The Top Ten

10 Fitness Tips to Ensure Your Success in Losing Body Fat

1. Weight train. Training with weights builds muscle and that will elevate your metabolism. Muscle is "active tissue” and has a demonstrable energy demand in that the body’s need to burn calories for energy must be constantly met, even while you’re resting. In other words, muscle burns calories around the clock just to maintain itself. How many calories? Some estimates range from 10 calories to as high as 100 calories per day per pound of muscle. For the sake of argument, let’s say the actual number is somewhere in the middle. Picture how much energy you will "automatically" burn just by adding five pounds of new muscle this year. And when I say energy, think of it as the body’s fat stores.

2. Train heavy. The body responds best to stimuli which places an “overload” on the muscular structure so that the demands of training elicit a muscular growth or restructuring experience. This rebuilding should not necessarily be associated with “bulking” or gaining muscular size, although that is a possibility. It should rather be thought of as “density of muscle”, where muscle “replaces” fat and produces a leaner and more efficient, constant energy consuming physique.

3. Train with intensity. Intensity means “concentration”, “purpose” and “passion.” When you go to the gym, don’t go there to chat or lollygag, just get the job done. There will be time for talk later.

4. Train movements, not muscles. Train the way the body moves to successfully recruit the maximum number of muscles and joints. The more muscles you recruit in training, the more muscle you stimulate to grow in strength, size and density and the more energy you demand from them. For example, squats recruit much more muscle than leg extensions. Underhand grip pull downs recruit more than biceps curls.

5. Train with strict form and technique. The shortest route to any path is a straight line. One of the quickest ways to deviate from the path of weight training and fat burning success is to compromise form and technique. Strict adherence to this rule will result in your maximum potential for success.

6. Utilize HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) for “cardio” to complement weight training for maximum fat loss. Many research studies have proven that performing your cardio in an interval training fashion produces superior results over steady state or slow paced aerobic style workouts. And it produces them more rapidly, as well.

7. Warm up before and cool down after training. This does not mean getting on a bike or treadmill for three minutes before moving on to the bench press. The use of dynamic warming techniques will effectively prepare the muscles for movement and ensure you train injury free. Cooling down afterwards helps to speed recovery.

8. Use a foam roller. Foam rollers are like getting a massage for pennies. They help prior to training to further prepare the muscles for activity and afterward in the cool down process. They are relatively inexpensive (about $25 to $40) and well worth it.

9. Stretch. Stretching cold muscles is not recommended and can be counter-productive to progress. After the dynamic warm-up and foam rolling, stretching a muscle necessitates preparation for lifting and movement. Following the training session, stretching assists in the cool-down phase of the session. Stretching is a vital phase in the recovery, as well as the every day preparedness and functionality of the body.

10. Don’t over do it. Too much of a good thing is usually detrimental. Over doing it in weight training leads to a condition known as “over-training” which is characterized by an overall feeling of “achiness”, sore joints, a loss in appetite, sleeplessness as well as other uncomfortable physical or mental responses. Train hard and smart for about thirty to forty minutes, four to six times per week and recover the rest of the time. Your progress will be steady and your success will be assured.

Next time: 10 Mental Tips to Ensure Fat Loss

Thanks,
Steve

The final installment

This post marks the final installment of the "7 Roadblocks to Success" series. If you have enjoyed this series, I'd like to hear from you. I can be reached at steve@firestormfitness.com.
Thanks,
Steve

No game plan? Good luck!

“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” Abraham Lincoln

So we come to the final hurdle, the last obstacle to success. Is it any surprise that so many fall by the wayside because they don’t have a specific, detailed game plan? Football teams work the entire off-season to develop a game plan. Military forces plan for weeks for a plan of attack. Most people plan their vacation for days or weeks before they leave. Why don’t people plan for success in their lives with the same resolve?

In order to reach the mark of completion in an endeavor, one must first have an idea how to get there. Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) systems have become very popular items lately because of their ability to tell us where we relative to our path to get us where we want to be. A game plan for the attainment of a desire may not be as clear cut, but a game plan is necessary nonetheless.

People who have a desire to lose body fat and to attempt to do so by simply cutting back on certain foods may experience a small level of success, but will probably never reach their destination. The body is very adaptive and will soon adjust to this regimen and then where will they be? If there was no definitive plan of action, laid out beforehand, that accounted for the various “twists and turns” along the way, how will they know where to go?

