(I Know, Crickets in the Background...)

My blogging and article writing have been sparse over the past few months due to the recent start of my martial arts school.

Basically, I've found that I'm NOT Superman and I am just not as smart, organized or as "with it" as I believed myself to be the past few years.

Nothing like a challenging endeavor to ground (humble) you and remind you of your limitations.

Things are going pretty well with the school, so I'm grateful, but it's certainly taught me to look at the big picture and focus on PRIORITIES.

There are a million things to distract you and detract you from your goal/purpose, and it takes a lot to keep yourself focused on what's important.

That's why I have decided that this blog and my separate online endeavors involving just "fitness" must take a backseat to my students and developing the community of fitness and health at True Way Martial Arts.

There's nothing like getting face-to-face and belly-to-belly with people interested and ready to TAKE ACTION and do what they can to achieve their personal best through martial arts training and personal development.

I just love to see real people growing and realizing their unlimited potential, and my mission is to have that spread like wild fire through our community.

So you'll still catch the occasional rant from me on this blog and via email from time to time, but don't expect it daily. (perhaps every two weeks or more)

I am rolling up my sleeves and getting my hands dirty with the messy work of changing people's lives one on one and in small groups.  Hopefully it will be well received and I will have a positive impact.

I will not be inundating you with promos for my ebook (The 28 Day Deadline Workout) or the next best thing in fitness.  If you are still interested in it, follow the link below to pick your copy up:

www.28daydeadlineworkout.com

I have recently reduced the cost of the ebook to $19.95, so if you have had any interest in it, now is the time to get it.

I hope this message finds you well and may you continue to seek your own personal greatness daily.  Do not forget how significant your physical health and fitness is on every aspect of your life.  Do yourself a favor and get/stay moving!

Take care and till next time,

Chad Johnson
truewaymartialarts@gmail.com 
www.truewaymartialarts.com

Risk

So in my martial arts school this week the "Word of the Week" is RISK.

There's a good quote by Robert F. Kennedy about risk: "Only those that dare to fail greatly will ever achieve greatly."

Huh...imagine that.

If we want to have a big "win," we have to take some significant chances sometimes.

Now there are definitely some parameters, like:
-Don't take poor or unnecessary risks...they should be calculated or planned to some degree.
-Consider your main objectives (does the risk align with your major purpose and desires in life) and consider others (does it negatively effect those around you that you care about?).  What's the point in a risk that is going to seem "good" for you but tears others down along the way.  Don't avoid risks to avoid hurting others necessarily, but don't make your choices without contemplating how your choices and actions may affect others.

And just remember:  Any decision or choice you make there's always an Opportunity Cost.

If you choose to do X, then you are automatically eliminating or excluding the ability to do Y or Z.

So of course you must choose wisely.

But don't spend your whole life on the sidelines, watching the game being played while you merely sit by twiddling your thumbs.

Take a chance on yourself...take a positive RISK.

You are well worth it and you will only grow so long as you challenge yourself to do so.

That's my two cents on it...now what are you going to do about it? :)


Sincerely in Fitness,

Chad Johnson
www.truewaymartialarts.com
www.28daydeadlineworkout.com

PS--And after some technical problems last week, I'm finally rolling out the slashed price on my book, The 28 Day Deadline Workout.  Instead of the retail price of $47, it will be available at $19.95 (over a 57% savings)!!!  Go check it out now to see what it's all about and pick up your copy:  

 www.28daydeadlineworkout.com

In an Over-Complicated World

Hello True Way Followers!

I know, I know...long time very little hear.

It's been crazy busy since I finally started my 12 year dream of opening a martial arts school (officially on Jan 17th).

Things are going great and we're already helping to improve the confidence, fitness and skill of over 50 individuals in the greater Palm Harbor area.  It's exciting and the future is bright!

Incidentally, through the busyness I have realized one of the major flaws of "fitness" and the whole weight loss industry nowadays...it's just way too complicated!!!

We're all like kids in a candy store, overwhelmed by all the choices and so-called "information" from gurus, health clubs and supplement-funded magazines (meaning the fitness mags are mostly owned by companies that sell supplements).

We bounce from one thing to the next and wonder why none of it seems to be working for us to achieve our specific fitness goals.

So as part of my mission (to find the "true way" and share it with the whole), I want to help reintroduce SIMPLICITY to fitness and healthy living.

I know many of you are just as busy and overwhelmed as me, so you need solutions that are relatively "easy" to implement and follow through on.

