Failing to Prepare = Preparing to Fail

Now that I have written a post about my journey in the gym, I want to talk about what the biggest excuse for not working out is. There is not enough time in the day for me to work out. I am sure you have all said this once in your life, but guess what, you're wrong. You can always make time for the gym and being healthy. From my experiences there are two things that are necessary to overcome this obstacle - finding your why, and planning out your days.

Find Your Why

First I want to talk about finding your "why". What I mean is that you have to know in your heart why you are going on this journey to change your health. For many people it is personal. It could also be to live longer for your family, or to be able to provide your family. It could be a way of finding success in your career or maybe your want to feel good about the way you look. No matter what it is, if you do not know your "why" you will not be successful. So what I urge you to do is to figure out what it is that drives you to be better, what that thing is that you have in your heart. Keep that "why" close to your heart so whenever you feel like giving up or taking a day off, that "why" will drive you to keep going and stay motivated. 

Plan, Plan, Plan

Now, in order to avoid the excuse of "not having enough time to workout" you have to learn how to plan. One of my favorite quotes is by hall of fame basketball coach John Wooden and it reads, "failing to prepare is preparing to fail." He is right. You have to prepare your schedule for every day. If you know you have work from 9-5 and then have to be home after to take care of the kids, wake up an hour early and go for a run. If you plan your time beforehand, you can make this work. 

Sundays are Important

A tip I would like to suggest is to take advantage of Sundays. Every Sunday I set out my schedule for the week. I write out what workout I will do each day and what goals I have for myself for each workout. I have to schedule around classes and when I was on co-op sometimes I had to wake up at 5:30 to workout. Normally this would be hard, but because I planned for it, it was a lot easier for me to wake up. Another major aspect of planning that is important is planning your meals. If you know you are not going to have enough time to make a healthy dinner, cook on Sundays and then reheat your healthy meals during the week. Planning is a necessity when it comes to success and all it takes is a little time management and commitment to become a successful planner. 

Motivation for Week

Last week, I ended my post with a motivational video that I enjoy listening to. I am going to make this a regular part of my posts. The video I will share with you today is about sacrifice and what great things it can lead to. Please leave comments if anyone has any questions about planning or about beginning your journey in the gym.

My Journey in the Gym

In this blog "Gym Leads to Dreams" I will be sharing my own personal journey in the gym. I will also be offering insights and tips on how I stay motivated, how to develop training programs, how to plan your meals, and how to perform exercises correctly. For this first post however, I want to take you briefly through my journey and how the gym has not only helped me develop physically, but also in my personal life and professional career.

College Begins

My life changed when I came to Drexel as a freshman in the Fall of 2012. I was a 135 pound, 5'8" skinny kid who didn't know the first thing about the gym. I was also beginning classes pursuing a degree in Sport Management. With my dreams of working as an executive in the NFL in my head, I was told by multiple professors and guest speakers throughout my first term that it was almost impossible to have a successful career in the professional sport industry without being a former player or without having close connections. I knew I failed on both of these criterion, so essentially I was being told I would never achieve my dreams. This is where I turned to the gym so I could prove to myself that I can grow and better myself each day. I needed an outlet where I could prove to myself I could accomplish something big. My goal was that if I could achieve a change physically, I would be able to do so professionally and personally as well.

No Limits

I want to offer my first piece of advise here - never put up limitations for yourself. No matter what you are trying to accomplish, you will never reach it if you put up limitations for what you can accomplish. Throughout your whole life, others will put up limits for you by saying you cannot do something. What you have to do is prove that those "limits" are meant to be broken. 

I have to credit my good friend, Mark Panusky, for taking me under his wing and showing me around the gym when I first began. As a beginner, it could've been easy for me to be intimidated at the gym. I was struggling to bench the barbell (45 pounds), while Mark was benching 275 pounds. However he told me that it doesn't matter what other people are doing, rather it is about taking each day and being a little bit better than you were the day before. 

                                                            Today

I sit here today now weighing 175 pounds and benching over 200 pounds. While there is still room to grow (Mark is up to benching 365 pounds!) and still goals I have to reach in the gym, I have a found a way to prove to myself that I can better myself and accomplish my dreams. During the 2 and a half years I have been at Drexel, I've grown professionally by landing internships with the Philadelphia Flyers, Sixers, and most recently the Philadelphia Eagles. This is only the first step in my career, but I developed a starting point for myself because of the belief  instilled in me from the gym. Whether it be getting through a break-up or meeting friends from around the world while studying abroad, I've also developed a confidence both personally and socially which is rooted back to my achievements in the gym. 

A Little Motivation for You

The beautiful thing about life and humanity is that every single person has the ability to better themselves. For me, I found that in the gym and I am here to help you do the same. All I ask is that you have an open mind and try it for a couple weeks. You might be getting out of a relationship and have a lot on your mind, or you may be struggling to find a job in your industry, or you may be dealing with the loss of a loved one. No matter what the situation or what is causing the stress in your life, the gym can help you realize all the amazing things you can accomplish and just how beautiful your life truly is. I leave you here with a video that I go to for motivation for my life.