Inside the Tool Shed

Here's a short vid of the tool shed.  No idea why it came out the way it did but I don't give a ........

Enjoy..

My Tool Shed..

Is a gym.  It's not really a dungeon per say because it's above ground with a garage door, but it's hardcore.  This summer alone I lifted with snakes and big ass Wolf Spiders. It really isn't a tool shed, it's a garage.  BUT, the previous owners of my house or maybe even the people before them decided to cut a one car, maybe even a two car garage, and turn it into a kitchen and den.  Leaving an 8x10 area now known as Hackettstown Barbell Club. Yup, less than 100 Square feet.

It's hardcore.  It has a squat rack, two Olympic Barbells that sometimes I use to do curls, while standing inside the rack, about 700 pounds of weights, a Prowler, a bench, sandbags, kettle bells, and some cool ass homemade strongman equipment.


 I've been training people and myself in here for a little while now. Before, it was down in the basement, a true dungeon, with cave crickets and big ass Wolf Spiders.  No snakes.

The walls are bare, no sheet rock, no fancy pictures or wall to ceiling mirrors.  No water fountains or ab machines, except an Ab Wheel.

Straight hardcore powerlifting goes down in here.  Deadlifts, Squats, Presses of all kinds, and then the Strongman work.  We utilize the driveway which adds an additional shit load of square footage.  2 horse mats from Tractor Supply Co., and a brick of chalk from Reps Fitness Supply in Somerville.

It's nothing fancy.  It's bare boned, beat up, and old fashioned.  It's perfect! A match made in heaven.  Enough of the goodies to get by and succeed with an amazing view.

If you are looking to gain some serious strength and muscle and live in Hackettstown or Mount Olive, NJ you should swing by.  You'll always catch me lifting after 7pm during the week.  iPhone blasting, sweat dripping, screaming like a lunatic. Stoked, amped, pumped, efficient. Some people won't be able to handle it, but the ones who commit will undoubtedly succeed.

This is where it all started.  The ladies came for the groups and a few for some one on one training.  The brave, the excited, the committed.  Or, more importantly, The Dedicated, Demanding, and Determined.  Check out Greg below.  That dude kicked ass and made some killer progress in the gym.  Yes it's a gym.  It has weights and walls, mats and barbells.  Enough to call home.

WWW.HACKETTSTOWNBARBELLCLUB.COM

www.facebook.com/HTownBB

I keep on keeping on cuz I aint good enough..

YET...

I never paid any attention in school, I was too busy day dreaming.  Wondering what was out there and how to find it, what made what work and why, how, the who, the where.. anything but the blabber from the teachers mouth.  I also quit college.  About half a semester in.  I had enough, I said fuck it. I couldn't keep my mind from racing on what was in store for my life.

For years I drifted further away from finding what it was because, in all honesty, I couldn't handle it. I hated the surprises and lacked in the effort department big time. I just couldn't stand not knowing the unknown so I buried the temptations and drifted into space.

I'm still nowhere near where I want to be.  I am not good enough.. yet.

I'm not a good enough husband, employee, business owner, or trainer.  I have a lot to learn.  I am stoked.  I love learning.  My "free" time is spent reading books on life, money, business, training, babies, dogs, and marketing. I keep on keeping on with the swing of things.

I stay awake until late hours every night hustling, working, reading, doing more with less so I can get better. I train hard in my garage gym the size of a handicap public bath stall. I write blogs and ebooks that I start, hopefully to one day sell, to only throw them away, delete them, and scream Holy Fuck! at the computer. I spend money on self help programs and business lectures.  I weed out the useless and weed my yard.  I cut my grass and right through the bullshit.  I won't settle.

I want independence, both mentally and financially.  I won't settle for 9-5 and 2 weeks paid vacation.  I won't settle for waiting for that tax refund or refinancing a house.  I won't settle for my level of fitness knowledge.  I owe it to my bosses to learn as much as I can so they can succeed in their fitness goals. Yes, my bosses.  My clients.  They write the check for my mortgage and new Jeep Wrangler.  Without them, I'd have nothing. I keep on keeping on because I ain't good enough.  I have a lot to learn, I continue to.. at a fast pace. Sometimes my mind feels like it's going to explode and my heart is going to burst.

