monday motivator — Fast Action Training

Woo hoo! John here everybody and it’s time to kickoff the back half of January 2013 and wish an awesome start to all of our 6 Week Body Transformation participants! If you see them, be sure to give them an extra high-five.

Ok, so let’s get down to business. First, I want to share with you our 1^st Fast Action Training Scholarship recipient for 2013. As many of you know, our San Jose bootcamp and personal training studio thrives off of making in impact in people’s lives and one of the most fulfilling ways we get to accomplish this is by giving back through our scholarship fund.

I’d like to congratulate and wish a very warm welcome to our first recipient of 2013….Jeff Stephens!

Jeff was gung ho to start rockin his workouts with F.A.T. but due to some personal situations he was going to be restricted from joining in the short-term. After hearing his story, the team and I decided that we wanted him to start kickin butt and taking names now so we’re helping him out. And with all of the recent donations of some of our awesome members who forewent their “referral reward” we will be giving Jeff a 3 Month VIP Membership so he can really get some phenomenal results. This just absolutely warms my heart because all of our members care just as much as we do about giving back and making a difference. It really means a lot to me and I appreciate all of you for sharing in my beliefs and core values and for supporting one another so thoughtfully.

Be sure to leave a comment below for Jeff and if you see him in bootcamp, be sure to introduce yourself and pump him up as his goal is to get back down to 200 lbs….by the 200^th day of the year (July 19^th). Good luck Jeff, let’s do this!

Ok, now on to some serious motivation and I feel it is fitting that I continue to brain-wash you again with my all-time favorite quote by Mr. Henry David Thoreau who said:

“If you advance confidently in the direction of your dreams, and endeavor to live the life which you have imagined, you will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”

You need to re-read this about 10 times and get seriously fired up. Fitness and fat loss goals can be elusive but they CAN be achieved! People do it all the time and the best part of achievement is knowing that you have created the lifestyle changes necessary to actually maintain those phenomenal results for life!

You need to know deep down that if continue to march forward confidently towards your end goal and keep aspiring to create the physique and healthy, happy lifestyle that you desire, that you will ultimately succeed. However, this cannot be a half-assed confidence. You need to KNOW that you will be successful and that is why it will be “unexpected in common hours.”

So keep your eye on the prize, keep marching and keep rockin’ those results.

Have a terrific start to your week!

Dedicated to your success,

John Heringer

What’s in your overalls?

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What’s up my fellow fitness friends! John here and I’m back with another kick butt Monday Motivator to get you primed and ready to attack your

health and fitness goals. I’ve got an awesome quote by my main man, Mr. Thomas Edison who said this:

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”

So I ask you, “what’s in your overalls?”

Do you miss opportunities because you’re not willing to do the work? Are you a pessimist and looking at all the difficulties and challenges rather than the optimist that sees the light at the end of the tunnel?

This may seem obvious but too many of us create our own roadblocks. You can either choose to prevent yourself from achieving your health and fitness goals or you can search for opportunity in EVERYTHING that life throws at you…no matter how difficult that may be. When you start seeking solutions rather than focusing on the problem and look for opportunities in life, a whole world of possibilities opens up in front of you.

You have to have the wherewithal to STOP.

Action Item for the Week:

When faced with challenges or temptations in respect to your health and fitness….eating out at a restaurant, debating whether or not to workout, watching your calorie intake, holding yourself more accountable, etc. You need to STOP and follow these rules.

S eek the opportunity

T rash the negative thoughts

O pen yourself to solutions

P rogress towards positive outcomes

If you can do that with everything you encounter, you will never miss opportunities. In fact, you will begin to CREATE positive opportunities and outcomes in everything you do….just remember to STOP.

Until next time, have a terrific week! I’d love to hear your comments below!

Dedicated to your success,

John Heringer

San Jose Bootcamp – What you and Calvin Coolidge hopefully have in common

Welcome back to another kickass Monday Motivator ladies and gents! John Heringer comin’ at ya with some great advice and wisdom from our 30^th President Calvin Coolidge. Coolidge was a small town lawyer who worked his way up the ladder of Massachusetts politics, eventually becoming governor of the state. Then he was on to Vice President and ultimately President of the United States. Coolidge said this:

“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.….Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”

I hope you agree with this statement because it is completely true. If you never give up and you are determined to achieve your health and fitness goals you will always be successful. Even once you achieve the physique desired, it is this continuous persistence and determination that will keep you vigilant and help you maintain the fantastic results you have obtained.

No more yo-yo weight loss. No more working hard at fitness and health for a little while and then completely letting yourself go. No more letting others rule your time. No more procrastinating. No more shifting of blame somewhere else.

I know that persistence and determination can be tough qualities to truly emulate but that’s why you should always have constant reminders and support structures in place.

Think about it…what is the alternative? Maintaining your current weight and body that you’re unhappy in? Going through constant weight loss and weight gain phases? Being embarrassed about particular clothes or beach season?

