Gold's Gym Kuala Lumpur Triathlon

Champions

Rowing ~ Single Leg Squat ~ Dips

Men's Advanced - ages 18 - 49

Sheikh Md Bokhari

Women's Advanced - ages 18 - 49

Karen Husband

Men's Beginner/Intermediate - ages 18 - 49

David Picart

Women's Beginner/Intermediate - ages 18 - 49

Cecilia Letchumy

Men's Senior - ages 50+

Shamsuddin Hassanuddin

The entire staff and management team of Gold's Gym Kuala Lumpur sincerely thanks everyone who participated in the event, and we congratulate and salute you all for your outstanding effort.

Gold's Gym Kuala Lumpur

Triathlon

Recorded Performances

Men's Junior Division Beginner/Intermediate - ages 18-49

Rowing - best time over distance (2,500 meters/resistance at 5)

1. David Picart - 9:48:58
2. Jerry Piotrowicz - 9:59:3
3. Shahim Jenabi - 10:07:1
4. Mohd Arib Amarudin Md. Yusuf - 10:42:2
5. Sim Keng Yong - 11:06:0
6. Greg Ward - 11:07:9
7. Nicholas Brown - 12:11:20
8. Joshua Anthony - 12:13:00

Single Leg Squats - maximum repetitions in 1-minute (body weight)

1. Picart David - 41 repetitions/1-minute
2. Mohd Arib Amarudin Md. Yusuf - 40 repetitions/1-minute
3. Nicholas Brown - 37 repetitions/1-minute
4. Greg Ward - 35 repetitions/1-minute
5. Shahim Jenabi - 16 repetitions/1-minute
6. Sim Keng Yong - 13 repetitions/1-minute

Dips - maximum repetitions in 1-minute (50% of body weight)

1. Jerry Piotrowicz - 58 repetitions/1-minute
2. Shahim Jenabi - 55 repetitions/1-minute
3. Joshua Anthony - 51 repetitions/1-minute
4. Greg Ward - 45 repetitions/1-minute
5. Nicholas Brown - 44 repetitions/1-minute
6. Sim Keng Yong - 44 repetitions/1-minute
7. Picart David - 41 repetitions/1-minute
8. Mohd Arib Amarudin Md. Yusuf - 41/1-minute

Men's Junior Division Advance - ages 18 - 49

Rowing - best time over distance (5000 meters/resistance at 10)

1. Sheikh MD Bokhari - 22:23:3

Single Leg Squats - maximum repetitions in 1-minute (body weight + 25 lb plate)

1. Sheikh MD Bokhari - 29 repetitions/1-minute

Dips - maximum repetitions in 1-minute (70% of body weight)

1. Sheikh MD Bokhari - 55 repetitions/1-minute

Women's Junior Division Beginner/Intermediate - ages 18-49

Rowing - best time over distance (2,500 meters/resistance at 5)

1. Najidah BT Che Amay - 11:57:5
2. Cecilia Letchumy. Ceci - 13:40:1
3. Fathimath Thoufeega - 13:45:9

Single Leg Squats - maximum repetitions in 1-minute (body weight)

1. Cecilia Letchumy. Ceci - 47 repetitions/1-minute
2. Fathimath Thoufeega - 37 repetitions/1-minute
3. Najidah BT Che Amay - 33 repetitions/1-minute

Dips - maximum repetitions in 1-minute (40% of body weight)

1. Cecilia Letchumy. Ceci - 40 repetitions/1-minute
2. Fathimath Thoufeega - 32 repetitions/1-minute
3. Najidah BT Che Amay - 31 repetitions/1-minute
4. Amanda Arokianathan - 12 repetitions/1-minute

Women's Junior Division Advanced - ages 18 -49

Rowing - best time over distance (5000 meters/resistance at 10)

1. Karen Elizabeth - 23:51:4

Single Leg Squats - maximum repetitions in 1-minute (body weight + 10 lb plate)

1. Sheri Tibbles - 32 repetitions/1-minute
2. Karen Elizabeth - 26 repetitions/1-minute

Dips - maximum repetitions in 1-minute (60% of body weight)

1. Karen Elizabeth - 40 repetitions/1-minute
2. Sheri Tibbles - 33 repetitions/1-minute

Men's Senior Division Beginner/Intermediate - ages 50+

Rowing - best time over distance (2,500 meters/resistance at 5)

