By David Tepera, May 29, 2019

This past weekend, we all celebrated the courage of countless soldiers from the past to modern day. This was a special day for my family for we lost my oldest son Specialist Dustin Ray Tepera, who served in Iraq.

I’m sure about every person knows or has relatives who served or are serving in this great nation.

There are many days I walk into the gym thinking how fortunate I am to be free to choose things I love to do. The freedom of choice to be productive or not, occupation, religion and political views.

Think about it, your current status is from all the choices you’ve created. But, how is this so because no one made those decisions for you?

We must take this time to celebrate those who’ve lost their lives and are currently laying their lives on the line for all of us.

Whenever I see someone acting like an idiot, I comfort myself knowing that soldiers like Dustin allowed you to be that way. You just become spoiled to the best nation in the world and don’t recognize the opportunities before you.

Years ago, when I realized that my destiny was totally up to me, I started the journey to not only be a role model for my kids but to change all those around me. I recognize that my time on earth will one day come to an end. How will I be remembered?

My dad created a strong sense of pride in the Tepera name through my sister Karen and I. It was up to us to continue our legacy of strong work ethic and respect for all.

If you’re struggling with your own identity, make today your journey to become a better person and reach out to help others. You get to create your own memorial. How will people remember you? Hopefully, as someone that changed lives and could be counted on in all aspects of life.

So, remember, next time you see a soldier or veteran, shake hands and thank them for keeping you free. I promise, that will be a memory both of you will never forget.

By David Tepera, May 23, 2019

I once read, “if you think I’m expensive, hire an amateur and see what that’ll cost you.” I believe we can all relate to that statement from multitudes of past experiences.

Being in the health and fitness industry, many of our clients come to us from bad experiences with other trainers.

Now, don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of great trainers in our local area, just find the right fit for your goals.

A good example is from our 58-year-old client, Tom. He went to multiple training gyms and observed the different exercise programs, training styles and personal traits of trainers.

You see, Tom had a shoulder issue, along with biceps and meniscal repair. He is not one to be jumping on boxes, lifting weights on balancing objects and so forth. Which, all this led him to our Ageless Muscle program.

So, really, my question to you “what is your worth?” It’s similar to buying a house. To one person, a particular house is the exact fit for the family. To another, the house could be too small, too big or just the wrong neighborhood and school district.

For the right-fit person, this house is worth all its value. If not, the house is worthless. Make sense?

Now, you must ask yourself “am I deserving of my paycheck, do I give full effort in practice, as a parent, husband, friend or co-worker?”

How are you as a person? Do you treat others with respect, do you contribute to society, do you put a hand in or only a hand-out? We must answer these questions honestly about ourselves.

Maybe, you’re content with your current status and would rather fly below the radar screen. Just know, you’ll always be stuck in that same position with no growth, while everyone else is flying by you towards success.

Hopefully, today is a wake-up call. It’s time to take pride in yourself, break the bad habits, change your social circle and project the real person hiding inside you.

We all possess goodness. It’s time to make it part of your daily character. Believe me, the world will beautify before your eyes. You’ll see the beauty in others and realize how awesome you truly are.

So, take a hard look in the mirror and ask yourself “What is my worth?”

By David Tepera, May 17, 2019

One of the biggest rewards from our business is the thrill from clients as they reach weight training goals. Everyone loses fat, but the muscle size is exciting.

A common statement we hear “I know my muscles are getting bigger, but these workouts are getting harder.” My response, “just because you get stronger, doesn’t mean it gets easier; it only gets better.”

If you put some thought into it, weight training is very similar to life. You must keep pushing forward for continual growth. If you don’t, you’ll plateau, get stuck and stop growing. Success doesn’t come easy, but drive and desire will get you there.

When you’re attending school, each semester’s courses get a little more challenging, but your knowledge will continue to expand.

Those of you who’ve experienced martial arts, with each belt level, techniques and training become more advanced. Of course, the ultimate goal is to accomplish a black belt.

How about marriage? After the honeymoon’s over, each year can become more challenging, especially when you have children. But, maturity, growth and love should strengthen relationships. Recognize when you need to step up your game and appreciate each other’s efforts.

One of the many benefits of weight training is the building of confidence. We get to witness our clients exceeding in other areas of their life.

Forty-eight-year-old Mark is training to compete in his first physique competition. Another client, suffering from PTSD, is now interacting with the world, and has started the process to get her realtor’s license.

Hopefully, at this moment, you’re reviewing your own life. No matter your current situation, if you’re not growing, you’re falling. Don’t let this world pass you by. You’re never too old to grow. The majority of our client base is from mid 40s to 70s, and they are all creating new paths of success.

Whatever your circumstances may be today, keep your head up and just grind it out. Because, just like weight training, as in life, it might seem harder, but it’s really only getting better.

By David Tepera, May 1, 2019

One of the many lessons from youth sports is teaching kids about teamwork. If you’ve ever watched a little kid’s soccer game, it’s typically 20 kids bundled together trying to kick a ball. But, there’s always that one kid who has more skills than others who scores all the points.

When I coached my children’s youth soccer teams, I would set up cones on the practice field with position boundaries. They were only allowed to play within those cones. From this, each player learned the importance of teamwork in order to pass the ball down the field.

In all sports, throughout each season, as our children get older, they will develop better skills for specific positions. Each one of those positions requires full effort in order to maximize teamwork.

We’ve all heard “a chain is only as strong as the weakest link.” Of course, this relates to not only sports, but other aspects of our lives.

Which department of your company is slowing progress? Who is the salesperson not hitting their numbers? Which spouse is not holding up to their commitment of a partnership? As you can see, the list is endless, but hopefully, you’re not the reason.

Are you the person we can count on? Do I want you in the fox hole with me? Does the team know you’ll hit your blocking assignments in order to score?

This also pertains to leadership skills. Do you lead with determination, respect and integrity? True leaders lift people up, not put them down. When you can build a winning mindset of others, it will create an exciting environment to work.

I know a company who spent an enormous amount of money to train 32 sales people for an intricate surgical device. But, the new VP of Sales started treating everyone from a dictator perspective, so quickly, most left to work for competitors.

Henry Ford was one of the wealthiest businessmen of his time. One of his famous quotes is “if everyone is moving together, then success takes care of itself.”

Now, today is your decision to step up your game, create success through teamwork and go out in this world to prove you’re the one we can count on.