#MotivationalMonday – What’s More Important?

Hey guys, this week we are visiting with my brother and his family getting some real Texas heat. Let me tell you, I am personally not a fan of humidity like they’ve got here, but I will be here long enough just to get a taste. Today I wanted to share my thoughts with you on the topic of this thought below.

I hope you take the time to really soak up the meaning of what this means to you. I will share with all of you what self-worth means to me but what is most important is the meaning that you gain from reading this. I know we all have had different life experiences, come from different backgrounds, and have the opportunity to create magnificent futures. Let me break down my thoughts into a couple categories: strong-willed individuals, followers, and leaders.

Strong-Willed Individuals

There is something to be said about those who listen to what others say about them, but I believe individuals who are great, do not allow negative criticism from others to ever affect them. I would qualify these type of individuals as strong-willed. If people tell you that it is impossible to accomplish goals you have, prove them wrong. When others think you can’t achieve greatness, allow that to be your drive and take you to the next level. Strong-willed individuals will not break easily. They will not allow outside forces to affect their future development. They have reinforced their mental barrier to keep focused on the end goal, creating a mental toughness that very few can develop. Are you this type of person? If not, what will it take to become one?

Followers

Followers are individuals who see a new trend come out and they want a part of it. Followers are individuals who make choices based on social status and recognition. Followers have not developed the mental capacity to recognize what their true potential is or to take action for yourself instead of what others tell you to do. So being a follower can be a critical step to recognize what you are passionate for and allow you to begin your own journey. We all begin our journeys by being followers until we reach a point where we must make a decision. The decision to be yourself and forget what others think about you is key to your success. Find your reason why and make the commitment to change when you are ready. I would recommend making that change sooner rather than later so you stop wasting time dreaming and more time doing.

Leaders

Leaders are what we should all seek to become at some point in our life. Whether we become leaders of our own mind, inspiring others to change, or parenting of our own children, we can become a leader. Becoming a leader means something stands out about you. There is a natural tendency to inspire others, where individuals look to you for advice and wisdom. When others are unsure, they seek out leaders who may be able to assist others to become something more, improving their quality of life. Leaders come in all different forms…political, religious, inspirational speakers, the heroes in our lives. When you recognize a leader you connect with, don’t let go of them. Allow yourself to learn and gain as much knowledge from these individuals as possible, so that one day you can share these insights with people who come to you. Become a leader sooner rather than later…many people are waiting for you to inspire them.

In closing, remember the importance of becoming a leader today. Whether you realize your personal worth now or in the near future, people look to you as a leader. Look at the close individuals you have around you in your life…who were your leaders? What made them great leaders? You’ve got it within yourself to become great. Never forget that! I promise others look to you. You just need to open your eyes and see.

#MotivationalMonday – New Quest Adventures

Well another happy Monday to all of you. I am very excited to share today’s post with all of you and look forward to Thursday’s post. I am all finished up with another semester of school and am ready for the summer break. I have some great content and adventures for all of you to join in on this summer so I hope you’re excited.

First of all, I want to open with this quote that has motivated my wife and I to pursue dreams we never thought possible. It says, “Allow people to dream so big that people think you’re crazy…Every time you tell someone what you want to do, and if they don’t think you’re crazy, you’re not thinking big enough. So, think so big that people think you’re absolutely crazy”. So keep this in mind as I share the rest of my thoughts with you today.

With that being said, I hope all of you aspire to achieve something great in your future. Your future starts today and I want each of you to set goals that people start to think you’re crazy. I never would have imagined that I would have the opportunity to work as a Quest Squad Ambassador. People think it’s crazy how much change has occurred since I lost weight. In addition, I wanted to share with each of you the exciting news that my wife has just now recently joined the Quest Squad. I cannot wait to share the experience and journey that Quest will send us on! I feel so blessed that my wife will be able to accompany me on all of the adventures. So stay tuned in to my wife and my Instagram channels, @iamcolinstrong and @kaleighsharpstrong.

