Have you ever noticed how hard it is to stick to something that you don’t enjoy doing? Throughout my professional career I’ve encountered many people who actually want to exercise, but simply don’t find it enjoyable. What’s interesting, however, is that I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t enjoy the benefits of regular exercise (eg. better sleep, less stress, mental focus). So today I’ll go over a few ways you can enjoy regular exercise and enjoy the benefits as well!

If I’m to be honest, I’ve gone through seasons in my life where I didn’t enjoy working out. I enjoyed benefits of working out, just not the process. Then one day it finally dawned on me:

people only stick to things they enjoy doing 🙂 

From that moment on I made the decision to only focus on exercises that I enjoy doing.

For instance, with cardio I prefer running instead of doing “burpee” exercises because I hate doing burpees. In the same way, whenever I run it’s always outside because running on a treadmill is too boring for me. The key is that whether I do 100 burpees, run outside, or run on a treadmill – I’m still enjoying the benefits of cardio.

The beauty of exercise is that it’s broad. It’s so easy to forget that exercise is not just limited to the gym, weights, and 2-hour workouts. I actually had a friend once tell me: “Emmanuel I simply don’t workout anymore because I find it boring. I love racquetball though, I could play it for hours”. Little did my friend know that playing racquetball IS his workout! Perhaps he didn’t realize this all along because he finds racquetball so effortlessly enjoyable.

In the same way I issue you this exactly challenge. I challenge you to find at least one activity that you enjoy doing so much that it doesn’t seem like exercise.

Because at the end of the day, exercise is nothing more than “moving while having fun”!

Key Takeaways:

• Going through seasons where you don’t feel like working out is normal
• Exercise isn’t limited to just the gym
• Find something that you enjoy doing that doesn’t seem like exercise

Often times when we want to get started on a huge task (let say, losing weight) it’s very easy to get hung up on how long things will take. The term “paralysis by analysis” is a phenomena that occurs when one over-analyzes a situation to the point of not taking any action (eg. “what happens if I don’t lose any weight after 3 months?”). The reality is, you wont know what results you’ll have 3 months from now until you take today’s first step.

Therefore, the focus of today’s Monday Boost is to spur you into action by simply taking that first step!

 

The Reason We Don’t Get Started

One component that keeps us from getting started is the psychological mechanism known as the “fight or flight” response. In short: Fear and anxiety causes us not to take a first step due to protecting one’s self. As a result, we never give ourselves the opportunity to grow and try something new (Note: This is also the environment in which the skill of procrastination, another fear-based mechanism, takes place).

So How Can I Get Out of this Fear-Based Over-Analyzing and Procrastination Emmanuel?!

Have you ever jogged down a slanted road, or slowly rode a bike downhill? The force that begins to “carry you” moments later is called MOMENTUM! This is exactly what I want for your fitness journey!

The key is: All momentum starts with one small step in the right direction.

And another step.

And then another.

Before you know it, all these small daily steps (momentum) you’ve built over time begins carrying you to you goal! See how simple that is?

Take another look at the image for this post. I started with a light jog downhill and by the time this photo was snapped I was almost nearing full stride!

Now it’s YOUR turn:

Let go of any missed opportunities in the past by recognizing that procrastination is something that most people struggle with (myself included). Make a bold decision today to take small, tiny steps towards your goal each day and let’s ride that wave of momentum together!

Key Takeaways:

• Over-analyzing leads to inactivity
• All it takes is one step small step to get momentum started
• Momentum is a collection of small steps over time

Having been raised in a medical family, I’m well aware of how poor and unbalanced diets can lead to various diseases and cancers. And although adding a couple of fruits and veggies to our daily diets isn’t guaranteed to be the “end all, be all” to a disease – it’s certainly a great place to start.

As we begin looking at natural food sources as “natural medicine”, we start realizing that our bodies are made to function a certain way.

DAILY FIT CHALLENGE!: Start today by picking just ONE fruit or veggie that you enjoy and add it to what you normally eat each day (See! Who says you can’t enjoy a cookie AND an apple 🙂 )!

