Achieve Coventry

Goal Achievement

2009-04-01T13:09:00.003+01:00

Well, Dax promised he'd be back 'tomorrow' and it's been a week.

A family emergency got in the way and he was unable to get back to us and share some more of his goal achievement 'secrets' but he's finally back with another interesting and thought provoking message to help us achieve your goals faster.

Today he's answering the most common question that his thousands of readers often ask about goal achievement and success.

"When Should I Begin?"

Believe it or not, it's a really common question!

People are of the belief that there is some special 'buildup' they have to go through in order to achieve what they want or that they have to 'prepare' or 'get ready' or have all their ducks in a row before they can finally go after what they want.

They tell themselves they'll start to pursue their goals...

...tomorrow
...next week
...next year
...when the kids get out of school
...when the kids go back to school
...when there is more time
...when things settle down
...when there are less bills
...when there is more money
...when the moment it right

And all the while they delay the pursuit of those things that would make them happiest because of... something.

Some 'reason' for why they couldn't possibly go after their goals right here, right now.

So here's Dax's answer.(I think you know it already) : )

Start right here, right now with whatever resources you have at your disposal to build the life that you most dream about having.

You see, you can carry on dreaming about the things you want or you can do something about them.

You can let the daily routine of your current life run the show or you can make the changes you want to see.

You can keep putting off and delaying your happiness until 'someday' or you can begin doing the things you know you are capable of doing TODAY!

The choice is yours.

You have the power to choose.

You see, it's all too easy to fall into the same old routine of saying to yourself 'someday I'll do it but right now I just have too much on my plate. The truth is, you will ALWAYS have tons of things to do, tons of people to see, tons of places to go, chores to be done and bills to be paid.

That's life for us all, right?

But if you don't at least START building the life of your dreams, regardless of how busy, tired, stressed, broke you are then you stand zero chance of ever getting there don't you?

So start today my friends.

Start today.

You don't have to do much. You don't have to change the world in an afternoon. Just change one thing. Do one thing different to how you did it yesterday and you've begun to move your life on a different course.

This is the REAL 'secret' of goal achievement.It's taking action.

But you knew this already, right? : )

Darren
http://www.achievebootcamp.co.uk
http://www.achieve.me.uk

P.S - What one action are you committed to taking TODAY? Write it in the comments area... I dare ya! :)

What The Secret Didn't tell you

2009-03-20T15:57:00.005Z

Have you seen the movie The Secret?

If you have you'll know that it practically became the goal-achievement 'bible' overnight due to it's very simple, yet very powerful message about how you can be, do and have practically anything in life that you want as long as you do one or two key things.

They are:

1. Think about what you want on a regular basis

2. Think about it positivelyThat was it really.

That was the 'secret' of The Secret!

Now, I'm not knocking this at all, far from it.

First off, most people (myself included) can be really unfocused and unclear about what they want and spending some time focusing can be really beneficial, right?

And thinking positive, well, that's just obvious isn't it? After all, going through life with a dark cloud over your head is not really going to help you feel good about even STARTING your goals, let alone achieving them is it?

So I've no real problems with the advice that The Secret shares, it makes sense and, truth be told, thousands of people have already gone on to achieve great things as a result of following this simple advice, but again, there are a lot of people who couldn't seem to make it work for them and are now dismissive of the who goal achievement 'thing'.

Maybe you're one of them?

I certainly used to be.

I tried thinking positive and holding my goals in my thoughts but still, the bills piled up and the same old hassles that were always in my life before were still there so I did what most people would do. I gave up the whole goal-setting thing as a waste of time.

That is until I came across (yet another) goal achievement program that was saying some things that were very different to what I'd been hearing from the thoughts become things crowd.

In fact, this program said that thoughts DON'T become things, but rather, they could become things, but not necessarily.

It jokingly explained that if thoughts really did automatically become thingsthen most teenage boys would materialise pretty young girls into their bedrooms. After all, this is what's on their minds most of the time, right? : )

Sounds funny, I know, but it struck a chord. After all, if thinking clearly of something that's important to you, holding it in your mind and thinking about it a lot works to bring goals to life, then it should work, right?

And as to thinking positive...

I'd always been told that thinking positive was a critical step to making your goals come to life, but again in this program I was told that this simply wasn't true. After all, if being positive made your goals come to life you should be able to sit in the middle of a busy road, smile and say 'I won't get hit, I won't get hit, I won't get hit" and sure enough, all the trucks will completely miss you.

Not a strategy that I think I'd like to try : )

It all makes sense doesn't it?

The idea that you can't just put on a happy face, think about your goals and have them come to life?

I think so anyway : )

So what's the real 'secret' to goal achievement?

Well, I guess it's simply that there isn't one. Not as in one hidden thing that once exposed will bring your goals to life. It's more a case of having a strategy that is proven to work rather than relying on hope or wishful thinking.

What's the strategy?

It's coming... I promise!

In fact, I've persuaded my friend Dax Moy, author of The Magic Hundred to spill the beans right here on my blog over the next week so DEFINITELY stay tuned.

Speak soon!

Darren

http://www.achievebootcamp.co.uk/
http://www.achieve.me.uk/

P.S - Don't forget to leave your own comments about this post. What do YOU think are the not-so-secret secrets to achieving success?

77 down - 288 to go

2009-03-18T14:11:00.003Z

What were you doing 78 days ago?

I know, funny question, but there is a point, you see, today is day 77 of 2009 which means that 78 days ago you were celebrating New Year’s Eve and, like most people, you were setting up your New Year’s Resolutions and goals.

And look, here we are at day 78 already.

Time just seems to be flying by, doesn’t it?

