You Are Your Best Trainer

            Over the last 8 years or so since I've succumbed to the Physical Culture bug, one thing has stretched in my mind more than anything else in my search for great training and that’s being your own best personal trainer. What does that mean being your own trainer? Simple really, it’s not allowing those who tell you to do something and go with creating your own way of training, being self-reliant. It’s not very easy to do because there is so much info out there that you don’t know what works and what doesn't.

          We have a plethora of programs to choose from, like bodybuilding, strongman, 8 days a week, the super programs of crossfit, the next gadget in the infomercials, how to build bigger arms, getting 12 pack abs, grip strength you catch my drift. The secret is finding what works for you. Experiment, do different programs at the same time, piss off the establishment who don’t know a lift even if they had a gun to their head (exaggeration I know but it’s a good metaphor though). Those who try to tell you what’s superior, what’s the coolest trend, how to build a program that has nothing to do with your progression; they’re the ones who keep you from making something of yourself on your own. Trust your instincts, be bold and question things.

            Nobody really just trains and has fun anymore, to quote the joker “why so serious?” We pay to go to the gym and do all these crazy programs and eventually after a few weeks we just give up and quit. It’s not how hard you push yourself, its how much fun to do something you love to do. If you don’t love training but just keep running through the motions, sure it’s better than nothing but you won’t find the results you want. Train and have fun with it, focus on what you want, use your imagination and create something for yourself. Yes I believe if you have a goal you should be focused on it, be determined and willing to go beyond it and strive to excel at your challenges but don’t become a mean asshole to get there, play a little and make it an adventure.

            There’s always someone that follows specific programs and for some it’s the end-all-be-all for others it’s temporary and the rest think outside the box. Mix things up, draw outside the lines. Here’s an example, I’ve learned from many different guys and even some women and yet I don’t worship their craft and take all of them as a god/goddess of the fitness world. I respect what they do but I don’t agree on everything they do, if you agree with everything then you might as well not have a brain of your own. I love some of these people, some as if they’re my family but I also love being creative. I take chunks out of their craft and mold it into my own thing, kind of like Michelangelo carving out David; I take chunks of concrete to create a masterpiece.

            Love what you do, be creative, feel what you want to do. Think outside the box, be weird, be a dork whatever you are who you are and should train according to who you are as a person. Be safe but don’t be lazy, progress at your own pace and train smart. If you happen to get hurt, then you need to change things around and don’t ever stop learning. Think and Grow because eventually, you’ll find something someone doesn’t like or does but only you will love it the way it is and no one can take it away from you. That’s the heart of being your own trainer. 

Do This, Do That…You Know What Screw It

I really get pissed sometimes when I hear people tell others what they should or shouldn’t do because they feel they’re right and you’re wrong. Certain personal trainers just don’t really care about what the person they’re teaching is really fitness. I’ve even heard some trainers who have had previous injuries tell some poor shmuck how to do an exercise that got the trainer injured in the first place. What’s the deal with that?

 The real opportunities come with a feeling of learning to do something for you. Becoming your own trainer is like learning to be your own boss, you control certain things and you use the best resources to get your job done, unlike trying to be someone else and busting your ass so much, you forget what’s really important and that’s you. Idolizing a certain method or trainer isn’t a bad thing but remember to find out what works for you and find something that suits you.

 There are experts, and then there are “experts.” The difference between the two is that experts show the real side to having fun exercise and teach you to find who you are mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. The “Experts”, steal your money and if they’re in shape, they make you feel worse and brainwash you into thinking their method is the end all be all, plus some guys aren’t even in that decent of shape and yet still have an ego the size of Candlestick Park.

 Learning for yourself and your goals are more important than trying to follow someone’s exact program. You can learn exercises but you need to find how they are suited for you. I hate routines with a passion, I get bored easily and I need something to keep me interested so I would do certain exercises I’m in the mood to do and go with it. If you like a routine that’s great but build ones that suit your goals best.

