I wanted to take some time out to talk about The CFA Life.
When I tell people that I am a fitness coach this is probably what they picture... (See picture on right)
They figure I am going to yell at them, and tell them they are horrible.
They figure I am going to give them awkward movements that have no transition to real life, hernias, and make them pass out.
That is not what CFA is about. It is always an awesome experience when someone tries out our program for the first time and they realize that they have been misled nearly their whole life.
We don't make you do endless amounts of crunches, we don't make you run 10 miles at a time, and we don't consider puke or passing out as the sign of a great work out.
Even more we will usually tell you not to do those exercises and will stop you if you are feeling light headed.
CFA is not about killing you, We want to improve your quality of life.
Yes you will get sore, and yes there will be days where you feel like throwing up after an intense session (98 percent of the time you won't actually throw up). But that is not our only sign that we accomplished something.
The body needs more than killer strength. The body needs better tissue quality, better flexibility, improved movement, and mobility. The body needs a strong mind, strong will and strong heart.
The CFA Lifestyle is not the typical gym that you are used to, I almost don't even want to call it a gym because once again you will think of this... -->
We do not have machines, We do not do 25 reps with the 5 lb dumb bells.
We are not your typical gym. We are your training facility.
We work with free weights, kettle bells, medicine balls, resistance bands, treadmills, bikes and above all the most important exercise tool needed.
Your body.
When you come to our facility you will not do your typical body builder splits, you won't do endless amounts of bicep curls and you won't sit around on your cell phone while doing a leg press.
You will train efficiently. You will go through movement patterns that will enhance your real life movement. You will run faster, breathe easier, Get stronger, play better, and laugh longer.
CFA is more than your typical gym.
It is more than physical results. We will teach you proper nutrition, purpose, and necessary actions to become the best person you can.
We honestly care about each person that walks through the door, I can say that without flinching.
Your life is our priority. We want you to grow, We want you to get results. We want to create a foundation for an exceptional life.
We will do anything we need to in order to make this happen.
You all are my love, you all are my life.
It is the CFA way.
Ask yourself this question...
CFA Does.
We are more than your typical gym. We know all of our clients, we love all of our clients. we are willing to help all of our clients.
The CFA lifestyle is almost too beautiful to put into words.
I am not simply saying this because I am a trainer here. I wasn't always. I was once a lost person on the wrong path looking for the right turn around. I was given guidance from the trainers and the clients. I became a trainer through CFA and it has transformed my life. CFA gave me life. That is why I care.
I know what CFA can do for you.
CFA is a great facility. CFA is a great atmosphere. CFA is yours.
Come try it out.
In good health,
Mike(y)
God loves you, Mike(y) loves you, So love yourself.
If anyone is interested in trying out the CFA life, It only takes 1 hour (no time constraint issues there). Send me an email at mmurphy36@gmail.com or find me on Facebook!
Today I had the chance to be taken through some movements on the Pilates Reformer.
To say it was humbling is an understatement.
After a killer strength day yesterday that left me pumped and feeling on top of the world, I woke up sore. not just ooh i feel that...more like "ahhh my bloody glutes" sore.
As I got to the gym I spent about 30 minutes foam rolling the hamstrings, glutes, and IT band alone.That's when I got the question.
"You want to go through the reformer?"
Pumped and energized to learn something knew I said "Of course!"
Whenever there is an opportunity for education I take it. I love it. Gaining new information and learning new movements is my favorite. There is nothing more fulfilling than working to perfect my craft.
I did not know what was in store for me...
Boy I did not even think about how hard, yet simple this thing would be.
This not only challenged my body, but my ego. This little torture device left me feeling like a newborn trying to stand....
I was falling over in every way imaginable.
It was so bad I couldn't help but laugh at myself.
I've always known that I am tight, but working out as much as I normally do I figured it wouldn't be too hard to sit on a Pilates machine and do some simple movements.
