What Motivates You?
What Motivates You?
By Niki
I’ve been asking myself that question a lot lately. It is a really important one when you think about it, and one which I have only recently come to appreciate again. You see, for the past several weeks I have been trying to get my workout and diet “game” back on and struggling tremendously. I had always been an emotional eater; that is before I started embracing a healthier lifestyle and taking eating clean more seriously, but I thought I had overcome this weakness. Ha! Well a little havoc let loose it my life and no strict competition goals until June and cookies began to look more appealing…all the time!!
I could not figure out what was wrong with me. Normally I am a very strong willed person, and if I set my mind to accomplish something I will work as hard as I can to see it come to fruition. If I fail, I will regroup and try even harder. In trying to figure out the mystery of where my “game” had gone I realized that I needed to think about my motivation. I needed to critically think about why I was doing this and why I wanted this. I became cognizant that answering this question is crucial to maintaining my discipline and as a natural consequence, whether my body will undergo sufficient transformation to get up on stage…in a skimpy bikini no less.
Knowing that you have to be on stage in a bikini can really motivate!
You see, initially, when I began training for a figure competition I did not have to analyze or think about my motivation because my incentive was just that – to prove to myself that I could transform my body and get up on stage. Once I accomplished this I wanted to make specific improvements to my physique and push myself harder…and I did. But this time around my goals were not as concrete…June is a long way away…
What I have realized in agonizing over my recent falter in self-discipline is that it is essential that you revisit the essence of your motivation somewhat frequently because over time, particularly as you accomplish specific goals, it changes. So, remember to think critically about what is driving you and where you want to go. Set specific and short-term goals for yourself in anticipation of long-term ones. If you need a break, take one. But revisiting you motivation keeps it renewed, fresh and powerful. This is my experience at least. Knowing your motive and end goal helps keep you on the path you want to me on. I am happy I went on this little soul searching expedition and hope it helps someone else who may be struggling to get back on track 100 per cent.
Oasis of the Seas..
Last week I was fortunate enough to be invited on the largest passenger cruise ship ever made, the Oasis of the Seas, before it opened to the public!
My adventure began on Saturday night, I was up until 2am working on a diets for a couple of clients (you’re welcome Sandra & Kristen!), my flight was for 7:15. So I was suppose to be at the airport at 5am!
I set my alarm for 4am. However I didn’t wake up till 6am! Arrived at the airport at 6:45am. Needless to say I missed my flight!
I had to wait 3 hours before the next flight out.
Eventually made it on that flight and landed in Fort Lauderdale at 4:30 after a lengthy layover in Atlanta.
When I met up with my group of friends they wanted to go to Miami Beach. A place I’ve always wanted to visit!
For dinner we went to the Fountainebleau. This place looked like something out of a movie or CSI: Miami.
a little piece of heaven!
Audi was having a function there that night, there must have been 20 Audi SUV’s there. A high up in the company was also there he had his own special parking spot for his R8.
Sweet ride!
After dinner we went down to South Beach, in particular Ocean Dr. I absolutely fell in love with the place. There was a guy walking around with a white albino python, and of course it ended up on my neck! It was quite and experience. (when I get the pictures I’ll post them)
The following day we ate breakfast on the beach front in Fort Lauderdale, and once again it was perfect weather and picturesque.
How could you not love it here?
After breakfast it was time to board the Oasis. Just sit back and take in the view!
Approaching the Oasis
Central Park
Free booze and food, this was going to be fun! After a couple drinks I decided to jump on the Flow Rider! The first video was my first time a little shakey to say the lest, the second I was actually on for a decent amount of time before the recording started, I was feeling quite comfortable, so then he told me to try a 360!? You can see the results!
starting my ascent of the wall
Yeah, there's an ice rink on board!
what an awesome ship!
Zip line
Waterfall
Solarium
That is just a portion of what I could put up, but i think you get the idea…it’s BIG!
As this was the Christening of the ship we had a formal dinner. The food was outstanding.
Dinner time
There were a number of celebrities in attendance. Gloria Estefan, Keshia Knight Pullmian (Rudy Huxtable!), Daisy Fuentes, Jane Seymour, Michelle Kwan, Shawn Johnson, Dara Torres…and more!
strutting my stuff on the red carpet!
Here I am with my friend Jana, oh, and Gloria Estefan! She is an absolute angel, I was so impressed with her.
With Rudy Huxtable! (Keshia Knight Pulliam)
with Karina Smirnoff
Shawn Johnson, picture came out great, but this was after a night of dancing in the club, we're both actually soaking in sweat, I swear she left a sweat mark on my cheek! LOL
I wish I could get into all that happened, but suffice to say it was the most fun I’ve had over a 48 hour period! (free food & liquor may have helped!) What do you guys think, trade snow for hurricanes?!
I swear I’m not on commission, it was just that fun, I can only imagine if i had a week to take in the whole ship!
No longer the bridesmaid!
After twice finishing second, we finally made it over the hump! Niki finally took home the first place trophy. I was so tired that day (as you can tell from the picture below!), the only thing keeping me awake was the fact that I knew this was going to be her time to shine!
YES!
Bikini winner on the left
My trip to the strongest gym in the world!
A client of mine made it a goal to bench press 300lbs. So I said, why not, let’s go for it. He had made it to 265, however we’d been stuck there for a couple of weeks.
I told him about this elite power lifting group down in Columbus, Ohio, called Westside Barbell. I said he may need someone from there to help us bust this plateau.
He thought it would be cool go down for a day and train, I agreed. So the next day he calls me says, he spoke to Louie Simmons (the owner and inventor of their training system.) And that he was going to book a flight and hotel for us to go down and train.
I was very surprised and pretty pumped to go at the same time!
For those that don’t know powerlifting consists of lifting 3 lifts, the squat, bench press & deadlift- whoever totals the most wins their weight class. The Westside barbell club has the most record holders of any gym in the world. And Louie Simmons is the mad scientist who through years of reading has developed the system that has made the men and women who go there lift superhuman weights!
So Tuesday night we flew down to Columbus, and stayed the night at a hotel. It was an awful sleep, the fire alarm went off twice in the night!
The following morning we met Louie for breakfast at a Bob Evans restaurant. Joining us was one of the strongest bench pressers in the world, this dude must have weighted 300lbs. Louie was very slow to warm up to us, that is until we started talking training and he saw that I knew my stuff.
We then followed him to the gym, located in an industrial area, with no signage. This was not a “fitness centre” this was a training facility. No change rooms, no cross trainers or bikes, just lots of weights!
There was an aggressive attitude in the air, coming from the other lifters and definitely from the hardcore rap and rock came through the speakers…I absolutely loved it!
But then I almost got myself killed! Forgetting I was in the heart of Ohio, and the amount of love they have for their Ohio State buckeyes, I took off my hoodie as I was getting hot and underneath I was wearing a Michigan Wolverines shirt.
Don't where the blue in Ohio!
The wolverines are considered enemy! After seeing that he said he was going to make me hurt the next day. In actuality I hurt for about 3 days after.
Generally the work outs are only an hour, but Louie kept wanting to show me all different things so we were there for two hours (probably because of the shirt!)
Bamboo bar, used to improve shoulder health
he walked away and told me to do 200reps!
It was quite a learning experience. Heck by the end of breakfast he had already changed some of lifting beliefs.
I hope to visit Louie and the Westside gang again some time in the near future, he said that was fine as long as I change my shirt.
With the Man himself!