STEAMStreet Workout - Saturday, June 5th

John Victor's STEAMStreet Workout
Saturday, June 5th at 8:30 AM!
The workout will begin and end at the lululemon athletica Showroom in Rye. The Showroom address is 14 Elm Place #206, Rye, NY 10580.
I will be on the corner of Elm Place & Purchase Street (next to Starbucks) at 8:20 AM to meet anyone who is unclear about the location of the Showroom. (If you arrive after we've already headed into the Showroom, just wait on the corner of Elm Place & Purchase Street and we will pick you up before the run begins.)
Water will be available in the Showroom both before and after the workout begins. We will also have refreshments in the Showroom at the end of the workout.
You are welcome to bring guests!
If you have not RSVP'd yet, PLEASE send me an email so I have an accurate count of participants.
In the event of inclement weather, the workout will be canceled. If there are bad weather conditions, please check your email at 7 AM for an update on the status of the workout.

Memorial Day Challenge!

If you're around on Memorial Day, Monday, May 31st join me for 2 great workouts!

8:30 - 9:15 AM
STEAMax

9:30 - 10:30 AM
Spin

I will be there and hope to see you too!

Positive Thoughts Only

I was standing in line the other day and saw a young lady with a t-shirt on that really made an impact on me. Her shirt had a sorority insignia on it and the words "Fat Free Talk Week" in large hot pink letters. I thought to myself, WOW, that's the best I've heard in a long time.

As I looked at the young lady standing in line it made me think about how much we all criticize ourselves and how hard we are on ourselves and each other. I am not exempt from this negative internal and external dialogue. It is much easier to look at ourselves and find all the things that WE DON'T like without focusing on all the positives about ourselves and others.

On a personal note, I have always hated my legs. I've been tall for most of my life and have always wanted to be shorter so that I had a more compact, dense muscular frame. The funny thing is that I get so many compliments about my legs. It's the body part people compliment me on most! It's hard for me to believe that people actually like my legs because I have spent my whole life criticizing and disliking them. Weird, right? I have spent years focused on what I want and not appreciating what I have.

I am committing to STOP criticizing myself. No more negative self-talk. It's not healthy and it's not productive. If I see something about myself that I really want to change, talking negatively about it to myself is NOT going to produce a positive change so I won't do it anymore. When I want to make a change I will take action BUT will stop the negative internal dialogue dead in it's tracks, starting today!

What about you? Will you commit to stopping the negative self-talk?

Quotes of The Day

By request, here you will find a listing of each of the quotes of the day.

Day 2:
Quote of the Day:
It's not the work that's hard, it's the discipline.
-Anonymous

Day 3:
Quote of The Day:
"Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments."
-Jim Rohn

Day 4:
Quote of the Day:
"Develop the winning edge; small differences in your performance can lead to large differences in your results."
-Brian Tracy

Day 5:
Quote of the Day:
"We can have more than we've got because we can become more than we are."
-Jim Rohn

Day 6:
Quote of The Day:
"You never will be the person you can be if pressure, tension and discipline are taken out of your life."
-Dr. James G. Bilkey

Day 7:
Quote of The Day:
"Whether you think you can or whether you think you can't, you're right!"
-Henry Ford

Day 8:
Quote of The Day:
"You will never find time for anything. If you want time, you must make it."
-Charles Buxton

Day 9:
Quote of The Day:
"If someone says, 'Hey I ran 100 miles this week. How far did you run?' Ignore him! What the hell difference does it make?...The magic is in the man, not the 100 miles."
-Bill Bowerman

Day 10:
Quote of The Day:
"You must begin to think of yourself as becoming the person you want to be."
-David Viscott

Day 11:
Quote of The Day:
"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."
-Eleanor Roosevelt

Day 12:
Quote of The Day:
"Don't let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do."
-John Wooden

Day 13:
Quote of The Day:
"Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference."
-Winston Churchill

Day 14:
Quote of The Day:
"It's so hard when I have to, and so easy when I want to."
-Anne Gottlier

Day 15:
Quote of The Day:
"Sometimes the path you're on is not as important as the direction you're heading."
-Kevin Smith

Day 16:
Quote of The Day:
"How am I going to live today in order to create the tomorrow I'm committed to?"
-Anthony Robbins

Day 17:
Quote of The Day:
"Sweat is the cologne of accomplishment."
-Heywood Hale Broun

Day 18:
Quote of the Day:
"Pain is temporary. Quitting last forever."
-Lance Armstrong