You need a few basic strategies and activities to help you MANAGE your time and incorporate fitness into it all.

You don't need more...you need LESS.

A few things done consistently and thoroughly is far more effective than a dozen things done haphazardly and halfway.

So in the blogs, articles, ebooks and any other products to come from me, expect the emphasis to be on keeping things simple and getting back to basics rather than some complicated and unrealistic system that cannot be implemented into the typical person's life.

That way you can actually focus on the most IMPORTANT and most URGENT things that will enrich your life and empower you.

My first "pearl of wisdom" for you (if you will allow me to call my advise that without thinking me too presumptuous) is a three-word summary of the mental training component of my book, The 28 Day Deadline Workout (which I must admit, was too complicated and involved in parts):

PLAN-EXECUTE-ADAPT (reevaluate and adjust accordingly...basically recycling the process)

If you stick to just this your effectiveness in EVERYTHING in life will sky rocket.

I could go into more detail, but I think simplicity here is key.

Meditate on that one for a little bit...and feel free to throw in your own thoughts in the comments below.

If you want to know more, or are just the least bit curious about The 28 Day Deadline Workout, feel free to visit the updated website page where I am currently offering the book at OVER 57% OFF the regular price!  Instead of $47, you can pick it up for less than twenty ($19.95)!!!  I guarantee your money back for 60 days, no questions asked, so give it a try with no obligation.

If you live in the Palm Harbor area I even have a few CD-Rom copies that I can sign for you at no extra charge:)  If that means anything to you...

Check out the special offer for the 28 Day Deadline Workout HERE.

Anyway, I hope this has helped you in some way today.  Watch for most of my blog posts to be simple and to the point like this in the future, and feel free to drop me a line about your thoughts on it. 

Take care, and remember:   Train the mind, challenge the body, unleash the spirit!

Sincerely in Fitness,

Chad Johnson

Are You a "True Warrior"?

It has been almost a month since my martial arts school, True Way Martial Arts, opened.

I have hardly had a chance to catch my breath in the whirlwind of activities coinciding with it.

Believe me, I am truly grateful for it.

The school is growing beautifully, and I am extremely excited about the students that are involved so far, and look forward to the many more to come.

We already have a major event, the Palm Harbor Citrus Festival on Saturday, March 12th, where we'll be featured on stage for a demonstration.  We are excited at the opportunity to show our stuff and get people in our community aware of the benefits of martial arts training and a lifestyle of fitness!

As everything is finally settling in, I have begun to finally establish a rhythm in my own training.  Whether it's martial arts skill training, physical conditioning, strength training or stretching, I am back into my preferred routine of daily activity.

As such, the time has come for the release of my own personal fitness training program with a martial arts twist. 

My martial arts boot camp is designed to improve the fitness and capabilities of everyone from completely untrained to high level athlete.  It includes strength training, cardio conditioning, mobility and flexibility training and even martial arts techniques to give you a total body workout that challenges the body to constant adapt and get better (fitter, stronger, leaner, etc.).

I call it TRUE WARRIOR FIT CAMP, and it's offered three days a week (Tue/Thu/Sat) in the mornings (9:30-10:30am).  I believe it brings out the "true warrior" in each of us and I am pumped about what it's going to do for all the participants along the way!

So my question to you today is:

Have you been training so far in 2011?

Have you been honing your inner warrior day-in and day-out to become your personal best?

Do you stick to your fitness routine and always try to get something significant out of it?

I could give you a lot of fitness "facts" and statistics to try to appeal to your logic and get you to begin your fitness path today, but very few people really respond to logical reasoning anyway.  We humans are emotional creatures, so I believe we have a far greater chance of influencing you to a lifestyle of fitness if we motivate you and challenge you.  Now it's time for you to step up to the plate and knock one out of the park.

So let out that inner warrior today and finally get started on your training path!  You deserve it and every one of us ultimately needs it.

You should hear a little more from me in the coming weeks now that I have an actual system and everything is falling into place.

Take care and always remember:

Train your mind, challenge your body, unleash your spirit!

Sincerely in Fitneess,

Chad R. JohnsonPersonal Trainer (ACE-CPT)
Strength Coach (NSCA-CSCS)
Youth Fitness Specialist (IYCA-YFS)
Owner & Head Instructor of TRUE WAY MARTIAL ARTS
www.28daydeadlineworkout.com
 www.truewaymartialarts.com

January Has Been a Blur

I am a firm believer that ACTION creates far more results than analysis.