But I’m not just writing this to act as some kind of timekeeper or clockwatcher, rather I wanted to share with something that I’ve been thinking about a lot this week.

As you may remember, I started my own goal achieving journey on my birthday nearly 4 weeks ago and as I was reviewing my list I realised how many goals I hadn’t even started yet. In fact, many of them haven’t even been thought about. It’s not like they’re not important to me.

They are, many of them would REALLY change my life for the better if I could bring them to life but, well, I just haven’t seemed to get around to them.I bet you’re the same right?I

bet you have a huge list of things that you KNOW would absolutely, without a shadow of a doubt change your life for the better, yet you haven’t taken a single, solitary action on them, right?

Weird isn’t it?

For instance in my own life I know that these goals are important to me:

1. Have Sunday’s completely off work – I don’t train any clients or run any camps on a Sunday but I still manage to find myself at the computer, this takes my time away from my family.

2. Get away walking at least once per month – Again this is related to spending time with my family, but I love being in the mountains, the views, the fresh air, it really helps to clear my mind.

3. Keep expanding Achieve Bootcamp – I’m so passionate about my job because I get to help people achieve their goals. The bootcamps are giving me the opportunity to help more people achieve.

4. Get a massage once per month and stretch daily – I find it hard to take time for myself, I need to spend more time looking after my body. Having more balance in my own training.

5. Keep looking for a venue for my own personal training and health studio - This is one of my biggest goals and I need to spend more time searching. The right place is out there and now that I’m travelling around more I know I will find it.

Most likely you’ve got a bunch like this too haven’t you?

For example, what financial goals did you set for yourself on New Year’s Eve?

What about your health goals? I KNOW you had a bunch of those!How about adventures?

We all want to travel more and experience more and I bet you had set some goals in this department, right?

Not to mention relationships, education, family and career goals.

I bet you had a bunch, yet where are you with them?

That’s not a rhetorical question, I mean it. Where are you with these goals?

Did you achieve them as you said you would?

More to the point, did you even START them?

I know that I didn’t even BEGIN many of the goals I set on my birthday. I know they’re important to me, I know they’ll change my life in more positive ways than I can even begin to tell you but for some strange reason, I haven’t even begun to chase them yet.

Like I said, weird.

So look, I’ve got this mad, crazy idea.

I want to help you achieve YOUR goals over the course of this year and I want you to keep ME on track. Sound like a fair deal?

It starts today.

Tell me what your most important, most pressing goals are and I’ll tell you mine and (hopefully) together we can see 2009 through in great style.

Of course, you could simply ignore this and pass it off as silly but, well, that’ll just mean that the next 77 days are just like the first, and the ones after that, and the ones after that.

I need help to bring my goals to life.

So do you.

So let’s do this!

Darren
http://www.achieve.me.uk
http://www.achievebootcamp.co.uk

P.S – I got my idea for this email from my friend Dax Moy, Author of The MAGIC Hundred. I’m glad he kicked me in the butt today : )

Eat Clean Pancake Recipe

2009-01-04T19:02:00.005Z

Happy New Year!
To help you get started with some serious fat loss here's the recipe and a video of one of my favourite breakfasts.
They are gluten, dairy and sugar free.

Ingredients
2 organic free-range eggs
180g rice flour
1 pot plain, active-culture yogurt (We use Yeo-Valley Organic Bio-Yogurt)
½ teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
60ml water
sprinkle of sea salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional, Fran doesn’t like cinnamon)

Darren

Helping you Achieve

Christmas Survival Guide

2008-11-25T14:40:00.002Z

I told you last week about the report I have recently completed for the 12 days of fitness. I forgot to tell you about what makes this report different from any other you might have read before.

For a start, it isn't just full of fluff and padding about fat loss. I have read loads of reports by trainers that are thinly veiled sales pages; basically trying to sell you loads of supplements and quick fixes. So I’ve only put in the information and resources you need to lose body fat and tone up over Christmas; that’s it, nothing else, no unnecessary pages of science or gumpf.

For example, on page 3, I've included my Top Ten Tips for healthy fat loss

On page 6, I've added an easy recipe for turkey noodle stir fry, that tastes excellent and is healthy.

And on page 9, I've put together a meal planner, so you are not caught out and grabbing poor quality snacks.

But that's not all. I've also added daily stretches and ad break workouts.

I tell you, I'm really looking forward to hearing from you and all the other readers of the report when its released on 10th December.

But here's the thing.

The only place you can get a copy is over at www.12daysoffitness.com as I've donated the whole thing to an amazing project called 12 DAYS OF FITNESS where over 250 of the world's leading fitness experts are giving away free information on how to get into tip top shape... yes, for FREE! And as I told you last time I have promised my friend Dax that I will not release this report in any other way.

So not only will you get a copy of MY report The Christmas Survival Guide, but you'll also get hundreds of others as well.Not a bad Christmas gift right?

If you haven’t signed up already, get over to the 12 days of fitness website and do so; it only takes 10 seconds.

Darren
Helping you Achieve
www.achieve.me.uk

I Believe

2008-11-25T13:44:00.004Z

Last week, Dax Moy from the 12 days of fitness wrote a post about his beliefs and challenged the members of the elite personal training community he runs to do the same. There have been many inspirational stories and they have all shown how trainers enter the fitness industry to really make a positive change in people’s lives.

I am rising to this challenge and opening up my beliefs to you all; use this information as you wish. Some of you who know me well will know much of this, some of you will get to know me a little better but I’m hoping by publishing my beliefs it will give you a reminder to check on your own and maybe review what is truly important to you.

I believe in respect; in all of its meanings and guises. I have studied and taught martial arts for over 20 years; respect is a major part of many styles. The style of Kung Fu that I study and teach has respect as the first club rule. I spent most of the day Sunday learning iaido - the way of the sword draw, the respect given to the weapon and the ceremony of each movement is amazing.

