One step two step three step four - red step blue step one step more

I've had 3 runs since my last post, and what a mixed bag they have been.

I managed to run into the studio, 10.5 k's
Took me an hour and a half, with a back pack.
I went for a friday run with my training partner, that was business as usual,
I ran around the island on monday, about 10 k's, not sure my phone died half way through so i dont have all the stats.

Mondays run was an interesting process, I found my self starting with the usual rhetoric of not wanting to go out.

• Its cold
• I'm tired
• I really should rest i have alot on today
• Its cold
• I dont really have the time for this

Bla bla bla...

And as i'm busy making excuses why not to run the part of me that has actually decided that im running today no matter what is actually going through the process of getting changed into my running gear and shutting up the studio, and before I knew it I was out the door and on my way.

This is a very sstrange process to me, its like there are two different people at war with each other in my head (yes Imay be crazy but hey, who isnt right?)- the one who wants to go out and do this thing, and the other who just wants me to stay in and be comfortable.

And as strange as it is, it is not that unfamiliar to me, its been going on for a long time, and for a long time the part of me that just wants to sit in was winning the argument, ( as a trainer this is not such a good thing, but thats a whole other subject).

I am happy that the winning side of me is the one that wants to get out and do things.

It make me feel good to go out running or riding or adventuring.

And as hard as the process of begining to run is, ( and its hard and painful and frustrating), there is a part of me that is enjoying every bit of it.

It gives me a sense of pride in my self  that i havent had for quite some time, I remember how I felt getting my first black belt, its a similar feeling, and the process is quite similar. Only I'm older and my body hurts more 😉.

But if you're wanting to get out there and be active, Ill say this, let the naysayer in your head have its moment, let it have its rant, but dont let it stop you from doing what you want.

When "they" say dont listen to the naysayers- this meant the ones in your own head too.

👍👊💪

😉

Be strong 

Love 

Have adventures

Good to go jo

Monday Runday

so true to form, after posting how much I was starting to love running last Monday, I had the crappiest run ever!

• I was sore from training the night before.
• I walked too fast at the start - it was cold and I was excited because of my new found love for running - and my legs didn't really like that.
• I tried out a new pair of compression socks which were a huge fail.
• when we got to the forest track there were no lights - see creepy guy in the forest - and after our experience a couple of weeks ago now way was I going to attempt a run on the rack when there were no lights, and subsequently no other runners.
• we ran on the foot path / road - not a good thing to do for my legs especially taking into account the bad start and the wrong socks
• we went to the sports hall down the road and ran on the outdoor track - BORING!!!

So after finding that I was starting to love my running I had what was the crappiest session in this adventure so far.

I missed my session on Friday due to reasons that include a sick 2 year old and just a little laziness


, and after a week of extreme tiredness and little good training I sit here in a Monday contemplating my Monday Runday.

magical vinter wonderland

Today I have decided to try something new - I am going to attempt to run into my studio.

its 10 k (or if you prefer a Swedish mile) -  a good distance.

As I write this I look outside my window and see that what was an ok start to the day has turned into a typically Swedish autumn day.

DARK COLD AND DREARY WITH JUST A LITTLE RAIN.

its not cold enough to snow - but dear got i wish it would. at least when it snows the world becomes a wonderful magical place. this is just depressing.

but never fear - Good to Go Jo is here.

with my never-ending stream of positive thinking I look forward to this run.

• I need to take a back pack, and pack carefully - I must take with me my work gear and then I also need to ride my bike home (I left it at the studio last night) so I need to take riding gear also.

cool, I can try out my hydro pack for running, I have been using it for cycling for over a year now but i have never run with it - I hope it works our ok - we shall see.

 Marilyn  - just because

• also I get to see how long this is going to take me - something I have wanted to find out since we opened in October.
• I think I go through Vinterviken - it runs along the water and offers more trail running than road running.

And now - I am ready

Looking forward to running today -and taking note of my mistakes from last Monday lets see if today's Monday Runday can be a better one than last week.

training actually works - and the running is getting easier

so despite creepy guys in the forest I have continued with my running program, and am starting to notice some effects.

• Its getting easier
• my recovery time is getting shorter
• I want to run more
• I look forward to my next session
• I am starting to think of other ways in which i can en-corporate running into my life - e.g.. to run t my studio instead of ride, (but then I would miss out on my ride so that  doesn't really work, but you get the idea)

And for the first time since I was a kid, I really like - dare I say it, am starting to love running.

so what is so different about running this time?

because really I have been trying to get to this place for years, and always failed.

its simple really - I finally took my own advice.

