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How To Conquer Your Fitness-Phobia

In a physical therapists office, a long time ago (somewhere in Jersey)…

I was facing one of the hardest battles of my life, trying to bend a knee 90 degrees after ACL surgery 2 weeks prior. Like most people coming back from surgery physical therapy is pretty routine, but what most don’t realize is its pretty difficult. Your muscle, ligament, bone, organ, whatever procedure you had, it makes no difference your body was put through a traumatic experience.

Trauma can cause FEAR

As we all know FEAR can mean two things “Forget Everything And Run,” or “Face Everything And Rise”

There was a time I was afraid of fitness, like you

There was a time I was afraid of exercise, like you

I was 270lbs and I was AFRAID of experiencing all those negative feelings. The initial tear, the fact my knee would blow out at the drop of a hat, the struggle of going up stairs, and my biggest fear, falling again. I’ll never forget when I slipped getting into the shower post surgery and practically broke down in the fetal position, all those feelings surged back through my body in an instant. Continue reading → How To Conquer Your Fitness-Phobia

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Can Broccoli And Exercise Save Your Life?

If you are like most people, you know what to do when it comes to exercise and nutrition, but you may also find it difficult to do what you know!  At TFW we understand this and this is why you get a motivating coach during every TFW session to help you take action. The following is an article from our Founder, Martin Rooney and covers the challenges you may face and how to solve them.

 

Did you ever get excited about a new workout or diet program only to find it too complex or confusing to follow?  Even though you started with great intentions, you probably learned an important truth about yourself and other people:

 

When people are faced with too many options, they usually choose to do nothing at all.

 

If you have to be Einstein to figure out today’s Russian-inspired plyometric workout or a nutritionist to understand your meal plan has to be grass-fed, organic and or raw, it will probably be easier skip the gym, hit the couch and keep eating Cheetos.

 

Just like your fitness program or diet, you have probably found other aspects of your life will also stall when there are too many “moving parts.”  Maybe you have had business plans fail when there are “too many cooks in the kitchen.”  Or you went to a restaurant and after seeing over 100 different choices on the menu you defaulted to “burger and fries.”

 

If you have ever found it hard to decide on a movie or article of clothing and just walked out of the store after taking no action, you know what I am talking about.   In any of these cases, again you should have learned the lesson that too many choices are not always a good thing.

 

Many times, too many choices ultimately get you nowhere.

 

Why then do we have to make things seem so hard in fitness and nutrition?  Maybe you like the attraction of new and exotic training ideas and food, but know that same exoticness also often paralyzes you from doing anything.  And if you don’t do anything, you can’t get results.

 

So next time you want to try to add the gogi berry or some other new fruit they found in a country you never heard of, think again.

 

Over the years, I have realized you don’t need to give a person a rocket ship when all they needed was a rowboat.  Training can still have some “sizzle” without having to be confusing.  You just have to get excited again about the basics.

 

Last week I visited a few TFW gyms in the Chicago area.

 

I met people that had lost hundreds of pounds and others that were now off medication for the first time in years.  But for each person I met, I knew there were others out there choosing to do nothing due to either fear or confusion.

 

Meeting the people training at the TFW facilities only strengthened the message: You Have To Start Somewhere!

 

And at TFW, we make it pretty easy for you.  You just have to start with two simple things: DEADLIFTS and BROCCOLI.

 

At TFW we teach people to get “started with the simple.”  Warriors in our program are brought back to the basics.  And two basics I know work are deadlifts and broccoli!

 

Why Deadlifts?

 

It is a functional movement that most people can easily perform.  You will have to pick stuff up during your day, so why not get better at it?  Deadlifts work a high percentage of your muscles from the bottoms of your feet to the tips of your fingers.

 

And people love watching his or her numbers increase. And few photos get more internet “likes” than when you are standing with a bunch of weight in your hands.

 

Oh, the deadlift isn’t fun?

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Why Broccoli?

 

Well maybe you don’t know as much about the “green warrior” as you should!  Broccoli, which has been called “one of the world’s healthiest foods,” is a great source of Vitamins C and K which can help healing, collagen formation and protect you from free radicals.

Broccoli has also been cited for anti-inflammatory and detoxification properties as well as a great food in the battle against cancer.  And above all, when people eat it, they know they are doing something good for themselves.

 

How do I know we are getting the broccoli message out there?  When people dress up as broccoli at TFW events, you know people are taking the idea seriously.

Are both of those the be all and end all for training?  No, but they get you started which can lead to even more good habits.   Give someone 1,000 choices and they will do nothing.  Give them 2 and they can get started.

 

How can you get started with Deadlifts and Broccoli?

 

Simple: Add more weight on your bar, add more broccoli on your plate.  If you do both, you will not only be stronger and healthier, but you have also done the most important thing: you will have started.

 

Want to get started with an exercise routine?

 

My advice is to stop looking for the new and shiny idea and find something you believe in.  As I have always said, “stand for something or fall for anything.”  Two things I know for sure.  As a result of the 260 TFW affiliates around the world, more people deadlift and more people eat broccoli.  And it is making a difference.

 

What are your two positive things?

 

What are two things you believe in?

 

Once you discover them, I challenge you to make the world a better place by getting people to do them.

