Birthday Wishes: Triple H's Gift to Me (Updated Article)

I posted this article two years ago, but thought it would be fitting to re-post since today I am celebrating my 29th birthday - and remembering the turning point in my life - that lead me to believe I could make my dreams reality.

The Athletic Training Room documented my story and I am reminded of it everyday!

It was Sunday, January 24th, the eve of my 25th birthday and I was feeling lost with life.  As I entered the Cheesecake Factory for my Sunday morning serving shift, I continued to question the purpose of my life. I knew I was a smart girl, I went to Wake Forest, had been accepted to Naturopathic Medical school, accepted to the Peace Corps, and was applying to medical schools.  However, none of these made me light up. I knew in my heart my passion lied within fitness and nutrition. But I was paralyzed, paralyzed by fear of taking a chance.

As the Sunday dragged on, my manager asked me to do him a favor and work a double - meaning close the restaurant.  So here it was the night before my golden birthday and I am serving up some more dessert making America obese.  But the next events that happened changed my life indefinitely.

It was 9:45 p.m. and I was beginning to do the closing clean up duties, or "outs" in restaurant terminology, when I heard the host tell me I had been sat.  Tired and worn out from the 12 hour shift, I mustered up a smile and walked out to greet the guests.  Surprised to see how massive these two men were, I smiled bigger and thought to myself, 'maybe they are bodybuilders'. The gentlemen began by ordering three iced teas, 'a joiner' I thought to myself.  When I returned with the drinks, the 'joiner' had joined and was wearing a black shirt with a small WWE logo.  A light bulb lit up in my head, and I remembered that Monday Night Raw was in Columbus on my birthday.  

After setting down the drinks, I began my usual introduction, but then took a seat next to this man who had long dirty blond hair and a calm voice. I kept thinking to myself, this guy looks familiar.  But my rational mind kicked in and there was no way I would know him, I was turning 25 and the last time I had watched wrestling was thirteen years prior.  So as conversation starts, I learned that these three men were in town for Monday Night Raw.  I spilled my childhood memories to them about practicing finishing moves with my dad and brother, ordering the pay per views, and making wrestling t-shirts in grade school.  One of the gentlemen asked me who my favorite wrestler was, and immediately I said, "My favorite was Triple H."  As the words came out of my mouth, the nice man with the dirty blond hair put his arm around me and said, "Well, thank you Kelley, for making me feel old!"  I felt my heart stop, I slowly turned and looked over my left shoulder and found myself looking at my childhood hero, Triple H.

I was like a kid in a candy shop, or cheesecake factory ;)!

The rest of the evening was a blast.  The four of us talked about wrestling and I felt like a twelve year old again, without a care in the world. I had completely forgotten how stressed I was about figuring out my life.  Before the men left, they had me write down my number and invited me to the show. As I drove home that evening, I had the biggest smile.  I started to reflect on life, and its purpose.  Here is this man, in his early forties now who is living out his dream. I thought to myself, 'I bet when he was in his early 20's and said he wanted to be a professional wrestler, people doubted him.  But that didn't stop him. And now he is one of the most well known entertainers in the world."

Triple H (Paul) living out his dream for spectators around the world!

My 25th birthday will always be remembered.  Not only was I at Monday Night Raw, but it was a pivotal point in my life.  I saw the power of following your passion and I started to follow mine. Within the next week I applied to The George Washington University to complete a degree in Exercise Science and left the conventional steps of medical school behind me.

I will never forget this day!

And here I am two plus years later wrapping up my masters in Exercise Science and about to embark on another journey in the world of health policy, continuing to live out my passion for fitness and nutrition.  

This past Monday I met up with the three "massive men"to go to Monday Night Raw here in DC. By the way, Terry, Jim, & Paul (Triple H) are some of the nicest men I have ever met despite their intimidating physiques.  After the event, I had the chance to talk to Paul for a little bit.  We caught up on life, family, friends, training, and goals.  I made sure to let him know how he changed my life.  Jokingly he said, "Why? Because I ate a bad meal and you thought to yourself I don't want to be like this guy." But on a more serious note, we continued to talk about following dreams no matter how unconventional they may be, and he said something to the effect of, "You just gotta do it."

