Change it Up, Don't Give it Up

Similar to most kids, I played a few different sports. I enjoyed shooting a basketball, playing street hockey with the neighborhood kids, and tossing a football around. I wasn't great at many of them, but I didn't really seem to care at that point in my life. Maybe I was too careless to even notice that I didn't excel. 

Although I grew up playing a lot of different sports for fun, baseball was one of the few sports that I played in an organized setting. Along with rec basketball games every weekend, I had rec baseball games lined up in the summer, too. I don't remember too much from those summers, but I do remember that I liked rec baseball the most out of all the sports I played. 

At age 10, my dad nudged me to tryout for a competitive baseball team. I tried out for a few teams, and was lucky enough to make one of them. All throughout that first year of competitive baseball, interestingly enough, I hated it.

I wasn't nearly as good as any of the other kids. If I was lucky enough to play, I hit nine-hole (that usually means you're not the best in the lineup). And when I did get the chance to step up to the plate, I couldn't hit the ball to save my life. My arm was average, too. I didn't get much playing time defensively. I was slow, and being left handed limited me to a few positions, each of which had a better player in them. I enjoyed pitching, though. At the time I didn't know what I liked about it (considering all the pressure and attention was on me and I wasn't great), but I do now (and we'll get to that later). 

After that first year of misery in competitive baseball, I was so ready to quit. But, the word "quit" doesn't really have much of a place in my family. My dad didn't let me quit. Well, I shouldn't say that. What I should say is that he urged me to play another year, but spend time practicing in between team practices and games. He knew I liked pitching, so he pushed me to give it one more year while practicing my pitching with him in the backyard.

I agreed.

So there we were, in the backyard playing catch and working on my pitching every chance we could. We would practice together every day after school until we couldn't see the ball leave the other person's hand. We practiced in the rain, and the snow. We practiced, practiced, and practiced in order to get ready for the second season. 

The second season came around, and everything was flipped on its head. I was the best pitcher on our team. I had command of my pitches. My confidence was through the roof. My teammates hardly even recognized my game on the field.

This was a massive turning point for me in my life.

For the first time ever, I saw what consistent practice on my craft did for me. Before my very eyes, I saw my hard work pay off. With every outing I had, I felt the reward of endless hours practicing with my dad in the backyard. These moments in that second season developed a deep love for time on the mound. 

And now, it makes so much sense as to why I love pitching. Pitching taught me work-ethic. It showed me a direct correlation between repetition, and execution. It showed me that hard work actually does pay off. Pitching on the mound also taught me how to have a short memory. It ruthlessly showed me that I can work, and work, and work, but there still might be situations where things don't go my way. 

My life now operates one pitch at a time. Similar to pitching, I give my all to whatever it is that I am doing. And once the "ball" leaves my hand, everything else is out of my control. 

The same thing applies to those of you who are trying to achieve a goal this year. 

Live One Pitch at a Time

Whether your goal is to lose 50 pounds of body fat, bench 300 pounds, or simply become a healthier version of yourself, a key to your success is living one pitch at a time. 

Since you're not playing baseball, your pitches are your tasks, and your days.

Each day I wake, I have a "To-Do" list set up that I put together the night before. On that "To-Do" list, there are three different sections. One section is titled "Execute" and the others are titled "Business" and "Personal".  

The "Execute" section of my list is extremely important. These are things that absolutely need to get done that day. No ifs, ands, or buts. The items under that section of my list are items that are absolutely pushing me in a forward direction in life, and business.

The "Business" section of my list is important, too. All of those items include things that need to get done in order to push business forward. Although they are important, they are secondary to the items in the "Execute" section for that day. So, my job is to always complete my "Execute" list, that way I can get to the items in "Business". 

Same thing goes for the "Personal" section. These items are usually the least important, and don't get done until everything else is done. 

I have a calendar hung up in my room. At the end of each day, I mark a big red "X" on that day if I completed everything in the "Execute" section. If I see that "X" on the calendar, I know that I threw my pitch and I did the absolute best I could. It's only a matter of time before a bunch of red marks on my calendar start to pay off.

I suggest that you do the same for your goals and resolutions. It's extremely important to know what lies at the end of the road, but if you can't see the road in front of you, then you're never going to get there. It's vital that you slice and dice your end goal into smaller jobs or tasks that you can execute each and every day. 

Let's say your goal is to drop 30 pounds of body fat by the end of 2018. Don't just tell yourself that and call it good. Because here's what's going to happen. You're going to go to the gym and eat clean for a few weeks, and then you'll have one slip and you'll let it all go. 