Right next to my bed is a book shelf that is falling apart.  Sure it's old, but it's constructed good.  It's falling over because the weight of the knowledge is bending the corners in and it's over capacity. Dan Kennedy and Napoleon Hill. Jack Canfield and Seth Godin. Rhonda Bryne and Alwyn Cosgrove.  They all have a permanent spot on the shelf.  They've helped me come from nothing to wanting something. I keep on keeping on cuz they inspire me.

Who inspires you?

Why do you "keep on keeping on"?

Do you settle?

What ticks your tock and rocks your socks?

What makes you youer then you?

"Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve." and never forget it.  Use your mental attitude and make it happen for yourself.  Everyone can be anything. Nobody can be you. Become "good enough".

Imagination

"Imagination is more important than knowledge." Albert Einstein

Sitting, staring, wondering, thinking.  Using my imagination.  Things happen, good things, when one uses the power of their imagination to dream.

Not just during sleep.  No, every hour.  Every day.  Sitting, staring, bored, thinking.

Planning.

Considering.

Wondering.

What do you imagine?

Riches?

Relations?

Power?

Fat Loss?

Do you focus?  What do you want?  Imagine it so..

Maybe.. just maybe.. it'll come true.

Hackettstown Gym Specializes in Weight Loss

When someone asks me what I do at Activate Fitness, I tell them I get people Fit, Strong, Healthy, In Shape, Motivated, and all sorts of cool words.  But if I were to combine all of these flashy, edgy words into one simple statement that takes less then 5 seconds to enunciate it would be "I specialize in Fat Loss Training."

Throughout the United States, and some other places in the World, the population is increasingly gaining rapid weight and moving less. I set out on this journey to help people live better lives and that is the reason why I developed a Fat Loss training company in Hackettstown, NJ.

When a person comes to train at Activate Fitness they do not walk into the gym and do whatever it is they feel like.  Clients of mine come into my Group Training setting and follow my lead.  I develop programs geared towards causing rapid fat loss, increasing general physical capability, and proper flexibility. 

The journey they set forth on is not easy.  It is not as rapid as one may wish, and it certainly won't happen overnight.  There are no quick fixes or special tactics that seem like secrets.  It takes consistency, desire, and EFFORT to succeed in the classes at Activate Fitness.  

For some it may take a few months to drop their desired weight and others it may take years.  The results my clients get are based on their personal effort.  It takes proper accountability from ones self to succeed at anything in life.

Activate Fitness uses the slogan "Dedicated. Demanding. Determined." and this means a lot to me because in reality by combining those three ACTIONS you unlock the keys and the secrets to succeeding at ANY goal.

If you are dedicated to accomplishing something in your life, you make the effort needed.  You stay committed to your goals and success.  You continue to make things happen because YOU want them to! You also need to be Demanding.  Demanding of your total effort inside and outside of the gym or in any adventure through life.  Being dedicated to your success and demanding of your efforts you show your Determination. Staying consistent with diet and exercise while keeping the "Eye of the Tiger" shows you are determined to succeed and not let anything slow you down.

That is what Activate Fitness teaches. Focusing on Fat Loss with a little side dish of Self Improvement.  If you are serious about taking your fitness to the next level come try out a class or two at Activate Fitness.  Sign up for the weekly newsletter on the right side of this page and I will personally give you a FREE fitness evaluation and consultation. To help people is my goal and what better way than through Diet and Exercise.

Free Fitness Consultation and Weekly Newsletter

Take a look to the right, where that not so obvious arrow above is pointing.

Enter your name and email address to subscribe to my weekly newsletter.  When you do so, you get a Free Fitness Consultation.

In a few days, after you subscribe and confirm, you will receive a Fitness Questionnaire.  Fill it out and send it back.  Again, in a few days, maybe 2, you will receive a Fitness Evaluation and Consultation.  FREE.


Be Dedicated.
Be Demanding.
Be Determined.

Win in life.  Don't hide behind the comfort zone of life. Stand up, stand out, and Succeed.  Take your thoughts and emotions, along with action, to the next level.


Enjoy the rest of your night.

Commitment

“There's a difference between interest and commitment. When you're interested in doing something, you do it only when circumstance permits. When you're committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results.” Ken Blanchard

No Excuses.  I've said these words a few times recently and the feedback I've gotten from it was nothing more than mockery or a weak attempt to make fun of the matter.  No excuses rides deep in the heart of the committed and the successful. For it is excuses that cause lack of productivity and accomplishments.

