need to be able to see things through even when it’s the last thing I want to do. For me, this is not a test of strength or ability, because I know I have the potential to get where I want to be. This is a test of maturity and willpower; it’s a test to see how badly I really want these results. Once I can truly get past my mind telling me to take the easy way out, then I will know that I have achieved maturity.

Look out for another video update on Hip Hop Abs coming soon!

Are You Working Out Long Enough?

It’s a pretty simple question right? Are your workouts long enough? Here’s the good news, I have the answer for you.

Yes*

*the real question is how hard are you going?

I do not put stock in the idea that longer workouts are automatically better or more effective. I think that’s total crap. Scenario: There are two people at a gym. Person A walks at an average pace on the treadmill for 30 minutes (which is clearly not exhausting for this person) and then does a machine circuit without any added weight for 30 minutes (again, clearly not exhausting for this person). Person B does 5 all-out sprints on the treadmill which takes 10 minutes, and then does some quick leg work with weights that are pretty heavy for 10 minutes.

So did Person A have the better workout because they were at the gym for an hour? No! This isn’t to say that Person A’s workout was bad – referring back to the top of my post, I believe that any kind of activity that gets you moving in some way is a good workout; however, that doesn’t mean that short workouts aren’t good enough. If you give your all for 20 minutes, that might be all you need for the day!

There are plenty of days where I just do not want to work out because in my mind, I don’t know that I can push myself for a whole hour to get a ‘complete’ workout in. I stop myself and say “if I can give it my all for 20 minutes, that’s a hell of a lot better than not doing anything.” So today, my advice to you is that even when you just don’t feel like working out (exception: if you are sick or injured) then just give everything you can for 20 minutes, 10 minutes, hell even 5 minutes. Do whatever you can possible muster, because I promise you that those little workouts start adding up and making a difference. Granted, it won’t make an immediate difference, but it will do more for your body then sitting on the couch watching TV will.

My challenge to you is to be active every single day for the next 7 days. Whether it’s a serious workout or taking a 5-10 minute walk that you normally wouldn’t have taken. Even when you’re tired and the last thing you want to do is exercise, do what you can.