Enter the Peak Performer

Posted on by Bob Choat
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After studying many peak performers in all kinds of fields, one thing that stood out for me is that these people that were the best at what they did worked at it.  They did not have the best talent or skills to begin with, though it may help.  What I found was the amount of time and effort each person put into what they did.

This was even more important when the peak performers started their training at a younger age.  It seems that the mental adjustments through training helped the peak performer even more than when they were in the arena.  The military has known this for years, the best trained harder during peace time than others did.  The best athletes train harder and put more into what their training than the average athlete.  Again, those that started training at a younger age developed skills that enabled them to respond much faster than athletes that started later in life.

You may wonder, “How can I develop the same qualities at my age?”  While you may not reach the same level as the elite performers, you can still reach a level worthy of the best.  It’s been said that it takes approximately 10,000 hours of training to master any skill.  If you were to break that down for each day you’d have to practice it would be like this: 2-3 hours a day/ 7 days a week for 10 years.  Or 4 hours a day/5 days a week for 10 years.  You can do the math in any combination that you want as long as it equals 10,000 hours.

BTW, mentally practicing a skill also helps.  That means using mental rehearsal during the times that you can’t practice it physically.  And in some cases, it actually may be even better because you can perfect it.

Being physically fit will help with your mental fitness too.  Blood flow to the brain makes it function better.  That includes having a regular workout schedule, eating healthy, proper amount of sleep, & proper recovery.  Think of a race car, you wouldn’t put regular fuel or other parts in it, right?  The peak performer’s body is like that of a race car.  Keep yourself properly maintained through high quality living and it will pay you back many times over.

Keep a journal that documents each day.  That way you can make adjustments when needed and to go back and find out what you did to perform at a higher level one day versus another day.  The peak performer knows him or herself.  So should you when you’re striving to get to that level.

Give yourself some good recovery time.  Even the peak performer need time to recuperate in order to get back into the game and be their best.  We see some of the best athletes drop in their performance because they did not have the proper recovery.  When you’re constantly working to perform at a high level, day in and day out, eventually that will come back to haunt you in a down day or longer.  So do some self-care.

The peak performer surrounds themselves with other peak performers.  It’s like the old saying, “Birds of a feather flock together.”  Eagles hang with eagles.  Chickens with chickens.  You decide who you associate with the most determines where you end up.  Hang with peak performers.

As you take this journey towards being a peak performer in your given field, remember, it’s the amount of right effort you put in that will give you back the right skills you need to succeed.  Give it your best!!!

Fitness Occurs Through Action, Not Sitting on the Sidelines

Posted on by Bob Choat
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I hear many people complain about the state of circumstances in their lives and yet when I ask them what they are doing about it, they don’t say anything. Yet, one can see that they never took any action. Heck, they don’t even know where to go because they have no goals in which to strive for.

Nothing will happen simply because you believe it will. I agree that you have to have belief. But, belief with no plan and no action towards a worthy goal, means nothing at all. I can say that I want to get healthy and fit and then I sit all day long with no action. What happens? Nothing, except getting less healthy and fit. You can say, “Well, I bought some fitness equipment, isn’t that action?” Sure it is if you use it on a regular basis.

Too many people falsely believe if they bought a piece of equipment that it’s action in getting healthy and fit. You’ve go use it people! And if you really believe in getting healthy and fit, then you’d take action simply by moving more and eating healthier. Just because you bought that piece of fitness equipment means you’re also going to get fit.

Once you make a decision to get off your duff and start moving more, then and only then will you start on the road towards getting healthy and fit.

Change the way you think about being healthy and fit. Create a goal you want to work towards. Next, develop a plan of action. Then, each and every day, work the plan by setting daily steps that you can take action on. Do research all the time and document your progress through a journal. See what works and doesn’t work for you, both in your diet and your physical activities.

Keep challenging yourself on a regular basis. Once you do that, then growth will occur in your attitude and spirit. Your body will become noticeably fit and healthy looking. And the way you carry yourself will become apparent.

Now, get out and take action today!

Brain Fitness and Physical Fitness Go Hand-in-Hand

Posted on by Bob Choat
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There’s been several studies that show being physically fit also affects how fit your brain is. Obesity has an affect on one’s cognitive ability. This could be due to the slowing of blood flow to the brain as it does the rest of the body. When the visceral fat around the heart and other organs increases, the heart’s ability to be effective decreases.

I think that we’re seeing a correlation between the decrease in physical education in schools and an increase in obesity levels in our children. This, in turn, may have had an effect on the decline in each child’s thinking levels. Sure, there are many other factors that lead to this decline, including less reading and an increase in playing games and watching TV.

Though, those activities also show a lack of physical activity versus kids a couple of generations ago. There used to be a time when kids would engage in outside play and later settle down to read a good book. All of these contributed to better learning and memory retention. According to an article in Science Daily back in 2009, a person’s spatial memory (responsible for learning) increases with physical exercise. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090224133220.htm for further information. In a more recent study (Sept 2010), the same showed that physical exercise helped children in learning too http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20735996.