Sure you need to take the time to assess the situation and review your data, but many people get wrapped up in the planning and "preparing" or thinking process than actually taking steps to move forward in the process.

Your fitness training goal is no different than any other aspect of your life.  You must incorporate daily activities to move forward and continue achieving your personal goals.

That's why I've been pretty "quiet" the last few weeks here on the blog (and even through the email newsletters)...I've been busy trying to take action and make things happen along the way. 

My question to you is:  How have you been doing so far in 2011 with TAKING ACTION?

Have you made the steps necessary to move forward in your personal fitness and life goals, or have you just been busy being busy and spent all your time thinking about what you're going to and analyzing everything?

There's only a few days left in January, which means one whole month of this "new" year is already drawing to a close.  Don't waste any longer to start achieving your personal best...take an hour OR LESS (not too much analysis) and plan out exactly what you're going to do to make your fitness goals happen this year (heck, this next month even!)...and then: TAKE ACTION!  You'll be amazed at what you can accomplish when you set yourself in the right direction and then follow through daily.

If you need some help with that process and want an effective, thorough and realistic fitness training program, I invite you to try my new ebook: The 28 Day Deadline Workout Program.  It's risk free as I offer my bonafide 60 day money-back guarantee with no questions asked.  If you are unsatisfied with it for any reason, simply send a request to be refunded and we'll do it for you.

It's that easy...so go check out the info page today and make a decision to move forward in your 2011 fitness program!

See here for more details:  28 Day Deadline Workout Program

Until next time, remember: Train the mind, challenge the body, and unleash the spirit!!!


Sincerely in Fitness,
 
Chad R. Johnson
Martial Arts Instructor (WTF 3rd Degree)Personal Trainer (ACE-CPT)
Strength Coach (NSCA-CSCS)
Youth Fitness Specialist (IYCA-YFS)
Owner & Head Instructor of TRUE WAY MARTIAL ARTS
www.truewaymartialarts.com

www.28daydeadlineworkout.com 

Goodbye 2010, Hello Greatness

As the last few moments of 2010 draw to an end, we are reminded of how quickly TIME seems to fly by.
Each moment of each day passes at the same rate always, but certainly it feels like time speeds by faster now than ever.

Like many of you I expected greatness in 2010 and was met with more struggles and frustration than I had anticipated.  I overestimated my capabilities and realized a lot of shortcomings about myself that I had not consciously recognized before.  I misused a lot of my time and split my attention on "too many minds"...too many different projects and activities...and the lessons on life kept coming.

The good news is that regardless how much we might have (or might not have) thrived in 2010, we still survived...and that means we have another day, another chance, to make it all happen.

Certainly we do not control everything about our lives and what happens, but we do have some power over how we conduct ourselves each day and how we perceive (deal with) everything.  That is where we need to start.

So for 2011, let me suggest you take an hour or two alone in a quiet place with just a pad of paper and pen (actually, I like to use a pencil:) and take an inventory on what you WANT from this coming year.

You can do it your own way, or follow the principles I suggest below.  I am going to do it myself after our Capital One Bowl Party (Michigan State vs. Alabama college football game) on New Year's Day, and I am going to keep it much more concise and to the point this year than in previous years.  As you do it, stay true to yourself and what you want from your life this year.  You deserve it and I wish the best for you over the next twelve months and beyond!

Guiding Principles to Goal-Setting for 2011 (aka New Year's Resolution):

1.  Keep it SIMPLE.  Do not go crazy.  It may sound good right now, but as soon as you go to apply in the busyness of your everyday life you won't follow through if it's too complicated.  Once you accomplish it you can always set up the next progressive goal for yourself.


2.  Consider your mental, physical and spiritual development.  You don't have to set up separate goals for each aspect, but remember to maintain balance with your mind-body-spirit in the new year.  Too much focus on any one aspect will lead to more (other) problems, and you want to avoid the pendulum swing from one end of the spectrum to the other.


3. Be SPECIFIC.  Give yourself a (realistic, but not too lenient) timeline to achieve the goal, and try to use numbers, description words and make the goal measurable so you can get feedback about how your progression is going along the way.

4.  Stretch yourself.  Part of the human experience is about continually ENRICHING your life and EMPOWERMENT of the self.  Be inspired to expand yourself in ways that you have never done before in the coming year.  Remember that you can always adjust the goal if you realize later that you were being way too "pie-in-the-sky," but don't be afraid to take some risks on yourself.  This year could (and should) be the BEST YEAR OF YOUR LIFE so far, and you need to take a chance on yourself to make it happen.

