Working Out and Why You Should Never Quit   by Chris McCombs

In today's modern and fast paced world, one and all want to look trim and fit. Plenty of health clubs therefore have sprang up throughout the world. Working out has become the order of the day! However the cliché here is that there are people who start their exercising with bounds of enthusiasm but when they hit upon the first obstacle, they simply quit without once thinking again about their fitness goals.

There are also people who stand like a wall not allowing any hindrance to play a spoilsport to their fitness aspirations. No matter what amount of coaxing one tries on them, their confidence never fades.

It is important to understand from a psychological angle this contrast in people. Experts in the field of human behavior offer many explanations. The main difference between these two kinds of people is their ability to explain outcomes. This, psychiatrists call the "explanatory style" of the person.

Explanatory style is simply the explanation that different kinds of people give for various occurrences or outcomes. In the context of fitness, for e.g., there may be situations when in spite of a fairly regular work out, one's body weight is not reduced. Examining the two kinds of people, the quitters would immediately explain the result saying things like, "My genetics never allows me to be thin" or "Exercising does not suit me". These explanations are negative and sadly also have permanence in the minds. The other kind of people would explain the same situation in a different way, "I must have eaten more of fatty food this month", or "I am yet to find the right diet for my kind of body". These explanations are both positive and temporary. There is scope here for change and not failure.

As far as exercising is concerned, there has been a very effective principle which many people are simply unaware of. "In working out, there is never a failure, only results". It is important for every exercising person to keep this etched in his mind for it has the ability to initiate a complete change in mindset. Failure just does not exist in exercising. Outcomes may be varied in reduction of weight, fitness levels etc. However these would just be steps towards achieving the fitness goals.

When the principle of working out is completely understood and always remembered, quitters would just not be the same! Their explanations might change and they will not give permanent negative explanations to outcomes. They will learn to say that a particular condition is only an outcome that might change with more effort.

This would be the magic of working out without giving up. People who try to see every undesired outcome as a failure would end up believing that they can never win. The self-confidence dwindles and failure becomes a reality in their lives. Therefore it is important to understand the value of offering the right explanations to outcomes. Then Quitting becomes completely avoidable!

About the Author

Chris McCombs lost 143 pounds of body fat going from an extremely obese 359 pounds all the way down to a lean and mean 216 pounds. After discovering that he loved exercise and helping other people get into shape Chris became a personal fitness trainer. You can learn more about Chris by visiting his site at http://www.socalworkout.com or by visiting his fitness mindset blog at http://www.socalworkout.com/wpblog/