Successful people making up the 1%, that the 99% bitch about, live without excuses.  They make things happen. They bring their ideas onto the table and act NOW to make sure they collect the profits and successes of those brilliant thoughts.  While the 99% sit back in a puddle of mud and weep sorrow for the imaginary excuses filling their minds, the "1%" (The Romney's, The Obama's, The Seth Godin's, The Zach Even Esh's, The Dave Tate's, The Jack Welch's) excuse the excuses and act now.  They move forward. (And these people may not be the 1% of the wealthiest but they are the 1% of getting it done.)

They are committed.

Ken Blanchard once said you accept no excuses when you're committed, in The On Time, On Target Manager. This rings true in every aspect of our lives.  We are committed to paying our rent, so we work.  We are committed to getting our children medical help when they are sick.

Ask yourself what you are committed to and what you are interested in.

If you're interested in losing weight, sit back, read a book about it, and wish it'll happen.  If you are committed to losing weight you act now, you make a plan, you go to the grocery store and buy what you need (not what you want), and you are in it for the long haul.

People who show interest cancel or don't show for something a committed person feels is important.  A committed person records in a notepad their meals for the day and their workouts- including all sets and reps, if the lift was a personal record or if they failed to meet expectations.  They go back to the drawing board and make a plan to achieve their records.

Steve Jobs wasn't just interested in Apple because it was innovative, he was committed to watching it succeed.  When he regained control of the company it was listed on the stock market somewhere around 25-30 bucks a share.  Today it's hovering over $630.  Interest alone did not make that happen.

Take ten minutes where you are completely alone in a quiet place with no distractions and dig deep down inside your body, mind, and life and ask yourself what your interests are and what your commitments are.  If you have an interest in something and can't find the time to do it, scratch it out and never do it again.  If you find something that really gets you moving make the commitment to succeed at it and give it everything you have.  No fucking around here any longer. It is what it is.  It's a gut check.  It may make you emotional or devastated but what you do next will be the plot of your story.

Hackettstown Fitness, Fat Loss, Personal Group Training and more.

"I speak directly to the people, and I know that the people of California want to have better leadership. They want to have great leadership. They want to have somebody that will represent them. And it doesn't matter if you're a Democrat or a Republican, young or old."

Arnold Schwarzenegger

If you are into fitness in the Hackettstown area as well as fat loss and general health, you may have your mind twisting around with all of the information that is out there.  Some may suggest Diet X and others feel X is not  the way to go.  Some may tell you to Jazz it up while dancing around and others may suggest Group Training like that found at Activate Fitness.

Whatever the case is, the problem is information overload and it can cause negative consequences.  Activate Fitness was started when, after a few years of training myself to become a better person, a stronger, leaner, more muscular person, I decided I wanted to help people go through the journey.  It is hard, it takes time, it takes proper education, and dedicated commitment to success.  There is a lot of information out in the market that creates chaos and confusion.

Most people walk into a general local gym and are left to fend for themselves.  We do not have the proper education to understand how things work inside the body, how the muscles work, and how exercise should be performed.  We turn to magazines, books, infomercial products, and any other cheap way out to get to where we want to go. Most of these products are sold to sell you more of their vision and most do not take into account proper mechanisms. You get what you pay for and 9 out of 10 times it doesn't work.

At Activate Fitness in Hackettstown, NJ it is my passion, my purpose, and my commitment to help local people on their journeys and to start them on the right path.  Through personal training and group fitness training, Activate Fitness can and will save you money but more importantly the most precious commodity of our lives- TIME.

Through the years and gym after gym I have seen more of the wrong things being done then the right things.  I've seen, and I've personally been there, 17 year old guys doing Bodybuilding Splits with no strength and no proper education on the basics.  I've seen "Cardio Queens" running like hamsters on a wheel day in day out with lack of, or no progression what so ever. I've seen and heard plenty of people spending hundreds and thousands of hard earned money on infomercial products, weight loss pills, diets that have no backbone, and lap band surgery only to fail time and time again.

The majority of our society needs to treat diet and exercise like they would a broken leg, a severe fever, a mortgage application, an engine rebuilding, or a new roof. These circumstances are often treated, fixed, or handled by professionals.  Our body is our body and it's treated worse than a new engine or a new roof.  