1. Shamsuddin Hassanuddin - 11:06:7

Single Leg Squats - maximum repetitions in 1-minute (body weight)

1. Shamsuddin Hassanuddin - 34 repetitions/1-minute

Dips - maximum repetitions in 1-minute (50% of body weight)

1. Shamsuddin Hassanuddin - 35 repetitions/1-minute

Gold's Gym Kuala Lumpur Men's Staff

Rowing - best time over distance (2,500/5000 meters)

1. Brett Crosby - 9:36:1 (2,500 meters/resistance at 5)

Single Leg Squats - maximum repetitions in 1-minute (body weight or body weight +25lb)

1. Brett Crosby - 29 repetitions/1-minute with 25lb plate

Dips - maximum repetitions in 1-minute (50% of body weight or 70% of body weight)

1. Brett Crosby - 50 repetitions/1-minute at 50%, 46 repetitions/1-minute at 70%

Gold's Gym Kuala Lumpur Women's Staff

Rowing - best time over distance (2,500/5000 meters)

1. Qhal Dianatasha - 24:58:2 (5000 meters/resistance at 10)

Single Leg Squats- maximum repetitions in 1-minute (body weight or body weight +10lb)

1. Qhal Dianatasha - 20 repetitions/1-minute with 10lb plate

Dips - maximum repetitions in 1-minute (40% of body weight or 60% of body weight)

1. Qhal Dianatasha - 42 repetitions/1-minute at 40%

Gold's Gym Kuala Lumpur

Triathlon Contest

How To Officially Register A Performance

There are two ways to officially record your performance of rowing, single leg squats and dips. "Officially record" means a trainer must be present for the full duration that you perform a particular exercise to verify the exercise was completed with the form stipulated by the rules of the contest. Upon conclusion of the event the trainer will record the results and provide their signature as confirmation on the contestant's registration form.

1. 
   
   Schedule an appointment through the front desk receptionist to have a trainer present during the event(s) you wish to perform. This assures that a verifying trainer will be available at a time that is most convenient to you.


2. 
   
   You may also inform any available trainer on-the-spot that wish for him/her to view your performance(s), if time permits. However any prior scheduled events or duties will over-ride such requests.

No Sour Grapes Syndrome:
No record of performance is official unless a fitness trainer representing Gold’s Gym Kuala Lumpur witnesses the act and verifies it with their signature.

Witnessing trainers reserve the right to validate or void any contestant’s official performance in accordance to the rules of the contest. The trainer’s judgment is final!
Absolutely no “do-overs” once the official recording of the exercise begins.

You Now Have From 15th April to 4th May To Complete All 3 Events

GO FOR IT!!!

Gold's Gym Kuala Lumpur Triathlon Contestants

Who's Up For The Challenge!







Men's Beginner/Intermediate Ages 18 - 49

1. Picart David
2. Mohd Arib Amarudin Md. Yusuf
3. Simkempyoup
4. Muhammad Aiman B. Rosli
5. Mazlan Mohamed
6. Ardana Sidr
7. Greg Ward
8. Muhammad Aizat B. Amdan
9. Owen Parker
10. Salehuddin Bin Omar
11. Ibraham David
12. Hamal Abdul Razak
13. Nicholas Brown
14. Joshua Anthony
15. Othman Mohd Yusop
16. Ali Asgari
17. Shahin Jenabi
18. Samsar moktar
19. Jerry Piotrowicz (Sr. walk-over)

Women's Beginner/Intermediate Ages 18 - 49

1. Martin Gwende'lle
2. Hazarina Bt. Meor Hassan
3. Norazlina Bt. Md Roza
4. Fathimath Thoufeega
5. Amanda Arokianathan
6. Cecilia Grace Pakiam
7. Sharon Sinha
8. Najidah Bt. Che Amat
9. Karen Elizabeth

Men's Advanced Ages 18 - 49:

1. Sheikh Bokhari

Women's Advanced Ages 18 - 49: Vacant

1. Sheri Tibbles

Men's Senior Beginner/Intermediate Ages 50+

1. Raymond Aryuloose
2. Ismail Bin Mat. Saleh

Women's Senior Beginner/Intermediate Ages 50+: Vacant

GGKL Inter Club Staff Triathlon: Not competing against members or guests

Men

1. Malcolm
2. Brett
3. Tom
4. Shah
5. Hafiz
6. Ridwan
7. Izwan
8. Steven

Women

1. Qhal
2. Dina
3. Amutha
4. Soya
5. Erin
6. Sadiah

Note: Please leave a comment if there is a misprint in the spelling of your name.

