A Change of Thinking....

The Always Inspiring John Grimex from "Strength and Health" Magazine in 1943

AS some of you out there know, along side beign a strength coach, I spent a number of years as a professional dancesport competitor and instructor. The other day one of my former students sent me a different kind of question. She's in the process of planning her wedding and her question was, "Brett do you think that after someone get's married, it's a good time to let themselves go?"

I pondered this question for a few moments thinking about all of the old jokes that are out there about someone saying, "yep, now that I'm married I don't have to workout anymore," and so on and so forth. But, I had never actually had someone seriously ask me that type of question. 

I answered her by saying that I personally don't believe there's ever a "good time" to let yourself go. Staying fit and eating clean are two of the weapons that we have in our arsenal to stay healthy, young, and vibrant.

Her question got me thinking about a comment made by another one of my clients. This particular client is in their mid-forties and, through her training and eating, she's doing things now that she never thought were possible. She's also doing things now that she hasn't been able to do since her mid-twenties, only she's doing them better. She's noticed huge changes in all aspects of her life including aches and pains disappearing, a skin condition that she had previously has gone away, she doesn't get stiff and sore doing daily activities like gardening or shoveling her and her neighbors driveways during the winter, and more. When she excitedly tells some of her friends about how much easier her daily life is since she's been training they've actually said to her, "So. Why would the person training you care about stuff like that?"

These two examples really make me think because it really shows how many people only think about eating correctly and exercising correectly in the context of how it'll either make you look or if it'll get you into your "skinny" jeans. It really is amazing how many people miss the boat on the whole deal.

This is also the reason why you'll see so many people who'll decide that they're sick of being fat and sick, so they'll go on a diet. They'll starve themselves for a little bit of time until they reach a certain weight or a certain size. Then they'll stop and go back to living the same lifestyle that got them sick and fat to begin with.

I'm proposing a chang of thinking, one to a health first mentalilty. One of the people that I most respect in the fitness industry is Scott Sonnon. Coach Sonnon has a wonderful fitness hierarchy that I think more people should look at and follow.  It's a health first hierarchy. Start with your health and vitality in mind, exercise and eat in a way that will allow you to live the healthiest life that you possible can. Next, focus on your mobility and your quality of movment. Really, how healthy or fit are you if simply standing up from the ground is hard work? Learn to move like a child again. Then, move on to focusing on exercising and eating that will help you with your daily life. What's going to make the particular struggles that you face on a daily basis easier to deal with. Then work on your attributes, what you can do during your workout. Then, focus on your physique and how you look.

I'll be willing to bet that if you start to train and eat with health, movement, and improvements in your daily performance as your focus, you'll build the body that you desire.

Just look at the picture on the top of this post. The Legendary John Grimek, Olympic-style weightlifting Champion, Undefeated Professional Bodybuilder, Awe-inspring Strongman. And there's a reason why the magazine that this photo came from is titled, "Strength and Health."

Yours in strength and health,

Brett Stepan