Shiny Thing Syndrome

Believe it or not.

This is one of the saddest things I see. Seriously. When I see someone with what I call 'Shiny Thing Syndrome', my heart aches for them. No joke. 

What is it?

Well, It's the belief that the newest, nicest, most modern, most fancy, most shiny thing is actually what's best. 

AND.. That they will get better results from using these shiny things. 

I'm talking in the realms of fitness gyms and equipment now, but this can be related in almost any area of life. 

I know for a fact we have had people leave our gym, to go somewhere with newer equipment, a more modern look, etc..

That alone isn't the problem.

The problem is, the only reason they were looking for that newer, nicer place, is because they aren't getting the results they feel they deserve. And that somehow, some better equipment is the answer. 

My heart aches when this happens because I know the truth. I've seen it over and over again. 

The truth is, results are based off consistency to a lifestyle, effort in training, self-control, self-discipline, etc. 

These are the things that control a result. Not the equipment.

So when I see people leave gyms, or change jobs, or just chase the latest and greatest shiny object it honestly upsets me. 

Because they will end up in the same place they are now. 

Searching for an answer. Unhappy. Angry. Confused. Desperate. 

And the answer isn't 'out there'.

The answer is within.

Always. 

5 people who MUST be in your fitness circle

We all know the saying. The one about you being a result of the 5 people you hang around.

The same is true in your health and fitness journey.

Each type of person brings something different to the table. If you’re lucky enough to have all 5 in your circle…You’d be unstoppable.

1.  The Expert

You never get things right the first time. You don’t learn how to deadlift the first time you try. The expert knows how to, and they’ll correct your mistake and help you along the way. They also know almost everything about nutrition, injuries and rehab. An awesome source of information to make your journey a little more direct!

Will they annoy you? Of course. But their knowledge is something to tap into as often as possible!

2.  The Mentor

This person will guide you along the path. They will plant ideas in your mind, and make you think deeper about your health and fitness. You might find your training takes on a new path after spending time with them. And without doubt they are your go to person to cut through all the rubbish and have you thinking bigger.

What’s really important? Where should you really be directing your energy? What’s the point of it all? The mentor will have you thinking these kinds of questions and it will ultimately lead you to better things. They may even let you in on some home truths you don’t want to hear. You’ll hate them for that, then you’ll love them for it also!

They don’t need to be someone you spend a lot of time with, but they will always make an impact when you do.

3.  The Motivator

The human energy drink. This person is a constant source of enthusiasm and motivation to get after it. They typically send “let’s smash it” messages before and “awesome workout” messages after training.

The truth is some days you don’t feel like it. Those are the best days to have a motivational type person around. They won’t judge for feeling that way, but they also won’t let you off the hook.

Health and fitness is a long game. Having a motivator along for the ride can seriously help!

4.  The Savage

 You’ll need someone who inspires through action. Someone you can look at and think ‘Holy shit. They just never stop’. The savage can teach you what’s possible through a relentless work ethic and a thirst for hard work.

This mentality isn’t for everyone. But, being around someone with it can inspire you to work a little harder, lift a little more and push a little longer in a workout!

5.  The Hippie 

This is for a more well-rounded look at health and fitness. The hippie is into everything on the fringe. Organic and sustainable is their mantra and without a doubt they will annoy you no end.

BUT.. they will also make you be a little more mindful on the choices you make about what goes into your body. Their intention is truly to help you and while it may feel over bearing at times, their heart is in a good place. Keep an open mind, apply what makes sense to you and you’ll be on the path to a more well-rounded approach to your health.

Having these people in your circle will without a doubt enhance your understanding of health and fitness and make the journey a little more fulfilling.

If you don’t have some of these people in your circle, you’re in luck. We live in a time where you can find literally thousands of people that fit these profiles on social media. Look for people who are authentic. Who really life the life they say they do. When you find them, add them to your circle.

Good luck.

