A Rocket In Fitness?

What would happen if failing wasn't an option?

Think about it...

No possibility of failure?

What would you do differently?

Would you try new things?

Would you try harder at the things you're currently doing?

For some reason, failure has had this negative connotation. 

I think it probably started in academics when kids either passed or failed. 

Failure does not have to be a negative thing. 

Think about this...

NASA.

You know, like the smartest people in the world. 

When they send a rocket off to space, it's off track 90% of the time!

Think about that!

90% of the time a NASA's rocket is failing...

But it needs to fail. 

It uses the failures to adjust and stay on course. 

The failures are the guardrails. 

Think about all the great things...

The most delicious, best-looking cake...

In the middle of making it the kitchen looks like a bomb went off, but we all judge the finished product. 

In the middle of the most intense surgery, it looks like a murder scene. 

We, of course, don't think about that, we think about the end result. 

The middle of a journey is messy. 

And you need to fail to know what the guardrails are. 

So...

Two things to need to happen if you want to reach your full potential in anything in life (fitness, new career, more money, etc)...

1. You need to be ok with failing, and use it as a guardrail to keep you on track

2. You need to not associate failure with negative things. 

I fail every day. 

It could be that I failed to get everything done. 

It could be that I failed to lead a team member in the appropriate way.

It could be that I failed to get a workout in.

But none of those "failures" are negative things.

They're just course corrections to keep me on the path to success. 

So, I'll ask you again...

What would happen if you couldn't fail?

Remove failure from the equation and that's how you should go about making your decisions. 

I know it's not easy, but you'll start to make better decisions, be more aggressive towards your goals, and thus, see better results. 

Remember back to to the rocket ship.

That's a great analogy for life. 

We're all going a million miles per hour every day, off track 90% of the time, but we still seem to get there, just like the rocket ship does. 

1% Better. 

Dedicated to Your Success,

Doug Spurling

We Can't Stop It...

We can only determine its use. 

Time. 

We can't stop it, we can only determine its use. 

Our most valuable asset. 

We chase things like more money, bigger houses, cars, and other materialistic things. 

Yet, those are all renewable, we always have the option of more. 

However, we don't put enough scarcity to time. 

The clock is ticking, it never stops, and we only have a finite amount of time left. 

Doesn't the scare you?

It should. 

Imagine if it didn't.

People always say...

"I wish I had more time."

"I need more hours in the day."

Well, we know that's never going to happen. 

And two, I'm quite confident that if we had more time we would fill with it with the same things we do now. 

Parkinson's Law. 

I've talked about it in the past.

In short, work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.

If you have 40 hours to do something, it will take you 40 hours. 

If you have 50 hours to do that same thing, it will take you 50 hours. 

But I digress.

Last night Megan and I sat on the couch flipping through Kaden's baby book. 

As she cried (men don't cry, right?), we looked at pictures of the day he was born, pictures of each month's milestone, and memories of his first year. 

On Sunday Kaden will turn one. 

This last year has flown by, just like I'm sure every year will, as I always hear from those who have kids that are my age. 

We can't stop time, but we can determine its use. 

Since Kaden was born, my priorities have shifted.

He is the reason I have to say no to the guy that e-mails me and "just wants to pick my brain for 5 minutes."

He's the reason you won't see me in the gym on Fridays, the reason I write this e-mail at 530am every morning, and the reason I work so hard when no one is watching. 

Time with Kaden. 

Time. 

We can't stop it, but we can determine its use. 

To tie it to fitness, nutrition, or any other "personal development" area of life, that's really what we're after. 

We need to fit it in, we need to make the time for it, for us, because although we can't stop time, we certainly can determine its use...

and taking care of you may be the only thing that can "buy" you more time. 

More time with your loved ones, more time to make an impact, and more time to leave a legacy. 

We can't stop it, but we can determine its use. 

1% Better.

Dedicated to Your Success,

Doug Spurling

Watermelon Salsa

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 teaspoons lime zest (from about 1 lime)
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from about 3 limes)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Freshly ground pepper
• 3 cups seeded and finely chopped watermelon
• 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
• 1 mango, peeled and diced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 8 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• Tortilla or pita chips, for serving

Directions

Stir together the lime zest, lime juice, sugar and 3/4 teaspoon pepper in a bowl. Add the watermelon, cucumber, mango, jalapeno, onion and basil and toss gently. Chill the salsa until ready to serve.

Add the garlic salt just before serving. Serve with chips.

Source: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/trisha-yearwood/watermelon-salsa-recipe-2121189

Building Bridges...