Day 19:
Quote of The Day:
"Carpe diem."
-taken from Odes by Horace

Day 20:
Quote of The Day:
"The difference between CAN and CANNOT are only three letters. Three letters that determine your life's direction."
-Remez Sasson

Day 21:
Quote of The Day:
"What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals."
-Zig Ziglar

Day 22:
Quote of The Day:
"Nobody's a natural. You work hard to get good and then you work hard to get better."
-Paul Coffey

Day 23:
Quote of The Day:
"The most important thing about motivation is goal setting. You should always have a goal."
-Francie Larrieu Smith

Day 24:
Quote of The Day:
"There will come a time when you believe everything is finished. That will be the beginning."
-Louis L'Amour

Day 25:
Quote of The Day:
"What is without periods of rest will not endure."
-Ovid

Day 26:
Quote of The Day:
"If you focus on results, you will never change. If you focus on change, you will get results."
-Jack Dixon

Day 27:
Quote of The Day:
"Progress however, of the best kind, is comparatively slow. Great results cannot be achieved at once; and we must be satisfied to advance in life as we walk, step by step."
-Samuel Smiles

Day 28:
Quote of The Day:
"The real secret of success is enthusiasm."
-Walter Chrysler

Day 29:
Quote of The Day:
"Do more than is required. What is the distance between someone who achieves their goals consistently and those who spend their lives and careers merely following? The extra mile."
-Gary Ryan Blair

Day 30:
Quote of The Day:
"You are the one who can stretch your own horizon."
-Edgar F. Magnin

Nothing Can Stop Me or You!

So, I'm heading out of town this afternoon to spend the weekend in Provincetown to celebrate Chris' (my partner) birthday. Since we are in the middle of The Challenge and I am a huge creature of habit, this is a bit of a curve ball. OK, get ready to break out your violins for me...we are also traveling without our incredible nanny SO that means that fitting in workouts will be even a little trickier because Coco isn't quite ready to do workouts with us yet.

We have a plan and a Grammy (Chris' Mom lives in P'Town) so we WILL fit in our workouts. We will be taking a beach run each day and committing ourselves to a weight workout each day too. Plus, we will take Coco for a walk or 2 a day so we will definitely fit in our workouts while we're away.

Now. do you have travel plans or other things happening in your life that can keep you away from your workouts? If so, have you made a plan for fitting workout time into those plans? Remember, we have to MAKE time for ourselves and our workouts...that's a priority!

Stay on track folks! We are 10 days in and there's no stopping us now!

Carpe Diem

Yesterday, just before I taught my 9:30 AM Spin class, I received the news that Dede Frontera had passed away. For those of you that workout at Equinox in Scarsdale, you know that Dede was a fixture at the gym and even through her challenging and valiant battle, she showed up at the gym almost every day and trained hard. I would often look at her training with Ray and think to myself, WOW if she can do it so can I. She gave me so much inspiration and at times when I was allowing my "luxury problems" to weight me down, she provided a sense of perspective.

We have the opportunity to make every day of our lives count and to live every day to the fullest. I am recommitting myself to not sweating the small stuff, making sure that I make the most of each day and TO MY WORKOUTS! Dede did it and so can I!

My workouts and classes until the end of The Challenge are dedicated to Dede and her incredible spirit.

Thanks for the inspiration Dede.

The Little Engine That Could

Our daughter, Coco, is just 3-months old but we have been reading to her almost since the day she was born. I guess being the son of a retired first grade teacher/reading specialist rubbed off on me.

One of the stories that Coco seems to like most (REALLY, she seems to like it!!!) is The Little Engine That Could. Maybe it's the great pictures but whenever we read it to her she gets entranced and stays very focused. We read it to her a lot because the message of the book is one that we really believe in. Coco CAN DO anything she wants to do and we want her to believe that from a very early age (obviously!).

Maybe we should all re-read this story. It's naivete is it's beauty. The message is simply that there's nothing we can't do if we just believe in ourselves and use all the power that we have.

I grew up in a family where this was the prevailing attitude. My parents always told me that I could be whatever I wanted to be and do whatever I wanted to do. There were no limitations placed on what I could expect to achieve and/or do with my life. As I've grown into adulthood, the gift that my parents gave me by believing in me and being 100% supportive, has unveiled itself. I am a confident man and I really do believe that I can do anything that I set my mind to.

Think about it. Do you have that level of confidence in yourself? Do you think you can do anything you set your mind to? Do you harness the belief that you can do anything you want to to improve your workouts and your life? If not, starting today make "I THINK I CAN" your mantra!

