Been doing the same thing over and over and getting nowhere? That’s one definition of insanity: doing the same thing repeatedly but expecting different results. I’m going to let you in on the secret to breaking through fitness plateaus… simply model yourself after Phil Connors.

You’re welcome. The end.

Wait, you don’t remember who Phil Connors is? He’s Bill Murray’s character in the movie Groundhog Day.

Better? Good. The bill is in the mail.

Huh? You never saw it? It was great (the first time anyway). You should watch it. It’s about a guy who wakes up and discovers he’s living the same exact day as the previous day. It’s about a guy who wakes up and discovers he’s living the same exact day as the previous day (I had to do that). He’s stuck in a perpetual yesterday and just can’t seem to get to a new tomorrow. Now that you know who he is, the movie, and what it’s all about, you’re golden!

Don’t say I never gave you anything.

Seriously? Still confused. Okay, this isn’t working… but it isn’t working by design. I’m demonstrating both the purpose of this post and violating its intent by repeatedly giving you very little information (i.e.  doing the same thing over and over again) and expecting you to come to a new understanding (i.e. a different result). See what I did there?

Are you one of those people I see at the Y who have been their same out-of-shape selves for years? If so, I mean no offense… BUT, I have to ask, why bother? Maybe you’re happy maintaining the status quo by not getting heavier. If so, I guess I can kind of understand that. But why not better maximize your effort? Why go through the motions and not make the most of your health? Why mess with getting to the gym, changing, and plodding away in slow-mo on an elliptical for 30 minutes, wiping down the machine (hopefully), and changing again to head out the door. That takes a lot of time, but for what? To keep from getting worse? Our bodies were created for so much more. But you are repeating the same day over and over again and getting the same results.

I see the same thing on the internet. There’s a blogger I follow on Twitter who gives daily updates on her weight. She’s been stuck on the same weight since I first started following her. Why would she even want to broadcast this? And based on some of her other tweets about food, I see no real effort being made to change. She’s just stuck, in the same day, over and over again and on some level, she must be okay with that.

Well, Phil Connors was not okay with it. He didn’t want to stay stuck. So what did he do?

(SPOILER ALERT!)

As he first became aware of the phenomenon, he makes bad choices (steals, seduces, goes to jail) in an effort to try take advantage of the situation. This is not unlike overeating because you, after all, deserve it from your “hard” workout earlier that day. Don’t make bad decisions to try to take advantage of the situation. Don’t be like this Phil.

When that doesn’t get him out of the time loop, Phil becomes reckless: drives crazy, kidnaps the town groundhog, even tries to kill himself. His despondency has led him to hopelessness. Don’t be like this Phil either. THERE’S ALWAYS HOPE. For 99.9% of the population, you can get the health and fitness results you are wanting if you’re willing to work at it, sacrifice, and commit. I’m not suggesting it’s easy because it’s not. If it were easy, everyone would be in fantastic shape. But I am suggesting it’s worth it.

Back to Phil, still stuck repeating Groundhog Day. When nothing else works, he’s inspired by his costar (Andie McDowell’s character Rita) to improve himself. How? By trying new things mostly. He learns piano, French, and how to ice sculpt. He learns the townspeople so well that he’s able to invest in them and even save lives.

This is the Phil you’re to emulate. You’re to improve yourself. You’re to try new things. This is partly why P90X has been so successful. Bodies plateau because they get used to things. So it’s time to change it up. I would recommend changing your workouts every 90 days, if not even more often than that depending on what you’re doing. Been eating the same way? Stop the insanity and eat healthy. Start with a good meal replacement drink like Shakeology. Learn to cook. Eat reasonable amounts. Educate yourself (which you’re doing by reading this blog) on proper health and nutrition.

Memorize the following: Change breeds improvement. Improvement breeds success. Success breeds satisfaction.

If you’re not satisfied, then get off the stinkin elliptical and hit the weights! Get out of McDonalds and get into Whole Foods! Get out of Groundhog Day and wake up to The Now!