Throughout life, we go through lots of barriers...

I remember the barrier of trying to find my first job at 14. 

The barrier of wanting to lose all that weight before going off to college. 

The barrier to finding my true passion. 

The barriers to business. 

I'm sure I could go on and on, and I know you have your own barriers. 

The barrier to fit into those dress pants. 

The barrier to finding a job that you love going to every day. 

We also have emotional barriers like not believing we can do something, anger, or a feeling of disempowerment. 

But what happens...

As you continue to try to get past these barriers, doing small things to chip away at them, 1% better, you don't realize what's going on underneath your feet. 

You're building your bridge to get over it. 

When a barrier comes up in life, you have two choices...

You can turn around and give up.

Or you can build a bridge and get over it. 

We all have barriers, but it's those who can build a bridge to get over them that have the most success. 

Do you remember when you first lost those first few pounds?

That was a barrier, and whatever you did, you built a bridge to get over it. 

That bridge took you on a journey until the next barrier. 

That bridge now has to go back under construction to get over the next barrier. 

Life is a relentless pursuit of building bridges to get over your barriers in the way. 

Attack you barriers, build your bridges, and you'll have massive breakthroughs. 

1% Better. 

Dedicated to Your Success,

Doug Spurling

Organized Randomness...

To build off of Kim's post yesterday about just showing up, I thought I'd give some insight into my current training and a conversation I had with a client last night. 

As many of you know, I keep my days very structured, probably too structured sometimes. 

Everything I want to get done is mapped out and scheduled at specific times, and from a productivity standpoint it works for me.

Do you know what's not structured right now?

My workouts. 

I mean, the times are, I still schedule my workouts at a specific time, but what I do that day is pretty much show up, and do what I can. 

I essentially hit one exercise of the 7 pillars I've talked about in the past, it's random, and not really structured. 

Why?

23 of my 24 hours are structured and organized, it's the one hour where I get to play, and just pick up some heavy stuff and have fun, not really thinking about anything. 

Who knows, maybe in the fall I'll tighten things up, but for me right now, just showing up and having a little fun is working. 

Funny enough, I met with a client last night and we discussed the same thing. 

She's been with us three months, loves it, is feeling better, and in her words... "she's less jiggly."

But that's it...

She doesn't have a specific goal, she doesn't want to set one right now, she just wants to show up, have some fun, and try to get a little better every day, 1% Better. 

Her life outside of Spurling is too busy and structured right now, plus she came to us with past experience of a very structured routine, and right now, that would do more harm than good. 

Some people like the structure, some people crave variety. 

What I've found, it's just like everything else, it ebbs and flows.

Sometimes you're ready to dial things in and map out everything to a tee, and other times, you just want to crank the music, have some fun, and just move. 

You may not want the structure, you may want the structure, either way, like Kim said yesterday, we just need to show up. 

Keep showing up. 

1% Better.

Dedicated to Your Success,

Doug Spurling 

Keep showing up

The story goes like this:

A former gang member trying to leave the gang life was assigned, among other activities, to a meditation group. Two weeks into the class, the instructor called his supervisor and complained.

“He doesn’t want to be here,” the teacher said.

“Where is he right now?” asked the supervisor.

“Here.”

Um…..

The student was in the class four months before he put his phone down and began to actively participate. I was struck, as I listed to the story, at how often that kind of situation occurs at the gym. People come through the doors for a lot of reasons, and in a lot of different situations. Some people are prodded to come to us by a spouse who already goes to the gym, or to avoid medication, or by a friend. 

So people show up. 

Sometimes, that’s all they can do. They don’t love being at the gym. They don’t love the workouts. Some of them don’t even feel better at the end of the workout. They’re just glad to be done. 

Some people fall in love with working out right away, but many folks don’t. I can think of one client who came to the gym for a full year and “tolerated” every minute of it. She openly hated working out. 

But she kept showing up. She didn’t want to be here. But she got here. 

Then something amazing happened. She missed a week when she got sick - and when she came back she realized how much better working out made her feel. 

Our team t-shirts say “you showed up - we’ll take it from here.”

We mean that. 

Maybe you’re showing up to the gym because a friend dragged you. Maybe you show up, do half of a warm up, and shuffle through the workout. You know you "should" do more, but you don't have it in you.  

I believe that if you keep showing up - if you keep putting in the effort - that one day you will realize that you don’t have to measure up to some abstract unattainable idea of who you should be. 

Keep showing up. 

And good things will happen. 

What Does 1% Better Really Mean?

This time of year is always tough. 