 If you want real results, doesn’t matter if its in a gym, your house or the park for that matter, use basic elements and have fun with what you have and don’t let anyone give you crap about it. Learning to use what you’ve learned to help reach your goals gives you more power than any trainer who gives crap about this or that, many guys are one dimensional and they don’t think outside the box, the day you can think outside the box, you’ll be on your way to becoming a master of your own endeavor. Take a step back and learn from as many people as you can and find the best resources that suit for you and yourself only.

 Being a first rate individual as oppose to a second rate know it all, remember the expert vs. “expert”, is not very common and when you learn to be different, you’re finding what’s more important. Bruce Lee’s philosophy was that to be the best you can be, you must find yourself and learn how to use your whole being as if it was different from everyone else. Self Mastery is a rewarding goal and being different out of the norm and telling those that this is right or that is wrong to screw off because you are better than that. We have the same muscles, same two eyes, two legs and arms so what’s so different of having two sides of the same coin. You’re getting greater benefit becoming your own trainer than to completely follow someone else. Find who you are and dare to be different.

You Are The Experiment

One of the things about being new or getting back to or just doing fitness in general is that you can always learn new types of training that you've never done before. Experimenting in physical training is like any other kind of experiment, finding what works, what doesn't and how its suited to an individual. Most people however don't seem to understand this concept and that's sad because of all the fitness magazines and modern day technology trainers are telling you to do this for your body or a routine that's predetermined for your body which is flat out ridiculous.

One of the keys to Self-Mastery is to become your own trainer. Now why be your own trainer when someone can just have something set up for you? Well you could do that but that would just make you a second-rate person. Yes someone can show you the basics of exercises but how you do them is up to you. When I was doing weight lifting and seeing how all these "bodybuilders" were like and what they did, I tried the programs and I ended up either getting hurt or burnt out after only a week and I didn't do them everyday. After my accident, I started learning a different form of training and learned the exercises and did a few routines here and there but the routines didn't seem to help me because I felt something wasn't right. I changed gears and began experimenting my own routines that I came up with and whether a routine lasted an hour or 5 min. it felt good to realize that I'm my own trainer.

A major component to being your own trainer is to not only work the muscles, tendons, ligaments or organs for that matter but work on your mental strength creating and infusing the mind/muscle connection. Bruce Lee believe it or not was one of the most famous men for not only his muscles and strength for his size but was also one of the most intelligent men of his time. He became not just a great martial artist but also a powerful philosopher and keen sense of mind power. Another example would be the Samurai Warriors of ancient Japan. Not only did they need to be strong and powerful to just carry armor, swing a sword or fight but had to learn how to paint, write, meditate and have awareness that was second to none which is still legendary to this day.

There are many examples of learning to experiment but one thing is for sure and that's teaching yourself how to use your own physiology and how to use your body-to-weight ratio for the type of training you want to do. Face facts there is no way in hell a person of totally different sizes can do the same exact program and for good reason. Whoever is bigger or smaller cannot always do what another can. The structures are different and the way they move their body is different.

I'm a big dude at 240+ lbs. and can do some pretty cool stuff but there are just some things I can never do that a guy smaller then me can do its just not logical. Now on the other hand I carry more weight so whoever smaller then me by quite a bit tries to use something that gets him up to my size it'll be much harder for him to train because he is putting too much stress on his body then he should have and therefor can get injured, pull something or possibly cripple himself. Again not logical now is it?

Building a foundation is another key to becoming your trainer. Where do you start and what do you plan to do to achieve a goal? Find what works for you. Learning the basics in training is like learning math or English, hell even history you have to start somewhere and progress through various levels. Once you have experimented enough to know what works and what doesn't you have all the tools you need to become a great trainer within yourself. You don't need others to tell you what to do or what you should do for this or that.

Becoming a master takes practice, time, patience and a will to succeed. The Old-Timers knew this long before there were machines, gadgets and whatnot. Becoming your own trainer teaches you how to be an individual and self-reliant on the things that you want to do for yourself. It took me years to be my own trainer and now I get to teach you how you can do the same and can probably do it in less time then I did. Be the person you want to be and look into yourself and find the true power within you.