I set a goal

educated my self

and have taken steps to achieve that goal.

this running thing didn't just start a couple of weeks ago for me, really it started a couple of years ago when I started training clients here in Stockholm.

I  specialise in functional training as a PT, and it has made a huge difference in my own training.

for years I have watched how my advice and programs have helped my clients but for whatever reason I just was not applying it to my own training.

well finally the penny dropped.

I started taking some active MSR sessions with my self looking to release the fascia in my lower legs so that I wouldn't suffer from compartment syndrome so much.

I started to work on my core and functional body, I started to build strength in my lower legs and consciously work on getting my legs back into balance.

and the result.

well I now run twice a week for an hour or so, and next week we move it up to 3 times a week.

and I couldn't be more excited.

so my lesson here is, (and I can hear my self saying this to just about every client I have ever had - sigh & slight head shake) DO THE FUCKING WORK JO & THE RESULTS WILL COME.

And the scary thing is I know this - I have done this with so many other things in my life. (insert smile here)

and now I am doing it with something that has been a stumbling block for over 20 years, and it feels awesome!

so keep training people.

good to go Jo

night running & that creepy guy in the forest - this weeks adventure

so last night I went for a run with my training partner down on the forest track.
we started running at 17.20 in the evening,
now if you're reading this and you don't live in the north of Europe then you might not realise that at 5 pm in Stockholm at this time of year it is pitch black.
Even though its technically still the afternoon, its dark outside.
Living in Sweden they are well aware of that and there is a section of the track that is very well lit, and you can use the track all through winter without concern,
But...
there is more than one way to get to the light track , and the way that I like to go has no lights at all - its very dark, so we do the only logical thing  (insert look of contempt here) we break out the headlamps and run with them.
I love it, it makes me feel just a little hardcore, I'm out running in the dark with a head lamp I must be a bad-ass.
any way back to the story.

night running

So we get to the light track no problems, light work, bas-ass feeling acquired, running like a hardcore trail-running champ.
Whilst running on the light track we pass this guy, who is walking by himself, in track pants and a hoodie, with the hood up trying really hard to be noticed for walking a little bit creepy and not get his face seen (mission accomplished on his behalf).
I think to my self ooo creepy guy, so thankful we passed him on the light track and not a K before where there were no lights and no people. I shudder a little.
Now the thing is, most people out for a walk on the track don't walk slowly with their hood up, so that was one reason to notice him for a start, the other reason was that that instinctual feeling of "there is something not quite right here" hit me. and as a rule - I always pay attention to that feeling.
as a martial artist and self defence instructor I tell my students to also always pay attention to that feeling, and when and if that feeling hits, get out of that situation.
So creepy guy seen on track, I immediately think of my surroundings, the outdoor gym was just behind us and as we went past I noticed a couple of people training at it. Good.
Keep running.

more night running

We run along the track and do out thing, coming back because we have the head lamps I want to run along the section of the track that has no lights.
all is going well.
And then movement up ahead, there is someone standing on the side of the track I see them because they have reflexives on the side of their shoes and the bottom of their pants, small strips but enough to light up.
And Of course its creepy guy from the track earlier.
OK breath deep keep running. I turn to my training partner and get her to take her earphones out, if nothing else its important to be able to hear what's going on.
as another rule whilst out and about, I really like to listen to music when running but I never have it so loud that I can hear what's going on.
Again my thoughts go to my surroundings.
there are leaves all over the track and whilst they are damp, a person would have a hard time approaching without making noise.
keep running

are you feeling creeped out yet?

I keep my light tracked ahead of me as we approach creepy guy so that I can still see his reflective and then occasionally shining my light directly at him.(yes that's right I see you, if you mean me no harm then its all good but if you do mean me harm then I see you)
as we go passed he turns his body away but turns his head towards us so as to be able to watch us go past, hood still up, cant get a look at his face.
OK so this guy really is being creepy. its not just in my head, I'm not over reacting. that was weird.
keep running
we get a good distance away - certainly far enough so that we could relax a bit, calm down and focus of finishing the run.

So I come out of this experience with many feelings.
I'm pissed that some creepy guy felt it necessary to be creepy on my favourite part of the track.
I'm pissed that some creepy guy decided that he would be creepy whilst I was there thereby forcing me to step into protective self defence mode instead of I'm a bad-ass trail-runner mode - yes they are two completely different mid sets.
I'm disappointed that what was a safe place for me has now become a place of fear.
I am glad very very glad I was running with my training partner and not by my self.
And so from now on we run the other way and get to the light track from the well lit path and definitely no running on dark tracks by yourself.
and to creepy guy on the track. STOP CREEPING PEOPLE OUT! ITS NOT COOL!
oh and stop watching scary movies, they don't help either. :)

Be strong
Love
Have adventures

Good to Go Jo

the evolution of good to go jo

the other day one of my clients asked me of all the services we provide at Good to Go which to I love the most?
and well it was actually quite hard to answer, because I love them all.
currently we are a week away from opening our first training studio, so I'm feeling all nostalgic and scared and excited and all those emotions that come along with doing something huge in your life, and this question got me thinking about how it is that I have come to be in this place in time.

so here it is
the evolution of Average Jo to Good to Go Jo.