So whatever your dream, make it your reality. There is no better time than now. So many people are afraid of failure or afraid of success. At the end of  the day, the only difference between Triple H and the guy stuck in the office is Triple H did it whereas the office guy thought it.  Triple H didn't wait for the perfect time, perfect opportunity, or perfect scenario: he created it for himself. 

My lovely coworkers placed this picture above my desk.  Although it makes me laugh, it is a constant reminder that I can do anything I set my mind to!  Thank you Triple H!

Thank you Triple H for changing my life & for giving me the best birthday present: igniting my drive to make my passion my reality! 

It's been four years since I started pursuing my passion for fitness and health. It's just the beginning. Triple H didn't become the COO of an international company in four years, but he's stayed persistent and true to his purpose. You and I both can both do the same! Now, lets go make our dreams reality!  Have an #amazing day!

I love hearing from you @kelleyvargo

She's 56, What's Your Excuse?

A few months a go there was a huge controversy over the text on a fitness photo of a mother, Maria Kang, and her three children, as shown below. Frankly, she inspired me. After three kids and still having that banging physique – you go girl! Not to mention the work of the photographer, Mike Byerly, it was a great shot.

Maria Kang and her children.

Flash forward to yesterday, when I was teaching my 9am Metabolic Effect class at The George Washington University. As I surveyed the room to take attendance (it’s a for credit course), I took note of the one participant in the front row. She comes to class religiously, and she is not a student. She is Dr. Loretta DiPietro, a 56-year-old mother of two, professor, department chair, who is involved in just about every campus initiative, the GW club field hockey coach (who plays as well), works at the USDA, and still makes it a priority to come to my class every week.

Loretta DePietro at her Metabolic Effect workout.

As we approached our one-minute sprint, I pointed to Loretta and barked to my class (in good fun), “Do Not Let This Woman Beat You In Burpees!” They all knew I was kidding (partially J ) but they love working out with her. She brings an aura and an inspiration to the classroom. These students are in their late teens and early twenties; they look up to their elder with respect and conviction. Conviction that they too can live a healthy and active lifestyle, no matter how old they are.

Loretta could easily be a member of the “VC”, as JillColeman has taught me (Victim Club) stating a myriad of reasons (or excuses) why she doesn’t have the time to workout. Trust me, if anyone has a million reasons to say how busy they are, this woman does. But she doesn’t have a single one, not even her age: 56. She is not a personal trainer for her career and she doesn’t spend hours at the gym. She gets in her 30-minute high intensity Metabolic Effect workout and then heads to the office.

Why do I bring this up?

One, for inspiration.  I look at Loretta and have a role model for my life at that age. I am turning 29 tomorrow, this woman has 27-years on me!

Two, our actions speak louder than words. As much as we say want something, if we don’t make it a priority it will not get done. (Even for me, keeping up with my blog – I say I want one, but I struggle with writing consistently). This holds true for anything, not just getting to the gym. It could be a career you’ve dreamed about, a vacation you’ve wanted, that blog you’ve wanted to create.

Three, age is a number. Yes the body ages, but that doesn’t mean it has to stop you from moving. Find your niche for exercise and get it done. Use age as a privilege, your experiences in life give you greater insight and knowledge.

Let’s channel the Loretta in us, and make living healthy a life long process.

As always, I love hearing from you! Tweet me @KelleyVargo.

Xo,

Kel

Master Your Mind with Dr.Jump, Shawn Myszka

If you haven’t been able to pick up on the theme of these articles, they all tie in an element of the mind. Whether it’s making it a point to go to the gym, choosing a salad over a sandwich or doing one thing you fear a day, all of these endeavors involve the psyche. One man who has mastered his own mind, and now is consistently helping others master their own is Shawn Myszka. Former bodybuilder and now known as Dr. Jump, Shawn is a strength and conditioning expert working with NFL players in Minnesota.

