EXCUSE: Bored with life? Not getting all you hoped for?              
SOLUTION: Begin your Lifestyle Periodization – What happens when you get bored, you get depressed and your productivity can come to a screeching halt! Your body reacts similarly when you do the same exact activity day in and day out – It stops producing results – How do you create results, consistently? Change your action plan! 

It doesn’t matter if you’re exercising, eating, socializing or whatever – In order to create a change and your level of motivation and excitement, Challenge By Change!   

EXCUSE: I’m way too tired!
SOLUTION: Did You Know that you’re most probably not nearly as tired as you think – You’re probably just bored – Get up and start moving and you’ll be surprised when you feel a surge of energy! Hey if you can have caffeine, try a cup of coffee for an ergogenic blast off!  

EXCUSE: I have no time – It takes me an hour to travel to work, each way!
SOLUTION: How about some isometric exercise – So long as your doctor gives you the ok, isometric exercise – When you contract your muscles without any or very little joint movement. How about some isometric abdominal squeezes? What a great way to strengthen the tummy – Do you know that if you did these every other day for 1 month, you would see a marked change in your stomachs appearance - Just make sure you’re eating well – Other wise it’ll be like searching for buried treasure under that tummy falb!  

EXCUSE: I’m already in great shape OR I’m still young and don’t need to work out!
SOLUTION: Think about how many times you’ve seen or heard about that jock or cheerleader who used to look incredible, become fat! You can always manage to take care of yourself – And there’s always room for improvement – Think of it as an insurance policy of sorts!   

EXCUSE: I can’t afford a personal trainer!
SOLUTION: YOU CAN’T AFFORD NOT TO HIRE A TRAINER!  Make yourself accountable by spending the money – You’ll find that when you hire a great trainer, their objective will be to teach and guide you so that you can eventually go off and do a great job on your own – This leads to becoming empowered! In fact, discuss this with your prospective trainer prior to hiring them - Let them know that you expect to be educated and not just guided. By becoming educated on proper training and how to develop effective workouts, you'll eventually be able to go it alone and still achieve extraordinary results!   

EXCUSE: I’m way too busy with work!
SOLUTION: Hey, let me ask you a question – What would it be worth to you, if you could instantly create more creativity, drive, energy and enthusiasm during your busy work schedule – How about a workout! Exercise has been proven to elevate positive moods, due to the biochemical changes in the body and the release of powerful & natural endorphins in your brain – This naturally leads to far better results and more productivity in the work place – It’s well worth the workout!     

EXCUSE: The gym intimidates me!
SOLUTION: It actually intimidates many more people than you think – Even those so called gym rats sometimes aren’t feeling as confident as you think! Listen, you’re in there to do a job – Conquer your fears by facing them head on!Motivate yourself by thinking about the fact that you’re doing what most people won’t do or don’t think they have time to do – It’s all about getting in great shape by doing what you gotta do! 

EXCUSE: I simply hate the gym – It’s crowded, it’s dirty, It’s not for me!
SOLUTION: Ok, build a home gym – Better yet, hire a great trainer and have them do it for you – It doesn’t have to be expensive either – It’s quality, not quantity – And by quality, I mean you can get away with very little equipment, but you can’t get away with an inferior workout – A great trainer will teach you proper form & technique, so that you get the absolute most from your workouts!   

EXCUSE: I just can’t get motivated to work out!
SOLUTION: First I'll ask you why? Is it a matter of past failures? If it is, that may be nothing more than you either didn’t stick to the plan or the plan quite honestly sucked! Did you set realistic goals & outcomes for yourself? Have you written down your Short term, Mid-term & Long-term goals? This will make a WORLD of difference!  

EXCUSE: I need to give all of my attention to my family!
SOLUTION: Listen, if you don’t start taking care of yourself, your family will end up having to take care of you! Got it! Stop making excuses and Shape Up OR you could Ship out early! Sorry, just being frank...I mean James? ;)  

EXCUSE: I had a baby!
SOLUTION: Bring the baby with you – Most high end gyms and health clubs have child care services. You can make it work if you really want to.

EXCUSE: Exercise is Boring!
SOLUTION: You can find fun in fitness, trust me! It might seem like work at first, but things are usually tougher in the beginning – After you start, things become more effortless – Just get started and it will become a piece of Low Fat Carrot Cake ;)
 
Keep Going!

James Villepigue CSCS