Who Do You "Heart" ?

I love Jillian Michaels. I love Jillian Michaels like some might love a pop star. For me she even trumps those Twilight kids  (Blasphemy!!). I will no doubt buy any magazine she lands the cover on. (To be honest…and so that my husband does not give me a hard time later, I must admit I do have a softness for magazines with the Twilight kids on the cover as well....) I have bought her videos and I have contemplated her diet supplements. I have bought her books and have almost bought gear endorsed by her. When I first started really getting into weight training her book "Making the Cut" was my bible. It's a large floppy book and, Dude,  I would roll it up stuff it into my camel back, run to the gym and shamelessly follow it, a true deciple and proud of it. The other night at the gym I saw a woman come in with another lady and a guy. In her hand she held some computer print outs. What they were exactly I can't say, maybe she photocopied some workouts from Oxygen Magazine, Maybe they printed out some Crossfit workout… who knows, but they stood there reading their papers and eventually got their equipment out and got to work. And it made me smile out of familiarity. Though I am now a certified personal trainer, I have never personally used one. Before studying weight training for certification, my knowledge base was all self gathered. I read books, magazines, took mental notes not only while watching reality tv shows but while watching other people at the gym (esp. the guys) and had a lot of trail and error.  The point is, to succeed at anything you need to be knowledgeable on it. There is no shame on bringing your computer print outs to the gym. Nor is there shame in googling an exercise you don't quite understand… believe me I have done this and there are plenty of people posting Youtube Videos on everything from preforming perfect Hammer Curls to how to use that scary looking Smith Machine.  So there is no excuse for not committing yourself to fitness, even if you can't afford a gym membership or a personal trainer. So,  Find a Guru. Even three years into this I still will pick up my ragged copy of "Making the Cut" for inspiration. And yes, that is me at the gym giving the famous TV personality on the cover of such book a high five by the pull up bar. We all need heroes. Luckily there are plenty of resources out there- even Twilight inspired one's . Wolf-tastic!!  (Seriously- http://joshsgarage.typepad.com/articles/2009/11/twilight-workout.html) And then man up and take your cheat sheets to the gym. And to quote my best imaginary girlfriend Jillian, "Unless You Puke, Faint or Die, Keep Going!"