Accountability

Accountable -adj

1. responsible to someone or for some action; answerable

When you begin a workout program such as P90x, and you're doing at home, alone, you're accountable to yourself to push play every day.  You're accountable to yourself to do your best every day.  You're accountable to yourself to work through the nutrition plan.  For some people, that's enough.  When I first started working out, for me, it was enough.  I got what I thought were pretty good results, but I was pretty overweight.

When I started P90x, I just wanted to do it.  I pushed play every day, except for some Yoga, but I ate what I want.  After 90 days of work, I really didn't have anything to show for it.  I justified the fact that the scale didn't move to increased muscle.  It probably wasn't.  When I started Insanity, I joined a group of folks on the Team Beachbody Message Boards who all started at the same time.  I became accountable to the group.  I wanted to earn my spot.  I shared my workouts with them.  We shared nutrition tips.  We shared tips on getting through the workouts, especially the hard moves.  Over time, about 75% of the initial group dropped off.  But for those that finished we got great results.


As I was wrapping up Insanity, I did three things that pushed my limits. 

1. I started a group on the Message Boards for people doing a P90x/Insanity hybrid.  I became accountable to that group.
2. I set a weight goal for the end of the year (3 months away) and published it on Facebook.  I became accountable to myself and made my goals public.
3. I became a coach and started taking Shakeology.  I became accountable to the people that I have pledged to help.

I ended the hybrid with a group of about 5 people who also finished with great results.  I met my weight goal on the nose.  I started to build a successful coaching organization.

When I did P90x2, I was in a large challenge group.  As a requisite, we all posted our workouts and nutrition daily.  We posted videos of parts of our workouts.  We added challenges to ramp up the workouts.  Seeing the interaction and what other people are doing to get the most out of their workouts drove me to do more.  Again, I was accountable to the group to have the best results I could get.

Now I'm in a smaller challenge group doing Asylum and we are all accountable to each other.  We are posting our workouts and nutrition daily still.  One member is really stepping up his game, and that is driving me to push harder.  I want to WIN.  I want to do my best.  I want to be a part of the best group of people who have ever done Asylum.

As a Team Beachbody Coach, I'm accountable to each and every one of my team members.  How can I ask someone to eat clean and push play every day, giving it all you have, if I'm not doing the same?  Without that push, it would be easy to dog it a little.  Some mornings, I'd rather keep sleeping when my alarm goes off at 5:00.  Sometimes, I'd rather stop at Dairy Queen and get a Blizzard.  I don't want to start down that slippery slope because I'm accountable for my fitness and the success of everyone I try to help.

Accountability will give you an external WHY for your workouts and nutrition.  You want to be healthy for you, but accountability to others will get you going to the finish line and beyond.