Tag: fitness

The Secret To Success In Faith, Training and Life

The Secret To Success In Faith, Training and Life

There’s not many times when I dig into areas of life that don’t apply to training and fitness, but tonight I want to do something different. The cool thing about this though is that it ACTUALLY applies to everything. The secret to success in training, nutrition, relationships, life in general.

As you may know, I was in Costa Mesa California this past weekend for the annual Fitness Business Summit hosted by PtPower.com and Mr. Bedros Keuilian; a genius in the fitness industry. Throughout this whole weekend I sat back and learned amazing things from some of the top fitness pros in the country; 12 countries to be exact.

Even though every speaker had their own success story to tell, I noticed very quickly that they all shared one thing in common, besides the fact that they all made significant amounts of money in the same industry, doing practically the same things.

This similarity puzzled me. Not because it was so complex for my brain to understand, which I expected, but because it was so simple that a 5 year old could comprehend it.

I fell into the trap that so many people do. I made the answers to my questions complex, when the true answer was so tiny that I felt kind of dumb when I realized it.

As humans, I feel like we all stray away from the simple foundations that made the people before us successful. I mean, when a problem arises, don’t we come up with a million different solutions for them? And what for? It’s not like we NEED all those answers, we just need ONE.

The brain isn’t wired that way. Maybe we can blame society or the culture that we live in for that, I don’t know. All I know is that answers should be simple, and questions should be relatively the same.

When I came to the realization, I immediately thought of you. The person who is probably just like me and complicates things to no avail.  I like to think of myself as a simple person, but truth be told I was brought back down to humble-land during the course of 3 days.

I thought of you because I wanted to help others who fell in the same trap. This is a much bigger picture than just building muscle and getting ripped. YEAH, I said it haha.

What I really mean is that the “bigger picture” gets left on the backburner. I believe 100% that we have the gifts and blessings to take our bodies to their best potential, but at the end of the day, we are all just humans looking for purpose.

Back to the story…

Before I share with you the secret that I learned this last weekend, I have to mention the WEIRD part about all of this. Believe me; my point will become clear in a minute.

A few hours ago I was relaxing with my beautiful girlfriend and she reminded me that I had missed church this weekend and that we should watch Sunday’s service online.

Just an FYI, the church we go to is HUGE. It’s called Christ’s Church of the Valley, located in Peoria, AZ.

So yeah, it’s awesome getting to hear and watch the service when business stuff comes up or I have to miss a Sunday.

About half way through the video I realized the strangest thing; CCV was teaching the exact same thing that I was learning in California, on the exact same weekend.

Pretty bizarre to say the least. Now you may not be a person of faith or go to church like I do, but to be honest, for this post it doesn’t matter. The principle I’m going to share with you can change you for the better regardless. Believing that God has control of your life just makes it all that much easier!

The lesson learned was this:

All successful people, in business, faith, fitness and life, share the amazing ability to differentiate between responsibilities and priorities.

Let me elaborate…

The people who are truly successful in all aspects of their life, PLAN FOR IT. Simply “wishing” it to become true does not work.

For example in your fitness life, isn’t it true that a prioritized plan must first be in place before your goals are completed?

I can “wish” for my biceps to be huge mountains all I want, but if I don’t plan to eat correctly, train correctly and get enough sleep, it just won’t happen. The same applies to everything else my friend!

Let’s use business as an example. This past weekend, these successful fitness business owners had to PLAN everything they did, even down to the hour of the day that they did it!

Now THAT’S prioritizing.

Do you ever wonder why some people seem to get SO MUCH done in a single day’s time? Or weeks time?

It’s because they don’t accept time as an excuse. Think about it, they’re JUST LIKE YOU. They have to sleep like you, and go to school like you, eat like you and even have time for fun, just like you.

They aren’t super humans. Successful people don’t wake up in the morning and breathe in excellence, they plan to succeed.

If you’re looking for some complex answer as to why you don’t have what you want in fitness or in life, don’t be like me! Go ahead and think outside the box; think about what else you can prioritize to move forward. Responsibilities are NOT always priorities, but they can become priorities through a matter of choice.

Sorry if I’m getting all pumped about this stuff, but it excites me!

Back to the story…

When I was watching church just a couple hours ago I couldn’t believe that the same principle was mentioned over and over again.

I mean, could it really be that simple?

What if we all just took action and structured our priorities from now on. How different would your life look?