Fitness professionals are here to help you avoid injuries, make sure your form is correct, get you on the right path, and to save you money and time. Fat Loss training can be hard and mind busting but it doesn't have to be that way.  Group Training, Personal Training, and Fitness Classes are designed to help people understand the way exercise works and they do not hide the truth to make more money leave your wallets.  It is the purpose of Activate Fitness to help and teach people how to live a happier, healthier, and fitter life through proper education and implementation of basic diet and exercise knowledge. 

Dedicated to helping you Learn.

Demanding of your complete Effort.

Determined to Watch you Succeed.

Click Here for Activate Fitness' Facebook Fan Page

Activate Fitness Home Page

"Let others lead small lives, but not you. Let others argue over small things, but not you. Let others cry over small hurts, but not you. Let others leave their future in someone else's hands, but not you."

 Jim Rohn

Keeping the Eye of the Tiger

"So many times, it happens too fast
You trade your passion for glory
Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past
You must fight just to keep them alive"

There are many things in life that we become "Gung Ho" over.  Whether it is a new car and keeping it clean or an exciting new job, we start out super excited with the blood pumping and usually end at the point where the excitement flies away and bored is the result.  

Like clockwork around late December, millions of Americans come back around from their yearly circle and start to plan this years "New Years Resolution". One of the top five commitments made each and every year is to get healthier and lose some weight.  Gyms become filled and diet books fly off the shelves at Barnes and Noble.  The first week of January has us Gung Ho over our new decisions to "finally do it". 

After the initial excitement of goal setting and implementation wears off, boredom sets in. Gym members stop going, excuses pile up, new "goals" are made "instead", or the fear of failure takes over.  We stop our journey.

The Eye of Tiger has become blind and failure occurs. 

There must be a naturally occurring Law as to why this does happen because it happens more often that not. Why do some many people fail and give up so easily?  How can we stay motivated enough to complete our goals?

Whatever the case may be as to why we do not continue and instead give up quickly, here are a few ways to keep the Eye of The Tiger.

1. Make a plan.  Stop winging it.  We need to plan our weeks ahead of schedule.  If you know you have an engagement, while dieting, where they serve Birthday Cake and having a slice makes you happy, plan for it.  I always tell my clients to record their meals, weigh, and measure the food they eat. Write it down and look at what you eat.  You will surprise yourself.

Find your personal Accountability. Time is not an excuse.

2. Have a positive attitude. You missed a workout?  So what. Get over it and make the agreement with your inner self that next chance you will work a little harder.  Don't beat yourself up and feel negative thoughts when something doesn't work out for you. The little things matter but not as much as the big picture.  Stay positive and feel the power of believing in yourself. 

3. Read Self Help or Motivational Books. Society is dumbed down and held into submission by the government and other systems.  This is not conspiracy or straight bullshit, it is fact.  If we are not being held back from our potential we would learn about Financial Intelligence in schools and many other subjects, but we don't.  It is our responsibility to make the most of our life and nobody will help.  Pick up a book that speaks about Motivation and devour it.

4. Start Living the End Result. The end result is that image you see every time you look into a mirror.  You imagine that you are toned, tan, lean, have nice curves, and sexy. Then reality snaps back and you see the present condition.  This can break the strongest of people and it is up to you to move beyond that.  The best way to avoid being struck down by reality and the negative emotions that may come with it is to live your life like you already have achieved the end result.  Some people may think you are nuts but, excuse my french, fuck them. You are doing what you want to do to help yourself succeed.  When you see that image of the lean, sexy, hot beach body come in your mind- capture it and keep it.  Live it.

5. Stop Reading Magazines and Diet Books. Go to the checkout lane of your local grocery store and you will see at least 5 to 10 magazines with lean women or formerly fat celebrities that talk about the diets they used or the exercise they did to change their lives.  So many people buy this and then the confusion and the ship jumping begins.  You may already be working with a trainer and that trainer has you set out on the path that works, but to you, it's taking too long.  So you buy a magazine with a lean Kim Kardashian on the cover that touts the ZYX diet and says all of Kim's successful dieting was due to the ZYX diet, so you start it that night- completely forgetting you were already on the right path. The amount of information out there on diet and exercise is astounding but you need to IGNORE IT.  Start the right way if you are new or have always had a Yo-Yo effect.  Hire a trainer and LISTEN!

