Faith and Fitness: Life’s Non-Negotiables

The Story of Bill Arnold

“Try your gimmicks if you must, but I promise you the truth is in the basics. Make it fun. Be creative. Challenge yourself, but also cut yourself some slack.”

My buddy Bill is one of the funniest guys I’ve ever met. He’s on the road all the time, but he’s managed to make his health and his faith the two top priorities in his life. Here’s his story and advice in his own words:

“I think Allen Konigsberg said, ‘90 percent of life is just showing up.’ That's pretty simple! Invite discipline in (show up at the gym and actually work out) and watch it act like your best friend. Discipline gets a bad rap, but it’s really our pal! Discipline liberates us. If you have the discipline to train hard, you have the freedom to enjoy a strong body. If you have the discipline toeat well, the energy you get gives you the freedom to live life to the fullest!

“In my business as an actor and magician, I need all the energy and strength
I can get to grind out seven shows a week doing physically demanding comedy. But I have a ton of excuses not to stay disciplined. (Like, it's Tuesday.) Last year I was on the road for 26 weeks. It can be stressful being displaced from the comforts of home, church, family, and friends. Finding yourself hungry in an airport, lost in a city trying to find a gym, or just flat out lonely, can eat away at your will power to stay focused on the goals you’ve set for yourself.

“I have little daily goals I call "non-negotiables." Unless it's a rest day or a predetermined time off for recovery, getting in a workout for the last 26 years has been a non-negotiable. I don't make excuses, I do it. It’s a lot like prayer and my desire to be connected to Jesus, my source of strength. My prayer life is another non-negotiable.

“I encourage you to develop your own non-negotiables. Maybe one is to tell your spouse every day that "I choose you and I love you." Maybe another is like mine — to work out and pray every day. Maybe you’ll have a non-negotiable against gossip or pettiness, or maybe you’ll have a non-negotiable to be your own best friend. Building these disciplines and sticking to them will be a huge boost in your life. Remember, discipline’s your pal!

“The first thing you need to do is get good information. When it comes to fitness, Clark has helped me gain perspective and face reality! There are no short cuts, and there’s no fooling anybody (tough words for a magician to hear). Hard work plus diet and exercise is the only route to a better body.

“Try your gimmicks if you must, but I promise you the truth is in the basics. Make it fun. Be creative. Challenge yourself, but also cut yourself some slack. Don't obsess about the little things you don't like about your physique (like no quad development, phantom calves, minimal size with little definition in your back, pecs, and shoulders). So you haven't put a millimeter on your arms in the last ten years — anybody can have an off decade! Not everybody can look like Clark, but you can put your mind to it and (without sounding too sappy) be the best you can be. And that's a thrill!

“At 44, it's still fun when someone guesses my age to be only 43 and a half! I love the challenge of changing my physique through diet and exercise. It's a huge battle to effect a change. Your body fights to stay where it's at. So be smart about your nutrition, training, and rest. Stack the deck in your favor! Be encouraged. Train for a lifetime, don't set it up as a quick fix. You might become disillusioned and write if off as something you can't succeed at. When you’re traveling, be innovative! Some of the best little exercises I’ve discovered or invented have come as a result of having limited equipment. Don't walk into a poorly equipped hotel gym and get discouraged. Get inventive! You’ll have to if your goal is non-negotiable!

“Clark has inspired me with his encouragement, and by the knowledge that he shares through his articles, TV shows, videos, and books. He’s easy to admire because of his no nonsense approach that says with the right tools and the right attitude you will be a success.

“Thanks Clark, for leading by example, being humble about what God has blessed you with, and providing the most readable stuff on the fitness market.

“Oh, by the way, Allen Konigsberg is better known as Woody Allen. I'm a magician — I had to try to fool you at least once!”