“Don’t be mad at the results you never got, for the work you never put in.”

By Terrance Wilkerson             I heard this quote before a couple of times and loved it more and more every time I saw it. Don’t kill me for not knowing the originator of this quote. It’s so self-explanatory, yet still needs to be talked about. Almost all of us could be working harder than we are when it comes to achieving our goals. Being a personal trainer, you run into a lot of different people and you get questions thrown at you a lot. A lot of the questions I run into are “why” questions. Why am I not getting stronger? Why am I not losing weight? I’ve been at the same pants size for 3 months. Why is that? Before I give a straight answer, I need to ask questions myself. If you’re trying to get stronger are you adding weight to the bar, practicing your technique multiple times a week, and are you paying attention to your form and making sure you properly execute the motion? If you can’t answer yes to any of those you have more work to do. “Why am I not losing weight?” That’s usually a question I hear A LOT. I hate to break news to you that you probably already know, but if you are not eating properly, it’s not going to happen. All the cardio in the world doesn’t fix shitty eating habits. A lot of the time the people who are asking this question I already gave a diet plan or dieting tips to, but they don’t follow through with the plan.  Basic "101's" of weight loss; you need to eat 500 calories less than you burn. If you don’t track calories you should at least have a meal plan or keep a food log. Cheat meals become regular meals, or they’re even missing meals and workouts and now the metabolism is suffering. One thing that bothers me is when people compare themselves to others and wish they could get like someone else. The only thing separating that person you idolize from you is the work they put in; the dedication and consistency. I always said getting in shape is the most simple and difficult thing you can do. The concept is simple, but the discipline can’t be taught; the want, passion, desire, fire, and motivation cannot be taught. If you want it bad enough you will find a way to get the work done. I’ll tell you the problem. A lot of the complainers don’t put the work in, they don’t want it as bad as they say or think they do. You’re not willing to drop that slice of red velvet cheesecake and switch those calories for a healthier alternative, you’re not willing to dedicate 30 minutes to 1 hour of your day to just move a little bit more because your schedule is too busy; ultimately you don’t have the drive to reach your goals. Just because I train people for a living doesn’t mean I live the fitness lifestyle 24/7, I won’t be a hypocrite now. The difference with me is that I know when I’m bullshitting. When I don’t prepare my meals for the day or week, when I don’t have a planned workout schedule, when I’m letting time go by, or eating junk I’m fully aware of it. I’m human just like anyone else, but when my switch is ON, grind mode is in effect. The only one stopping you from achieving success is you. It’s not your trainer’s fault, it’s not your schedule’s fault, it’s your fault. You have to be hungry. Never be satisfied or comfortable and if you’re either one of those, you’ll be in the same spot forever. You must look at your process and be honest with yourself. Ask yourself these two questions. Are you really putting in all the work you think you are? How bad do you really want it?