Training Tips & Tricks:

Rowing Calculator - Setting your pace is an important part of achieving your goals and doing your very best. To calculate the pace you need to row in order to cover a specific distance in a specific amount of time just left click (rowing calculator).

Single Leg Squats Training - Advanced: Change your center of gravity. Make balancing during a single-leg squat even harder by using your arms: Stand with your right foot slightly off the floor (don't move it behind you) and your right arm straight above you. Bend both knees to lower your body, then bend forward and reach for your left foot with your right hand. Return to the starting position, finish a set, and repeat on the other side.

To prepare for the advanced level exercise described above try performing a single leg chair squat first, then progress to the more difficult version. Just right click (single leg chair squat) for instructions on how to perform this exercise correctly.

Three Moves To Improve Performance On The Dips Challenge - Just right click the statement to the left to uncover the secret.

Malcolm, a Gold's Gym personal trainer, suggests saving your weakest event for last, thereby giving you the maximum amount of time to train and improve your performance. Take advantage of the fact that each contestant has over 3 weeks to complete the required exercises.

Brett, Gold's Gym Sr. Fitness Consultant, suggests swinging both arms from high to low while standing from the seated position during the single leg squat to gather momentum to propel your body forward and up.

Triathlon: Rowing, Single Leg Squat, Dips

Ground Floor, City Square Shopping Centre, Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur, Tel:03 - 2164 8303/9303, Contact Person: Brett M. Crosby - Sr. Fitness Consultant brett@goldsgymkl.com, website: http://www.goldsgymkl.com/

Contest Begins: 15 April thru 4 May

2008

Win Great Prizes!

Now your sweat is worth the price of gold. We invite all members and guest to take part in our triathlon for the fun and exciting chance to compete and have fun. There is absolutely no entry costs for Gold's Gym members. Guest contestants are required to pay and entry fee of RM80 which enables them to full use of the facility during the dated period of the contest. Upon completion of the contest guest contestants may apply their entry fee towards joining Gold's Gym Kuala Lumpur as a privileged member ( some restrictions apply).

To Enter:

Obtain a copy of the Wavier/Registration Form from the above address, completely fill-in all the necessary information and pay any applicable fees. On request a form may be faxed to individuals, however entries requiring a fee will not be valid until payment is received. No entries will be accepted after 14 April.

Events:

1. Rowing (best time over distance) - using Concept II Rower


2. Single Leg Squat/Stand & Sit (maximum repetitions in 1 minute) - using Cybex flat bench


3. Dips (maximum repetitions in 1 minute) - using Nautilus Assisted Dip/Chin-up

When: Contestants must complete all three events between 7 April, 2008 and 30 April, 2008 to qualify for prize rewards. There is no obligation to complete the events in any particular order or on any particular day. Each task must be performed in the matter prescribed by the rules and procedures of this contest and be witnessed by a Gold’s Gym Kuala Lumpur fitness trainer. Failure to adhere to the rules will disqualify a contestant.

Cost:
Existing members of Gold’s Gym at the start of the contest may enter the competition free of charge.

Non-members of Gold’s Gym at the start of the contest may enter the competition for a fee of RM80. This will entitle such persons to full use of the facility during the dated time period coinciding with the contest. After such time a non-member contestant who has successfully completed all three events may choose to become a member of Gold’s Gym and enjoy full privileges at the present rate of membership. However their entry fee into the contest will be credited toward their joining fees.

Categories: Junior Division Men/Women 18 yrs to 49 yrs, Open Senior Division Men/Women

Beginner/Intermediate (men/women) - This category is for persons who have a basic knowledge of fitness, and achieved a level of fitness that allows them to workout at a minimum of 70% of their maximum heart rate. Such persons should have no muscle skeletal, neurological or muscular dysfunctions that would put their health at severe risk while performing any of the outlined tasks of the contest.