Now we know that physical fitness can improve cognitive function and memory, so can the opposite be true. Improving your cognitive function can have a direct affect on your physical function. In another study (http://www.sharpbrains.com/blog/2011/01/05/can-cognitive-training-improve-physical-fitness/) cognitive training helped to improve the gait of seniors during walking. That includes the pace of the gait too.

So all in all, you can stave off the effects of mental decline through exercise and improve physical fitness through challenging your brain. That’s a big part of continued overall health throughout ones life. So I want to challenge each person to challenge your brain by reading more, thinking more and learning more. I also want to challenge you to have a plan to move more and on a regular basis. Add a healthy diet and you’ve got all the bases covered. Give your life meaning too. And keeping yourself healthy in mind and body will help you pursue that meaning with a robust attitude.

I wish you complete health and enjoy every moment of your life.

Jack LaLanne: The Man Ahead of His Time

Posted on by Bob Choat
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Today the passing of a man who was known as “The Godfather of Fitness” has left both a void and a massive legacy in the world of fitness. Jack LaLanne was well known to many for his ageless pursuit of fitness and most currently, his infomercials on juicing. Yet, Mr. LaLanne was also a pioneer too. He opened a health spa in Oakland back in 1936 and went onto creating a system of pulleys, cables & selective weights in lifting machines. We now see these type of machines in most gyms today. You can check out his number of firsts through this link: Jack LaLanne Firsts.

Those of us that can remember his television show many years ago called “The Jack LaLanne Show.”

My own life in fitness was inspired by Jack LaLanne and his fitness show. He would challenge and motivate us often. And because he showed the world what can be done when we are fit, we did. He proved through challenging himself that a functionally fit person can overcome what seems impossible and make it possible. When he turned 40, he towed a 2,000 lb cabin cruiser with his hands ties behind his back. At age 65, Jack pulled 65 rowboats across Lake Okanogo in Japan. At age 70, he went further when he had his hands tied, and then managed to pull 70 rowboats, each with a person in it, across Long Beach Harbor. That was approximately 1 and 1/2 miles.

He kept challenging himself since then. I still remember one challenge back in the 80s where he proposed to any person that could keep up with him for one day that he would give them $10,000. One person tried and failed.

I want to challenge each person to live up to the legacy that Mr. Jack LaLanne left for all of us by giving your best in living and truly healthy and fit life. Do it for yourself and those you love. That’s all I can ask of you and you of yourself. give it your best effort. Start from where you’re at and challenge yourself to make improvements regularly.

You can go to The Weekly Fitness Challenge on Facebook to get information on challenging yourself and learn to live a healthy and fit life. Also check out Jack’s website at http://www.jacklalanne.com/. And on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_LaLanne.

Rest in Peace Jack LaLanne (September 26, 1914 – January 23, 2011)

Thanks and may you live your best life ever starting right now! OOH RAH!!!

Visualize Your Way to Fitness Success

Posted on by Bob Choat
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Many people who I’ve run into have become despondent about whether or not they can get healthy and fit. They even feel challenged just to get started. They may have tried something only go back to a belief they can’t really do, so why try. This is more common then we believe.

Those of us that are health & fitness professionals are used to taking action on our health. Many of us have done it our whole lives, it’s our passion. For the general population, they have no basis in fitness or forgot that at one time they did do it.

Using the power of visualization, anybody can create a thought process of health and fitness success.

I remember watching Dwight Stones (http://www.dwightstones.com) at the broadcast of 1976 Olympic Games. Prior to each high jump, he would do a mental rehearsal. He would start from where he was at and then imagine the each step he would take and then the leap over the bar. He did this several times. Dwight then put into action the exact same amount of steps and the jump that he visualized.

You can do the same thing as he did.

You can do this for both long-term and short-term goals as well as immediate actions. For the long-term goals, imagine the endpoint first. As Stephen Covey stated in his book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, “begin with the end in mind.” In this process, imagine you’ve reached your goal(s). What would your day be like? Are you feeling happy? Do you walk with a bounce in your step? Are you received positive feedback, both from yourself and others? Are you able to move with ease? What is your wardrobe like? What do you eat on a regular basis. What physical activities do you engage in? What have you accomplished that you couldn’t before you were healthy and fit? What new people has come into your life? And so forth…

When you visualize/imagine – bring in all five senses (modalities). That way it becomes more real. While the average person is more visual, it’s important to use them all. And even bring in the detail of each sense.

For the short-term goals, including the day-to-day and weekly goals, imagine the same way. And the shorter the goals, the more you have to take immediate action on it. Make sure each short-term goal helps leads you to your long-term goal(s).