We started out with what seemed like some pretty easy movements, Little did I know Crew was saving the torture for later...
It was almost like he wanted me to think it was easy and then kill my spirit...
I swear that was his plan.
Make Mikey feel weak, inferior....He deserves it
Right?
Well no, not really.
But what Cres did do was expose me to my imbalances a bit more.
I often tend to over look them because I can do movements pretty well, I can workout hard, I can lift decently heavy for my size. I can condition hard, and I can fight through a good burn.
Overlooking it is not making me better though, I may get stronger, but I will still continue to have the same imbalances which could possibly lead to injury or pain later on down the road.
It was an awakening session for me.
I know what I am good at.
I know what I am bad at.
I do work on both, but it is obvious that I need to spend more on my faults.
As I tell my clients, we have to make our weaknesses stronger to improve.
I simply tend to overlook it sometimes.
This experience has made me really open my eyes to my own training regimen.
I know I am doing the right things, I simply need to do more for my weaknesses.
So thanks to this humbling experience I have decided to write up a new program for me.
I have come a long way the last 3 years, physically and mentally.
I must continue to improve.
I will not give up my strengths, but i will correct my imbalances.
It is important to have these experiences.
To keep me on my toes. To keep my training fresh. and to keep educating my clients.
The number 1 rule we have at CFA is to practice what we preach.
I ensure you all that I do this, and will continue to do this for the rest of my life.
My goal is not simply for me, for If I keep improving, You do as well.
I want you to reach maximal results, I want you to have these Aha! moments as well.
In good Health,
Mike(y)
God loves you, Mike(y) loves you, So love yourself
There are days when you are working out and you feel like king kong. There are days when you feel like Rocky Balboa.
Those are the days we live for.
Then there are days where you feel like this guy.
Yet you know you need to get in the gym and get going.
Those are the days that live for us.
When we feel tired, it is our day telling us to go in, and if nothing else get a little blood flowing, sweat dripping and wake up!
The key to getting great results is not training to failure every single day.
They key to getting great results is to be active every single day.
I would say the number 1 reason most people quit their routines is not because they can't do it. The reason is that they feel they must go to failure every time or else they aren't working.
This is one of the most common misconceptions about working out and it will do you no good. Your body will burn out, your mind will get tired of it, you will get injured and you will quit.
Yes I would say the majority of your workouts need to be intense. They need to be tough, You need to put all you have into them.
But there are days when you need to just get a little sweat.
Your body needs to wake up.
If your body is sore, exhausted, malnourished, or even simply not feeling it then your body is telling you something.
That something is not to do nothing.
That something is to get in the gym and handle business, but be smart about it.
Get your foam roll and stretch on. Get a detailed movement prep and light conditioning work in. Do something.
Let me be clear though, I am talking to the avid gym goer, not the "1 time a week, workout until I can't move the rest of the week" guy.
Of course you will be sore sir. You, need to train again. get through it and Do work!
But to the people who train endlessly and don't understand where the results are, perhaps you push yourself too much. We must understand results aren't built simply from working out, We need to recover to truly see results.
If you constantly break down your muscles, how will they rebuild??
Training to failure and puking at the end of the workout is not a sign of a great workout. Yes it happens and yes it does feel good at times.
The only thing I ask of you is to understand it will not help you to always reach that breaking point. We need recovery.
Sometimes we just need a good sweat....
Learn to recover.
Learn to skip the double days (every day)
Learn to focus on tissue quality, flexibility, mobility and feeling good.
Learn to be happy without total failure.
and you will learn to get results.
Go hard, by all means TRAIN YOUR ASS OFF.
But understand when your body tells you to recover.
Train hard. Eat well. Be you.
Get Results.
Have a great week.
God loves you, Mike(y) loves you, so love yourself.
If you tell yourself that you can't do something, You probably won't do it. It is not a matter of if you can or you can't, it is a matter of if you will or you won't.