 

CLICK HERE FOR A FREE COPY OF THE COMPLETE WARRIOR 20 NUTRITION GUIDE

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Eat your broccoli,

Martin

 

Need help with your nutrition? Looking to start a fitness program?

CLICK THIS LINK TO FILL OUT THE FORM and one of our Certified TFW Coaches will be in touch with you right away!

 

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Solving Your Diet With 1 Question

Do you have difficulty selecting the right kind and amounts of food to eat throughout the day?  If so, you will want to read this article from TFW Founder, Martin Rooney about the secret question he discovered to solve all your nutrition and diet issues.  Answer the question correctly and watch your life change.

As a “fitness guy,” you might think working out and eating right is easy for me.  Maybe you believe I spend my time in between multiple workouts a day eating brussel sprouts and grilled chicken with nothing but a smile on my face because of some enhanced ability to delay gratification.

Perhaps you imagine I am also impervious to the confusion caused by the latest diet fad and just munch on celery sticks while dreaming up my next warrior workout.

I wish I could say I you’re right, but I can’t.

Just like you, I face daily challenges in terms of my health and fitness.  My biggest health challenge isn’t getting to the gym.

To be honest, my toughest health obstacle has to do with my eating.

CLICK THE LINK TO DOWNLOAD A FREE COPY OF THE TFW WEIGHT LOSS MYTHS

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But just like I love to train, I also love to eat.

When it comes to eating, however, satisfying my body and mind is not so easy.  I have learned overloading your plate isn’t as positive as overloading your deadlift.

If you also have some challenges with your eating, I have great news!

I have a way to help.  Before I give you the answer, I want to ask you 10 QUESTIONS about your past diet practices:

Have you ever eaten too much only ask “Why did I just do that?”

Have you ever found it difficult to stop eating until your plate is empty?

Do you ever select a restaurant according to how much food you get per serving?

Do you ever eat so fast you didn’t even notice the taste or texture of the food?

Do you care less about the quality of your food as the amount increases?  (Buffet anyone?)

 Do you find yourself snacking at work because food is there?

Do you ever eat out of boredom? 

Do you find yourself eating for entertainment or out of emotion?

Do you ever feel bad or guilty about the things you ate?

Is your family or social life centered around food or drink consumption?

If you answered “yes” to any (or many) of the QUESTIONS above, you are just like me.

I have been a culprit of eating too much, thinking consistent exercise was a license to eat whatever I wanted, eating when I was distracted, inhaling jars of “natural” peanut butter because I thought it was healthy, and racing up for seconds to make sure I got as much food as possible before I got full.

I have realized I have some mental programs that create challenges with my eating. If you answered “yes” to some of the questions above, maybe you have some bad eating programs too.

Why do you have these mental programs about eating?

You can blame your post-Depression era parents or grandparents.

You can blame the marketers and the fast food companies.

You can blame the starving people from around the world you were warned about as a child.

Go ahead.  Blame the carbs.

Blame the fats.

But that won’t help you.

You need to do something to “change the program” and I have one

 

QUESTION that can help.

This is the QUESTION I now ask before every meal and it is helping me.

This QUESTION helps me to take and eat less food.

This QUESTION allows me to leave something on my plate.

This QUESTION taught me not having seconds is ok.

This QUESTION stops me from stuffing myself when I am no longer hungry.

This QUESTION has been so powerful for me, I want to give this gift to you.

 

Here it is: “AM I FEEDING MY BODY OR MY MIND?”

 

How does it work?

 

Right before you are about to eat, ask yourself the QUESTION.  If you decide you are feeding your mind, make the appropriate changes, omissions or additions to your meal.

 

Answering honestly will help you to determine whether the food choice is right, the amount of food is right, and if the timing of the food is right for your body.

 

Face it, you already have all the answers.

 

You know what is and is not good for your body and when you need to eat.  Use the QUESTION so your mind doesn’t allow you to act confused.  Fruits, Vegetables, Lean Meats, Water.  Start there and feed your body before your mind worries you about the difficulty with going gluten-free.

 

Food is a drug.

 

People who have overcome challenges with drugs still face those challenges every day.  The plan to stay drug-free is simple:

 

Use effective strategies to avoid bad habits and take it one day at a time.  

For your challenges with food, take one meal at a time.  The effective strategy is to ask, answer and adapt to THE QUESTION.

 

Now I know you may have one QUESTION of your own:

 

“Is it ever ok to feed my mind?”  My answer is, “of course.”

 

Whether you want to call it a cheat meal, a treat or a sweet indulgence, I think you need to keep your mind happy too.

But this is not a license to allow your mind to destroy your body.

 

Constantly indulging your mind at the expense of your body is not the answer.

 

If you have a sweet tooth, have a taste of chocolate, not the whole bar.

If you like steak, cut it in smaller pieces and save some for later.

Want some ice cream? Have a small cone, not the whole gallon.

 

But which ever you choose, when you are treating your mind, do not forget to ask yourself the QUESTION.

 

Can it be that simple?

 

Give it a try and see for yourself.

 

Are You Feeding Your Body Or Your Mind?

 

The answer could set you free,

 

Martin

 

Do you need help with any of these tips? Looking to start a fitness program?

CLICK THIS LINK TO FILL OUT THE FORM and one of our Certified TFW Coaches will be in touch with you right away!