No Excuses = Results
By
Jason Hanisak
I want to talk about a very important topic—how to get results. Obviously,
this is something that everyone is interested in. However, most don’t fully
understand. I’m going to set the record straight and be 100 percent honest,
which may offend some people. I’m ok with that because, quite frankly, I’m
offended by the number of excuses that I hear on a daily basis.
I’m sick and tired of hearing, “I’m too old…I have bad genetics…I don’t have
time…I looked good until I had kids.” You get the idea. I’ll explain why these
excuses are not legit in my world, and I’ll tell you the ONLY way to get the
results that you say you want.
First, let’s examine some of the popular excuses…
I’m too old
I’ve heard this excuse from so many 30-year-olds I could just choke someone.
Unless you have a full head of gray hair, have trouble walking, get the senior
citizen discount, or someone calls you grandpa, you are NOT old. It’s true that
you may feel old, but there is a reason for that—you sit around and do nothing.
Yes, this will make you feel old.
You watch television, eat, and complain about being old. Ever hear of George
Foreman or Bernard Hopkins? They are two fighters who both won world titles in
their forties (usually considered old for an athlete). They defied the odds.
How? Dedication. They trained seven days per week when they were tired or felt
weak. They trained no matter what they felt like. Bernard Hopkins is
43-years-old and looks like he is 25. And you know what? He says he feels like
he is 25.
I’ve had clients in their twenties and thirties who say that there is no way
they could train more than thirty minutes twice per week. Meanwhile, I have 50-
and 60-year-olds who train 3–5 times per week at an hour per session. Guess
what? The older clients are losing weight and getting stronger while the others
are making minimal progress. Is this because the younger clients’ bodies can’t
take that much exercise? No, they choose not to allow their body to get that
exercise. Therefore, they feel old.
Age is NOT an excuse. It is just a number. I know many people over the age of
50 and even 60 who workout daily, run marathons, power lift, body build, and
more. These people don’t look or feel their age because they choose for it to be
that way.
I have bad genetics
I hate this one. No one is meant to be fat. Now, everyone does have a
different body type, and shapes and sizes will differ. However, large amounts of
fat are not meant to be on our bodies.
Now, I’m not knocking overweight people. I have many friends who are
powerlifters and could probably lose a few pounds, but it doesn’t concern them.
The difference is all of them acknowledge that they are overweight. However,
they have different goals and are ok with how their bodies look. This is for the
person who wants to exercise once or twice per week and complain that they are
fat. Then they blame it on genetics. It never has anything to do with the lack
of exercise, the ice cream and cookies they eat every night, or the fact that
they went twenty years without exercise.
If your goal is weight loss, you should be exercising 5–6 times a week. You
should be doing three days of weights and cardio and two or three days of just
cardio. Does this sound like a lot? Well, make a decision. Do you want to lose
the weight or not? If the answer is yes, then I just told you what to do. If
that is too much for you, be happy being overweight and don’t blame your
genetics.
I don’t have time
Ah, my all-time favorite. Just thinking about this one makes me want to lose
my mind. Now, I do understand that people are busy in today’s world. Family,
work...umm…well, for me it’s family, work, and lifting. They are my priorities.
I always get a response on this one. “Well, you get paid to work out so it’s
easy for you, I hear. Would someone please tell me who writes these checks
because I have not received mine yet?! Yes, it is true that I’m a personal
trainer, and I have worked in the fitness industry for many years. However,
people pay me to help them get in shape, not for me to lift weights. Training
others is my job. On top of that, I have a wife and newborn baby, I coach
college wrestling, and I compete in powerlifting. Guess what? I always have
time. I’m not always able to get it in when I want to, but I always get it in.
Sometimes I have work or have to catch the bus to leave for an away
tournament. So, I have a choice to make. Bag that day’s workout or get up at
5:00 am and do my squats. For me, there is no choice. I have to squat. It is a
priority. That doesn’t mean that I’m not tired like everyone else. I hate
getting up that early, but I do it anyway.
I was on a MySpace forum and a woman was complaining about how she wants to
work out but works too much and doesn’t have time. How the hell do you have time
to play on an internet forum, but you can’t find thirty minutes to go for a run?
You have time. You just choose to use it another way.
I looked good until I had kids
Ok, first off, don’t blame your kids for your pathetic body. I understand
that women gain weight during pregnancy, and their bodies go through changes. So
I will give you the benefit of the doubt. However, if your kids are
10-years-old, it is not baby fat. If your baby weighed 8 lbs and you gained 80
lbs, guess what? You ate like shit.
I know that no one wants to hear this, but I’m speaking the truth, and I have
a perfect example to back it up. My wife had a baby four months ago. She weighed
120 lbs before and was on strict bed rest for over thirteen weeks. (This was the
perfect opportunity to gain weight.) When our son was born, she weighed 138 lbs,
and four months later, she is back to 120 lbs. She exercised regularly before
she got pregnant and ate well during her pregnancy. She did not eat ice cream
and brownies but chicken breasts and fruits and vegetables. Now, what is the
excuse?
Most of these points are directed at the average person, but I hear the same
bullshit from athletes as well. You’re in college, you have class, you have
work, and you have practice. I understand that you are busy, but if you want to
excel and you want to get results and improve from one season to the next, you
need to make the time. If you can’t find time to go for a run or hit the weight
room for an hour, why even bother playing at all.
When I was in college, I spent 2–3 hours, six days a week in the gym. Four
days a week I went for a midnight run. It didn’t matter if I was hung over,
tired, wanted to go to a party, or had a girl waiting for me. The gym came first
every time. If you truly want to accomplish the goals that you have set, you
will find time one way or another.
I hope everyone realizes that this article was not intended to offend anyone
but to call everyone out on their excuses. And if you are offended, maybe you
need to look at why. Is it because I speak the truth? You are never too old to
do anything, and if you are under senior citizen age, don’t even go there. You
were not born fat so don’t let yourself get there. If you are already there,
make a change. Exercise regularly and change the way you eat. If you can’t give
up the chocolate cake every day, stop complaining and making excuses. Don’t
blame your kids. Get off your lazy ass and do something about it. And if you
think you don’t have time, realize that everyone else has the same
responsibilities that you do. The difference is we make the time.
So, what is the answer to results? Very simply said—dedication. Make time to
workout. Never miss a workout. If you have to miss it, double up the workout
before. Stop making excuses. No one wants to hear it.
Live by the Hanisak Sports Performance motto—no excuses, train hard, or go
home!
Elite Fitness Systems strives to be a recognized leader in the strength
training industry by providing the highest quality strength training products
and services while providing the highest level of customer service in the
industry. For the best training equipment, information, and accessories, visit
us at www.EliteFTS.com.