People are busy with summer BBQ's, vacations, and the weather is good. 

You don't need to be perfect, but don't give up, even a couple of workouts in a month is better than no workouts in a month. 

Even one choice a week of eating the healthier option makes a difference. 

Don't beat yourself up, don't give up, just keep doing what you can do, and give it whatever your best is that day. 

Doing nothing, throwing in the towel, is the worst thing you can do. 

This time of year is usually the biggest test of 1% Better...

You read it every day.

You see it in our facility, on our website, I end every e-mail with it, and we say it a lot. 

1% Better. 

But what does it actually mean?

I think it starts with why. 

Why does Spurling Fitness exist?

Spurling exists to impact, empower, and change the lives of those who are intimidated by the typical gym environment through strong coaching, continual accountability, a family-like community, and a desire to get 1% better each and every day.

That's our mission. 

That's why we do what we do every day. 

In an industry that has no regulations and "weekend trainers" giving you information, it can be tough to know what's right. 

You get thrown lines like...

"Lose 20lbs in 20 days."

"Take this pill to speed up your metabolism."

"Eat this food to shrink your belly fat."

"Do this one exercise to tighten your tummy in ten days."

Those are all great examples of nothing but good marketing trying to promise you a quick-fix. 

And you know what happens...

You try it, maybe you see results for a week or two, maybe a month, and then you gain it all back, plus more!

Am I right?

1% better is the opposite approach. 

It's about slowly chipping away at things. 

Realizing this is a journey and a marathon, not a sprint. 

There is no end. There is no destination. There is no break or pause. 

It's falling in love with the process. 

1% better every day. 

Just a little better than yesterday. 

It could be that you got one more hour of sleep.

It could be that you got one extra round in on your circuit... 

Or maybe it's one more serving of vegetables...

One more hour spent with family. 

It's small behavioral changes that don't seem like much but have both a compounding and sustainable effect. 

Not only do you get better results in the long-term, the results you do get, you actually keep!

During a time when you feel overwhelmed by all the things that you could improve upon, 1% better gets you to take action, and start feeling better right away. 

Just take one action. 

We know that motivation is not something that you just wake up with. 

Motivation comes from action. 

You start doing something small, the momentum builds, and motivation is built through the action. 

That one thing, 1%, could be the thing that kick-starts everything. 

1% Better. 

Does it have one definition?

I don't think so. 

I think each of us has our own definition of 1% better. 

Our story. 

Ultimately 1% Better is here with the goal that this fitness stuff can be fun and enjoyable if you make it part of your day and surround yourself with the right people that will motivate and inspire you to be a little better every day. 

Keep going, keep giving it your best, but don't just throw in the towel and revisit it in the fall, that's not living the 1% Better motto. 

1% Better. 

Dedicated to Your Success,

Doug Spurling

Will You Join Me?

She didn't know who her daughter was...

He thought he was on an Aircraft Carrier from World War II...

She thought she was late for work...

Unfortunately, those are real lines that I heard from residents back when I worked in a nursing home. 

Most people don't know that I got into the "wellness" or health field at the age of 14. 

My first job was a Physical Therapist Aide, and shortly after, I took a course at 16 to become a Certified Nursing Assistant. 

From junior year in high school through college, I worked at a nursing home taking care of patients with Alzheimers and Dementia. 

I would get them dressed, bath them, feed them, and care for them. 

It was one of the most humbling times of my life to date. 

I watched families cry, I watched residents pass, and I performed CPR too many times. 

Most of the residents didn't know what year it was, and they didn't recognize their kids when they would come to visit. 

It was sad. 

In just under a month, we'll be hosting our 3rd Annual Spurling Charity 5k, and this year 100% of the proceeds are going to A Place To Start. 

A Place to Start is a non-profit organization here in Kennebunk started with a mission of hope, help, and guidance for Alzheimer's families, and it was started by Sally, a member of our Spurling Family. 

As we reach capacity with our Spurling Fitness Tribe of 400 members, we will always continue to serve people outside our four walls of the gym, and our annual 5k is one of those ways. 

It's a great community day, food and drinks, music, plus we're raising money for a great organization, that I'm sure all of us can connect with. 

My ask today is that you register for our 3rd Annual Spurling Charity 5k. 

It takes place on August 18th, at 9:30 am. 

By registering, you'll know that 100% of your registration fee is going straight to A Place to Start and helping out Alzheimer's families. 

If you register you can run it, you can walk it, you can volunteer, you can just hang out and eat donuts (seriously, that's probably what I'll be doing), or you can not show up and treat it like a donation if you can't make it. 