Advanced (men/women) - This category is for persons who have worked out consistently for 1 year or more and achieved a level of fitness that allows them to workout at a minimum of 80% to 85% of their maximum heart rate. Such persons should have no muscle skeletal, neurological or muscular dysfunctions that would put their health at severe risk while performing any of the outlined tasks of the contest.

Note: Contestants in the “Open Senior Division Men/Women” will follow the contest rules pertaining to the beginner/intermediate level.

Prizes/Rewards:
Each contestant who successfully completes all three tasks will receive 2 free 30-minute personal training sessions worth RM90 & a certificate of completion.

The contestants with the best time or number of repetitions recorded in a particular event from each category will receive a silver commemorative Gold’s Gym replica weight-lifting plate key chain.

The contestants with the best over-all combined performance comprising all three events from the beginner/intermediate category will be awarded the grand prize of 3 one-hour personal training sessions and a Gold’s Gym Jacket (total worth of RM345). The contestants with the best over-all combined performance comprising all three events from the advance category will be awarded the grand prize of 5 one-hour personal training sessions, a Gold’s Gym jacket, and a Gold’s Gym backpack (total worth RM550).

Rules:
Rowing
Beginner/intermediate contestants shall row a total distance of 2500 meters at a set resistance of 5 striving for best time.
Advanced contestants shall row a total distance of 5000 meters at a set resistance of 10 striving for best time.

Single Leg Squat/stand & sit
Beginner/intermediate contestants are given one minute to complete as many repetitions as possible with a specific prescribed form (body weight only).
Advanced male contestants are given one minute while holding a 25 pound (11.36 Kg) plate with both hands to complete as many repetitions as possible with a specific prescribed form.
Advanced female contestants are given one minute while holding a 10 pound (4.55 Kg) plate with both hands to complete as many repetitions as possible with a specific prescribed form.

Dips
Beginner/intermediate contestants are given one minute to complete as many repetitions as possible at a counter resistance that is 50% of their body weight for men and 60% of their body weight for women with a specific prescribed form.
Advanced contestants are given one minute to complete as many repetitions as possible at a counter resistance that is 30% of their body weight for men and 40% of their body weight for women with a specific prescribed form.

Form:
Rowing - all contestants must have both feet strapped on to the foot rest and keep both hands on the rowing handles at all times during the official time trial. If a contestant has to dismount the rower for any reason he or she is disqualified.

Single leg stand & sit - all contestants may use either their right or left leg to stand from a seated position using that decided leg only. The leg not in use may not assist in the balancing of a contestant in such a way that any portion of that leg below the knee touches the bench, the floor or the supporting and working leg. Nor may a contestants hands touch any portion of the bench, the floor or any portion of the body below the waist. Advanced contestants are required to hold a 25lb plate with handle grips with both hands for this portion of the contest. Other than a contestant’s hands, no other portion of the body is allowed to make contact with the held plate.

Dips - all contestant must begin the exercise with both arms in full extension, then lower their body in such a way that the elbow joint decreases to at least a 90° angle. The witnessing trainer will provide a fist marker to indicate that a contestant has lowered their body to the required level. Then the contestant must extend both arms to return to the starting position of the exercise to be counted as one complete repetition.

In Case A Of A Tie:
Ties will be decided by having those contestants from their prospective category participate in a face-off. Each contestant will be given one minute to complete as many push-ups as possible with a prescribed form to declare the winner.
If a tie remains in effect after the completion of the face-off those participants will be declared co-winners and accept equal rewards.

Waiver:
All contestants are required to read, sign and date a release of liability form outlining the potential risks associated with vigorous forms of exercise at the time of registration. Any persons who do not comply shall be excluded from the competition.

Please review the section labeled “categories” that defines beginner/intermediate and advance to best decide what category is most appropriate for your level of fitness.


No Sour Grapes Syndrome:
No record of performance is official unless a fitness trainer representing Gold’s Gym Kuala Lumpur witnesses the act and verifies it with their signature.

Witnessing trainers reserve the right to validate or void any contestant’s official performance in accordance to the rules of the contest. The trainer’s judgment is final!
Absolutely no “do-overs” once the official recording of the exercise begins.

