Motivation

mo·ti·va·tion

ˌmōtəˈvāSHən/

noun

1.

the reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way.

"escape can be a strong motivation for travel"

synonyms:

motive, motivating force, incentive, stimulus, stimulation, inspiration,inducement, incitement, spur, reason; More

We've made it through the new year, three full weeks into 2014, and of course the gym is starting to clear out again. I hate when I see those people who come piling in on Jan 1 (and Jan 2 for those who drank too heavy to make it on 1-1). Don't get me wrong, I love fitness, and I'd love to inspire or instill a passion for fitness in every person, but I hate knowing that most of those who are coming into the gym to achieve their resolutions, will soon be back to their bad habits and not making it into the gym. 

Lets break that trend for those who are just getting back to their workouts, or dropping out before you even reach Feb 1. Doing something for 30 days makes it a habit, and easier for you to stick with. So lets keep pushing through. Here are a few tips to keep those newbies and those long timers motivated to stick with it. (Note that some of these coincide with your resolution setting)

1) Write down your goals:  Putting your goals in writing will help you to stay honest with yourself. Having the written reminder of why you are hitting that gym everyday or skipping that doughnut will make it easier to stay focused. 2) Be Positive:  Don't be too hard on yourself. If you miss a workout (for a legitimate reason i.e. children, sickness, etc), or you don't accomplish your goal in the time set, its not the end all be all of your existence. You aren't perfect, use your negatives as positives and keep chugging along. You are amazing, and releasing that sometimes takes failures. "Its not about how hard you can hit, but about how hard you can be hit and get back up" 3) Reward yourself:  When you meet your goals reward yourself with something positive and healthy. Don't reward yourself with a box of kripsy kremes or gummi bears, but rather do something for you. Take yourself to a movie, or go shopping. Find something you enjoy and do it. 4) evaluate, reevaluate, and then do it again:  Setting goals means you are aiming for something, probably something you haven't achieved before, or haven't achieved in a while. Its meant to be challenging and you may not make it on the first attempt. When you hit a bump in the road, don't let it make you swerve off track. You should plan out your weeks, months and year. Set some time at the beginning of the week to see where you are currently and how far along you are on your progress. Be flexible but stern. Maybe your 6 month plan is more like a 12 month plan, that's fine, just redirect yourself and make the changes to make the goals happen.

5) Rest

Many people forget to rest, and then burn out. Biggest thing to remember is that muscles aren't built in the gym or during the workout,t rather they build during periods of rest. Make sure that you are getting the time you need for you. This sometimes takes saying no, or becoming better at time management. It may sound like a lot of fun to stay out late with your friends, but think about how that will make you feel during your workout or the next day at work. You cant do it all, but making your goals a priority requires you making rest happen.

What's in a Name...

When you think of a Viking, what image comes to mind? Boats maned by blonde men wearing horned helmets, right? The idea of a viking conjures up images of strong men and women who faced the struggles of the sea all for the betterment of themselves and their people. They braved new adventures to find better lands.  

The word víking derives from the feminine vík, meaning "creek, inlet, small bay". The Old Norse feminine noun víking refers to an expedition overseas. It occurs in Viking Age runic inscriptions and in later medieval writings in set expressions such as the phrasal verb fara í víking "to go on an expedition". 

Viking Fitness developed around the idea that fitness is about the journey and not about the destination. The vikings didn't set camp in one location and never move again, they as a people were constantly on the move. Like the Vikings we will brave the unknown, we will fight for our future, and advance ahead together. As a team we will push each other to the next level of our own fitness, our destinations are not all the same, but our journey, we'll take together. 

Think of Viking Fitness as a boat. Imagine trying to move that boat with only one oar (just think, circles). Now imagine a team of people with oars; now you can feel the movement. Add a sail to the vessel (our trainers) and now we are really moving on our way. Bringing like minded people together striving for similar fitness goals, we are stronger and more capable. 

Thats why I want people to get involved now, I want people to be a part of the journey I'm on as I develop and grow Viking Fitness. My graphic Designer Barry Wallace (amazing guy and a brilliant art, graphics, and marketing mind) has designed all my images and graphics. (Check out his site: Barry Wallace Design ) The only issue that we have, is the Viking he designed, doesn't have a name. So I want to get everyones input on what his name should be. Comment here and let me know. Once I get a few suggestions, I will put it to a vote! Check him out, and let me know what name suits our Viking best. 

5 Tips to Stick with your New Years Fitness Resolutions

Here are just a few quick tips to help you stick with your new years Fitness Resolutions:

1: Set attainable Goals:

Before you set in stone what your new years resolutions are, think about what is and isn't an attainable goal. If your running shoes are covered in cob-webs, maybe running that marathon in February isn't the right goal. Think about the year in segments, quarter, monthly, weekly; break it all down. Once you have the year mapped out, think about what it is you can accomplish over that time and be realistic.