Why do this to yourself? Think instead about ALL of the awesome positive bonuses that will arise from this consistent persistence and determination as it relates to your fitness, your health and your self-esteem! How proud and happy you will be about your body! How much confidence you will have in yourself knowing that YOU have the ability to maintain the figure and fitness you desire FOREVER! Keep positive reminders around you at all times. Positive quotes at work, your Goals and action steps to achieve written out and put on your bathroom mirror. Keep your support structures involved and create an absolute atmosphere of positivity around you….(like we create on a daily basis at Fast Action Training….one helluva a San Jose personal training and bootcamp studio if I say so myself.

This is powerful stuff. And this is exactly what is possible with the right dose of persistence and determination.

Take some time to think about how you use persistence and determination in your life and in relation to your health and fitness goals. Then think about how you can “up the ante” and really make some awesome progress.

Until next time my fitness friends, have a great week!! And I’d love to hear your comments below!

Dedicated to your success,

John Heringer

San Jose Personal Trainer – This Too, Shall Pass

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What’s up my fellow fitness fanatics! Welcome to another Monday Motivator designed to help you continue to make great progress towards your health and fitness goals. I truly think all of you reading this will get something out of it because it affects us all from time to time. Histories are a bit vague but it was either Solomon himself or one of his closest advisers who said:

“This too, shall pass.”

I know that when I’m experiencing a hard time in my life, I try to remember this quote. Whether it is bad news about the health of a loved one, losing someone close, stress at work, your child going through a tough time, a nagging injury, or the scale not moving as fast as you would like…..the important thing is to know that, with time, this moment will pass.

It is always hard to believe a quote like this when you’re the one personally experiencing the tough time but it truly serves to strengthen you emotionally and spiritually.

With fitness and health, we are always going to have ups and downs, especially when crises occur during life. The important thing is to ensure that you are constantly aware of your fitness and health. That you don’t let it slide too far away. That you don’t “let yourself go.” You need to remember and remind yourself that you are ALWAYS in control of your fitness, physique and your health. Every day you make conscious choices and decisions that will affect you positively or negatively….and it’s all up to you.

These tough times are also when you need to lean on the support structures that you have in your life; friends, family, co-workers, loved ones….and of course all of your fellow members and personal trainers at your San Jose bootcamp, Fast Action Training. They and we are all here to help you and when crises hit, you should not feel bad about reaching out for some extra support.

Stay strong my fellow fitness friends and if this blog post and Monday Motivator spoke to you, be sure to leave a comment below.

Till next time, have a terrific start to your week!

Dedicated to your success,

John Heringer

San Jose Personal Trainer says, “Stop Creating Obstacles!”

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What’s happenin’ everybody?! Are you ready to get your head back in the game and finish off your summer months strong? It’s crazy how summer and vacations and BBQ’s can completely throw people off of their routines and all of their fitness and fat loss progress comes to a crashing halt or even starts to regress!

This blog post and Monday Motivator is here to help attack that issue and make all of you “Solution Finders” instead of basking in and complaining about the “Problems.” So read up and then comment below on what one or two of YOUR solutions are with some issues you’re having currently. Chances are that when everyone shares some insight, there is going to be a lot of solutions available that you can try and implement into your life!

Ok so without further ado, here’s a great quote by Mr. Henry Ford that made me think about all of this. Henry said this:

“Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goals.”

You simply cannot give yourself the opportunity to take your eye off the prize. When you do this, you allow (yes allow) all of the excuses, procrastinations and who knows what else to come into the picture and detract you from achieving what you can and should achieve.

I know it can be tough, but as a longtime personal trainer in San Jose I’ve realized that, in order to achieve your goals, you need to be a Solution Finder.

Some examples:

Problem: You try desperately to get into bootcamp consistently and it isn’t working.

Solution: How well are you planning out your week? Are you looking at your schedule on Sat. or Sun and actually “blocking” time out for your workouts? This is essential….as is communication with your loved ones if you need to coordinate the kids’ schedules. This also must be done, week in and week out to be effective in the long haul. Summer doesn’t mean you get to stop doing this even if things get a bit crazier.

Problem: You’re trying to get to your local gym to rock some more cardio but it’s not happening.

Solution: Be spontaneous. Sure, access to a treadmill or bike or elliptical is nice but your body is your own vehicle so use it! Go walking, hiking or running and don’t give yourself a chance to think twice, just do it! Even if it means 3, 10 minute walks…at the end of the day that is still 30 minutes of exercise that you would not have done otherwise.

Problem: You’re eating too much and too many bad things.

Solution: Toss out the bad stuff that is still in the pantry, enlist the help of family and friends to cook healthier meals, eat out less often, etc. And don’t go grocery shopping on an empty stomach!

That’s enough for now, but my point is that each day you are encountered with several obstacles and problems that can lead you away from your fitness goal.

The question is: can you focus on the solution?

I know you can and if you do, get ready to reap substantial reward! So share your SOLUTIONS below and let’s all be successful together!

Have a terrific start to your week!

