What Motivates You?
How come you can’t lose weight and get into the best shape of your life today? You have all the know-how from reading books and websites but still you fail.
Is it because your job is crazy stressful? Kids are taking up all your time? Do you have a disease or preexisting injury sidetracking you? Or you’re just beaten down from trying 100 different things only to fail each time so what’s the point? Wait, let me guess, you are waiting for the perfect moment when you have no other life stress?
Since you don’t have the optimal situation of ample time or genetics then why try, right?
I mean you are really good at watching TV.
The only thing you really need to succeed is motivation or if you saw Rocky – the eye of the tiger. What most people fail to realize is that motivation is a skill and can be cultivated over time. Some people are born with an abundance of motivation, the rest of us need to work on it.
We all have stumbling blocks whether it be kids, work, injuries or insert anything else that takes time. The motivated people don’t use that as an excuse, they work around and find different better ways to get where they want to go. If it is important to you, you’ll make time.
Motivation can make or break a goal. That is why I am going to devote my next two posts to motivation. This post is going to be a primer to see what some of the fitness experts use for motivation. Next week will go into finding your motivation and cultivating it.
Stop waiting for the perfect moment to hit you, you’ll be dead way before then.
Here are 5 fitness experts that were gracious enough to take the time out of their busy schedules to answer the question I asked of them…”What motivates you?”
Gunnar Peterson
Courtesy of facebook.com/GunnarChallenge
Short Bio
Gunnar Peterson is a Beverly Hills-based personal trainer whose clients include celebrities, professional athletes, and everyday people. Gunnar works with each on an individual basis, focusing on achieving long-term results through challenging and constantly varied workouts. He is widely recognized for his expertise in functional training and his commitment to developing and implementing innovative fitness techniques. With over 20 years in the fitness industry, Gunnar’s dynamic approach, boundless energy and humor only add to the effectiveness of the experience his clients enjoy. With a client list as diverse as his training methods, Gunnar emphasizes strength training modalities that can be transferred from the gym to daily life, from training camp to championship game. He has worked with athletes from the NBA, NHL, NFL, MLB, USTA, professional boxing (male AND female!) and various NCAA sports. Many film and television celebrities have also sought Gunnar’s guidance in preparing for roles and have stayed on to become devoted clients, making him part of their fitness regimen.
Motivation
- My kids. I want to be an active participant in their lives for as long as I can. On the field with them not just on the sidelines. I want to run my daughter down the aisle, not walk her!
- My wife. The training keeps me energized so that during the limited free time we have together I can be 100% for her. Not fair to her OR us if I get home and crumble like a house of cards. My workouts fuel me as well as keep me from getting sick so I limit my downtime all around!
- I work so hard to be able to do the things I want when I’m not working. How sad would the equation look if I weren’t PHYSICALLY able to do those things once I was financially able?! So, the old adage of ‘I stay ready so I never have to get ready’ plays on a loop in my head!
- Duh. I have no problem saying it. We live in a visual society. I care about how I look, how I present myself to the world. I try to bring my A game every day-and not a lower case a… I know that Father Time is going to win the fight, but I’m trying to win a few rounds before the final bell.
Links
Cory Gregory
Courtesy of Corygfitness.com
Short Bio
Cory Gregory is the co-founder of Sports Nutrition powerhouse MusclePharm®. He is a dietary and nutrition industry leader and top training expert. As a way to save for college, Cory worked as an underground coal miner until he opened a gym at the age of 20. He quickly earned the reputation as an industry expert in personal training and nutrition.
He has competed in more than 20 power lifting competitions, including a 550 squat and 575 deadlift at 198 pounds and 14 drug-free bodybuilding events. Cory has his exercise specialist certificate from Columbus State and is also NESTA nutrition coach certified, Westside Barbell certified, and a Cross Fit level 1 trainer. Cory has been featured on the cover of 11 fitness magazines. Cory also was recently added to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s fitness advisory board. Cory has learned from and been mentored by some of the biggest names in training and nutrition Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bill Philipps, Louie Simmons, Dr. Eric Serrano, Dr. Mauro DiPasquale, and John Broz.
Motivation
This was transcribed from The #MindsetManual Campus Protein Speech- Cory Gregory – Dustin Myers video sent to me by Cory.
I’m a 4th generation coal miner. So when I looked at all the generations I said it’s not about me, it’s about the next generation. When it becomes bigger than you, when you’re changing generations. I always joke I want my grandkids to say “Grandpa was a G”. That’s what I want. It’s one of those things that, I’m not tired when I get up, the drive is so big. Find your passion and put in that blue collar work.
Links
Charles Poliquin
Courtesy of strengthsensei.com
Short Bio
Charles R Poliquin is recognized as one of the World’s most accomplished strength coaches who attributes his success to the quest for the “magical training program”.
Charles’ quest has lead him to produce hundreds of medals, wins and personal bests for many elite athletes in over 17 different sports including athletes from summer and winter Olympics, the NHL, and NFL. He is known worldwide for producing faster and stronger athletes. As the creator of Poliquin Performance Center, Charles spent years teaching coaches worldwide a better way of getting results with their clients. Now as Strength Sensei he shares his acquired knowledge and wisdom with the emerging leaders in the strength and conditioning field. Now after decades of disciplined research and training he has refined his craft so he can educate the dedicated few who want to maximize their learning so they can bring their results back to their athletes
Charles now dedicates his time to educate strength coaches from around the world so they can produce world class athletes.