The last secret of exciting news is Quest is putting another new flavor on the market as of tomorrow! I am so excited for the release of this new bar. I hope all of you take a moment to try. Quest has a program, Quest Labs, where new products are taste-tested by people like myself, and based on our reviews of the different flavors, Quest will bring them to production for the public to devour. I must say, this new flavor is going to be a new competitor of my new favorites, and I absolutely love Quest bars. So if you all want to jump on my Instagram and snapchat tomorrow, you will find out what the newest addition to the Quest family is. See if you can identify what the newest flavor is and comment below if you have any guesses. I hope you all have a great week and I am excited to share my post on Thursday with you.

You can follow me on snapchat at stremph208 and on Instagram & Twitter at @iamcolinstrong.

 

#MotivationalMonday – Failure Happens

Hello to all of you again!

I just wanted to apologize that my post did not come out on Monday as usual so bear with me. I have been extremely busy with school and finals so my education has taken precedence over the blog for a minute but now I’m back at it! I have had a lot on my mind recently and have reached a point of failure once again. As a result I reread my blog post on failure and thought it would be important to reemphasize a few points.

When I see this quote, my first thought is directed toward the experiences I have had that have led me to this point in my life. What do you think of when you read this quote? What is it about failure that inspires us to achieve something greater? I think about the two roads that I could go down…one of disappointment and me being sad about the situation I am in, or the other being a new outlook and opportunity to learn and grow. These two roads having totally different outcomes and we can decide which outcome we prefer and move forward. When something happens in our life – good or bad, I truly believe there is an opportunity for us to take what has happened and learn from it. I know that when things don’t work out for me, there is a better reason that I don’t always know, until I discover that reason and move forward with a better attitude.

Another thought that came to mind was: one of the greatest accomplishments we can be remembered for is giving 110% every day in all of our efforts, no matter what the cost. People are looking to you as inspiration, a safe haven, a role model, and love. When one person makes all the difference by never giving up, the ripple effect that is spread among others cannot be quantified. The effects you can have on others by your example is something that will never have a price tag associated with it. Make sure you wake up every day with a determination to overcome failure as your first option and to triumph above all else. If we never try, we will guarantee our failure. Make the most of your week and reach the potential you have within!

Check out my Instagram today for my newest addition, health, nutrition, and fitness tips. Every Tuesday I will be posting a health and nutrition tip as well as a fitness tip so keep an eye out and learn something new! I look forward to seeing more of you follow me on my Instagram and Twitter! Shares are always appreciated so thank you once again.

The New Cardio: HIIT

Happy Thursday! It’s the wife taking over for today’s post. I wanted to take this opportunity to talk about one of the most talked about topics in the fitness industry, cardio.

It’s the one part of fitness that most of us struggle with, but a crucial factor in the aid of fat loss. Sooner or later we all wonder if cardio is really necessary. Some questions we hear often are: What kind of cardio should I do? How long should I do cardio? or even How many days a week? Hopefully this article will answer those questions or even help you understand some misconceptions about cardio.

The truth is no matter what fitness goals you have or what you are trying to achieve, cardio can be a huge asset if you do it correctly. It’s no surprise that cardio burns calories, which is the main reason so many of us incorporate cardio into our fitness routine. Most of us imagine cardio as the traditional way to lose the stubborn fat, and it can be. Since men and women’s bodies are built for different purposes, men seem to burn fat easier than women. Typically men have higher BMR (basal metabolic rate) than women do, which relates back to our hormones. I have found that women include cardio in their routine more often than men do. So how can we use cardio to best help us reach our goals?

There are two types of cardio I want to focus on and it’s not aerobic or anaerobic. In the fitness world we tend to put most of our attention towards steady state and high intensity cardio.

Steady State cardio is best used to “maintain”, meaning if you are satisfied and happy with the way your body looks, or you have reached your desired body fat %, steady state cardio can help you maintain that lean physique. Steady state cardio is when you are exercising at the same speed with a maintained level of intensity. Examples of steady state cardio would be running, biking, the elliptical, etc. This type of cardio is not ideal if your main focus is fat loss.