Imagine a plane that leaves for New York from Dallas. It may start out in the right direction, but being off-course by just one degree can leave them in Quebec or the Atlantic Ocean. Small adjustments must be made along the way to correct for any deviation in tracking so that the outcome, the reward, is the desired result. This is done by:

1. Keeping the reward in sight. By taking your mind off your goal you are more likely to get sidetracked and wind up miles from where you want to be, which results in wasted time, effort and energy to get back on track. Keep the reward in mind!
2. Focusing on your path. A mule walking a mountainside trail doesn’t look 5, 10 or twenty yards ahead. He looks down at the path in front of him so he knows where to place the next step. Failure to do so could mean a fall. Likewise, notice your own progress. Is it going in the right direction or away from your intended desire? Make the proper minute adjustments early in order to stay the course.
3. Focusing your energy. Don’t waste time trying extraneous or frivolous tasks designed to boost your ego, make you feel good or anything else foolish. Keep your efforts aimed at the achievement of your goal and you will not tire in striving for them.

The simplest method for doing this is by “modeling” or mirroring another’s previous success. Find someone who has achieved what you desire and do what they did to get there. This plan of success has been used countless times by people to reach their goals. And the beauty of modeling is that you can often do in less time what others did before you because they had the “trial and error” to overcome.

Remember, you don’t have to re-invent the wheel. Someone out there has achieved the success, goal, or desire you are after as well. Find out what they did, follow their path and you too will reap the reward of their success. And, I’ll wager, faster than they did to boot!

Conclusion
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Bible, Matthew 6:33

I pray that piece assists you in honestly evaluating your desires and helps you to avoid the pitfalls contained within. I dread, however, that I may have given you in this message what is akin to an intellectual drink from a fire hose. Former President Dwight D. Eisenhower is quoted as saying, “An intellectual is a man who takes more words than necessary to tell more than he knows.” Contrary to the former Presidents statement, I believe I know wherefrom I speak as I have been a willing participant to all of these aforementioned maladies. They can be overcome, but acknowledgement of an issue and a willingness to apply the knowledge gained is the first step in doing so.

I’m a huge fan of quotes from famous, not so famous and/or intelligent people. With that in mind, I will close this piece with a few of my favorite quotes that I hope will encourage you to be an over-comer of the mundane, a victor in the face of mediocrity and valiant on the path to your desires.
God Bless you,
Steve Payne
www.firestormfitness.com

“Don't be a spectator; don't let life pass you by.” Lou Holtz

“If you're bored with life - you don't get up every morning with a burning desire to do things - you don't have enough goals.” Lou Holtz

“I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle - victorious.” Vince Lombardi

Determine never to be idle. No person will have occasion to complain of the want of time who never loses any. It is wonderful how much may be done if we are always doing. Thomas Jefferson

“Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure... than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.” Theodore Roosevelt

“For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.” Bible, Deuteronomy 20:4

“And in the end it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.” Abraham Lincoln

“Most folks are about as happy as they make their minds up to be.” Abraham Lincoln

“Action speaks louder than words but not nearly as often.” Mark Twain

“Kindness is the language the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” Mark Twain

Accountability - Someone to watch over me

“There is no accountability in the public school system - except for coaches. You know what happens to a losing coach. You fire him. A losing teacher can go on losing for 30 years and then go to glory.” Ross Perot in The Dallas Morning News, March 11, 1984

Accountability is one of those things that doesn’t receive the respect and acknowledgement its necessity deserves. By definition it means: “Liable to being called to account; responsible. Capable of being explained.” If a person is accountable to another (as in an employee to an employer or a husband to a wife) then they are held responsible for their actions, decisions and outcomes. Many people feel that they are above being held accountable for various reasons. Poor role models is at the top of the list, I would suspect.

We’ve all seen examples of individuals and organizations that have been toppled by scandal, deception, lies and negligence of trust. Presidents and monarchs have felt the sting of it. The scandal at Enron left many people who thought they had their future savings and investments covered without a dime. All because of a lack of accountability.