Would you be happier, or more fulfilled? Would you feel excited about the days to come instead of dreadful? Would you see your life as an opportunity to make an impact instead of just merely getting by?

Priorities my friend. They will always draw a perfect map to where your “life-long treasure” is buried.

When Pastor Don was talking about prioritizing my life to reflect God’s Will instead of my own, he was absolutely right.

I’m not here to preach to you but I want you to understand my point. Planning for life will only get you so far, FAITH will carry you the rest of the way.

You see, without faith in something bigger than yourself, you try to battle through life all by yourself. It isn’t meant to be that way.

Knowing that God is in control will help to eliminate all doubt and fear about tomorrow.

So here’s the take away…

  • Create balance in your life in all aspects: Faith, Fitness, Relationships, Business and Fun. Make sure not to leave the “fun” part out. What’s the point of living if you aren’t enjoying the ride?
  • Take time out each night to read, pray or study. Always aim to learn more.
  • Before bed, make a list of the top 5 things that you need to get done the next day. This way, when you wake up, you’ll have a “plan of attack” to GSD! (Get Stuff Done)
  • With your training, KNOW your end goal. Be extremely specific with what you want and be a “Super Ninja” and work your way backwards to attain that result!
  • Be accountable. Find someone who will support all of your efforts, inside and outside of the gym.
  • SUBSCRIBE to MindsetFitness! You don’t want to miss out on cool posts like this one right? Plus I like to give away cool stuff every once and awhile. 🙂

I went ahead and posted the video right underneath this of Dr. Don Wilson and his sermon about being the “Eye of the Tiger.” Don’t miss it! You’ll be glad that you watched it.

If you have any questions about the best ways to get organized or anything related, feel free to shoot me an email at Mitch@mindsetfitness.net. Take care my friend.

Dedicated to your results,

Mitch Muller

CPT – MindsetFitness.net

See my other recent blog posts:

Top 4 Ways the Mind Can Influence Your Muscle Growth

Fine tuning your Fitness Lifestyle

Learn more about The Secret To Success. Stop by Mitch Muller’s site where you can find the Secret To Success in every aspect of your life.

5 Steps To A Better Fitness Mindset

5 STEPS TO A BETTER FITNESS MINDSET

It can happen all too often when you step into the gym, and you’re feeling a lack of motivation. We’ve all had this happen one time or another and it’s extremely deflating for your workout. You think, Man! I was feeling so good this morning but now the drive just isn’t there. Although this problem can easily be fixed through some sort of energy source or pre-workout stimulant, I believe the best fix for this is in the mind. The following is 5 things that I like to do before my workouts to ensure that I’m focused, determined, and most importantly, deserving of stepping foot into the “fitness sanctuary”.

Stretch

Whether it’s before you get to the gym, or right when you walk in, the first thing you should do is stretch. Stretching is definitely important for preparing your muscles for the thrashing you’re about to give to them, but I also view this time as a moment to mentally prepare yourself for what is ahead. As you stretch out your muscles, visualize what workouts you’re going to be doing next. See it in your mind and apply this as part of your motivation in what you hope to accomplish.

Music

One of the biggest philosophies I like to live by is FIND SOMETHING THAT MOVES YOU. Music is a great tool for building and creating that passion, determination and motivation to power through your workouts. The best way to ensure you feel this motivation throughout your entire workout is creating playlists. I personally have many different playlists, and each one is dedicated to whichever type of mood I may be in. As an example, screamo/hardcore rock for when I’m feeling strong, hip-hop/rap for when I have a slight chip on my shoulder, and a much slower, steady mix of rock for when I’m doing cardio to help me focus. Whichever the case for you, have your music ready for a strong fitness mindset!

Pre-Workout Meditation

Whether you’re new to working out or an experienced veteran, the benefits of meditation are exponential on many different levels. Where the gym is concerned, I view meditation as a time to focus all of my thoughts strictly on the gym and my fitness goals, as well as creating a time to pray and thank God for giving me the time to make myself better, mentally, physically, and spiritually. I strongly recommend practicing some sort of meditation at some point during your day to enhance your overall health!

Motivational Videos/Images

One thing I personally like to do before workouts, especially if I’m not feeling quite 100% is find something to get me pumped up. Nothing works better than visiting YouTube and looking up some insane bodybuilding/fitness videos. This may not suit everyone, but it certainly aids in giving you the strong motivational push to get through your workout and to succeed with all your goals. We also have the Motivation link here at MindsetFitness.Net if you’re looking to find more motivational music and videos!