High intensity cardio has been found to be the best for fat loss. The main reasons high intensity cardio is so effective is because of it’s post-oxygen consumption, which means it continues to burn fat after the workout. Studies have shown you can continue to burn fat up to 24 hours after your workout. Not only that, the workouts tend to be much shorter and can be done anywhere, which helps eliminate the excuses we tell ourselves. High intensity could be any exercise that keeps moving at different speeds with different levels of intensity. What I have found to work the best for me and others who I have trained with, is HIIT (high intensity interval training). The best way to describe HIIT is circuit training doing different exercises targeting different muscle groups with minimal rest.

Below is an example of a HIIT circuit that I work into my routine:

Box jumps 30 sec

Bicycle crunch 20 each side

Burpees 10

Push up 10

Repeat 4x

You can always adjust the difficulty of this HIIT circuit by only repeating it 3 times or increasing it up to 6 times. HIIT can be tailored to your goals and how high your endurance level is. To reap the most benefits of high intensity cardio, I suggest doing it 3-4 times a week always after your workout. Doing cardio before your weight training burns up your energy (ATP) and will take away from your lifting session. When I train legs, I tend to not do HIIT because I just don’t have the strength in my legs when I’m finished with my workout.

Typically cardio should be done anywhere from 20-40 minutes. Doing cardio between this time frame allows your body to enter a fat burning state, but do not overtrain or fatigue the muscles. If HIIT is not for you, I would suggest the stairmaster or sprints as great alternatives.

 

Here is my personal transformation. I give a lot of credit to HIIT and being persistent. The results have been incredible, as I have lost 7% of my body fat in just a few months. Now that I don’t have a lot of body fat left, high intensity cardio will help me burn the last of my stubborn fat.

Remember cardio is not the magic pill to losing fat. You have to be dialed in on your diet and balance weight lifting and cardio. At the end of the day you have to ask yourself, have I done everything I could today to get closer to my goals? It’s going to be hard. Most of us despise cardio, but it’s just one of those steps we have to take to reach success. Both men and women can benefit from adding cardio into their weekly fitness routine. Keep your vision in mind of where you want to be and let it take you places you’ve never been. Everyone has different goals, which means everyone’s results will be different. Whether it’s fasted cardio, or HIIT, you have to experiment with your body and find out what works best with what you are trying to achieve. 

#MotivationalMonday – Achieve the Impossible

Happy Monday to all of you. This past week I was laying out catching some sun rays and I have devoted some of that time to listen to some insights from Tom Bilyeu and Inside Quest guests. This weeks video highlighted paralympic track star, Blake Leeper, who has a mindset I wish to instill within so many other individuals around the world. Blake shared some great wisdom with us and I wanted to repeat and highlight a few of his main points to motivate each of you to action.

A little background on Blake was he was born without legs below the knees and was told he was never going to be able to walk. Blake has since made some significant changes in his mindset that will allow him to compete with individuals who have legs, on a world class level. He has had some profound experiences that set him apart from everyone else but also made some decisions to be like everyone else. He trains alongside olympians and has set his sites on being the fastest man in the world…not to mention, he uses his blades to run. No hurdle is too big for Blake to overcome and he is searching to be on top at the peak of his career.

I think one of the greatest quotes that a mentor shared with him was, “Don’t FEAR, Forget Everything And Run, but Forget Everything And Rise.” Truly I think that this can have a profound impact on each of you if you are willing to apply it. Blake seeks to inspire others around him but not just to see what he is capable of, but to motivate each of us to action. Inspiration without action means nothing. Let me close with one more quote that I heard from a recent motivational speech I lift to when in the gym. It says, “Strength isn’t about the amount of weight you can move, it’s about the amount of people you move when you make a decision”. I think Blake has found the true definition of what his journey is about.