Fitness & Personal Growth

This is an email I sent my distribution list which I'd like to share with you all...Let me know your thoughts.


Quote of The Day:
"You never will be the person you can be if pressure, tension and discipline are taken out of your life."
-Dr. James G. Bilkey

This made me think about how important it is to look at the glass as half full at all times. When something happens to us, or FOR US, we have a choice of how we view the situation. We can see it as a barrier to getting what we want OR we can think about just how whatever just happened ultimately happened FOR our benefit. We will never be able to eliminate the pressure and tension created by career, family, financial matters...LIFE! What we can do is use those stresses to GROW. It's true that many of us thrive under pressure and I would argue that with the right mindset ALL of us are capable of experiencing tremendous growth in the face of the challenges that life throws our way.

From November 2007 - February 4, 2010, when our daughter was born was incredibly stressful for my partner Chris and me. We had no idea of the number of setbacks we would experience throughout the surrogacy process. At some points during the process, we wanted to give up BUT we kept in the front of our minds our goal...creating our family! When something disappointing happened, we would ask ourselves, why did this happen FOR us? What are we supposed to be learning from this?

Think about this as it relates to your physical fitness and health...It takes discipline to get the PHYSICAL body you want. Do you have the discipline in your life necessary to become the person you want to be and/or achieve the goals you've set for yourself? How do you respond when a workout gets difficult and takes you out of your comfort zone? Do you give up and just say you can't do it OR do you look for a way to be successful no matter how challenging it feels to you? As I've said to each of you (that take my classes) many times...we grow when we are uncomfortable. Develop an appreciation for that discomfort and use it to propel your fitness to the next level!


AND....HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL YOU WONDERFUL MOTHERS!

STEAMax - May 6th

Talk about a HARDCORE group of fitness maniacs! My Thursday morning 5:45 AM STEAMax class is filled with incredibly competitive, FIT, people who are 100% dedicated to being in the best shape they can be. They are incredible! AND, almost all of them are participating in the 40/30 Challenge.

Over the 20+ years I have been teaching, I have taught a lot of great groups but this class is by far the most rewarding group to work with. They come in with their game faces on and are ready to work to achieve their fitness goals. They DO NOT look for the easy way out and are super inquisitive about how they can continue to improve. I LOVE THEM!

Are you 100% committed to your fitness goals? Take a look at this snippet of our workout and bring the same intensity to your training!

Enjoy!

Double Workout Points!

Try one of the following classes during the week of May 10 - 16 and you will be able to count the class as 2 workouts!


Wednesday, May 12th
9:30 - 10:30 AM
Tabata 2010

Thursday, May 13th
5:30 - 6:30 PM
Shape Bikini Body Workout

Have fun!

Goals

Last night, I had the opportunity to go to Greenwich to speak to the staff at lululemon about goal setting. It was such a cool experience to speak to a group of people, working for a company that values that type of dialogue.

Each of you, by participating in The Challenge, has set a goal for yourself of completing 40 workouts in 30 days. That's great BUT let's take it a step further (you know me, I'm always asking for more!). Take some time over the next day or two to identify another more specific goal you have for yourself in the next 27 days. Remember, YOUR goals should be S.M.A.R.T...

Specific: Is your goal very targeted? For example, don't just say that you want to get stronger, say I want to be able to bench press 100 lbs.!

Measurable: Can you easily quantify whether or not you've met your goal? If you say you want to lose some inches from your waist, make sure your put a number to it! I want to lose 3 inches or I want to drop one pant or dress size.

Achievable: Your goal needs to be reachable and approachable. In other words, don't set an unrealistic goal.....aiming to lose 50 lbs in 30 days is just not realistic! A more achievable goal would be saying that you'd like to lose 10 lbs in the next 45 days.

Realistic: Is your goal realistic? If you have a goal of running your first marathon next month but have not started training for the race, you may need to push your time horizon out for achieving the goal.

Time Framed: Your goals MUST have a time frame!

Lastly, remember, YOU must have an emotional connection to your goal in order to make a physical commitment to achieving it. Keep it real and personal. The journey to create goals and achieve them is intensely personal so open yourself up to that thought process and have fun with it!

Have great workout today!

Challenge Shout Out!

I got a call this afternoon from someone participating in The Challenge. She's a faithful morning exerciser BUT this morning her schedule was different so she couldn't make it to the gym. So, the afternoon rolled around and the weather was nice and what she really wanted to do was just relax BUT she didn't! She remembered that she was participating in The Challenge, got her gym clothes on and headed to the gym at 2 PM to fit in her daily workout and check off 1 of her 40 challenge workouts.