Gym Apparel

I’ve saved the most important one for last. You may not think that what you wear to the gym has anything to do with how your workout will turn out but take a minute and think about it. Why do most gyms have mirrors on the walls? First, mirrors help you see what you’re doing and second, to ensure you’re using correct form. This may be the case but they also can be very distracting to some people. I think I can speak for most of us when I say it’s great seeing your fitness progression but if you really want progress, wear apparel that doesn’t allow you to become distracted in the mirror at the gym! I’ve found that since I’ve switched to a wearing a long-sleeve hoodie during my workouts, my focus is taken off of how big and ripped I may look and placed where it is most important: the workout itself! Focus for your fitness mindset is key.

Now that I have shared my 5 steps to a better fitness mindset, it’s time for you to apply what you think may help you on your road to fitness success. Stay focused, stay driven, have faith and hit the weights!

Matt Muller

CTO – MindsetFitness.Net

 

Related Articles:

5 Steps To A Better Workout Mentality

The Top 8 Keys To Intensity

Using Visualization To Increase Mass

Fine-Tuning Your Lifestyle – Mitch’s Blog #4

Hey guys,

Mitch here. It’s been awhile since my last blog post but things are finally mellowing down and allowing me to get back into my normal schedule!

I’ve learned quite a few new things over the last couple weeks. It’s safe to say that I did not expect some of them, and others I was accepting with open arms.

My car accident shocked me. For some reason I had the belief that it would never happen to me. That idea was quickly blown to smithereens in a split second of loud, smashing metal. Long story short, my car was totaled and I was stuck without transportation to work and school and even the gym.

OH NO! Not the gym!

Yeah, that’s one of the first things that came to mind. “How will I get to the gym to train?!” This might sound crazy to some of you guys but because of the high priority that I give my training, it doesn’t take long to come up with a solution.

Most of you may already know how important my training goals are to me, as I tend to talk about them a lot. What I don’t usually talk about though is how I go about planning my life to remain in a positive balance.

This isn’t an easy task to say the least. For some of you who are just starting out with your muscle-building lifestyle, just GETTING STARTED on the right foot is enough to make the mind go crazy, let alone take care of all the other important aspects of your life like school, relationships or your faith and spiritual life.

Maintaining balance in your lifestyle is extremely important.

Without balance, you start reaching for the things instead of letting them come to you. You start giving into your emotions instead of letting your faith and knowledge lead the way.

With that being said I wanted to provide you with some awesome tips that have helped  to create that homeostatic balance within my life. This will help in fine-tuning your lifestyle:

#1 Relentlessly Manage Your Time

Your time is extremely valuable. If you think it isn’t, then this website probably isn’t for you! I’ll most likely mention this over and over because of how important it is. When your time is left up in the air, things will not get done. Correction, THINGS WILL HAVE A HARD TIME GETTING DONE.

I suggest setting aside some “DO WORK” time in your day. This may be an hour first thing in the morning or a few hours after work in the evening. Whenever you have that specific time each day to crank stuff out. AKA- Get. Stuff. Done!

You’ll be surprised just how much you can accomplish over time. Use this precious time to do the things you want to improve- Build your business, play with the dogs, enjoy time with your family, play an instrument, be happy!

Last thing, PROTECT this time of your day. If you go without it for too long, the system will get thrown off course and your progress will come to a hault.

#2 Be Fearless

An old friend from high school told me something one time and it’s stuck with me ever since:

“If I only fear God, what else do I have to fear?”

With what I believe, fear is just another excuse not to try. People are so afraid of failing or disappointing themselves or someone else, that they remain at a complete stand still.

You don’t want to be that person right?

Life isn’t some crazy maze that we have to find our way through, it’s so simple yet somehow we make it complicated!

Although life my SEEM like a maze from time to time, the solution to get to the cheese at the end is becoming FEARLESS.

Don’t let fear drive you down the wrong path. I like to think of it is “failing forward.” SO WHAT if you mess up. AT LEAST you’re putting forth the effort and taking steps forward.

“Don’t wait around for the grass to magically become greener. Water the freaking thing!”

 

#3 Create Deadlines

I like the old saying: “Goals without deadlines are just dreams.”

Maybe it’s a new saying, but whatever you get my point.

It’s funny how these deadlines work out. Ever since I started setting deadlines for my goals in life, business, fun or the gym, they ALWAYS get done. And why is that so?

