Tag: Transformation

Is it your turn for a BREAKTHROUGH?

conorkelLeave a comment

I remember a time when the weight loss record for my 16 week program stood at 43 pounds.

Along came Andrew S.

At 6’1″, Andrew tipped the scales at a hefty 290.

Two things I appreciated about this young man:

(1) He was referred by another client who’d had exceptional results, so his belief level was high.

(2) He was motivated as hell.

I’d picked up on the fact he was competitive and started planting some seeds about the record.

Soon I was pretty much egging him on.

Four months later, in the blink of an eye, he was down 45 pounds and had set the new marker.

Put the record aside for a moment.  Can you imagine what that must have felt like?  The lightness…the energy…the no-more-naps-after-lunch mental clarity…still nothing more than gravy on top of the simple exhilaration of reaching a dearly held personal goal.

Especially if it’s eluded you until now.

It brings me back to my own transformation in the spring of ’06 when I lost 35 pounds in the same time frame.

Very few things can compare to that feeling.

Expressions like ‘on top of the world’ are apt but don’t do it justice.

It feels like the air you breathe is different.

My personal belief is you’re experiencing the self-appreciation that occurs when what your inner being knows to be true about you (that you’re resourceful beyond words, powerful, a CREATOR) lines up with your a life condition you’ve created.

It’s the way we were MEANT TO BE.

If what I’ve just said sounds good to you in any way, you are being called to your own transformation.

The wiser (and not limited) part of you is rushing forth.

Don’t push it back down inside.

Don’t give into fear.

TAKE ACTION.

NOW.

Call or text me at (416) 826-4844 or simply reply to this email for your complimentary personal training consultation.

In truth, it doesn’t matter whether you contact me or not.

The point is take the chains off.

Be BOLD.

“Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it.  Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.” – Goethe

Your breakthrough is calling…

Will you answer?

Happy Transforming,

Conor Kelly

When it’s good to binge

conorkelLeave a comment

Here’s a success tip from the off the beaten path…

You know how most of us binge on TV shows or movie series?

(Thank you Netflix.)

Well, I also binge on authors.

That’s right.

When I find someone who’s either (a) doing something I’d want to be doing, or (b) onto something I think is unique and valuable, I’ll crawl under barbed-wire to get my hands on every nanobyte of content they’ve ever published.

I want to know EVERYTHING he or she knows.

So I read all their books.

Often two of three times.

I plug in and download their experiences, research, and anecdotes into my greedy little memory cells.

Here’s what it’s done for me: it’s made me both deep and broad in my knowledge.

This helps me make informed decisions about my life.

(Sometimes.)

And clients are often surprised by the range of topics I know about.

Trust me that’s a good thing.

It instantly raises your value in their eyes.

That’s why, regardless of what you do for work, I suggest you give Conor’s hearty wisdom binge a go.  I’ve never read about this concept anywhere, nor heard it mentioned in the context of personal development or success, but this little battle tactic has won me a few victories in my day.

With the above in mind, I’d invite you to binge on ME for the next 30 days.

That’s why I created my 30 Day Transformation email series.

It’s one tip a day of the best my brain has to offer.  Read each one in the comfort and privacy of your inbox.  Also, I’m including a very rare bonus chapter I wrote on the #1 Key To Transformation.

Last call for Conor-hol here:

http://www.conorkellypersonaltrainer.com

Happy Bingeing,

Conor Kelly

25 no b.s. body transformation tips

conorkel2 Comments

I’ll make this real simple for you…

Print this list, put it on your fridge, make these tips a part of your life and you’ll already be 80% closer to your body goals this year.

Alright?

Giddyup.

1. Avoid doing too much, too soon.

2. Each week, eat a bit better than last week.

3  Set a personal best of some kind in every workout.

4. Make your goals about things you can control vs. things you can’t (e.g. ‘do five workouts this week’ vs. ‘lose ten pounds this month’).

5. Treat yourself like someone you’re responsible for helping.

(Stole that one from Jordan Peterson’s 12 Rules For Life.)

6. You can’t out-train a bad diet.

7. Drink 1L of water before breakfast and at least 1 more liter throughout the day.

8. Supplement with EFA’s daily.

9. Stop all complaining.

10. Embrace repetition.  Success is a few key things done well over and over again.

11. Consume 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking up.  Just maybe not immediately after the 1L of water I told you to drink in #7.  I won’t be responsible for what happens if you do.