Now you might be saying what does an NFL coach have in common with me? The truth is a lot. Not only are we interested in our health, but if we can take something away from Shawn about the power of the mind, we are closer to becoming our best. I am constantly motivated and inspired when speaking with Shawn and I hope after reading this article you are as well! Let’s talk to Shawn!

KV: Being an elite athlete takes a lot of work. Reflecting on your training and eating now vs when you were competing, how do they differ?

SM: My life and the day-to-day of it is drastically different these days. During my bodybuilding days, everything was laid-out. I ate the same things at the same times each day (no matter what day it was…Christmas, Thanksgiving, my b-day, etc). I napped from 1:30-2:30pm each day. I did cardio to start the day at 7am. I trained at night from 7-9pm. I meditated from 5:30-6:30pm. It’s just the way it all was. I was a machine. Now, there is not very much structure nor could there be. Depending on the time of the year (like during NFL training camp/season preparation), I may be working 14-16 hours days.

Because of this, even though I try to take care of myself and my body as much as possible, I only get to train 1-3 times a week. I honestly don’t do any resistance training anymore on a frequent basis. Instead, I perform movement-based training so I am fully and physically prepared to be able to sufficiently demonstrate exercises/drills to my NFL players. That said, I could still get under a squat bar loaded with 4 plates on each side and rep it out…the function of my training (movement-based) has allowed me to keep a great deal of my former structure (muscle and strength qualities). My nutrition has changed significantly as well. There are days where I am busy training athletes from very early in the morning till very late at night with little to no break all day long. So, on those days I may get to consume nothing but meal replacement shakes and energy drinks (sorry I am not sorry!). Then there are other days, like right now when I am traveling to go from training camp to training camp, where I have to eat a lot while on the road. None of that would’ve led to as successful of results when I was competing but it’s the nature of the beast now and it still allows me to achieve the goals for my lifestyle because those are much different now as well.

KV: How would you say your mindset has changed from your days of bodybuilding to where you are today?

SM: You know, most people find it odd when they hear that my mindset really hasn’t changed all that much from my bodybuilding days till now. There is good reason for this. Any success that I ever achieved in any aspect of my life can be traced back to the way that my mind ticks. When people find out that I used to be a pretty big dude (5’6” and 275lb in the offseason constitutes as big right?), they automatically think that I must really like the way that muscle looks, etc. That’s not what bodybuilding ever was for me.

Instead, I just always wanted to be the best at whatever I could. I just happened to have a high aptitude for the sport of bodybuilding from a very early age because of what it required from participants. But my mentality is what made me. It’s the reason I was able to go a handful of years without a single cheat meal and the reason I was able to gut-check through injuries that would’ve sidelined most human beings. Thus, it (i.e. the activity) could’ve been chess or knitting or whatever…I was just always committed to going all-in with it if I was going to do it. Thus, when I retired from the sport I just devoted the same type of passion and energy into different avenues. This is the reason why I now apply myself with deliberate effort and intention on a daily basis to my current craft of producing the most masterful athletes in the National Football League. 

KV: Now having the opportunity to work with professional athletes, what is a fundamental mental training component you instill in them in terms of a successful mindset? Are there any similarities between the average person and the professional athlete in terms of the mind?

SM: I have found that among the 1,696 athletes playing professional football (53 on each team among 32 teams), there really is very little difference in their physical characteristics compared to one another. Instead, the thing that often allows the best to be better than the rest is the substance that lies between the ears and inside the chest.

Unfortunately, pro athletes are as susceptible as the rest of us to the negative self-talk that can ensue if we choose to listen to the outside world or just look for short-term gratification from any initial achievement steps being taken. They (the pro athletes) just happen to be able hide it a little better than others through their supreme confidence (otherwise known as swag).