6. Understand Before You Start- TIME.  To lose weight takes time.  To build muscle takes time. To earn a six figure income takes time. Paying off a new car takes time.  So why is it hard for the majority of people to understand that quick fixes hardly ever work?  Not just in weight loss but in everything we do. Dedicate one year to being successful and stop the constant thoughts of what you are doing.  Throw away the scale, throw away the mind altering books and magazines and let it come naturally.  

7. People love you. The biggest emotion and desire of ALL human beings is to Feel Important.  You can not deny this.  Everyone wants to feel important and not just somewhat important, but the most important person in the world.  People love you because of this.  You love your wife or husband because you want them to feel important and they make you feel important.  They are there for you. If you are lacking desirable health and teetering on the edge of health concerns, you need to look around and find the ones you love who love you more.  Look to your sons or daughters and open your heart.  The support you need to keep yourself on track is there.  Whether you believe it or not, PEOPLE WILL MISS YOU when you are gone. Fight it.  Fight Death right in the face and keep your Eye of the Tiger engulfed in passion for success.

Getting beat down by the daily tasks can be daunting and cause failure to stop you dead in your tracks.  Making a plan is the most important piece of the pie.  Set small goals and keep them to yourself.  Set easy and realistic goals also.  Make it in your plan to lose 1 pound per week and no more.  Do not become a slave to the scale, instead, record your meal plans and do the work to find out what you should be taking in as far as calories go.  Do not go extreme and eat under 1000 calories or just drink Lemon water regardless of what Hollywood Idiot does so. Live the end result and keep the big picture close in heart and mind. Understanding it takes time will keep you straight on the path.  When you are heavy and overweight Exercise can feel incredibly horrible, painful, hard as hell, and you may even feel like you're dying.  Keep going. The weight comes off, the lungs improve, the heart functions much better, and exercise will soon become fun. Trust me.

Accountability

“It is wrong and immoral to seek to escape the consequences of one's acts.” Mahatma Gandhi

As I was beginning to type up this blog post I had the idea of blogging about what many people refer to as "The Entitlement Era". As we all know our society has taken a drastic change since most of our parents were kids.  Starting in the late 90s and increasing ever so slightly each passing year we have come to the point were we expect things.  Handed on a silver platter with a neatly pressed napkin laid out on our lap as we dine. I will not go further on discussing The Entitlement Era because it is nothing more than a negative thought as well as emotion and to waste time doing that is foolish and unproductive.

Instead, I will talk about Accountability. Pointing blame or faults will not partake in this post as that is also negative and unproductive.  As Gandhi says, it is wrong and immoral to point blame on someone else or to not "man up" when things become wrong or against our wishes.

I once pointed blame to others and spoke down upon consequences like it was someone else's fault that I was where I was at the time. Once upon a lifetime ago my car insurance was to be $5000 a year if I financed a new vehicle because it is mandatory to have full coverage. I remember vividly when my mother told me this.  "How the fuck does that woman live with herself?" I said speaking about the car insurance agent.  I felt this woman was ripping me off and the huge bill was all her fault.  Now, thinking back on that moment, it was nobody's fault but my own.  I was the one who ran up the points on my license for being a dumbass, so it was on me to do what I had to do. To live with consequence.

Until only a few years back, I was never accountable for anything.  I too, like many of us today, felt entitled for things to be handed to me. Why shouldn't they? I'm a good guy!  I work hard and I'm not a criminal.  Give me and give me more. But it doesn't work that way. Actually it may for cheats and thieves but the ones who get things this way always end up in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

I set my alarm clock every night so I can wake up on time to arrive at work as scheduled.  It is my responsibility to do so.  Nobody comes to my house and does so for me.  I am accountable of my actions. My health is my responsibility and in turn I am accountable of the fact I need to exercise and eat well if I want to keep it. Doctors do not make my food or tell me what to eat and trainers do not make me exercise, I take those steps. I do the research needed.  I don't have the time lying around waiting, I make it.

I recently blew up a decent lawn mower because I was not responsible for my actions.  It did not magically keep itself in top shape. I've learned my lesson. Nobody was there poking me with a hot stick telling me to do this or that so I can make sure the engine continues to run smoothly.  It is my fault. There is no exterior force behind my perceived "bad luck" and now I am stuck paying the bill on a new tractor.  