Dedicated to your success,

John Heringer and the F.A.T. Team

A special Monday Motivator as Fast Action Training Turns 2

Hey there! John here and I’m back with another Monday Motivator and a very special one to me personally. This past Saturday was a big event for Fast Action Training…. our 2 Year Anniversary Party at Kirk Park in San Jose. Preparing for this event was a lot more than I had anticipated and as the number of awesome members we have has grown, I was both anxious and excited for the big event.

We had phenomenal food from Tacos al Compa, Margs, brews, sodas, waters, ballons, a raffle, awards, piñatas (note to self: different games next year after piñata debacle) and an awesome group picture of everyone sporting their F.A.T. T-shirts and tanks! Giving away our awards was an especially personal moment for me…Terri Vellios for being our “Biggest F.A.T. Fan” and Scott Flegel for “Member of the Year.” You guys rock and thanks for being there for F.A.T. and for me.

Terri V! Our Biggest F.A.T. Fan!

Scott F. Our 2012 Member of the Year!

Your F.A.T. San Jose bootcamp instructors, Keith, Kevin and Nadia were present as well and celebrating with all of you….instead of making you do burpees . This is one of the best teams I have had the privilege of working with. They have allowed me to fulfill our company mission and core values on a daily basis and I know will continue to do so into the future.

So as many of you know when I spoke at last year’s Anniversary Party I couldn’t get through 5 words without getting choked up. Well apparently I saved all that for Sunday as I reflect about yesterday’s event and all the past events that have led up to this point. So yes, tears have been shed on this Monday Motivator as I came across a great quote by Miss Oprah Winfrey who said this:

“There is nothing that can equal the feeling of contentment that comes from being the person you are meant to be.”

Although F.A.T. has been rocking since inception, it has been a long and difficult journey for me to reach this point. In college I had planned on becoming a lawyer, taking the LSAT, applying to schools and deciding at the last minute that fitness was my calling. After years of blood, sweat and tears with a local health club and operating one in San Mateo some unfortunate changes occurred which forced me to resign as I did not see a future with that company.

Then began the 2 months of unemployment in 2009 where I had feelings of self-doubt, uncertainty, and anger. I had countless interviews for jobs I had no passion for and could not envision myself doing long term. I was lost, hurt, confused and didn’t know what the hell to do.

Ultimately, after a lot of soul-searching I still knew that deep down, fitness was my true passion and calling. Fast forward to present day and I can honestly say that Oprah’s quote rings true more than anything else.

The feeling of joy that I get from looking at each and every one of you and being able to witness the various fitness and health obstacles that you have overcome and achieved is one of the most rewarding feelings in the world.

All of you made it possible for this dream to come true and I will never forget that.

So my challenge to you for the week is to think about the person, parent and employee you want to be. Are you living up to your expectations? Are you setting a good example for your family in regards to health and fitness? Are you taking care of you?

Have a terrific start to your week everyone. It has been and will continue to be a pleasure to serve you all and accompany and coach you on your health and fitness journey.

Dedicated to your success,

John Heringer

Special thanks to my honey Sara for all of her help with the event!

Thanks to our awesome office manager and good luck with Med School!

Special Thanks to Mama Heringer for all of her support and awesome pics!

What I PUSH for

www.crowdrise.com/fastactiontraining

Hey there! John here and I’m back with a post that means a lot to me so I want you to read it cover to cover. As many of you know, I’ll be participating in our Pushups for Charity Challenge taking place this Saturday at our San Jose bootcamp and personal training studio, Fast Action Training. Seeing what awesome support we’ve received from so many of you and other friends, family and sponsors, has been incredible. The fact that we will be able to make such an impact and donate a considerable amount to The Boot Campaign and aid our armed services men and women that need our help is a great feeling. Another little factoid about our PUC campaign is that our primary slogan is “What do you PUSH for?”

So the question is my faithful reader….what do YOU push for?

I’ve been thinking a lot about that and about what it means to me to be giving back to such a great non-profit like the Boot Campaign. After you read this, I’d love for you to share a bit about what YOU push for in the comment section below.

I’ll tell you that I PUSH for a lot of things in my life. I push for family. I push for friends. I push for our awesome clients at Fast Action Training. I push to make a difference in the world and in people’s lives. I push for fitness and health. I push for love and respect. I push for being in control of your own destiny and creating and living the life you want to live.

And none of this would be possible without the people that serve our country. The people that put their lives on the line in the name of freedom. The people that have given me the gift to live a wonderful life in a wonderful country where I feel safe. The people that come home wounded both mentally and physically that believe in our country’s ideals. The people that may never walk again, talk again, or might not even make it home. These people that have the courage and bravery to allow me to continue to push for what I believe in.

And that’s what it is all about. Paying respects to the people that fight for us and protect us is about continuing to PUSH for what we believe in. This is how we show them that it’s all worth it and that we care.

If you’d like to help donate to our Pushups for Charity Challenge and benefit the Boot Campaign and all of the men and women that allow us something to PUSH for, you can go here:

Every little bit counts. And if you’re around, come show your support by hanging out and having a good time (and maybe tossing in a few pushups at our event this Saturday, May 19^th from 9am-11am at our indoor bootcamp in San Jose.