I believe respect should be given freely rather than earned, we should respect everything and everyone around us; our belongings, our friends and family, nature and most importantly ourselves. As a health coach, I spend a large amount of my time educating people on how to treat their bodies to get the most out of them. Too many people abuse their bodies; be it with alcohol, smoking, poor quality foods or a combination of all three. They are often then surprised when they find themselves troubled with illness and injury. If we treat our bodies well they will return the favour.

Many of my beliefs are centred around respect.

I believe in honesty; this is with ourselves and everybody we come into contact with. So often we lie to ourselves about what we really want from our lives. I think many people are unhappy because they are not being honest with themselves and living true to their beliefs. Honesty with others doesn’t mean being thoughtless or nasty; we should always strive to be nice but we should let others know our true thoughts in a constructive way. I am always honest with my clients on what they need to do to achieve their goals and what is possible for them to achieve; often way beyond what they thought would be possible. I wouldn’t still be in this business if I wasn’t honest with people.

I believe everybody should live with passion; in your business, your relationships, your free-time and everything that you do. Some people say that I’m lucky to be in a role that I am passionate about; but I have made the choices and sacrifices necessary to work in this business. I have put in a lot of hard work and study but it didn’t feel like a burden, I love what I do, I believe I have found my purpose and I work hard to stay at the top of my industry. I have surrounded myself with people that can help me become better at what I do and offer constructive and valid advice. If you are passionate about the work that you do, it doesn’t feel like work.

If you are not passionate about your job you need to make sure it rewards you enough in other ways that you can follow your passions in other areas of your life. The time you spend away from your work, your free-time should be filled with things that make your job worth it. If you are highly paid but don’t use the money to pursue happiness in some way, you are working for work’s sake. We are not on this planet for long and we should strive to enjoy our lives; as my nephew says ‘you don’t want to be the richest skeleton in the graveyard’.

I believe you should plan for the future but living is more important than saving. If you are in a role you hate and the pay is poor, do something about it. Study, work harder, change jobs, whatever it takes to change your life positively, but don’t stay in a role that makes you unhappy and doesn’t deliver the rewards to pursue your dreams in other areas.

I try to spend as much of my free-time out with my family and dogs, we enjoy mountain walking; and getting out in nature helps you to put things into perspective and feel free.

I believe that you should trust in your abilities; too many people don’t pursue the things that they really want because they are scared about failing. I am also guilty of this but I’m trying to change. As long as we learn from the experience, it was worth while. The people I coach show disbelief when we discuss their goals and what I believe they could achieve; with hard work, a plan and determination we can all achieve our goals. Many successful people are where they are because somebody else initially believed they could be.

I had a client many years ago who wanted to be an American wrestler, many of his peers told him that it was a dream and a skinny teenager from Coventry couldn’t make it in the states as a wrestler. His mum believed in his goal and booked him some sessions with me, again I believed that he should go for it; we worked on his strength and flexibility. We trained some fancy martial arts stuff to look good; in addition to his judo training. He wrote letter after letter, refusing to accept no as an answer. Eventually he got a break and moved to the U.S.A. to train and work as a wrestler; he was living his dream at 19. He could have given in at the first step, if he listened to those that thought it was unrealistic. He chose to surround himself with people who believed in him and his goals and encouraged him and helped him to take action towards them.

I believe you should give graciously and accept willingly; be it a gift, a complement, your knowledge or your time.

I believe we should all be nice; that is, try to see the glass half full, be positive. When bad things happen it is easy to get angry and start being negative about it, but anger doesn’t really solve anything and often makes the situation worse. We should try to focus on the bigger picture and establish the best course of action to take to accomplish what we want. By being nice we put others at ease and they can focus on helping us achieve.

It can be hard at times; we have had no gas supply to our house this past weekend meaning no heating (it was -3c over night), no hot water and no hob to cook on. Our gas company passed the blame on to another company who didn’t work weekends and said they couldn’t help. This morning they have changed their mind and we are hoping they will resolve the problem today. My wife remained nice and they have found a way to help us; this might not have been the case if we got angry.

I have many more but will finish with:

I believe everybody has the right to good health; it is the choices we make in life that define our health. Only a small number of health problems are due to genetics; but I often hear that excuse for obesity and other weight related problems. I could play the genetics card if I chose to become obese, most of my family are overweight. I make the right choices with nutrition and exercise to maintain a fit and healthy body.

Many health problems are a result of poor nutrition and lack of exercise, yet we seek the advice of the medical profession who are trained to deal with the consequences of ill health rather than promote good health. We want the quick fix, surgery or magic pill / potion to take that will solve all of our problems; the results of which are short lived and often leave us in a worse position.

If you really want to improve your health and are tired of being ill every time there’s as much of a sniffle in the air; do something about it. It might be hard work initially, everything worthwhile is, but the results are life-changing. Seek help from someone who deals with promoting good health on a daily basis, take their advice and take action upon it. It is the taking action that really makes the difference and helps us improve.

This advice isn’t limited to your health; if you want to improve your financial situation seek the help of an expert who can give you the best advice for your circumstances. Whatever your goals maybe, become more educated about the things that you need to do to achieve them and surround yourself with people who can help you achieve them; don’t listen to the people you feel are trying to hold you back.

I hope you have found this post about my beliefs interesting and you are inspired to review your own.

We all have the power to live the life we dream of, we just need to take consistent positive action towards that life, I will be, it’s your choice if you want to.

Darren
Helping you Achieve

http://www.achieve.me.uk

Please feel free to leave a comment; I'd love to hear what you think.