Frequently asked questions:

1. Q: When do I perform my event(s)? A: Contestants have the entire period from 15 April to 4 May, 2008 to perform all events.
2. Q: Is there a particular order the events should be performed? A: No, there is no particular order contestants must perform the events.
3. Q: Can I invite my friends and family to participate in the contest? A: All persons are invited to join the contest, however non-members of GGKL must submit a RM80 fee with their wavier/registration form.
   Q: How do I get a trainer to witness my event? A: Contestants can get a trainer to witness their event by scheduling an appointment through GGKL's front desk or by speaking directly to a fitness trainer. Although it is preferable to schedule an appointment for witnessing an event, any available trainer on duty may witness an event on-the-spot.
4. Q: Are any tips or suggestions for practicing for the events? A: Yes, right click on each individual task (rowing, single leg squat/stand & sit, dips) listed above under events to bring up an instructional video highlighted each exercise.
5. Q: Can I change categories/divisions after the contest begins? A: No, you must decide what category is appropriate for your fitness level at the time of registration.
6. How do I contact a contest representative? A: All inquires may be addressed to Brett M. Crosby - GGKL Sr. Fitness Consultant brett@goldsgymkl.com
7. Q: When are prizes awarded? A: Prizes are awarded after the completion of the contest. Individuals will be contacted to receive their prizes.
8. Q: How do I check my progress in the contest? A: All contestant's rankings and progress will be posted on this blog a long with any necessary updates.
9. Q: Do I need to be an athlete to participate? A: No, a variety of people with many different fitness levels will be entering the contest. The primary concerns are to be safe, have fun. the true competition is in performing your individual best.
10. Q: If I fatigue and can't do anymore repetitions before 1 minute is complete while performing the single leg squat and dips will I be disqualified? A: No, each contestant has up to 1 minute to perform as many repetitions of each task as possible. If a contestant fatigues before their time is up, the trainer will count the number repetitions completed before the contestant was exhausted.
11. Q: Can the personal trainer I'm working with witness my tasks? A: No, the witnessing trainer must be one who has not engaged in personal training services with you.
12. Q: What if a contestant is unable to complete all three tasks due to physical limitations, may they still enter the contest? A: Yes, all registered contestants may compete in all or parts of the contest. The main objectives are to have fun and be safe. No contestant will be excluded from participating due to limitations. Simply, choose the events that meet your level of fitness.

Good Luck!

Take Action

Well, 2008 is here and numerous persons will make promises to themselves to better their lives in some shape, form, or fashion. Undoubtedly, the majority of these promises will be vastly unkept. Approximately 80% of all New Year's resolutions are never realized. Among these unfulfilled goals is improving health & fitness. It is the same revolving promise that has taken a backseat to busy work schedules, and hectic family lives for weeks, months and years. Many a determined soul will head to their local gym this January with lofty goals for changing their bodies. But if good intent was enough to get everyone into great physical condition, than approximately 33% of the adult population and 15% of children over the age of six in the U.S. would not be labelled clinically obese. In addition, recent studies suggest that 2/3 of the population may be considered overweight. Not only can obesity lead to well documented chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease; it is a condition often accompanied by emotional and social distress.

As they say, "only the strong survive" and long before 2008 ends, a large portion of the gym population will have dropped off. Bless their hearts for giving it the college try. Maybe it will be of some consolation to know the gym ownership will be thanking them for their monthly donations.

Now, those who manage to persist past the blooming of the Cherry Blossoms will not necessarily be better off. Time in the gym does not always equate to time well spent. The casual gym-user who quits an exercise at the threat of a bead of sweat starting to form is clearly deluding himself or herself into believing that they are actually taking an active role towards their health. Yeah, something is better than nothing, but not by much.

If you are serious about making a commitment to your health, than the first step you need to take is getting your mind right. Getting your mind right means prioritizing yourself. Stop using the excuse that you don't have time to exercise, because of your commitments to work and family. If your health starts to severely fail, you won't be able to direct much attention to either one of those important entities. Taking time to take care of yourself doesn't make you a bad husband/wife, parent, or employee; it makes you a better person emotionally, physically, and mentally. Life is full of important tasks to keep all of us busy around the clock, playing and laughing should be among them. Rest assure no one ever looks back at the end of their life and says, "I should have worked more."