Register today for the 3rd Annual Spurling Charity 5k. 

Make sure you take 30 seconds (just 3 clicks) and register today, it helps us with attendance projections, and allows Chris, our Race Director, to sleep at night, rather than panicking up until the last minute. 

I hope to see you on Saturday, August 18th, but if you can't make it, I hope you'll consider registering just to donate. 

I'll be back tomorrow to wrap up the week. 

1% Better.

Dedicated to Your Success,

Doug Spurling

PS: Don't delay, click here to register for our 3rd Annual Spurling Charity 5k.  

Healthy Breakfast Quesadillas

• 1 8-inch whole wheat tortilla
• 2 Tbsp natural peanut butter
• 1/2 medium banana
• 1 Tbsp semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Spread the peanut butter over the surface of the tortilla.

2. Slice the banana very thinly and then arrange the slices over half of the tortilla. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the banana slices and then fold the tortilla in half.

3. Cook the quesadilla in a skillet over medium-low heat until golden brown and crispy on both sides. (optional)

Stop picking on yourself

I’m pretty out of sorts these days. Sometimes I try to write my way out of that space, and sometimes I just write from that space. 

Today, I’m writing from that space.

We all find ourselves out of whack at some point, and as I’ve said before, I don’t know what whack is, but it’s clearly where we want to be. So I’m trying to get back in whack.

Part of my struggle is sitting down to meditate - I’d been doing it pretty regularly for awhile, but in the past few weeks I can’t even seem to do that. 

In an effort to center myself, I’ve spent each day reading short reflections from the book “Journey to the Heart” by Melody Beattie. 

This morning’s reflection was to “delight in yourself.” 

The phrase almost made me laugh out loud. Not because it’s bad advice, but because I almost forget what it even means to be delighted.

Sad, angry, lethargic, broken, frustrated - these words are readily available and accurate for me right now. I’m not delighting at all in any of those.  

In the reflection though, she says to “stop picking on yourself and to accept yourself - warts, waistline and all.” 

Stop picking on yourself. 

These are the times in my life when all I can seem to do is pick on myself - and I’ve worked with enough of you out there to know you do the same. I’ve seen you grab the skin on your forearms, pinch around your waist, and make some self-deprecating comment about your appearance and berate yourself for not working harder or doing more. 

Picking on ourselves is such a natural habit, we don’t even recognize that we do it.

When I’m in this space, all I feel is the struggle of climbing the mountain and how far I have to go to reach the top. I can’t appreciate the beauty that’s already around me, I can only think about how beautiful it will be at the top. 

Yes, I kick happiness down the road. I kick delight down the road. And I kick myself for not already being at the top of that mountain.

So what do we do?

Work on ourselves.

We’re all works in progress. We all have our flaws. But those flaws don’t always take away from our beauty-often they’re a part of our beauty.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about “both/and.”

We can delight in our flaws and work to become the best versions of ourselves we can be. 

We can practice giving ourselves, and each other, love and kindness along the journey, not just when we reach the destination. 

I never write these posts looking for sympathy, though many of you offer kind words. I write these posts because sometimes the dark days are what I know best. I write these posts because I refuse to pretend.

Sometimes it’s really hard to look in the mirror and find something about yourself in which you can take delight.

But you can stop being the cruelest voice in your life.

You can work to stop picking on yourself. And I’ll try to do the same. 

What Do You Want?

A question we don't ask ourselves enough...

What do you want?

Really. 

Think about it. 

What do you really want?

It's very easy to get into a negative mindset talking about what you don't want or don't have. 

I am overweight. 

I can't do this. 

I don't have enough money. 

I don't like my job. 

Whatever the case may be, we seem to be very clear on what we don't want, what is currently wrong, and what we don't like. 

However, think of the negativity that creates. 

If we're always focusing on what we don't want or what we don't have, how can we stay positive about working towards what we do want?

I spent twenty minutes this morning just freehand journaling a list of things or feelings I do want. 

It helped. 

I then matched it up with my long-term and short-term goals and made sure they were clear and defined. 

I challenge you to spend some time asking yourself what you really want.

Get really clear on it. 

Get crystal clear on it. 

Don't say...I want to lose weight or I want to fit into smaller jeans. 

Say...I want 20% body fat and to be able to fit into my size 10 jeans. 

Don't say...I want more money. 

Say...I want to have $100,000 saved by December 31, 2020.

Don't say...I want to travel more. 

Say...I want to go to California, Mexico, and Costa Rica by December 31, 2020. 