Personally I enjoy my fruits and veggies through the form of a smoothie as shown above, but regardless, the key takeaway for today’s Monday Boost is balance and moderation! So let’s take our natural medicine NOW so we can avoid prescription medicine later!

Related Video: How to Eat More Veggies

Key Takeaways:

• Natural foods are another form of medicine
• Practice balance and moderation by adding one piece of fruit or veggie to your regular meals

In today’s “microwave generation” of shortcuts and instant gratification we see these effects play out in our everyday lives, not just in one area, but in all areas, and perhaps the most troubling part is that the disorganized person who practices their disorganization privately is sure to also display these same traits in a public form as well, even at the expense of implementing safety hazards for others, however, such a “culturally accepted environment” also goes to show a lack of leadership in the ability of others to set a good precedent in taking the initiative to help keep public areas clean, regardless of others abandoning their individual duties to clean up after themselves, that being said, I’d like to challenge everyone to appreciate the value of equipment, recognize the impact that photos like these have on your personal safety, and to consider the message that it speaks to others when you pick up after yourself, I encourage you, at the expense of writing the “World’s Longest run-on sentence”, to NOT BE THAT GUY!

(Okay I feel better now, rant complete. 🙂 )

Key Takeaway:

• Practice picking up your weights after yourself to provide a safe workout environment

“One year from now you’re gonna wish you started a year ago.” -anonymous

This quote is something that I keep in the back of my mind whenever I feel like “the ship has already sailed”. The reason it’s difficult to begin a task after taking time off is often because we start considering where we could or should be. The alternative to this, of course, is to focus on where we’re currently at.

In workout consistency, I discussed how it took me a long time to finally begin playing the guitar consistently. Initially, I had every intention of playing my guitar every day and getting really good at it. However, the “busyness of life” took over and before I knew it five years had passed without me knowing how to play much of anything at all! At that point I could have thrown in the towel, chalked it up as “wasn’t meant to be”, and just sold my guitar. But instead I recognized that in five more years from now I’ll have yet another opportunity to gain back that same five years of experience.

The key takeaway here is to… [*wait for it*] – GET STARTED NOW!

What are some improvement areas in your health and fitness that are “better late than never”? A 5k run? A meal prep plan? A lean body? Perhaps taking the first step means starting a new gym membership.

One of the things that keeps us feeling youthful and vigorous is keeping an optimistic outlook towards the future. In life, when we tell ourselves that it’s “better late than never” we give ourselves another opportunity to make things right. We know that we prioritize the things most important to us, so why not take advantage of time management strategies like Mini-Habits to get started? 🙂

Those of you who truly want this will have no problem getting started TODAY!

Trust me, your future-self will thank you 😉

Key Takeaways:

• Focus on where you’re currently at (today), rather than where you “should or would” be
• Starting “late” rather than never
• We will always be able to make time for things that are important to us
• A year from now you’ll be grateful you started a year ago

After graduating college in 2011, I landed a job in a different city where I had no friends or relatives. I quickly found myself bored with tons of free time on my hands. It wasn’t long before I decided that starting a gym membership was a great opportunity to be around other people.

Yep, you read that right – my initial motivation for starting a gym membership was to get out of the house and meet people. However, it’s the personal development I’ve gained through exercise that keeps me going, seven years later.

For example, I’ve always been an organized person but it wasn’t until I got involved with habit-based exercise that I developed traits such as discipline. As a result I started gaining more and more self-confidence as my body began to change. Results led to more confidence, and that confidence ultimately led to more self-discipline!

The confidence and discipline I gained from working out started translating into other areas of my life as well.

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What about you? Perhaps you’ve been working out consistently for a while now and have also experienced similar personal development as well. As a personal trainer, I can attest to witnessing the following growth characteristics in many of my clients, regardless of age or gender:

• self-confidence
• optimistic outlook of the future
• charisma
• charm
• less self-awareness
• increased self-respect
• discipline and organization
• autonomy

As you advance in your exercise journey you’ll begin noticing different personal development traits such as these. Ultimately, my desire for you is to develop these traits through consistent exercise so that they develop into other areas of your life. This is where exercise meets daily life!

