Here is an abbreviated list of some of the things I've learned in the thirty plus years I've been involved in the fitness industry.
Keep in mind...this is a partial list.
20 things I’ve learned over the past thirty years...
1) Eat right 90 percent of the time. When you do, good things happen, like: lower blood pressure, muscle gain and preservation, bone density, fat loss, connective tissue strength, increased endurance, etc.
2) Train hard, and smart. In the words of Joe Namath, “If you aren’t going to go all the way, why go at all?”
3) Lift heavy weights with good form. The body is meant to work, so just do it.
4) Train often. It doesn’t have to be a long, drawn out affair. 15 to 20 minutes per day of solid training can have long reaching benefits.
5) Lift as much weight as possible with good form for as many reps as you can. Forget counting reps. Simply focus on technique and let your body do what it is Divinely constructed to do.
6) Use a variety of multi-joint movements...often. The body craves variety. Do not allow your training to stagnate with mundane and boring routines. And DO NOT train like a bodybuilder, unless you want to walk like a zombie, look like a freak and hurt from a multitude of muscle imbalances.
7) Eat foods in their natural, unaltered state. You know… like God made it. You can’t get better than that.
8. Drink clean water frequently. That doesn’t mean carrying around a water bottle like it’s an I.V. drip. Just drink a little at frequent and various times throughout the day.
9) Variety. I've even heard it’s the spice of life. Change up your daily routine. Drive to or from work a different way. Eat something you wouldn't normally eat. Wear something different. Change things up a bit. Don't get stagnant or stale.
10) Laugh often and loud. I heard someone say it’s the best medicine.
11) Go to church. It’s a place to learn about life, joy, love and to remind you that you’re not the center of the universe.
12) Hang out with friends. People who can, and will, tell you “like it is.”
13) Love your wife/husband. Like you mean it. Remember...the kids are watching.
14) Be nice: it doesn’t cost a dime to do so. Former Cincinnati Reds coach Sparky Anderson said this after a game I was watching some 35 plus years ago and I’ve never forgotten it.
15) Buy good wine and enjoy every drop. With friends or loved ones it tastes even better.
16) Read God’s Word as though your life depended on it. Believe it or not, it does.
17) Tithe and watch what happens. The only time in Scripture we are told to test God is in this manner. I dare you to try and “out-give” Him.
18) Tell the truth…always. It’s cheaper in the long run.
19) Practice what you preach. I’m still working on this one.
20) Be a friend. To your wife or husband, an animal, people you know and meet. It’s the surefire way to make a friend.
21) Nobody wants to lose “weight,” despite what they may say to the contrary. Weight implies the number on the scale. What they really want is to lose size, and that equates to fat.
22) Nobody cares how much you know unless they know how much you care.
23) Give more than is expected. Go that extra step. “Pay it forward,” if you will.
Steve