You get the point. 

Don't talk in generic terms, get clear on what you want, and in order to be clear, it needs to be specific. 

Yes, this is a form of goal setting, but I also enjoy the journaling aspect of it and getting in a positive headspace talking about the things we do want, instead of always focusing on what we don't want or what we don't have. 

Give it a try and let me know how you like it. 

1% Better.

Dedicated to Your Success,

Doug Spurling

The Art of Fulfillment

The ultimate goal. 

It's not to lose 20lbs. 

It's not to fit into those jeans. 

The ultimate goal for all of us?

To feel fulfilled.

Any goal you have...

Money, fitness, relationship, any goal...

Ultimately, you will never be happy with it until you feel fulfilled. 

Achieving a goal is science, it's a calculation. 

Save this much each month and I'll have this much money. 

Eat this many calories and workout this many times and I'll weigh this much. 

It's science. 

What I want to focus on today is the art of fulfillment. 

We all have six human needs. 

It doesn't matter who you are, what you do, or what your goals are, we all have six needs. 

These come from Tony Robbins, and I've been spending a lot more time with these lately. 

As we check more boxes, as we hit our goals, as we set new goals, constantly raising the bar, why sometimes do we not feel fulfilled?

We don't have the six needs. 

What are they?

1. Certainty

In some aspects of life, you need to have certainty. 

You need to be certain that you'll have a roof over your head. 

You need to be certain you won't get hurt, you won't get bored, or you'll be able to do something without pain. 

Whether it's in fitness, family, or finances, there always needs to be a level of certainty. 

2. Variety

To counter certainty, we need variety. 

 We want the surprises that we want. 

We like to have spice in our life. 

Each of us is different in the level or type of variety, but we all need variety. 

Whether that's in your fitness, in your relationship, or in your career, as you much as you want certainty, you also want variety. 

3. Significance

We all want to feel important, we want to feel unique. 

We want to know that our boss appreciates us. 

We want to be the hero. 

We want to be in control, valued, and know that what we're doing right now is important. 

It's the small things like getting your name on the board, to getting an award at work. 

It's the recognition, the appreciation, and the gratitude. 

We all want to feel significant. 

4. Connection & Love

It could be a relationship, it could be a community, or it could be the connection with nature. 

As humans, we need to give love, feel love, and be connected. 

It's why our strongest piece at Spurling is not the workouts, not the equipment, but the community. 

People feel safe, they feel connected, and to some extent, they feel loved. 

Again, you can think of fitness, but you can also think about your career, your family life, or your personal life. 

5.  Grow

This is where the real magic happens. 

Tony believes that everyone has the first four. 

You don't survive if you don't have the first four. 

They may not be as developed as you would like, but to some extent you have them. 

The real magic is in these last two. 

Grow or die. 

We want to get better, we want to develop, we want challenges, we want new opportunities. 

We want to be able to progress. 

The drive to grow and develop is in all of us, you just need to find it. 

6. Contribute

Life is about giving. 

The happiest people in the world are not the people with the smallest waists, the biggest houses, or the most money, they are the people that have given the most. 

It's not about me, it's about we. 

Whether that's in giving back to your community, raising a family, or any other form of contribution, we all want to give back. 

The six human needs. 

We all need them, we all have them. 

However, like anything else, there are ones that we need to develop more.

Ultimately, it's these six things, not a number on the scale, not a size on a pant tag, that leave us fulfilled. 

1% Better. 

Dedicated to Your Success,

Doug Spurling

Pesto Pasta with Chicken Sausage and Roasted Brussels Sprouts

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb fresh brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and any yellowed/browned outer leaves removed, then sliced in half
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
• 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper
• 1 lb (16 oz.) orecchiette (or any pasta)
• 4 chicken sausage links, sliced into 1/4″ thick coins
• 5 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup pesto
• Parmesan cheese, for serving

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, mix together brussels sprouts, 2 Tbsp. olive oil, salt and pepper. Gently stir until well-combined.

Prepare a baking sheet with aluminum foil, then spread the brussels sprouts on it evenly. Roast for about 20-30 minutes, stirring once partway through, or until they are crispy on the outside and cooked on the inside. Remove from oven and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, turning occasionally, until nearly-browned, about 6-8 minutes. Add the garlic, and continue cooking for another 1-2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant and the sausage is browned.

Cook the pasta in generously-salted boiling water until al dente according to the package directions. Once the pasta is cooked, drain the water (reserving 1/4 cup pasta water), and then toss together the pasta, pesto, cooked sausage and garlic, and brussels sprouts. Add in some of the reserved pasta water if needed for extra moisture.