That isn’t quite the level of accountability I’m discussing here, and I’m not suggesting that you’re in that “club”. However, it all runs in the same pack. Being accountable to someone isn’t a bad thing. In fact, it is one of the most powerful ways to keep an individual focused, directed and motivated to achieve success.

The Bible states, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17) This is the essence of accountability, having someone to answer to, to converse with and with whom to exchange thoughts and ideas with respect to your aspirations.

For some, being a self motivator is not an issue. They are driven to succeed and have a clear picture of what it is they desire and just how to go about it. That’s fine, and clearly an advantage. But even a “go-getter” like that needs someone to challenge them to reach higher, shoot straighter and aim farther. We all need it. This is the essence of accountability.

Think of this individual, or better yet, a group of individuals, as partners. Accountability partners. People who care enough about you and your future to come along beside you and help you reach for the gold ring. In his dynamic book, “Think and Grow Rich”, Napoleon Hill labeled this as “the mastermind principle.” (If you haven’t read “Think and Grow Rich” yet, here’s the part where, as your accountability partner I ask the question, “What are you waiting for? Do it NOW!) No matter what you call it, the principle of accountability is of vital importance to helping you achieve the rewards and fruits of your labor.

Maybe you don’t see how this could benefit you. That’s O.K.; I’m going to lay it out here. Say for example you have a goal to run a marathon in six months. You find an accountability partner who wants to see you do well or maybe they’re running in a race as well. You simply ask each other questions to keep each other on track. Questions like:
• Sleep: "Are you getting enough sleep each night?"
"If not, how much are you getting?" "How do you plan to change?"
• Medicine: "Are you taking your medication daily?"
"If not, how often are you taking it?" "How do you plan to change?"
• Exercise: "Are you following you exercise plan daily?"
"If not, how often are you exercising?" "How do you plan to change?"
• Eating: "Are you eating properly at each meal?"
"If not, what are you eating/not eating?" "How do you plan to change?"
• Substance: "Are you staying off harmful substances?"
"If not, when and how often have you taken them?" "How do you plan to change?"

This is just one example of how an accountability partner can benefit you on the path to success and fulfillment. I’m sure you can think of other ways to put this vital tool to good use. Use it and reap the rewards you’re after. We need accountability partners for true achievement. After all, what use is there is achieving a goal if you have no one with which to share the success? Leo Buscaglia once wrote, “We are each of us angels with one wing and we can truly only fly when we hold on to one another.”

Goals - The Roadmap to Success

“In the absence of clearly defined goals, we become strangely loyal to performing daily trivia until ultimately we become enslaved by it.” Robert Heinlein (1907 – 1988)

Everyone, and I mean everyone, should be aware of the importance of goal setting for any level of success. There are countless stories of success all derived from setting goals and then striving for them. However, in the real world, barely three percent of individuals have clearly written, specific goals with deadlines for their achievement. Why? I think it has something to do with the content in the first section of this message. (See: Fear)

Most people never even bother with putting their goals down on paper. This is the Grand Master of all mistakes on the road to the successful attainment of goals. It’s almost a guarantee of failure with respect to goal setting success. Of those who do take the time to write goals down, those who fail to reach their goals generally do so for one of four reasons:

1) Establishing goals based on outcome rather than performance. This is very important. Take care to set goals over which you have as much control as possible - there is nothing as disappointing as failing to achieve a personal goal for some reason that is out of your control such as bad business deal, poor officiating, inclement weather, an injury, or just plain bad coincidence. Goals based on outcomes are extremely vulnerable to failure because of things beyond your control.

By basing your goals on personal performance or skills or some knowledge to be obtained, you keep control over the achievement of your goals and draw satisfaction from them. For example, bodybuilders often achieve their personal best shape for a particular competition, but not receive one of the top three placement positions because of the subjective nature of the competition. If this person had set an outcome goal of being in the top three, then this will be a defeat. If they had set a performance goal of achieving a particular level of muscularity, body fat percentage, etc then they would have achieved the goal and could draw satisfaction and self-confidence from its achievement.

Another flaw is where outcome goals are based on the reward of achieving something, like perhaps a financial amount or the recognition of colleagues. In the early stages these will be highly motivating factors; however as they are achieved, the benefits of further achievement at the same level reduce. You will become progressively less motivated.