2: Track yourself :

Write down your workouts, write down your weight, write down what you eat and drink, just write everything down. Keeping a journal of your fitness and nutrition can be a big help with sticking with your goals. Having something to look back at to see where you went right and wrong, as well as how far you've come, will help you to continue to do it. Even keeping a record of your emotions can be helpful, you'll remember how great you felt after running that 5k, or how horrible your workout went after a night out with the boys (may help you change your habits outside of your workouts too).

*(track your weight weekly, not everyday. Pick a certain time and day once a week and weigh yourself. Remember muscle weighs more than fat. Feeling good in your skin is more important than what the scale says) 

3: Stay Positive:

Don't let negativity into your life or your workouts. If you can't reach that 5k goal at first, or lift the amount of weight you think you should be, don't sweat it. Learn to adapt to your surroundings and your own body. You will get there, but it's all about enjoying your journey.

Positive people attract positive people. It's true, so surround yourself with people who also hold a positive attitude. The same goes for negative people, so maybe its time to do some early spring cleaning with those people around you who never have anything good to say. It's not always necessary to remove these people from your life, if you can learn to tune them out. Don't let their negative energy become your own.

4: Team Up/Get Help:

Find someone who you can team up with. Get a friend or family member to help you set your goals, and have them make you accountable for them. Sometimes its harder to let someone else down than it is yourself.
Teaming up with your workouts is another great way to stick with your goals. Get a running buddy or gym buddy and plan to meet each other at the same time every day. You are more likely to get out of bed when that alarm goes off or to the gym after work if you know someone is expecting you to be there. You don't always have to actually work out together, but being there at the same time or making each other accountable pushes you to achieve your goals.

5: Write it Down:

Write down your goals. Its that simple, put them out into the universe by writing them down, or just write them down and post them on your fridge. Having a written record of what you set out to do makes all the difference.

Happy New Year, and good luck with your Resolutions. 

Ask for the sale.

For a brief period in my life I worked in sales; bad idea. It's wasn't anything crazy, just shoes (yes I was the Al Bundy of Bloomingdales, can't beat the discount though). Even working with people who typically had no issues throwing down a pretty penny for some overpriced shoes, I have always had an issue with asking for the sale. I didn't really care enough if some Long Island princess got the newest pair of Uggs or not, and so I didn't want to feel like I was pushing people into a sale. There just wasn't any drive or passion behind it, I like my shoes, but I don't love shoes, so I didn't care about the sale of any shoe.

When I talk about my new company, its different. I never feel like I am selling fitness; Fitness sells itself. When ever I meet a new personal training client, I quickly learn what their goals are, and figure out how they are going to achieve it, and then its easy for me to "make a sale", cause it makes itself. My time is valuable to me, otherwise I'd be  training everyone for free. I want to see people succeed and achieve their fitness goals. It always makes me think of myself, and how hard I tired to make a difference before I learned how to do it correctly. Im not saying there is a magic potion out there that you can drink and be fit, it takes hard work, but when you don't know how to work with your own body you are gonna always be working harder and not smarter.

My passion and drive is what led me to design the workout programs I did. I want to be able to provide more people with the ability to achieve their fitness goals, at any price point. My clients pay a premium to work with me, because of my background and education, but also because I guarantee them results. I have the educational ability to design affective programs to achieve greatness out of every client or member of any fitness class I teach. I can't make people do the work, but if they push themselves, I will get them results.

This is why Im so excited about Viking Fitness. Viking Fitness is gonna make a difference in the bay area. First we start with our Corporate Wellness Program. Studies have shown that every dollar put into corporate wellness has a return of 13 dollars for the company. We want to be a part of that by offering Lunch Wellness Seminars, Corporate Workout Experience, or our Corporate Workout Challenge, and so much more once we have our facility opened.

The facility would be the next step, providing group fitness, more options for our corporate wellness, and a location for our Trainer Certification process. After our facility gets going we have plans for a non-profit working with youth and young adults, as well so much more! Viking Fitness is gonna be a life changer.

(are you ready for the ask? Here it comes:)

While I know there is a need for my company, and a desire for it, it takes a lot to get everything started. Thats why we have teamed up with Indiegogo to help us get our initial funding needed for things like incorporation, business cards, marketing material, etc.. Its a non-traditional form of capital raising, that allows start up companies, like Viking Fitness, to get the ball rolling. I've set my goal at $5,000.00 and I really need everyones help to reach it.   If each of my Facebook followers donated a dollar we'd basically hit our goal, thats just one dollar! if half donated $5 dollars we'd surpass the goal. Every little bit helps, and of course the more you can give, the better. Thank you in advanced for having faith in myself and in my company. Check out the website below.


Be apart of our plan to change the bay area and its fitness community.


I want to GIVE! Click here.

fara í víking

This has been a long time coming. I wasn't really sure where my journey was taking me, but I'm not mad at where I ended up.

Tampa, New York, Albany, New York, Tampa, and so many jaunts in between. The life lessons I've learned in such a short period of time could fill a book... OR a BLOG! I know my journey isn't over (at least I hope not...) and I look back, briefly, at where I've trekked and smile. With my eyes set on the future and the awesome journey I'm about to embark on.