Motivation
This was from Charles’ article Staying Motivated at 53 that was sent to me by his team.
There is no reason why hard work does not have to be fun.
One of the keys to strength building success is that you should look forward to your workouts. I use mainly 4 ways to stay motivated.
- Betting
- Verbal wake-up calls
- Trying out new systems.
- Gratefulness.
Now lets look in more detail on how I stay motivated.
- Betting
When I train with fellow colleagues we challenge each other; you do this, I do 20 kg more. Who loses pays breakfast, post-workout shake…whatever. My colleagues and I know each other’s strength and weaknesses, so verbal judo is in full swing when we determine the goals for that day.
- Verbal wake-up calls
Sometimes, an underhand comment will fire me up. For example, last May, in Marbella, Nick Mitchell busted my balls that my forearms were not what they used to be… that they were getting small compared to my arms…Screw that! I trained twice a day every 5 days until they came by to symmetry.
- Talking shop with colleagues
Another way I stay motivated is by simply trying out other training systems, or by talking to successful colleagues like Paul Carter or Ed Coan and trying their approach in training. If you don’t grow, you die. It is true whether you are talking about a business or building strength.
- Being grateful for what you have
I live in area where there are 5 military bases within 30 km. I get to see many war amputees. Whenever I see one, I am thankful for being able to deadlift, squat or even do calf raises.
At the end of the end, I love strength training, and there is no need for discipline when do you do what you love.
Links
http://www.strengthsensei.com/events/list/
Kris Gethin
Courtesy of krisgthin.com
Short Bio
Kris is a Natural Pro Bodybuilder who’s highest ranking was runner-up at the World Bodybuilding Championships. He is the author of the #1 Best Seller Body by Design, The Bodybuilding.com Guide to Your Best Body and The Adventures KAGED MUSCLE. Kris is the CEO of Nutrition by Design, founder of DTP, Director of Gethin Gyms, Main Male Spokesmodel of Bodybuilding.com, Personal Trainer to Bollywood celebrities including John Abraham and Mahesh Babu, he is the Director of Trainers of Physique
Global and CEO of the supplement brand KAGED MUSCLE.
Motivation
Training in the gym isn’t a vanity project, its an opportunity for me to harden my resolve. With challenge of making each workout harder, more intense, bone bending, and sacrificing makes me feel conditioned to challenges in other aspects of my life. I know that every time accomplish success through finding failure in the gym, I accomplish more success outside of it. The discipline, courage, appreciation and opportunities found under resistance allows me to turn impossibilities and weaknesses into possibilities and strenghts within my relationships, career, confidence, interaction and energy. Training isnt just about motivation, its a necessity to my therapy and health.
Links
Nick Tumminello
Courtesy of nicktumminello.com
Short Bio
“A bit of an outsider…”
That’s how Nick Tumminello describes himself in the fitness industry. He’s an independent thinker who avoids falling in line with the crowd. His goal is to provide practical solutions that deliver specific results.
Nick’s hybrid approach to training allows him to leverage the tools, knowledge and skills of many disciplines and methods to help his clients and to educate other trainers how to deliver results.
As early as his teenage years Nick knew that he wanted to be a trainer. His early influence came from his mother, growing up in a gym watching her prepare for bodybuilding competitions. She’ll tell you that “Nick grew up on iron and sweat.”
As a way to connect Nick and his mother attended fitness events and conferences from the time he was 16 years old.
Personal training is the only ‘real job’ nick’s ever known. But, his story isn’t common. Not being one to fall in line with the crowd Nick never attended college or got a degree. He graduated high school as an average student. He worked hard to accumulate a lot of on the job experience and despite his distaste for structured education Nick was very interested in learning.
After being fired from his first two personal training jobs due to his independent thinking and lack of needing to ‘fit in’ he went off on his own to start a business.
Training and fitness aren’t a hobby to Nick. This is a profession that he’s very passionate about.
It would be easy to confuse Nick as a ‘science guy’ due to his ability to challenge thoughts and ideas, the way he respects the scientific process and critical thinking. However, he’s most excited by the application and end results that the information he learns and the ideas he creates can produce. “Studies and research are great, but if there is no practical application there is no need”
Motivation
I’ve never cared about chasing weight room numbers because I’ve never wanted to be a weightlifter. I go to the gym to stay “in-shape,” which means that I’m interested in keeping my body looking pretty good while also staying fairly athletic. So, what keeps me motivated is that I don’t have to say motivated because I’m not interested in organizing my entire life around kitchens, gyms, and bathrooms. I simply enjoy challenging myself and my body and reaping the physical and mental rewards that come from it in both the short and long-term.
Links
There you have it. Five people at the top of their game with 5 different sources of motivation. Vanity, health, changing generations whatever it may be, find the reason you want to change and use that.
Next week I’ll help give you a system to cultivate that motivation to make you unstoppable.
I’d like to thank again the people that took the time out of their busy schedules to write or send something back to me.
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Dave