For the immediate action stuff, you can visualize prior to engaging in any activity and then take immediate action on it, much like Dwight Stones did. Not only will you follow through better, you’ll also help to create neuroconnections that lets you know that you can do it. The more times you visualize and take immediate action, the stronger the connections will be. Then one day it’ll just be a regular part of your day – like driving a car. I’m sure you remember the first time you got behind a wheel of a car and how hard it was, right? Eventually it became a habit.

Once an action becomes easy, then challenge yourself to new actions.

To sum it up, use visualization for long-term, short-term & immediate goals. The closer your goals are the faster your actions should be soon after visualizing them. This will accelerate your success.

I wish you continued growth and success as you get healthy and fit.

For more learnings in health and fitness, join The Weekly Fitness Challenge on Facebook: Click Here and on Twitter: follow here

The Beauty & Brilliance of Hedy Lamarr

Posted on by Bob Choat
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One of the most beautiful women to ever grace the silver screen was Hedy Lamarr. Her beauty in movies such as Samson and Delilah made her a much sought after actress. Not only was she great as an actress, Hedy was brilliant as an inventor.

Hedy’s legacy has gone far beyond her contributions in acting or in the way she looked. She was responsible for creating was known as “frequency hopping” & known today as “spread spectrum” radio communication. Without that invention, we wouldn’t have such devices such as cell phones and other wireless technology.

Her invention was used in World War II against the Nazis and later in both the Cuban Missile Crisis and Vietnam. Today we can thank her for the various devices when we communicate to others via our cell phones.

You can read more about Hedy Lamarr at: http://www.hedylamarr.org &

http://www.hedylamarr.com

Hedy Lamarr on Film:

Hedy Lamarr Tribute:

Think about what you can do in your life that can make a difference like Hedy Lamarr did. Go beyond the superficial aspect of your life and into doing things that contribute to society in a meaningful way.

Each one of us has that kind of power only if we find our purpose and take action on that purpose.

If You Want to Get Fit, Change Your Attitude

Posted on by Bob Choat
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Most people are not ready to really get fit because they don’t want to. They may say they want to, but when it comes down to doing the things they should do, they don’t. And it all comes down to a matter of attitude towards fitness.

The United States is getting fatter and fatter. There won’t be enough young men and women who are able to serve in the military or as first responders. There’s a crisis and there needs to be an attitude change. And it starts with acknowledging that we have a problem by the majority of people. Those people also have to realize that they are fat or obese. It should not be normal to be at that range. Governments have to acknowledge that all they have proposed is not working. The medical community has to understand that they need to be part of the solution and not just offer medications or surgery. And corporations should understand that they need to help out in any way they can. That includes the fast food industry, other restaurants, and grocery stores. Every single person is responsible for his or her health and the health of their children.

It all starts with the way we believe and think about what constitutes health and fitness. The time is now to change your attitude and help make a difference. I would suggest going to http://www.facebook.com/weeklyfitnesschallenge and become a member. It’s about making changes with yourself, those closest to you, and your community. From there we all can help change the attitude of everyone else. It’s a grassroots effort that is needed. You can help now!

Thanks,

Bob Choat, North American Ambassador Fitness Challenge

http://www.facebook.com/weeklyfitnesschallenge

Health & Fitness Begins in Your Mind

Posted on by Bob Choat
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We’ve all seen those diet commercials, the latest fitness equipment, fitness centers, and so forth, right? You may have been told that if you do a certain diet or use a certain piece of exercise equipment that you’ll end up with 6-pack abs or a beach body. How many times have any of you bought something or started the latest, greatest fitness routine only to fail? Probably quite a few.

The truth is that all health & fitness begins in your mind. How you think about living a healthy life will lead you to taking the necessary actions to make it happen. When you go to a restaurant, the choices you make on what to eat will be directly related to your thoughts. How much you move throughout the day is also related to how you think. When I go to the mall, I will find the farthest parking space just to get the extra walk. It’s the same if the store I go to is within a mile from my house. I will walk instead of driving there.

There are many to get your mind in line with good health & fitness. An easy way is to start reading all you can on the subject. Become a student. Watch health & fitness oriented shows. Listen to audios. And each time you learn something, teach it to others.

Next, put into action those things you learned. Create a plan & then work the plan. It takes about 21 days for a new habit to be formed. You have to be consistent. Continuous action will lead to success.

Another way to get into a healthy life is to associate with people who already live it. Geoff Hampton has helped like-minded people to get together & help change the world of health & fitness. He does that by bringing in leaders to help promote his Weekly Fitness Challenge on a Global Basis. Go to www.facebook.com/WeeklyFitnessChallenge and press the “like” button. By associating with people like this, you will become more like them.

Another aspect of that is to find a mind-body training place. This can be yoga or Tai Chi classes. Kundalini Yoga has a powerful form of meditation that will help to train your mind that will control your body. Self-hypnosis & Guided Imagery work really well too.

Use one or all of the above mentioned ideas to help create a more powerful mindset regarding health & fitness. And when you do that, your brain will benefit from your increased fitness, thereby helping your mind even more.

Live a healthy & fit life starting today!