Break your goal down. You want to drop 30 pounds of body fat by the end of 2018? Awesome, that's fantastic and I'm all for it. But let's break things down even more. In order to reach that goal, there will be things you'll have to accomplish and be consistent at in order to get there. Those things are going to the gym, eating according to your goal, and perhaps supplementing if absolutely necessary. Keep some sort of log of what needs to get done each day, week, and month in order to get you to that goal. When you complete those things each day, give yourself your own type of red "X". Whether you make marks in a calendar, or keep some sort of journal, be aware of the small wins that you are having. Those small wins are the bricks that are going to lay the path to your goal. 

Not only will those wins keep you on the path to your goal, but they'll keep you in a positive state, too. If you're not keeping track and registering victories in your mind, one small hiccup can send you stumbling. But if you see two weeks worth of "X"s and victories, and one blank day, you'll be much more inclined to put your head down and work to get the next "X" up there.

Along with noting your small wins, go into this year with a different mindset than you've had before. 

Sh*t Will Hit the Fan

You may as well accept it now, because it's guaranteed to happen. Accepting this will be a complete game changer for you this year.

As I mentioned before, I loved pitching because I could live one pitch at a time. Once that ball left my hand, I could be calm knowing that I did all I could in that moment. Did that mean that the ball always hit the glove where I wanted to? Of course not. Does that mean I struck everyone out since I worked to do my best with every pitch? Of course not. 

It meant that once the ball left my hand, I couldn't think about it anymore. Whether that pitch got us a win on a strikeout, or a loss on a walk off home run, I had to let it go, keep my head down, and get ready for the next pitch.

There were days that this happened in practice too. I practiced, practiced, and practiced. Pitches went too far left, right, up, and down. Pitches hit the ground. I messed up some days. But that was ok. Why? I lived one pitch, one job, one day at a time. 

Change it Up, Don't Give it Up

When I write that "X" on my calendar, that's my way of telling myself that I accomplished what I set out to accomplish. It tells me that I did my job for that day. I did what I asked of myself. When that happens, and the items that I'm executing properly line up with my vision, reward usually comes soon enough.

But sometimes it doesn't work out that way! It may not mean that results show right away. In fact, there have been times where weeks of red marks are on my calendar, and I didn't see any reward or results. But that was always fine with me. Why?

It's fine because it tells me one thing. It tells me that it's time to change it up, not time to give it up.

Since I live one day, one task, one pitch at a time, I never question that my effort is useless. I only find myself questioning the items in the "Execute" section of my list. Having said that, my failures are not a reflection of my work ethic or consistency, and they're not a reflection of who I am as a person, either.

Neither are yours. If you have small goals to execute each day, you won't be in question of your efforts. You won't be in question of whether you can or can't. You won't be in question of your value as a human being, either. The only thing you'll be in question of is the items you are executing. And those are easy to change. 

The difference between success and failure in your big goal is no longer a matter of whether or not you think you can do something, it's a matter of whether or not you're willing to find out what works. 

So as you go into this new year, find your goal and put a system in place for yourself. Give yourself a way to track the small victories. Give yourself a way to see the value of your efforts, and give yourself the opportunity to explore new concepts. 

Thanks For Reading!

Thank you for taking time out of your day to hear what I have to say. I truly appreciate it. No matter where you're at along your health and fitness journey, remember that you've got a guy. I'm here to help you take that next step, regardless of what that might look like. From a simple note of encouragement to completely tailored coaching, I'm here for ya. God bless.

About the Author

Adam is a fitness professional, Chipotle fanatic, and cookie enthusiast based in Fort Collins, CO. After hanging up the baseball cleats, he found a strong interest in the human body and how it performs. Since then, Adam has been transforming lives through fitness in a fun and encouraging atmosphere. 

As an ACE CPT and Fitness Nutrition Specialist, he's constantly moved to helped people improve in all walks of life. If you're interested in hiring Adam as your coach, fill out an application here.

Setting Yourself Up For Success: Trust the Process

It's time for some serious honesty. Being a fitness coach with integrity is really hard sometimes. Do I ever consider sacrificing my integrity in my profession? Absolutely not. But is it hard to keep my integrity and make a big splash in fitness within the first year or so? You freaking bet. 

Although it's difficult, I have to trust the process. I have to understand that doing the right things now will pay off later on. There are so many options out there that could make instant money and recognition for me. I could easily photoshop pictures of myself and post them on Instagram saying that my program will get people ripped in 6 weeks or less. I could pay random individuals for pictures of transformations they completed on their own, say that I did that for them, and create a library of false testimonials in no time. I'd make a killing.

