How to Trust the Process

Trust can be a difficult thing to explain.

One of the things I talk about often is trusting the process. Whether it's my audience on Facebook, YouTube, the blog (hey, that's you!) or my clients, I talk about trusting the process and what that may look like for that audience.

I most often bring this up when talking about the health and fitness journey that all of us are on. Similar to many other things in life, a health and fitness journey is a lot like a path in the forest. We're walking along a path, hoping that it leads to the right destination. At times, we lose faith in the path and find a different path to go on. After taking that new path, we lose faith in it once again, and make a change. After doing that over and over, we realize that we've been moving, but we've been moving in a circle and really haven't progressed.

Whether it's building wealth, building relationships, doing well in school, or improving our health and wellness, we've all experienced this cycle that doesn't seem to end.

So, how DO we end that cycle?

Trusting the process, that's how.

As I said, trusting the process can be a difficult thing to wrap our heads around. Trust itself can be hard to explain or define. So what I'd like to do is work through a few different things we can do to make this whole "trust the process" thing a little more tangible.

FIRST, WE NEED A STARTING POINT

I'm sure you're sitting there thinking "Duh, Adam. Of course we need a starting point." You're right. We do need a starting point, but it's not just the starting point that we need. It's really the mark of the starting point on our map that we truly need. If the map is our process, we must know where we're starting.

Here's why. Knowing where we're starting is one thing, but having the ability to look back and see where we started is something really special. I know, looking back isn't something we've been told when it comes to moving towards a goal. We've been told to keep moving forward. "Never look back", they say. In this context, I disagree. Having the ability to look back gives some positive perspective. Marking a starting point gives us the ability to see how far we've come. Whether it's 2 steps, or 100 steps closer to the goal, we can see actual data that shows progression.

One way this plays out with my coaching clients is through progress photos. Regardless of how uncomfortable my clients are about sharing progress photos, I always encourage them to do it. Obstacles arise, down periods are going to come and they are going to get discouraged. However, if they have the ability to look back and see how far they've come, the inspiration comes back and once again they have a fire under their butt to continue taking steps forward.

We must never forget where we came from.

SECOND, WE NEED A PATH

Just a few lines up, I was talking about this path in a forest. In this context, the forest is the world of health and wellness, and the path is what we need to follow to get to our desired destination within the world of health and wellness. As I said, following that one path is extremely difficult at times. It's easy to take turns and go a different direction when hard times come up due to a lack of trust in that path. Put yourself in that situation for a second. If you were on a trail in the middle of a forest, what would make it easier to trust and follow?

A map with a clear path that leads to the destination.

Having a map in the middle of a forest is great. But it's even better if we can have a map that has trails and paths on it. Trails and paths serve as a clear, tangible way to get from the starting point to the destination. Being able to look at a map and say "ok, if we walk this path, it will take us to the final destination. That builds a massive amount of trust.

The reason we have a hard time trusting our health and fitness process is because we don't take the time to clearly map out what we need to do to get to the final destination. Often times, we say that we need to exercise more and eat healthier.

I say no. That is laziness, and a great way to set ourselves up for failure.

We MUST take the time to sit down and create our path in extreme detail. That path must include proper programming (how many days per week? What exercises? How many sets and reps?), proper nutrition tracking (how many grams of protein, carbs, and fats should I be eating?), as well as an extremely realistic idea of what's to come.

There's no doubt about it; when we are along our health and fitness journeys, obstacles will come up.

travel

kids

work

busy schedule

time constraints

When we're walking down our path through the forest without a map, those obstacles will come up and KNOCK US OUT. However, if we prepare for those things ahead of time, we'll feel extremely confident that we can work around them.

A good example of this is travel. Ask yourself, "Are there any trips coming up that will make it harder for me to be at the gym? Will these trips make it harder for me to stay consistent with my training and nutrition?" You'll quickly realize that the answer to those questions is yes, and you'll begin to make adjustments/preparations like purchasing a set of bands to get some resistance training in while traveling. You'll figure out what you can control while traveling, and capitalize on those opportunities when they arise.

We must be aware of potential obstacles. We must prepare in order to win.

LASTLY, WE NEED A DESTINATION

Before I get into the last part of our process that we're building, I want to make something clear. Once a destination is reached, the process is not over. The destination your reach at the end will simply become your new starting point.

Just like business, if you're not growing, you're dying. There will ALWAYS be something to work toward. Big or small, there will always be something you can improve and build on.

