Find Your Inspiration

It takes vigilance to stay fit and strong, and to keep motivated. If you are inspired, you will always find the desire to stay with it. Inspiration can be found anywhere if you’re looking for it--in a person, a movie, a song.

When I look for the beauty in others, I always see it, and I find inspiration in that. I find it in the feeling I get when I help someone. When I’m stressed, I channel that into my workout and leave it behind. I find inspiration in that. I find it in words--turn your weakness into strength, turn your pain into motivation, your frustration into determination, your fear into inspiration.
I find inspiration in the love for my sport, in always challenging myself, seeing the growth and improvement, the exhilaration I feel after training, enduring the pain, feeling exhausted yet uplifted. It is like being reborn everyday.

Here is the paradox: because I am so driven, there is always a sense of failure in training, because in my mind it is never good enough. Of course I find great rewards in it, but I will always strive to be better … bigger, better, stronger, faster … that’s what keeps me going. I think sometimes that’s what holds people back, because they’re afraid to fail while training, but you will always fail when you keep pushing the limit, but that is the only way to get better. If it was easy, what would be the point of doing it?

What inspires you? What drives you? What keeps you going?

I hope you’re going to participate in the 16 WEEK challenge with me and Erik!

Stay strong and stay tuned!

Dallas
Copyright 2007-2009 Dallas Malloy

Believe in Yourself

We have 7 weeks until the start of the 16 week challenge—our own personal physical transformations—for me, to be in top competition shape, for Erik, owner of Bodybuilders Gym, to be in the best shape of his life, and for you … ? We will take beginning photos and measurements, and chart our progress as we go. Watch what happens, participate!

For me, the 16 weeks is a specific time frame for dieting down for the competition. But training and conscientious food intake is a year round process, a lifestyle. I didn’t get into this lifestyle overnight, it took a lot of time, work, and is an ongoing learning process. So instead of viewing the 16 weeks as a diet that will end, you can use this time to create new habits, break ones that no longer work for you, make a new beginning to reach your fitness goals, follow through on something you’ve been putting off, whatever it is you want to achieve. What are you waiting for?

Fitness is not just a physical journey but mental, emotional, and spiritual. Something happens when we really test ourselves and see what we’re made of. In life, like in bodybuilding, growth comes from pain, positive stress, not staying in the same place. When we stand still we get complacent, we stop growing.

People tend to want everything to come easy, including their fitness goals. But if it was easy it wouldn’t be worth doing. And nothing can be learned if there’s no challenge. To become great I have to constantly face challenges, be unafraid of failure—or at least face it with courage. I have to take risks and get out of my comfort zone, walk through anxiety, and learn.

It comes down to the power of believing in yourself. I must believe in myself, because at the end of the day, that’s what matters. I can’t depend on others for approval, ultimately it must come from me. I believe in the strength and power within you because I know it in myself.

Stay strong and stay tuned!

Dallas



Copyright 2007-2009 Dallas Malloy

Turn Your Weakness into Strength

Preparation for this year’s bodybuilding competition is underway. I competed for the first time last year and was very happy with my results, but I look forward to the slow unveiling during the cutting (dieting) process starting in a couple months to see the improvements I have made. I look forward to sharing this grueling and exhilarating process with you. What makes this even more exciting for me is the owner of my gym told me he wants to get in the best shape of his life and I’m going to help him do it. I am certain he will be successful using the same winning strategies I use.

The official start will be in March, when I begin the cutting process where I will get as lean as possible. 90% of my results will come from the food intake.

I challenge you to join with us, to reach your own personal fitness goals. There is power in numbers; it helps to know you’re not alone. The reason most people fall short of reaching their fitness goals is often NOT because they are lazy or weak-willed, but because they don’t have the tools or strategies to get there. We live in a fast paced world, addicted to instant gratification and a quick fix for everything. But reaching your fitness goals, whatever they are—weight loss, muscle gain, athletic competition--takes time, patience and persistence. You can do it! And when you get there, it means so much more than if it had happened overnight. I encourage you to commit to yourself to start making changes, one thing at a time.

My life has been about overcoming obstacles, facing fears, and becoming stronger because of it. Turn Your Weakness into Strength means this: in the gym, we all have weak points. I used to hate training legs and abs, so I decided I would do it until I liked it, until I changed my mind about it. I would conquer it. Guess what? Legs and abs turned into strong points. And in life, we all have fears and demons. When I hit my bottom with my alcoholism, I asked for help and found great strength, and an untapped source of compassion and ability to help others. Being a Personal Trainer is one of the many ways I am able to utilize this.

The only limits are the ones we place upon ourselves.

Stay strong, and stay tuned!



Copyright 2007-2009 Dallas Malloy