I pray GREATNESS and AMAZING SUCCESS for you in 2011, and may we all be grateful for the life and wonderful journey we have each been given thus far!

Take care and enjoy the beginning of a great new day and an ever greater new era for you and your family in 2011.

I am glad to know and be able to interact with you in life's awesome journey!

Sincerely in Fitness,

Chad R. JohnsonPersonal Trainer (ACE-CPT)
Strength Coach (NSCA-CSCS)
Youth Fitness Specialist (IYCA-YFS)
Owner & Head Instructor of TRUE WAY MARTIAL ARTS
www.28daydeadlineworkout.com

The Top 6 Features of The 28 Day Deadline Workout Program (Part II)

Okay, last time I sent you 3 of the Top 6 Features of the 28 Day Deadline Workout Program.  If you missed them, you can go HERE to review them before reading on.  Today I'll lay out the other three, and a few additional pointers about the program.

4. Realistic & Honest Nutrition Guidance:  There is a ton of information out there in the fitness world telling us exactly what to eat and what foods are "the devil."  Truthfully, unless you have a major health concern (like allergies, diabetes or heart disease), there are no "bad" foods.  However, there are specific principles that guide healthy eating and that support effective fat loss...and they allow for great variety and adaptability.  The 28 Day Deadline Workout Program teaches you how to eat well and create the caloric deficit you need to get the fat loss results you're after without necessarily having to count every calorie and gram of protein, fat or carbohydrate you consume.  Of course, for those that really want to SPECIFIC DETAILS about determining how many calories or how much protein, fat or carbs they're supposed to eat, the program does provide that support as well.  You have choices, and those choices are what allows you to not only ACHIEVE YOUR GOAL, but to be able to SUSTAIN it for the long haul.

5. Detailed Preferred Foods Lists: From a Free Veggies List to Preferred Protein, Fat and Carbohydrate-based food list, the program gives a good foundation to establishing a healthy, thorough diet high in nutrients and lower in calories to support your body's needs while reducing or eliminating your body's natural hunger mechanism (which kicks on when proper nutrients aren't consumed).   And if that's not enough, there's even a built in Reward Meal scheduled every 3-4 days to satisfy your cravings and take away the urge to break your program by indulging in them.  Now that's what I call effectively managing the mental side of training!

6. Success Journals: Each day during the 28 Day Deadline Workout Program you will be doing some sort of "training" to keep you on track.  It won't be physical training (workouts) every day, but there will be some sort of quick reading and/or writing to record your progress and development.  The Success Journal is set up to keep you on the training path and building momentum each and every step of the way.  You can either load them up on your desktop or print them off and write directly in them...whatever works better for you.  The key is to stick with it each day and over the course of the four weeks the habit will be built and you will be well on your way to achieving SUCCESS and maintaining your fitness goal!

There are certainly several other great features of this thorough training program, but I wanted to give you the low-down on the parts that I feel are the most important.

The Measurement Tracker (which allows you to see your physiological results throughout the course of the four weeks...even up to eight weeks), the Workout Logs and Exercise Library (which details the specific exercises in the metabolic workouts and each exercise has a direct link to a VIDEO DEMONSTRATION with cues and regressions/progressions so you can know exactly how to perform them), the Calorie & Macronutrient Calculator (where you plug in a few specific measurements to determine how much you should be eating on a daily and even a meal-by-meal basis), the Quick Reference Cards (which provide a quick outline of the most important points of the 28 Day Deadline Workout Program that you can print on 5x8 index cards for easy review) and the 28 Day Deadline Schedule Planner (which actually gives you DOUBLE the support by laying out the first 56 days of your training program so you don't get lost along the way) are all great features designed to make life easier for you and to ensure your success.  We held nothing back on this program, and I think you'll be very satisfied with how thorough it all really is.

So go check out the complete information page, equipped with text OR video descriptions of each component of the program and pick up your INSTANTLY DOWNLOADABLE program so you can get started TODAY!

View all the details and pick up your copy at: www.28daydeadlineworkout.com
And hurry...there are just a few slots left for the ADDITIONAL BONUS of a 4-Week Teleseminar with me, walking you step-by-step through the program to ensure your success and make the most of your experience...valued at over $388, all free!!! But spaces are running out so order NOW:

www.28daydeadlineworkout.com