Not a lot of people know this but aerobics really did change my life.
Not in any health kind of way though so this isn’t some miracle story of how a spot of spandex wearing and getting physical 80’s style reversed some life threatening mental condition or anything.
As believe me I’m still mental, haha!
No this is a story of how one decision altered my life path and led me on towards eventual greatness.
You see with out me making this one EPIC life changing decision I wouldn’t have met my fiancé Zoe, I definitely wouldn’t have my gorgeous daughter Annabella and I most certainly would still be the moaning and groaning, stuck in the job I hated panel beater that I was.
So how did aerobics change my life then
Well back in 2009 I made the decision to take my ETM qualification, ETM means exercise to music but to everyone else it’s simply aerobics
This at the time though didn’t seem like that much of a big deal
Little did I know hey!
So I enrolled and I did my training
Unfortunately once the course was complete I failed my final exam
I was pretty p*%$£@ to be honest, I had never failed anything before!
I had put so much hard work in to it
All that effort and practice but when it came down to the final crunch I was off beat and severely lacking in confidence so it was really a no brainer why I not only stumbled at the last hurdle but literally fell flat on my face!
At the time it felt like a disaster but I had no idea that it would bring so much more to me in the future.
But first I needed to pass so I sought advice, I spoke to guys that made a living out of exercise to music classes
Lesson 1, Never be to proud to ask for help!
Though you might think you know it all, someone knows more!
Someone always has more experience and asking for help isn’t a cop out
Hell no, in fact it’s one of the bravest things a man, or women can do!
So I listened to advice, I went to classes and I took on board everything that was said then went off and practiced like practicing was going out of fashion.
Jeez, I almost wore a whole in my Mums carpet (I was living at home at the time) as I pranced back and fourth in my living room, hour upon hour over the same tracks to totally nail this whole painful routine!
Toca’s Miracle and Destination Unknown is now etched into my brain and still gives me god damn nightmares of step touches and step kicks…..
AAARRRGGHHHH!!!!
I got the help of some friends, and a few new ones too as I hooked up at weekends with some of the others that also failed the course.
After all we were all in the same boat and all of us had something we could learn from each other
So we all practiced, and practiced and practiced
I hired halls to work in, I put on small aerobic sessions with friends to get over the confidence thing
I asked an instructor to watch to give pointers
I even videoed myself so I could watch it back and see where I was going wrong
Lesson 2, Practice makes perfect!
If you practice something enough you can achieve it!
Even if you feel at the time that you can’t, believe me you can. The evidence was right there with us aerobically challenged misfits.
When we took our first exam we were bloody awful! But god damn it after seeking advice, taking it all on board and giving everything we had to practice we did it, we passed that bloody exam we did!
Probably only just but we did it!
Now passing wasn’t the life changer, no that was in failing!
First off it taught me a few lessons that have since served me well
And through the need to practice it led me one Saturday night to go to a friends 30th Birthday party and not drink, well I couldn’t risk being anything less than game fit seeing as I had a hall booked for the following day and at least 10 friends lined up to help me out with yet another practice!
And because I didn’t drink and chose to drive, I met my gorgeous fiancé Zoe.
There and then my path changed again without me even realising it
Lesson 3, the decisions we make can be life changing
You see, I got let down by a mate last minute and nearly didn’t go but as I was going to drive I thought I had best pop by for 1, show my face then slip off when the birthday girl is too drunk to notice or otherwise engaged, you know, like you do
But no I stayed, and I stayed for 1 reason alone
That gorgeous girl in the figure hugging brown dress and the long perfectly straight hair
I would like to say it was me that made the first move but nah, I wasn’t that brave, haha!
But after impressing her with my very sober ‘one day to be’ Dad dancing I gave her and her pal a lift into town on my way home and scored her number
RESULT!!!
Now that wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t have a damn aerobic practice the next day would it
HELL NO!!!
As it happened I nailed the practice that following day happy knowing I got the ladies number the night before,
man it was like I was possessed!
Nimble of foot, spot on the beat
I was finally ready!
Now during the time between failing and passing I was taught many things
But one for sure came as a bonus and it came surprisingly from one of the girls I was practicing with, the girl I giggled at for the far too healthy lunch she was scoffing on the first day on the course
You see she taught me about bootcamps and clean and lean eating.
After all that was why she needed her qualification so she could run her own bootcamp.
So born from our practice sessions I began to learn and become more intrigued by this bootcamp lifestyle and after talking to her boss I ultimately ended up running a bootcamp franchaise.
I didn’t last long though as work priorities got in the way as at the time I was still a bored panel beater and had just moved in and house with Zoe and the 2 kids
Life was stressful enough without having a second job and 3 early morning starts per week
So I quit the bootcamp thing
Not forever though as the seed had been sewed and from there Simon Anderson Fitness Training and the Energise Fitness Camp began to grow
Lesson 3, failure isn’t a bad thing
Failure doesn’t define you, in fact it can teach you a thing or 2
Failure happens for a reason, to teach you where you went wrong
It sure taught me some of the best lessons I will ever learn and its made me a better man for it too
It changed my path
I am no longer the do it all fitness trainer that I started out wanting to be
Nope, I’m now the do one thing and be frickin’ AWESOME at it fitness trainer!
And these are the principles that help me to change the peoples lives that I train
You see coming on board with the Energise Fitness Camp is a BIG decision
You are asking for someone’s advice
You’re going to come across failure but you’re going to practice and keep doing so until you succeed
Your path is going to change as you move from the slow roads of poor diets and lack of exercise to the fast lanes of weight loss, better health and increased fitness
But only you can make that decision
Only you can seek the advice needed to reach your goals
Only you can succeed in the clutches of failure
And only you can walk YOUR path
Do not wait for anyone else’s help or you will be simply left waiting!
Your destiny is in your own hands
Yes maybe some things are simply fate
But I believe 99% of our own life happens through our own choices and by us taking action
So from this moment forward, make that all important decision and go do it as its never to late to change your path to a better future!
But only you can do it my friend as no one else can walk your path for you
Dedicated to your health and fitness
Simon ‘Love At First Sight’ Anderson
P.s I’ve always got room for one more if you would like to join me on my next fitness camp, click the link, get signed up and make the change! Here’s the link http://simonandersonfitness.co.uk/energise-fitness-camp/
P.p.s if you enjoyed this post then I would be honoured if you would click one of the share icons and let your mates enjoy too, alternatively please leave a comment as I love comments!
Loved your post – congrats on your successes. I have just recently failed my ETM practical and am devastated. Still having trouble finding the 1 unless I count through. Do feel that I just ‘can’t do it’ and don’t think I’ve ever been this defeatist!! But need to shake it off and get practicing. Thank you
Hi Jools, thank you for reading my post and I’m sorry to hear that you failed your ETM practical.
I felt just like you did but this is what I did. I practiced and then I practised some more. I arranged groups and hired out halls to practice in a real life senario but the biggest thing that helped me was recording myself as I practices so I could look back and see what and where I was going wrong
Also, I consulted someone in my area who was a body combat coach and did some of his classes, his expertise helped me to finally put it all together
Good luck with your next practiced, I wish you all the best in your success
Simon