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Am I Fit Enough To Train At YV2?

I hear this most days.

I’m not fit enough to start. I’m not strong enough to train.

I get it. It’s HARD!

But..

If that’s you. You’re the person we want to help most.

It takes serious courage to step into an environment like ours and start your journey.

The thing is, everyone who trains here took that leap. Some came in strong and fit already and just wanted a change or to train with the tribe.

MOST were not in that boat. They were in yours.

That first step was hard for them. They took in anyways.

We are a community gym. No ego. No intimidation.

We are here to help you feel comfortable and start making life long change!

We train athletic 25 year-olds. We also train 45 year-old mothers. 55 year-old businessmen.

There is no ‘type’ of person we train. You name it, they train at YV2.

We can help. Once you’re in, YOU’RE IN!

You need to take the first step though.

Muster up all your courage and commit to a better version of yourself.

We can’t wait to meet you!

P.S – Watch the video below of why Hilary loves training at YV2.

The Greatest Legal Performance Enhancer

You guessed it….. SLEEP!

It’s crazy right?

It 100% free and it is absolutely CRITICAL to performance. I’m not talking about purely physical performance. I mean performing in LIFE!

We are the only species on EARTH who willingly forgo sleep for no real benefit. Crazy.

So how much do you need? 7-9 hours is the sweet spot. For those thinking "I’m good on 4-6 hours"… research indicates that less than 1% of the human population can perform optimally on a consistent lack of sleep. (so you might be right.. but probably not)

There is literally thousands of benefits of good sleep, and thousands of side-effects of bad sleep or a lack of sleep. If this interests you, (and it should) I highly recommend a book called ‘Why we Sleep’ by Matthew Walker. It will honestly blow your mind.

So, what can you do to try and improve the quality of your sleep?

Consistent routine.

Boring isn’t it. It seems all the good things in life come from having a routine and being consistent. Here are some tips:

-  Have a regular sleep schedule. I.e., try to go the bed at the same time and wake up at the same time. No matter the day of the week. 

-  Make the house and your room as dark as possible. (stop watching TV and get off your phone 30-60mins before sleep)

-  Keep the temperature of your room cool

-  Have a HOT shower or bath before bed

Here’s the thing.

Sleep is so boring. It’s so not ‘sexy’ that I understand why you may not take this seriously. BUT, I would encourage you to give this your attention.

It can honestly be life and death. Those who say "I’ll sleep when I’m dead" will likely reach that permanent slumber earlier than they should have and will have a lower quality of life than they could have.

NOW GO TO BED!

Much love.

Sean Clarence

Owner - Head Coach - Caffeine Connoisseur

Be the LION

I came across a quote a year or so ago, and I always find myself coming back to it.

There is REAL POWER in this one.

"the lion is most handsome when looking for food"- Rumi

Let that marinate in your mind.

To me, this is a powerful message. 

The lion was born to hunt. Looking for food is the thing it's MEANT to do. It's destiny. And that's where it looks most handsome, most natural. 

Acting on the thing you were born to do will bring to the world a side of you they have never seen before. Playing out your destiny is where you are the best version of yourself.

You owe it to yourself to spend sometime discovering what that thing is.

Go out and be handsome.

Much love, 

Sean Clarence

Owner - Head Coach - Caffeine Connoisseur

It's not JUST training - There is so much more!

As a gym owner and coach, I have daily conversations with people looking to start their fitness journey. 

The majority of people I speak to say very similar things. 

"I want to look better"

"I need to lose weight"

"I want to tone up and look lean"

But.. In almost all cases, the people who end up achieving amazing results realise, at some point along the way, that there is more to the story then looking good. 

What if training wasn't about the "before and after".

Maybe it's not about chasing a goal or a "look" that the world decided for you. 

Maybe it isn't about being obsessed with what you eat, or doing endless rounds of cardio. 

What if, there was more to the story. 

