In this post, I would like to share with you my thoughts and my values – basically, what I believe is important in this world, and how I see things.

==> I believe that walking around planning for the future and pension is a waste of time and effort. Why talk about all the things you are going to do and all the money you are going to have in 10-20 years, when you could live your life at this very moment?

We live right here, right now. Enjoy each day as it was your last!

==> I believe that Mark Twain’s famous quote – “Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.” – is as right as it gets.

If you are trying to make a change in your life and all you hear are negative comments and reactions, then these people should not deserve your attention.

“The really great make you feel that you, too, can become great” – and these are the type of friends to hold on to!

==> I believe you should treat other people the same way you want them to treat you. Respect and helping others is something I truly value, and it makes me furious to see people who only think about themselves and only focuses on what they need!

==> I believe that in order to succeed in life you need to come across roadblocks and obstacles. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows, and if you never try – you’ll never succeed!

==> I believe that Michael Jordan is one of the biggest role models to human kind. Over and over again he has shown that he was no different then you and I. He stated that he missed more than 9000 shots, he lost almost 300 games and 26 times he was trusted to take the game winning shot, and he missed.

Michael Jordan’s examples and statements does not only relate to basketball, it also relates to life in general. He said that he has always believed that if you put in the work, the results will come.

Worth mentioning, I have never seen one full game with Michael Jordan, I can’t play basketball and I rarely watch it, but I know that people like Michael Jordan is one of the biggest role models to human kind!

==> I believe you can divide people into the following 2 groups:

• Those who envy other people with money and success, and walks around dreaming of having the life of the rich and famous, and

• Then there are those who get tired of hearing people talk about how successful this or that person is, and how perfect his/her life must be, etc.

People from the second group don’t go around dreaming their whole life – they take action, they learn from the best and they make it happen!

==> I believe that health and fitness has turned into something complicated, when it in the beginning was made to be easy for people to understand. Today health and fitness is like a difficult math course with tons of calculations that needs to be done.

People are being told to buy all different types of equipment, work out on machines in the gym, calculate their BMI – while they could ignore all the nonsense, get back to basics, and use their own bodyweight.

Keeping it fun and easy!

==> I believe that people don’t really appreciate what they have until it’s gone. People don’t appreciate being healthy until they get sick, people don’t appreciate love until they have no one to love, people don’t appreciate small things like taking a hot shower until the warm water is gone, etc.

Appreciate what you have and take care of it. Don’t take everything for granted!

==> I believe there is no coincidence that the biggest athletes and the most successful entrepreneurs in the world come from a tough childhood without anything to fall back on.

==> I believe it’s better to look back and regret the things you did then the things you didn’t do! There are so many things I wish I did when I had the chance, and now that it’s gone, I can never have it back.

Those are some of my beliefs here in life. Feel free to interpret them the way you want.

Got any comments? Want to share your beliefs?

Please do so by comment on this post, or send me an email at:  jonas@theswedishtrainer.com

I wish you all the best,
Jonas

I have heard a whole bunch of excuses to why people “don’t need to” start a new exercise program. Check out this excerpt to see some of the excuses I have been told over the years:

From Burn Fat at Home – The Manual. Page. 11-12:

Some of the most common excuses:

• “I don’t have time to exercise.”
  (With Burn Fat at Home you do have time. You do have 12 minutes per day, right? )

• “I am too tired when I come home from work.”
  (This one is fixed easy. Do the workouts before you go to work.)

• “I might not be in the same shape as I was 15 years ago, but a few extra
  pounds and extra fat won’t kill me.” (Research shows that adding a few pounds
  of fat over the long run is very dangerous. Let’s say you add five pounds of fat
  each year. Multiply that by 10 years and you do have a problem. Weight gain later
  in life is far more dangerous, especially for women.)

• “I don’t need to exercise. I take the stairs every day.” (Sure, that’s better
  than nothing, but it won’t get you in your best shape ever — Burn Fat at Home
  will certainly help you reach those goals.)