Local Fitness Expert Donates Free Fitness Resources To World's Largest Healthand Fitness Gift Giving Bonanza

2008-11-19T12:21:00.004Z

Local fitness expert Darren Checkley today announced a very special invite to take part in the world's largest ever fitness information gift-giving, www.12daysoffitness.com where an estimated 500,000 people will benefit from the combined fitness expertise of over 250 personal trainers, physical therapists and nutritionists.

Checkley was chosen to represent Coventry and Warwickshire from among thousands of fitness experts in recognition of his specialist knowledge in the area of fat loss and is expected to make quite an impact when he releases his latest report called ‘The Christmas Survival Guide’ which is aimed at helping the health conscious to safely and rapidly lose body fat and increase fitness during the Christmas season.

Checkley said "The reason I created this report is because I believe that excess body fat has become a real problem to so many people who have tried all of the traditional approaches to fat loss and yet still failed to achieve appreciable results. I wanted to give slimmer’s a simple, straightforward, yet seriously effective means to lose body fat over Christmas, without having to spend hours working out at the gym."

Checkley continued, "what makes the release of this report so special is that it's going to be part of a much bigger and impactful program as part of Dax Moy's '12 days of fitness' program where we anticipate that over 500,000 people will receive advice and help with achieving their health and fitness goals for 2009. To have been selected for such an important role within the project is a great honour indeed."

You can receive your own free copy of Darren Checkley's Christmas Survival Guide and hundreds of others for free by visiting www.12daysoffitness.com and getting your name onto the gift list which will begin delivering fitness gifts worldwide from December 10th.

12 Days of Fitness

2008-11-17T15:23:00.001Z

Leading Fitness Experts Give The Gift Of Health To World With Biggest Ever Health and Fitness Giveaway This Festive Season

On Wednesday, December 10, Dax Moy and over 250 of the world's top fitness professionals will open the doors on the World’s largest ever health and fitness gift-giving, set to generate positive health for over 500,000 people this Christmas

The program, called '12 days of fitness' initially began when the UK's leading fitness professional, Dax Moy, wanted to express his gratitude to his clients and offered them a gift a day for 12 consecutive days as his twist of the 12 Days of Christmas.

Last year Moy shared this idea with fellow fitness professional Pat Rigsby and they expanded the 12 Days of Fitness to include not only their own clients but to the world at large and gave fitness gifts to over 200,000 people who signed up at the site at http://www.12daysoffitness.com/.

This year, with the help of 250 of the world's top personal trainers, nutritionists, therapists and specialist fitness experts, the 12 days of fitness is set to become the biggest fitness gift giveaway in history with expected downloads of over 500,000 between the 10th and 22nd of December. "There’s never been another health event like this, where so many people stand to benefit from the expertise of true professionals for free” says Moy who has been working flat out to make this year’s 12 days a success.

“Fitness professionals from around the globe have contributed hundreds of e-books, reports, videos, meal plans and other free gifts in their hope of making 2009 the year that anyone, regardless or their location, financial situation or past failures, can finally reach their fitness goals and make those New Year's Resolutions a reality once and for all.”

Perhaps the best part of the 12 Days of Fitness giveaway is that regardless of a persons health or fitness goals, there are going to be gifts specifically designed to help them achieve success.

"We've received gifts designed for busy mom's, elite athletes, bodybuilders, back pain sufferers and pretty much anyone else you can imagine covering everything from fat loss to rehabilitation and everything in between.

There literally will be something for everyone this year and all of it free, making it, without a doubt, one of the most important gifts anyone will receive this year. After all, what’s more important than health?”

The 12 days of gift giving starts December 10th but those interested are urged to visit http://www.12daysoffitness.com/ right away to sign up for their free gifts.

Once enrolled, participants will get a daily email telling them how to access each of the new gifts that are being added each day as well as a reminder on how to access previous gifts.

To guarantee a healthy start to 2009, simply visit http://www.12daysoffitness.com/ today.

Finish the year strong.

2008-09-20T12:46:00.001+01:00

Now the summer holidays are over, many of us start looking at the next break, for some it will be half term but for most it will be Christmas. That means we start thinking about New Year’s resolutions and what we would like to achieve in 2009. I have spoken to some people who have already given up on this year, planning to start their fitness and weight loss goals ‘next year’; that’s over three months away.

In three months; you could prepare for a half marathon, lose 14kgs and drop two or three clothing sizes. Away from health goals, you could change jobs - even careers, move house, paint the house, plan and go on a big trip, learn to ski, the list is endless.

Monday marks the start of the final 100 hundred days of the year, how will you spend these days? They are going to pass by anyway, so set yourself some goals to achieve by the end of the year; think big! As I have mentioned in the past; I believe you should set goals that excite you, even scare you a little, if you were to achieve them.

My friend Dax Moy has revised his Magic 100 programme to help you finish the year strong. This is the goal setting programme I use to help me achieve my goals. You receive emails every day encouraging you and inspiring you to take action. The revised version also includes software to keep you on track. I will be writing my own Magic 100 over the weekend to start on Monday

The Magic 100 has helped me achieve some great things so far this year; I’m going to finish the year by achieving some big goals. If you want to finish the year strong, rather than let it slip by, take action and check out the Magic 100 and achieve. This truly is the best goal setting programme I have come across in over 12 years of helping people set and achieve their health and fitness goals. For more information Click Here.
Be strong, eat clean,
Darren

