As a Personal Trainer, the one thing I am asked the most is how someone can guarantee themselves results at the gym. Now of course these so-called “results” are very subjective. There are an infinity of goals to choose from: from the common “decrease my body fat” or “increase my muscle mass” to the more specific “improve my 5km run time”. And while I do not believe that exercise and training should purely be result-driven but rather a natural and enjoyable part of our lives, I am a great promoter of self-improvement. And by definition, of setting yourself a goal and working to achieve it.

1. Be clear about what you want

The number one step to achieving any goal is in fact to be clear about the goal itself. Indeed, how will you know what to work towards, or even when you have achieved it, if you have no idea of what you are seeking? Being able to explain and describe your goal is essential. And being as specific as you can will greatly increase your confidence in the outcome. Even better, visualise it: fast-forward to the near future, and see how you will feel, what situations you will be in, what experiences and thoughts you will have. How will you look, what clothes will you wear, how will your body feel? You can even ask your future self what steps you made to get there. Return to the same visualisation when you have doubts or lose your drive, and see what effect this has on your motivation and self-belief.

2. Learn how you achieve success

We all have a different approach to getting results. Understand how you achieve your success at work and in your career, then translate that to your training routine. You are at your best when you plan carefully and stick to a well-defined programme? Do the same with your exercise and eating: plan ahead, book your sessions and build your weekly menus in advance. You are successful by learning from others first? Get a Personal Trainer or train with an experienced gym-goer until you are able to develop your own workouts and eating plans. We all have different approaches, methods and ways of managing ourselves and our lives: find what works best for you.

3. Focus on small changes

When it comes to making changes to your lifestyle, less is more. For many people, trying to build too many new habits in one go will result in a sense of being overwhelmed, and eventually lead to failure. Instead, focussing on 1 or 2 changes at a time will seem more achievable. If a change looks too big, break it down into smaller steps. Want to be training five times a week? Start with two or three times for the first few weeks before gradually increasing. Want to be able to run 5km without stopping? Start by allowing yourself to walk when needed before gradually increasing the length of your runs.

4. Be flexible

Of course, no plan is fail-proof: life often gets in the way. Your relationship, job, friends or family will all at some point be a priority over your fitness regime. So you must learn to be flexible, and to allow for changes in your diary. If you need to cancel a training session, re-schedule it straight away, ideally for the next day or at the very least within the same week. Include weekends in your training days to give yourself more flexibility during your workweek. Learn some bodyweight exercises and a quick routine that you can fit in on days you cannot get to a gym. Even a 15min run is better than nothing: absolutely everything counts towards your goal.

5. Stay committed

The key to achieving any goal and overcoming any obstacle is commitment. Make your fitness goals one of your top priorities for a while, and take the conscious decision to make the right choices everyday. You are the only person that is able to make the changes: take full responsibility for your actions, commit to your goal and maintain a high level of discipline. Remind yourself of the reasons behind your goal, and keep at it.

6. Reinforce positive action

Finally, in order to stay on the right track, it is important not to let the times you sway off-course cloud your judgement. It is very easy to get hung-up on the bowl of chips we had for dinner, the big night out we had by “mistake” or the morning jog we skipped for a lie-in. However, avoid any sense of regret or judgement, which can easily lead to the undoing of all the good decisions you made so far. Instead, congratulate yourself for taking positive action: give yourself a mental pat on the back every time you make a step in the right direction. Surround yourself with people that will do the same, that will support you and provide positive feedback, and will add to your commitment and determination to achieving your fitness goals. 

Will Pike – 28th August 2012

We often wonder about those people you read about who became millionaires overnight (unless they hit the lottery) did they really become millionaires overnight?

We hear it all the time, been told by our parents, society, friends, etc that succeeding at anything takes time. That belief system has been printed in our mind, but think again… that time can be shortened somewhat by applying a few simple techniques to the process that I teach many of my clients:

1. Make a plan

A plan is like a road map that shows you where you are now and the best route to use to get to where you want to be. Those who “fail to plan, plan to fail” as the wise old saying tells us “dont just think a plan in your head…you wont remember all the little twists and turns along the road” instead write it down in black and white and in as much detail as you can. Each and every day, do at least one thing that will advance your progress toward your goal.