2) A failure to set specific goals. Here, clarity is king and brings one definiteness of purpose. You must set specific, measurable goals. If you achieve all conditions of a measurable goal, then you can be confident and comfortable of its achievement. If you consistently fail to meet a measurable goal, then you can adjust it or evaluate the reason for failure and take appropriate action to improve your skills.

3) Setting unrealistic goals. Goals may be set unrealistically high for the following reasons:
· Other people: Other people (family, the media, the culture) can set unrealistic goals for you, based on what they want. This is likely done in total disdain and disregard for your goals, desires and ambitions.

· Insufficient information: If you do not have a clear, realistic understanding of what you are trying to achieve and of the skills and knowledge to be mastered, it is difficult to set effective and realistic goals.

· Always expecting your best performance: Many people base their goals on their best performance, however long ago that was. This denies the expected lackluster performance that can occur for several reasons, and ignores the factors that led to that best particular performance. It is better to set goals that raise your average performance and make it more consistent.

· Lack of respect for self: You must respect your right to rest, relaxation and pleasure in life or else you risk certain burnout.

4) Setting goals too low. Consequently, goals can be set too low because of:

· Fear of failure: If you are frightened of failure you will not take the risks needed for optimum performance. As you put into operation the techniques of goal setting and see the achievement of goals, your self- confidence should increase, helping you to take bigger risks. We covered this earlier. Know this: Failure is a positive thing which can show you the areas where you are able to improve your skills and performance.

· Taking it too easy: It is easy to take the reasons for not setting goals unrealistically high as an excuse to set them too low. If you're not prepared to stretch yourself and work hard (get out of the comfort zone), then you are extremely unlikely to achieve anything of any real worth.

Setting Goals at the Right Level

Practice will teach you to set your goals at the correct level. You should set goals so that they are slightly out of your immediate grasp, but not so far that there is no hope of achieving them: no one will put serious effort into achieving a goal that they believe is unlikely. Please don’t be fooled by this. Just because a goal may seem out of reach doesn’t mean it really is out of reach. Such a belief can be changed by the proper employment of imagery and visualization.

Personal factors such as physical or mental stress, prior commitments and the need for rest, etc. should be taken into account when goals are set. Afterward, review the goals you have set, and then measure them against the points above. Adjust them to meet the recommendations and then review them. You should now be able to see the importance of setting goals effectively.

Thinking a goal through

By asking yourself the following questions when you are thinking about how to achieve goals, you can better focus on the smaller steps that lead to their achievement:

· What skills do I need to achieve this?
· What information and knowledge do I need?
· What help, assistance, or collaboration do I need?
· What resources, knowledge or material do I need?
· What can block my progress?
· Am I making any assumptions?
· Is there a better way of doing things?

The seven steps to goal setting success

There are time tested, proven principles to achieving any goal. Here they are:

1) Make sure the goal you are working for is something you really want.
It is imperative one adhere to this part of the equation for success. A strong desire and personal affinity for a goal will motivate you to take the action necessary to see it through to fruition. You must strive for something you really want to achieve, not something that just sounds good.
When setting goals it is also very important to remember that your goals must be consistent with your values.

2) A goal cannot contradict any of your other goals.
You can't buy a $1,000,000 home if the goal for your yearly income is just $50,000. This is a “non-integrated thought process” which will guarantee frustration and disrupt all of the hard work you put into your goals. Non-integrated thinking can also get in the way of your everyday thoughts. We should continually strive to eliminate conflicting ideas from our thinking.

3) Develop goals in the 6 major areas of life.
Family and Home
Financial and Career
Spiritual and Ethical
Physical and Health
Social and Cultural
Mental and Educational
Setting goals in each of these areas will help to ensure a more balanced way of life for you as you begin to examine and change the basics of day-to-day living. Setting goals in each area of life also helps in eliminating the non-integrated thinking mentioned above.

4) Write your goal in the positive instead of the negative.
In order to maintain motivation one must focus their thoughts on what they want and desire rather than what they wish to eliminate. If your focus is on what you want to leave behind your powerful subconscious mind will be drawn to it. An old saying states, “What we focus on most in life grows.” A large part of why we write down and examine our goals is to create a specific set of instructions for our subconscious mind to carry out.