Before I moved to Sweden - Average Jo

I started my first business when I was 25, I was a very keen martial artist and wanted to start a self defence business, I went and did a business course, found a space to run classes, had a few clients, but very quickly learnt that whilst people like the idea of learning self defence that actually get a little freaked out by the violence of it all.so needless to say that was not very successful.
So i went and got my personal trainers qualifications. this was a great step in the right direction, I got a job working in a corporate health and fitness company and worked my way up from being the new trainer on staff to managing the corporate gyms and working in the corporate health section of the company as well.
during this time I also went and became qualified as a massage therapist. any way long story short.
after working in this company in various roles for about 10 years, it all culminated into this one big moment for me.
The company was in trouble and I was asked to join a meeting with eh business manager and senior staff and the board, so that we could come up with a strategy of how to turn things around.
now as a trainer and a martial artist I have learned that when you bring your passion into a situation it can help motivate and inspire and great ideas come about.
so i went into my business manager and said why don't we open the meeting with talking about what we are passionate about. She liked the idea, so we did it.

I went first and I was very nervous but in preparation I had a good look at my self and realised that the things in life I was most passionate about were the 3 things I have spent the last 10 to 12 years qualifying my self in and becoming very good at:
Personal training
Massage
Budo

Budo & crazy hair

now the outcome of the meeting is irrelevant here, but what happened to me is very relevant.
after that meeting I went home and thinking over what had transpired i realised that i wasn't doing any of those things, nor was i giving my self the opportunity to bring out my passion for them.
I was a middle level manager managing a team of people who behaved like children on a daily basis.
and I was not happy.

the point of the meeting was to develop a change strategy for the better, but I realised that for me the thing that needed to change was not the business it was me, I was miserable, unhealthy and angry and in a state that essentially goes against everything I believe.
I had to change.
So I resigned and started my next business Average Jo's.
Now at the time Dodgeball was a popular movie, and I thought the name was funny and suited me, I just wanted to be an average Jo. a trainer for the people.
And life was good. my business was doing well I was happier but not much healthier, I still had a few habits that needed sorting out.
what happened next?
well I fell in love and moved to Sweden.
and my wife and I started Good to Go.




But it was just apart time thing.
I got a job through a friend, and whilst I will always be very grateful for that job, it gave me many opportunities to learn Swedish and skills I would never have learnt otherwise.
But I returned back to that old feeling of not being happy, and being unhealthy.
something had to change.
so as before when something has to change the best place to look is at yourself.
and I look back and realised that I had in fact become Average Jo.
I was mediocre in every way. I was not what I wanted to be. And so change was needed again.
Thankfully my wife is very understanding, and after our son was born and I had finished my share of the parent leave (gotta love Sweden and their paid parent leave ) we decided that it was time to go full time with good to go and thus good to go Jo was born. (well still in the making )
why do I feel the need to do these things?
Because I believe that healthiness is 90%happiness and the rest is just plain hard work.
So if you're not happy you're not healthy and if you're not healthy you're not happy.
Do things that make you happy, if those things make you unhealthy then you need to ask yourself are you really happy when you do them?
The good to go training studio is a culmination of my vision over the past 15 years.

Studio treatment room

and here I am today getting ready to go full time into one of the hardest yet easiest things in my life.
And it feels AWESOME!
Thanks for reading
Good to Go Jo

good to go Jo

why do a 12 week challenge?

what is all this fuss about?
why do a 12 week challenge?

me doing goblet squats

If you're thinking about a challenge, chances are that you re at a place in your life where you are looking for a change, and a 12 week challenge is he perfect opportunity for such a change.
there is a common misconception that its all about losing weight.
And for most people it is, but it doesn't have to be just about losing weight, for some people it can be too put on weight, it can be about training for a run, it can be about learning to use your body better, it can be about getting stronger, any way you get the picture.

so back to the question, why do a 12 week challenge?.
This is where I would like to share with you what one of my clients wrote about her 12 week challenge experience:
—
The Good to Go 12 week program changed my perception on many things. Jo transformed my daily attitudes and inspired me to achieve more than I thought I could. The program taught me above all that "I am worth it" - a quote I heard weekly and will never forget. Training and diet do not have to be a burden, and whilst following the program I learnt this. It's not about a fad, it's about a lifestyle. A better lifestyle.
From Lauren Byrnes – Melbourne Australia—

When I received this in an email, I was in the middle of a very busy shopping centre, and had to go and sit down, and have shed a little tear. I was so filled with pride and happiness that I was a little overcome. She had gotten the message, and understood the process.