Choose to make a long-term investment in yourself through regular exercise, today.

Your future self will thank you 🙂

Key Takeaways:

• Personal development from regular exercise keep you going
• Fundamental characteristics from routine exercise translate into other areas of your life
• Invest in yourself through regular exercise

Free weights: “Strength and Size”

Today at your local gym you’ll likely find more of the experienced lifters using free weights. This is not by mistake. Maintaining proper lifting form while moving a free weight requires a concentrated effort. This is why I look at stationary machines and cables machines as more of a “safety” pre-requisite. Nevertheless, lifting free weights comes with its own set of benefits as well.

One of the first things you’ll notice while lifting these type of weights is that you’ll start to experience soreness, more frequently, and in more areas. This increased soreness is actually a good thing as your body learns to grow and adapt to higher stress demands. Furthermore, this soreness indicates that you’re activating ALL your muscles and not just the primary ones.

For instance, there are several “assisting muscles” that are actually inhibited when performing arm curls on a stationary machine, whereas with free weight arm curls you’re activating your core, glute muscles (stabilizers), and even secondary muscles like your chest.

If you are fairly new to using free weights it’s always a good idea to start off light and then gradually increase in weight. As a matter of fact, it’s always a good idea to start off “light” regardless of experience because doing so will help you develop proper technique. As you continue along your fitness journey don’t forget that person growth is a process! Encourage yourself each week by keeping track of your progress with each machines, cables and free weight exercise. Good luck!

Try starting with these! Here are six common free weight exercises that you’ll be able to do in just anywhere:

• DB bicep curls

• Triceps extensions (bent over)

• Dumbbell back rows

• DB shoulder press

• Dumbbell chest bench press

• DB squats

Key Takeaways:

Free weights…

• are the most advanced of the three types of weight lifting
• promote stabilization and core activation
• should be increased gradually to avoid injury

Cables Machines: “Stabilization and Control”

Although I utilize all three types of exercise equipment, cable machines are hands down my favorite! If you’re new to working out I recommend cables as a great way to mix up your routine. I look at cables machines as the intermediate bridge between novice stationary machines and advanced free weights. Cable machines are different in that they offer a unique combination of strength, stability and control.

Most cable machines come with detachable hooks to work out the same muscle group at multiple angles. Generally speaking, cables are mostly used for upper body and core exercises, but with some creativity you can even utilize cable machines for your legs as well. These machines differ from other weights in that the focus is solely on muscular endurance, that is, cables are ideal for anyone whose goal is to remain physically active.

When utilizing cable weights, the emphasis is usually on “high repetitions-low weight”. This allows the user to gain quality contractions without placing as much strain on the joints and ligaments. This is particularly significant for those who are either rehabbing an injury or getting older in age. When used correctly, cables can be a great way to stay lean and fit without having to worry about injuries down the line.

Try starting with these! Here are six of the most common cable exercises that you do in just about any gym :

• • Bicep cable curls

   

   

  • Triceps cable pull-downs

  

   

  • Chest fly cables

   

   

  • Back rows cables

   

   

  • Shoulder press

   

   

  • Cable squats

  

   

   

  Next: “Different Equipment, Different Goals”: Free Weights
   

  Key Takeaways:

  Cables…

  • offer a unique combination of strength, stability and control
  • emphasizes higher repetitions and lower weights
  • ideal for older population and rehab patients

Weight lift Machines: “Recommended for the Beginner”

Ah, the lovely weight lift machines.

Back when I did personal training at the gym I would always start new clients off with weight lift machines for a few good reasons. For one, weight lift machines are the easiest to use due to their controlled design. Not only does this helps minimize injury, but it also eliminates the likelihood of improper lifting form.

Another thing I appreciate about weight lift machines is that they usually carry visuals on the targeted body muscle group, as well as instructions on how to properly operate them. I’ve had clients in the past who’ve shared how they felt self-conscious about looking “silly” in front of people because they didn’t know what to do. The good thing about using these machines when starting off is that everything is set up for you to look like a gym pro right away!