Push through today with a grateful heart and look for opportunities to help those around you. Watch Blake Leeper’s interview below and enjoy your Monday!

Muscle&Fitness Spotlight

Hey everyone, I just received a wonderful email and notification that Muscle&Fitness reposted my transformation story originally written by Quest Blog. If you all want to take a look, follow this link (Muscle&Fitness Transformation). I never imagined that I would have the opportunity to have my transformation story take off like it has. I am extremely proud of the accomplishments that I have made and overcome. I would appreciate it if you took the time to read the article and share it with your friends and family in hopes that I can reach out to individuals who feel self-conscious about their body and all. I really hope to reach out anyone who struggles with confidence and seek to help them recognize their true potential.

Follow me on Instagram and Twitter @iamcolinstrong. Much love and appreciation and I wish you all a wonderful weekend! Cheers!

#MotivationalMonday – Crazy Enough to Achieve Success

Happy Monday to each of you and I hope you were able to have a wonderful Fathers Day yesterday. Whether you spent time with your father, remembered the legacy your father left you, or resorted to the closest father figure in your life, I hope it was a memorable one.

This past week I was able to take some time to reflect on what allows an individual to be successful and I want to share with you a few insights I personally gained and am going to focus more on in my future. So to preface this, I watched a few episodes of Inside Quest (Follow the link for their channel) and I particularly liked the guest speaker Naveen Jain. A little background on Naveen is his experience as a business executive, entrepreneur, and CEO of InfoSpace. He has had incredible success in the business world and is one of the greatest innovators in our day. Some of the  incredible insights he shared were profound and really made me engage in where I am at in life…and thats what I wanted all of you to think about yourself.

Some of the quotes that hit me from his interview were, “Your net worth or self worth is about what you create, not what you own” and “Allow people to dream so big that people think you’re crazy…Every time you tell someone what you want to do, and if they don’t think you’re crazy, you’re not thinking big…so think so big that people think you’re absolutely crazy”. Now think about those for a minute and write down what comes to your mind.

His first quote that struck me really made me think…so I asked myself these two questions, “How do I value my self worth? and How can I measure my self worth?”. Take a minute to ask yourself those same questions. I truly think that we have the capacity beyond what we truly think we can accomplish to make great things happen in our future. I firmly believe that we live under our true potential and it is ultimately up to us to push ourselves beyond what is “possible”. Self worth is derived from something within our being and not by materialistic things we own. Success should never be based upon what someone owns but by what value is invested within an individual.

I want to close with expounding on Naveen’s second quote. I have had some creative ideas come to mind with what I want to do in my future and Naveen really hit home for me. I thought about what I have been able to do over the past few years, changing my physique, attitude, and future career options. I realized that I am driven to find what job is right for me, allowing me to hear others inspiring stories and truly value what others are capable of. Remember when the first individual ran the 4-minute mile…and nobody thought it were possible. The next year over 20 people ran it in under 4-minutes. Believe that! One of my greatest motivations is  to help others rise about their current position and reach their true potential. Go after your dreams and make your future greater than you ever thought possible. If I can help any of you reach a new level of success, reach out to me on Instagram or Facebook so I can help you. Please share these posts and follow me on social media for more. Thanks for the support!

Watch Naveen’s interview below!

What Fitness & Health Mistakes Are You Making?

Do You Make Any of These Mistakes?

This post I really wanted to focus on humbling all of the gym gurus who think they know it all…but more or less, for those who are continuing to learn through their fitness journey. So these are things that I am continuing to learn about and hope you won’t take offense to them, even if you feel you fall into any of these categories. My intentions are not to bring anyone down but to help in gaining more knowledge, because knowledge is power.

#1 NOT EATING THE RIGHT FOODS

I have shared in the past how important eating a well-balanced diet with regular exercise will bring you the best results. Some people you may know have been given the gift of a fast metabolism and you see they are fit and eat whatever they want. In all reality, they may look healthy on the outside but the lack of nutrients that make up those foods really are hurting their body on the inside. Make sure you get your regular servings of protein, carbs, healthy fats, and don’t forget your veggies! Fresh is always better!