Serve warm, and sprinkle with freshly-grated Parmesan cheese.

Source: https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/pesto-pasta-with-chicken-sausage-roasted-brussels-sprouts/

Perfectly Imperfect

Did you notice?

Last week I sent out an e-mail with a typo in the subject line. 

In fact, I'm sure 90% of my e-mails have a typo or two. 

On Friday I sent an e-mail that had an older e-mail posted at the bottom. 

Each morning after I finish writing, I go in and paste what I wrote over the e-mail that went out the day before.

I must have pasted it above the previous e-mail so it read as one long e-mail, not making much sense because it was two e-mails pasted together. 

I freaked out, texted Kim, who heads up our marketing and communications, and her response?

"I think that will make a great post."

Perfectly imperfect. 

I'm a perfectionist. 

I am obsessive over every little detail, of everything.

Some call it being a control freak. 

It's how I live life. 

I have everything calculated to the penny, I never go to bed with an e-mail in my inbox, and I have every process for everything I do mapped out on checklists. 

Yet, I'm not perfect. 

I never will be. 

I've missed many of workouts, made more mistakes than almost anyone, and I never cross the street in the crosswalk. 

Sure, I think the pursuit of perfection can lead to growth, greater attention to detail, and a level of success, but I've learned to not let it paralyze me. 

Kim and I have a saying with each other...

"Ship it!"

Get it out the door. 

Finish the project. 

Done is better than perfect. 

I've sent over 1,000 daily e-mails. 

Imagine if I combed through every single one, analyzing every word.

You would never see an e-mail from me because I would never press send. 

As always, this translates to every aspect of life, especially fitness. 

Sure, there needs to be some thought, there needs to be some parameters, but you don't want perfection to stop you from taking action. 

The person that wakes up and just does something, anything, will always make more progress than the person that has the perfect plan or intent in their head but does nothing with it.

There will never be a perfect time, you'll always be too busy. 

You will never have a perfect body, you will always find something to fault if that's how you measure happiness or success. 

Perfectly imperfect. 

I just call it being human. 

1% Better.

Dedicated to Your Success,

Doug Spurling

Chicken Watermelon Tacos

Ingredients

• 4 tomatillos, husked and rinsed
• 1 large jalapeno pepper
• 1 small red onion (1/2 cut into large chunks, 1/2 thinly sliced)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken (skin removed)
• Juice of 2 limes, plus wedges for serving
• Kosher salt
• 2 cups chopped watermelon
• 11/2 cups fresh cilantro
• 3/4 cup crumbled Cotija cheese (about 3 ounces)
• Freshly ground pepper
• 12 corn tortillas
• 1 avocado, chopped

Directions

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add the tomatillos, jalapeno and red onion chunks. Cook, turning, until blistered, 5 to 6 minutes for the onion and 7 to 8 minutes for the tomatillos and jalapeno. Transfer to a cutting board; cool slightly. Chop the tomatillos and onion; seed and chop the jalapeno.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tomatillos, chopped onions and half of the jalapeno. Cook until the vegetables release their juices, then add the chicken, the juice of 1 lime and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Simmer until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Keep warm over low heat.

Toss the watermelon, 1/2 cup cilantro, the sliced red onion, the remaining jalapeno, juice of 1 lime, 1 tablespoon olive oil and half of the cheese in a bowl. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Warm the tortillas in a dry skillet.

Add the remaining 1 cup cilantro to the chicken mixture. Divide among the tortillas; top with the watermelon salad, the remaining cheese and the avocado. Serve with lime wedges.

Source: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/chicken-watermelon-tacos-3364575

A lesson from Toonces the driving cat

A few years ago, Sheila and I were at an art gallery opening (I was watching baseball on my phone) when we saw a friend of hers who had lost a lot of weight. People were commenting on her new appearance and asking her what she was doing to lose the weight. 

“Tell me me everything you’re doing,” one person said.

Her answer?

Chemotherapy. 

……….

Sheila’s friend spent a lot of time fielding similar questions before she ultimately succumbed to ovarian cancer. 

About the only thing I remember from high school chemistry is the teacher writing the word “assume” on the board before following it with the phrase “assume means making an ass out of u and me.” Last week I posted a video of Toonces the driving cat in our private Facebook group. The famous line from the SNL skit is Steve Martin saying “once I realized he could drive, I just assumed he was a good driver.” (Toonces crashes in every episode.)

Cue ridiculousness head shaking.