The destination is an extremely important piece of the puzzle. Whether it's 50 pounds lighter or 2 pull-ups stronger, we MUST have a destination to work toward. If we don't, we're simply walking up a mountain for giggles with no hope that we're making progress.

That's stupid.

Notice how I gave concrete goals as destinations. Although I love concrete goals, they're not the entire destination. When obstacles come up along the path, it'll be easier to give up when the going gets tough, because goals that have no depth really don't mean much. Goals like losing 50 pounds are child's play.

BUT... there are things we can do to make our destination have more depth.

Want to be able to 2 pull-ups? Fantastic, but WHY?! Why do you want to do 2 pull-ups? Why do you want to lose 50 pounds?

Is it because you're insecure about your image? Is it because you're afraid of your health ending your life earlier that you'd like?

Good. Now we're getting somewhere.

We all have a "why", but only a few of us have what it takes to dig deep and bring it to the surface. Those of us who do, are the ones that succeed 99% of the time. Why is that?

When we discover our "why" we discover that we have a deeper purpose on this earth that must be fulfilled. Bringing the "why" to the surface attaches meaning to the goal. The "why" allows us to fight not for the goal, but rather for the future self that we are building.

Our destination must have depth.

THE PROCESS

Trusting the process can be difficult, but only when it's not constructed properly. If you want to create a process that can truly be trusted, you'll need to create the following:

1. A starting point

2. A path

3. A destination

And all of them must be taken seriously. Approach these three steps with an open mind and an open heart. Be realistic, and prepare.

You'll trust, and you'll win.

THANKS FOR READING!

I love you guys. Thank you for taking the time to read.

Spread the love by sharing this with friends and family. I know it sounds crazy, but making a small touch in their life can create a ripple that may positively impact them for years to come.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Adam is a fitness professional, baseball fan, and cookie fanatic based in Fort Collins, Colorado. After hanging up the cleats, he found a strong interest in the human body and how it performs. Since then, Adam has been transforming lives through fitness in a fun and encouraging atmosphere. As an ACE CPT and Fitness Nutrition Specialist, he is constantly moved to help people improve in all walks of life. If you’re interested in hiring Adam as your coach, fill out an application here.

Be A Mediator

Balls to the wall, no days off, I'll rest when I'm dead. We've all said things like this, or heard someone say it before.

But why?

Why do we feel like we shouldn't take any days off? Why do we feel like we have to give 110% effort every time when we go to the gym? Why do we feel like we have to give 110% 6 days/week, and only rest one? Why do we need 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight? WHY?!?!?!

Well, that's what we've been told. That's why.

The fitness industry kinda reminds me of school these days (just a heads up, don't read any further if you're easily offended). I'm not sure if you remember your school days and what they were like, but I'm willing to bet that it included a lot of doing things you didn't want to. It included a lot of things you were told would be useful in your life, and it included a lot of things that you found to be the exact opposite. It was probably an environment where the question "why?" was forbidden. Asking "why?" got you in trouble, so you just did what you were asked to do because, well, that's "just the way it is." I found the same thing to be true in my education, especially when I got to college. Believe it or not, I found college (a place of higher learning) to be one of the most dogmatic environments I have ever been in. Critical thinking wasn't encouraged. Challenging educators was absolutely forbidden. Professors weren't interested in truth, facts, observations, and findings. All they cared about was being right. Now, I obviously can't assume that everyone's experience was the same as mine, and it's not fair for me to say that all professors are like that, but I have seen that same thing play out in the education of current students. A student I know walked into her first class at her new college and the first thing that came out of the professor's mouth was "Here are 5 reasons that God doesn't exist and why it would be stupid to believe that he does."

Now, I'm not here to get into some sort of theological debate, I'm just using this as an example. The point I'm making here is that when we are taking in information in a educational setting, it is extremely rare that we have the opportunity to be a mediator. It's rare that we get to be challenged. It's rare that we have the opportunity to challenge already existing thought. It's just rare that we get to be a mediator. What I mean by saying that is that it's rare to have the opportunity to sit down, hear multiple viewpoints, assess and analyze facts, take in data, and come to a conclusion based on the provided information. It seems that if we want to have that experience in an educational setting, we need to go out of our way and create that for ourselves.

Believe me, I am NOT going to sit here and point fingers without looking back and confessing my own mistakes. When I first began my career as a fitness coach at 19, I did the same exact thing. I told people that they needed to eat 6 small meals a day in order to keep their metabolism running. I told people they needed to lift one body part per week in order to build muscle and burn fat. I told people that they needed a protein shake immediately after a workout or else their entire workout would go to waste. I was a dogmatic individual. I wanted to be right and I didn't want to be challenged, because my insecurities lead me to believe that not knowing was a sign of inferiority; a sign of stupidity.

