I remember when I first got into fitness and nutrition. I read articles out the wazoo and watched videos on YouTube like there was no tomorrow. Over time, I gained a lot of inspiration and I was ready to begin my fitness journey.
But there was one problem.
All of these videos I was watching were created by guys on drugs who were honestly just jacked bodybuilders and nothing more.
Hear me out. I don't mean to say that they are stupid, but they know their body, their biology, and what works for them. It would be extremely difficult for them to relate to a 175 lb male who was just looking to improve his health and physique on a natural level. Not to mention the differences in lifestyle. I didn't want to eat chicken and broccoli 7x/day nor did I want to spend 3 hours in the gym every day and completely cut out my social life.
My guess is you don't either. Don't you like pizza? Don't you like the occasional bowl of ice cream? Duh of course you do. You're not weird. Don't you enjoy being able to go out with friends and not feeling like you have to be the odd ball out because you "can't" have a beer? What the heck is that? If you're not competing or reaching for an extremely challenging goal, there's no sense it taking it to the extreme and making your life miserable, am I right?
Yes, you are right, Adam! But what are you getting at here?
Well thank you for asking. Here's what I'm saying. In fitness, you'll fail. And you'll fail A LOT. But, you need to make sure you breed success from your failures (quote of the month). And it's a lot easier to believe you can succeed when you know that other busy bees are crushing their goals, rather than idolizing and reaching for the results of some juice-head that lives a completely different life.
So what I've decided to do is "bring along" a close friend and client of mine, Tim. Tim has been working with me since the birth of Poehlmann Fitness, and is still continually crushing goals. He's a youth pastor at a church in Northern Colorado, a husband, as well as an avid hunter and soccer player/coach. To sum it up, he's spending at least 80 hours/week dividing his time between all of his commitments. So how the heck does he do it?
What are the Keys to Tim's Success?
I'm going to share the TOP FIVE things that has enabled Tim to succeed with an extremely busy and demanding life. These are not MY five reasons he's successful. These are the exact reasons why HE believes he does so well. These keys come straight from the source.
1. "..A drive to improve my health and reach goals."
Here's the thing. We get sick and tired of things. I know I do. I get sick and tired of commercials. I get sick and tired of "we" couples. I get sick and tired of my seemingly weak will power when it comes to binge watching "The Office" on Netflix.
What's interesting is that Tim got sick and tired of being sick and tired! Countless hours on the treadmill, elliptical, spin bike, and stairmaster. Sick and tired of turning cardio into some sort of mathematical equation in order to optimize fat loss.
Being truly sick and tired is one thing. We're all sick and tired of something on some level. It's finding the spark to make a change that really matters. I have some good news and bad news for y'all on this one. The bad news: the spark that ignites the fire of intrinsic motivation can't be easily found (another quote for the ages). It's something that is different for all of us. We all think differently, and we're all moved on an emotional level differently. For some, it's knowing they'll be around to spoil their grandkids. For others, it's being able to spend hours tracking an animal in the middle of the woods. The good news: once you find that spark and the fire is lit, oh my gosh... the world better get the heck out of your way.
2. "...a plan to follow"
Shooting in the dark is dangerous, stupid, and pointless. Unless you're in a horror/thriller movie and it's your only option for survival. That's a bit different. Thankfully, you're in a real life scenario and shooting in the dark isn't your only option. You have the ability to look almost anywhere for a plan. And when I say anywhere, I mean the internet. Have you met the internet? It's nuts.
Anyway, cookie-cutter plans, coaches, trainers, nutritionists, workout videos, e-books, and more are available with one single internet search. If you're willing to find a plan to stick to, it's too easy to find something and Tim knew that. He was sick and tired of being sick and tired, and realized that finding a well-constructed plan was something that would get him to his goal and off his plateau.
See, here's the thing. I know more than you do. No matter how many times you decide to "switch up intervals" or "do high reps" instead of the usual routine you've been doing, I'll still be able to create a better plan than you will. I am a professional at what I do. I'm not putting myself on a pedestal, believe me. I'll always be learning. But when it comes to fitness, I willing to put money on my skills when it comes to making a plan for you that will have you looking your best.
