Author: Jonathan Wong, Singapore Personal Trainer And Fitness Expert
A Good Question From A Good Friend
His question was: "Hey Jonathan, I know you were a "FFB" (Former Fat Boy... it's true), when did you decide that you didn't want that anymore? And how were you able to stick with a solid eating and training plan? (which is the ONLY way to get the job done... but you all know that right...)"
Firstly I believe the foundation of it is a desire to excel and to be excellent in whatever I do. Yes, the results are not always excellent but the desire to excel is always there. First I wanted to excel in sports. I played everything. Basketball, softball, rugby, football. All competitively.
I know there were things I wanted to do on the field that I just couldn't because I was tubby! This is quite a revelation at 15 years old. So the self-motivated training started then. Sure I mad lots of mistakes, had no strength coaching or mentoring, and had foolish injuries along the way but the desire for excellence helped my push through all these difficulties. So I spent time and money (I haven't really counted but it's in the tens of thousands of dollars by now) educating myself to be the best possible personal trainer in Singapore and I always compare myself with standards set by the best in the world.
Secondly it is the desire to fearlessly try new things. This is a scary thing that is missing in a lot of the people I have met. There is this book I read about living a 10/10 life. Many of us are living a sub-optimal (our own dreams, satisfaction and destiny) life. Let's say we are a 6/10. Getting along ok but not completely fulfilled "self-actualization" or whatever psychologists call it.
The problem is that most of us are not willing to take a temporary dip in the lift rating scale, in exchange for a future 10/10. Let's say I were earning a decent living but am not happy with my job. That's a 5/10 or 6/10 am I willing to drop to a 3/10 - a time of financial insecurity to chase the vocation that thrills me? I'm not for foolish risks but then there are risks that we can't afford NOT to take!
As a personal trainer in Singapore, I take this attitude into training and nutrition as well both with my clients who do personal training in Singapore with me, and with myself. I have tried it all. High carb, low carb, Atkins, metabolic type diet, calorie counting, blood type diet, high volume training, low volume training, sprinting, strongman, power lifting, Olympic lifting, field events and a lot of other stuff as well. Did I win or succeed all the time? Certainly not! But the varied activity puts us in a position to learn regardless of the result. Like the great basketball coach John Wooden said:
"If you're not making mistakes, then you're not doing anything. I'm positive that a doer makes mistakes."
The guy won the most ever championships in the history of college basketball. I humbly agree with him.
Once I had those two characteristics, its just a matter of documenting the results and keep doing what works. That's easy! Its the mindset that may take some work.
If you are stuck in a fitness pit, how badly do you want to get out? It's in your hands. It doesn't matter if you make mistakes, as long as you document them (or at least REMEMBER THEM!) so that you can try something new and better. It works for my personal training clients in Singapore and the people I coach via the internet around the world.
Written For www.CoachJon.com Singapore Personal Trainer & Fitness Expert
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