So here is a plan of action for making good on both old and new promises:

Step 1 - Vision
Successful people know what they want out of life. They constantly seek and engage in activities that give passion, purpose, and meaning to their lives. People who are certain about what they want to accomplish are six times more likely to succeed in making positive significant life changes, than those who are not. Thus emphasizing the importance of clarifying one's goals. Conversely, those that are ambivalent and conflicted about their goals are more likely to:
1. Experience depression & anxiety;2. Be less happy & satisfied with their lives;3. Experience more physical illnesses, & doctor's visits;4. Be indecisive, uncertain & rebellious;5. Spend more time thinking about their goals; and6. Spend less time taking action toward their goals.To uncover the true motivation of a goal, you must answer the question "why?" Keep asking yourself "why" until you have identified a specific reason(s) to act. Then you can establish appropriate goals for modifying your behavior.

Step 2 - Strategy
Throughout the years I have witnessed countless gym members wandering aimlessly through the gym, clueless. They sporadically go from one piece of exercise equipment to the next with no rhyme or rhythm to what they are doing. Consequently, these are the same gym members that have been working out for years, but look the same as they did the first day they walked through the door.

Lofty visions without a compelling strategy to accomplish specific goals can lead to self-pity, hopelessness, and inconsistency. Successful people are flexible thinkers who engage in both higher level visionary thinking, as well as lower level strategic thinking. These people tend to accomplish more than those who think at either level alone. Properly setting your personal goals channels effort in the right direction, thereby boosting motivation while enhancing performance. After setting well refined challenging goals people tend to think longer, harder, and more creatively about how to accomplish them. Believe it or not, there are innovative methods to manage family, work, and other time restraining obstacles and allow time for exercise. Where there is a "will" there is a way.

Goals should be: specific, measurable, aggressive, relevant, time-bound, and approachable.Many published studies have documented that specific, challenging goals result in better performance than easy goals, no goals, or simply trying to do your best.
Measuring progress allows you to analysis whether the strategy you are employing is significantly moving you toward achieving a specific goal. This in turn encourages steady progress by minimizing the tendency to measure success in all-or-none terms. It is important to have short-term goals leading up to long-term goals, so that you stay motivated and persistent.

Be aggressive, setting aggressive goals tends to accomplish more than setting modest goals. Setting goals at the upper end of your ability will elicit much more effort, than setting goals that are easily achieved; making success that much sweeter.
Goals should be relevant in that they outline specific actions consistent with your vision or ideal. People strive toward goals with greater enthusiasm, consistency, and confidence, when doing so brings them personal satisfaction. This leads to enhanced performance, perseverance, creativity, and self-esteem.

Achieving a goal is also heightened by setting a specific time-frame in which the various parts of a plan are to be executed and completed, both long-term and short-term. Otherwise, achieving long term success may seem too arduous a task to tackle. This can produce feelings of "why bother, I'll never be able to do that."

Finally, goals should be approachable in that they focus on desired ends to move toward, rather than negative states to avoid. Being disciplined should not be about what you are losing, but what you are gaining.

Step - 3 Belief
You have to believe in yourself and the decisions you make for your life. Pulling from my martial arts experience, I'll share with you this ancient quote. "Destiny is decisions within the space of 7 breaths. It is a matter of being determined and having the spirit to break right through to the other side." However you define belief, it is one of the most powerful products for change and success. If you believe you will be successful, you will be more likely to:
1. Work harder, achieve more and perform better in many different areas such as academics, sports, career, relationships and keeping New Year's resolutions.
2. Be happy, while effectively tackling problems of depression, anxiety, burnout, alcoholism, smoking, and obesity.
3. Set more goals, and set them more effectively.
4. Persist vigorously in the face of adversity and obstacles, while viewing setbacks as a source of motivation.
5. Attribute failures to changeable causes (i.e. poor strategies) rather than unchangeable causes (i.e. not being smart enough).
6. React better to difficult circumstances, including poor grades, career setbacks, stressful life style, paralyzing accidents, and chronic illnesses.
7. Use more effective coping mechanisms, such as humor, regular exercise, and preventive care.

Step 4 - Persistence
Successful people view setbacks as a temporary state that lets them know there is yet a better course of action to be taken. As I have mentioned before, "if you get knocked down 9 times, than be ready to get up 10 times." It has been reported that people who successfully maintain their New Year's resolutions for a period of 2 years admitted on average 14 slips. But they used those lapsed moments to strengthen their commitment. Occasionally someone will be shocked to see me eating food that is clearly far away from the healthy base of the Food Pyramid. So I remind them that I am a trainer, not a saint. It is human to make mistakes and occasionally give into your vices, so don't beat yourself up over slipping from time to time. Good practice over a period of time will help make it easier to cope with moments of weakness, and incidental slips will occur less frequently.

