Destroy All Doubts, Part One

I hated every minute of training, but I said, 'Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.' -- Muhammad Ali

Five minutes into my kettlebell workout last night that common negative thought entered my mind: “Ah, why don’t you just quit?  You can workout tomorrow.”  In fact, I am completely convinced that part of undertaking a fitness regimen is to train not only your body, but your mind.  Staying motivated sometimes feels more difficult than sixty minutes of high intensity cardio. It’s so easy to procrastinate and put it off “until tomorrow.” However, waiting to feel motivated to exercise can actually backfire. Motivation is something you have to work at every day.

Here at 'Potamus Power, we want you to feel motivated and healthy.  So … how do we combat those negative motivation killers?  Here’s wave one of the 'Potamus Power Motivation Plan:

Mix It Up!

It is so easy to get bored if you are doing the same thing day after day.  Your intensity level will eventually start to decrease because you’ve done it all before.  Instead of improving on your results, you eventually begin to feel stagnant and as if you are just going through the motions.  Two things result from this: 1) you don’t see any improvement and 2) you feel less motivated because you’re bored and … because number 1 has got you feeling down.

When you ask your body to consistently do more, it physiologically adapts to the increased demand. So mix it up!  I workout five-six times a week and I try not to repeat anything from day to day.  I work in DDP Yoga, weights & kettlebell training, bicycle riding, jogging, swimming, playing softball and a number of different things over the course of a week.  This keeps me engaged and also continues to ‘shock’ the body into results.  I also make sure to include a recovery day each week ... sometimes the best exercise you can do is to not over-exercise.

Write It Down!

You have goals (weight loss, increase strength, etc.) so write those suckers down!  Also write down WHY you workout (feel better, look better, run a marathon) and keep this information readily available to gently remind yourself to focus.  Keep a fitness journal (or use one of the many apps available on your phone) to track your progress.

*  Start with small goals - It's easier to stick with exercise when your goal is to walk an extra 10 minutes each day or get up early for a short yoga workout.
*  Plan ahead - Plan your workouts and prepare for them ahead of time so you're not tempted to skip them.
*  Make exercise a priority - Is exercise really important to you or do you just want it to be? Figuring out what you really want can help you set your priorities.
*  Forget weight loss - It may be easier to commit to exercise if you're not worried about getting results.

Crank it Up!

"Music has always been a matter of Energy to me, a question of Fuel. Sentimental people call it Inspiration, but what they really mean is Fuel. I have always needed Fuel. I am a serious consumer. On some nights I still believe that a car with the gas needle on empty can run about fifty more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio." -- Hunter S. Thompson

‘Nuff said!

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June 10 2014
KING RICH
Weight:  186.2 lbs
BMI:  26.7
Body Fat:  25.0%

*  How accurate are these numbers?  Huh ... I don't really know.  But I am using the Weight Watchers by Conair Scales Glass Body Analysis Scale Model WW52 to measure my stats.  I am less concerned with the accuracy of the numbers themselves and more concerned with the change I hope to see in the future.  For consistency's sake, these stats will always come from the same source and appear with my bi-weekly posts. 

Most Recent 5K
JLGC Flashback 5K
League City TX
Official Time:  39:06.5
Improvement:  1:02.5

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