So…..what do you PUSH for? Let me know in the comment section below and have a phenomenal rest of your week!

Dedicated to your success,

John Heringer

San Jose Bootcamp – Tony Robbins Eat Your Heart Out

What’s up! John here and it’s time to get ready to rock another week and kick some butt with those fitness goals! I’m sure you have heard me say countless times how your “mindset” is extremely important in relation to achieving your goals. The quote I’m sharing with you this week is from Miss Eleanor Roosevelt who said something very similar when she stated:

“You must do the things you think you cannot do.”

Have you ever stopped and thought about how many times you use negative language in your every day speech? Things like “I can’t” or “I won’t” or even the grey area of “I’ll try?” Why pigeonhole yourself? Why limit yourself like that?

Usually it’s because you are afraid of failure. It’s because you would rather stay where you are and not come up empty-handed. However, if you thought this way all the time where would you be in life? You might have never landed that job or gone in for that first kiss or finished that race. Yet you went for it anyway!

Your fitness is no different. You’ve just got to go for it. Don’t over think it, and do not create unnecessary roadblocks for yourself. Having a plan is important but what is more important is TAKING ACTION! Most of what we do not achieve in relation to our fitness goals is because of these self-limiting thoughts. Get rid of the negative language and step into the positive.

Notice that I did not say to remove the word “no” from your everyday conversations. You have to have the ability to set boundaries where needed in order to achieve your health and fitness goals and train the way you need. If you do not, people will walk all over you.

In fact, I’m reminded of a conversation I had recently with a member who said that if it were not for work she would be at our san jose bootcamp more often. We talked more about it and she joked saying that maybe she should get a note from her trainer (me). I mentioned that even better would be a note from her doctor and an open, candid conversation with her manager that she needs to leave the office at “X” time (already a full shift) in order to take care of her health. The doctor’s note is just for some extra “oomph” if you will.

You have got to remember that without your health and wellness, where are you? A shorter life span? Moving less comfortably? Embarrassed about the summer season when it arrives? Take care of you FIRST because there is only one of you and you need to appreciate that. You ARE worth it.

So start using that positive language and begin the journey to a healthier, happy, you.

And if you ever need more help with any of this, any of us at Fast Action Training are here for you.

I’d love to hear your comment below and what POSITIVE thoughts and phrases you use on a daily basis!

Have a great start to your week!

Dedicated to your success,

John Heringer and the F.A.T. Team

San Jose Bootcamp Monday Motivator 4-4-11

Good morning faithful fitness followers and welcome to another Monday Motivator to inspire you to greatness! With all of us having busy lives, making fitness and health a priority can be tough. However, I love how George Bernard Shaw challenges us with the following quote:

“People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don’t believe in circumstances. The people who get on in the world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want and if they can’t find them, make them.”

Wow, talk about calling it like it is!

I know some of us might be saying “yeah but” or “my situation is different” but how different can they be from the rest of us or the rest of the population? The fact is it is a difference of priorities and sometimes a disconnect between your time management and the organization of your life. (which by the way if you need help with either of these things, I like these sites and their approach: www.feelingorganized.com & www.timestylecoaching.com).

It really boils down to these 2 questions: “What are you willing to sacrifice to achieve your goals?” “Why is achieving your fitness goals so important to you?”

For the first question, you need to identify what you can give up or delegate or outsource in terms of duties or responsibilities that you may have to free up some time to exercise. You may need to give up junk food or eating out so often. But all these sacrifices are necessary to achieve what you really want.

For the second question you need to dig deep and I mean real deep. “Oh I want to be healthy doesn’t cut it.” This is the type of answer I’m looking for:

“I don’t like the way I fit into my clothes right now and I don’t feel comfortable in my skin. I’m sick of it and I want to feel good about myself and look good naked. I also have 2 kids and I want to be the best role model I can for them and teach them how important it is to have a healthy lifestyle. I can’t bear the thought of possibly outliving my children because of a weight/eating issue that I may have helped develop. Lastly, if I can do this, it means I’ll be around to see my grandkids and that brings tears to my eyes.”

That is a real answer and something that will evoke emotion which will inevitably ignite your motivation and get you fired up to achieve your goals.

So do as my main man George says and don’t blame your circumstances for lack of progress. Be a game-changer and live life by your rules.

I hope you enjoyed this one! Be sure to leave a comment if you did!

Dedicated to your success,

John Heringer

San Jose Bootcamp Monday Motivator 3-21-11

Good Morning and welcome to another Monday Motivator to pump you up for the week so you can attack your health and fitness goals with the right attitude!

Do you feel you are working hard towards the achievement of your fitness goals? Are you really striving to push outside of your comfort zones and make the changes in your lifestyle that are necessary?

Vince Lombardi put it best when he said:

“The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.”

The fact of the matter is, if you want the end result bad enough, you need to do the work. If you want to fit back into those great outfits, skinny jeans or put on a tight shirt and feel awesome about it, you have to challenge yourself. Unfortunately, the success that you desire is not just going to fall into your lap.