12. Do something nice for someone today.

13. Use the 5×5 rule: no carbs after 5PM/5 nights per week.

14. Learn to relax.

15. Play the long game.  It most likely took you years to gain the fat so be patient.  Consistency + time = results.

16. Cut back on coffee and alcohol.

17. Sleep at least 7 hours a night.

18. Prioritize strength training.

19. Walk more.  Spend more time outside.

20. Pay attention to what you’re doing with your body.  Stand tall.  Shoulders back.  Consciously try to relax any areas of tension.  Come back to your breath.  Breathe deeply.

21. Meditate.

22. Pick foods with only one ingredient.

23. Don’t overdo your cardio.  It’ll tank your metabolism.

24. Avoid sugar.

25. If you only focus on results, you’ll never see change.  If you focus on change, you’ll always see results.

BONUS TIP: Accept screw-ups lightly.  Being able to laugh when things don’t go to plan is a highly under-rated success characteristic.  Simply correct and continue.

For more, get my 30 Day Transformation email series.  One very timely tip per day to keep your transformation engines a hummin’.

Get your good feelz here:

Click here to subscribe to The Conz’ 30 Day Transformation Series.

Happy Transforming,

Conor Kelly

The real reason too much sitting is bad for you

conorkelLeave a comment

Amy Cuddy does a great TED talk on the power of body language.

Put aside twenty minutes and watch it here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks-_Mh1QhMc&t=109s

One of her more interesting points is that two minutes of what she calls “power posing” increases your testosterone.

Alright, why does that matter?

Because in modern life our movement patterns are typically flexion-dominant, i.e. hands closed, head forward and down, arms and legs in front of the body.  Think of the fetal position as an extreme version of this.

It’s a defensive/submissive posture.

Most of us sit in a car on our way to a job…where we sit at a desk all day before sitting in a car again, only to wind up, you guessed it…sitting on the couch.  And for much of this roundtrip we’re bent forward at the waist, hands clutching our smart phone crack.

Like we’re re-living our glory months in the womb.

Extension, on the other hand, opens you up…

Arms away, head up, standing tall.

Picture the sprinter who launches into a victory pose as he crosses the finish line first.

It’s an aggressive/dominant posture.

The real problem with doing flexion most of the day is it bars you to some extent from the positive emotions you’d otherwise experience.  It’s harder to tap into the testosterone and serotonin fueled highs of confidence and well-being.

You’re also perceived as low-status by your peers.

That’s why I put my trainees into extension as much as possible during their sessions, to compensate.  And I’ll let you in on a little secret: it’s also a big reason why they ALWAYS feel better when they leave.

My point is your ancestors hunted, fought naked, and birthed babies without painkillers (perhaps the most badass of the three)…

You were born to DOMINATE.

It’s carved into your DNA.

Your physiology, almost above anything else, gives you access to it.

(Let that one sink in.)

Watch the video.

And if you’re keen to dominate your day with path and purpose, then you’ll love my 30 Day Transformation series.  It’s one success secret a day, gleaned from six years of my most popular emails.

To get The Conz in a daily IV drip and leave the umbilical cord at home, go here:

http://www.conorkellypersonaltrainer.com

Until next time…

Move well my friend,

Conor Kelly

St. Patrick’s Day: Fat Gain Bonanza

conorkelLeave a comment

Fun fact: a 2012 estimate pegged the total amount spent worldwide on beer for St. Patrick’s Day at $245 million.

If we average it to $4 a beer, that’s over 9 ½ BILLION calories consumed.

(And we haven’t factored in other types of drinks, or the typical greasy fare that goes with them.)

It takes about 3,000 surplus calories to create 1 pound of fat.

So after some not-so-quick math we find that well over 3 million pounds of fat are added to world’s bellies, hip and thighs – IN ONE DAY.

Now THAT’s a party.

Let the treadmills of the world tremble in anticipation of the pounding they’ll get this week.

If a more sober mood strikes you, subscribe to my 30 Day Transformation email series.

It’s a “greatest hits” compilation of some of my most popular emails (one a day), and includes a rare bonus digital copy of the first chapter of my book about the #1 key to transformation…

…All with my compliments.

Get it here:

http://www.conorkellypersonaltrainer.com

Stay motivated as we count down the last days of winter.

And yes, you can start from Monday.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day,

Conor Kelly

I tell jokes, therefore I am

conorkelLeave a comment

One of my goals this year is to do a lot more keynotes.

So to *ease* myself into it, I signed up for a stand-up comedy class.

In my comedy set, I do a bit – yes I have *bits* now – about how I have a philosophy degree, hence the title of my post today.

(Don’t worry…I have funny material too.)

Anyway, I took the class for two reasons: (1) to challenge myself with something new (it’s out of my comfort zone), and (2) I thought it might help me continue to refine my speaking skills.

So far I’ve eaten my fair share of humble pie.