So rather than telling you why you do them let me tell you why I run them.

When I first started out s a trainer, 12 week challenges were all about losing weight.
the company I was working for was running them purely as a money making venture.
They ran this big promotion and got in a bunch of clients base on this advertising.
They went to an info day where they were told you can lose heaps of weigh, look what it did for this girl... insert before and after pictures here, bla bla ba.
needless to say some of these people achieved their goals, but most of them didn't.
There are many reasons for this, but from my own perspective and taking responsibility for my own actions I was a naive instructor who in reality hadn't had much experience, I knew the theory but in practice things are different.
Any way so this program left me wanting. (and a few clients as well)
and yet I persist with them. as a trainer I have grown and matured (only just) and with that so has my ability to help clients through their challenges.
So the reason I still run challenges even after such a rotten start is because they are a great opportunity to start the process of change.
As a trainer it is a time specific frame work within which to work.
I gives me the space to set out specific goals not just for the client but also for me as a trainer.
It gives me the opportunity to really get to know a client so that after the challenge i can continue to support them through their change process.

hello my little friend, want to play?

The 12 week challenge isn't he whole package, it is a start for change.
For most of us we need longer that 12 weeks with which to change our lives, you know old habits die hard...
but within this framework together we can work to identify areas that need work, things that need to be left behind or worked through and new habits that need to be built.

So you see its not just about losing weight, its about real and genuine change.
For me as a trainer its about helping people to reconnect with their bodies.
I find that in this society we are very disconnected from our bodies in various ways, some of us are overweight, some of us are addicted to things - alcohol - drugs  suguar - coffee - carbs - stress.
So we take a whole self approach to the challenge. We look not just at 1 issue but everything that's going on in your life.
We set the goal. and we work towards it in a methodical in intelligent manner.
And then hopefully at the end of your challenge if you have done everything I have asked you to do you will have achieved your goal.
At the start of a challenge I tell my clients my job isn't to do the work, your job is to do the work, my job is to keep you looking in the direction of your goal, and to keep pointing it out. Your job is to move towards it.

I love to watch my clients faces when the reality of this statement sinks in.
And this my friends is the difference between real success in a challenge and failure.
The understanding that:

• You are the one who has to do the work. 
• You are the one who has to come up with the motivation to move.
• You are the one who is responsible for your success in this challenge.

I am responsible for guiding and advising and inspiring, but you must take the steps, you must move and you must decide.

So if you're looking for change I encourage you to take the step. You may find that its not as hard as you first thought, and with the right advice and guidance the journey to real change and self discovery whilst hard is well worth it.

Alex lost 15 Kg over summer this year on his 12 week challenge

I am a runner!

So we did it!
we made it as planned.
as testament to how hard just starting this endeavour for me has been, in true form, my level of self sabotage was pretty high. I brought many things into my path on monday afternoon that previously have been a great excuse to not go for a run.
at about 2 pm my leg started to hurt.

Me and my mountain bike

since i was 14 years old I have had "shin splints", and at certain times over my life this condition has gotten so bad that just walking was an extremely painful experience.
I have been working very hard with my body over the past 18 months to eliminate my bad habits and to be able to run.
This hard work however has not been tested, and with the expectation that running was going to be a painful experience my legs started to "go out" as I like to say and I was experiencing pain in my anterior compartment of my lower right leg.
But this was not going to beat me.
Next I hid my heart rate monitor from my self - I know , can you believe it?
I got home from the studio, got it out to see if it needed charging, it didn't, I then proceeded to put in my jeans pocket and forget that I had done so.
When my training partner had arrived and we were getting ready I went to get the monitor and lo and behold it wasn't where I thought it was.
I then spent the next 5 minutes looking for it. getting stressed, know full well that here was a perfect option to just say nup cant go, cant find my HRM.
But no this will not get in my way.

