An excellence post by Cambridge personal trainer Callie Durbrow
How to Be Cool, Train Hard and Be Your Most Excellent Self
1. Lift weights
2. Lift heavy weights
3. Laugh every day
4. Be able to laugh at yourself
5. Be cool and relax
6. Remember that nutrition is 80% of your success. If your diet sucks you’ll probably have a higher than normal body fat percentage
7. Learn how to do push-ups and do them often
8. Work on your hip mobility every single day (lateral squats, fire hydrants, hurdlers)
9. Sleep at least 8 hours per night. Remember that naps are cool 🙂
10. Watch The Hangover and enjoy it
11. Crank up your favorite music during every workout, it’s amazing how much it helps
12. Get up and stretch your shoulders if you sit at a computer or be prepared to look like the rest of America, walking around with a big old hunch back
13. Train in bare feet or Vibram Five Fingers….sneakers are doing more damage than you’ll ever realize
14. Drink LOTS of water
15. Push the Prowler at least once in your life (if you never have, come see me)
16. Never wear Sketchers Shape Ups or any variation of “toning shoe”
17. Skip the fancy, shiny gym equipment and get down to basics with kettlebells, barbells, sandbags, ropes and The Prowler
18. Never do more than 30 minutes of “cardio” unless you want to be forever weak and flabby
19. Get a Mac
20. Be a real man or woman and tell people how you feel, don’t cower behind emails and text messages
21. Take 1-2 rest days per week and let your body heal. Training 7 days per week means you’re not working hard enough and again, be prepared to be weak and flabby
22. Tell your family, friends and significant other how much they mean to you. Don’t assume that they know
23. Swing a kettlebell like a girl, pop those hips. Don’t muscle it up like a tough guy.
24. Eat breakfast
25. Have a cheat day once per week where you eat whatever you want. It’s very freeing and helps you stay focused all week
26. Perform body weight exercises
27. Get out of your constant state of “want” and instead focus on something as if you already have it
28. Visualize your perfect day, every day until you have it
29. Make someone smile every day
30. Do hill sprints once per week
31. Sit back on your hips when you squat, don’t just drop straight down and kill your knees
32. Use a foam roller, stick or lacrosse ball every day to improve soft tissue quality
33. Surround yourself with people who are smarter and more successful than you
34. Don’t get complacent with your life
35. Watch Modern Family
36. Be cool. Did I already say that? So many people are so un-cool….slow down and enjoy life
37. Be humble, you’re probably not as important as you think you are
38. Learn to do pull-ups with assistance and then gradually reduce the assistance til you can perform 3-5 solid repetitions. This is the coolest thing ever when you can finally do them!
39. Don’t text and drive
40. Check email twice per day if possible
41. Make a list at night of what you’re going to accomplish the next day
42. Read a novel every few weeks
43. Perform front squats and Zercher squats
44. Do at least one thing every day that brings you closer to your dream life
45. Always remember, leggings are not pants
46. Be polite, always. You never know who’s watching or listening
47. Train your core the right way, with plank variations, the Power Wheel, Valslides, medicine ball throws, kettlebell work, squats and push ups
48. Eat your veggies
49. Don’t count calories
50. Don’t be ashamed to watch Jersey Shore, it’s hilarious
51. Call your parents
52. Stay away from machines in the gym
53. Be consistent with your training. If you lift weights, heavy weights, eat right and sprint you will lose fat
54. Get a great training partner
55. Put down the blackberry
56. If you’re getting more mobile don’t forget to strengthen this new range of motion
57. Ladies don’t be afraid to lift weights, you won’t get bulky. Instead you will look awesome
58. Go to Vegas at least once
59. Stop complaining
60. Compliment someone just because
61. Bring some positive energy to someone’s day