In order to accomplish any goal or task you must believe in yourself or you will not get it done. You will continue sulking in your sorrow about how you "are not good enough" or how "He/She is better than you."
I remember growing up I was the most insecure kid on the planet. I didn't believe in myself or that I could make anything of myself with my life.
Excuse my french, but it is quite a shitty feeling. It leads you no where. So why do we as humans feel the need to beat themselves up and over think everything. It doesn't matter what you want if you don't believe you can attain it.
It doesn't matter your goal. In high school my goals were to be an impact player on the varsity football team, Date the girl that sat next to me in math class and never get less than a B in any class. I had a goal of going to college full time after high school, of gaining massive weight in the weight room and finding my niche, something to be known for.
Did I attain my goals? No...
Now before you think this is a sob story and me looking for a pity party.
I am bringing this up not to make you feel bad for me. But to show you that this was all on my own accord.
The moment somebody told me that I couldn't do something I believed them.
I let another person affect my enjoyment of life. I let words stop me from my capable actions.
It wasn't that I couldn't be a great football player, I didn't put in the effort to be a great football player.
Was what I became known for, what I wanted to be remembered for?
No... not at all.
Did I not excel in school because I was simply too dumb......
No, I didn't put in the effort.
The moment I realized other people can't make me do anything and the moment I realized I am responsible for the outcomes of my goals, is the moment I stopped feeling sorry for myself. It is the moment I gained my confidence.
I'll admit it wasn't an easy thing to do, It took me years to figure it out. Years of masking my insecurities and faking my confidence until I finally got it.
Over time you stop caring what others think. When your mind is controlled by negativity there is nothing else to do but change.
No where else to go, but up.
Now enough about me, my goal is not to talk about me. What I desire is to help you learn from my past mistakes.
Confidence is the not so hidden key to accomplishing every goal.
Confidence is the not so hidden key to love.
Confidence is the not so hidden key to happiness.
No matter your goal, there will be naysayers. There will be people telling you that you can't. That you are ridiculous.
If you want to lose 20 lbs people will tell you that you don't have the will power.
If you want to become a stud athlete or great musicians, there will be people to say you suck.
If you want to do some soul searching, people will tell you that your are selfish.
If you want to start a new career, people will tell you that you are too old.
Point being, People will tell you all sorts of things and the odds are it is because they have no will power, they suck, they are selfish, and they are too old.
If people tell you that you can't, don't take it personally because it is them that lack the necessary skills to do so. Not you.
The next time someone tells you that you can't do something you need to quote my favorite childhood hero....
You can do it. You can do anything you want it life and you can accomplish any goal. It doesn't matter what they think.
It is not a matter of if you can or you can't.
As long as you have the confidence, you will.
Believe in yourself.
You are beautiful.
You are strong.
You are in charge.
You are the perfect one and the only you.
Don't let people get in the way of your confidence and don't let negative thoughts stop you from believing in yourself for if you do, your life will suck.
You will be living in your own self inflicted hell.
Be happy. Be confident.
Be you.
After all if you won't, no one else will.
God loves you, Mike(y) loves you, So please, please, please LOVE YOURSELF!
As I was thinking about a past speech class while talking to my girlfriend. I recalled a speech that a classmate gave about working out. His main arguments for working out were "it makes your titties big." and "You could walk around the beach without your shirt on to show off your titties."
(Before I go anywhere, he was referring to his pectoralis major and minor when he said titties, he didn't mean it was an automatic, surgery free boob job. Also, he was referring to the fellas not the ladies)
It got me thinking. I am glad that he enjoys working out, and was advocating exercise. The problem is that he was advocating exercise for the wrong reasons, and presumably didn't do enough research before the speech.
We must get away from training for vanity.The body is beautiful, If you are physically active and fit. You need to get away from the "I must look like the guy or girl on the magazine cover or in the movies." Odds are their pictures have been altered to mirror the "perfect body". When really the perfect body, is simply the body in it's natural shape and form.