Because I’ll feel like crap if they don’t! A little trick that I use when I set a new goal for myself is to tell everyone about it. This way, when my deadline comes up, most people will tend to wonder and ask how your goal went. Do you want to look like the idiot who didn’t follow through with your promise???

Didn’t think so.

An important piece of the puzzle is to realize that you have to be REALISTIC.

Gaining 20 pounds of muscle in 2 months is not realistic. Keep dreaming on that one buddy. Wouldn’t we all like that! Minus the stretchmarks…

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading this! Try putting these things on a post it note and put it somewhere you’ll see it from time to time. In life, you’ll only get out what you put in!

Take care,

 

-Mitch Muller

MindsetFitness.net

 

 

 

 

3 Simple Ideas To Mix Up Your Routine

3 simple ideas to mix up your routine

3 Simple Ideas To Mix Up Your Routine

Every now and then I catch myself stuck in the same routine and my workout starts to get a little boring.  I know this is starting to happen when it gets easy to miss my regular workout.  Recently, I noticed this had happened when I easily talked myself out of going to the gym for almost 2 weeks straight.  Obviously, something needed to change.  So here are 3 simple ideas to mix up your routine from time to time that will add some spice to your workout.  Give them a try, and I’m sure you’ll find some new excitement to your workout as well.

Change your Grip!

This is a small change compared to most of the others you can do, but one way to spice up your workout from time to time is to change the way you’re gripping the bar when doing barbell or machine exercises.  One of my favorite grips is the palm grip.  In fact, I’ve read several articles from fitness trainers and other professional athletes that suggest that on exercises like the bench press, you should only be using a palm grip.

So what is a palm grip?  Let’s use the bench press as an example for the palm grip.  Many of us have been guilty of using a standard grip on this exercise, myself included.  A standard grip would be where you wrap your hand around bar as if you were holding a baseball bat.

If you want a more effective bench press, try not wrapping your thumb around the bar.  You might think that you’ll lose some stability by doing this, but I’ve never had that problem.  You might have to bend your wrist a little more to compensate, or lower the weight just a little bit.  The main benefit to using a palm grip on this type of exercise is that by putting your thumb in this position, you are reducing the amount of effort that your forearms will put into the exercise.  Therefore, your chest and tricep muscles will have to work even harder to do the lift.  Try this, and I’m sure you’ll notice a difference the next time you perform a bench press.

Try Tri-sets!

You’ve probably heard of super sets, where you do two exercise consecutively without resting in between.  Have you ever tried doing three different exercises?  This works extremely well with bicep exercises.  The benefit to doing a triset with a bicep workout, is it allows you to hit the bicep really hard in three different ways.

Here’s an example of a bicep triset: standing barbell curls, hammer curls, reverse barbell curls.  You’ll also notice in this sequence that you have to change your grip with each set of the triset.  This is the best way to utilize a triset.  Here’s an example of a triset with triceps: straight bar cable push downs, rope cable push downs, reverse cable pushdowns.  Again, the key here is to change the grip on each exercise.  Give these a try, and I’m sure you’ll feel a new pump in whatever body part you utilize them with!

Change your Split!

Have you been following the same split routine for two long?  Has your split routine consisted of chest and triceps, back and biceps, or something similar for several months?  Try reversing your split or doing a 5 day split instead of a 3 day split.  Do chest and biceps, back and triceps just to mix it up a little.

These are just a few basic ideas, but its always a good idea to mix up your routine on a continual basis.  That way you can keep your body guessing and growing to adapt to the changes in stress that you place on your muscles.

 

8 Proven Strategies for Maximum Muscle Gains

 There is so much conflicting information out there when it comes to the topic of building muscle, and sometimes it can be very difficult to know where to start. If you’re an average beginner looking for some basic guidelines to follow in the gym, the following 8 points will start you off on the right track.

1. Train With Weights and Focus On Compound, Free Weight Movements

If you want to make solid, noteworthy gains in muscle size and strength, you absolutely must train with free weights and focus on basic, compound exercises. A compound exercise is any lift that stimulates more than one muscle group at a time. Examples of these lifts are the squat, deadlift, bench press, chin up, barbell row, overhead press, dip and lunge. Compound movements allow you to handle the most weight and will stimulate the greatest amount of total muscle fibers.

2. Be Prepared To Train Hard

One of the biggest factors that separates those who make modest gains from those who make serious gains is their level of training intensity. In order to stimulate your muscle fibers to their utmost potential, you must be willing to take every set you perform in the gym to the point of muscular fatigue and/or failure.

