The Secret to Every Successful Diet And Fitness Program
Sometimes the big secret to doing something is just showing up. In this article from TFW Founder, Martin Rooney, he will help you overcome the possible fear and doubt you may currently have about joining a fitness program. Enjoy the article and I hope you find what you should really be fearful of.
People are naturally afraid of things like heights, snakes and spiders. Put most children and adults up on something really high or hand them a python and they will give you the same reaction.
Fortunately for you (unless you are a skydiver or collector of reptiles,) you probably don’t have to elicit these inborn fear responses very often. Unfortunately for you, however, since there are centers of your brain always on the hunt for things of which to be afraid, when old fears start to disappear from your life, your brain is excellent at creating new ones.
I see this fear creation ability first hand at almost every gym I visit around the world.
Recently we held an orientation for the new members of our TFW program. I thought this hour-long event was to introduce and explain to the 25 new people about the program and how to best benefit from the training, but I was wrong.
Instead, I realized I had to remove the fear all of these people have about joining and participating in an exercise program.
How did I know?
Terror is easy to read on the faces of your audience when you are standing in front of them.
A new member of a fitness program is easy to spot. When the new members entered the building last night, I could immediately recognize most of them were anxious.
Unlike walking into a movie theater, restaurant, or mall for the first time, these people were downright apprehensive.
I was saddened when I saw this behavior, because I realized the current message about exercise being portrayed to people must be too “extreme,” “insane,” and “hardcore.”
Gone are the days that people gladly get a new pair of running shoes, an outfit and join the gym. Now people procrastinate searching the web about training only to get terrified and confused by the concept of having to go “Paleo” and the prospect of tearing off the palm of your hand after switching to “beast mode.”
To be clear, exercise is not scary. And at TFW we will prove it.
You see, sitting on the couch and eating fast food is scary. Lifting a bar with weights off the floor while working out is not dangerous. Lifting too much food to your mouth without working out is dangerous.
Running, jumping and sweating is not going to disable you.
Cancer, diabetes and heart disease will disable you.
Fitness is not the enemy here. Obesity (which can be the cause of all the other diseases I mentioned) is the enemy here and I want you to be more afraid of that.
During the evening, as I talked about the expectations for the program, I could see the fear start to melt away. The initial anxious scowls were turned into optimistic smiles.
But I had to wonder:
“What about all the people that didn’t come tonight because they were too afraid? What about the people around the world that walk up to a gym door, but can’t muster the courage to open it and walk in?”
That was the moment I knew I had to write this in hopes at least one reader is empowered to use the “Most Important Aspect of a Successful Fitness Program.”
The highlight of the orientation was not me presenting, but my wife and another TFW veteran named Michael sharing the results our program has produced for them. Both testimonials about how the program has helped them in terms of weight loss, muscle gain and the reduction of health risks was valuable, but each of them shared the secret to succeeding at anything:
YOU HAVE TO SHOW UP!
Michael let the group know he spends his days driving for work and had gained over 50 pounds. He knew he was eating the wrong things. He knew exercise was important. He heard it from both his doctor and his kids.
Notches on his belts his tailor was telling him too. But he said nothing happened until he committed and SHOWED UP the first day. My wife shared similar challenges and just the simple action of SHOWING UP wiped that fear away enough to let her get started.
Do any of these make you nervous about starting something new?
- Fear of Failure
- Fear of Change
- Fear of Injury
- Fear of Rejection
- Fear of Reality
If you are fearful about starting anything new like a fitness program, career choice, musical instrument or even writing a blog, the secret of SHOWING UP will make those nerves go away.
Action is the magical cure to your fears and you don’t need a prescription to get it. Action is where the fear ends and the excitement begins.
SHOW UP and you can no longer let the first step be what’s holding you back.
SHOW UP and your calling, art, passion becomes more believable.
SHOW UP and your potential will start to come through.
The first thing I did at the orientation was congratulate the attendees on his or her courage. When they looked back quizzically, I reminded them they had already taken the most courageous step: they SHOWED UP.
Now I am challenging you.
You are letting your fears hold you back from something. Whether it is your fitness, family, work or passion, you know the world is waiting for more. At Training For Warriors, we ask you to be a warrior.
A warrior is defined as a fighter.
A warrior is also defined as being brave.
And bravery is not the absence of fear, it is SHOWING UP in spite of it.
Time to SHOW UP,
Martin
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