I was stumped as what to write after the above paragraph and shelved this blog post for awhile. Today I came across this picture:



The End.

Going the Extra Mile

“Today, and every day, deliver more than you are getting paid to do. The victory of success will be half won when you learn the secret of putting out more than is expected in all that you do. Make yourself so valuable in your work that eventually you will become indispensable. Exercise your privilege to go the extra mile, and enjoy all the rewards you receive. You deserve them!” Og Mandino

Napoleon Hill said it, W. Clement Stone said it, even Dale Carnegie had mentioned it.  GO the Extra Mile.  A lot of the most successful people in the history of human civilization have stood by the fact that part of success is going the extra mile. Do more than you are paid to do.  Do something for someone beyond what they expect and the law of reciprocity is sure to make it that you are repaid ten fold.

Then why do we fail to see this occur in our daily lives?  From cashiers at the grocery store to car dealerships people have stopped going the extra mile.  To some, more so "new aged" tweens and party animal young adults, going the extra mile probably doesn't mean much.  We want it and want it now without thought or concern on quality or kindness.  Tweens and Party animal adults still finding a place in this world where maybe they might feel important hardly look to the people who go the extra mile and show gratitude to them. Is it their fault?  Maybe it's parents or the fact school doesn't teach the most important things in life. Whatever the case is, I feel people have stopped going the extra mile and it's a shame, because most of us notice and appreciate it when it occurs.

The whole concept for this blog post came about this afternoon when I left work and went to pick my wife's car up from the dealership where she bought her car.  I had just spent four hundred and fifty dollars on a few minor parts and labor for her vehicle.  After I paid the dealership with a smile on my face I walked outside and stood in front of her car.  Running down the passenger window behind the driver seat was a huge stream of bird shit.  I walked around the front of the car and noticed the bugs smashed against the bumper from my wife's constant trips to work on the highway, I was shocked they were still there.  I continued around the car and held my finger on the paint as I walked around back to the driver's side.  Looking down at my finger I was amazed at the dirt on my finger and questioned why it was still there.  Does this dealership not wash a vehicle after it was serviced?  Is it a fact of cost or time? Whatever the case is, do you think I'll ever go back?

If you haven't yet read my last blog post, My Visit to The Doctor I spent 2 hours on Friday sitting in the waiting room of a doctor's office I never been to before.  As a new patient I was treated like an alien.  I sat there for 2 hours watching multiple members of the staff walk by on the minute without even a smile. This office did not go the extra mile to make sure everything was ok and I was good to go.  Will I ever go back?

Perhaps these two occasions happened to me for a reason, actually, I know they were meant to happen. The two events, days apart, taught me the biggest business lesson of my life so far. Even if it was something, going the extra mile, that I consciously already knew from my studies of successful people in American history, it is now ingrained into my subconscious and forever thankful I am. What if this happened to a client of mine and lost forever was a portion of my income?  I could not afford or even ever allow something like that to happen.

Both of these businesses failed to go the Extra Mile and taught me a valuable lesson.  I will never go back to either of them and even though I am appalled I won't spread negative comments on Yelp or Yahoo!. Let people learn these lessons on their own.  I will however always notice when someone goes the extra mile and I will personally thank them. 

Who goes the extra mile?

JEEP does.  Not the dealership I bought my Wrangler at but JEEP.  Jeep/Chrysler Group went the extra mile after I purchased my 2012 Wrangler Unlimited.  The next day we received a personal phone call from Jeep as they thanked us for our purchase.  The dealer?  Nothing.  Just a service reminder.  Also the dealer still owes me a second key and I NEVER heard from them.  Did they go the extra mile?  Will I ever buy another Jeep there?

Kohl's did. After my wife spent our life savings one Christmas not to far past on gifts for everyone and their mother we received a personalized letter from the CEO thanking us for our purchase.  Was it mass produced? Yes.  BUT it was personalized in my wife's name and signed by the CEO.  We go back... often.

There is a big lesson in life happening everyday and every second our eyes are open.  If you have a business and you fail to go the extra mile you are making a big mistake that can cost you a lot of money.  Even if you are just an employee and you do not go further than you are expected to, you fail at seeing the big picture and becoming more. Napoleon Hill once said "This is the one rule you must follow if you expect to write your own price tag and be sure of getting it." The grandson of President John Adams, Charles Francis Adams was quoted as saying "No one ever attains very eminent success by simply doing what is required of him; it is the amount and excellence of what is over and above the required, that determines the greatness of ultimate distinction."" 

