Safety First !

Everyone has decided to get off the couch and workout for one reason or another. Even though they may not be the best reason, it is still doing the best thing. That is getting people moving and performing towards a better life that is healthier and, not to mention, happier. Along the way to achieve our health and fitness goals, we tend to become a little lost in translation as to what we want and what we need. What I hope to accomplish in this message to all of you, the readers, is to keep what is important in priority.

                Safety should be the ultimate concern in your training programs and should always be kept into consideration no matter what you are doing. What good would all your hard work and commitment do if you become weaker in your attempts to become stronger and have a better functioning physique? The thing I see the most among the gym goers is they let their ego lead the way to their fitness success. Lifting far too much weight with improper form or doing way too much cardio to the point where it causes more harm to the immune system than good. Dieting is no different to this either.  People who are constantly going on what is known as,” Yo-Yo Diets” deal with the repercussions of this. It is going from one diet fad to another. Starving yourself to achieve a slight weight loss and then to gain twice the weight back as soon as they go to a normal eating routine. Do not become a victim of your own ignorance or arrogance. Always keep in mind that your safety is important if you want results that last a life time.

                Performance comes very easily if your body is ready to be taken to that level. Skipping step one would only set you back even further. My training philosophy makes it clear that performance is just as important, but always after safety has been established in every session during every exercise.  I know it is nice to look good but I believe it is more important to be able to jump when you need to, run when you have to and be able to lift yourself if it meant saving you from serious harm. What performance means to the casual person would mean something different from a trained athlete. That goes without saying. Although it would be nice to run a 40 in a 4.5 flat, it isn’t very important to the average Joe or Jane. However, being able to do full pushups, hold a full plank for a minute, or even being able to jump and land properly without hurting yourself could make all the difference in a very bad situation. Imagine this for a second. You and your family are out in the park having a family day and your son/daughter who is younger is wondering about. He or she isn’t paying attention and you’re sitting on a park bench because you’re tired from the walk from the house to the park. Your child walks out of your eye sight and then ends up falling and hurting themselves to the point where they begin crying. Now, you don’t work out very often, if at all, and it takes you a while to make it over there while your child is hurting. Now, how do you think you would feel knowing that if you had just made it to the gym more often, you could have been there faster or even prevented it if you weren’t so tired from simple walking around? Think about it.                

                Last but definitely not least, your looks always come with the territory of working out. A lot of people at the gym or anywhere for that matter will tell you that life is a lot better when you look good. When you look good, you feel good. Clint Eastwood was quoted in the January 1988 issue of Muscle and Fitness and said,” One of the most important things in life is feeling good about yourself. And when you’re in decent shape, you like the way your body looks and feels, and your energy levels are at their highest. It’s a lot easier to feel good about yourself.(When your energy levels are high and you like how your body looks) I honestly don’t see why we, as people, would not want to change the way we looked if we weren’t satisfied with what was looking back at us in the mirror. Some people are happy not being fit and that is their choice, you have to respect their happiness. A lot of others aren’t and they love to express how unhappy they are however they can. I say, “If you don’t like it, change it. If it works for you, don’t change it.” 

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