However, just as it is a test of physical prowess and working out it is also a mental test. Sure you have to stay consistent with your workout and be active most days of the week with your cardio, resistance training and quite possibly your kick ass F.A.T. workouts.

But the mental aspect is even greater. How many times have you been in the situation where you should have eaten an apple but instead reached for those Girl Scout Cookies? What about out to lunch and instead of ordering healthy you take the burger or sandwich with cheese and mayo or opt for the fries? Or perhaps you’re lounging and relaxing at night, feel bored and reach for the chips and other not-so-good late night snacks?

The work you are going to have to put forth lies not only in pushing your body to the limits, but also pushing your mind to the limits and overcoming the self-doubt and sabotage that can occasionally take place. You CAN do it and although I know that, you need to as well.

Take an oath to be vigil and stay strong in moments of weakness. When you’re just not feeling up to working out, STOP. Stop what you are doing and give yourself a pep talk! Then get up and make it happen! In moments of food weakness, do the same thing or even call a friend or family member. The support and confidence boost they provide can help you overcome the moment and choose wisely.

In the end, you win and that’s what counts.

Have a terrific start to your week and I’d love to hear your comments below!

Dedicated to your success,

John Heringer

San Jose Bootcamp Monday Motivator 1-24-11

Good Morning! John here and it’s time to start your week off right and think about the success you are going to have with your fitness goals!

Today I wanted to share with you a great quote by Dale Carnegie. Carnegie said this:

“Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.”

Perhaps sometimes you feel like achieving your fitness goals won’t ever happen. Or maybe you feel that there is no sense in trying. It can definitely get tough at times and you can experience various forms of self-doubt and self-sabotage.

However, as Carnegie says, even if there are setbacks or if things don’t seem to be going right, it is only those who keep on trying that will actually achieve what they set out to.

Unfortunately things don’t always happen on a fast pace in regards to weight loss and bodyfat loss. Sometimes bad lifestyle habits, eating habits and exercise habits die hard and new ones take time to create.

Shows like the Biggest Loser TM can be motivating but can also be demoralizing based on how quickly participants lose weight (even though all they do is workout all day and are medically supervised by a physician).

My advice? Don’t let your mind get the best of you. Know that deep down if you’re willing to keep trying amidst all the adversity and odds that could be stacked against you, that you WILL prevail.

But first, YOU have to believe that. You have to continue to eat healthy and control your calories. You have to continue working your butt off and consistently exercising 4-6x/week and keep plugging away.

And sooner or later you will achieve what you want because you did not, could not, and would not stop trying.

And don’t forget, your team at Fast Action Training will always be there with you along your fitness journey, encouraging, motivating and of course giving you tons of High Fives the whole way.

Have a terrific start to your week and I’d love to hear your comments on the Motivator below!

Dedicated to your success,

John Heringer and the F.A.T. Team

Campbell Bootcamp Monday Motivator 11-22-10

Good Morning!! And welcome to this week’s Monday Motivator to pump you up for the week, set your mindset straight and get you on track to kick butt with your fitness goals!!

A lot of us have self-imposed limitations. We think something is beyond us whether it is too hard, too much work, too substantial of a goal or whatever the case may be. The quote below discusses this and I really enjoyed it. I think you will too!

“If you think you are beaten, you are. If you think you dare not, you don’t.

If you’d like to win, but think you can’t it’s almost a cinch you won’t.

Life’s battles don’t always go to the stronger or faster man;

But soon or late the man who wins is the one who thinks he can.”

- Origin Unknown

Ok, now go back and read that again a lot slower. Let every word and its meaning soak in. It all boils down to how you think!!

I am a huge proponent of PMA or having a Positive Mental Attitude. Especially when it comes to your fitness goals, it is always easy to put things off and develop a negative attitude towards any possible achievement. Setbacks occur, challenges arise and that’s just the way it is.

Most of us know that going into it…so what is it that separates people that achieve all of their fitness goals from the ones that don’t? You guessed it….Mindset!

The winners and achievers all had a positive mindset and even though they might have had some tough times they did not let it get them down.

For example, let’s say you want to lose 20, 30, or even 75 pounds. As humans all we want is that instant gratification and “I want to lose it faster” approach. Did you ever stop to think how many YEARS it has been since you were last at that weight?

It is that horrible to think that it could take you 3 months, 6 months, or even just over 1 year to achieve that goal? Is it really that significant amount of time? The answer is NO. And the reality is that the achievers don’t dwell on this factor!

They realize that if they are losing weight and bodyfat and that if things are fitting better and they get small rewards of buying new clothes and they feel fantastic that they are on the RIGHT PATH! And that sooner or later…..they are going to win because they THINK THEY CAN.

So it’s time to check that negative mindset at the door my friend and start thinking solely in a positive manner.

In fact I want each of you to POST a comment below with at least 1 of your POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS for the week.

Have a terrific start to your week!

Dedicated to your success,

John Heringer

San Jose Bootcamp Monday Motivator 11-15-10

Good Morning!! And welcome to this week’s Monday Motivator to pump you up for the week and help you dial in on those fitness goals!

