Are you a slave?

I had my kettlebell class last night, and had a new person drop in to try the class out. IF you are ever interested in dropping in on a class and live in or work in the NYC area, shoot us an email, support@phoenyxfitness.com. #shamelessplug

So, this new client was wearing a shirt that referenced a bible verse on the front. I Corinthians 9 25-27, and I  had to ask...

ME : Oh,so I noticed the bible verse on your shirt. What does that verse mean?
Her: Like what is the verse? Oh I don't know.
ME: What do you mean you don't know? You're just wearing a shirt quoting something and you don't know what it means? What if someone asks you? What do you say?
Her: I've never had anyone ask me.
ME: *side eye* (I turn to another student) Did you see her shirt?
Her #2: Yes
ME: Were you wondering what the verse meant?
Her #2 Oh it's a bible verse. I thought it was a date. I thought, Oh , maybe that's her birthday. September ...or something.
o_0

LOL. We joked about it a little longer, but I told her I was going to look it up when I got home and shoot her a note, so she didn't walk around with this shirt on like a person that walks around with a tattoo in another language and doesn't know 'exactly' what it means.

When I did get home to look it up, I thought, 'how appropriate' after I read it. This is what is says in NIV translation:

"25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27 No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize."

For those of you who don't believe in religion, the bible, God, etc. let's get past that for a moment and just read what this is saying. In my line of work, I deal with 'athletes'. Not always professional athletes, but people who train, and YES strict training.  That 'crown' that will not last for my competitors is that trophy on stage.  For my athletes training for a race, or sport, it's that finish line or that win. Whatever or whoever it is, everyone trains to obtain a certain something at the end of that journey. Even the every day person's 'crown' is  a new body whether it be for health reasons or image.  

The part I want to focus on is the last verse...'I beat my body and make it my slave....(so) I myself will not be disqualified for the prize'. MAKE it a SLAVE is a powerful statement.  

Slave defined

• a person who is excessively dependent upon or controlled by something.

  
  
• a device, or part of one, directly controlled by another.
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So, if you are making your body your SLAVE you control it. You make it, mold it, train it, tell it what to do. YOUR body is dependent on you, NOT the other way around. How many of you have repeated any of the below statements while training, dieting, etc....

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• 'I had a craving for a *fill in the blank* and I couldn't help myself...'
• ' Everyone else was out drinking and I could not be the only one that wasn't so I just had a few...'
• ' I was so tired so I did half my cardio. I'll 'make it up' tomorrow'

Who's in control? Is your body functioning in line with your mind or are you allowing your body to control YOU? There are no 'cravings'. Your body wants what you allow it to have. If you never had chocolate, you wouldn't crave it. Once you have it and you like it, if you want it again, and you don't have it what happens? Do you DIE because your chocolate gene hasn't been nurtured? No, it goes away and you live to see another day, maybe a few pounds lighter.

This is mostly for my athletes, which is anyone within the breadth of this message that I am training, pro or not, striving to reach a particular goal. As you fall back on those excuses, I want you to ask yourselves what do you really want. What is your ultimate goal. Are you going to control your destiny, your body or are you a slave to food, alcohol,...fill in the blank.  What have you become excessively dependent upon? 

This could turn into a very interesting segway, but for now, we'll leave it with training. :)

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Will you be there...?

I have a group of ladies that are on a 10 week challenge to get into a bikini! For some of you, you are probably like what's the big deal, I go to nude beaches. lol. Some people have never worn a bikini, IN LIFE! Can you imagine that? There are people you see at the beach in shorts and a tee and that is the most stripped down they will be in public. So, THIS is a huge step for some of these ladies, and for some a note able shift in their lives.  I don't want to focus on that, just yet. What I want to talk to you about is commitment. The long haul. The after, after. I told the ladies that I want their COMMITMENT, not their EXCITEMENT.

I love it when people say they are excited about something, don't you?! ' OMG I'm so excited about *fill in the blank*. I can't wait to do *fill in the blank*. Oh this time I"m gonna ' FILL..IN ...THE ...BLANK'
Then what happens? You ask them about it later and they are equally UNEXCITED about what they were ECSTATIC about in the beginning. Back to the challenge. Sure, I needed the excitement in the beginning. The excitement brings about the decision to act. EXCITMENT is an emotion. I can be excited about something today, and HATE (another emotion) something tomorrow. If we were required to grant refunds on emotion, I would not make any money. But, once people commit something they think is substantial, ie money, then they are more willing to complete the task they promised at the inception. It's funny that our WORD isn't substantial enough.

I am speaking on exercise but this applies to life. Your 'new year's resolutions' to workout and get in better shape, and lose weight and lack thereof after  2 weeks at a meager attempt to keep a consistent schedule is no different than the 'moves' you're going to make to get a new job, or the lack luster attempt you make at  working at your relationship. Only then, to blame the failure on some outlier when your heart, determination and motivation weren't there in the beginning. Why do we say we want these things ? Because we really DO want these things. Why don't we follow through? Fear of failure? Fear of what's next? Fear of success even. Self sabotage? Sometimes the next steps to the success requires some change from you that you fear. Laziness? Fear of extra work? We don't want to risk being hurt whether it be our hearts, or our ego. You see, most people expect you to fail. It's so much easier to fall into everyone's expectations of being less than your full potential. Really think about that. How many people do you have in your immediate circle that push you to do more than you dream? What's the first thing a lot of people say to your desires or goals? 'That won't work' ' Oh a friend of mine did that and didn't like it' 'You've never been able to do that. What makes you think that will work now?' ' Oh well good luck, but you know how you are'  Be careful who you reach out to for 'advise' or confirmation. Your 'friends' are sometimes the worst comforters with their 'honest' opinions.

What do you want to do today? Then do it, and stick with it. Not tomorow. Not next week. Not when you feel better. Not when it stops snowing....

Write it down, slap that bitch on your wall...and own it.