in the forest

I decided that I was running even if I couldn't find it. And with that decision came the flash that it was in my jeans.
HRM found, now I can collect all the data I want.
So we left the house, and began walking to the start of the track.
In the play area near our building we bumped into my wife and our son.
a flash of inspiration.(and a potential stumbling block)
Now My wife is a runner, She doesn't train much at the moment as her focus is on other things, however even when she isn't training her level of fitness is still that of an elite level athlete, and for me, as a non runner, I just simply haven't been able to go out running with her. Its humiliating. Now I know you're not supposed to compare your self to others and you should just compete with your self and all that but you know I'm human, and I do these things, and I have let them get the better of me in the past.
But in order to overcome this hurdle instead of constantly beating my self up for not being at the same level as her, I have come at it from a different angle, I am training with someone at my own level so that we can both come up to the level that my wife is at in the hope that one day we can run together, and not just as a couple, but as a whole family.

more of the forest

I want my kids to look at our level of activity and be inspired, i want for them to enjoy the outdoors as much as we do, and I want for them to so that when taking on a challenge, hard work dedication and an intelligent approach will bring rewards.
So any way back to the run.
This is the first time my training partner and I have run together, we have trained outdoors and in the studio for over a year now, and its proving to be a great friendship and partnership, but running is a totally different animal.
Running brings up all kinds of stuff.

even more of the forest

And we have an agreement to be ok with what ever comes up, and totally ok with the fact that we would both rather listen to music very loudly than chat whilst running.
we get to the start of the track and it begins.
I am reminded of running down the bush with my dad as a kid and I smile to my self, I am happy. and I am looking forward to running becoming a happy place.
So we ran to the out door gym, did a couple of rounds of obstacle type stuff there, and kept running .
all up we walked 1.3 km, then ran for the next 1.5 k's to the gym, did our rounds, then ran a further 3.5 ks round the track, then walked home from there.
and what can I say, it felt Awesome!
The running part was fantastic, the hills were hard but achievable, we stopped at the right time, I think if we had kept running what was a good experience may have turned bad,
in the aftermath, by legs are sore but in all the right places, NO SHIN SPLINTS!!!
and 4 days later I am ready to go again.
And I am very proud of my self. I can see my self running through the finish line at next years tough Viking and many other races (as well as the lidingöloppet MTB race, cant forget the bike races).

 So We Did It.
and there will be many more.

Be Strong
Love
Have Adventures

Good to Go Jo

conntect with us on sportstracker to follow the data.
goodtogojo.

Today is the day I become a runner

This weekend I signed up for the Tough Viking race for august next year.

Now for any of you who know me, (and now for all of you who have never met or trained with me) running is not my forte'.
Lifting heavy things - I can do that
Martial arts - I can do that
I can even do aerobics - but running... not so much
in fact I can often be heard saying (usually by clients who are asking me why I am not running with them when I make them go for a run), "the reason I learned to fight is because I cant run".
For me running is a painful and very uncomfortable experience, yet there lies within me a desire to to run, and not just run but to compete in these types of races.
For years I have looked at adventure racing and multi-sport races and wanted to do it, but given it a miss because running is just not my thing.

Well no more. Starting today I am a runner. My training partner is coming round at 4pm and we will go for a run.
I am terrified. my legs hurt just thinking about it.
If I was my client I would be saying something like Jo you just have to do it. Of course its going to hurt at first but after a while it will get easier, you just have to start - come on lets go.

And then there is that other part of me that smiles warmly and says "Finally... I have been waiting for years for you to reach this decision, now lets go before fear takes hold of you, I know you can do this because you are doing it and in a very short while you will have done it".

the basic plan for today is:

• walk to the start of the track & warm up in the process
• run to the out door gym (approx 1.5 km)
• do a circuit that involves equipment at the gym and running
• run home
• stretch

so now the only thing left to be done is the actual execution.

Today I remove the words "I cant" and replace them with "I am"

and that feels awesome - what an adventure this is going to be.

Ill let you know how it goes 

be strong

love

have adventures

good to go Jo

Why functional training?

here at good to go we describe functional training in the following way:
Functional training is performing compound exercises across multiple planes or axis of movement in a dynamic or movement based fashion to encourage greater stability and correct process of movement and muscular function.

and what does that mean?
basically we use exercises and equipment that makes you work hard whilst performing movements that uses more that one body part.
a good comparison would be a kettlebell clean and press swing versus say a seated dumbell shoulder press.

• with the kettlebells clean and press, the exercise is unilateral or one sided yet it employs the entire body in lifting the bell to the shoulder and then again over the head, 
• the seated dumbell shoulder press as the name suggests focusses mainly on the shoulder muscles.