Try starting with these! Here are five of the most common weight machines that you’ll find at just about any gym:

• Bicep curl machine

• Chest fly machine

 
• Triceps press machine



 
• Back row machine



 
• Leg press machine



 

Next: “Different Equipment, Different Goals”: Cables 

 

Key Takeaways:

Machines…

• are ideal for beginners
• easily lets you know which muscle group you’re activating
• enables the gym novice to look good right away when first starting out

 

You and I are creatures of habits. It’s amazing how many decisions are made in our daily lives without thinking. Some studies even show that subconscious habit makes up 40% of our daily actions! Therefore, in order to keep that ‘40%’ full of healthy actions we’ll discuss how to change unhealthy habits with “mini habits”.

One misconception about habits is that they take a lot of effort to build, but I disagree. Nature shows us that a small snowball rolling downhill will eventually get bigger and stronger with enough momentum. The snowball doesn’t require much “effort” once it gets going. In the same way, we’ll use effortless mini habits to build daily momentum towards our goals.

There’s a saying that goes “success is built upon success”. Fortunately this quote never mentions how big the success has to be! Think of a mini-habit as a daily task towards your goal that’s SO simple that it’s hard not to do it every day. For instance:

• If your goal is to improve your gym consistency, start a mini habit of driving past your local gym on the way home each day (nothing more!)
• If you want to build a strong core, start a mini habit of simply laying in sit-up position on the ground for a few seconds (yep! that’s it!)
• If you want to drink more water each day, start a mini habit of simply filling up a water bottle (I didn’t even say you had to drink it!)

“Great! But isn’t this a little TOO simple…what’s the catch?”

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Mini habits are designed to get you comfortable with taking the first step towards your new goal (a healthier habit).

Therefore, these too-easy-not-to-do mini-habits simply serve as your “daily bare minimum” accomplishment for the day. However, I assure you it won’t be long before you naturally feel compelled to do more simply because you “might as well”. You’ll figure:

• “I’m already driving by the gym each day (mini habit accomplished), I might as well go inside on the treadmill for a couple minutes”
• “I’m already down here in sit-up position (mini habit accomplished), I might as well do a couple”
• “I’ve already filled my water bottle (mini habit accomplished), I might as well drink some”

Remember: The “mini habit accomplished” is your main goal, anything else is an extra bonus.

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Furthermore, I would seriously recommend making your momentum visible by utilizing a journal or checklist calendar. Keeping track of your progress this way is a great way to see your “success building upon itself”. Seeing your daily momentum gives yourself a satisfying sense of accomplishment every day. The longer your daily “success streak” gets, the more you’ll want to keep it alive.

And boom – you’ve just created discipline without even realizing it.

Let’s get that snowball rollin 🙂

Key Takeaway:

• New habits are best acquired through daily momentum
• Daily momentum is best sustained through simple, mini habits
• A mini-habit (baby step) is something that’s “too-easy-not-to-do“
• Keep track of your daily progress in a journal or calendar checklist

As physical beings, we’re naturally inclined to focus on the physical whenever we get tired during a workout. However, the reality is that mental fatigue almost always precedes physical fatigue. Today’s professional athletes are well aware of how the mind effects bodily response. In Power of Imagination, we discussed one mental approach in helping to enhance our workouts. Today we’ll go over two more ways we can enhance our workouts mentally.

1) Perceived Strength

We have the ability to alter our minds into thinking the weight we’re lifting isn’t as physically strenuous as it really is!

 

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Our perception of a task has a direct impact on our mental gains. For example, instead of looking at 35-pound dumb bells as 35 pounds, envision them as weighing only 25-pounds and watch how your body responds accordingly! Sometimes I’ll even go as far as talking to the weights out loud to reinforce things mentally:

“C’mon, c’mon! Squeeze! Light weight! Light weight! Too easy!”

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Thankfully, this mental strategy works ideal for when we’re already fatigued and working through a set. Obviously, the best part is that we actually are lifting heavier than what we’re projecting. This works out great because now we’re building strength from our mental gains.

2) The Mental Process of Staying in the Moment

While recently working out I decided to switch things up by lifting lighter weights with higher repetitions (about 20). However, I was struggling to complete the full set of 20 reps as I became fatigued towards the end. At this point I decided not to worry about end results, and instead, focus on each individual moment.