That's what The Challenge is all about...committing yourself to a goal and doing what you have to do to achieve your goal. This translates from The Challenge to life. Are you sticking to your commitments? Are you doing what you need to do to achieve the goals you've set for yourself, your family, your life? Hmmmmm.....

Great job Caren!

Goodbye Jellybeans...

OK, I'm fessing up! I LOVE jellybeans and Gummi Bears and Sour Patch Kids and Sweet Tarts and Swedish Fish....the list of gummy, sticky, sugar loaded candy that I love is endless. I've given it up before (and the results have been amazing) and as part of The Challenge, I'm giving then up again! No more (least for the next 30-days)!

The last time I gave up my sugary friends, my body responded IN KIND immediately. I felt more energetic (no more sugar crashes), felt less bloated and saved lots of $ (those sugary treats are expensive when you eat them in the quantities I do!). I also leaned out after cutting back on the sugar and that is motivation enough for me to put them down for the next few weeks.

Is there something in your diet or lifestyle that you are willing to give up over the next few weeks? Something that isn't helping you to be the best you that you can be? If there is, why not try giving it up for the next 30-days. If you respond in the same way that I responded to giving up candy, you'll find that after the initial few days, your craving for the food, beverage or activity that you're putting on the shelf, will greatly diminish. By the end of the challenge, you may find that you have no desire to pick what you've given up.

Think about it....

1

And we're off! The 40/30 Challenge officially begins TODAY!

Let today set the tone for the month for you! Get your two workouts under your belt and make sure you stay in touch with me to let me know how things are going!

Tip Of The Day:
Have a friend do the challenge with you! That's a great way to stay motivated and focused! If they aren't a member of the gym, no problem! Anyone can participate in the challenge. Just get me their contact info. and I'll get them on board.

OK, I'm off to start my day...Have a great day!

How Does The 40/30 Challenge Work?

Here are the simple guidelines for completing the 40/30 challenge:

1. Challenge starts on May 4th and ends on June 2nd
2. Complete 40, 45-minute workouts during the 30 day challenge period.
3. Here's a short list of activities which count as "exercise" for the challenge: classes; training sessions; weight training; walking; golfing (yes, golfing!); tennis; jogging/running; yoga; yard work and more! If you're in doubt, just ask me! Just make sure you do it for at least 45-consecutive minutes with NO BREAKS!
4. Each day, check-in on the blog for updates and email me at 40in30@victorselffitness.com to let me know what exercise you did that day and how the challenge is going for you!
5. DAILY EMAILS ARE REQUIRED! That's how I'll know that you're still on board and how I will keep track of your progress.
6. If you miss a day, you can make it up! Don't let one or two setbacks keep you from completing the challenge!
7. Try to incorporate something new into your fitness routine. If you never lift weights, add weight training to your routine. If you only lift weights, add some cardio. If you've never tried yoga or spinning or Pilates, add it in during the challenge! Keep it fresh and your body will respond!
8. Have Fun!
9. Most importantly...If you're starting the challenge, email me ASAP at 40in30@victorselffitness.com to let me know you are participating. Include your full name and your t-shirt size in the email.

That's it!

Finish the 40/30 Challenge and get a SUPER COOL tee shirt....check it out on the right column of the blog!

ARE YOU WITH ME!?!?

30 Days to Go!

Welcome to the 40 in 30 (40/30) Challenge! This is going to be a GREAT 30 days and at the end we are all going to be in the best shape of our lives! I PROMISE!

Are you with me?!?!?

So, what's this whole 40 in 30 thing all about? Well, I'm turning 40 on June 2nd. I have always wanted to be in the best shape of my life when I hit to BIG 40 and since it's right around the corner it's time to sprint (possibly literally) to the finish.

I'm committing myself to working out 40 times in the 30 days leading up to my birthday....May 4th - June 2nd (my 40th bday!). I will only count 2 of the 4 classes I teach each week towards my workout tally. That means I've got a lot of working out to do. I know it's going to be a stretch for me to fit in the 40 workouts between my teaching schedule, CARING FOR COCO (!) and keeping up with all the other responsibilities of managing household that I have, BUT I WILL DO IT!

Now, I need you with me! Will you commit yourself to doing 40 workouts in 30 days with me? If your answer is YES, which I hope it is, keep reading for details.....