The motiovation within

The motivation within

Howdy folks, Eoin here to shove some thoughts down your neck and potentially get you one step closer to your “ah ha” moment. For those of you who have already stumbled across that moment of clarity and sense of purpose, please keep up the good fight and never be satisfied both inside and out of the gym.

However if you are already thinking what in the world is your “ah ha moment” have no fear I am about to explain all. It is really the moment in your life you decide enough is enough, I am not happy with something and I am going to do something about it.

It is a moment crucial to your long term success in starting a health and fitness regime. It leads nicely into the concepts of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and what literally drives you to do the things you need to do to get the results you feel you deserve. 

Not understanding the difference between the two types of motivation and how your desires fit into both is potentially the beginning of the end before you even start.

Extrinsic motivation is all those things around you in your environment that influence you both positively and negatively. 

The media, your friends, what you read and even your coach (if you are smart enough to have one) are all forms of extrinsic motivation that can literally shout at you “Keep going!, don’t give up!, you are nearly there!”. 

This form of motivation can be a tremendous help in keeping you going when it gets tough and when your own motivation is waning. However this form of motivation pales in comparison to the power and influence of intrinsic motivation.

Intrinsic motivation is what is left when all is said and done, when the lights have been turned off and no one is watching. 

What are you able to do when it is just you and your mind? What makes you rise at 6am and go do something that will take you one step closer to your goal? When it is so easy to just stay there with your internal monologue pleading with you to forget it today, telling you that you don't need to do that and to stay in bed where it’s nice and warm and safe.

What makes you say no is your intrinsic motivation, your desire for change and you’re yearning to reach that goal no matter what. It is simply not enough to outsource your goal to someone else and switch off your mind for a set period of time. I see it all too often, people coming into the gym, parking their body in front of me and telling me their mind will be in the car for the next hour. 

I can only provide you with the environment and tools you need to reach that goal. I can show you the way but I cannot walk it for you. The great marketing book by Simon Sinek “It starts with why” couldn’t have a more apt title in conveying the message I am trying to get across to you.

Your ultimate goal is important but the “why” behind it is the driver that will make it become a reality. We all know what needs to be done. What you need to figure out is what kind of person you need to become in order to not need anything but heart to drive you on day after day, week after week and month after month. 

We must realise setbacks are not just forms of bad luck but parts of the process that show you what you are really made of.

#EMF #Resultsbasedfitness #Themotivationwithin

Sleep: Part 1

One supplement to rule them all, one supplement to find them, one supplement to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.

Intro:

“There are two types of people in the world, givers and takers. The takers may eat better but the givers sleep better” Marlo Thomas.

"Let sleep be thy supplement" Someone smart. 

We all know the benefits of quality and optimal sleep, weather it is improved function, well-being, energy levels or training performance. A good night of it can set you up for a great day and a bad night of it can have you hating life at every corner. How much more can be said about the life changing benefits of improving the quality of your sleep?

It is mostly touted as a recovery tool in health and fitness circles but it is really so much more than just that.

What can you do?

A number of things by all accounts. Exercise has been found to enhance quality and quantity of sleep, just ensure you are not exercising immediately before bed as you may be still in “exercise mode” rather than sleep mode.

Getting rid of blue light can be a game changer for being able to switch off and actually begin the process of drifting off. Many people will be in bed early but have a selection of laptops, phones, tablets or even TV’s ready to greet them when they hit the hay. 

Even if you need your phone for an alarm the simple placement of it at farthest point away from your bed can enable you not become distracted and surf the web for half the night. 

Reading a book can be a great idea to take you away for the screen and also help you unwind if you find a particularly engrossing read.

I cannot stress the importance of a quality mattress. Last year I was fortunate enough to move into a house with a brand new memory foam mattress in every room. Having a bed that moulds itself to your contours rather than the other way round can be a fantastic aid you finding that perfect sleeping position and stops you from tossing and turning throughout the night.

A game changer in sleep quality and quantity for myself personally was a cold shower right before bed. Research has shown that lowering core body temperature can affect your circadian rhythms by sending signals to your brain to enter sleep mode (1). That clean, fresh and generally stress free feeling accompanying the reduced body temperature really sets up for a good night’s sleep and hopefully it is something you can work into your daily schedule.

Bottom line as always is results may differ from person to person but you won't ever know your own responses until you try. In part 2 I will look at how nutrition can play a major role in sleep quality and quantity also.

Yours in snore gainz,

Eoin

#EMF #Resultsbasedtraining #Allabroadthegaintrain

References:

1.    E. D. Buhr, S.-H. Yoo, J. S. Takahashi. Temperature as a Universal Resetting Cue for Mammalian Circadian Oscillators. Science, 2010; 330 (6002): 379 DOI:10.1126/science.1195262

Success leaves clues: Part 2

Following on from part 1 what we know is this; becoming lean isn’t about what foods you need to avoid, what training split you need to follow or even how much organic natural hippy strength coconut oil you need to consume.