We make assumptions every day. And nowhere is that more apparent than when it comes to someone’s appearance. I read a similar story of a personal trainer who was judging another trainer at his gym because the other trainer didn’t look fit. That coach was also going through chemotherapy. 

Our society is obsessed with losing weight. Obsessed.

Stories like those above reflect just how obsessive our culture can be. In both cases, those people were judged - one was deemed more successful for her weight loss while the trainer was judged as being lazy for weighing more. 

Skinny = happy. Overweight = lazy. 

No. 

No. Just, no. 

There is merit to losing weight, as the process can be empowering and go a long way in promoting health and healthy habits. But making assumptions like the ones above only fuels the cultural obsession. 

We can change that

Last week, on the way to our conference, Coach Jeremy was asking for book recommendations. Doug rattled off a few, before I mentioned my favorite book. 

“Tattoos on the Heart,” I said. 

“What is it that you like so much about that book?” Doug asked, having only recently finished the copy I gave him.

I thought about it. 

The book, if you’re unfamiliar, is the story of Father Gregory Boyle, the founder of Homeboy Industries in L.A., the largest gang intervention, rehabilitation and re-entry program in the world. The subtitle of the book is “The power of boundless compassion.”

Boundless compassion. (Future blog post on this coming up.)

I love the book because it’s the story of one person who is changing the world - the world - through boundless compassion.

Here’s my point. 

We can help to change that cultural obsession with weight. And that’s why you’re going to start hearing and reading a lot more about NSV’s. 

Non-scale victories. 

Tell us what you can do.

Tell us what you’ve gained.

Tell us the happy little moments you’ve experienced as you’ve gotten on the workout wagon. Tell stories of who you are and the scars you've earned the struggles you've used to make you the person you are today. Tell us triumphs about you the person, not you the number. 

Tell us about experiences. Ask others about experience. Ask others how they feel. 

That’s a big part of our mission right now. 

Don't assume that just because Toonces can drive, it means he drives well. 

Create Your Own

Happy 4th of July!

Now as you probably know, Independence Day is a holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.

To me, aside from the displays of patriotism and the celebration of the freedoms that we enjoy, I also feel that the 4th of July is symbolic of people pursuing their dreams.

Pursuing your dreams to be the best version of yourself. 

It's never too late to be who you might have been. 

All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.

So with that in mind, I wanted to share a story with you about my first client I ever worked with. 

Back in 2007, I started working with Elizabeth. 

She was 81 years young. 

An immigrant, Elizabeth had recently lost her husband and was looking to continue her independence. 

She owned a beautiful home in Kennebunkport, lived by herself, took care of the house and gardens herself, drove herself to our sessions, and is the sweetest little lady you can imagine.

Every day I got to hear stories about coming over from Scotland as an immigrant, living in NYC with her husband who was a lawyer, and of course, her morning cup of tea and how good it was.   

I had the luxury of working with her from 2007-2015 before she moved up to northern Maine to be a bit closer to her son. 

All of our training was built around maintaining her independence. 

Her ability to climb stairs, get up from a chair, or open her pill bottles. 

Today, Elizabeth is 92 years young and still lives on her own in a beautiful lake house up north. 

She takes care of her house, drives everywhere, and is 100% independent. 

I call her every couple months to check in and see how she is doing. 

She's awesome at bringing me to tears by saying something to the tune of...

"Oh Doug, I wouldn't be here today without you. I wouldn't be able to do any of this today without the exercise we did together."

Talk about creating independence. 

That's just another example of how this "exercise stuff" is so much more than sets and reps. 

It's about creating independence. 

Everything from independence so you don't need to ask your husband for help to carry in the dog food to independence so you can live on your own at 91 years young like my friend Elizabeth.

So, as you celebrate today be appreciative for all that you have and the freedoms we enjoy.

Also, use this day to take a moment and celebrate your own personal independence due to the choices you've made to better yourself. 

1% Better.

Dedicated to Your Success,

Doug Spurling

Creating Independence

Tomorrow is the 4th of July, Independence Day. 

It got me thinking...

Isn't that what this fitness stuff is all about. 

Independence. 

Freedom. 

The ability to do things you normally couldn't do. 

Do you know how many times I've heard stories of a woman carrying in 60lb bags of dog food, so proud they didn't have to ask their husband for help? 

Or how about getting a ladder down from the hooks in the garage?

Those are what we call Non-Scale Victories, wins you can't measure on a scale. 

Independence. 

It's empowering to know you don't need help carrying those bags of mulch from the truck.

Quite often we get into fitness with goals like wanting to tone, get stronger, or lose weight...