• “I am too old to exercise.” (Resistance training is the most effective way to
  prevent and treat osteoporosis and arthritis. Even if you can’t perform high-
  intensity workouts, still aim to perform resistance training since this will get
  your bones stronger and you will be able to stay in the game a few more years.)

• “I eat healthy so I don’t need to exercise.” (Try to go for that if you want, but it
  is BS. Exercise mixed with good nutritional habits is the only way to enjoy a
  healthy life. Sure, controlling your nutritional intake may keep your weight and
  fat at a steady level, but exercise is the only way to strengthen bones and
  work your cardiovascular system.)

• “It won’t hurt if I cheat today. I will correct it another day.” (Let me put it
  like this, getting in to a state of mind where you just push things forward will
  only cause you problems. The typical “Eh, I’ll just do it tomorrow” attitudes is
  probably the MOST COMMON reason for failure when it comes to health and
  maintaining a healthy weight. You won’t do it tomorrow. Take action and start
  the Burn Fat at Home program today!)

Take a few minutes to think about these excuses. Have you used any of them yourself? If so, I hope you realize it’s time to make a change!

Good Luck and Be Safe,
Jonas

I mean, the weather does not have to be the deciding factor in a case like this; there are tons of reasons to why you don’t want to hit the track sometimes.

In this article, I got 4 tips that I recommend to all my clients when they first come to me and say they hate to run.

• Tip #1 – Interval Training.

Throw away the “good old-fashioned” 1 hour run. Believe me, I understand that you think running is boring when you do it for as long as an hour at the same tempo.

The solution to the problem is Interval Training.

- First of all, it’s a lot more time-efficient than steady state cardio.
- Second, research are showing that Interval Training is WAY more effective than steady state cardio both when it comes to fat loss and improving your overall health and condition.
- Third and last, it’s so much more fun than 1 hour running at the same tempo. Interval Training can last for only 15-20 min and you will see amazing results!

• Tip #2 – Apparel Shopping

When people come to me in their own gym-class outfit from -98, I tell them right away to do put it back on the top shelf in their wardrobe. Not that I am saying that everything from the “old days” are bad – I have a reason for saying this!

When you decide to make a lifestyle change, such as losing body fat, you need to change a few things with your life. Most common things are your nutrition, exercise habits and your mindset. But what also is important is to find new things that you associate with your new lifestyle.

So by investing in a new and good-looking track-suit, you associate that to your new lifestyle, and you feel good about it. It doesn’t have to be the most expensive track-suit you can find, but definitely something new and fresh!

• Tip #3 – Running shoes

I could have put this one together with the previous one, but fact is; this one is too important to be put together with another tip.

Sure, what I said about associating new things to your new lifestyle appears here as well, but it is not the main reason for investing in a pair of new running shoes.

You see, my guess is that your old sneakers looks more like an old gym bag or something. They have probably lost their colors and cushion, which mean they’re worthless.

A new pair of running shoes are essential for you overall health and to decrease the risk of injuries. But what a new pair of running shoes definitely does is giving you that feeling that you actually can fly.

The biggest brands of running shoes these days often have very high quality shoes, and the more you pay, the more you feel like flying.

The saying “you get what you pay for” definitely applies to running shoes, so have that in mind when you visit your local sporting goods store. I highly recommend you NOT to buy a pair of cheap sneakers; it will only get back at you at a later point (pain in ankles, knees, etc).

• Tip #4 – Music

Here is one area where you are allowed to keep something from the “good-old days”, and that applies both to your walkman (if that’s the case) and your good old rock’n’roll.

However, music really is essential for getting enjoyment out of your workout sessions. I always have my iPod with me when I work out.

As I said, what music you choose and what type of media player (Walkman, iPod, Mp3) is completely up to you, but I highly recommend that you have one with you for all your workout sessions!
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Alright, you now have 4 good tips to what you need to do in order to stay motivated and focused through your running sessions!

What are you waiting for? Go out there and get them right now!

Good Luck,
Jonas