Fit for Life: Change. Embrace it.

Fit for Life: Change. Embrace it.

Last week I talked about insanity, and wasting time, by doing the same thing over and over without favorable results. I gave an example of how to avoid this by hiring a coach, and letting an expert lead you through unfamiliar territory. This is a good way to efficiently reach your goals, but there is one big obstacle we need to overcome before this can work and be effective, and that obstacle is YOU. Hiring the best coach in the world will not get you results, unless you are coach-able and willing to change. If you are unable or unwilling to do this, save your money and stop wasting your time.

I admit, I do have an old school mentality, and I do prefer a time when things were less complicated, especially in the fast moving world of technology. But, I realized that if I didn't change I would be left behind and out of touch with the business world. The words "evolve or die" carry great importance to me, and that saying has helped open my eyes and realize that all change isn't bad. I try to explain this to my mother, when she used to get upset that the teachers in my nephew’s school didn't "call" every parent when something happened or changed at school. I explained that sending one email was far more efficient than making 500 phone calls. She got it, and now has an iPhone and texts people all the time!

You need to be willing and able to be coached if you want change to happen. I have trained numerous people that have difficulty making changes to their lifestyle and habits, and that gives me great difficulty getting them the results they want. I usually start a relationship with a client by saying that I am only with you 2-3 hours a week, and what you do with the other 165 is just as, if not, more critical, than our time together in the gym. I let them know that unless they change their eating, sleeping and exercise habits, I can't do much more than give them a good workout and good advice. “Help me help you,” I tell them. You supply the discipline I will supply the knowledge and together we can make it happen. If they are willing, it happens; if not, it doesn't. Most of the time it is easier and the results come faster with someone new to exercising because they are a blank slate and I do not need to change bad exercise habits and movement patterns. I have worked with people coming from other trainers and coaches and hear, " but my other trainer did this, or my high school coach said this." If it makes sense I will listen, but most of the time it doesn't and I give an obnoxious reply like " obviously that didn't work, so let's do it my way."

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Even as a professional, change is necessary if you want to be the best at what you do. Mike Boyle is a coach and presenter from Boston that tells it like it is and bluntly says "if you know an exercise isn't great, or even worse, harmful, and you keep doing it because everyone uses it or it is something you always do, you are a moron" he humbly admits that he had clients doing exercises that he discovered were wrong or not beneficial and quit doing them. His philosophy is that a good coach will change for the benefit of his clients or players, and not let his ego dictate his actions. This is from an expert that trains trainers and coaches. 10 years ago I was putting my clients on leg press/extension, and numerous other weight machines, because they were new, smooth, shiny and cool looking, and everyone was using them. Did they isolate and make your muscles bigger? Yes. Did they cause imbalances, joint pain, and feed postural dysfunction? Yes! So guess what? I haven't put a client on a weight machine in over 10 years. Your muscles will respond just as well, if not better, doing free standing squats, or moving dumbbells, and free weights. The human body should still move and function the way it did hundreds of years ago.

So when you seek out a professional coach to help you with whatever it is you want to accomplish, remember: you sought help because your way wasn't working. Make life a little easier for your coach and be ready not only to MAKE changes, but to embrace them.

Matt Espeut has worked as a personal trainer for almost 20 years with clients ranging in age from 14 to 86. His focus is on overall health, strength, and functional conditioning. Holistic health and nutrition is the cornerstone of all his programs. Matt works in private and small group training available at your home or office location or at gym facilities. Matt offers his services to everyone wanting to be more fit and healthy, overweight young people, youth/collegiate athletes, and seniors. Matt has worked and trained at several facilities in the Providence area. In September, Matt will open PROVIDENCE FIT BODY BOOT CAMP, at 1284 North Main St., Providence. Email Matt: [email protected]; check out his website at http://www.fitnessprofiles.net or on Facebook at Matt Espeut or on Twitter @MattEspeut. Call 401-453-3200 for pre-opening information.