7 tips to help you be successful inside and outside of the gym. It's never too late to set big goals, and overcome bad genetics and fear of failure.

Concentration CurlsI have been working and training in the fitness industry in some form for the past 7 years.  Recently I got to thinking about seven simple, yet important things I have learned along the way.

I want to share these seven quick tips with you guys to help you be successful both inside and outside the gym. Many of these are based on personal experience and my opinion and hopefully they help you along your fitness journey.

#1 - Set Big Goals

Bob Moawad said it best: “Most people don’t aim too high and miss. They aim too low and hit.” I have found this to be true over and over again, in the gym and in life.  I ask everyone to set huge, crazy, outrageous goals and take small steps forward each and every day to get there.

Think of it this way if your goal is to win the Olympia and you fall just short, the end result is being one of the top bodybuilders in the world.  Last place on stage beats first place in the crowd any day, so set those goals high and go after them.

#2 - It's Never Too Late

I don’t care if your 19 or 97 years old you have the rest of your life to do what you want.  It doesn’t matter if you have 15 or 150 pounds to lose; you control almost everything that happens in your life.  You need to believe in yourself and believe that you can do almost anything you put your mind to.

#3 - Train As If The Whole World Is Watching

This goes for training and just about anything important you do in your life.  In general people who work in corporate America tend to work harder when their boss is there and even harder when they are watching them directly.

Same goes for the gym.  If you imagine every time you are doing deadlifts there is a crowd of 1,000 people there watching you, odds are you will finish that last rep.  I find people tend to not quit or give up us as easily if they are being watched or judged by others.

Pushups on Dumbbells

#4 - Work Hard In All Areas

Training hard without eating right is like going to work all week busting your butt, then failing to pick up your check on Friday. Who wants to work really hard and see no results? I know I don’t.  I want every pull up, every push up, every squat to count towards my goal.

Give as much attention to your nutrition as you do to your training if not more, setting a goal in just one area of your life is like rowing a boat with one oar, it doesn’t get you anywhere.  Trust me on this: if your goal is vanity driven at all, meaning you wish to change your physical appearance, nutrition is going to be the missing key that either makes or breaks you.

#5 - Love The Process

Many times we get wrapped up in the end result and we miss the world happening all around us right now. The journey you take is just as important as the end result if not more important in my opinion. The struggles we go through molds us and make us who we are, often times we learn to love working hard.

Do you think Michael Jordan was afraid of hard work? How about Arnold Schwarzenegger? No, they understood the road it took to become legendary, to stand above everyone else in their sport.  If you want to be the best in your field of at least mentioned in the same sentence you need to be willing to work for it and love the work you are doing to get there.

#6 - Don’t Blame Genetics

Now I understand we are dealt a different genetic card.  Some of us were big genetic lottery winners, others of us not so much.  But we all won something, big calves, small waists, broad shoulders you get the point we all came away with something. No matter if you are genetically blessed or cursed don’t let your genetics limit how hard you are willing to work to get what you want.

Don’t be concerned with how big or lean everyone else is that has nothing to do with you and your goals.  We don’t inherit hard work and dedication.  That is something we all have the ability to obtain regardless of genetics.  It’s up to you to make up the difference; you can’t blame Mom and Dad for your short comings when it comes to your physique.

#7 - Don’t Fear Failure

In the sport of fitness and bodybuilding failing is a good thing.  Think about it in training terms, “training to failure” pushing your physical body to its limits to force change and growth for the better.  I have learned far more failing in my life than I ever did from wining.  Sure we always want to be the best and win, but it doesn’t always happen that way.

Failing allows us to see where we are lacking; sometimes we need to take a small step back to take a giant step forward.  No matter if it’s in fitness or in life you can’t let your fear cripple you into not trying.  The fear of never knowing is far worse than the fear of failure, you don’t want to look back on your life wishing and talking about what might have been. Life is about taking chances and going after your dreams, don’t let fear of anything stop you from what you truly desire.

No matter if you have a career in fitness, wish to have one, or just love working out..you can take these 7 tips and apply them to almost any area of your life, and they will help you on your journey to being successful.  If you take away anything from this article, just remember not fearing failure and working hard really does pay off in the end.

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