In functinoal training we use equipment that helps us to achieve this idea of forcing the body to work in multiple planes of movement such as:

• kettlebells
• sling trainers
• balance boards
• medicine balls
• body weight exercises
• exercise tubes
• the list goes on...

we also use conventional equipment like

• olympic bars
• dumbells
• free weights

and we chose exercises that are as we say in our description, compound in nature for example: Olympic lifts.

so why do we chose to train this way?

why not?
no but seriously, when your body works better it feels better, functional training isn't just for athletes and crazy cross fitters, its for every day people living every day lives.
functional training helps you to do normal things easier:

• playing with the kids
• carrying the shopping
• putting out the rubbish
• going for a walk or a run
• sitting at your desk at work.

and then you get the other benefits of feeling good,  - you want to feel good more often, you may feel like doing something with this good feeling like entering a race, going camping, having an adventurous weekend kayaking, you can fill in what ever you like here.
And for us, as athletes we like to train for function, movement and agility, and as trainers our passion for a functional body helps us to be better trainers.

so over the coming weeks, months & hopefully years we will be posting some of the functional workouts that we do in the studio so that those of you playing at home can get some idea of what we do, and those of you who can make it to the studio have a resource to refer to when you're trying to get your head around what we did at the studio this week (insert smiley here)

feedback and questions are most welcome

chat soon
J
be strong
love
have adventures

the good to go training studio

and so here we are.
Finally I have achieved my goal.
My studio is open.
and I am beside my self with excitement and fear.

what comes next?
clients and training!
so stay tuned.
I will be putting up as many workouts for you to try as possible.
and much more on the things that I love.

and remember
Be strong
Love
Have adventures

Be Strong, love, Have Adventures

So We've just come back from a week long cycling trip in Gotland (Sweden), and I'm feeling awesome.
I have decided that my new life motto is Be Strong, Love, Have Adventures!
Why?
Because life is better when you are doing all 3 of these things.
Be Strong
when loading our bikes onto the car, and i have to do this by myself because my wife was taking care of our little one, i have never been so glad of all those get ups i have done with the kettlebells.
no I am not the tallest person (157cm) so putting a bike on the roof rack of the car really isn't the easiest process for me, but here I was lifting a rather awkward weight over my head with one arm and manoeuvring it to that it would sit in the track then stepping up to secure it.
Kettlebells all the way.!!!!!!!!!!!
Love it, I love walking away from something that when you first look at it you thing how the fuck am I going to do this and then half way through the process you realise that not only are you doing it but its easy.
for me..... evidence that training works. being strong is awesome!

Love love love.
now I'm not just talking about that mushy stuff you get when u fall in love (blöeghhh)
I mean real and genuine love for all things.
and the big thing here is to notice when love appears in your life. watching my son play with a bug in the middle of nowhere when you're trying to cook dinner for 3 on a camp stove. fills my hears with love.
noticing how happy i am when I'm riding my bike - love
blue skies - love
waking up with my family in a tent with the ocean in the background and feeling happy and content - love
any way you get it... stop waiting for it to show up and notice that it has already shown up, and smile - love

Have Adventures.
this is a really big one for me. I used to have awesome adventures then life and stuff got in the way, and now.... I am no longer letting stuff get in the way, adventures are awesome, and they make me happy, doing new things seeing new things, doing things that may seem a little crazy to other people (I think here of our recent adventure of cycling for 7 days with an 18 month old)
but you know, adventures are relative, what is an adventure for you may not be an adventure for me, but if you want to feel alive and happy with the world get out an have them.
they help put things into perspective.
and give you a sense of achievement

So this is my new life motto.
Be Strong
Love
Have Adventures

SUGAR!

So this weeks post was going to be on barefoot training, but I changed my mind and decided to write about sugar instead.
I have some friends gong on an 8 week quit sugar program, so this one is for you ladies :)

When I was in my early twenties (some time ago now) I had a wonderful woman who was in her 70's at the time and worked full time in a heath food shop tell me that if sugar was introduced today it would be considered a drug and banned.
And if I look back on my own relationship with sugar I can certainly say maybe she was right.

Hi my name is Jo and I am  sugar addict.
Its been over 7 years since I drank a bottle of coke, 4 years since I put sugar in my coffee and 3 weeks since I last ate chocolate (it was only 1 chocolate covered ginger bit and I didn't feel guilty at all).
I have been known to eat entire packets of biscuits in one sitting, keep eating all the lollies in the bag until they are gone and then go searching through the house for more (my wife always has a stash somewhere), drink 3 litres of soft drink and still be wanting more.......... anyway you get the picture.

As a fitness professional and body work therapist I have been taught the problems of overconsumption of sugar on the body, but also that our body needs sugar to function.
With all our 12 week challenge clients here at Good to Go we recommend no "junk food" and no alcohol whilst you are on the challenge (I am 8 weeks into my own 12 week no junk and alcohol challenge).