Notice when someone goes a step further for you and thank them.  Notice when a business or person doesn't and learn from their mistakes.  Care for the principle or not, the choice is yours.  Will it serve you well if you do indeed follow it?  I'm sure it will. Remember, as Og Mandino once said, it is a privilege. 

My visit to the Doctor

Dear Dr. xxxxxxxxx-

My name is Michael Corona. I was scheduled to be a new patient of yours today, August 3^rd, 2012.  I made good on my reservation to render your services by arriving to the office twenty minutes early.  I was greeted with the normal everyday monotony of a career long receptionist.  Some stress may have been upon her shoulders as she was training a nice young lady. Although, I did not receive a smile from either of the ladies and I feel smiling is a much appreciated aspect when it comes to dealing with people.

Your office is extremely clean but it seems to be run a little awkward.  During my waiting time I watched numerous people walking from the back room (I suppose this is where you see the patients) and behind the windows of the front desk.  Not once did any of those people look towards your waiting patients and offer a smile. Nor did your staff offer me or anyone else a drink of water, a cup of coffee, a quick “hello”, and not once was I told “sorry for the wait.. etc..”

I walked out of the office after 2 hours of waiting.  I was well on my way out after one hour but my wife, through texts, urged me to stay.  I did, for an additional hour and continued to observe your office.  After another hour of waiting without the slightest attempt of interaction from your staff I decided enough was enough. My time is valuable and I had no patience to wait any longer.

As a small business owner in Hackettstown my time is extremely tight as I also work a 40 hour per week job.  I know the power of systems and scheduling and I understand what it is like to be “pressed” for time.  The problem I became aware of was that you and your office take on too many patients.  Much more than you can handle. (Either that or your systems are out of place.)  As a business owner I would never leave a patient, client, or customer of mine waiting more than 5 minutes for my attention.  That is why we have systems. If problems arose to where it was necessary for a long wait I would go the extra mile and make sure everything was ok, if water was needed, perhaps coffee, and maybe even asking if they’d like to reschedule.

I just finished reading the book “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie and because I learned so much- this letter is kind hearted with the intent to help you understand problems I noticed.  I offer constructive criticism and do not intend to label your company with bad remarks.  I hope in the future you can correct the problems I noticed, as well as other patients.  I saw the distress and aggravation in their eyes and I hope this doesn’t occur to them again.

I wish you nothing but the best and I hope you have a wonderful career and family life. 

 Best of Luck,

Michael Corona
NASM CPT
Activate Fitness

P.S. Attached is my Credit Card receipt for the co-pay I paid before I even sat down.  I do not ask for a refund.  Keep it.  Use it to train your staff on how to smile or to buy a new coffee machine for the waiting room so patients can taste or smell the deliciousness of a fine brewed coffee while they wait.

The Value and Options of Fitness. You get what you pay for.

Saturday afternoon I was driving down Route 18 with my wife through East Brunswick.  We drove past the Retro Fitness that sits a few hundred feet off the highway.  A huge sign was standing on the small patch of grass that separated the road from the parking lot, and on that sign said "$0 Enrollment Fee with 3 Free Months.". An advertisement for Retro Fitness. Not even a quarter mile down the road was a huge billboard about 100 or more feet in the air.

"WoW Now $5 a week!"

Workout World has a sign that towers over the drivers of Route 18 daily with their message loud and clear.  $5 a week to join their gym.  $5!! What an amazing deal.  How can anyone pass that up?  You can walk the side of 18 on a daily basis and find $5 in dropped change or aluminum Miller Lite cans and get into the best shape of your life.  For $5.



But we all know that is not the way it works out.  Why?  Why do people fail to get into the best shape of their life when they can get a gym membership for pennies?

"9.99 a month for the 1st 200 people."

$0 Enrollment Fee and 3 months Free."

"$5 a week."

"$89 a YEAR!"

"$10 a month plus free training $0 Enrollment Fee."

Can you see the similarities there? What you don't know is that these prices are marketing tactics to get you to come in, sign up for two years on a monthly EFT basis, and then not want you to come. Over 1000 people probably join these gyms in your local communities.  When you go how many people do you see at the BUSIEST time?