I want you to consider that it's more about you and what you get out of training. 

What if it was more about making a change for you. Making YOU number 1.

What if it was more about learning to fuel your body and have it work for you.

What if it was about finding out what you're capable of when you decide to step out of your comfort zone. 

What if you became stronger, more confident and more empowered than you ever thought possible. 

What if you used the strength you built with your training and applied that to all areas of your life??

Maybe the goals and results you think you should be chasing have been wrong this whole time. 

Maybe you need to kick some ass in here, so you can kick some ass out there. 

The best thing is, you decide. You get to decide what's actually important. Not what you see on social media, not a magazine, not your friends and not even me. YOU.

It's your story. Start writing…

Much Love.

Sean Clarence

Owner - Head Coach - Caffeine Connoisseur

Are the health 'experts' confusing you also??

Quick Question...

Do 'fitpros' make being fit an healthy seem out of reach?

Everyday my Instagram feed is flooded with so called 'fitpros' telling me the list of 1000 things I need to do to have an awesome life.

Take these 5 supplements

Drink apple cider vinegar

Eat Paleo

Sugar is the devil

Count my macros

Meditate

Wear blue light blockers before bed

Say words of affirmation

Be passionate about my job

Eat Organic food

Do the perfect exercise program

It gets really overwhelming, really quickly.

Instead of helping the average person, I actually think it makes being fit and healthy seem so out of reach. 

Most people just don't have the time, money and energy to invest in sifting through all the things they are 'supposed' to be doing to get to where they want to be. 

The reality is, the list about are all the 1 percenters. The icing on the cake. Not the cake itself. I really think most people just need a solid cake recipe and not get overwhelemed with how to decorate the cake. 

You can get most of the way to being fit and healthy following these 3 basic steps.

1. Eat real food most of the time. I LOVE a burger and a beer as much as the next man. I also don't expect that eating a burger on the daily will get in in great shape. Eat real food most of the time.. TREAT YO SELF some of the time

2. Exercise daily. It can be at a gym lifting weights, running sprints, playing a sport, walking the dog, whatever. Do 20-30mins everyday. Make 2-3 sessions a week a little more intense. Lift weights – it isn't necessary but it helps and it'll make you feel like a badass. 

3. Do things you enjoy with people you like to hang around. That could be family time, a meal with friends, a game of soccer at the park. It could be anything. The point is that part of being healthy is having fun, laughing and smiling with the people you care about. 

Be consistent with these 3 steps and you'll be feeling awesome. THEN.. you can throw in some icing and decorations if you're that way inclined. 

Keep it simple. Be consistent. Have fun.

If you have any questions on how to 'make your cake' just reply and ask!

Much Love. 

Sean Clarence

Owner - Head Coach - Caffeine Connoisseur

Action is KING

I've been thinking a lot about goals. 

Most people have them. But why do we not have a culture of people crushing their goals. 

Time after time I hear stories of people not being where they want to be, not living the life they thought they would.

I think it's all about momentum. 

People reach for the stars, and that's awesome. But they lose sight of what's right in front of them NOW. 

It's that first step that is most important. 

What are your goals? Do you want to get stronger, fitter, look better naked? Perhaps your goals are bigger and scarier. Whatever you're aiming for write it down!

Next step… is the next step. Literally.

You need to break it down into some actionable RIGHT NOW.

What could you do now that would take you closer to your goals? 

You see, in order to get to that BIG HUGE SCARY GOAL.. you need to take small steps, and you need to build momentum.

ACTION is KING..

There is a really cool book you should get you hands on called Switch by Chip and Dan Heath. 

It dives deep into changing behavior and how to achieve goals. 

They use an analogy in there about 'the elephant and the rider'

Here is a short video I created breaking the idea down.

So..

Get clear on your goals, and build some momentum by taking action every single day to get you there. 

Much Love,

Sean Clarence

Owner - Head Coach - Caffeine Connoisseur