I read over a bunch of quotes this weekend and I liked two of them so much I decided to list them both. Read them slowly and read them carefully so they really sink in.

1) “You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself. That is something you have charge of.”

- Jim Rohn (speaker, writer)

2) The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential…these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence.”

- Eddie Robinson (football coach)

Every now and then we get a feeling of being overwhelmed. A feeling like the world is against us and that no matter how much we try we can’t get our head above water. In these cases and especially when it relates to your fitness goals (and not getting enough workouts in/diet not too good) it’s important to stop for a minute and take a deep breath. In these genuine moments of introspection take a moment to reflect on how much power you DO really have over yourself. Like Jim says, you might not have the power to change all of the circumstances in your life but you can always change how you REACT to what happens to you and hopefully in a positive way.

The second quote by Eddie Robinson is another to help fire you up and if you’re lacking that fire right now read this quote again and again until it hits home. Discover that inner fire to succeed and get ready to launch it into your quest to get fit!!

In fact, these are exactly the kind of mantras/quote I want people to recite and read on a daily basis until it impacts your subconscious mind. If you don’t like these ones, then make your own! Make it personal and make it an affirmation that will inspire you to greatness.

As we near the opening of the 21 day Rapid Fat Loss Challenge and ultimately a whole near year of resolutions, NOW is the time to take “personal responsibility” and ignite your “desire to succeed.”

It’s go time ladies and gentlemen.

Have a terrific start to your week and if you enjoyed today’s post be sure to leave a comment or share it with a friend!!!

Dedicated to your success,

John Heringer

San Jose Personal Trainer Monday Motivator 11-8-10

Hey there, John here and I hope you are determined and as ready as ever to attack another week of fitness to get that body you deserve!

I just read a quote recently by race-car driver Lyn St. James and I think it can be applied directly to your fitness goals. Lyn said this: “You accomplish victory step by step, not by leaps and bounds.”

I know for you immediate gratifiers this is a tough concept to grasp and I know that many of you have achieved some success in leaps and bounds. However, the point is not to get so mentally wound up in making huge changes all the time.

There will be times when you put the pedal to the metal, like in the 21 Day Rapid Fat Loss Program I’ll be unveiling very shortly (only 15 spots available for non-members so email me if you want more info or keep an eye on your inbox). But in the grand scheme of things, it’s all about taking your fitness step-by-step. Putting one foot in front of the other, making positive changes in your life and creating lasting beneficial habits in the pursuit of your ultimate body.

For example, say I want to lose 30 pounds. Well I can just go hog wild doing things randomly and hope to achieve that goal or I can create a plan of action. I can tell myself that I can easily lose 3-4 lbs per month if I put my mind to it and that I will shoot for 7 months for achievement.

Then I’ll take that one month of 4 pounds and determine what I have to do on a weekly and daily basis. There are 3500 calories in 1lb of fat so I know I need to create that deficit with exercise and/or food. So I look at my schedule and determine when I’m going to do my workouts, both resistance training and cardio. And if you’re just starting, you are better off doing this with a friend or joining us at the Fast Action Training San Jose Bootcamp where you will have the workouts + the accountability.

Then I will go to the grocery store with my shopping list already created and choose good foods to prepare for the week so I am in the driver’s seat.

After preparing the food I will make sure I get as much sleep as possible, hydrate myself and get ready to kick some serious ass.

That’s how I would do it….step-by-step.

What are your steps for this week? Have you thought about how you’re going to make it through the holidays? Leave a comment below and let me know!

Have a terrific start to your week and go kick some ass on those fitness goals…step-by-step.

Dedicated to your success,

John Heringer

San Jose Bootcamp Monday Motivator 10-25-10

10 Comments

Good Morning! John here, welcoming you to another Monday Motivator to help jumpstart your week so you can attack your fitness goals.

As a golfer I particularly enjoyed this quote as it comes from LPGA Hall of Famer Nancy Lopez who said this:

“A winner will find a way to win. Winners take bad breaks and use them to drive themselves to be that much better. Quitters take bad breaks and use them as a reason to give up. It’s all a matter of pride.”

You know what, this is life. There are always going to be “bad breaks” and things that will try to derail you from your fitness program. They could include things such as work, crazy family and kids’ schedules, injuries, surgeries, tragedies and countless other items that prevent you from being consistent with your exercise and nutrition program.

When things like that happen, you need to look at yourself in the mirror and ask yourself if you’re a winner…..or a quitter.

In my opinion, a quitter will always find the path of least resistance and use the bad breaks as reasons why they CAN’T continue exercise or CAN’T find the time to eat right. Usually quitters will view things with a negative perspective and create obstacles that will block their path to success. This never-ending cycle puts them in a downward spiral and it can be tough to fight back, regain control of their lives and dial in on a healthy lifestyle and fitness program.

A winner on the other hand is always positive. They use positive language like I CAN and I WILL! They view any type of bad break only as a temporary setback and not something that will keep them grounded for long.