Your subconscious mind is a very proficient instrument; it cannot determine right from wrong and it does not judge. Its’ only function is to carry out its instructions. The more positive instructions you give it, the more positive results you will get. Writing, “I want to be a size 7 with 13 percent body fat by June 15th” is much more positive and empowering than one written, “I don’t want to be a size 13 anymore.” Can you see the difference?

Thinking positively in everyday life will also help in your growth as a human being. Don't limit it to goal setting.

5) Write your goal out in complete and specific detail.
Instead of writing "I want a car," in its place write "I want a navy blue 2007 Pontiac Gran Prix convertible with a navy blue leather interior, multi disc CD player, a Garmon GPS system by June 15th.” This is much more specific and detailed in its description.

By utilizing specificity we are again giving the subconscious mind a detailed set of instructions to work on. The more information you give it, the more clear the final outcome becomes. The more precise the outcome, the more efficient the subconscious mind can become.

Can you close your eyes and visualize the vehicle I described above? Now take it out on the open road and feel the comfort of the leather under you. Listen to the stereo. Notice the clouds in the horizon and feel the wind on your face as you cruise down a beach highway. Can you see it? So can your subconscious mind.

6) By all means, make sure your goal is high enough.
Shoot for the moon; if you miss you'll still be in the stars. This does not in any way contradict the instruction above to set your goals at the right level. Failure to set your goal high enough will not motivate you to strive for its achievement. Andrew Carnegie said, “Anything worth having in life is worth working for.” Shoot for the moon!

7) This is the most important principle: Write down your goals and set a deadline for their achievement.
Writing down your goals creates the roadmap to your success. Simply the act of writing them down can set the process in motion. However, it is also extremely important to review your goals frequently. Remember, keeping your focus on your goals helps to better ensure that you are likely to accomplish them.

Occasionally we have to revise a goal as circumstances arise and other goals change. If you need to change a goal do not consider it a failure, consider it a victory as you had the insight and wherewithal to comprehend something was different and needed adjustment.

By setting a practical, realistic deadline, you let your subconscious mind push you to achievement by that date. If circumstances arise which meddle with your deadline, simply move the deadline. It’s your goal and you’re in charge. Remember, a goal without a deadline is a dream!

Your goals are written down. Now what?
First and foremost, unless an individual is essential to helping you reach your goal(s), do not share them with others. The possible negative reactions and attitudes from friends, family and neighbors can drag you down quickly. It's very important that your self-talk (the thoughts in your head which communicate with your subconscious mind) remain positive and focused on your goal.

You must review your goals daily to in order to solidify them to your resolve and make them an indelible part of your thinking. This must become as much a part of your daily routine as eating or brushing your teeth if you’re truly serious about success in goal setting.

Place your goal sheet in a place where each morning when you wake up you can read them.

Visualize with feeling the completed goal; see the new home, smell the leather seats in your new car, feel the cold hard cash in your hands. Then each night, right before you go to bed, repeat the process. This process is extremely critical to keeping both your subconscious and conscious mind consistently working toward your goals. This step also initiates the substitution of negative self-talk you may have and replaces it with positive self-talk.

One final point: Every time you have an opportunity to make a decision during the day, ask yourself this question, “Does it take me closer to, or further from my goal.” If the answer is “closer to,” then you’ve made the right decision. If the answer is “further from,” well, you know what to do. By choosing to follow this process everyday you will be well on your way to achieving unlimited success in every aspect of your life.

Procrastination- Opportunity's Assasin

Here it is, the next installment from "The 7 Roadblocks to Health and Fitness Success."
Steve

Procrastination – Opportunity’s Assassin

“Know the true value of time; snatch, seize, and enjoy every moment of it. No idleness, no laziness, no procrastination: never put off till tomorrow what you can do to-day.” Lord Chesterfield

Procrastination is, in all probability, second behind fear in its menacing appearance of ominous-ness and ability to thwart individual success. Like Forrest Gump and Jenny, fear and procrastination are the “peas and carrots” of personal success roadblocks. This is because procrastination is a slow killer; patient, tolerant and unassuming. Its effects, however, are felt for long periods after the damage has been done. Sadly, when opportunity does knock for many people, procrastination is more than happy to quietly shut the door.