Muscular Failure: The point at which no further repetitions can be completed using proper form.

Sub-maximal training intensity will leave you with sub-maximal results, plain and simple.

3. Track Your Progress In The Gym From Week To Week

Our bodies build muscle because of an adaptive response to the environment. When you go to the gym, you break down your muscle fibers by training with weights. Your body senses this as a potential threat to its survival and will react accordingly by rebuilding the damaged fibers larger and stronger in order to protect against any possible future threat. Therefore, in order to make continual gains in muscle size and strength, you must always focus on progressing in the gym from week to week. This could mean performing 1 or 2 more reps for each exercise or adding more weight to the bar. Keep a detailed training log to track your progress as your strength increases over time.

4. Avoid Overtraining

Overtraining is your number one enemy when it comes to building muscle size and strength. When most people begin a workout program, they are stuck with the misguided notion that more is better. They naturally assume that the more time they spend in the gym, the better results they will achieve. When it comes to building muscle, nothing could be farther from the truth! If you spend too much time in the gym, you will actually take yourself farther away from your goals rather than closer to them. Remember, your muscles do not grow in the gym; they grow out of the gym, while you are resting and eating. Recovery is absolutely vital to the muscle growth process. If you don’t provide your body with the proper recovery time in between workouts, your muscles will never have a chance to grow.

5. Eat More Frequently

The main area where most people fail miserably on their muscle-building mission is on the all-too important task of proper nutrition. Training with weights is only half of the equation! You break down your muscle fibers in the gym, but if you don’t provide your body with the proper nutrients at the proper times, the muscle growth process will be next to impossible. You should be eating anywhere from 5-7 meals per day, spaced every 2-3 hours in order to keep your body in an anabolic, muscle-building state at all times. Each meal should consist of high quality protein and complex carbohydrates.

6. Increase Your Protein Intake

Of the 3 major nutrients (protein, carbohydrates and fats) protein is without a doubt the most important for those who are looking to gain muscle size and strength. Protein is found in literally every single one of the 30 trillion cells that your body is made up of and its main role is to build and repair body tissues. Without sufficient protein intake, it will be physically impossible for your body to synthesize a significant amount of lean muscle mass. If your body were a house, think of protein as the bricks. A general guideline is to consume 1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight each day from high quality sources such as fish, poultry, eggs, beef, milk, peanut butter and cottage cheese.

7. Increase Your Water Intake

If you want a simple, easy and highly effective way to maximize your muscle gains, drinking more water is it. Water plays so many vital roles in the body and its importance cannot be overstated. In fact, your muscles alone are made up of 70% water! Not only will drinking more water cause your muscles to appear fuller and more vascular, but it will also increase your strength as well. Research has shown that merely a 3-4% drop in your body’s water levels can impact muscle contractions by 10-20%! Aim to consume 0.6 ounces for every pound of bodyweight each day for optimal gains.

8. Be Consistent!

Consistency is everything. Those who make the greatest gains in muscular size and strength are the ones who are able to implement the proper techniques on a highly consistent basis. Simply knowing is not enough, you must apply!

Building muscle is a result of the cumulative effect of small steps. Sure, performing 1 extra rep on your bench press will not make a huge difference to your overall results, and neither will consuming a single meal. However, over the long haul, all of those extra reps you perform and all of those small meals you consume will decide your overall success. If you work hard and complete all of your muscle-building tasks in a consistent fashion, all of those individual steps will equate to massive gains in overall size and strength.

Top 5 Myths About Fitness Exercises

fitness exercisesTop 5 Myths About Fitness Exercises

Ok guys, I want to tackle some big myths about general training and fitness. More specifically: the act of exercising. Here are the top 5 myths I run into pretty frequently:

Myth #1 About Fitness Exercises | Sports are for Pros

This idea applies only in the case of performance sports. The native qualities required for professional sportsmen (speed, skills, specific height, etc.) can only be developed, they can’t be formed by training. As long as the aim of a regular person is not performance, almost all sports can be practiced for keeping the body in a good shape. It’s all about dosing the training you chose, so that the benefits are bigger than wear and tear. Even the sports considered tough can be practiced in a ‘soft’ way (tae-bo, mini-triathlon, jogging, etc.).