I’ve got a pretty good sense of humour.  However, being funny on demand is a different beast.  I’ve learned that about 80% of the game is being willing to make a joke and NOT hear laughter.  That’s how you find out what works; by throwing a bunch of stuff at the wall and seeing what sticks – or at least slides down slowly, leaving gooey skid marks.

There are certain patterns to it, but you can never know 100% what will make an audience laugh.  When they do laugh, you put a check-mark next to that one, and move on.

Top comedians have done a joke dozens of times before it ever airs on their Netflix special.

At the beginner level, everyone trembles when it’s their turn to take the stage.  Not one of us feels secure.  As I watch this unfold each week, I think “isn’t this amazing?  All of us out here, taking RISKS…”

This might be my inner masochist talking, but doing stand-up is a great way to experience failure in strident, painful, and repetitive ways, until you become immune to it.  It’s like a vaccine.  You take in small but concentrated doses of the stuff, and, in response, your immune system releases antibodies that immediately go to work on fear.

(I make it sound VERY appealing, I’m sure.)

There’s no evolution in sameness.

There’s only decay, deterioration, and RUST.  What’s true of all living things is that if we’re not growing, we’re dying.  Uncertainty and insecurity are passes to a virtual Disneyland of personal development.

AND…your opinion on what you can’t do isn’t usually based on facts.

With a bit of coaching, every single person in my stand-up class got funnier.

So risk.  Start today.  It doesn’t have to be stand-up, but put your name in the bucket to learn something new.

Be like the guy who was asked if he can play the piano:

“I don’t know,” he said.

“What do you mean you don’t know?”

“I’ve never tried.”

Happy Risking,

Conor Kelly
conorkelly.com

…
…

How to get more AC/DC into your nutrition program

conorkelLeave a comment

Before I got into lifting weights, my one big obsession was playing guitar.

I had two electric guitars, a bass, and an acoustic. I was basically gonna be Slash from GNR, but without the top hat, or the cigarette dangling from my mouth.

My first guitar teacher, Jean-Marc, taught me the pentatonic scale, and many others, both minor and major. He made me practice each one hundreds of times until they were hardwired into my brain.

In the beginning, I really resisted. Running scales felt repetitive and boring, like homework.

I’d be like, ‘I don’t want to learn scales. When are we gonna play some AC/DC?’

I knew I could crank out a decent rendition of *Back in Black*. But I’d really hear it from Jean-Marc if I didn’t practice my scales. Because HE knew, if I nailed the basics, I could play anything. He was right. I went on to win awards for both rock and classical performances. I was voted Best in Music at my high school graduation.

When I started coaching people on nutrition, I found the process was very much the same.

The #1 complaint I’d get is ‘not enough variety’. But until you establish the habits that are the foundation for your success, narrowing it to 1-3 options for each meal is the way to go.

It simplifies everything. Meal prep. Grocery shopping. You learn to identify portion sizes. You discover what foods you like that also work best with your plan. You find a system that’s effective, and also easy to stick to.

People always want new or different. That’s what’s exciting. But the truth is, when you really break it down, success is routine and boring. It’s mechanical. It’s doing the right things well, and doing them repeatedly. In my experience, people who need a lot of variety from the word ‘go’ rarely develop the consistency to make the right nutrition a habit. But when you understand the basics, trying new things becomes second nature. You’re just expanding your repertoire.

Once I had every scale known to music at my fingertips, not only could I play AC/DC with more accuracy, but I could easily pull off new musical genres whenever I felt like it. If I’d never invested the time to “get my reps in” and play scales, I wouldn’t have accomplished most of what I did as a musician.

Get your reps in too. Learn the basics of whatever you want to be good at, and do it a thousand times over. Stick with simple, straightforward and repetitive until you get it right.

Once you master the basics, branching out is a logical next step you can enjoy without compromising your results.

Happy Transforming,

Conor Kelly

Put first things first

conorkelLeave a comment

When I worked at Extreme Fitness, the company was a world leader in personal training sales.

Part of their sales process was to make you feel physically inadequate, so you’d realize you need a personal trainer.

Here’s an example:

The *consultant* as he or she was called, would ask you to squat while standing on a Bosu ball.  If you were shaky, they’d explain that this meant your stabilizers are weak.  You’re therefore (a) vulnerable to injury and (b) unlikely to progress much in your workouts without first addressing this problem.

Alas…this particular game is RIGGED.  The house always wins.  Everybody shakes.  That’s because it’s got little to do with your stabilizers.  Bosu ball squats are a skill.  Unless you’ve practiced them, you’re not going to be very good at them.

You probably can’t do the trapeze either.

That doesn’t mean you need the $3,000 Cirque Du Soleil package.

I can’t do a back flip.