It simply comes down to this; what does it take to become the person I need to become in order to be lean. The key traits that are the bread and butter of the lean individual are discipline, focus and perseverance.

Scientific knowledge of the body and its various processes is not necessary. 

Going off some of the #instafit crew on social media we know this to be true.

Great genetics is not necessary either. 

Look at any crazy transformation online and you can appreciate that awful genetics can be circumvented to an appreciable degree with enough work ethic and determination.

Sure, a head full to the brim of knowledge could absolutely help you in your quest for beach ready. If both your parents were Olympic athletes it would also help no question, but if you have don’t have either of those are you forever doomed to be average? Keeping in mind the average person here in Ireland is now classed as overweight or obese.

What it takes for someone who has fallen off the wagon with their exercise and eating to get back on track is simply habit reformation. In order for any new behaviour to work long term it has to be easy to do and to be honest in my experience I have found it has to be incredibly easy to do.

We can go back to the teeth brushing analogy and look at how simply and easy it really is. I have said it before the three biggest factors affecting your ability to live a healthy lifestyle is time, money and priorities. The time it takes to brush, 1-2 minutes. The cost of a brush and toothpaste, €2-3. Is teeth health a major priority in most people’s lives, probably not, but for most that fact that it was high on their parent's list of priorities, its importance was therefore drilled into them from an early age. 

So how can we apply this to health and fitness? Start small even minuscule. A 5 minute walk in the evening or 5 press ups in the morning would be a great start. Do that for a few weeks and I guarantee you, you will want to do more in a matter of days. Starting by committing to going to the gym 5 times per week or running 5 miles every day is a recipe for failure. In a number of weeks you fail to keep this up and you will associate a level of negativity with health and fitness and your ability to control your physical being. What you need to be able to say initially after completing any form of training or exercise is this,

“That was tough but I was able for it, I can't wait to do it again”

If you can say this in the beginning stages of getting back on track there is no telling how far you can take it. Make it too easy in the beginning in order for you to stay the course long term.

What type of training you do isn't that important, your ability to adhere and remain consistent with whatever you decide to do will determine your results you get at the end of the day.

“A set back is a set up for a comeback” Les Brown.

Stay tuned for the final part to success leaves clues coming next week.

#EMF #resultsbasedtraining #itspossible

Success Leaves Clues: Part 1

Some people just seem to have it. The body, the conditioning, the discipline and even the evil smile to go with the year round beach body. 

How have they done it? 

How do they actually keep doing it no matter what season it is, what situation they find themselves in or even how ridiculously often Ben&Jerrys is half price in Tescos (sure you are only making money really).

Well having being on both sides over the years myself and trained countless athletes, weekend warrior and fitness enthusiasts I can genuinely say success leaves clues.

Lean people are in the habit of been lean. 

We are all aware of the many fitness models and #instafit crew that clog up our new feeds on a daily bases showing us how clean their food is and wonderfully easy it is to get the exact same results as they have. All we need to do is get off our rump, say our prayers, take our supplements and hay presto we a member of the crew. 

A couple of problems here to begin with as the pictures and videos we see are just snap shots of their lives. They could really be utterly contrived and set up. 

When we actually think about it we know nothing about these people and how fake they could potentially be. Now if you just like looking at hot bods, well then that’s just fine and I shall happily join you in the gawk squad. 

However if you are looking for real meat and potatoes info (whoa is that paleo bro) and tips these people generally have sweet f all.

I will simply refer back to the original statement, lean people are in the habit of being lean. This minority of people harness and utilise on a daily based unconscious competence. 

How have we being able to brush our teeth 2 times a day for decades. If we were firmly committed to the health and hygiene of our teeth we would avoid simple sugars, floss daily and visit our dentist regular. I have never in my life met someone who does those 3 things yet I have never in my life met someone who doesn't brush their teeth at least every few days. 

The main reason we brush is because it has become an automatic habit we have practised every day for the majority of our life. There was no skill involved, no intricate program of one day on one day off, heavy brushing for 3 days and then brushing for 1 day followed by a rest day and then repeat. 

We do it because our brain tells us to do it without us having to play an active role in the decision process. Can we apply this to weight-loss, fitness and muscle gain? You bet your hungover grease day we can.

Stay tuned for part 2 on success leaves clues where I will simply explain how to make fitness as easy as scrubbing those knashers.

#EoinMurphyFitness #fitnessmadeeasy #allaboardthegaintrain #realworldresults