Nobody is suppose to be perfect, we all have faults and we all magnify our faults in our own thoughts. We don't need to break ourselves down. Likewise we don't need to create an ego to compensate for our insecurities either.
We must get away from working out in order to stroke our egos. Stay modest, and live our life well. It isn't necessarily about the number on the scale, or gaining or losing a couple of inches but it is about the life you lead, and the energy you put into this world.
I have realized that as much as I joke about me being on a "bulking" up phase people tend to take me serious now and then when I say it. but in all honesty I could care less if I gain another pound. I am by nature a thin frame, I am 5'8 and roughly 148 lbs on a good day. This is my natural body type, when I get below 140 lbs that is when I have to put some weight back on. But by no means do I need to be 165 solid lean muscle.
"So If you don't train for vanity, what do you train for??"
is what you must be thinking.
Well, It is simple really.
You train for vitality of life, sanity of the mind, and to increase your overall well being.
You train to feel great, to increase endorphins, to improve, and to prevent disease.
You train for the jokes and stories from your fellow trainees, for high 5's, and unity.
You train for your family, your friends, but most importantly you train for yourself.
Exercise has been proven to increase endorphins and a positive attitude.
If you are willing to give it a chance, it can take you out of depression, I know because I've experienced it.
If you are willing to give it a chance, it can remove aches and pains, I know because I've experienced it.
If you are willing to give it a chance, It can give you a body to die for, I know because I've experienced it...
(I kid I kid..I do not have the perfect body, I am far from it, But I am confident in myself, my training, my health and my life and that is much more important.)
Now I am by no means saying, for you to not want results, for you to not expect results, because if you do the necessary steps to lead a healthy lifestyle they will come naturally.
It takes consistency inside and outside of the gym. It is creating a lifestyle, and when you do it for vanity purposes, exercise and nutrition will only take you so far. You will either get frustrated, bored, tired or injured and you will give up eventually. Your results will fade.
As long as you are happy with yourself, your body, and your lifestyle. Enjoy it! but don't go looking for quick fixes if you aren't happy....There are no quick fixes. They don't exist.
This is not news, Odds are you all know this already. So stop lying to yourself, accept responsibility for your life and take action. Your life depends on it.
Delete the quick fix workout, and bland and boring nutrition plans from your memory. Your foods don't have to be boring, You could eat nutritious and tasty meals. The gym doesn't have to suck, you just can't expect magic to come from them. It takes consistency in both departments.
Learn to live the lifestyle. Learn to love the lifestyle and your life will not revolve around your results, rather your results will be a part of your life.
Don't train for vanity, Train for vitality.
With warm regards and plenty of positive energy Mike(y)
God loves you, Mike(y) loves you, so love yourself
If i could go back 5, 10, even 15 years and look down the road to the person I would, could, and will become, I may have started my journey earlier. Growing up I had an interest in sports and fitness. I had always been interested in fitness.
I could have become great, if only my mind allowed it.
As a kid I lacked coordination, size, speed, and strength, and a strong mindset. I was never the best, but I was also never the worst. I fit somewhere in the gray area.
I thought of myself as someone who gave it 100 percent to reach my goals.
I stayed after practice to work out, after all sport performance is all about your weight room strength and not skill, movement, mindset, and nutrition right???
My mindset lacked courage, integrity, and positivity.
My nutrition, well....It was the nutrition of champions
I ate probably 2 times a day, If it wasn't fast food it was some other variety of what would be classified as junk food.
My hydration, well....It was the hydration of a champions
I couldn't understand why i wasn't getting the playing time i "felt" i deserved.
It wasn't that I believed what I was doing was right, I didn't have a desire to change my ways. I enjoyed living my lifestyle, my nutrition, and being able to say I was an "athlete", but what did I do to become that athlete....not much.
