Posts Tagged ‘Todd Durkin’

My good friend Todd Durkin did a gust post for me last week (check it out HERE) where he challenged us all in 2011 to be the most positive person you know.

I think that’s a great goal and one I’m going to really strive for. I think I’m a positive person overall, but maybe not the most positive person I know (which is tough because I know Todd – he’s the most positive person I’ve ever met!)

That said – it’s really easy to write a blog post slamming the Biggest Loser show. There are probably a zillion posts out there from fitness professionals talking about how bad it is, and how Jillian can’t swing a kettlebell properly.
It’s EASY. They make it easy to do, but that’s not what this blog post is about.

I’m accepting Todds challenge and am only looking at what the show does well.
So let’s look at the positives…

There are some good things about the Biggest Loser show that smart trainers can learn from:

1. They train people in a group and show how valuable small or large group training can be (it’s not just one-on-one)
2. Whether you like the methodology or not — the contestants on the Biggest Loser get great results (100lbs in 6 weeks is the shows average result – which is better than most any trainer or gym out there).
   Yes I know they get multiple hours of training per day, but rather than focus on the “why that won’t work for me” let’s focus on the “what actually happened”
3. The trainers on the Biggest Loser train people HARD – very hard — and overweight people are a demographic that the fitness industry has traditionally babied…
   In fact, one of the leading fitness certification organizations has a recommendation that overweight people begin with 20mins of walking at 40% of maximum heart rate (e.g. 72bpm for a 40 year old). That’s REAL advice from a reputable fitness certification! I think most sedentary people could get their heart rate over 40% of max just watching a sporting event or a scary movie?
4. The Biggest Loser contestants use high intensity circuit training, kettlebells, battling ropes, the prowler, the TRX suspension training, sandbags and free weights.
   This educates the general public that it’s not about fixed axis machines, supplements, acai berry juice or, as I stated above – walking slowly….
5. They use circuit training and resistance training on the Biggest Loser – not just low intensity cardio

I know it’s easy to talk about how bad the show is (it’s actually hard for me NOT to talk about how bad it is…..) – but I’ve accepted Todd’s challenge to be positive.
There are a lot of things about the show that I dislike, but it’s also fair to point out that there are good things too.

If we learn one thing from the show it’s that we can train overweight beginners harder than we traditionally have.

Instead of immediately slamming the show – try to find something positive from it.
Maybe we can all focus on being positive.

–
AC

Guest blog from my good friend, colleague and fellow Perform Better Speaker Todd Durkin

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2011 – Your Best Year Yet

By Todd Durkin, MA, CSCS

I am a true believer. Each Christmas I notice everything printed with Believe or I Believe. Cards, calendars, ornaments, pillows – you’ve probably seen as much as I have or more. Well, I do believe. I believe in positive energy. I believe in persistence and mental toughness. I believe in myself and in others. I believe in YOU.

Each January brings the opportunity for a fresh start. We’ve passed through the gate of the New Year and have the chance to make 2011 YOUR BEST YEAR YET. Grab hold of this chance and run with it. So what if the first day of the year has passed. It’s never too late to start getting better. Whether you’re looking for dramatic change in your life or the chance to get 1% better each day, now is the time to be renewed in the spirit of new beginnings.

Keep reading for my personal list of actions and reminders that pack a potent punch and are sure to make a positive difference for you. Read each one. Implement a few or many. Find your favorites and go deep to discover the secret buried within. Then get ready for your best year yet!

