Reflections and Resolutions

Class Schedule Reminder:
-25DEC there will be no classes
-01JAN there will be only the 9:30am class (365 Workout)
-12JAN there will be no 4 or 5:30 classes due to the CFD party starting at 5:30pm!

If you haven’t bought your tickets to the party yet, please do so here!!!

As we wrap up 2017 and head into a new year together, I have so many thoughts going through my mind: Pride from our progress and what we’ve built at CFD, reflection (both personal and professional), some (manageable) fears, anxiety from what 2018 will bring, but most importantly I have a sense of positivity and excitement for the future. I am looking forward to the opportunity to celebrate with you all and share my thoughts in person on the 12th of January, but I first wanted to address you all here as a way to reflect on the year and talk a bit about resolutions.

Heading into our 7th year of business in Dubuque—which, by the way, is the longest period of time I’ve lived anywhere and called home since I graduated high school—we have built such a strong team of coaches and staff I’m proud to call my colleagues in the industry. Our membership is at an all-time high, our staff is as keyed-up as they’ve ever been, and we’ve continued to refine our processes, discuss better ways to do things, and listened to our community to deliver a product that is a combination of what you WANT as well as what you NEED. I’m sure many of you who have been around a bit and have been paying attention have noticed our changes over the years, and they have ALL come after much discussion and deliberation. I’m very proud of who we are today, even knowing that we will continue to evolve as the needs of our community, our coaching competence, and our understanding of strength and conditioning principles will change and grow in years to come.

You all know me enough by now to know that I’m not a guy for resolutions. I think they’re 99% bullshit and I’m not one to be inspired by meaningless fluff. But, ’tis the season for the resolution pep talk, so I’m going to give it to you through my filter, and my advice is pretty simple:

If your resolution involves some form or another of ‘new year, new you,’ don’t procrastinate, make excuses, and avoid the fact that executing a plan is going to be hard. You’re going to have to dial in your food and put in effort at the gym, period. You don’t need supplements, skinny wraps (puke), essential oils, the latest version of the Nano 42.6 v2’s, $300 lifters, or anything of the sort—and anyone who says otherwise is a con artist trying to make a buck by convincing you that there’s an easier route. You can tell them I said so, and I’ll be waiting in the parking lot at 3:15 after school if they have something to say about it 😉

• Not happy with your body comp? You probably don’t need to look any further than your food. Don’t get distracted!
• Not happy with your performance? It’s your activity in the gym and your recovery (food, sleep, hydration, etc).

Do you need help figuring that all out and individualizing a plan for YOU? That’s what we’re here for! I have a whole wall of supplements, and I’ll be the first one to tell you that not a single one of you NEEDS any of it. The answers and results you’re looking for won’t be found on that wall, or at the bottom of any other bottle of pills or tub of powder for that matter. If your food, sleep, and execution in the gym sucks, your body and results will follow suit, and no amount of money spent on supplements will do a damn thing to turn that ship around. Spend the money on your groceries and a good plan—we can help with guidance in both of those areas.

That’s it. I also don’t care when you start. Want to get in gear first thing 2018? Great! I will offer this warning: Be careful of putting your ‘start date’ into the future, and don’t be afraid to really ask yourself why you’re putting it off. What’s wrong with dialing in your food today? Oh, that’s right, today isn’t convenient…but that one day in the future will work MUCH better, right? Riiiiight… Stop procrastinating and execute the plan. Putting off making a change to some set point in the future, no matter how well-intentioned that reasoning might sound to you, is the first indicator that you may not REALLY be willing to make the sacrifices necessary to follow through.

There’s my New Year’s resolution spiel—as usual, it’s not meant to make anyone feel warm and fuzzy, it’s meant to be effective and cut through the BS. You’ll either love me or hate me for it 🙂

Anyway, it’s been a real pleasure continuing to see the business and community grow, and I hope you’re all able to spend some time to reflect on the things you’re grateful for, celebrate time with family and friends, look back on successes and failures of 2017 and use all of this to make 2018 the best year yet—I know I have and will!

Here’s to our 7th year together!

—Coach Phil

Not a member? Sign up for an Intro Class today!  The next Intro class takes place on 06JAN at 1000, and Foundations starts the next week (09JAN).
RSVP to the intro class here!