Fat Loss Testimonial

2008-09-04T12:59:00.002+01:00

Hi guys,

I recently completed this 6week programme that claimed i would loose a dress size by the end of it, having tried a number of things to help me loose weight nothing seemed to work, at the beginning of this programme we are asked to follow a few simple rules regarding eating and drinking 2 litres of water a day, it was very hard for me to cut out the food that i love, but i was determined to make this programme work for me. after the first week of detoxing and following simple stretch routines. i had lost 14 inches of fat in just the first week!!! it is shocking and hard to believe, as i carried on through the remaining weeks my weight loss slowed down but i was still loosing inches every week. the food that i was eating gave me energy and made me feel good, my skin was improving also. now i have completed this programme i feel so much better it is hard to keep going and not slack, but the knowledge that i have been given allows me to eat good food which helps me keep the weight off, i find it a little difficult to exercise every day, but the exercise is what helps you to loose the weight...so it is a MUST!!! i hope you all gain what i have through this programme because it sticks with you, and will with me through the rest of my life.
thnks Darren :D
sandy

Fat Map UK

2008-08-28T21:28:00.002+01:00

There has been a lot of news across the media today about the UK’s ‘Fat Map’; highlighting obesity hotspots across the country. The main concern seems to be that the South of the country is now becoming obese; it was okay when just the Midlands and the North were affected.

Over 1 in 10 people were reported to have a BMI (body mass index) of over 30; which is classified as obese. BMI measurements take into account your height and weight to determine your score, rather than actual body fat. I know a few people who are classed as obese because of their weight but are very lean and well muscled; this is however the minority.

We need to take this information as a wake up call to start to take action, if you feel you fall into the category above and would like to do something about it, do so. These figures will keep rising, if we don’t take the steps necessary to facilitate change. The steps don’t have to be radical, small changes all count. It could be just having 2 less biscuits with your cup of tea in the afternoon; 2 biscuits = approx. 150kcals, x 5 working days = 750kcals x 48 working weeks = 36000kcals per year saved. That’s 10.3kg of body fat for having just 2 biscuits less per day; add to that a little activity and you can get massive results.

If you would like help making a change, my next fat loss course is starting in September at Esporta Warwickshire, Coventry.
The programme focuses on good quality foods that work for your body.
I will tell you how to identify which foods work for you (one size fits all diets do not work).
I will give you recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner to allow maximum choice and variety.
I will tell you snack ideas to minimise hunger and cravings.
You will receive:
An exercise and nutrition journal to complete daily.
A stretching programme to ensure optimal posture, alignment and tone.
An easy to follow home programme; including core exercises which take inches of your waist, legs and arms.
Which exercises work, how many to do and correct technique to use to ensure maximum strength, tone and balance in every single muscle of your body.
E-mail and text support throughout the programme.
If you don’t lose at least one full clothing size in 6 weeks, I will give you back your money and continue to train you for free until you do so.

If you are interested in taking this course email me darren@achieve.me.uk.

If you don’t live in the Coventry area but are interested in serious fat loss, my friend Dax Moy runs a fantastic online 90 day Look Great Naked Challenge. This programme gets results fast and Dax is rated as one of the UK’s top trainers, he helped X-Factor’s Michelle McManus lose over 10 stone (140lbs). Click Here for more details

Be strong, eat clean

Darren

What’s holding you back?

2008-08-21T11:35:00.004+01:00

I mentioned previously about achieving like an Olympian by setting yourself specific goals with fixed deadlines. Over the past two weeks I have spoken to many people regarding my half marathon training programme (Click Here), many have said that they would love to do a half marathon but couldn’t. When I have asked why not, many excuses have been given; I’m too old to start running, I haven’t got the time, I don’t think I could do it, I’ve got family commitments. Many people like the idea of running a half marathon but are scared to commit to it in case they fail; they have talked themselves out of finishing before they have even tied their shoelaces. I see this every week with people only setting goals that they feel they can achieve with minimum discomfort; I believe if a goal is worth setting it’s worth setting well. The more you have to put into achieving your goals the greater sense of accomplishment you feel when you get there.

We are constantly being told what we can achieve by others; these people are often scared to tackle big goals themselves and by holding you back it makes them feel more secure that they aren’t going for it. If you are told often enough that you can’t do something you start to believe it; at 6’5” Usain Bolt would have been told throughout his athletics career that he was too tall to be a sprinter, he chose not to listen and now holds the Olympic and World Records for 100m, 9.69s and 200m, 19.30s. Staying with the athletics theme, it was thought to be impossible for a runner to complete a mile in less than 4 minutes; Roger Bannister believed he could do it and set about training specifically for it. In 1954, he became the first man to run a sub 4 minute mile; he set his goal and took the necessary steps to achieving it.

For the excuses above, you’re not too old; John Keston, 83, holds the world record for 80-84 age group half marathon with a time of 1:39:28 (I would be pleased if I could get near this time), he started running at 55.

You don’t need a lot of time to achieve your goals, take action and make a start. My drop a dress size groups do less than 20 minutes of exercise per day and this can be split up into 4 minute blocks.

If you believe something is not possible, it won’t be. Think about the tag lines for nike and adidas; just do it and impossible is nothing, respectively. They are designed to inspire you to take action and achieve.

We all have family commitments; but it is important to allow time for yourself, this is true for all goals not just health and fitness. 41 year old Dara Torres has a young family and has claimed three Olympic Silver medals in swimming; her swimming career started 26 years ago with an American record in 50m freestyle. She keeps her workouts short and intense to allow time for her family, averaging 90 minute sessions (short for an Olympic swimmer - they train for up to 5 hours per day).

The Olympic games show us what the human body and mind are capable of; if you want to achieve, you can if you take the necessary steps. Set goals that excite you, be very specific and have a deadline; losing weight is not a goal, losing 12kg by 5th December for the office party. Positively focus on achieving your goal, set small targets and take steps every day towards achieving them. Hold yourself accountable; don’t put the blame on somebody else, take responsibility for your achievement, if things happen that you can’t control find another way to keep heading in the right direction. Let everybody know what your goals are, ask them to help; social support and motivation can keep you on track when you feel like quitting.