In other words, instead of focusing on the entire set, I refocused my attention on completing just “one rep”, 20-consecutive times.

 

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This type of process strategy allowed me to stay in the moment and mentally reset after each rep. Perhaps one the greatest benefits is that it allows you to refocus all your energy on the now. The next time you’re struggling through a set just remind yourself to slow things down and refocus on what you’re trying to accomplish. The results will speak for themselves!

Things to Keep in…Mind

Developing mental gains is a skill that requires practice. Ultimately, both strength and mental gains compliment each other due to the synergizing efforts of our mind and body (ie. picture your brain as your entire body). So even if you’re a beginner weightlifter, it’s paramount that you begin looking at your exercises as mental-workouts because the more you stimulate the mind the stronger you become!

Key Takeaways:

• Mental fatigue precedes physical fatigue
• Our perception of a task has a direct impact on our mental gains
• Refocus all your mental energy on the now
• Developing mental gains is a skill that requires practice

When designing this blog, I wanted to keep in mind those of us who don’t always have the time and money for a monthly gym membership. In this case, body weight exercises are the next best thing.

One of the more obvious benefits to body weight exercises is that you can do them anywhere without the need for any equipment. This particularly comes in handy when you find yourself traveling a lot with unpredictable schedules.

The following are a list of benefits for body weight exercises:

• Helps maintain and establish lean muscle mass
• Convenient and easy to modify
• Safer on joints and ligaments
• Smaller muscles get worked, along with larger groups of muscles simultaneously
• Emphasizes core stabilization and balance
• Use your own body for cardio

Personally, I like to use body weight exercises as a building block for other gym exercises. For instance, at one point I was doing hundreds of push-ups each day. Doing all of these push-ups didn’t necessarily make me look or feel much stronger right away. However, once I went back to lifting heavy weights at the gym again I noticed that my chest was able to handle a lot more strain than before!

The same thing started happening with my legs. I started practicing dozens of body weight squats at home and before I knew it I had established a firm foundation for squatting with heavy weights.

Building a strong fundamental keeps you process-minded and is essential for any task you take on in life.

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Therefore, I encourage you to practice the following body weight exercises on your own!:

Lunges (legs):

Squats (legs/gluts):

Jumping Jacks (cardio exercise):

Bicycle crunches (abs/core strength):

Push-ups (chest):

Push-ups alternatives (beginner/easier):

Shoulder taps (chest/core stability):

Bridges (gluts/hip stability):

Planks (abs/core stability):

Scissor-kicks (abs):

Box Jumps (legs/cardio):

Superman holds! (back):

BONUS: Learn how to turn these workouts into a High Intensity Cardio Circuit!:

Key Takeaways:

• Implementing body weight exercise routines are a great alternative to going to the gym
• One of the main benefits to body weight exercises is that it is convenient and schedule-friendly
• Body weight exercises are great for building a foundation for weight machines and heavier lifting

As kids, we often imagine ourselves as our favorite comic book heroes, athletes  and action figures. Boys dream about being “Like Mike” shooting hoops. Girls fantasize about having the “dream guy” from classic Rom-Coms. However, somewhere along the line we stopped using these imaginations as we entered into “the real world” of adulthood.

But what if we can use our imagination to boost our workouts?

 

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Whenever I find myself in a workout “funk” (which is more often than you think), I like to take the focus off my apathetic mood and onto something more invigorating.

Simply put: If my mindset isn’t engaged and focused, why not transform my mind into someone who is? 

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For instance, if I’m feeling “tired and disinterested” during my workout, I’d be much more effective envisioning myself in the shoes of an Army Commander preparing his troops for battle. Such a mindset helps keep the focus on the “task at hand” (rather than how we feel at the moment).

I mean think about it. What’s easier: constantly staring at how much time is left on your treadmill, or imagining yourself running on an indefinite, stress-free cross country jog like Forrest Gump?

