Keep Your New Year’s Resolution by Forming a New Identity

I received this email message from coach Devlyn Steele and thought is was so good, I felt the need to reprint parts of it here. I will start with some of his thoughts and then close with some of mine, which will help you achieve your New Year’s resolutions once and for all!

Devlyn: Year after year we go through the same routine of closing out one year and bringing in a New Year. As we do so, we wipe the slate clean and start the New Year with a fresh outlook. We say that this is the year that we are going to create certain changes in our life. We state these changes in what is commonly referred to as New Year resolutions. Psychologically, the idea of a new beginning gives us a sense of optimism and hope. That’s a great way to approach your life and the start of a New Year, with hope and belief that things can change.

Even though we go through this routine, more often than not we do not follow through with the actions and behaviors for a long enough period to produce the results we want.  Our initial enthusiasm gets worn down by the routines and patterns that we have established in our life. As the years progress we have in fact reinforced the notion that it’s okay not to follow through. We have grown accustomed to our behavior and don’t hold ourselves accountable. We, in fact, know that for the most part we will not follow through with our resolutions.

Further, we are so aware of our patterns of behavior that we might even stop making (more…)

X Gym DVD Now Available!

It’s done! I’m super excited about it, and it’s just in time for the holidays!

You can now take the X Gym workout home with you or on a trip! No equipment is required, so anyone can do it anywhere. Since the workout takes only 20 minutes, and the frequency is merely twice a week, getting in shape has never been quicker!

The special introductory price is only $19.95 (plus tax, shipping and handling)! Get a copy for yourself, your friends, family, travel buddies, kids in college, and anyone else who wants to get in shape fast with very little time required.

Just click the “Buy Now” button below to have it shipped to your door within 2-3 weeks, or stop by the Alki or Kirkland X Gym to get your copy today!

Is Chocolate Really a Health Food?

Me, Steve and Kourt eating Taz's truffles!

Raw cacao (the chocolate bean) certainly is! In fact, cacao packs the most potent antioxidant punch of any food on the planet. It stomps all over acai berry and leaves blueberries in the dust.It’s vital to choose the right chocolate however, because most commercially prepared varieties are just plain toxic because of all the sugar, processing and additives.

So how do you get the good stuff? I tell you, but first, check out some of the health (and fitness) benefits I have found, with the research studies to back them up. Just click the last word in each sentence to hyperlink to the study reference:

1. Increases your metabolism and reduces stress hormone levels.
2. Helps prevent (more…)

X Gym Schools Seattle Stairclimbers

Allrightythen! It looks like X Gym put on another stairclimbing clinic  tonight (12/3/09) in the 56 floor WaMu tower. The credit really has to go to God though, because we even stomped on our own times from last year by miraculous margins! Thanks to everyone who was praying for us! It obviously worked!

Here are the awards they offered tonight and who won them:

1st place male: Jesse Berg (X Gym Friends and Alumni team)

2nd place male: Kevin Crossman (X Gym Team)

1st place female: Kourtney Dexter (X Gym Team)

2nd place female: Jamela Leddy (X Gym Team)

1st place team: X Gym Friends and Alumni

2nd place team: X Gym

1st place relay team: X Gym

2nd place relay team: “Loaded for Bear”. Sorry X Gymers- we only had one relay team. My bad! I didn’t know they were awarding a 2nd place relay team this year (they didn’t last year). If I would have known, I would have formed another one (Kailyn Jeff and John were chomping at the bit). Then again, it was nice to let some other people win something 🙂  Loaded for Bear was actually really fast, so good job guys!

1st place trainer: Kevin Crossman (X Gym). Kevin isn’t actually a trainer, but that’s OK. X Gym still got the award. Jesse is a spin instructor in Chicago, so technically he won this award, but that still would have given us the award, since he was on the X Gym Friends and Alumni team.

1st place gym: X Gym

I should also mention that between the two X Gym teams, we won 8 of the top 10 overall best times, and: (more…)