If one of your goals is to drop a dress size; I will be running my next 6 week course at Esporta, Coventry from Monday 8th September 2008. I guarantee that you will drop a full clothing size in only 6 weeks or get your money back. For more information email me darren@achieve.me.uk.

Be strong, eat clean

Darren

Achieve like an Olympian

2008-08-18T11:44:00.005+01:00

I have spent much of the past week watching the Olympic Games; it is amazing what the human body can be pushed to do given the right training and motivation. Olympic and world records are being destroyed in all events by athletes fully committed to their goals (click here to see the list). I have mentioned previously the total body strength and control required by the gymnasts; but athletes in all events have conditioned their bodies and minds to do exactly what is required to compete at this level.

You may have heard commentators talking about competitors gaining Olympic experience; this is for athletes who are not aiming for a medal at these games; but the next in London 2012 (however, they said Rebecca Adlington was there to gain experience and she has won 2 Gold’s and smashed one world record that had stood for 19 years). The athletes have targets set for an event in four years time; they will have a very specific plan to follow detailing exactly what they are required to do to be in Olympic condition in 2012.

How do you plan for your goals?
Most of us will have some sort of plan in mind when training for a set event; such as a swimathon or a run of some sort (for a detailed plan to complete the Coventry Half Marathon click here). Often the plan is vague, for example, I will try to do two runs this week; the Olympic athletes plans will include the time of day, the pace, the distance, pre and post fuelling and recovery times. Now most of us don’t need plans as detailed as an Olympians but having set tasks to complete and work towards is an important part of achieving any goal.

Weight loss goals tend to be even more vague; for example, I would like to lose some weight. They don’t normally have an end date in mind or a plan of what is required; hence, most of us don’t achieve our weight loss goals. It is important to set deadlines for goals and stick to them; for larger goals it may be necessary to break the goal down into smaller mini goals, this helps you to keep on track and establish how successful you are at regular intervals. Visualisation and positive thinking are often over looked in goal achievement strategies, but provide the mind with stimulation to help the body achieve. I’m sure the Olympic athletes see a Gold medal every time they close their eyes; you can see the gymnasts practising their routines in their heads before they enter the competitive area.

I believe you should set goals that excite you, even scare you a little, if you were to achieve them. I’m about to accomplish some goals (more about these another day) that I have been thinking about for years but didn’t take action towards them. It was only by taking action, writing them down and focusing on my goals everyday that they are coming to fruition. I set my goals using Dax Moy’s Magic 100 programme; your goals don’t have to be limited to only health and fitness, many of mine on my last list were personal and business related. This truly is the best goal setting programme I have come across in over 12 years of helping people set and achieve their health and fitness goals. For more information Click Here.

If you want to achieve your goals you have to have strategies in place that ensure you work towards them; this includes breaking your goals down into small blocks, visualising the end goal and setting deadlines, but most importantly taking action. If you are committed to achieving your goals and you're not in the position to see someone who can help you set them, Dax's Magic 100 does exactly what it says on the tin.

Be strong, eat clean,

Darren

Be Strong

2008-08-06T12:51:00.003+01:00

What does it mean to be strong?
It could refer to the physical; being able to exert great muscular force or power.
It could refer to the mental; having the ability to continue in adverse situations.
In fact, it could refer to any number of things; an online dictionary has nearly 30 definitions for strong. Everybody has their own personal definition of what being strong means to them. It could be having the ability to bench press 100kgs, lift your grandchildren above your head or being able to make it up the stairs without any pain. It may be attending school or work every day knowing that you will get picked on, finding out you have an illness and still putting others ahead of yourself.

I prefer to treat the body and mind as one; having a strong and active body helps the mind to function well. However, if the mind is weak it is hard to maintain a strong body. With a strong positive mental attitude it is possible to overcome the physical; an example is Joe Simpson (Author of Touching the Void) who had a mountaineering accident after reaching the summit of Siula Grande, he was presumed dead by his climbing partner who had to descend the dangerous mountain alone. Joe had survived a 100ft fall into a crevasse with an already broken leg. He chose to survive and kept a strong mental attitude, he spent three days, without food and only splashes of water from melting ice, crawling and hopping five miles back to the base camp. The story is one of great mental strength and how having a survivor’s attitude can lead the body to overcome great physical trials. Lance Armstrong’s story (It's Not About The Bike) is another fantastic example of how with a strong mental attitude you can overcome your weaknesses and achieve your goals.

Fortunately, most of us are not put in to a position of survival but having a positive thought process to achieving your goals makes it more likely that you will. I teach Shaolin Freestyle Chinese Boxing and I use the term black belt attitude to describe to my students how they need to focus their minds to achieve their goal, ultimately their black belt. During their grading they will be pushed way beyond their physical capabilities and only those with a strong mind will keep pushing on, overcoming their weaknesses to achieve what they desire the most.

As mentioned above, a strong body makes it easier to achieve a strong mind; I’m referring to true strength though not merely being able to lift a heavy weight when your body is supported. The best example of this I can give is that of a gymnast (the Olympics start on Friday, check them out), they have total control over their body throughout all ranges of movement. If training for physical strength you need to focus more on bodyweight and free weight exercises that allow your body to function as it was designed, not along preset pathways that only increase your strength in that exact motion. We have 7 basic movement patterns that we have had since we were cavemen and to function efficiently and with true strength we need to combine them into our exercise routines. I will go into more detail about these in future blogs.