I think I may finally have come to a place in my life where sugar is no longer the demon it once was, it no longer calls to me in the night, or on the train or at 4 pm in the afternoon when I have low blood sugar and am Very Very cranky.
And this feels good, but what has changed for me to be able to come to this place?
without wanting to get too hippy dippy and deep n stuff, but there has been much personal growth and a want to finally look after myself and an understanding that sitting down to a 1kg bag of lollies after a training session is not going to help me achieve my goals.

My moments of letting go have been very different for me,

• with coke I decided one day that I simply had to stop drinking it and did, and I haven't looked back since.
• with coffee the big change for me was to move to Sweden, black coffee is readily available and much easier and cheaper than milk and sugar coffee, and well I really didn't mind the taste of black filter coffee. (it is always a struggle when I go back to Australia though, piccolo latte with 1 sugar is the only way to drink real coffee ;))
• and chocolate and lollies I am taking my own advice, will they help me achieve my goal? NO

So If you're struggling with letting sugar go here are a few tips I have used to help me on my journey.

• Define what it is that you are eliminating from your diet.
• this is important because it pre-sets your parameters and when you come to making decisions of whether or not you can eat that - the decision has already been made
• for example, my goal is to heat healthy nutrient rich food, and so I chose to eliminate processed and refined sugars from my diet, this means fruit is ok for me as it still contains much fibre and nutrients which help me move towards my goal, a chocolate orange is not.
• Make sure your inner talk is positive
• keep focussed on your goal
• know that you are worth the effort
• know that in 5 minutes this craving will pass
• be proud of your decisions no matter what they are
• Try to avoid trouble spots
• for the first 4 weeks of this challenge I couldn't go through the check out at the supermarket because its basically a candy alley and my whole body was craving that sugar hit, thankfully my wife Sofi was there and was happy to help me by taking over the trolley so I could by pass it all together.
• Do Not store lollies or biscuits or anything that may tempt you to bust in the house until you are comfortable with leaving them there and not eating them
• Plan
• if you are going to be somewhere that you know the worlds yummiest desert is being served decide in advance whether or not you are going to have some, and then if you are going to have some how much
• recruit help - ask someone to stop you if you are looking like busting or exceeding your limit
• if you do have some enjoy it guilt free, say to yourself I am allowed to eat this, and I am choosing to eat this, and enjoy every mouthful, and then be proud of the fact that you don't need to take another bit :)
• Get Help
• friends
• family
• coach
• people who will encourage you and help you to feel good about your decisions
• Educate yourself
• there is so much information out there of sugar and what's good for you and what's not
• pick up advice that resonates with you, let go of advice that does not
• at Good to Go we come from a place where we recommend a healthy diet moving towards whole natural unprocessed foods and away from processed and artificial foods.

And above all Have fun with it, food is meat to be fun and delicious, not a punishment, create new wonderful memories and feelings about food so that when you look back on this challenge you will smile and be proud of your accomplishment.

Be Strong

Good to Go Jo

Daily practice

Practice makes perfect,

We all heard it, and well its true, lately i have ben reminded of how true this is, and how important daily practice is in our life and in achieving our goals.

What does daily practice do for us?

- reminds us of our goals.

- helps develop propreoception (muscle memory) in the body.

- takes us away form everything in our lives that is demanding attention and gives us a moment to focus on the task as hand

So whether or not your daily practice is going for a walk ( for my challenge clients take note), a run, meditation, writing,weight training, music, pretty much anything really ( except watching tv ) make your daily practice more purposeful by,

- sate your intentions for the practice before you start

- set a goal

- move towards achieving that goal

- understand that we have good days and bad days

- be proud of the fact that no matter what you are doing it

- show up for yourself

- if you are having a bad or negative moment strive to understand why, so that next time you can overcome this obstacle 

- breath

So if you dint already have a daily practice start one, and have fun with it

Let me know what your daily practice is

J

rainy day workout

So on rainy days (like today if you're in Sydney Australia) it can be super hard to get motivated to get out side and do a WO.

give this one a go, all you need is enough space to do some push ups and a few burpies (and as you all know we love burpies. :)

10 burpies
10 push ups
12 burpies
10 sit ups
14 burpies
10 squats
16 burpies
10 alternating stepping lunge
18 burpies
10 russian twists
20 burpies

3 rounds
have fun - let me know how it goes

inspiration V motivation

I've been rolling ths idea around in my head for some time and i thought I'd throw it out there as a post and see what comes of it.