I DIDN'T take the time to be a mediator.

As my obsession for health and fitness grew, I came to understand that growth and knowledge doesn't come from being right, it comes from a desire to find truth. Upon implementing that into my life more and more, I began to challenge what I had previously thought was right. Throughout that process, I found the fitness industry to be dogmatic, telling the masses that x, y, and z is right, so you should buy this product.

"Train one body part per week, because that's what the big guys on stage do. They also drink this pre-workout so you should, too."

"Drink our post-workout shake in order to reap all the benefits of your workout. If you don't, your workout will go to waste."

Statement after statement, I found most of what I thought to be true, to be a bunch of marketing gimmicks to try to get me on their side (to purchase their product).

Now, there's nothing wrong with trying to get someone to see what you believe because you believe it's true. Nothing wrong with that at all. But I will argue that it's wrong to use someone's insecurities to sway them into purchasing a product or buying into a concept, especially when you're not going to give them all of the information, and let them make a decision of their own.

So, maybe the fitness industry isn't too far off track, since they're providing some information.

But, they are.

Companies should be giving out information that is not biased, or dogmatic. Biased and dogmatic information shows that they care about their product more than they care about their customer.

I shouldn't have told people to eat 6 meals per day without looking into it. But, I was too concerned with wanting to be "right", and "an expert".

All of the blame can't fall on big companies trying to sell us stuff. We need to look in the mirror, too.

Whenever we're told something, I believe we shouldn't just accept it to be true for two reasons:

1. If we don't look into it ourselves, how will we really know if it's true?

2. If and when we find out it's true, it'll resonate with us more because we took the time to really understand the underlying concepts.

Here's an example:

If you've been following me for a while, you know that I tend to bash diets quite a bit. I find them to be restricting, dogmatic, and life-sucking. However, when I create content that expresses that opinion, I always give my best effort to explain why. I make sure to give the big rocks, the big underlying truths that I use to believe what I believe. I give my best effort to explain why a certain diet isn't the magical answer to fat loss by providing the big rocks that truly matter. In a nutshell, instead of saying "diets suck, they don't do anything magical for fat loss", I try to make it a point to educate my audience on why I believe that without using their insecurities to sway them. So rather, I'd say something like "diets aren't the answer to fat loss, because there are lot of factors that come into play with fat loss, such as lean muscle tissue, training style, calories in vs. calories out, and more. The ketogenic diet isn't magical. What the ketogenic diet usually does is cause people to eat less processed, calorie-dense foods which allows them to burn more than they're eating in a day, causing them to lose body fat." That is more tangible information that the audience can look into, or ask me more about. Sure, I may not always be the best at doing that, but I do care about my audience so I go out of my way to provide all kinds of information because I want my audience and clients to be empowered. I want them to be self-sufficient. They shouldn't have to always rely on an "expert" because I claim to know everything. Should I build trust with them so they can reach out and ask for my insight? Of course! But ultimately my answers, responses, content, advice, and insight should serve to educate and empower, not to be "right."

Understand what I'm getting at? I hope so.

Look, here's all I'm trying to say:

Take the time to learn. Take the time to understand.

Ask "why?" often. Challenge your own thought process often.

Humble yourself, and never be afraid to use the words "I don't know."

Most of the time, acknowledging the fact that you don't know, and taking the time to admit that to yourself leads you down a path that allows you to grow, and eventually, know.

I love you guys. Thanks for reading. :)

If you got something out of this, please share it with your friends and family!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Adam is a fitness professional, baseball fan, and cookie fanatic based in Fort Collins, Colorado. After hanging up the cleats, he found a strong interest in the human body and how it performs. Since then, Adam has been transforming lives through fitness in a fun and encouraging atmosphere. As an ACE CPT and Fitness Nutrition Specialist, he is constantly moved to help people improve in all walks of life. If you’re interested in hiring Adam as your coach, fill out an application here.

Five Reasons Women Should Lift Weights

I'm sure you've heard the rumors: "Lifting weights makes women big and bulky. Lifting weights keeps women from being lean and toned. It's too dangerous. Lifting can make you look like a dude."

Well here's the truth:

All of those rumors are complete garbage and they keep too many women from hitting the weight floor to experience the many benefits of weight training.