Myth #2 About Fitness Exercises | Training is Tiring

This idea is true as long as it refers to consuming all your energy (muscular and hepatic glycogen), but it doesn’t mean that training gets you into that state of exhaustion which would slow down the process of recovery of the body. Even in performance sports, the purpose is to have rather effective than exhausting training, so that the body can get the stimulation necessary to qualitative progress from one training to the next.

Even more than in other sports, in fitness the sportsman is spared overexerting. However, the training must not become ineffective. People can come to the gym tired after a work day and leave relaxed (physically and psychologically) and not more tired. This is extremely useful for people with sedentary jobs, but also for those who make physical effort at work. They could use the training by choosing a type of effort meant to compensate the one involved in their job.

Myth #3 About Fitness Exercises | Training Takes too Long

Again, this idea is true if applied to performance, which can only be obtained by working a lot. But also in this case short and very intense training or training for relaxation and recovery are often performed. In fitness, you can get to 20-minute training, working only super-series of fast exercises, which could involve, directly or indirectly, all the muscles. Anyway, regular training shouldn’t take longer than an hour and a half. Otherwise, the body will get into the catabolic faze, when the cortisone secretions ‘cannibalize’ the muscles.

Myth #4 About Fitness Exercises | Any Type of Exercise is Good For Solving Your Problems

What’s true in this refers to some particular cases like excess of adipose tissue(fat). This tissue can be ‘melted’ by any kind of aerobic exercise (running, cycling, swimming) if this is continued long enough. Even in these cases it was clear that some exercises are more effective than others. There are situations when only a combination of exercises with a certain amount of each, can provide you with the results you expect. More than that, repeating the same exercise all the time can have as a consequence not only losing balance in the antagonist muscles and in the joints involved in training, but also stopping progress or even regressing.

Myth #5 About Fitness Exercises | You’re too Old

No more exercises! This is true only if we refer to extremely demanding efforts (really heavy weights, fast running, jumping, etc.). There are lots of exercises adapted to different ages. Their purpose is to keep and improve health and also to improve physical shape. The development of movement parameters for older people refers especially to muscular and cardio-vascular resistance as well as mobility of the joints. Because the final purpose of training is not preparing for a competition, the exercises can be organized gradually according to their difficulty, eliminating the risk of accidents. Because it’s based on perseverance, fitness can be adapted without problems for older people and even for people suffering from different affections specific to old age.

 

Bridging the Faith and Fitness Gap

Bridging the Faith and Fitness Gap

It’s logical to say that in this day and age our society has adopted a “me, me, me” mentality that is virtually accepted everywhere. The fitness industry isn’t about supporting a team or leading an organization in the right direction– it’s about us. It’s about the individual and personal effort to reach towards a goal. In no way is working out a team sport. It’s as simple as you, yourself doing the work. I mean after all no one else will benefit from YOU eating 7 meals per day. No one else will benefit from YOUR consistent training routine or rigorous early-morning cardio sessions. You’re a one man/woman show.

If training and fitness has become an enjoyable priority in your life then most likely you’ve been well aware of this for some time. You have to put in the hard work to get the results.

Today I want to challenge your thinking. I want to challenge your purpose in training. It’s so easy to give into the world’s beliefs that we can have what we want WHEN we want it, but have you ever thought of the bigger picture? Here’s another question:

What is your purpose for training?

Depending on your sport, desired activity or specific goals, these answers can vary. People workout with all sorts of achievements in mind; some don’t even have goals, they just workout and run because society says you have to be physically fit and healthy, so they hope for a positive ending with no clear direction.

With this being said, there is one very unique thing that these goals have in common – They are ALL temporary.

What happens when you reach your goal?

Ok so I can run 10 miles without stopping; I can bench press 315 pounds; I completed my first triathlon, woo!

Now what? Don’t get me wrong here, having personal achievements are extremely important and help tremendously in training mentality and motivation to do great things in life, but is there something that’s more important?

“For while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”               – 1 Timothy 4:8

In the fitness industry today, God is absent. He is left at church when we leave Sunday morning’s service and is stuck waiting there for when we come back. We dive headfirst into the busy week with our routines and God is placed in a separate box that is only opened specific times of the day, if at all.

Many Christians will make this mistake because they do not realize the “big picture.” God doesn’t want SOME of our time or even MOST of our time. He wants to be 100% of our lives. This means that God should be woven into your businesses, your priorities, your activities and your lifestyles.

As Christians, what is our purpose on this earth?

The Bible tells us that God is the potter and we are the clay (Isaiah 64:8). He forms us into who He calls us to be. Our purpose on this earth is spread the Good News of Jesus Christ to those who do not know Him. Everything else is second.

