Two Turns from Zero Read online

  DEDICATION

  I dedicate this book to my junior high school “Boys Sports” PE teacher, Mr. Bob Hunter.

  His countless classes taught me that my body would be the greatest

  tool I would ever own, that physically “learning” how to fall was a

  thing, that quitting was not an option, that I could still play even

  if I didn’t feel great, that exercise was medicine, and that being the

  only girl in a boys-only class meant I could believe I was destined

  for greatness.

  CONTENTS

  DEDICATION

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  INTRODUCTION: FIND YOUR ULTIMATE CENTER

  PART I: MOTIVATION ONE: FINDING MY TRUTH

  TWO: THE POWER OF PURPOSE

  PART II: INTENTION THREE: SETTING YOUR INTENTIONS

  FOUR: DEFINING YOUR GOALS

  FIVE: CREATING SPACE FOR CHANGE

  PART III: ACTION SIX: LOVE

  SEVEN: EAT

  EIGHT: TRAIN

  NINE: REPEAT

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  CREDITS

  COPYRIGHT

  ABOUT THE PUBLISHER

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  I could not have written this book without the help of Karen Moline. She helped me organize my “Post-it note” thoughts and showed me what parts of my own story would be interesting and would fit within the message I wanted to send about fitness and motivation. Her insights are found on every page of this book, and I can’t thank her enough.

  “You can’t get what you want by always taking the easy path.”

  INTRODUCTION

  FIND YOUR ULTIMATE CENTER

  Imagine you have the control and motivation to change the direction of your life . . . today, now, in this moment.

  Imagine that today you cross over into a new level of creative thinking that sends you marching toward outrageous personal success.

  Imagine you’ll finally live the dream you always wished could come true. Imagine yourself finally embracing a physical method, combined with some amazing visualization techniques, that increases your self-motivation and provides you with a greater sense of inner calm, spirit, joy, and love.

  Would you be willing to take a look?

  That’s what you will find in Two Turns from Zero. This is not only what I tell my students at SoulCycle—to crank up that resistance knob to a place where they can push past their personal best. It’s also what you turn when you go from zero—a blank page full of possibilities—into a whole new world of physical and creative self-discovery.

  The first turn is to deal with the stuff going on in your head (the what, why, and when you want to change your life—we’ll get to that later in the book).

  The second turn gets at how you’re going to take the good ideas you have about yourself and your future and turn them into the kind of action that will always get the results you want and need.

  And the whole thing together—Two Turns from Zero— is my life mantra:

  You can’t get what you want by always taking the easiest path. So turn it up Two from Zero, and let’s go . . . Are you ready? Come on!

  I am a Senior Master Instructor at SoulCycle in New York City, and I’ve taught to sold-out classes all over the country. My students have joked that it was easier getting into Studio 54 in its heyday than it is to get into my classes. These classes have become so popular because my students know they’re going to get my unique mix of a hard-core workout for their bodies and my even harder workout for their hearts, minds, and spirit. I don’t mess around, and not a minute is wasted. And they know it.

  I’ve been at this for more than two decades, so I’ve mastered my coaching style. I’m flattered when people say I’m the Tony Robbins of exercise: a combination of the mindful focus of Deepak Chopra, the exuberant high energy of Kelly Ripa, and the cool sexiness of Pink. When I teach from the floor, I become a combination of comedienne, spiritual guide, motivator, and “entertrainer” (a phrase I coined when asked to describe myself!).

  Me and O

  Those comparisons make me blush! But I do know I know how to motivate my students. It all comes together through my highly charged blend of music, positive mantras, and intense exercise sequences. I expect their butts to be up off those bike seats. That’s what gets their abs taut, their triceps firm, and their hearts pumping—and it’s what triggers that deliriously wonderful explosion of endorphins.

  Most of all, I know my students are there to give it their all—and they want the same from me. They expect results. They demand results. So do I.

  I wish I could say I was born knowing this, but I learned what works the hard way. The very hard way. Looking at me now, it’s hard to believe I was once a drug addict, an alcoholic, a smoker, a liar, and a very sad and messed-up person. But I was.

  What saved me? Exercise. It made me accountable to myself by teaching me how to feel strong. But I don’t mean just on the outside. It got to me in a deeper way by showing me how to have a healthy relationship with myself. The strength of my muscles empowered the strength of my feelings, thoughts, hopes, and expectations. And exercise also became a time when I nourished myself by being with other people who had the same goals.

  It’s hard to define exactly what happens when a group of people get together and move, but there’s a shared momentum and motivation that drive everyone forward, and everyone feels bonded in the process. I found it invigorating, and it helped me run toward the life I craved and to stop making excuses.

