Persistence Pays Off - by Matthew Romans

For the most part, I generally don't broach the subject of exercise outside of work or professional networking events. The reason I say this is because most people have a preconceived (and usually incorrect) idea of what they think exercise is, based on the misinformation that is put forth by the mainstream fitness industry. Even if I get a few minutes to give a brief explanation of our exercise philosophy, either the information goes in one ear and out the other, or the concept is dismissed as being "too out there", or "too hard." Make no mistake, going through a Total Results workout is hard work. It requires patience, a willingness to learn, mental focus, and effort. To complete one or two of these workouts per week on a consistent basis requires a quality that I think is admirable in this day and age of instant gratification: persistence.

Persistence is a mindset. When a desire to achieve something is strong enough, whether it's building material wealth, attaining proficiency in playing a musical instrument, learning a foreign language, or building a successful business, persistence is what keeps you on the proper path. There is not a single meaningful thing that any of us have achieved in our lives that was easy; the way you accomplished those things was by being persistent. Making improvements to your health and fitness requires the same persistence. You will not achieve your goals overnight, but regularly attending workouts and giving your best possible effort, combined with attention to detail with nutritional and sleep habits will maximize your genetic blueprint.

The persistent mindset starts at the very beginning. Each time you come in for a workout, try to eliminate other thoughts from your mind and focus on getting the best workout possible. Education is a continuous process; most people who come to Total Results have not performed this type of exercise before, and they are learning something that is new and unfamiliar. No beginning client I have ever worked with has ever executed perfect form right from the start; there is a learning curve that is accentuated with continuous instruction in the first several sessions. After this initial learning phase, once you have acquired enough skill to demonstrate good speed and form, the weights will get progressively heavier. While it may not seem that impressive to add 1 � or 2 � pounds to the weight stack every few workouts, over the course of several months this is a significant increase in strength. When the exercise becomes uncomfortable and your first instinct is to quit, be persistent! Always believe that you can go on, no matter what. Even when you feel like you can't move the weight, be persistent. Keep pushing; sometimes you may surprise yourself. As Arthur Jones once said, exercise begins at failure; continuing to push against the weight when it isn't moving (momentary muscular failure) is the most beneficial part of the exercise. When the workout is over and you have given your best effort, celebrate what you have done and take the time to enjoy what you have accomplished.

When you have a less than optimal workout (as all of us inevitably will) or overindulge over the weekend, don't lose sleep over it. Be persistent! Try to recognize where you went wrong, be accountable, and correct that behavior. Nobody is perfect. A Total Results workout is hard work; if it were easy it wouldn't be beneficial and everybody would do it. Take pride in the fact that you are doing something that most other people are not. Stay on the persistent path and you will maximize your health and fitness.