In the fitness industry, the faith and fitness gap has not been bridged… until NOW.

Our lives should be a shining example of God’s love for us and His never-ending grace. We respect Him with our body, mind and soul.

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” – 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Conclusion

I encourage anyone reading this to make God a part of your fitness lifestyle. Here are a couple ways to get started:

       1.   Pray before and after your workout

Ask God to bless your time and abilities in your training. Whatever goal you’re looking to achieve, make your requests known…

 

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”  – Philippians 4:6

        2.   Worship with your training

One of the best ways to keep God a part of my workouts is to blast praise music! This can be rock, rap or straight up worship music. You’ll notice the positive difference in your training. Over time, this can be amazingly effective in keeping God first place in your life.

It’s time to leave behind the popular selfish outlook that has been accepted in society! God is our loving Father so let’s praise Him in our workouts, our sports, our nutrition, our priorities and our lifestyles!

Your Trainer in Christ,

-Mitch Muller

CPT – MindsetFitness.net

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” –1 Corinthians 10:31

Steps to Enhancing your Fitness Lifestyle

enhancing your fitness lifestyle

5 Steps To Enhancing Your Fitness Lifestyle

I think it’s way easier said than done to keep everything in order each day when it comes to enhancing your fitness lifestyle. Preparation alone takes up hours in the day just so you can turn around and have a step ahead the very next morning you wake up. But in turn, you just end up preparing yourself for the next task or meal or the next day after that, and the revolving circle goes round and round. What happens when the days start to blend together, or your enthusiasm tends to disappear and your energy is nothing short of nonexistent? Being a bodybuilder or a gym rat doesn’t mean you’re immune to days or weeks like this. We’re human, and sometimes we need change to keep the fire burning. I’m a simple man and my simplicity tends to bleed over into many aspects of my life. So I’d like to share some things that will help keep you motivated and ready to get to work when the gym starts calling your name.

Enhancing Your Fitness Lifestyle Step #1 |  Home Away From Home

Using myself as an example; I work at a gym, and I get asked all the time, “you’re here all day long, how do you still stay here and workout after?” The simple answer to that one is: I don’t. Very rarely do I work out at the gym that I train my clients. As many of you may know, being in the same place for a long time can make the simplest of people go stir crazy. If you are a member of a gym that has multiple locations with different equipment, then take advantage of it!

Enhancing Your Fitness Lifestyle Step #2 | Diet Preparation

Sometimes that hardest thing about enhancing your fitness lifestyle isn’t the hour or two that you spend in the gym each day; it’s the remaining 22 hours. We all know the importance that a well-structured diet plays in our fitness results, so the preparation of our food is essential to KEEP this process structured and avoid any dietary setbacks that may occur. A great example of this would be: running out of a specific food you need, and replacing it with something convenient on your way home because time has become an issue.

For some reason, life tends to get crazy and hectic the minute we commit to our diets. For my personal gain, I like to view this as a challenge, instead of just counting the reasons why I won’t be able to stick to my new plan. My advice to you: make time to cook your meals, to go to the grocery store, or to buy your supplements. You’ll only get out what you put in. They don’t call it hard work for nothing. Establishing cooking days or grocery shopping days will give your diet better consistency, and without a doubt, help your mind from going nuts when life starts wearing you down. Enhancing your fitness lifestyle is not easy, but completely worth it.

Enhancing Your Fitness Lifestyle Step #3 | New Routines

I’ll get right to the point: Don’t get caught up in doing the same routine just because it feels the best. Just because it’s Monday doesn’t mean that the bench press is your best friend. Try something new! You must constantly place new resistance and overload on your body for it to adapt and progress to the next level. Try doing back on Monday, or shoulders.

Enhancing Your Fitness Lifestyle Step #4 |   Beware of Overtraining

Sometimes the answer to constant fatigue or lack of interest in your workouts may be right under your nose. BEWARE of the initial signs of overtraining! If your body just seems warn out, or you’re experiencing more fatigue than normal, or your muscles have hit a plateau, you’re most likely overtraining. Other signs include: loosing leanness despite increase exercise, working out hard every single day, restlessness or unable to sleep, your joints or limbs hurt, or lack of appetite.