20?

30?

5?

How many people in your inner circle, your social circle, or your family do you know that belong to a fitness facility that is dirt cheap like this?  How many of those people are in top shape?  How many are very healthy people?

For the majority of people in our society these gyms do not work.  We sign up for the dirt cheap monthly fee and we don't go. If we do go, we go once a week or whenever the time fits into our schedules.  Most of us do not know what we should be doing when we get there also.  How many of those gyms with a cheap membership show you what you should be doing? We go in blind without a plan and it is inevitable that we will fail.  We sign a one year contract,, go until February, and by that time we are so burned out from not knowing what to do or due to the low cost we just choose to say "fuck it" and no longer go.  But we signed a contract!  We still get charged for it.  "Oh that's ok.  It's only $5 a month. No big deal."

Then comes the next year or the next negative emotion of our body and we feel used and cheated.  We go back.  Again the cycle continues.

Now let's take some of the best fitness companies in the world and let's see what happens there.

Results Fitness in Newhall, CA has two options- BOTH 12 month commitments.  The first option is $147/month and the next option is $297/month.  This is one of the most profitable gyms in the United States and their fees make people think they're nuts.  But no, just the average tire kickers.  The people who are serious about getting into shape and living a healthy, active life sign up and more so than not they sign the $297/month deal.

So what happens to the people who sign up for a gym membership that costs as much as the monthly payment for a 2012 Jeep Wrangler?

They go.  They go as often as possible.  They get a plan and they stick to it.  They get the best results they can and in turn sign up for another year and another.. and another and they tell their friends.  Even when they are in top notch shape, they still pay top dollar.

Then there is Westside Barbell in Ohio.  I have no idea what the membership costs to train there on a monthly basis but I can be certain it's more than $20.  What happens to the people who train there?

They become World Record Holders in Powerlifting.  They end up with Squat numbers around 1000 pounds.  They go every chance they get- No not every chance.  They go when they are told to come.  Louie might plan for one of his guys to train 3 times a week- Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 6pm.  They go.  Something in their schedule comes up?  They change their schedule to fit their lifting at 6pm. They don't change their lifting to fit their schedule.

Let's go to Edison and see Zach Even Esh at the Underground Strength Club.  Zach has guys there come religiously and on a set schedule. There is even a waiting list to become a member.  How much?

$245 a month for 3 months.  And those 3 months?  They're a trial period.  Zach Even Esh puts you on the stand.  After your initial 3 months at $245 if Mr. Esh doesn't want you to train at his facility he gets rid of you!  At $245 he has people there that want to train and get better that it doesn't even effect his business if he tells you that you need to leave.

Crossfit Gyms all over the country are popping up and they average over $100 a month.  With WAITING LISTS! Most are Home Garages! Do you think the people who go there don't get results?  Do they decide to let their monthly recurring gym membership collect dust and not use it?

At $100/month I doubt it. Same thing goes for Fit Body Boot Camp's across the country.  Most charge $197 a month and they are outdoors or in a gymnastic studio with no equipment.  Their time slots are always filled.

These people who pay over $100 a month for their gym memberships are the people who get the best results.  They are the people who stick with it relentlessly and make the fastest progress.  Why do you think they get those results?

Yes, the cost of the membership is high so that may make them want to "Not waste their money", but... it's because these gyms I listed above are goal oriented and run by professional fitness coaches and trainers.

Those members are paying for training services.  They sign up for classes of up to 10 people that are run by Strength Coaches and Fitness trainers.  They get personalized programs and are told what they need to do in order to get results.  You don't want to listen or follow the program?  For $297/month I don't think that is wise, or for $245/month for 3 months with the chance of a "You don't belong here. Have a good day." I would think you'll do as told.

The value of fitness and the options available are your choice.  If you want to be a tire kicker and chase the lowest monthly rates go for it.  If you have the knowledge to get results and the desire to obtain them by yourself go for it.  If you need help and want great results and need that extra push, look into your budget and make room for a $100/month membership.  Think about it, you only live your life once.  The way you treat your body effects everything else in your life.  People spend so much money on their homes or kids education, as well as their vehicles, and they don't care to spend money on their greatest asset.


"The... patient should be made to understand that he or she must take charge of his own life. Don't take your body to the doctor as if he were a repair shop."
 ~Quentin Regestein