I know that there are probably early-risers reading this, saying to themselves, “How am I suppose to get up an hour earlier? I already get up early!” Even if you can get up a half hour earlier, this equals three and a half hours of exercise time a week that you did not have before. Even a half hour a day will bring quick, noticeable results.

Note: If you do decide to work out in the morning, ALWAYS make sure that you have something to eat immediately afterwards. Your body will be craving some kind of nutrition, so be ready to give it what it wants. It will also help to further boost your metabolism for the rest of the day and avoid junk food cravings later in the day.

2. Get all of the equipment you need ready the night before. This one tip will make it much easier to consistently get to the gym. On Sunday night, or any night for that matter, put in the trunk of your car all the workout clothes you will need for the week. Get all the shirts, shorts, socks, shoes and any other items you might need for a workout. This will help you tremendously in two ways:

• You will avoid not being able to work out because you forgot your clothes at home.
  
• By getting everything ready at once, you avoid the problem of not having the time to get together everything you need for the gym.

3. Go Straight to the Gym from Work. Traffic is horrendous where I live. You can easily waste 2-3 hours a day sitting in traffic. If this sounds like your average day, avoid traffic altogether and head straight to the gym from work. The workout will serve as an excellent stress reliever and will also keep you from wasting your time in traffic, which is time that allows you to do very little but look at the car in front of you. Be more productive with your time, avoid the frustrations of traffic and get a great workout in by working out right after work.

This tip has worked wonderfully for me. I would usually leave work at 5:30PM and would get home around 6:45-7. After a while I decided to go straight to the gym from work and ended up getting home between 7 and 7:15. How? The hour and fifteen commute with traffic is a 20 minute commute on open road. I took the extra hour that I gained by not sitting in traffic and used it to work out. Technically, it was no additional time out of my day because I still got home around the same time!

4. Get a Home Workout Program. For about $100, you can purchase a high quality stability ball and a medicine ball, which is all you need for an excellent golf-specific workout at home. The Pure Power Program has over 140 different workouts designed to be done in your home using only these two pieces of equipment. The benefits to you are numerous:

• Avoid crowded gyms
  
• Have the convenience of doing a workout when you want to
  
• Have incredible variety in your workouts

Furthermore, you have to find out what works for you. I have tried so many times to get myself up in the morning to work out, but it never works for me. I just am not a morning workout person. I have my best workouts and have the most energy when I exercise after work. It serves as a tremendous stress reliever for me after a long day. You could prefer something totally different. Try different things, figure out what works for you and stick with it.

Chapter 11-Excuses Summary:

• You spend a lot of time doing things for other people. Make sure that you spend some time on yourself too.
  
• “I don’t have time” is not a valid excuse. Making working out part of your regular routine just like you do shopping or doing your laundry. After a while it becomes automatic.
  
• No matter what your situation, the Pure Power Program can help you fit in an incredibly effective golf-specific workout in a minimum amount of time.