I felt that since I was skinny, it was the fact that I was undersized, or maybe the coaches didn't like me, or maybe the world was conspiring to prevent me from attaining my dreams.
The world was against me. There was nothing within my power to change that.
Now that I look back, I realize that those were all excuses. I didn't want to work to be better, I expected magically to be better. I believed that I was better. Oh How wrong I was.
As I finished high school, I decided that working out never did anything for me, I weighed the same through my 4 years of high school, even though I trained consistently. I never attained the muscle man physique that I expected. All I gained through it was the endorphins and skill of working out. I didn't necessarily understand what I was doing, but thanks to numerous weight lifting classes and summer lifting programs I did have a passion and understanding of working out.....
Then something changed in me.
I began to enjoy a new culture and nutrition program towards the end of my high school career....
Partying
As I started partying, I began to lose focus in the gym.
I didn't care anymore. My idea was to screw my dreams of being an athlete, forget working out and just live life "care free".
after all, I am naturally thin anyways...
Did I finally understand life? Was it about partying, living with no goals, and not caring about school or work?
I never attained my dreams before, I never became the stud athlete I hoped to be, I never got straight A's, and I never was the coolest kid in school. I never got really "buff" from working out.
Life must be about the whole "screw the world, I am going to have as much stupid unremembered fun as possible."..right??
Oh how wrong I was.
Now being where I am at in my life, Working in the Health and fitness field I understand. I was so far off it is almost unfathomable.
I was within inches of losing my life. Within inches of forgetting my passion forever.
I was blessed by God to be sent to Visalia, CA.
It wasn't a sudden change from my partying ways though.
I had still maintained my same lifestyle while living here. Partying, working, and staying in school to get health benefits from my dads work. I got fired from a job for something I did not do and actually tried to prevent. I lost all motivation to do anything.
I damn near lost my life. My pride was damaged and I felt ashamed. I moved in with an aunt and uncle, and that is when IT happened. My journey in the fitness industry had began, even though I didn't notice.....
I started working out regularly at a gym named California Fitness Academy. After all like I said before fitness was a passion of my past. I enjoyed the psychological rewards of exercising, and at this time in my life I needed it most. I was depressed, lost, and so confused about my purpose in life. I needed to do something...anything.
I worked out continuous for a good 6-8 months and through doing so my future boss and current cousin offered me an internship, non paying but something else to occupy my time and my mind. I began sitting in the gym as much as I could, learning the trade. I was blessed to help with the COS softball team, and various other clients. I was given material to learn and new workouts to try.
I had found passion again. I began to think more positive, talk to more people, and learn more, and more, and more.
The passion was here, all that was left was to fuel my desire.
I had passion to do something again, but the desire to do my best still wasn't there.
I acted like I was doing everything I could, and was frustrated because I wasn't as smart as I felt that I should be.
then something changed...
I was offered a position, Trainer Mikey...has a nice ring to it huh?
Then the desire flowed. It was no longer something to do. It was no longer something to occupy my mind.
I became my passion.
As I continue to work through the weeks I aim to improve every day, for I know my best 3 years ago is weak compared to my best today. The hope is one day not be the best, for that is a relative term, but what I do want to be is GREAT
I know what I expect out of life, I know what it takes to get there, and I no longer make excuses. I will work my ass off to achieve my dreams. The passion the drives this action, is not material items. The passion that drives this action is not my image. The passion that drives this action, is not superficial. The passion that drives this action comes from within.
The passion that drives this action is DESIRE. Desire to be a great family man, a great boyfriend(husband someday), a great trainer. Desire to save lives, to relieve pain, to change thoughts, to give health. Desire to dream, give dreams, support dreams, make dreams possible. Desire to heal, love, and give tears...tears of joy.
I have a desire to do many things.
because once again, i found my passion, and what is desire?
The passion that drives the action.
Life is not about being somebody you think you should be, but If you allow yourself you can be great at anything.
It just depends on what you are willing to put into it.