Reward yourself for success. This can be a powerful tool for aiding in weight loss, smoking cessation, battling depression, boosting self-esteem, and adhering to medical regimes. This can be as simple as treating yourself to a smoothie for not missing any scheduled workouts during the week.

Create a supportive network of friends and family to aid you in your efforts to do well, and help you bounce back quickly when you have setbacks. Successful people readily solicit the support of friends, family, and same interest groups. Consequently, they achieve more, live longer, and derive greater personal satisfaction from life, than those who isolate themselves.
You should expect success, but when setbacks due occur have a coping strategy in place to deal with them. Simply talking to a sympathetic friend that is aware of your struggle can help you get over the hump.

Step 5 - Learning

You should self-monitor yourself, by recording aspects of your behavior and measure the progress towards your goal. It is crucial to know if the strategies you are implementing are causing significant change. If the answer is no, then course correction is needed. Thus, self-monitoring provides valuable feedback on whether a strategy is taking you toward your vision, and lets you know when corrections are needed when they are not.

If you are tired of unfulfilled promises piling up around you, know that it is generally not the result of being lazy, weak, having a lack of will-power, or a fear of success. Rather, it is the result of using flawed strategies to achieve success. Those who achieve more use the best processes for change. These individuals identify more techniques for change, and use those techniques longer, more frequently, more consistently, and more thoughtfully.

So let 2008 be the year that you stop making promises and make a plan instead!

The Best Certifying Organizations For Personal Training/Group Exercise, by Brett M. Crosby - Sr. Fitness Consultant

To be taken seriously and warrant the title of “Fitness Professional” one must possess knowledge of exercise theory and have the skill to apply that understanding to improve human movement and health. Thus personal trainers and group exercise instructors are essentially experts at teaching people how to move at what frequency, what speed, what intensity (heart rate), what direction, what range and to what extent.

I am frequently asked by aspiring personal trainers/exercise instructors what qualifying certifications are available and which of those I would recommend. The list of available certifications is numerous, but those worth having are few. This indifference is because all certifications are not accredited, which means the effectiveness of the program, study materials and methodology used have not been objectively tested and assessed for worthiness by a reputable independent third party such as the NCCA (National Commission for Certifying Agencies) as mandated by IRHSA (International Racquet, Health & Sportsclub Association) the leading authority on commercial fitness and health. It is important that the qualifications you pursue and obtain are respected and meaningful to both the fitness industry and to potential clients.

Keeping the prior sentence in mind, my top personal picks for the best certifying organizations:

· http://www.acefitness.org/ - ACE (American Council On Exercise)

· http://www.nasm.org/ - NASM (National Academy Of Sports Medicine)

· http://www.nsca-lift.org/ - NSCA (National Strength and Conditioning Association)

· http://www.afaa.com/ - AFAA (Aerobics and Fitness Association of America)

· http://www.acsm.org//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home_Page - ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine)

· http://www.cooperinst.org/index.cfm - CI (The Cooper Institute)

· http://www.ndeita.com/ - NETA (National Exercise Trainers Association)

· http://www.nfpt.com/ - NFPT (National Federation of Professional Trainers)

Becoming certified through one of these organizations is a good start to beginning a successful career in fitness, but it is not the end all. Not obtaining substantial accredited certification certainly under-qualifies you to be a personal trainer/exercise instructor, but by the same token it doesn't over-qualify you either. Obtaining certification just means you have demonstrated to a certifying board that you possess the minimal competency to be a personal trainer/group exercise instructor based on the current standards and practices of the fitness & health industry. "Current" is the operative word here. Exercise prescription is based on scientific knowledge which is constantly evolving. To progress beyond average, you must routinely pursue knowledge and expand your experiences. Certification is just the first step in route to becoming a capable fitness professional able to positively impact the lives of the people you meet.

Remember: Pro doesn't mean someone is good at what they do; it just means they get paid to do it. What is a title worth without the goods to back it?

If you reside in Southeast Asia, and you are interested in becoming an ACE certified personal trainer and/or looking for opportunities to increase your fitness I.Q., Fit offers courses and activities to help you achieve your goals.