15 Random Thoughts

1. John Wooden's book is amazing. I was able to get through most of it in a 3 day weekend at my in-laws. The concepts he talks about are valuable life lessons that should be practiced every day. This book should be read at least once a year to be reminded of the important lessons.

2. Thom Plummer kicked butt in Newport Beach. For those fitness professionals that attended, we grew our arsenal to better our business. I have seen many fitness pros get stagnate with their business. They do the same training, the same marketing, have the same business plan year in and year out. And that is why they lose business. We must stay cutting edge and on top of the industry to keep the customer satisfied and motivated to train and get better.

3. 51 weeks till Ironman Arizona. This will be a life changing event. Reading John Wooden's book stamped the idea that the journey is the fun part. I will enjoy and live in the moment of each mile I log, each training session I complete and each lap that I swim. Showing up to the race will be a big achievement and completing the race will be icing on the cake.

4. Speaking of weeks, we have 11 weeks till our first born child will be born. Talk about amazing, nervous, excited, ready, life changing, stressful, and AWESOME! It is crazy to think about the child that Stephanie and I produced will be here shortly. I will raise that kid to the best of my ability and teach him or her many valuable life lessons.

5. Working out should be fun. Too many people get caught up doing the same routine over and over and over again. This leads to stagnation, plateau, boredome and lack of motivation. As humans we need variety in our life. So learn to switch up your workout routine every 2-3 weeks. You can change the exercises, the sets and repetitions, planes of motion, the weights, use different tools (like kettlebells, Jungle Gym straps, medicine balls, etc) and the order in which you perform the exercises. Just make sure to have an upper body press (push-ups, bench press) and pull move (inverted rows, DB rows), a hip dominant (bench hip lifts, single leg deadlifts), a knee dominant (1-leg squats, lunges) and core stability work (planks, landmines). Keep your workouts fun and fresh and keep pushing.

6. I am pretty annoyed with how professional football players can not just make a play and hand the referee the ball without show boating or dancing around. It's your job to make plays so you should act like you have done it before.

7. What was the last book you read? Knowledge is power. The more you read the more powerful you become. Just like our bodies need training, our minds need to be conditioned as well. Books are our minds "treadmills". Let's get on it and "run" for miles!

8. What are you doing every day to better yourself? Self-improvement can be worked on daily. There are some things we can not change. But we can change ourselves. As Todd Durkin would say, improve 1% every day and expect big improvements over the long haul. Ask yourself the questions every day, "what can I do to better myself?"

9. Write down your goals. As 2010 is winding down we must begin thinking of how we want 2011 to go. We have to look back at this year and assess our strengths and weaknesses. Where can we get better? What can we continue to improve upon? What can we realistically achieve in 2011? You should have your 1-year goals written (preferrably typed out) before the New Year. What do you want? Goal setting is the map that will lead you to success.

10. "Can you say you are giving 100% every day? If not you are wasting days." Thom Plummer challenged us to become better and give it our all each day. Never let a day go by where you only give 80% because then you are not doing all that you can do to reach the next level. I feel the minute I start resting, someone else is out there going strong and passing me so my rest days are few and taken when needed. We have the choice to have the mindset to reach ulitimate levels. Remember if you aren't moving forward, you start moving the wrong way. There is no "staying the same".

11. Your character represents who you are, the way you dress, the way you act, the way you talk, what you do when no one is around, what you listen to, what you watch, the people you hang out with and the way you treat others. Start improving your character and everything else will go in the right direction.

12. My favorite foods: red and green bell peppers, grilled chicken, bananas, eggs, natural peanut butter, cliff bars, broccoli, strawberries, blueberries, grilled mushrooms, and can't forget chocolate milk (after workouts of course). Remember, you are what you eat. If you want high level performance you must eat high level foods.

13. Talk is cheap. Too many people talk too much and do not produce action. Actions speak much louder. So if you say something, please back it up with action and follow through.

14. Try these warm-up drills before your next workout: perfect jumping jacks, walking lunges, sumo squats, pogos, skipping, lateral shuffles, careoka, inchworms, push-ups and short hard runs. This will get your entire nervous system ready and fired for a great workout!

15. Books that should be read every year: "How to Win Friends and Influence People" Dale Carnegie, "A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections On and Off the Court" by John Wooden, and "Goals" by Brian Tracy

EXTRA: Go for Greatness. Do not settle for what "everyone else is doing". Be unique, be true to yourself and strive to be high level. Without challenges, Life would be boring. SO when a challenge enters your life, take it head on and do everything you need to do to conquer that challenge. Make it a great week!