That all said there are definitely similarities between the average person and the pro athlete when it comes to mindset. At least there needs to be if we are all going to be able to fully realize our goals and aspirations. On the surface, the average pro athlete may appear to be wired completely different mentally. Though it is true that they hit the sperm lottery when it comes to their physical capabilities, they often have the same mental barriers that they must overcome (as I alluded to above). Fortunately, we can all do something about developing a champion mental set. I work to instill this in them from the start. Our very first training session isn’t typically physical at all. Instead, he and I sit down and talk through who it is that he wants to be…without limitation. We are trying to remove every SINGLE limit off of him and out of his mind. Being realistic is the fastest way to mediocrity. Thus, I want to know everything he wants to achieve in his life in the sport (and sometimes outside of the sport as well). This is where one’s passion and energy is going to come from…his (or her) purpose. People with that level of passion have the opportunity to change their world. So I encourage them to verbalize these sometimes outlandish goals for their lives. They are only outlandish for those that don’t have any business achieving greatness in the world.

KV: Can you tell us a little bit about your morning, when you wake up, what is the first thing you think and do?

SM: This is a great question because I firmly believe as though people can significantly impact the outcome of their entire day based on the outlook that they start their day with. I also believe that an attitude of gratitude is the only one to have if we want to appreciate our current life situation as well as attract more great things into our lives. Thus, it may sound odd, but I start each day by first being grateful for me waking for that day, everything that I am on this given day, and everything that the new day will bring. I notice that if I go without doing this, I won’t have the mindset required to keep things in perspective as the day unfolds in front of me. I then go to reminding myself who it is that I am and what it is that I want to achieve (not for that day but for my greater overall vision). I will go as far as telling myself, for example, “today I will make the best players in the NFL even better. I have a unique opportunity in front of me to impact the world.” This all happens before breakfast so by the time I hit the road I am ready to conquer the day.

KV: If you were to give us one piece of advice regarding the power of the mind, what would that be?

SM: No matter how I answer this question it is going to seem like it is filled with nothing but clichés of sunshine and rainbows. But I have found (not only in my own personal life but also with my athletes) that there really is no way to overestimate the power of our minds and what we are truly capable of if we tap into it by possessing the optimal mental attitude. Thus, my own piece of advice is to never underestimate what you are truly capable of! You will need to truly see with your unique vision what it is that you want and you can have anything that you foresee in this life. You will need extreme, unwavering faith and belief that this can come true no matter what the outside world is showing you or what others are telling you. You will need to continue following the path of your vision and belief with total commitment even if you may fail temporarily at times. And when you reach and achieve what it is that you set out for, you can and should be proud but never ungrateful as well as never content for you should realize that it is part of something bigger for not only your life but for others as well.

On that note, never underestimate yourself! Get out there an take a step toward your dream today!

Have an amazing day! See you tomorrow,

Kel

Why being THE best isn't a good thing

I have always had a motivated and driven personality. Whether it was in school, work, or training, I strived to be the best. Most people would say that is a good thing, striving to be the best, but I beg the differ. I think striving to be YOUR best and striving to be THE best are two different things.

When I was constantly striving to be the best, I found myself in constant anxiety or as a failure. I came to adopt an “all or nothing” mindset that set me up for failure almost every time. I found this mindset extremely detrimental when I began training for my first fitness competition. I was relentless on myself if I only got in one of two workouts for the day, basically I was a failure if I was only at the gym for 90 minutes instead of 120. I was a failure if I had a bite of anything off of my “competition meal plan.” Tomatoes weren’t on the plan, so no tomatoes here.

And then it came to the cheat meals on Saturday, you would have thought I was a starving child. I would eat until my heart was content, or my stomach couldn’t extend. All in that one meal. Feeling bloated and disgusted on Sunday, I would head to the track. Not taking overall in a show meant that I was a failure. It didn’t matter that I had gotten in to the best shape of my life, that I had inspired hundreds of people around me to be healthier, or that I had learned about myself along the way.

This vicicious cycle continued after the competition. I would guilt myself into spending 2+ hours or more at the gym everyday. If I wasn’t at the gym by 7 am I was already failing at the day. I was disgusted that I didn’t maintain my physique from the stage. I wouldn’t eat fruit that wasn’t on my former meal plan, I created these ridiculous standards of living that made it almost impossible to succeed.

I miss competing and I will get back to the stage, but this next time it will be a completely different person stepping foot on stage. This time I will have a balanced mindset. What does this mean? If I can’t fit in 2 workouts, I will realize it is okay. If I am out to dinner and I want a fry off of someone’s plate, I will have a fry. Not my own order, but a few fries.