As a trainer I was taught that i must be a great source of motivation to my clients.
and on the surface, fair enough, but when I looked deeper at the concept it didnt quite sit right for me, because being seen as the source of motivation takes away from the responsibility of the individual to be wholy engaged in their own journey.
From my point of view I am not the one that gets you off the lounge to do your workout, you are. As the trainer it is my job to:

• keep you focussed on your goal
• give you the right tools with which to achieve your goal
• educate you on how to use those tools

And i find that placing the responsibility of motivation onto me, my clients are removing it from themselves, and well being completely honest gives them someone to blame if they dont achieve their goal.

In recent years I have realised that as a trainer it is far better to be a source of inspiration, instead of motivation.
I prefer to remind people of their goals, to look at the hard tasks from a different angle, to steer them towards things that make them feel better, so that when the task of self motivation is upon them it is not so hard.
in my mind it works like this

• inspiration leads to motivation
• motivation leads to dedicated action
• dedicated action leads to results

So next time youre lacking motivation, get inspired.

• go on youtube and look up a rocky training montage
• type in sports motivation on your web browser
• look at a picture of your goal
• remind yourself of where you are going and how far you have come.

look for inspiration in things that make you happy, things that make your heart sing, from there motivation is easy.

we love burpies

So the other day I did this little equation  for one of my clients

according to :http://www.chacha.com/question/how-many-calories-does-a-burpee-burn
we burn about 5 kcal per burpiee.
so if 1g of fat = 9 kcal
then 1kg of fat = 9000kcal

9000/5= 1800 burpiees to burn 1 kg of fat.

1800/7=257 burpiees per day

what can I say

changing the way you think about exercise

I really wanted to talk about the way people think about exercise.

As a trainer it has been my experience that people who “hate” exercise, or view it as “hard work” generally don’t achieve their weight loss goals, and people who view exercise as fun or a release or time out or generally in a positive way either achieve their weight loss goals or I guess a better way of saying it would be to say have no problems sticking to an exercise regimen.

I have recently introduced into our good to go 12 week challenge the idea that a daily walk is not exercise – it is now something you do every day of your life, no excuses.

And it is a great challenge to get clients to change their attitude to this.

We are taught that if you go for a walk every day and eat right you will lose weight.

What I am trying to do with this new “rule” is to get my clients to understand that moving on a daily basis isn’t something that you should be doing for weight loss it is something you should be doing every day to keep your body healthy, and in turn have a healthier and happier life.

If you have come to me with a weight loss goal or a weight gain goal, this principal remains the same, it is about creating a space in your life where your body can be a human body and do the thing it is designed to do  MOVE!

And I know we have all heard it before, the human body is not meant to sit at a desk all day, and then go home and sit on the lounge and watch TV, and these habits that have made their way into our everyday life have made your body lazy and unhealthy.

So if you are one of those people who think about going for a walk every day and cringe, then this post is for you.

How do I change the way I think about exercise?

·         It starts with understanding the way you currently think about exercise, breaking it down and then deciding that you are going to let that idea go

·         Then replace it with a new idea……. Exercise is fun and I really enjoy it.

·         Understand that this process will take more than one session, and may take many weeks before you can truly understand that your idea of exercise has actually changed

·         Take notice of how your body feels before during and after exercise

o   When u start it will probably be mostly pain and discomfort, but this will change the more you do it the better you will feel

o   It starts with the post exercise feeling of relief and tiredness

o   Keep taking notice

·         Set yourself challenge’s and move towards achieving them

o   This can be done on a work out by work out basis, you can set goals within your workout

o   On a weekly basis

o   Monthly……… you get the idea

·         Don’t be too hard on yourself. Changing the way you think about something isn’t an easy thing, but you can do it through practice and repetition.

·         Educate yourself

o   Information arms you in the battles you go thru not just in your own head but also with those around you.

o   Understand why daily exercise is so good for you

·         Get help

o   A trainer

o   Friends

o   Family

o   This is the most important thing. People who understand what it is that you are trying to do and then are willing to help you to do it.

o   I will always say get a trainer (probably because I am one ;) ) it is their job to keep you on track; friends and family,  whilst they love you are always trying to get you off track trying to get your attention on to something else. Your trainer has one focus in your life, to keep you on track, and help you achieve your goals.

good to go Jo

welcome

welcome to my blog.
 With this Blog we are intending on bringing forward new information to our good to go family members on the specialities that we cover in Good To Go.

• Personal training, fitness & functional fitness
• Body work & MSR
• Budo & Self defence
• Diet, Nutrition and Recipies
• inspiration and motivation

so If you have a topic that you want us to look into or discuss leave a comment and lets work together healthier happier lives

good to go Jo