It turns out that the fitness goals you have might not be reached by hitting the boutique yoga studio or stepping sideways up the stair master. if you're looking for a gym routine for beginners or you'd like to mix up your routine, then weight training can be beneficial. Weight training is the most effective method ladies can use in order to achieve almost any body composition goal.

So ladies, drop those mats and hop off the treadmill. It's time to prioritize those weights!

1. BOOST YOUR CONFIDENCE

Do you remember the first time you tried something? I'd be willing to bet that you were nervous. Take flying for example. Were you nervous as soon as the plane took off? Perhaps the first time you felt turbulence? It's the same with lifting weights. I completely understand the feeling of being intimidated and nervous for the first few times. But after a few weeks, I felt like a pro. And guess what? It's not because I'm a guy. It's because I accepted fear and decided to face it. I realized that everyone there had been in the same shoes at some point in their life. You don't need to be a guy to know what you're doing in the gym. You just need some experience under your belt and it all starts with one workout!

Once you've been at it for a while, people will start complimenting you constantly outside of the gym. Do you know what they WON'T ask you? "Oh my gosh you look great! Do you do yoga?" "Wow, I can't believe your transformation! Did you step sideways up a stair master?" Instead, all they'll ask is "You look amazing! What do you do to look like that?" and all you'll say is "Oh why thank you, I lift." Boom. You lift. And as a result, you're strong, lean, and sexy.

2. MORE EFFECTIVE FAT BURNING

Doing cardio for 30 minutes per day is nice. It's good to get some physical activity and burn some extra calories. Do you know what's even better? Burning fat on a consistent basis while you're working out AND resting. How do you do that? By building lean muscle tissue. The more muscle tissue you build, the more fat you can burn while you train, rest, and sleep. Who could say no to that?!

3. FOR THE RIGHT CURVES

Positively changing your shape can affect the way you fit into your clothes as well as highlight all the right curves. You know that toned shape you've always been yearning for? The one that apparently only comes from lifting light weights? Well, it comes from a well-constructed weight program that highlights strength training and muscle building. Yoga and cardio alone can't do that as well as weight training can. Cardio and yoga are great, but are only best for your goals when incorporated within a weight training program.

4. INCREASED ENERGY

Feelings of being sluggish often come from a sedentary lifestyle. A study done by the National Institute of Health concluded that resistance training showed increases in energy expenditure, fat oxidation, as well as metabolism during rest and sleep (Kirk et al.). Instead of mo' money mo' problems, you'll be saying mo' muscle LESS FAT.

5. STRESS RELIEF

We've all heard that exercise is a great way to manage stress. So what makes resistance training so great for stress relief? On a fact-based level, people who lift on a regular basis have been shown to handle situations more positively than those who don't (Stone, Sands, and S.).

On a Poehlmann Fitness based level, I am a firm believer in the correlation between weights and attitude. It isn't proven through research and studies that I've come across, but I've found in myself and others that lifting weights and sticking to a routine allows us to attack life with more of a tenacious attitude. Whether it's earning a promotion or finishing a book, I believe resistance training can improve our determination to succeed outside of the gym.

LIFT SOME WEIGHTS!

Ladies, lifting weights does NOT make you bulky. You don't have enough testosterone in your system to react to weight training the same way guys do. But, you have the best balance of hormones in your body that can allow you to be fit, lean, sexy, and healthy while sticking to a program that fits your goals. Whether you're looking to see more results with a new workout or you're trying to find a gym routine for beginners that meets your expectations, weight lifting is a step in the right direction.

Have some questions about weight training and/or finding the right program for you? Send me an email at adam@poehlmannfitness.com. I'd love to help you. Thanks for reading! :)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Adam is a fitness professional, baseball fan, and cookie fanatic based in Fort Collins, Colorado. After hanging up the cleats, he found a strong interest in the human body and how it performs. Since then, Adam has been transforming lives through fitness in a fun and encouraging atmosphere. As an ACE CPT and Fitness Nutrition Specialist, he is constantly moved to help people improve in all walks of life. If you’re interested in hiring Adam as your coach, fill out at application here.

REFERENCES

Kirk, Erik P., et al. “Minimal Resistance Training Improves Daily Energy Expenditure and Fat Oxidation.” 41.5 (n.d.): n.pag. Web. 25 Sept. 2016.

Stone, Michael H., William A Sands, and William S. Principles and Practice of Resistance Training. Leeds: Human Kinetics Publishers, 2007. Print.