#2 SAME GYM ROUTINE

Every time you go to the gym for a certain muscle group or even total body workout, do you start the exact same way? I know I do, at least stretching my chest, shoulders, back and legs, prior to the muscle group I am  going to focus on that day. After you get into your workout, do you use the same machines, repeat last workout perfectly, even to the exact weight and repetitions? If you don’t change up your routine, you might consider doing that next time you visit the gym. Let me give you 4 hints that you may need to switch things up in the future. #1 Your workout is boring, #2 You aren’t seeing results, #3 Your workout leaves you more tired and sore than before, and #4 Your workout is no longer challenging.

#3 IMPROPER FORM

Most of us have the inclination when we increase in weight to lose out on our form. This is crucial to have a spotter to help direct and guide you to correct form if you start to lose it. When your form is poor, you may not be engaging the muscle group you are trying to isolate in the first place. Lighten up the weight and really squeeze and contract the muscle in the exercise. You are not at the gym to impress anyone but yourself so keep your focus on point. It will be worth while to contract the muscle properly instead of looking like you can lift heavy weight and you end up injuring yourself.

#4 CHOOSING THE WRONG PROGRAM FOR YOUR GOALS

Depending on your routine and goals, you may not be using the best exercise program to best achieve those goals. If you make a plan, you can stick to it and be more efficient overall with your progress. Bodybuilding.com has some great programs that you can incorporate next time you are in need of a well-written program. Some people seem to think they need to do mostly cardio to compensate for what they eat…and that’s not a good sign.

#5 TOO MUCH REST TIME

Honestly, how many people do you know that go to the gym just to socialize? I know sometimes I get caught up when people are trying to talk to me. I just wanna go to the gym to workout and achieve my fitness goals. I’ve got music playing while I am trying to get in the mood to pump some weight, and you won’t leave me alone. I mean when you think of how much time you actually spend lifting, it’s not very much. Bodybuilding.com shared a few things about this subject. They say about 9min per week is used actually lifting the weight (3 min/day, 3x a week).

#6 BEING A KNOW IT ALL

Don’t think you know everything about nutrition, the physical body, the hormonal process, and all the rest. Honestly, there is so much information out there that I don’t think you can every stop learning new things. As technology and science continues to move forward, new ideas and ways to workout will be discovered and developed. So the next time someone gives you constructive criticism on your lift or a suggestion, don’t take offense. Be open to new ideas and allow for change in your body’s physical progression.

#7 BEING JUDGMENTAL AT THE GYM (POOR ATTITUDE)

Enough said…
But honestly I think it is great to see anyone at a gym. That means they have the motivation to put forth effort, in the way they know best, and achieve a goal they have set. Don’t let others get you down. We are all looking to achieve different fitness goals and you can’t judge someone based on how they look at the gym. You don’t know how many pounds they have lost already or even what it took for them to get there. Build others up and encourage others at the gym when you see them struggle.

#8 NOT DRINKING ENOUGH WATER

I think I’ve touched on diet and exercise enough but make sure you include a good amount of water intake. Get rid of those unhealthy beverages and make the simple change to water. It is the best drink for you overall. Make it count!

#9 SKIPPING BREAKFAST

A lot of people will do this but it is the most crucial meal of the day. Eating breakfast gives your metabolism the kickstart it needs for the day, helps you wake up with energy, and who wants to skip out on tasty food? So start today or tomorrow for a change to eat breakfast if you have been skipping it in the past. Eggs and sweet potato hash browns await you!

#10 NOT GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP

Sleep is crucial to muscle growth. I think to myself, what is productive to be doing so late at night. Do I really need to stay up this late watching movies when my muscles say otherwise? Getting in the habit of a good nights rest is key for your future. So don’t go to bed late tonight so you can wake up early tomorrow for your next gym session!