Enhancing Your Fitness Lifestyle Step #5 | Positive Reinforcement

Don’t be a Debbie-downer. It has been shown in numerous studies that a positive flow of energy or mindset will help keep the body balanced. Undue stress to the body will cause negative effects and even diseases if it continues for a long period of time. Surrounding yourself with positive reinforcements will help keep your motivation high when it’s time to work out. The easiest way for me to get motivated is to watch others succeed. Take this quote from Kai Greene:

“There’s a success that you’re able to walk away from this experience with, and it’s your responsibility to use it effectively. Be encouraged when you see someone else achieve something; make sure you understand what is at the core of their success…. At this moment, I’m encouraging each and every one of you understand that the POWER OF MIND, the power of the ability to make a decision, the power to decide and to be, and tap into my better resources, are at the core of my success today. The portrait of my life that I choose to create is done so by MY MIND. Realize today that you have power, as do we all.”

 

-Mitch Muller

CPT – MindsetFitness.net

Putting Faith in your Workouts

faithPutting Faith In Your Workouts

For those of you who know me on a personal level, my heart’s main focus isn’t set on the gym life that has surrounded my career, but my life that I have given to God and faith in Him.

Now-a-days every gym I’ve come across you have those big power-lifting gym rats that hang out in the corner by the power rack…Ever seen them? Occasionally one will get up from his seat, wrap his calloused hands around the bar, and deadlift 500 lbs until his face is red and his manly groans can be heard through the loudest music in my headphones. The others stand at his sides and yell and curse till the last rep is complete. These tend to be the leaders of the gym in their own minds, but are they leaders that can be looked up to in a Godly perspective? The young kids look in awe and ask for advice, and the regular lifters keep quiet but still wish they were that big…

In these gyms, it is easy to say that the biggest guys are the ones to look up to. And not all of them would be considered bad role models. However in my mind, what truly makes a man a MAN, is not how much weight he can throw around, or how many young kids ask for the “secrets” to his success, but how he presents himself as a man of God; staying humble in the greatest times of achievement and respect.

Not every person that walks in the gym knows Jesus as their Savior, and I’m not saying these people are bad whatsoever, but as young OR experienced lifters, we should look up to those who help us in a way that in pleasing to Christ: Which is why I’m writing this article about faith in the first place!

When was there a time when you saw someone in the gym, young, old, big or small that was reading their Bible before their workout began?? Needless to say I’ve NEVER seen this happen. Not even once. I even lift at a gym located at a church! Doesn’t God ask us as Believers in Him to be unashamed of His Word and to reach those who don’t know Him? In my opinion, this is the BEST way to not only be a shining example of Jesus in our everyday lives, but to also give ALL the glory to him even in our sessions at the gym. If we aim for Jesus to be first place in our lives, wouldn’t that mean we should also set him first in our workouts? Why not!

When this faith-filled approach popped into my mind it was clear as day.

Some days the gym will be packed out, and others you might be the only one there. And there will be times when an excuse might come into your head to skip reading the Bible today; “Oh I’ll just do it when I get home.” Can’t tell you how many times I’ve said that to myself. Shame on me. I know I’m not perfect, but Lord knows I’m forgiven…

So here’s my challenge for you: Give God the opportunity to be the center of your muscle building experience. Whether you’re in the locker room, sitting on the bench, training at home, or in the corner by the power rack with your lifting buddies, ask God to bless your workout and to be a shining example of God’s love to the rest of this world. He will never let you down and that’s a promise.

The very first time I did this I was nervous to see what it would be like. I walked into the gym with my bag in hand filled with all my nutritional vitamins and supplements; sat down in the corner on some step-up benches, pulled out my Bible and started praying. I asked the Lord to fill me with the strength I needed to progress in my training, to let me be a shining example to those around me, and to open my mind to the verses He wanted me to read that day. I opened up to James which is one of my favorite books of the Bible and it read: “24 You see that a man is justified by works and not faith alone…26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.”

This gave me the confidence I needed and God showed me that putting him first in every aspect of my life, including my lifting sessions would be rewarding. Having faith that God will strengthen you in your workouts will not be enough, but through Works (Reading your Bible and speaking to others about God), you will be blessed I have no doubt.

I know most of you reading this may not have a personal relationship with Jesus, but if you are interested in hearing more about faith then don’t hesitate to send me and email and I will be glad to help out!

Oh and for those of you who need some pumping-up kind of music, I suggest Lacrae, Thousand Foot Krutch, Manafest, or Pillar. GREAT stuff…

Your Trainer in Christ,

– Mitch Muller

CPT – MindsetFitness.net