83 Ways to Make 2011 Your Best Year Yet

• Be the most positive person you know.
• Get 1% better everyday.
• Define your “game-changing” move in 2011.  Then get it done!
• Take more risks.
• Do something that scares you everyday.
• Be a team builder, regardless of your title at work.
• Remember that business is about relationships and connections.
• People need motivation, accountability, and know how. Deliver it.
• Write your eulogy and then live your life backwards.
• Know your Big 5: the 5 most important things that need to happen by the end of the year to make 2011 feel like it truly has been the best year of your life.
• Read your Big 5 every morning.
• Post affirmations on your bathroom mirror.
• Don’t focus on making money – focus on creating value.
• Lead by executing and getting results. No excuses.
• Strive to be ‘World Class’ in all you do.
• Read The 4 Agreements by Dom Miguel Ruiz.
• Train like a pro athlete – exercise more.
• Eat higher quality foods.
• Get a massage once a week.
• Attend a destination spa vacation each year.
• Have at least one other “dream” vacation each year.
• Remember – no one has ever regretted a great workout.
• Be obsessed with learning.
• Join a Mastermind Group. It will accelerate your results, improve your mindset, and provide you with fertile soil in which to grow.
• Be impeccable with your words – don’t complain, gossip, or be negative.
• Be careful with whom you surround yourself. Just as much as the right people can pull you up, the wrong crowd can bring you down.
• Plan as if you will live forever but live as if you’ll die tomorrow.
• Say please, thank you, and I love you more.
• Give someone a massage.
• Write love letters like you used to.
• Call someone you always wanted to talk to but never thought you could.
• Call an old coach or teacher and thank them for positively impacting your life.
• If you want to resolve a conflict, use the phone instead of email.
• Write a hand-written note to a client or customer.
• When you travel, send letters to your kids on hotel stationary.
• If you want more, GIVE more.
• Do or do not – there is no try.
• The way you do one thing is the way you do everything.
• Journal. What are you thankful for? What are your intentions for the day? Who is in need of prayer today? Where were you outstanding today?
• Clarity precedes genius. Find clarity in writing and solitude.
• Track your success.
• Slow down in order to speed up.
• Be willing to fail. It’s the price of greatness.
• Spend at least 10 minutes every morning in quiet time, prayer time, or meditation time.
• Listen to inspirational music. Create your favorite play list for chilling out as well as working out.
• Listen to books on tape and podcasts.
• Read The IMPACT! Body Plan.
• Read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey.
• Read The Leader Without a Title, The Greatness Guide, and The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma.
• Watch a Rocky “marathon” with your kids on a rainy day.
• Do what you do best and hire the rest.
• Sometimes good is good enough.  Don’t let “perfectionism” rob you of getting things done.
• “Color code your life,” says my mentor, Wayne Cotton.  Green machine, blue sky, red tape, and mellow yellow. Visit www.nobrowndays.com for more information.
• Complete a 90-Day Wonder. What have I accomplished in the last 90 days? What are my current challenges? What will I accomplish in the next 90 days?
• Remember the 10,000-hour Rule. It often takes about 10,000 hours or 10 years to be recognized as an expert.
• Success takes time. Be patient, but continually invest in yourself.
• Work on your business, not in your business.
• Your big ideas typically come when you are sitting on a beach or skiing in the mountains.
• Hire only “A” players to build a winning business.
• Replace the bottom 10% of your players each year.
• Everyone in an organization should be considered a “leader.”
• Always believe in your dreams, even when they seem impossible or others doubt you.
• Focus, focus, focus!
• Water people everyday – lift people up instead of tearing people down.
• One quick “No” is better than 10 “maybes” or “I don’t knows.”
• Win the day!
• Remember what Walt Disney said, “Everything speaks!”
• Be more spontaneous.
• Block out the noise and focus on the signal.
• Develop a hobby.
• The bigger the dream, the more important the team.
• Run your own race – be authentic and original.
• Speak more. Write more. Read more.
• Turn OFF your TV!
• Eliminate excuses.
• Organize your time more effectively.
• “Eat that Frog,” says Brian Tracy.  Do the things that you don’t like to do or want to do but have to do early in your day.
• Get your mind right!
• Do more of what you love to do.
• Action is like gas in the car. Without it, you will not go.
• Be humble…be hungry.
• Create IMPACT everyday.
• Live by the mantra, “… And then some.”

Implement any single item on this list and you will create change. Combine a few to really rock your world and the world of those around you. Explore, experiment and find your favorites. But remember, there’s more to it than implementing a list of action items. YOUR BEST YEAR YET will require something deep within YOU.

You’ve heard me talk about the power of  “theme-ing” a year. In the days and weeks ahead, spend some time alone with your thoughts to find the theme that’s right for you – the single most meaningful, overarching and powerful pledge you can make to define who you will be and what you will do in 2011. Find it and treat it like an oath. It will deliver.

For weeks now, I’ve been doing this kind of thinking. I searched for and found my theme for 2011. Ironically, when I looked deep enough within and examined my soul, I found it there. 2011 is my year of “S.O.U.L.” I am making a very public pledge to nurture and go deep with my Spiritual development and inner life, to seek Outrageous fun and adventure, to create Unbelievable value and innovation in my work, and to step up and Lead in all areas of my life.