Be strong, eat clean

Darren

Eating on Holiday

2008-07-30T13:05:00.005+01:00

As mentioned previously, I believe that holidays are for holidaying, that means you may want to relax a little with your nutrition programme. However, it is still advised that you follow the 80/20 rule, this works really well when away. Eating on holiday also ties into spending time chilling out with family and friends; on holiday you will eat and prepare your meals as a group or family; how often does that happen at home? Obviously this is easier when staying in a villa or gité where you can prepare many of your own meals; but when eating in hotels and restaurants you just have to have a little will power and make sensible choices. If you wouldn’t normally have a three course meal at lunch and dinner then being on holiday isn’t really an excuse to start.

Being in a different country is a fantastic opportunity to try different foods and immerse yourself in different cultures. If you are near the coast you should try the array of fresh fish on offer (just think about the healthy omega 3 oils, we keep being told about), I’ve tried sardines for the first time and really enjoyed them; I was put off fish at an early age by my mum frying kippers. Take the opportunity to try local specialities and get plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables and salads.

I’m currently in France on the outskirts of a village in the Vendee. We have eaten lunch and dinner as a family every day, taking it in turns to prepare the meal (breakfasts are taken at leisure dependant upon when you wake up). Most lunch times we have been having bread with a mixture of local cheese, meats and a large salad. I’m away with people who normally feel bloated and uncomfortable when eating bread, but they are not here. I go to the local boulangerie each morning to buy fresh baguettes (they do not stay fresh for longer than 24 hours because they have no additives or preservatives in). I have spoken to the shop owner who explained that everything is prepared and baked fresh every morning; her husband gets up at 3am to get started; he also prepares a vast array of pastries and individual cakes (very tasty), all from scratch with nothing added, even preparing his own Chantilly cream. She told me all ingredients are sourced locally and the flour they use for their products comes from a local mill.

The fact that the flour used isn’t heavily processed and the bread is baked fresh every morning could be the reason why it isn’t causing them a problem. I have spoken to many trainers that have also noticed the same with their clients when eating fresh local breads. Two of my clients have told me that eating chapattis in England can make them feel uncomfortable, even when preparing them freshly; but when visiting India they have no problems at all. They explained that part of the culture is to take your own wheat to the mill to be ground to use for baking. I often point out that the more processed a food is, the less likely your body will recognise it as a food and you may suffer adverse reactions to eating it.

I know a married couple who when ever they travel one of them puts on weight and the other loses weight. They eat in the same proportions and quantities that they do at home while maintaining their weight; but they still manage to slide in opposite directions on the body fat scale when on holiday. There are many factors that could contribute to this, which I will go into in more detail in later posts. The important thing to remember is that we are all different not just on the outside but also on the inside. The way we react to different foods depends on our biochemical make up; this is why some people feel bloated after bread (I’m not meaning to pick on bread, but it’s the food most people have had a reaction to at some point in their lives), yet their partners don’t. To learn more about this read Biochemical Individuality by Roger J. Williams and The Metabolic Typing Diet by William Wolcott.

One of the easiest ways to consume too many calories is with liquids. We know that beers, soft drinks and wines are reasonably high in calories but they get knocked off the scale by most holiday cocktails, which are designed to make you drink more. Having a few cocktails next to the pool at lunchtime, a refreshing soft drink mid-afternoon and a bottle of wine to share with your meal can add up to your recommended daily calorie intake before you have even counted the food you have had.

As I’ve said holidays are for holidaying and you should enjoy your break, but if your goal is fat loss you should try to limit the damage done by the phrase “it’s alright I’m on holiday, I don’t have these at home”. I once read a cheesy line that sums this up, “we sacrifice what we want most for what we want at the moment” (I can’t remember where I read it but feel it portrays attitudes towards holiday eating really well).

Here are some quick guidelines for surviving your holiday without putting on the average 10lbs in 2 weeks:
Try new activities, don’t just spend time lying on the beach. Have a walk down the coast, try the water sports, actually go in the sea and have a swim, jumping through waves is great fun and fantastic for your legs and core strength.
When eating out, it is not obligatory to have three courses just because you’re on holiday.
When eating your meals, start with the meats, then the vegetables and finish with the carbohydrates; remembering to focus on the meal, savouring the flavours and most importantly stopping eating when full.
Limit liquid calories in the daytime, use the time on the beach and by the pool as an opportunity to rehydrate and drink plenty of good quality mineral water. If you really fancy a cocktail, use it as a treat and only have one.
If you can’t stick to these simple guidelines remember that you will have to put some serious work in when you return home just to get back to where you were before you went (10lbs can take 10 weeks if you don’t follow an effective plan).

Be strong, eat clean,

Darren Checkley

Exercise on Holiday

2008-07-28T12:02:00.005+01:00

I’m often asked about exercising on holiday and the best exercise to do when you are away, so I thought I’d answer these questions as I overlook open fields in the Vendee region of France.

I personally believe that holidays are for holidaying and should be a break away from your normal routine. I’m not saying to do nothing on holiday but to have a change; for example, I teach advanced spinning and rpm sessions every week. However, I will not be seeking out classes to participate in while I’m here, although I will go out for regular bike rides around the local area and my mother-in-law has informed me that I’m on fresh bread and croissant collection duty in the mornings (about a 4 mile round trip). Judging by the size of the spider I’ve just seen I think they’ll also be a bit of screaming and running away! We’ll be taking some long walks, some swimming in the sea and I’m going to set up a badminton net as soon as the rain calms down (apparently it’s going to be hot tomorrow). I will also be trying chi gung while here in peaceful surroundings.