I’ve lived with this handicap my entire life, and strangely, I don’t feel as though it’s held me back.  It hasn’t cost me any jobs due to discrimination.  I can legally marry.  And somehow, I even managed for many years as an elite strength athlete despite this glaring flaw – go figure.

Where am I going with this?

Your inability to squat on a Bosu probably hasn’t hurt you either.  It’s almost 98% irrelevant to your fitness goals.

Yet it’s human nature to fall for such gimmicks.

That’s IF…we’re not firmly rooted in PRINCIPLES.

Habit #3 of Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is *put first things first*.  Bob Proctor says, “The main thing…is to keep the main thing, the main thing.”  In other words, if you want to lose fifty pounds it’s not about, e.g., what are the best kinds of yoghurt to eat.

Instead you should recognize that this change – if it’s going to last – has to begin with massive shifts in both your internal environment (thoughts, beliefs, emotions), and your external environment (which includes everything in your house or workplace, and in between).  These are shifts that need to be harmonized into enduring habits.

It’s about changing your lifestyle.

It’s setting priorities.

It’s committing to working on YOU, the person behind the body armor.

And this has more to do with THINKING and PLANNING than people generally realize.

I know, I know…you don’t want to think.  You’re too busy for that.  You just want someone to tell you what to do.  Or maybe you want me stop at what kind of yoghurt is best to eat.  But getting ever clearer on your intentions is the process of permanent change.

It’s the anatomy of transformation.

Make time for it, and your life will never be the same.

For more help with this, be sure to subscribe to my YouTube Channel:

=>Click here to visit The Conz’ YouTube Channel.

I’ll be posting easily digestible 120-second clips thrice each week.

My latest includes a few examples for how to put to new patterns on auto-pilot.

Check it out.

And note to my industry: personal training is POWERFUL.  Own it.  If you’re purposeful about it, you won’t need gimmicks to convince your buyers.

Happy Back-Flipping,

Conor Kelly
conorkelly.com

The defeat of Mega Man

conorkel2 Comments

In 1995, a future World’s Strongest Man winner, Sweden’s Magnus Samuelsson, made his debut in the contest.

The event was arm-wrestling, and the athletes were going head to head.

Magnus’ opponent was the largest man in the lineup, the six foot ten Australian, Nathan Jones.

They called him Mega Man.

(If you remember the opening scene of Troy, he played Boagrius, the giant who steps out to challenge Brad Pitt’s Achilles.)

Mega Man was a bit like the character he played in the movie.  He was mean.  Often angry.  And had clear intentions to steamroll anyone in his way.  At six foot five with a thin build, the Swede was considerably smaller.  But Magnus was no slouch.  He was a former arm-wrestling champion.

They clasp hands.  The referee signals start.  You can see the look of determination on Mega Man’s face as he throws his might into flattening Magnus’ hand against the table.  But Magnus is stronger than expected – and a much more experienced arm-wrestler.  He holds steady as Mega Man grunts and puffs.

Soon, Magnus has him in what arm-wrestlers call the *arm-break position*.

When the moment is right, he pounces.

Shifting his weight, he allows the full force of his well-practiced arm to plow through his adversary.

In a final, all-out effort to resist, Mega Man uses his own strength to induce a spiral fracture in his arm, snapping his oversized humerus like a twig.  The bone is dust.  He reels backward, aghast, and screams in shock as his arm hangs at an impossible angle.

Needless to say, that was the end of his campaign.

And it was the beginning of Magnus’ legend.

(I should point out that everyone was horrified by the terrible injury – Magnus most of all.  It was also the last time arm-wrestling was contested in World’s Strongest Man.)

Why do I share this story?

Think of it as a cautionary tale.

A common mistake – one with fitpocalyptic consequences – is trying to do too much, too soon.

I see it all the time.  January rolls around and weary holiday over-eaters attempt a one-eighty by cutting out their favorite foods, and pounding the treadmill with gusto, four or five days a week.  By February, 90% are injured, burned out, or discouraged because life ain’t fun no mo’, and they’ve managed to lose a grand total of three pounds.

Just look around your gym Feb 1, and behold the wasteland that once was a thriving fitocracy.

Most people are allowing themselves to get caught in a deadly arm-break pose.

They’re leveraging their own enthusiasm to destroy their efforts.

So don’t be the giant…

Be the giant-killer.

Acknowledge that results take time, conserve your energy, and your path to victory will soon become clear.

For help with how to do this in stages, call (416) 826-4844 for your personal training consultation.

Until then, stretch yourself…but not too thin.

Heed my words, young Skywalker, lest you suffer the same fate as Mega Man.

Happy Patience,

Conor Kelly
conorkelly.com

…
…