I like the way Dennis Waitley says it, “Procrastination is the fear of success. People procrastinate because they are afraid of the success that they know will result if they move ahead now. Because success is heavy, carries a responsibility with it, it is much easier to procrastinate and live on the "someday I'll" philosophy.”

“Someday I’ll….” Can you take a cruise ship to Someday Isle? I doubt it. And if you could, it would be delayed in leaving. Maybe you could pay for it with the Visa Procrastination Card: it’s a lot of fun until you get the bill! (Get it? A procrastination joke!)

We are all acutely and intimately familiar with procrastination and its effects. So what, if anything, can we do about it? In almost all cases, procrastination can be eradicated by a change of perspective and by simply asking oneself a better quality question.

Steven Covey , in his landmark book “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” states the process this way: “Begin with the end in mind.” In other words, focus on the reward instead of the process. We all know the process usually stinks; it’s the reward we’re after. I have a client in his mid-seventies who tells me that his friends ask him if he really enjoys working out. He tells them, “No. I enjoy having worked out.” He gets it! He’s after the reward. Can you relate?

Here’s a scenario: Let’s say you’re lying in bed one cold December morning. The temperature outside is about 34 degrees (if you lived in San Antonio, Texas like me that would seem dang cold!) and it’s raining. Your alarm rings at precisely 6:30 a.m. If you’re focused on the process of getting up, walking across the cold floor, driving in the rain to the gym and working out, you’ll never make it. It’s back under the covers you go!

However, if your focus is on the reward in the body you want, living longer so your kids benefit from your existence, the work you’ve got ahead of you and the energy you’ll need to complete it successfully, you will be motivated to get up and get going!

Success coach Mike Litman offers three simple steps you can immediately put into practice to stop procrastination dead in its tracks:

1) Ask yourself, “What is one task that I don’t want to do today (eliminates denial) but if I completed it, would propel my life/business/health/whatever in the direction of success I’m looking to achieve?” This is a very important, specific question.
2) Next, ask yourself, “What will I gain by doing it?” Creates focus on the reward and motivation to get the ball rolling.
3) Do it now! In the words of Napoleon Hill, “Don't wait. The time will never be just right.” What are you waiting for, get moving!

By implementing these simple steps you will overcome the urge to procrastinate and move like greased lightning toward any personal endeavor you set your mind to. I promise you. Now, go do it!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year and welcome to 2007. I hope you're ready to tackle a new year, so to start it off here's the third installment of my series. This one covers "Indecision".

Enjoy

Indecision – Should I stay or should I go? (Song from “The Clash”)

“Indecision and delays are the parents of failure.” George Canning

Indecision can be described in many ways: paralysis by analysis, information overload, hesitancy, vacillation, delay, etc. It all boils down to one thing: a lack of action toward the attainment of a goal or desire. It’s really just that simple.

An African proverb states, “Indecision is like a step-child; if he does not wash his hands he is called dirty, if he does, he is wasting water.” Jimmy Buffett said, “Indecision may or may not be my problem.” No matter the symptom that leads to indecision, courage is the key to overcoming it. It takes courage to make a decision and stick by it.

If you’ve reached a point of saturation in your life where you’re tired of accepting the “status quo” and feeling like you have no hope of ever getting the body, health and life you want, then you’re in a perfect position for success. But the solidifying factor, in essence taking that spark and putting it to kindling to make the flame roar into life is to make a decision. And decisions should not be made lightly.

My 1968 Funk & Wagnall Dictionary defines decision as: n. 1. The act of deciding (an issue, question, etc). 2. A conclusion or judgment reached by deciding. 3. The making up of one’s mind. 4. Firmness in judgment, action, or character. 5. In boxing, a victory (a great word, by the way) decided when there has not been a knockout.

Edwin Louis Cole, in his great book “Treasure” states it this way: “The level on which you live is under your power of choice. You have the freedom to choose, but once the choice is made (decision), you become the servant of that choice.” Please read that statement again.

The next time you have the choice to eat something that is beneficial to your goals and body or not, to which are you willing to become a servant? The next time you have an opportunity to exercise and to physically train or to just sit and watch T.V., to which choice will you be a servant?

