You've undoubtedly seen our trademarked tag line over and over. Maybe you're sick of it. Oh well, that's your problem. But it really does sum up our attitudes here at Rhino Fitness. Because basically we are asking what you would be willing to give up in order to achieve that which is important to you. Because by defining exactly where that line lies, yo will know just how much you really want to reach that goal, whatever it is.

Which leads me to wonder, why are some people so unwilling to give up anything to improve their lives or themselves? I've heard it said that the definition of insanity is doing the same things and expecting different results. I have had numerous people come to our studio and ask what they have to do to lose the weight. When we tell them about the lifestyle changes that are necessary, including dietary, their eyes glaze over and they begin to look off in the distance, as if picturing the cream puff, pizza or 12-pack that they are going to have to give up. Then they tell us that they will "stop by later and join up." We both know what this means. It means, "See ya! I'm not ready and/or willing to give up those things, so I'm outta here. And how dare you ask me to do that anyway?"

I had a prospect stop in the other day and inquire as to what we offered to get him back into shape. We offered him a tremendously good deal on a great membership package, and he knew it. It was impossible to resist. Yet resist he did. He let us know that he would get paid on Wednesday and would be in then to seal the deal. When I told him we could get started and then just settle up the debt later, he indicated that he would rather wait until he got paid. And I never saw him again. Well, actually I did see him again: coming out of the liquor store in our complex carrying a 12-pack under each arm. So, exactly what did he think we could do for him? Perhaps wave a magic wand that would allow him to drop loads of unwanted fat all while continuing to guzzle uncounted hops- and malt-based beverages at his heart's content? And for free? Sorry, dude. It just don't work like that.

So let me ask YOU. How bad do YOU want it? What are you prepared to sacrifice in order to get yourself into shape? Nothing comes without a price, you know. What's yours? Have you been able to decide for yourself just how serious you are about losing the fat? If so, if you are serious, if you think you are finally ready to get your body back, if you are finally ready to have your significant other appreciate your shape once again, if you are sick of your clothes just not fitting the way they should, then you are ready to Meet The Rhino. Give me a call and I will personally get you started and guide you through your journey back to good health.

There's a lot of buzz lately about the recent study that shows women are not exercising enough. It indicates that women should be engaging in an hour of exercise three days a week just to MAINTAIN their weight. I'm not going to go into how this is really not news, and that this is really something we all knew all along, but I will say that I definitely do agree that women, and people in general, are not exercising enough.

We spend the better part of our days at our fitness facility talking to women (and men) who have gotten to that place in their lives where they are tired of being overweight and out of shape. Let me tell you that I fully understand how that feels. I thought that I was in pretty decent shape until my doctor told me that I was headed for a heart attack. What an eye opener! All of a sudden, I began to realize that I had been fooling myself into believing that my health was just fine.

So, where do you stand? How's your health? While you ponder that, let me enlighten you with the following facts. These are just a few benefits of regular exercise:

• Reduces the risk of dying prematurely
• Reduces the risk of dying from heart disease
• Reduces the risk of developing diabetes
• Reduces the risk of developing colon cancer
• Reduces feelings of depression and anxiety
• Helps to build and maintain healthy bones, muscles and joints
• Helps older adults become stronger and better able to move about without falling
• Promotes psychological well-being
• Helps to control weight, build lean muscle mass and reduce body fat
• Prevents or delays the development of high blood pressure and helps reduce blood pressure in adolescents and adults with hypertension
• Helps release stress

I make this plea to you now: get real - be honest with yourself and really take a good, hard look at your health. Stand back and look at your condition as if you were analyzing someone else. Go ahead, be critical, this is one time when it is completely appropriate. Don't lie to yourself and say, "I'm in good shape considering [fill in the blank]." Don't make excuses. Outside of teetering on the brink of death, there really is no good excuse for not exercising, and even then I'm sure I would be doing everything I could to not slip over the edge. Regardless of your condition, you could be doing something. If your health is not where it should be, make the decision NOW to do something about it. Give me a call (951-283-9473), or stop by our place (4300 Green River Road, #114, Corona, CA 92880) and let's talk about getting you back where you should be. Every day you wait is a day you are not improving. Also feel free to visit our website for motivation.

Try starting a new business. Or better yet, open a new location for your existing business. Or even better still, open your first location for your business. I have to admit, I don’t think I have ever had this much going on at one time. And to make things even more interesting, we are opening in less than two weeks! How’s that for pressure?

