Key to success - Singapore Personal Trainer talks

In my work as a weight loss boot camp owner, personal trainer and strength coach in Singapore, I enjoy meeting people who give themselves over to changing their lifestyles and bodies. They reach their goals. All these people have the same two qualities: a desire to be excellent and to fearlessly try new things.

One of my friends once asked me, "Hey Jonathan, I know you were a "FFB" (Former Fat Boy... it's true), when did you decide that you didn't want that anymore? And how did you? (which is the ONLY way to get the job done... but you all know that right...)"

You know what? I really didn't know exactly "when" I decided to get out of fat-boy-land, but when I think about it, it is that change was the result of those two qualities that my most committed fitness bootcamp and personal training clients have. These two qualities make it possible to succeed in fat loss, weight loss, muscle gain, fitness, anything.

Firstly, I had the desire to excel and to be excellent in whatever I do. Yes, the results were (naturally) not always excellent but the desire to excel was always there. I wanted to excel in sports. I played everything. Basketball, softball, rugby, football. All competitively.

I saw there was much I wanted to do while competing that was just impossible due to my less-than-ideal fat levels! This is quite a revelation at 15 years old. So the self-motivated training started then. Sure I made lots of mistakes, had no strength coaching or mentoring, and had foolish injuries along the way but the desire for excellence helped my push through all these difficulties. So I spent time and money (I haven't really counted but it's in the tens of thousands of dollars by now) educating myself to be the best possible personal trainer in Singapore and I always compare myself with standards set by the best in the world.

Next, it is the burning desire to try the new, without fear. This is missing in a lot of the people I have met. There is this book I read about living a 10/10 life. Too often, we live a less than optimal (in terms of dreams, contentment and destiny) life. Let's say we are a 6/10. Getting along ok but not completely fulfilled "self-actualization" or whatever psychologists call it.

The problem is that most of us are not willing to take a temporary dip in the life rating scale, in exchange for a future 10/10. Suppose I was earning enough to get by, pay my mortgage etc but am not happy at my current job. That's a 5/10 or 6/10. Am I willing to drop to a 3/10 - a time of financial insecurity to chase the vocation that thrills me? Foolish, foolhardy risks are not to be taken, but yet, there are risks that we cant afford to NOT take!

As a personal trainer and weight loss boot camp instructor in Singapore, I take this attitude into training and nutrition with all my clients. I have tried it all. High carb, low carb, Atkins, metabolic type diet, calorie counting, blood type diet, high volume training, low volume training, sprinting, strongman, power lifting, Olympic lifting, field events and a lot of other stuff as well. Did I win or succeed all the time? Certainly not! But the varied activity puts us in a position to learn regardless of the result. Like the great basketball coach John Wooden said:

"If you're not making mistakes, then you're not doing anything. I'm positive that a doer makes mistakes."

The guy won the highest number of championships in the history of college basketball. I humbly agree with him.

Once I had those two characteristics (the desire to excel and the willingness to fearlessly try new things), its just a matter of documenting the results and keep doing what works. That's easy! It is the attitude that needs a bit of time to work on.

If you are stuck in a fitness pit (or any pit), how badly do you want to get out? It's in your hands. It doesn't matter if you make mistakes, as long as you document them (or at least REMEMBER THEM!) so that you can try something new and better. It has given my fitness boot camp and personal training clients in Singapore great success. It'll work for anyone!