But that's just not what sets fire for me. Relationships do. Educating, encouraging, and building community with my clients is what sparks a fire inside of me. I just have to understand that if I want to pursue what gives me purpose inside of an industry like fitness, patience is a must. 

I have to understand that choosing the integrity route is going to cost more time, effort, and energy with minimal reward now, but in the end it'll pay off more than anything else would.

The same goes for your fat loss journey.

You can take diuretics, eat nothing but bananas, and take all sorts of pills but if you choose to go that route, you have to understand that your progress is going to die quicker than a middle schooler's self-esteem after his first taste of rejection.

Understand That It's a Process

I talk about state of mind a lot. I did so in my last article about how to crush your resolutions. In that article I talked about how coming to a place of understanding is one of the best things you can do if you want to achieve a goal. This is especially true when it comes to fat loss. 

If you hear anyone or anything tell you that fat loss is quick, easy, or simple, they're lying to your face. Or are they? I guess technically, they're right. You could wake up tomorrow and eat nothing but bananas and you'll probably lose weight. But is that the fat loss you're truly after?

Didn't think so.

The fat loss that you're after is long-term, sustainable fat loss that will enable you to stay leaner year-round. I mean, I guess you could choose to lose 10 pounds, put on 20, lose another 15, and put on 30, continuously gaining more and more fat over the course of your life, but hey. It's your life, not mine. Personally, I think that method is freaking miserable and it makes "health" and "fitness" become two bad words that I'd never want to say again.

Anyway, achieving long-term sustainable fat loss is similar to my story of making a splash in the lives of thousands. It's a looong process. Why? Because it involves doing things the right way. It involves taking the time to build lean muscle tissue that will support a faster metabolism. It involves prioritizing your sleep schedule so your body can rest, recover, and support it's hormone levels. It also involves knowing your body well and learning how it processes and digests certain foods. It's much more than just working out more and eating less. Does that say that it's extremely difficult and nearly impossible? 

Of course not.

 It just takes more time than you might expect. But if you go into it understanding that:

1. it's going to take some time
and
2. it's going to be more beneficial for you in the long run,

losing fat and staying lean won't bring any negative thoughts to your mind. In fact, you'll go into it with so many more positive feelings because you've already accepted the fact that you're sacrificing the easy way out for a process that is going to benefit your health and body composition for the rest of your life.

Trusting the Process

Understanding the fact that something worthwhile takes time is one thing, but completely surrendering to it and trusting it is a completely different animal. 

We can sit here all day long and talk about the different definitions we all have for trust and what it means to us on a deep level. But let's not. Let's keep it simple.

To me, trusting the process involves being educated in the process. It's too difficult to trust something that I know nothing about.

What's easier, fully placing trust in the person you're closest to, or placing your trust in the person you picked off the side of the road? The former, I'd hope. 

Perhaps you've never trusted your fat loss journey because you've never fully understood it. What does it mean to build lean muscle tissue? Why does that have an effect on your metabolism? How could sleep possibly play a role in you losing fat? Ask yourself questions like these, and if you don't know the answers, find them. 

I believe knowledge builds trust in things. 

For me, knowing why it takes time to make a make an impact in the lives of thousands helps me get up in the morning with a fire under my butt to GSD (get sh*t done). If I went into this expecting maximum rewards from minimal effort, I'd be pretty discouraged.

Same thing goes for you. Educating yourself on the requirements of long-term sustainable fat loss will make hitting your goals so much easier. You'll be more motivated, and the chances of you giving up half-way through will be much lower.

So figure out what that looks like for you. Maybe you need to learn more from a coach. Maybe you know quite a bit and you just need to remind yourself of that. Whatever it is, find someone or something to help you build trust. 

Then, GSD and crush your goals.

Thanks For Reading!

Thank you for taking time out of your day to hear what I have to say. I truly appreciate it. No matter where you're at along your health and fitness journey, remember that you've got a guy. I'm here to help you take that next step, regardless of what that might look like. From a simple note of encouragement to completely tailored coaching, I'm here for ya. God bless.

About the Author

Adam is a fitness professional, Chipotle fanatic, and cookie enthusiast based in Fort Collins, CO. After hanging up the baseball cleats, he found a strong interest in the human body and how it performs. Since then, Adam has been transforming lives through fitness in a fun and encouraging atmosphere. 

As an ACE CPT and Fitness Nutrition Specialist, he's constantly moved to helped people improve in all walks of life. If you're interested in hiring Adam as your coach, fill out an application here.

Why Tim Succeeds Each and Every Day

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!