So whether you’re thinking about competing, starting a new workout regiment, or a lifestyle change, release yourself now from the all-or-nothing mindset. How many times do we vow to start our new workout plan or “diet” on Monday? We slip up on Tuesday and then vow to start on the following Monday because we already “ruined” the week.  How ridiculous is this? Our health is a continuum, it doesn’t have days associated with it. Our body will not know if it is Monday or Wednesday, so you can release yourself of that! Rather, take things one-step at a time and practice moderation. If you miss a workout or eat a piece of chocolate cake, be okay with it, and move on. Do not associate your worth to a choice.

Strive to be your own best before being THE best. There are a lot of things that go on in life that are outside of our control, roll with it. Control what you can, and even if you slip up, be okay with it. Life is a journey and should be enjoyed!

Be your best today! Tweet me your thoughts @kelleyvargo

Xo,

Kel

Love your body. Always.

How many times do you tell yourself, “I LOVE YOU?” Seriously, think about it.

We are all so critical of ourselves. And not to put anyone on blast, but one of my mentors and friends is constantly calling himself “sponge bob” and “bloatamus maximus.” I thought I was the only one who stared in the mirror and criticized myself for my imperfect thighs, missing definition on my stomach, or my bunion (thanks Grandma Vargo). Want to feel the depression even more, let’s pull out those competition photos where I weighed 114 lbs and had a 9 percent body fat, yeah that can get depressing. 

Why do we place emphasis on our exterior being? Seriously, what is it? We wouldn’t walk up to someone else and say, “ Um, yeah you’re having a fat day” or “God, you disgust me.” But yet, it’s absolutely normal and okay to speak like this to ourselves? For being rational beings, we can be so irrational.  Coupled with our irrational thinking is our emphasis on the negativity. I cannot tell you how many mornings I would beat myself up relentlessly if I was not at the gym by 7 am. It didn’t matter if I was up late writing a term paper, working on a presentation, or I don’t know being social on occasion. I wasn’t good enough and if I ever wanted to have the perfect body, well I better get my crap together.

Competing was great experience and super empowering. However, the downside of it was a mental disaster! If I thought I had self-esteem and body issues before, HELLO! And it’s not to say I won’t step on stage again, but I have learned through hours of self-talk (both positive and negative) as well as mentoring from some of the best in the industry that I cannot attach my self-worth to my physical appearance.

And let’s be honest, Facebook and Instagram aren’t exactly doing us favors. How many times do you check either one to see someone else lost 15 pounds and find yourself comparing? It’s an endless cycle; well, if you let it be. You can try diet after diet, counting your calories, getting surgery, buying a new wardrobe, changing your hair, but the fact is all of these are band-aids. You might feel good for an hour or a day, but you will return back to the person you were before that change, having a disdain for your body and more importantly yourself. 

It really boils down to  loving yourself, and loving your body, no matter if you are 105 lbs or 175 lbs. Yes we can all have fitness goals and aspirations to strive for, but the second you begin hating your body, you have sabotaged your journey and your true happiness.  For there is nothing more beautiful than a beautiful soul, and beginning with that, you can take your fitness (and life) goals anywhere.

And as Sex In the City Star Samantha once said (and Jill Coleman quoted to me during a heart to heart) “I'm gonna say the one thing you aren't supposed to say. I love you... but I love me more. I've been in a relationship with myself for 49 years and that's the one I need to work on.”  We all can channel a little Samantha in our lives!

Today, I challenge you to look in the mirror and say, “I love you!” and say it until you feel it! Love your body, love yourself!

Love you too ;),

Kel

The Two Choices For Attaining A Fit Life

The number of choices we make throughout a single day is pretty amazing, I mean think about. Did you hit the snooze button or wake up for your morning workout? Did you pack your lunch or plan on eating out? Did you watch your TV after work or read a good book? So many choices! Between juggling day-to-day commitments and decisions, it can seem daunting to choose when get in a workout, and how to prepare healthy meals.