I’m not complaining, not by a long shot. And I’m no stranger to pressure and pushing myself beyond my own limits. It’s just that it all looked so simple on paper. In reality, sometimes contractors don’t show up on time, or finish when they said they would. Sometimes materials are late, or wrong, or just plain don’t go together the way they are supposed to. Sometimes the original price the vendor gave was before he knew about “the extra work that would be involved” and the new price is almost double what he first quoted. And sometimes there is just two pieces short of enough material to complete the project and an entire case needs to be ordered which will take a whole week to arrive, just for those two pieces.

Then of course, there are the long days at the suite coordinating things and just plain doing a lot of the work yourself. There are bruised knees and sore lower back from installing flooring. There’s dust in the eyes from changing out ceiling tiles that are probably hiding the treasures of Tutankhamen. And for some reason, it seems that there are scissors and utility knives out there just waiting to nip off another piece of my fingers at any opportunity. (I swear, the FBI is going to have to take a whole new set of fingerprints, because my fingertips have all changed.) And all of this while trying to maintain a schedule outside of the preparation for things like client appointments, networking, workouts and of course, sleep.

I had a guy stop by yesterday while I was gluing down some random pieces of flooring, and ask when the place was going to open. I told him the 27th. “Of February?” he asked with raised eyebrows. “Yes,” I replied, ”February.” His astonishment only became more astonish-er when he asked who the owner was, and I raised my hand. Yup, I’m doing the labor, so what?

But it will all be worth it, I am positive. When we fling open the doors on February 27th and people are clamoring and pushing each other aside to get in, all while screaming things like, “I want to “meet The Rhino!”” it will be a job well done. Ok, maybe I’m fantasizing a little, but you get the idea. And I think that we are going to be offering such a wide spectrum of services, that we will be able to help a lot of people. And I can’t wait.

On opening day, we will have some vendors offering their services, we will have some demonstrations of our classes and some products for sale. Of course, we will be signing people up for classes and programs. So, in other words, don’t miss it! We are looking forward to seeing you there! And then you can see how all the hard work we have put in thus far has all come together!

The holidays are over and long since gone. Eggnog, ham and luscious desserts are just a memory now. But the results have lingered on. You decide you need to do something. You need to kick the fitness routine into high gear start getting ready for summer. Your choice? Boot Camp! Yes! Everyone is doing it, it must be fun. You think you'll give it a shot. Heck, the mom next door is doing it, how tough can it be?

Let me warn you. Any fitness boot camp worth the entry fee is going to be tough. Like the training from which it borrows its name, boot camps are not for the faint-hearted. If you haven’t exercised in awhile, or never exercised, you may want to go through a short preparatory program before entertaining the idea of subjecting yourself to the rigorous routines that are usually found in boot camps.

That said, let me also say that if you are ready, there is nothing quite like a fitness boot camp to jump-start your motivation to get into shape. If you are fully prepared, the boot camp may be just what the doctor ordered.

And you can survive. Here’s how.

1. Join with a friend. Misery loves company. But more so, if you have someone to go with, you are more likely not to miss a session and you will be able to motivate each other.

2. Stay hydrated. Keep a bottle (or two) of water with you at all times and use it. You are going to need it, and if you get dehydrated, your performance and your health may suffer.

3. Push yourself. When the instructor demonstrates an exercise with differing levels, push yourself to the one just a little more difficult than the level at which you would feel comfortable. Of course, if it’s too tough, or you feel dizzy, lightheaded or short of breath, back off or stop.

4. Change the way you eat. You will be burning a lot more calories than your body is used to, and this is good for weight loss, but you must also fuel your body to be able to endure the rigors of the boot camp. Ask your trainer how you should be eating for the duration of the program.

5. Continue training. After you have completed the boot camp and gotten your little certificate or whatever, it’s not over. You will need to continue training at or near this level in order to maintain your condition. In addition to your regularly scheduled workouts, you may want to give yourself two or three days a week of intensive boot camp style exercise. And the good thing is that most of the exercises you learned in boot camp can be done on your own almost anywhere, so you probably won’t need to sign up for another boot camp just to accomplish this.

There you have it. You are now ready to join the ranks of the elite boot campers. Prepare well, train smart and you will survive. See you on the other side.