The 10 Commandments of Fitness

If you've ever tried to get fit, you know there's more than one way to get there. There's the hard way and the even harder way, right? Unfortunately, far too many people approach fitness with the mindset that it's pure agony from start to finish. The fact is, if done properly, it doesn't have to be that way at all. On the other end of the spectrum, if it were up to me, there would be a law against using the word exercise and easy in the same sentence because there's no such thing.

The point is, exercise is WORK but it doesn't have to be excruciating. If you talk to a dozen hard-bodies, you'll likely come away with a dozen different workout routines and eating regimens - all of them challenging. But delve a little deeper and you will invariably find that, despite the differences in workouts and food, people who are successful at achieving their fat burning goals share some very important similarities in their approach to fitness.

In a documentary film entitled Body+of+Work, fitness guru and best-selling author Bill Phillips chronicles the 12-week experiences of 10 finalists in the very first Body-for-LIFE Challenge back in 1995. Phillips, a 30 year veteran of the fitness industry, admits even he was amazed at the degree of physical change these 10 champions achieved while competing in his now world-renowned contest.

Phillips explained that it wasn't so much what they did, but how they did it that interested him most. He asked the 10 finalists to compile what they believed were the 10 Commandments of body transformation. Just as he expected, not one of the 10 Commandments had anything to do with a certain type of food or a specific kind of exercise. Here's what they came up with:

#1 - You must have a deep burning desire to change.
#2 - There must be a reason behind that desire.
#3 - You must have a vision of exactly who you want to become.
#4 - You must have a role model to look up to for inspiration.
#5 - You must acquire the knowledge you need to get the job done right.
#6 - You must have faith that you can achieve your goals.
#7 - You must be ready and willing to experience a certain level of discomfort as you move toward your goal.
#8 - You must have perseverance and consistency together - one without the other doesn't work.
#9 - You must take responsibility for everything you do.
#10- You must live to thrive, not merely survive.

Not bad for a bunch of former couch potatoes!