With the advent of NLP, we now know that we can reproduce any particular behaviour in any particular context in order to create the results we want in life, using a process called ‘modeling’.  It’s simple: you find a successful person, find out what they’re doing that nobody else is, and copy them. Success leaves clues. More often that not, those successful clues are not in the specific behaviours that the successful person uses, but are in the mind-set and psychology that created those behaviours.

Let’s turn to the cover of Mens’ Health magazine for a striking visual example of the result that most men want to create in their lives – the Cover Model body.  If all we needed was the knowledge of how to create that result, and the training plan that the cover model used, anybody who bought and read the magazine would have wash board abs… if only it were that easy.  Anybody who has ever bought the magazine knows that you only get the results when you actually stick to the training and eating plans in the long term.

So, what’s stopping us from doing that? In a word: Beliefs.  One of the main differences in the psychology of successful people to the rest of us is the beliefs that they hold about themselves, and that area of their lives.  So, what are the beliefs that the world’s top fitness model has about health and fitness?

Watch Men’s Health Cover Model Owen McKibbin Here

Conveniently, Owen McKibbin (the most frequent Cover Model of Men’s Health Magazine) was kind enough to tell us his beliefs in a book he wrote which you can purchase from amazon here:

Find Owen’s Workout Book Here

To save you the money on the book, (and the embarrassment of having one of your house-mates noticing you’re going to bed every night reading a book with a picture of this guy with no shirt on, on literally every page) here are the beliefs and priciples that Owen McKibbin lives by:

1. I Believe that cardiovascular and strength training are equally important for everybody – no matter which you prefer, no matter which is trendier at the moment, and no matter what type of body you have.
2. I believe in eating right as an essential component of fitness, not merely a support strategy.
3. I believe that exercise done in hard, short bursts will get you into better shape, and get you there faster, than long, slow efforts.
4. I believe that weight-lifting sessions targeting the big muscles must be interspersed with workouts that focus on strengthening the smaller, more injury-prone muscles and joints.
5. I believe that muscles should be developed for function, not just display.
6. I believe that an overemphasis on crunches and sit-ups is not the way to work your midsection and achieve wash board abs.
7. I believe in drinking buckets of water all day long.
8. I believe in stretching as a fitness necessity, not just a warmup, cooldown, or ancillary activity.
9. I believe in rest, but not necessarily rest days.
10. I believe in clean living.

Owen goes into each of these in a bit more depth, but in short these beliefs are clearly reflected in the way he lives, and the physique he’s produced as a result. Imagine acting on these beliefs daily, such that every morning, before breakfast you complete an intense 30-45 minute workout routine (three weight-training, three cardio, and one stretching/yoga each week) and then supporting yourself with excellent dietary habits. Wouldn’t you expect your body to look something like his after a couple of years? Or, based on the last blog, after 1000 hours of training (about 7 years of working out 30 minutes per day)?

Here’s your coaching challenge:

Record everything you eat everyday for the next week, and every exercise session (if you do any). Based on your week’s log, what beliefs do you hold on to that are reflected in the way your body looks and feels? What are your excuses for not working out? Are those beliefs serving you to create your version of physical excellence? Beliefs drive behaviour. You are in charge of your mind, your beliefs, your emotions, and your results.

If you want better life results, than those you’re currently getting, you know what to do: 0208.133.4520 – you’ll leave the free Fitness Coaching Strategy Session with a realistic written plan to build massive momentum towards your physical goals over the next 3 months… after all it only takes 3-4 weeks of daily training to make working out a habit, and 7 short years later, I might be writing a blog about your appearance on Men’s/Women’s Health Magazine.