Take one of my san jose bootcamp clients Sheri, for example. Sheri is in incredible shape and an avid exerciser but has a couple old injuries that flare up every now and then. Unfortunately for her, right now is one of those times and is preventing her from doing the san jose bootcamp training. However, here are her words verbatim in an email she just sent me: “Still working out, but I’m limited to walking, Pilates, swimming and some easy elliptical (boring).”

It might not be the high-intensity workouts that she loves but she is still crazy active and MAKING IT HAPPEN! That, my friends is inspiring and that is the drive of a winner.

So again, my question to you is, are you going to be a winner??? Or a quitter??

Let me know in the comment section below and tell me your 1 GOAL for the week in relation to your fitness or nutrition program!

Have a terrific start to your week!

Dedicated to your success,

John Heringer

San Jose Monday Motivator 10-18-10

Good Morning! John here, welcoming you to another Monday Motivator to help jumpstart your week so you can attack your fitness goals.

Dreams are important in life and especially important with your fitness goals. John Updike said this about dreams:

“Dreams come true; without that possibility, nature would not incite us to have them.”

Have you dreamed about your perfect physique? About how things would look with having fitness as a part of your lifestyle? What about the confidence you’ll have the next time you’re on the beach with your new body?

What I’m getting at is that VISUALIZATION is a key process and aspect of your fitness program. I want you to dream about your ideal body! No, this is not being vain or self-absorbed. This is just you painting a picture of what you really want to look like and it will help complement all of the fitness goals that you wrote down when you embarked on this journey.

Here’s what I want you to do:

1) Look at all of your fitness goals and if you need to make them more specific, do it.

2) Close your eyes and start picturing your ideal body and your ultimate end goal. Don’t be shy, just do it.

3) Look at your surroundings and get specific. Where are you? (vacation? Beach?) what are you wearing? (designer clothes? Bathing suit? Birthday suit?

4) Describe how you feel. Are you confident? Do you feel good? Satisfied?

5) Make sure you are detailed in your visualization and when you’re done make sure you hold on to that mental picture!

Visualization is a powerful tool to help you in your fitness and fat loss goals. So start dreaming away and then get your butt to bootcamp and let’s do this. :-) And if you haven’t started yet then email us at info@fastactiontraining.com and get started before the holidays hit!!

Have a terrific start to your week!

Dedicated to your success,

John Heringer

San Jose Monday Motivator 10-11-10

Good Morning! And welcome to another San Jose Monday Motivator brought to you by San Jose Bootcamp trainer John Heringer. Time to get pumped up for the week and keep fitness as a priority! Enjoy the Motivator!

What do you think is your biggest obstacle in your fitness program? What is your Achilles heel that you really need to dial in if you are going to be successful?

Here’s a great quote by James Allen’s that relates directly to this issue. James says this:

“You will become as small as your controlling desire; as great as your dominant aspiration.”

Here are some of the “controlling desires” that I have witnessed with many of my clients and maybe you fall into one of the categories.

- Eat out too often

- No meal prep for the week

- No cooking at home in general (no frozen foods don’t count)

- Not consistent exercise

- No scheduling of exercise into your week

- Too many sweets

- Portion sizes are too big

- Not challenging yourself with resistance or cardio routines

I’m sure there are a lot more things that test your willpower to succeed and can sabotage your fitness program. The fact is that if you allow the “controlling desire” to maintain its control of you then you will never break your bad habits.

What have you done to try and establish new habits? Have you really tried or was it a one-time thing? Did you really establish a plan of action on how you would create the new habit or was it haphazard?

Instead of allowing these things to derail you and your fitness program, think about your “dominant aspiration.” Is it to get down to a certain size or weight or fit into certain clothes? Whatever it is it needs to be within your thoughts at all times. It needs to be the thing that gets you up in the morning to do that bootcamp class or to make the healthy choice or to cook your food for the week.

Visualize it so you can see the reality and increase your willpower to make it happen!

Here’s what I want you to do in the comment section below because we all know that things become that much more powerful when they are written down!

1) Share your obstacle or “controlling desire”

2) Share your gameplan on what you will do about it

3) Share your “dominant aspiration” as it relates to your fitness goals and make sure that it dominates your thoughts at all times!

Have a terrific start to your week!

Dedicated to your success,

John Heringer

San Jose Monday Motivator 10-4-10

6 Comments

Hey there! John here with another Monday Motivator to pump you up for the week but this time I wanted to share a quick video I did after the San Jose Rock N Roll!

Just remember that you can do anything you put your mind to! All it takes is a good plan, determination and perseverance and to take MASSIVE ACTION!

What will you challenge yourself to do this week? This month?

I’d love to hear your comments below in the comment section!

Dedicated to your success,

John Heringer

Monday Motivator 8-9-10

Good Morning! John here and I hope you are continuing to kick butt and take names with your fitness and fat loss goals!

A cool quote by Marianne Williamson:

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.”

So what’s holding you back ?