If I would have had the mindset and knowledge I have now, I could have been a great athlete, student etc.
But if I had the mindset and knowledge I have now, I may not be here right now.
I do not regret my earlier years for they helped me grow, but I will take my future into my own hands.
The past is unchangeable, but the future is not yet set.
Find your desire, Hone your passion.
We can all be great, but do you truly want to work for greatness?
Are you willing to give your time, energy, social life and money to improve?
Are you willing to write out your goals and dreams?
Are you willing to be rejected?
Are you willing it fail?
You need to understand there is both pain and failure in success, If you don't feel pain, If you don't fail, If you don't feel uncomfortable then there is no growth.
To succeed we need to grow.
No one is entitled to anything in this world....You must work your butt off to truly be happy. You must know pain before you really get to enjoy pleasure.....
If you expect it, it most likely will not come. You need to desire it.
and what is desire?
The passion that drives the action.
Thank you... God loves you, mike(y) loves you, so love yourself.
I mentioned the 4 agreements as a previous post. Still one of the greatest concepts and agreements that I think of daily from this book is "Always do your best."
Meaning no matter what you are doing, do your best.
Running a 5k? Do your best
Lifting weights? Do your best
Doing laundry? Do your best
Clipping your toenails? Do your best...
You get the picture. For every big and small task you do, you must do your best. It seems like such a hard thing to do right?.....Wrong!
You may catch yourself getting irritated that you feel you could do more. But one thing you must realize is that your best is constantly changing. So therefore whatever you are doing, you are doing your best.
You can not compare yourself to who you were 5 years ago, 5 months ago, or even 5 minutes ago. for each minute that passes there are different circumstances. There are different problems, and different solutions. The key is to not get down on yourself, but believe you are doing the best that you can in the present tense.
The moment you get away from the past, the present will become stronger, the future will become brighter.
You are the best you everyday. In every moment... You just havent realized it.
The moment you think of what you used to be, should be, or could be is the moment you fall off track.
Just live your life. Enjoy it.
Enjoy what you do, Enjoy the opportunities of the present, and Enjoy the beauty of everything going on around you.
If you want to make more money, you will not do so by thinking of what could be, should be, or used to be.
If you want to clean your house, don't think of what used to be, dont get down on yourself because of the mess.
Don't think! Simply turn on music, have fun, dance around and do it.
You are the best you all of the time.
If you realize that then the regrets, the irritations, and the negative thoughts that you create in your mind will begin to fade. You are a spectacular person, a magnificent person. Realize it and your true potential will show.
even when you havent done anything on your list of things to do. guess what..
You did your best.
Your best wasn't what you imagined, but indeed it was your best.
You need to see through your expectations sometimes. because they are not always accurate.
I am reminded by a quote from one of my all time favorite musicians "Fantasy is what we want, but reality is what we need"- Lauryn Hill.
We all fantasize about what we want, how we want it, when we want it. but in reality it won't always play out the way we imagine, more often then not actually.
We will fail more than we succeed. It is a fact of life. But through failure comes success.
You are doing your best.
If you want to do better, then get away from the past. Get away from regret. Get away from the should of, could of, or used to be's.
Live in the present, Thinking too much hinders your performance, of course it is good to reflect. It is good to understand. The key is doing it at the right time.
Think to a time when you were truely accomplishing everything you needed to do, it could be in a sport, household chores, at your job, just think to a time you were truly on top of your game. I bet you you weren't thinking of regrets or could have/should haves. You were fully tuned in to the moment. You were focused. You were living.
I understand as people we were taught what life should be through the media, our parents, friends, teachers etc. We must break that mold. For life shouldn't be anything other than what it is.
You are doing your best. Life truly is magnificent. Believe in yourself. Rid yourself of negative thoughts you may have of yourself or your actions.
For if I know one thing, this I know.
You are the best you in every moment.
and last but not least remember.
God loves you, Mike(y) loves you, so Love yourself!
