Tag determination

How To Succeed In Your Fitness Journey

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James Ellis is always in phenomenal shape and the consummate professional!

James Ellis is always in phenomenal shape and the consummate professional!

Whether you are a regular person in pursuit of a higher level of fitness or someone who is embarking on a career in fitness, there are habits which must be developed early on in order for you to be successful in remaining in optimal shape. While there are health implications for anyone who does not practice healthy habits, poor habits can destroy a fitness career in the blink of an eye. It all boils down to one thing: CONSISTENCY.

No one will take you seriously if you are inconsistent with your level of fitness. I have seen competitors and so-called fitness professionals who yo-yo incessantly, holding onto the excuse of being “off-season” when they pack on considerable weight and cannot work fitness events or do photo shoots as a result. A great deal of this has to do with unhealthy meal plans during contest prep which often completely cut out all carbohydrate sources, followed by a complete loss of control and extended periods of binge eating post-contest. Aren’t fitness and bodybuilding people supposed to be the picture of health? I know I certainly don’t want to just look good a couple of times a year and look like crap for the rest of the year. I take my position as a fitness and medical professional VERY seriously and will ALWAYS lead by example. I will always be shoot ready no matter what time of the year. I do not use crazy meal plans which have me depleted, nor do I overtrain and injure myself.

The most respected fitness people who have viable and admirable fitness careers are those who lead by example year-round. They inspire their fans, friends, families and industry people, and they become accustomed to people asking them what show or photo shoot they are getting ready for because they are ALWAYS on their game.

Fitness People: A Different Species

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Janet West at almost 52 years of age with me at 46! Taken at the Arnold in March 2013.

Janet West at almost 52 years of age with me at 46! Taken at the Arnold in March 2013.

I absolutely love the fitness world and feel more at home there than in any other arena. It is dynamic, filled with incredibly interesting and talented people, and fosters a tremendous amount of motivation, determination and inspiration. Through my immersion in fitness circles, I have come to the realization that fitness-minded folk behave and speak differently, and have a very different perspective on life from those who are not involved in fitness. There is an obsessive determination which comes across consistently which I do not find in regular individuals.

Fitness people DO NOT GIVE UP. They will work tirelessly at reaching their goals, whether they be new athletic achievements, weightlifting records, or contest goals. They are beasts in the gym, working through the pain of intense workouts that would make most people walk away. They have a language of their own which I now know fluently and feel completely comfortable speaking. They experience frustration and anxiety when they are unable to get to the gym. Plastic and glass storage containers are their standard dishware, and they know all too well what it is like to eat meals in cars. Fitness people find it very difficult to eat meals in restaurants and strike their non-fitness friends as being ultra-picky.

The differences between fitness and non-fitness people become glaringly obvious at big fitness events such as the Arnold Sports Festival, when bodybuilders, fitness enthusiasts and athletes of all kinds descend on Columbus, Ohio and bump elbows with middle America. Fitness people look like real-life superheroes, beautifully muscled, spray tanned, and wearing body-baring outfits which the average person would not even consider wearing out in public. To put it bluntly, fitness people are spectacles, walking wonders, and incredible sources of inspiration. It is truly an honor to be included in this amazing community.

Japanese Good Luck Darumas

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never_give_up

From the time I was a child I was fascinated with the slightly scary Daruma dolls that I would see in the Japanese stores my mom would take me to. I knew that they were good luck and that if you added the right pupil while concentrating on your wish that it would lead to the fulfillment of that wish, after which you could paint in the left pupil. I did not have a daruma until I was an adult and wanted to remind myself of specific goals which I had set for myself.

The Daruma doll is modeled after Bodhidharma, the founder of the Zen sect of Buddhism. Bodhidharma was a Buddhist monk who lived during the 5th/6th century CE. He is traditionally credited as the transmitter of Ch’an (Zen) to China. One legend claims that he sat facing a wall in meditation for a period of nine years without moving, which caused his legs to fall off from atrophy. Another popular legend is that after falling asleep during his nine-year meditation, he became angry with himself and cut off his eyelids to avoid ever falling asleep again.

It is quite powerful to see a Daruma with one pupil colored in, because it causes you to recall your goal. The custom is partially explained through a promise to Daruma-san to give him full sight once your goal is attained, thus motivating him to grant your wish. I believe in the power of these dolls because they serve as a constant reminder of whatever goal or dream you have chosen and keep you on track so that it comes to fruition. I had a Daruma when I was in medical school which helped me to maintain focus during the most arduous times during my education and training. The day that I was able to paint in the other pupil was a very powerful one indeed. Now I have a Daruma sitting on my desk with the right pupil painted in which is a representation of my goal to attain IFBB Pro Status. I see this Daruma daily and am more fixated on this goal than I have been in the entire five years that I have been competing. Painting in that left pupil will be a delicious reward indeed.