2. Learn

Learn everything you can about your chosen subject. Knowledge is power. Surround yourself with information and organize it so that you can easily access the particulars in any area. There is no detail so small that it doesnt merit your searching out every scrap of information about it.

3. Role Model or Mentor

If you can find someone who has succeeded in the field you are pursuing, associate your self as closely as you can with that person. First hand knowledge is more valuable than any other kind. Successful people have already made mistakes
and they can help you avoid some pitfalls. They can open doors for you that would remain firmly closed without their help to open them.

4. Apply What You Learn

Use the knowledge that you gain from your own research and from you roll model or mentor. Put it into action as soon as you can…and the sooner the better.

5. Never Give Up

Overnight success happens because you wont take “no” for an answer. When you get knocked down…you get up. When a door closes…you crawl through a  window. You work harder than anybody else and you too, can become an overnight success.

Our next workshop is to be held on the 8th of September ‘Fear to Freedom’ I will be teaching simple techniques to over come your fears that hold you back to creating the success you want in your life.

© Tony J Selimi

Our life experiences are created from our thoughts, from our interpretations of the stories that have played out in our lives, and from the actions we take as a result of the thoughts that run through our mind.

Thoughts become things, they are vibrations, and the moment we start thinking about something we have already generated that vibrations and we have set things in motion.


We have all heard it before – change your thoughts and you change your life. In my last 20 years of research in human psychology, various healing methods, as well as a Life Coach I have created a simple model to help you understand this model of thoughts become things.

Our thoughts influence our feelings, our feelings will influence how we behave and our behaviour drives the outcomes, simple yet some people find it difficult to break various self destructive thought patterns and negative behaviours.

But…

Is it really as easy as that?

Yes

Except…

The vast majority of the thoughts that are controlling our life experience are programmed, automatic, (…and negative), and have been playing over and over in our minds since we were young. They are such a part of our lives that most of us don’t even notice them.

What is your routine or programme that you are playing over and over? Do you find it difficult to change your thought patterns, beliefs you have been accumulating over the years and calm your mind?

Come along to our next workshop Fear to Freedom, we will be looking on how False Evidence Appearing Real can hold us back to creating the reality we want.

Sign up to our newsletter to remain up to date with our latest posts, information, event and workshops and help you learn new ways you can break habits as well as meet like-minded men.

 © Tony J Selimi

London 2012 is upon us. After years of preparation, hype and excitement, thousands of athletes have arrived in our hometown for the Greatest Show on Earth. And what a show it is. The opening ceremony was an uplifting, dizzying, electrifying presentation of British culture at its best. After the clinical and soulless (yet awe-inspiring) Beijing ceremony, Danny Boyle gave us a show full of creativity, humor and inspiration. It wasn’t perfect, no. But what it lacked in execution it made up for tenfold in energy. It was a labor of love, and it showed.

Of course, like any big event there is huge money involved, mistakes are made, and politics can be a bit shady. But when the competition is stripped down to the athletes, the nail-biting moments, and the raw emotions, we are able to see an impressive display of the best human qualities. If there is one thing that these modern Olympics are shaping up to be, it is just that: a show of love, of inspiration, of commitment, of dedication, of friendship and team spirit.

At the same time, the Olympics are a celebration of movement and of the human body at its best. They are an ode to exercise, to sport and to training. A whole generation is watching as men and women encourage their bodies to reach its maximum, to be faster, stronger, and more agile than ever before. Seconds are shaved off World Records as Olympians demonstrate the power, strength and sheer awesomeness of the human body and mind working in full harmony.

In turn, we can hope that this will have a positive impact on those watching.  Indeed, our society is increasingly sedentary: we sit at work, on the tube, and at home. Most people have developed a negative perception of movement and exercise; they associate it with pain, discomfort and hard work. When I ask my clients why they have adverse feelings towards exercise, most of them trace it back to humiliating PE classes at school. Sound familiar? So when a show like the Olympics comes to town, will it encourage people, young and old alike, to try something new, to move their bodies, and to develop better feelings towards exercise? Will it remind us all that, regardless of nationality, sexuality, gender or political discourse, we all have exactly the same bodies? I sure hope so. What do you think?

Will Pike

1st August 2012