1. First things first, we have to have the right mindset. We can all choose to spend our time working out, but is this what we want to do? Take for example a dear friend of mine. She works a 9-6 job and has a daily hour and a half commute. She has been trying to lose a few pounds and get more active. Typically when she gets off work she is tired and does not feel like going to the gym.  If it is not too late, she enjoys walking, but sometimes it is not always feasible. In my mind I am like duh, just wake up 45 minutes earlier. But I realize that’s not fair, not everyone is a crazy morning person like me :).

Her and I sat down and started talking about how to work around this. I started probing a bit and found out she enjoyed taking group fitness classes offered at work. So why not start there? She decided on packing her clothes the night before so that way immediately after work she could go to the class.

Switching up her mindset to not make working out seem like a drag helped her get in workouts without dreading it!  Case in point: choose what is best for you! 

2. Choosing how you spend your time. You have the power to choose how you spend your time. And when it comes to exercise, it all adds up. Whether it is 20-40 or 60 minutes, it all counts. We all have 1440 minutes in a day, surely we can spend at least 20 on exercise. For some people 60 minutes of exercise a day seems overwhelming and impossible. I have been through some of the most brutal workouts and they have been done in 20 minutes! Think about it, the time you spend fumbling around in the morning, you could have crushed a 20-minute workout. 

I constantly remind myself that it all counts.  Being a gym rat over the years, I am used to having a minimum 90 minutes (45 for my lift and 45 for my cardio) in the gym. These days, juggling graduate school full time, working, and traveling with my boyfriend, I can spend more time in classrooms and airports than in a gym. There are days where I cannot get to the gym for a solid hour. However, knowing that I can train efficiently in 20 minutes makes fitness on the road and in school doable.

Health comes down to two choices: mind-set and time. What are you going to choose?

Let’s give everyone the tools to a great exercise mindset; tweet me your mindset mantra today @kelleyvargo #kvmindset

Until tomorrow,

Kel

The Reality... 19 minutes?

Alright, I might be repeating myself but I have to get this out. One of my first posts I wrote I mentioned that there are 1,440 minutes in a day. And I challenged you to use 30 minutes for yourself, even better to use them for exercise. But the reality is Americans use 19 minutes for physical activity and exercise... if that. My frustration doesn't stem from 19 minutes, my frustration goes a lot deeper than this. It is the very people who make health recommendations that aren't making time for exercise. Now, don't get me wrong, I know there are health care practitioners out there that DO have balance and MAKE time for physical activity. But realistically, the majority don't.

It started a few weeks ago when I was asked by my adviser, Dr. Todd Miller, to speak to the third year medical students at The George Washington University on the importance of exercise and physical activity.  Oh the irony behind this!  Just three years ago, I was grudgingly filling out medical school applications with hopes of not going.  I would say to my dad, "I do not want to be a fat doctor!" So here it is three years later and I am lecturing to the doctors of tomorrow.

I did a little research of my own before presenting and found that as of 2010 the working American exercises an average of 19 minutes a day, see a more thorough break down by checking out the American Bureau of Labor.

Action shot ... :)

I then asked the students if they exercised on a regular basis, even if it was just 19 minutes, and approximately 10% of the 90 students I spoke with that afternoon raised their hands!  I was shocked, but not really I guess. But let's step back a minute. Here I was, presenting to the Third Year medical students at THE George Washington University, located in the heart of the nation's capital, a place where policy is created, and WE cannot even find 19 minutes a day?  Really?  Is this a joke?  Ashton Kutcher, where were you? I was waiting for him to yell Punked, but that never happened.

It's the sad reality of the world we live in today.  The people that are supposed to be leading us in "healthcare" are not leading by action.  So what do you do?  Do it yourself.  Supporting my beliefs, and inspiring my voice, is Dr. Loretta DiPietro, a pioneer for the field of physical activity in  Public Health. I will leave you with a clip from her TEDex talk that I attended this past week. Warning their is explicit content, but like Loretta says, if you can't swear, you don't belong in public health.

In closing, take the stairs and take a stand! Create your own health and be the change!  Every little bit counts.  And remember, you can't change what you did, but you can change what you do!