It’s January 13^th my friend. We’re through the gate and ready to run. Lace up your shoes and let’s go. After all, 2011 is going to be YOUR BEST YEAR YET!

Peace and love,

Todd

2011 – THE YEAR OF S.O.U.L.

S = Spiritual development and inner life

O = Outrageous fun and adventure

U = Unbelievable value and innovation

L = Leadership in all areas of life

2011 – YOUR BEST YEAR YET!

–
AC

PS – print out those 83 ways to make 2011 your best year ever and stick it on the wall.
Don’t forget to check out Todd’s latest book – the Impact Body Plan

Guest blog from Chris Mohr

3 ‘Unusual’ Tips to Keep the Holidays From Making You Fat

Isn’t it crazy that it’s early December?

Wow! 2010 has flown …

For those in the States, Thanksgiving is already behind us … and Christmas just a few short weeks away.

But here’s some news — the holidays don’t make you fat like most people think. You’ve heard the stats … people eat about 4500 calories on Thanksgiving alone! But is it’s not the holidays themselves that are tough; it’s the days in between those holidays.
Thanksgiving is 1 day. Christmas is 1 day.

But the leftovers last for days. Holiday parties, food gifts, alcohol, etc. It all adds up. A lot.

It’s not too late to keep working towards your goals, though (or start working on them if you haven’t yet).

These 3 Simple, but Effective Strategies make it easy to keep your body (or get your body) in incredible shape BEFORE January 1st! Here’s the best part — none of them give you the annoying advice like “just don’t be tempted by it and eat it.” They’re real. They’re practical. And they’re effective.

1. Don’t let the foods touch on your plate.
Weird, I know. Why does it work? It’s a simple strategy to help you serve less … and serving less means less calories, sugar, and fat. And that means less belly fat. Simple, yet effective.

2. Eat with your non dominant hand.
Isn’t it the worst when all you hear from family and friends is “when are you going to stop this health kick — it’s the holidays, lighten up for once.” Well here’s a way they don’t even have to know you’re eating clean … eat with your non dominant hand. Again, weird. I get it. Why does it work? It slows you down. When you slow down what you’re eating, you eat less. And when you eat less, you continue to fit into the clothes you want to, feel better, and look better. Simple, yet effective.

3. Dress the part.
Yup, not even food related. A woman in our boot camp tried this — she fit in to her skinny jeans after working hard to change — and she wore them to Thanksgiving dinner. She not only looked incredible, but she also had to be more conscious of what she ate and drink because they didn’t allow her to go overboard. Opt for something more fitted to help control your intake. Guys, I’d pass on the skinny jeans, but also lay off the warm ups for once that give you room to ‘expand.’

Yours in Health,
Chris

______________________
Let me ask you, are you 336 days closer to your goals that you set on January 1, 2010? You should be.

Chris and another good friend, Todd Durkin, who you’ve certainly heard me talk about teamed up to create an incredible no frills fat loss program that Chris personally used it to lose 10 lbs in 21 days that he gained when his wife was pregnant (imagine being 10 lbs lighter by Christmas!)

And him and Todd are doing something very cool — they’re both insanely busy — but they are offering 3 live ‘closed door’ teleseminars (1 on nutrition, 1 on behavior change with Chris’ wife Dr. Kara, and another coaching call with Todd) for the first 50 people ONLY …

Check it out: ==> 21 day Fat Loss

–
AC
PS – the holidays are a time when most people gain fat. Imagine actually losing fat before the New Years Eve Party….
==> 21 day Fat Loss

For a training program to improve your 40-40 challenge score go to: TRX Challenge

–
AC
PS – We’ll be posting the TRX 40-40 lower body challenge in a couple of days…

“You’ll read a lot in this book about what I believe. But as far as my overarching fitness philosophy: It’s about results. There is no single utopia for all. Some people need more flexibility and recovery. Some people need more strength work. The purpose of this program is to give you a comprehensive view of what it takes to be the best you can be. The program will get you results no matter where you are physically. Most people’s view of “appropriate intensity” is different from my view of appropriate intensity. I believe you train for dynamic movement, not to just lie on a bench and press weights. Training should be multidirectional, multiplanar. I believe in capturing the play element in exercise. I also believe there is an athlete in each of us. My goal is to train that athlete—no matter his or her talent—for peak performance”

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