And that's great! 

However, isn't it more about those benefits that come with getting stronger and leaner?

Independence, being independent, the need not to depend on another. 

Whether it's carrying heavy stuff, or laying the foundation now so you can be more independent when you're older, not relying on your kids to help you (or the nursing home). 

That's what it's really about. 

The feeling of confidence, feeling strong, feeling empowered, and feeling independent. 

Feeling like you can be somebody. 

1% Better.

Dedicated to Your Success,

Doug Spurling

What Bench Do You Sit On?

This past weekend I spent the weekend with Coach Kim, Coach Jeremy and 1,100 of the top fitness professionals around New England learning at one of our annual conferences. 

We took a lot of notes, and I'm sure you'll see snippets of them over the coming weeks, but one of my favorites came from a coach by the name of Dan John. 

He's a 61-year-old coach who has worked with everyone from professional athletes to grandparents, but his biggest skill?

Keeping it simple. 

He shared a lot of lessons but here was one of my favorites...

What's the difference between a park bench and a bus bench?

What's a park bench designed for?

It's there to sit, look out, and wait for things to happen, or people to pass by. 

It's relaxing and enjoyable. 

When you sit on the park bench you typically have no plan, no agenda, and you're just enjoying life, living in the moment. 

A bus bench has a purpose. 

You're waiting for your specific bus, to take you to a specific destination, and it's going to come at a specific time. 

In fitness specifically, we want to go hard 100% of the time, have super specific workouts and crush our bodies until we can't even brush our teeth the next morning. 

That's the bus bench workout. 

Specific, dialed in, not the most enjoyable, but it's going to take you to a specific destination in a specific time. 

There is a time and a place for bus bench workouts in life. 

However, most of us could benefit a lot more from park bench workouts. 

Come in, see how we're feeling that day, and do whatever our bodies are up for that day. 

Sure, you can work hard, but it's relaxing, taking things as they come up, and enjoying the moment. 

Take a look at the people that sit on bus benches...they usually don't want to be there.

But a park bench?

There's a coffee in your hand, it's a beautiful day, you're relaxed, and life is good. 

We could all use more park benches in our life, even outside of fitness. 

Fitness should be something you enjoy doing, it should be something you look forward to, not something that you dread. 

And trust me, I'm all for working hard and dialing things in during certain times, but most of us that want to feel better, look better, and move better, we could benefit a lot more from park bench workouts. 

Keep it simple stupid (KISS). 

The point of this analogy is not to say that you only should be on the park bench, or that you only should be on the bus bench, but to know that there's a difference. 

In life, during certain times, they each play a role. 

1% Better.

Dedicated to Your Success,

Doug Spurling

I'm Right There With You...

The other night I was at the front desk of the gym just cleaning a few things up and had a client walk-in, with our schedules, I hadn't seen her in awhile. 

She eluded to not being here, and how hard it is to sometimes get here with work, family, etc. 

I said something along the lines of

"I'm right there with you. We go through the same thing."

Her reply...

"That's really good to hear."

Relatable, right?

I think as fitness professionals we get this reputation that we workout seven days a week and eat nothing but protein shakes and chicken. 

People think that we never struggle, never lack motivation, or don't need accountability. 

News flash: We're humans, too. 

Last night Coach Jeremy and I went out to dinner after the conference we are at. 

It was a long day of travel followed up by day one of the conferences, I just wanted a nice dinner and a cold IPA :) 

So that's what I had. 

Oh, and to top it off, I didn't get a workout in yesterday, either. 

Now, do we want to set an example and "walk the walk."

Of course. 

But the fact of the matter is, there are certain things as humans, regardless of what we do for a living, that we all need. 

Accountability & Support.

Motivation. 

Love & Happiness. 

etc, etc.

Next week kicks off the #100WorkoutChallenge at the gym. 

The goal: 100 Workouts between July 1 and December 31. 

I'll be participating in that challenge right alongside the clients. 

I need, you need it, we all need it. 

Accountability, Motivation, Community, Coaching, Support. 

We will never not need it. 

You see it all the time when people try to workout on their own. 

1 out of 100 can do it, most can't. 

I have a fully loaded gym in my garage with everything I need, but I can count on one hand the number of times I've used it. 

We're all going through different things, we all have our struggles, and I wanted to let you know that I'm right there with you, we're right there with you. 

Yes, we aim to set the example, but we're also human too, just like you. 

All we can do is just aim to get a little better each day and keep showing up. 

1% Better.

Dedicated to Your Success,

Doug Spurling