#MotivationalMonday – Own Your Journey

Happy Monday to all of you! Today I wanted to share a few thoughts and experiences I have been pondering about recently and hope to share some insight today that will kick off your Monday right. A little recap of this past weekend – we attended the BFE (Bodybuilding.com Fitness Expo) in Boise, ID. It was quite a lot of fun and we were able to get a few goodies as well. Check out who I got to chat with for a little bit and share my fitness journey with. (@JessHilgenberg)

One of the greatest abilities we have as individuals is to develop and create a unique story to which we can inspire others with. There is not one single person on this earth who will have the same experience as you. This is where we are different and have the capacity to share that with others. Each of us has a different background, a different way we were raised, and have different motives why we do the things we do.

My experiences have developed into what I claim as my fitness journey that I share with others. I spoke with a man Jason Wheat, captain of Twinlabs supplement company, and he made a comment to me that adds to my personalized fitness journey. He saw my stretch marks on my chest and told me, “Yeah, I can see you used to be big. Those are your battle scars right there”. I thought to myself…you’re right. This is the way my body adapted to the dramatic changes in body weight and composition and I am proud of those battle scars. I wear them proudly and would never change them for anything because it reminds me of how far I have come in my journey. I will continue to move forward with these scars reminding me on a daily basis the hard work and dedication I put in to earn them!

Each of you have an opportunity to share your fitness journey, life journey, or the journey you currently pursue on a daily basis. Don’t let others write your story for you but remember to help others understand their true potential to develop and write their own story. People are motivated by inspiring stories…so share yours and see what is in store for you. You will have plenty of trials and hoops to jump through in order to reach your goals and the level of success you want. Don’t make excuses today why you can’t do something but make reasons why you can’t be satisfied where you are. Make one change today that will help get you on track to live the rest of your life with a successful state of mind. It’s all about perspective and it’s up to you to share that.

Progress Starts Today Not Tomorrow

Happy Thursday everyone. I apologize for not having my typical #MotivationalMonday so I am going to combine my thoughts from today’s post and Monday’s post. I have a lot of thoughts built up right now, about what I want in my future and what it is taking me to do every single day to get there. So let me share with you all one of the obstacles I am currently facing and how balance is becoming more prevalent.

Right now I am progressing toward getting a degree in Business Management with an emphasis in Supply Chain. I am currently struggling with some of the course material because of my lack in “hard skills” in different programs. I have excellent “soft skills” and am able to communicate effectively with other individuals and that is where I excel. I have had thoughts about not want to continue moving forward in this emphasis because of one of the teachers…but there is no reason to make excuses why I cannot overcome this difficulty in my degree. I really want to earn my degree and graduate already, moving on in life toward the business and career I am so passionate about already. Well let me tell you…it’s not easy. I look back at the decision to attend college and know there was no better choice than for me to continue my education. I continue to tell myself, when life or school or whatever it is your facing gets difficult, remember the reason you started and don’t quit. Quitting is for the weak minded, who want to find the easy way out…there is not easy way around it. So I hope what I share today can inspire you to look inward that in turn will help you look upward.

In life, we have hurdles that we have to jump over to get where we want to in life. I truly believe when we put in more effort into our goals, it will mean more to us and the value of that experience will be greater. Whatever challenges we face in life are for our experience and for our good. When times get tough, we must come to a conclusion to be humble enough to realize there is a reason we are supposed to go through these types of experiences. We are all different creatures and have a story that someone needs to relate to. As you progress in life, I want you to develop your story and share it with others so we can be inspired by the incredible willpower and change that you’ve developed to become the man or woman you are today. Nobody just wakes up and decides to be great. It takes work and effort to become legendary and if you want that bad enough, you will work for it until you achieve greatness.

Take a moment to watch these two videos and reflect on what you really want in this life. The first one is about Elon Musk and Kobe Bryant who were willing to take risks in life that were not guaranteed success stories. The second video is about developing ourselves and our stories to become something greater than we ever imagined. Thank you all for be willing to help me live a dream of being able to inspire others to reach their true potential.