You see, the corollary to this freedom of choice is this; decision translates into energy. Indecision saps energy. If you don’t like the life you’re currently living, change your choices. That’s the formula. Refusing to exercise your power and freedom to choose allows others to exercise it for you. Allowing others to make choices and decisions for you will allow them to create your world, and others will ALWAYS make it too small.

In other words, making an empowering decision means that there is no turning back, no way out, no backtracking or sidestepping. It takes a certain degree of responsibility to make a decision, and a definite degree of character and responsibility to stick with one. Someone once said, “A man (or a woman) can be measured by the amount of responsibility he (or she) undertakes.” When you take a decisive stance on becoming healthier, then you have ended all uncertainty, all dispute, and you are conclusive with this resolve: “I will be victorious in this issue no matter what it takes or how long it takes me. From now on, The Buck Stops Here!”

Please get out a pen and paper now. I want you to write at the top of the sheet today’s date; because today is the day you can and WILL decide to take action and to become the healthy, fit, vibrant and active person you’ve always wanted to become. Under the date I want you to write these words:

My Personal Health and Fitness Contract
"Today is the day that I willingly, voluntarily and knowingly decide to take complete control of my life. I resolve, from this day forward to do what I know to be right, to take care of myself as the wonderful creation of God that I am, and to do whatever necessary and within my means to see this task through to completion. I also understand that true success can only be measured by the tasks that I have completed. I will, from this day forward, feed my body the fuel it needs for maximum efficiency, health, stamina and strength, take in the glory and gift of oxygen to the pleasure and vitality of my body, repeat these principles for the complete restoration of my being and eliminate all waste from my body, my mind and my surroundings. I will focus daily on these tasks and the goal of good health, sound fitness and a long, vibrant life."

You need to do this in your own handwriting in order for it to have meaning and purpose to YOU! Now, sign this piece of paper. No one need see this, except you, if that is what you want. However, I would recommend signing it in front of someone who supports you in your endeavors. This could be your best friend, spouse, fiancé or work or workout partner. This must be someone who cares enough for you to hold you accountable in a loving, constructive manner and will continue to encourage you to stay the course and keep on going. If you don’t have anyone who fits those criteria, don’t worry. You still have two choices. The first is to just do it. You’ve made your decision, and there’s no going back, right? The second is to email me at Steve@firestormfitness.com and tell me the date of your decision. I will be happy to send you encouragement on a periodic basis and hold you accountable to your goal.

This is where the rubber meets the road!
Please understand; this is very serious business. Contracts are made to keep and to honor. Decisions should not be made lightly, and once made; every effort should be made to keep them. The only constant in maturity is change. By undertaking this endeavor you will experience change. It is difficult to live with change but impossible to live without it.

I understand that sometimes extenuating circumstances arise that may cause you to temporarily deviate from your course of action. However, quitting is simply not an option. The only time to stop this task is when you breathe your last and close your eyes for good. We’re not just looking for short-term gain here. This is a lifestyle change that will enhance the quality and quantity of your life. It is a long-term, lifetime endeavor that will do nothing more for you than you are willing to do to grasp it. Remember the old saying, “The more you give the more you get?” Well, in this instance it is an actuality, a truism. The more you apply yourself to this system, the more benefit you will see from it. You have my solemn promise of that.

Our words have power
Edwin Cole also said, “Life is composed of our decisions and choices, and it is constructed by our words. Once you have made the choice to build a new life, change your words. You are only committed to what you confess. If you don’t say it, you won’t feel responsible or compelled to do it, and no one will have heard it to help you be accountable.”

You must follow through with this principle. There is a difference between word and thought.

Thoughts can be covered, but words make it open and bare. Words are thoughts manifested. God looks on our hearts to see who we really are. The rest of us must use other criteria, like our words. This is how people get to know us and to judge our character, by our words and deeds. By ones use of words we either experience a loss or gain of power.

Your choice of words will tell others what you’re really thinking, planning and doing. It will also have the same effect upon your very powerful subconscious mind. By telling yourself “I am gaining the body I want because I am choosing to exercise and eat correctly” you are conveying thoughts of power, control and success. We’ll delve a little deeper into the section on goals.

Today, right now, please make a decision to become the healthy, fit and vibrant individual you so want and then begin to work toward it, both in action and in word. The journey is worth the reward.