Staying motivated is a challenge we all face throughout our workout journeys. Our minds easily get distracted with things like how we feel, who’s watching us at the gym, and how our day went. One key benefit of using our imagination is that it keeps us engaged in our workouts while allowing our minds to drift. This strategy is particularly effective with overcoming self-conscious fear myths.

With consistent exercise you’ll inevitably face mental hurdles from time to time. This is why I try to equip you with as many mental strategies as possible. Learning how to overcome these mental hurdles is another step forward in becoming the strongest version of yourself.

Key Takeaways:

• Transform an apathetic mindset into an engaged one
• Tapping into your imagination during exercise is a great way to overcome mental hurdles when you need that extra “boost”
• Using our imagination keeps us engaged in our workouts while allowing our minds to drift

“5… 4… 3… 2… 1… Happy New Year!!!”

Year after year there’s excitement to start off the New Year “fresh” by vowing to break bad habits and gain new skills. After all, we all know the universal New Year’s Day mantra: “This is it! This is my year! Time to take this year by storm and make the changes into a better new me!” 

Unfortunately, statistics show every year how this “new year, new me” phenomena is almost always short-lived. Some statistics even show how most New Year’s resolutions don’t even make it past January. But why? Thus, I present to you…New Day Resolutions!

 

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That’s right: Here at Daily Fit Boost each day is a clean slate!

 

After all, if we really want to implement changes in our lifestyle why wait for a new year, right? By using each day as a new launching pad, not only do you reinforce your personal desires each day, you also begin to appreciate the value of each day.

No other person has expressed this philosophy better than Head Football Coach Chip Kelly who coaches with the mantra “Win the Day”. This mindset to win each day eventually turns into habit. Even if you’ve had a “bad day” and didn’t reach your goals, winning each day enables you to start each day afresh.

So what would one “win” look like for you today? Is it doing one push-up for the day? Is it arranging your gym clothes the night before?  Perhaps drinking more water than usual?

In my experience, the feeling of 365 daily victories is more satisfying than attaining one victory at the end of your goal.

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So challenge yourself to make incremental changes daily instead of yearly. Start today with win #1! Before you know it, you’ll start noticing these daily victories leading to overall motivation and confidence.

Key Takeaways:

• It’s proven year after year that New Year Resolutions are not ideal for success.
• It’s much better to reinforce your goals (resolutions) each day to build habit
• The mindset to “win each day” eventually becomes a habit.
• Habit formation help build motivation and overall confidence.

In life we know that certain functions rely on specific resources: cars need wheels, cellphones need batteries, kites need wind, trains need tracks, peanut butter needs jelly – and humans need water.

Not only is drinking water essential for daily exercise and personal development, it also makes up about 65-75% of our bodies. Keeping hydrated helps our body with important functions such as:

• Regulating body temperature
• Lubricating joints
• Aiding in digestion
• Taking stress off your kidney and liver
• Carrying nutrients and oxygen to your cells
• Protecting your tissues, spinal cord and joints
• Increases Energy & Relieves Fatigue
• Flushes Out Toxins
• Increase metabolism

If you recall, drinking water is also one of the smarter ways to lose weight. Here are some other drinking tips:

• Try to consume at least 2 liters each day.
• Drink a glass before each meal to ensure that you feel more “full” after your meal.
• Try replacing calorie-filled drinks with water. If it tastes too “boring”, try adding a slice of lemon. The nutrients in lemons also helps to reduce food cravings.
• Drink it ICE COLD! When we drink cold liquids, our bodies have to work harder to warm these fluids to body temperature. This process burns calories for you!
• Be sure to remain hydrated when you’re exercising and hitting the gym. This allows you to work out longer and harder, and prevents muscle cramps and fatigue.
• Use your urine as an intake indicator. It your urine color isn’t close to clear you’re not drinking enough.
• Herbal teas (decaffeinated) are another beverage to compliment your water intake.

In the realm of health and fitness, our bodies require this “exercise fuel” in order to function efficiently. Therefore, challenge yourself to stay properly hydrated every day of your journey!

Key Takeaways:

• Water is our “exercise fuel”
• Try to consume about 2 liters each day
• Staying hydrated helps prevent cramps and fatigue while working out