When we were last away with friends, I played tennis, table-tennis, beach volleyball, I swam in the sea every day and laid some serious moves down on the dance floor for a couple of hours every night. The only time I do structured exercise on holiday is when I’m training with a specific purpose, I ran and swam a lot in Portugal last summer because I was competing in a triathlon shortly after our return. I just made sure that I was sensible about the time of day I went out and the amount of fluids I was taking in. If you are going to a hot country and will be participating in structured exercise like running, the best time to go is early in the morning, before the temperature starts picking up and the traffic starts getting busy. This meant in Portugal I was heading out for a run around 7am and it was already getting hot then, it also means you can’t afford to drink to much alcohol the night before, avoiding further dehydration.

I know trainers that still try to maintain their training programmes while on holiday and they encourage their clients to do the same. Many modern hotels now have fantastic fitness facilities which make this easier to do. They are often air conditioned making the time of day you exercise less important. However, you also need to remember that holidays are for spending quality time away with your family and getting a little rest and relaxation. Recovery is a massive part of achieving your goals and as the old adage goes ‘a change is as good as a rest’.

If you really feel that you can’t miss your workouts on holiday, keep them short, and intense; interval circuit sessions that can be completed in less than 20 minutes are really effective if you know what you’re doing (if you would like more information on this email darren@achieve.me.uk). This way you don’t miss out on time spent with your friends and family chilling out.

In my experience it isn’t the lack of exercise on holiday that stops you reaching your goals, but the abundance of extra calories. I will tackle this subject in my next post but for now I’m going to go and have an ice cold Kronenbourg and help my in-laws prepare dinner.

Be strong, eat clean

Darren Checkley

80/20 Rule

2008-07-17T22:24:00.006+01:00

Many of you may be familiar with the 80/20 concept. It basically means living 80% good and allowing 20% to be not so good; however this still needs to fit into the bigger picture of your goals. Its not an excuse to go on a binge every 8 days, ‘not so good’ remember not ‘woo hoo, its takeaway and cake time, lets sit on the sofa and do nothing but eat for two days’. It just means you don’t have to be regimented 100% of the time.

Done correctly, the 80/20 rule means maintaining a healthy lifestyle doesn’t seem as hard when you can have an occasional treat. For example, if you have had a good week of exercise and nutrition, your body can cope with a glass of wine and a dessert on a night out. You can still make good choices for your starter and main; maybe fit some activity in to the weekend that you wouldn’t normally do. But, remember it is only 20%; it is easy to let treats slip in unnoticed, so keeping a food and exercise journal regularly is important.

To put it in to numbers; if you eat 3 meals per day, that is equal to 21 meals per week, only 4 of these could have a cheat element (it doesn’t mean it’s ok to get a kebab 4 times per week). This is the same for your snacks, 4 snacks might not be perfect (a matchbox chunk of cheese would be ok). The important thing to remember is being aware of the food you are eating and stopping when you are satisfied rather than when the plate is empty. Use leftovers for snacks later in the day, or refrigerate over night.

Be strong, eat clean,
Darren
PS How to be strong coming soon.

How to Eat Clean

2008-07-08T12:55:00.014+01:00

I advise that all of my clients eat clean for the first 30 days of any programme they start with me, this helps to get their body functioning properly and improves their ability to achieve their goals.

So what exactly is eating clean?
The aim of eating clean is to reduce the amount of toxins you take in to your body. Many of the foods we commonly shop for contain ingredients that our bodies find hard to process and are considered to be a toxin by your system. Your body will then store these away in fat until it has time to process it. We know the effects of some of the obvious toxins without being told; the reason many of us drink alcohol is for the toxic effect of being drunk, however we then complain when the toxic effect of hangover hits us.

The main things that may cause our systems a problem are:
Alcohol, Sugar, Wheat and Gluten, Dairy (except butter and natural live yogurt), Caffeine and all Processed Foods. I will go into more details of why each of these causes our system a problem in later posts.

The standard response I get when suggesting this programme is: ‘What will I eat?’ My answer is always the same, ‘Foods which are natural, wholesome and supportive to your body’. We always focus on what we can’t have rather than everything else that is available. The basic rule of thumb is; if you can pick it, dig it, catch it and eat it, then it should be okay, obviously there are exceptions to the rule and common sense should prevail.

It is hard to begin with but if you follow my eating clean advice 100% you will feel great, lose tons of fat and inches, sleep better and have better skin. My fat loss groups achieve fantastic results following this programme 100% for 30 days and then using the 80/20 rule (more to follow).

If you would like more information regarding my programmes or eating clean, please send me an email: darren@achieve.me.uk; if you would like to read more on the subject Paul Chek's book How to Eat, Move and Be Healthy is fantastic and does exactly what it says on the tin.

Be strong, eat clean
Darren

How are you?

2008-06-29T22:14:00.012+01:00

OK; not bad; alright; could be better. Why not, fanastic, great, really good?

Do you have to drag yourself out of bed in the morning after pressing the snooze button several times? Does your body feel broken and your joints creak as you move down the stairs? Are you comfortable in your clothes? Do you grab a coffee to get you through the morning? Do you see exercise as a chore and boring?

It isn’t meant to be this way.

We simply wouldn’t have survived in the wild if we had to ask our attackers to hold on until we’d woken up a bit and had a cup of tea. Our bodies are designed to move, be full of energy and vitality at all times. By understanding how your body works, which movement it needs, what fuel it requires and how to maintain it, you will improve your bodies ability to be strong and repair itself. This will ensure you will achieve the results you desire. You will be free from aches and pains, feel energised, happier and more in control of your life.

I have been a full-time Health and Lifestyle Coach helping people achieve for over 12 years, I will publish tips on this blog to help you achieve the best out of your body using the methods I have developed during this time to guarantee your success.

Be strong, eat clean,
Darren Checkley