Have you ever thought about what would happen if you dedicated yourself completely to a losing weight, bodyfat and achieving the figure and healthy lifestyle that you desire?

About the awesome results that you would achieve? About the amazing feelings of energy and self confidence?

Sometimes we can be our own worst enemy. And not in the sense that we are “inadequate” or incapable of achieving the fitness goal. Rather, that we actually do have the power to achieve it but perhaps we’re not ready for it. Perhaps you have created an identity around the way you are now and don’t know if you could handle the pressure of being in great shape and maintaining it.

The mind is a powerful thing and as such can help you achieve phenomenal success with fitness as well as wreak havoc on your goals.

My challenge to you is to embrace who you are and how you look now and that the achievement of your fitness and fat loss goal will only strengthen that feeling…it will not determine it.

And of course, I’ll always love you for who you are!

Have a terrific start to your week and I’d love to hear your comments below!

Dedicated to your success,

John

Monday Motivator 7-26-10

Good Morning! John here, and I hope all is well and that you’re kickin butt in your fitness and fat loss goals!

Do you have a lot of people that you’re responsible for? Whether it is at home or at work sometimes it feels like you’ve got too many things to do and that the list keeps growing. How can you even find any time, let alone 4-5x/week to exercise??!

That being said, I think this quote by Mr. Bill Cosby will really hit home. Bill said this:

“I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is to try to please everyone.”

Sure there are a lot of things that we must do (I’m not telling you to leave the baby’s dirty diaper on but there are a lot of things that we say “yes” to when we really don’t want to.

Remember that although it is important to help people, make a difference and please people, YOU still come first. Without your health, where would you be? You couldn’t help anyone. This is your life and you have to make sure that you take care of your body so you can enjoy life to the fullest.

You have to understand that it is ok to “just say no” from time to time.

Try these phrases when you encounter the next situation where you really want to say “no.”

1) “I’d love to be able to help you but I’ve got so many things on my list I feel I might not complete it and I don’t want to let you down.”

2) “Kathy’s b-day party sounds like so much fun but unfortunately I’ve got some previous family commitments I have to attend to. I hope you have a great time!”

3) “I’d be happy to help you with this project but I would not be able to start until next week at the earliest. I’m currently working on a project for Jim and as I take a lot of pride in my work, I have to give it my fullest attention. I’m sure you would want me to do the same for you. So would next week work for you?”

Start taking care of yourself first. Make exercise a routinely scheduled part of your day that gets done without fail. You will feel better, more energetic and achieving that fitness goal will be a cinch.

Have a terrific start to your week and I’d love to hear your comments below!

Dedicated to your success,

John

Monday Motivator 7-19-10

Hey there, it’s John and I hope you are kickin butt in your fitness and fat loss goals.

Enjoy this week’s Monday Motivator via video!

I’d love if you leave your comments in the section below!

Dedicated to your success,

John

Monday Motivator 7-12-10

We are officially almost a full month into summer and past the first half of the year. Now can be a good time to take a step back and put all of your fitness goals into perspective.

How have you done? Are you fighting the good fight and obtaining the results you wanted?

As you reflect, take aim, and chart your course to achievement over the next 6 months of the year, I want to share a quote with you by Les Brown.

Les said this:

“Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.”

Too often we sell ourselves short, second guess our commitments, and self-sabotage our efforts.

So I’m challenging you to throw away all those negative thoughts and give it all you’ve got!

Remember all the successes that you have had thus far whether it be losing weight, going to the gym more often, being more active on the weekends, completing a 5K or fitness event, improving on your nutrition, and whatever else you can think of.

Get fired up about all the positive changes you will make over the next 6 months and how you can make 2010 one hell of a year!

Have a terrific start to your week and I’d love to hear your comments below on what YOU will do to make the best of the next 6 months!

Dedicated to your success,

John Heringer

Monday Motivator 7-5-10

Remember, today’s motivator requires you to do an exercise so open up a document or grab a paper and pen and let’s do this.

1) List all the things that you are unable to or just plain “can’t” do such as:

I can’t drink that much water

I can’t cook my meals

I can’t make it to the gym 3x/week

I can’t write down what I eat

I can’t do 3 more reps, etc. etc.

2) List out the reasons why you can’t do the above things. Are they really valid? Or are they just blockades that you are putting up yourself? Are they really just excuses or procrastinations that could disappear whenever you decide to MAKE IT HAPPEN!

3) Read the following quote by Tommy Lasorda

“The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person’s determination.”

4) Create an action list from your above “can’t” items and plan ways that you CAN do all of them! Get determined!

5) Seriously, do this exercise and you will reap the benefits. Sometimes you can get caught up in life, work, family and other commitments and you and your fitness and health fall to the wayside.

However, with an action plan by your side, you will get PUMPED UP to make things happen, schedule things that need to take place, destroy the habit of creating excuses and procrastinating and get some GREAT results!

Rock n roll ladies and gents! I hope everyone had a great 4^th of July weekend and let’s go get em’!!!

Have a terrific start to your week!

Dedicated to your success,

John Heringer

Monday Motivator 6-28-10