How many things in your life do you do half-assed? The house cleaning? Your job? Your yard work? I'm not laying blame here -- It's nearly impossible for us to put our all into every task we do because we're just so busy all. the. time. But my parents used to tell me that it's not worth doing something if you're going to cut corners and I've tried to live by that principle ever since.

BodyBuilding.com has a great post on the importance of putting 100% into doing everything you do. If you do, it will pay off in three respects: You'll have more time, you'll have more success and you'll be well-respected. So stop cutting corners and start reaping the rewards of a job well-done.

(via Fitbuff)

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I wanted to share one of the best fitness photos I've taken in my 17 year career. I train a lovely and highly motivated woman Kim, who comes in three times per week. Kim has been training with me for about five weeks and she's already lost 17 pounds; she's dropped down from a size 18 to a 10 as well. Kim is one of the cool folks who doesn't necessarily love exercise, but she does it because she knows it will get her where she wants to be. So far she adores the results she has earned.

Back to the photo. Kim shows her lack of love for training quite often with moans, groans and pleas for mercy. She also makes these amazing faces. I suppose it's all her way to get me to take pity on her and allow her to stop whatever horrendous thing we may be doing at the time. It never works. But the efforts she puts forth that lead to these faces of agony are the same ones that cause her to skip in beaming about her new pants.

My 59 year old, male client Jody showed up to train on Friday, March 3rd with paperwork to validate all of his hard work. Jody's been training with me since December 22, 2006. He showed up at 320 pounds and on March 5th, 2007 he's down to 286 pounds. A spectacular loss of 34 pounds. He's been working out with me or on his own almost every day of the week since, and has adopted eating habits of the fittest. No diets ... just common sense.

Besides wanting to lose lots of weight, Jody and I discussed the goals he had for his life. He wanted to golf without low back pain, sleep free of apnea, fly without seat-belt extenders, sit in bleachers comfortably at the NCAA final four, and most importantly live long and well with his amazing family. Since Jody was a diabetic, I felt it important to point out that he was on his way to earning blindness and limb loss. Jody grimly nodded.

Friday was such a proud day. He had visited his internal medicine doctor and came back with fabulous results. His blood sugar levels had dropped by 60% and his doctor proclaimed we'd worked a miracle. He's almost in the normal range. Jody showed up with his "report card" and we cheered about his results. The doctor seemed to lose any concern about Jody's diabetes. I mentioned how nice it was that he wasn't going to have to worry about shots or blindness. At that point he confessed that before he began training he was waking up with blurry vision! I was shocked. Jody's only comment was that he guessed it was "never too late!"

If you've been thinking, struggling, wishing, dreaming, hoping or TRYING to get fit, stop now! You heard me. Stop trying and start doing! If you are truly on a mission to do something about your health, whether it be lose 50 pounds or gain some strength, the time is now. Mulling it over or "thinking about it" never got anyone anywhere. Put your foot down and make it happen. As your new blogging trainer it's my responsibility to set you straight and put you on the right track.

First of all, I've never had anyone experience major fitness success if they didn't put their foot down 100% and commit to making the necessary changes. Those who come to me and say they've been "trying" to get in shape, have basically confessed to accepting failure. Don't wake up tomorrow with the idea of trying to go for a jog. Get up and go for a jog! Put it in your planner and make it happen. Don't try to eat better. Choose the dang soup and salad over the burger and fries. FORCE IT! You have to commit. Trying is for losers. I find it incredibly lame when one of my clients tells me they tried to do the exercise homework I gave them but they didn't because of blah blah blah. Liar! Liar! If my assignment were free tickets to a concert, you bet your booty they would have found a way to be there.

Take my word for it. Getting in great shape is as wonderful as you imagine it to be. Things do come easier. People are nicer. You will be taken more seriously. You won't get sick as often. You will have more fun and feel more confident and happy. You will like yourself more and as a result more people will like you too. Fitness is real and it's totally attainable for you. So stop trying already, and start doing!