Tim realized this, and sought out my help. He knew he was willing to put in the work, but just needed some guidance on a training and nutrition plan. Another note: your work is what brings you the results, not my plan. I can write custom programs all I want, but when you follow it and put in the work, amazing things happen.
Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired?
3. "...clarity brought when I needed it"
My only job is to impact people's lives through fitness. Because of this, it is an absolute necessity that I'm great at what I do. This means that I will always be looking, always seeking clarity. There are aspects of fitness/science that I don't know about yet, and it will always be that way. So I'm constantly taking in knowledge. For Tim it's the same way, just a different scale. He's gotta learn how to make adjustments.
Although my plans are custom tailored, there are still things that present themselves as obstacles. For example. Tim goes on a lot of trips with students in the area. From boarding on the mountain top to backpacking for a week straight, there are things that come up. Lucky for him, he's had someone to reach out to.
Tim claims that a lot of his success has come from the ability to reach out to me for clarity when needed. Heading for a trip? We'd work together to make sure he could hit his macros without a kitchen and full pantry. Doing a wedding for some friends and unsure he'd be able to hit his protein goal with the food provided? No problem at all. Just a quick text, call, or email and I'm there to assist him with bumps in the road. Bumps in the road are just that. They're bumps. We go over them strategically and they don't stop us!
4. "...flexibility and the ability to adjust workouts, diet, etc."
This ties in with number three, but we need to bring it to attention. Ladies and gents, we all need flexibility. Whether it comes to fitness, or finding a daycare for your kids that works with your schedule, your mental, physical, and emotional health are at their best when flexibility is an option. Why is this?
Well, it's simple. Life doesn't give a crap about your schedule or whatever it is you want to do in the day. Things can change at the snap of a finger. Traffic can jam up in an instant. Your family member could run out of gas on the side of the road. Crap will ALWAYS be thrown at you. One of the games of life is not twisting things in order to have less crap thrown at you, it's how well you manage the crap that is thrown at you.
Thankfully, the plans that I give Tim allow him to assign his own workout days. If his schedule only allows training on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, then he moves his workouts to those days on his app! Tim can also adjust his macros accordingly. Since he's not on a strict, demanding diet that asks for consumption of few foods, he can focus on his macros and have the freedom to eat based on his schedule. Can't workout next Tuesday? No worries, he'd just move his workout to a different day and eat his "rest day" macros!
I'm all about the K.I.S.S. at Poehlmann Fitness.
5. "...celebrating victories with me"
Along with K.I.S.S., I'm all about victories at Poehlmann Fitness. I genuinely care about what is going on in your life. Fitness related or not, I care!
From my clients going on successful dates to braking their personal record on their bench press or mile time, I'm here 24/7 to pop the champagne with you.
Here's a convo Tim and I had the other day:
Tim - "New PR boiiiiiiii! 725lbs on the plate loaded squat, 6 reps..."
Me - "You filthy freaking animal, dude that's so awesome!"
Now I'm not always going to call you a "filthy freaking animal", but if you break an awesome PR on a lift, I just might have to.
The point is, Tim says some of his success came from accountability and encouragement. Whether it's your fitness coach, your mom, or a friend, we all need encouragement from others to keep us pushing.
The Takeaway
Tim's keys of success may not look EXACTLY like yours, but the truth is we can all benefit from these five things. Knowing that real people with crazy lives just like you can succeed is HUGE. Forget the massive bodybuilders and freakishly lean figure competitors (unless that's your goal), achieving an amazing physique and great health is right in front of you sitting on a silver platter. All you have to do is be willing to reach out and grab it. The reach may not be easy, but it's always worth it.
If you need help with your reach, holler at me (adam@poehlmannfitness.com) and let me help.
Thanks for reading! Don't forget to like, subscribe to my YouTube channel, and share this with a friend!