I left New York about 18 months ago, I received a job offer in Miami and in Tampa. My family (for the most part) all live in the sunshine state, so I took it as a sign that maybe my path wasn't meant to be stomping through New York City, but rather basking in the sun in a land a little bit more... tropical. I had just graduated from school with a Bachelors in Fine Arts, and knew that I wasn't planning on using that degree, and happy with working in the fitness field a job offer as a crew coach sounded like a move in the right direction. I left my personal training job at Equinox and packed my things up in boxes and headed south.

The idea of being back in Florida wasn't really that appealing to me, but my brother's son and his wife with another on the way seemed more important than being in my beautiful, wonderful, smelly (gotta be honest), amazing city. Knowing I could only stand Miami for a long weekend, my plane landed me in Tampa, FL.

Tampa, isn't an awful place. Its a city with a great base, that just had a little trouble going through puberty. It had a hiccup with the recession, but is back at it, making great strides. The entire Tampa Bay area is full of culture, entertainment, art, education, etc; it may be a little more work to find than in New York City, but its all here. The one thing Tampa has that NY (the entire state) doesn't have is the beaches! While of course NYC has the Hamptons, Fire Island, hell all of Long Island; and upstate NY... well, upstate tries to sell you a lake as a beach; regardless none of these places can compare to the water and beaches here.

Tampa, took me in and I fell right into my groove. I was back to my crazy workouts, I found a few jobs teaching group fitness to help supplement my income from coaching crew. On top of it all, I was around my nephews. The first few months were great I enjoyed the slower pace that Florida can provide.

After the honeymoon phase wore off with my new-again home, I felt that itch for more.

I went into the fitness field because my own genetics were so difficult to deal with, my body wants to be 300+ pounds of fat, and I want to be a trim 190 , or well maybe 200 with some solid muscle mass (don't forget I'm 6'4" lol). After a knee injury and ballooning up to my heaviest right around 280, I made some major changes in my life. The biggest change I made, was mental. I changed how I perceived fitness, and healthy eating. I had always been active growing up, but never really understood working-out or fitness. I would go through the motions and expect changes or results. I wasn't getting the results I wanted, and therefore wasn't enjoying working out. I wasn't faster, or stronger, or leaner, or more muscular, I was just tired.

I dove into fitness-education like a fat kid into a pool of pudding! I began to research and educate myself about the body, with classes in anatomy, kinesiology, biology, movement and the likes at my University. I looked to fitness-certifications from outside sources such as AFAA and NASM for personal training, I got certified to instruct Spin, Kettle Bell, took seminars in squat and dead-lift form and technique. As I fell into my fitness education, I also fell into athletics at my school. I joined the crew team with the same fervor that I was pouring into my education. It all began to make sense to me. My body wasn't doing me wrong all this time, I wasn't listening to my body. I never knew how to deal with my body and finally I had a clue. I changed my entire mind-set on the fitness and the health world, and I started to enjoy my journey. I wasn't concerned with my destination, I was focused on taking in the journey on the way to where ever I was going.

That passion I had developed for fitness, was still alive in me, and something about Florida elevated it to a whole new level. I knew what my itch for more was, I wanted to affect peoples lives how I had affected my own. While still coaching and teaching group fitness, I got back into personal training and started working with a great group of people to help them achieve their goals. My clients goals were my goals, and we achieved successes together. I was happy to be making a difference, no matter how big or small, for these people.

When I saw my passion wasn't shared by every trainer I met, and saw people walking out of a group-x classes feeling unaffected I began to think about what I could do to change that experience for them. I was giving my all to every spin class, every bootcamp, cardio-kickboxing, personal-training client I had, but not everyone else was. So many people were in the humdrum routine that I had found myself in for so long. I knew more could be done.

Being stuck in a  mediocre big-box gym I could see some of the trainers with the same passion I had, being unfulfilled, and others who had become drowns to the corporate system of fitness. I missed having a facility like Equinox in New York, where the staff was there to make fitness happen for the customers of the gym, and not just waiting for their next pay-check. Equinox charged a premium for a top quality product that not everyone could afford, but should be able to afford. <bing> That's when the light bulb turned on. It wasn't about the big box gyms that provided sub par service for an inflated fee, but boutique fitness that people could afford and really gain something from.

I had seen the product offered before at the spin studio I was working at. Michelle (the owner), wasn't just offering spin classes, she was offering the experience and quality fitness that people wanted and deserved. It was just what I wanted to give to people.

I got to work, I started designing group-x workouts that would make working out fun, that would provide the vehicle for difference in people's fitness and in their bodies. All my education in fitness came into play as I mapped out affective workout programs.

This was the birth of Viking Fitness. The Old Norse feminine noun víking refers to an expedition overseas,  fara í víking "to go on an expedition". It was the new beginning of my fitness journey, and my personal philosophy fell right in line with the viking theme, "Fitness should be about the journey, not the destination",