Training is like Farming from Mike Boyle

Many of the people I follow are extremely educated and have a unique take of many things from business to training. Mike Boyle is one of the best and I liked what he wrote to day so I thought I would share it.

If you ever want to see what it is like to truly take training to another level follow mike at:

http://www.FunctionalStrengthCoach3.com
http://www.OnlineBodybyBoyle.com

Enjoy his article.

I think I remember Stephen Covey in his book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People making reference to what I believe he called “the law of the farm.” The reference was meant to show that most of the truly good things in life take time and can’t be forced or rushed. Covey described the process of farming and alluded to how it requires patience and diligence to grow crops properly. In addition, farming requires belief in the system. The farmer must believe that all the hard work and preparation will eventually yield a long-term result.
As a strength and conditioning coach, business owner and personal trainer, the concept has always stuck with me. The process of exercising is much like farming or like planting a lawn. There are no immediate results from exercise and there are no immediate results from farming.

First, the seeds must be planted. Then fertilizer (nutrition) and water must be applied consistently. Much like fertilizer in farming, too much food can be a detriment to the exerciser. Only the correct amounts cause proper growth. Overfeeding can cause problems, as can underfeeding. As I sit and wait for my lawn to sprout or crops to grow, I feel many of the same frustrations of the new exerciser. When will I see results? How come nothing is happening? All this work and — nothing.

The key is to not quit. Have faith in the process. Continue to add water and wait. Farming and exercising are eerily similar. Continue to exercise and eat well and suddenly a friend or co-worker will say, “Have you lost weight”? Your reaction might be, “It’s about time someone noticed.” Much like the first blades of grass poking through the ground, you begin to see success. You begin to experience positive feedback. Clothes begin to fit differently.

When my friends or clients talk to me about their frustration with their initial lack of progress in an exercise program, I always bring up the farm analogy. We live in a world obsessed with quick fixes and instant results. This is why the farm analogy can be both informative and comforting.
An exercise program must be approached over a period of weeks and months, not days. The reality is that there is no quick fix, no easy way, no magic weight loss plan, no secret cellulite formula. There is only the law of the farm. You will reap what you sow. In reality, you will reap what you sow and care for. If you are consistent and diligent with both diet and exercise, you will eventually see results. However, remember, much like fertilizer and water, diet and exercise go together.

Try to grow crops or a lawn without water. No amount of effort will overcome the lack of vital nutrients.
The law of the farm.
Plant the seeds.
Feed and water properly.
Wait for results; they will happen, not in days, but in weeks and months.

Add This One Thing To Every Results Only Workout and You Will See Your Abs In No Time.

Training is hard enough but when you dont always see your results form your effort you can really get discouraged.  EPOC is a term being thrown around by informed trainers these days and this video will give you the lowdown on why you need to know what it means.

 

 

There you have it.  Introduce this one simple tip into your current routine and you will be thrilled with your results in no time flat.

 

A Nosy Mom Story About Fitness!

Anyone who has ever worked with me personally or in my group training knows I am about accountability. So one of the things I am having my clients do this month is to make a huge effort to make fitness a priority. To do this, I am asking all of them to put their workouts down as an appointment in their calendar.

Why would I ask them to do this?

Simple. I deal with powerful and busy people. And they are constantly being pulled in different 20 directions.

  • Board meetings
  • Carpool
  • After school activities
  • Family obligations
  • Business trips, etc.

What often gets left off? Exercise.

If you schedule exercise into your week at the beginning of each month, you will see that you are less likely to miss your training.

Think I am nuts? Let me give you an example.

I have one client that changes the way she fills in her Blackberry calendar. Instead of “exercise” or “training”, she writes “MENTAL HEALTH THERAPY”.

In this woman’s world if she does not get her workout in she feels sluggish, out of sorts, and is normally cranky (her words) if she misses a workout.

She tells the story of how someone was looking over her shoulder one day. The nosy mom said “Why don’t we schedule a breakfast meeting for our book club?”

My client said, “Sure when would you like to meet?” As the busybody woman looked at my client’s Blackberry calendar, she was shocked to see that this woman needed therapy 5 days a week. She must have thought she was truly out of her mind and clearly stayed away from scheduling the meeting anywhere around the appointment.

This worked wonders in two ways: 1) She was able to get her workout in and 2) Now she even had time to get cleaned up after her training. Nice!

I have had other clients use similar tactics when scheduling their workouts:

Cardiologist – This reminds him that he has heart issues and if he misses his appointment, he will spend his time in a waiting room instead of a weight room.

Blind Date – One of my clients was a young single woman who had just lost 70 lbs. She used this as a motivator to keep her from putting the weight back on so that she would never need to go on another blind date again.

Plastic Surgeon – This was another client’s way of saying she always wanted to look vibrant. She was deathly afraid of needles and never wanted to go under the knife for surgery. A little vain, but it works for her!

Accountant – Some people consider me an accountant. I keep them accountable and it is easy to say I need to meet with my accountant and people would never think of making you miss an appointment with the tax man.

Got a good one for me?

I would love to hear about it! I am sure there are tons more out there. Post your comments below and and tell me your code words or secrets for exercise.

For now, get your calendar or planner and schedule in your workouts for this month. AND don’t miss any of them. I promise you will thank me for it at the end of the month.

Check out the new Results Only Gym!!

The new gym has been going gangbusters since the last time I wrote to you. It’s been a blast! Clients love the new environment, the extra space, the equipment and all the exciting programming we provide.

Here are two pictures for you to see what the gym looks like.

Jealous? Don’t be!

I will make sure you have access to a lot of the same programming soon enough. Everything we do at Results Only is based on a tried and true proven system.

For over 15 years, I have successfully used time-tested tools including interval training, circuits and food logs with my clients. And over the years, I’ve been able to add a few new tools like iPod workouts to help people with their fitness goals.

The more success my personal training and group training clients have, the less you have to worry about figuring out on your own what works best. I have figured it all out for you. And will make it available to you very soon!

I know that you are a person of integrity and discipline. Why else would you subscribe to my newsletter? However, there are tons of people out there that make excuse after excuse for why they do not make time to eat healthy and exercise.

I know you don’t make excuses, but you may know people who do.

Last week’s feature article, “Negative People Stink and So Do Their Lame Excuses, addressed 6 of the most common excuses I’ve heard. The language may vary, but I figure if I can equip you with answers for those negative statements you might be able to help the people around you.

Sometimes it also helps to see the answers again and again. Just in case you have a bad day yourself.

Results Only … it’s not just a name, it’s a lifestyle!