Julie Holl

Bobby Cappuccio is an industry leader, he writes articles for the health and fitness industries leading websites, magazines and training providers. He delivers the most memorable lectures at conferences for the largest companies and organisations, including David Lloyd Leisure, Lifetime Fitness, Holmes Place and many others.

It's my pleasure to introduce my dear friend Bobby Cappuccio....

Occupation: Passion Pilot

Where are you from/where do you live now? New York City Currently residing in San Diego

How do you keep yourself fit?

Integrated circuit training. As Dr. John Ratey of Harvard puts it ““...it now appears that this motor center also coordinates thoughts, attention, emotions, and even social skills...When we exercise, particularly if the exercise requires complex motor movement, we’re also exercising the areas of the brain involved in the full suite of cognitive functions. We’re causing the brain to fire signals along the same network of cells, which solidifies their connections.”

Not only does integrated training with a cardiovascular component increase the effectiveness in which the neural networks in the brain function, it can actually create new neurons that when coupled with novelty of experience and an insatiable appetite for learning, substantially supports cognitive function. That’s why I have a mind like a...a...what’s that thing called...anyway....

What’s your favourite fitness tool/piece of equipment?

There are many great pieces of equipment out there today (I’m sure that there is complete crap as well) but when you consider versatility and my own personal goals it has to be the Vipr. The vipr offers strength training, with a cardiovascular component and a variety of literally thousands of micro-progressions that challenges the sensory motor system in a way that not only can help me move better, but when supported by other factors in my lifestyle think better. You are the sum total of your thoughts, you can feel better, look better, but in my opinion if you truly desire to be better, you must also think better.

If you could change one thing about the fitness industry what would it be?

Focus. We are and will become as an industry what we focus on most of the time. In the past the focus has been on who’s right, rather than what’s right for the client. If you were to randomly ask ten fitness professionals what is it that a trainer does, at minimum eight will respond by detailing the tasks that make up personal training. They will respond with things like “I assess movement, design programmes, implement exercises, progress and regress based on...”, that is how we do what we do but the essence of what we do. What we do must be centered around the outcomes our clients desire. Very rarely will you here a trainer state that he or she “helps others to expand their potential of possibilities in their life and then provide them with the resources/tools to realise those possibilities.” When the focus becomes on a methodology or a guru, then we are closed off to tools and insights that may be of enormous value. What we need in this industry is a commonly shared mission and vision. Then it will be easier to look at all of the leading presenters in the industry and ask “where does this information fit and where?” With clarity of purpose I believe we will find more points of alignment than of contention. The beauty of this industry is that we have so many brilliant educators in this industry and many of them disagree with each other to varying degrees. What is the value in having numerous intelligent people who all thing the same and share the same methodology? With the growing levels of dynamic complexity in our industry what we need is a common goal coupled with innovative thinking. Innovation is largely dependent upon differentiation.

What is your number one tip to help people stay motivated with their exercise programme?

Internalize the why! When an individual finds a why he will find a way. It is never the goal but the consequence of the goal and the ensuing changes that will result in a person’s life, affecting the way he or she feels that drives behavior. Shakespeare said that “...Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds, Or bends with the remover to remove: O no! It is an ever-fixed mark that looks on tempests and is never shaken...”

Find what or who someone loves and how the achievement of their goal helps them to get more of what they deeply love in their life, and they will be intrinsically motivated. We do not have the ability to motivate someone. Motivation is simply a reason for doing something or behaving in some way. Some of our clients’ behaviors support them; some hinder them from having the life they want. What we believe influences what we thing, what we think influences our perceptions, our perceptions influence our actions and our actions affect our outcomes. If someone desires a different effect, they must set different causes in motion. That requires understanding their motives on an emotional level. If someone were to achieve a certain goal, why would that be important? What would be different in his life? Or, if someone didn’t make the changes she desires, what would they lose in life, why is that significant. It’s possible that much of what we do in life is to either experience more love or avoid losing love, either of ourselves or from others. If the intention that drives behaviors becomes our anchor to everything we do with our clients, we increase the chances of keeping them intrinsically motivated. According to the self-determination theory of behavior, it’s only when people do things for their own reasons that a positive behavior pattern is likely to persist.