  I will say more about this later, but over time, exercise helped me turn my life around. And believe me . . . you can, too.

  In my life today, I lead a posse of students who are dripping with sweat and filled with adrenaline after each class. And as a result, they are happier, more relaxed human beings than they ever have been before. Yes, they are physically stronger because I push them to get results they never thought they would achieve. But while they were on that journey to getting there, I helped them see an emotional strength in themselves that they didn’t know was possible. What they discover is a side of themselves they never knew.

  By getting in the best shape of their lives, they merge the joy of physical movement with personal goals and fulfillment. They discover that they possess a potent power to speeding up their journey toward their goals and dreams.

  Two Turns from Zero is here to teach you how to harness that power, at home, in your own time. This book is your private coach, and with it in your hands, you will embark on your own personal journey of transformation. You can do this on your own. No bike necessary! No gym needed! Or you can do what I did and find your squad while you pull it together at home!

  To help you on your way to mastery, I have an approach I call LET. It stands for Love, Eat, Train. And just like the shampoo instructions, I add in the word Repeat because you’ve got to do it over and over again if you want it to work. If you follow LET—with lots of repeats—you find what I call your Ultimate Center. We all strive to live inside this centered place—where we are strong and laser-focused. In this Ultimate Center, we achieve the balance of core emotional strength we all need to face whatever crap life throws our way. Being there keeps us stable, sturdy, happy, healthy, and fulfilled, even in the face of unexpected heartache or problems.

  A lot of exercise teachers and coaches tell their students that the way to feel better about themselves is to change their outside appearance. I don’t buy that approach. It’s never worked for me, so I don’t see how it can work for others. I believe exactly the opposite—true change comes from the inside out. Sure, we all feel better about ourselves if we’re happy with the way we look. But people don’t really change the way they look until
they feel different deep inside.

  Only then can you achieve lasting results that will take you to that Ultimate Center. And now we’re back to taking two turns from zero. As you’ll see in this book, it takes more than just a resistance knob you turn on an indoor cycling bike to make you push harder.

  Two Turns from Zero is about discovering that working out isn’t just the key to athleticism or stronger muscles. It’s about having a new relationship with yourself. The kind of relationship you enjoy being in.

  I’m also going to introduce you to one of my favorite sayings. It’s something I call AOA—Adult-Onset Athleticism. I love it because it means you can become an athlete at any age, and being an athlete doesn’t mean you have to be involved in team sports. (More on this when I get into training later in the book.)

  I’ve written this book because so many people are filled with a desire for change, but they can’t stick to the action plan that will bring them long-lasting results. I have been starting my classes with “Two turns from zero” since I began teaching indoor cycling in 1996. It stuck, and it resonates. It’s a metaphor for my life. I want you to use it to help you discover what you need. I want you to figure out what movement turns you on so you’ll stick to it. When you find it, it will keep you motivated for life.

  By the time you finish reading this book, you’ll be using my coaching strategies to figure out who’s really calling the shots in your life. I’ll ruin the suspense: It will be you! (Don’t worry—you won’t be alone. We’ll get to your all-important squad!)

  Following the steps I’ve laid out in this book will give you the confidence to say, proudly, that you’re the one to get your life flowing. You are the one who gets you through every challenge you face. It’s about believing in all your talents and abilities. It’s about becoming emotionally strong and resilient—that is what allows you to get into the best shape of your life.

  All you need is the right coach. I’m here jumping off the pages with my fist in the air, cheering you on—with fresh ideas and methods that work. Let me entertrain you!

  I’ve taught thousands of students since I started my coaching career, which began in earnest when I fell in love with the indoor cycling bike and became an instructor in 1996. Then, in 2006, I met Julie Rice and Elizabeth Cutler, and they told me they wanted to create a yoga-based spiritual journey on the bike—what became SoulCycle—and we just clicked. They saw how I taught—a unique method based on my instincts, my previous teaching experience as a fitness instructor, and my cardio-party attitude. We gave riders the freedom to dance on the bike. Our movement, passion, and formula had never been used before, and SoulCycle quickly expanded from one ground-floor-lobby studio that had a rickshaw in the front so people could find it to the most popular indoor cycling chain in the world, with thirty studios in New York City, almost twenty in Los Angeles, and many more to come.

  When the SoulCycle craze hit, everyone tried to understand its secret sauce. Why were hardworking New Yorkers hovering over their computers every Monday at noon, vying to secure a bike in a class with their favorite instructor? It was due to the entire experience they had in our classes. It wasn’t just a hard-core workout for their muscles. Riders left feeling uplifted and transformed in every possible way.

  They may have come to class wanting a firmer butt—and they got it!—but they soon learned that firmer resolutions needed to change as well. Students come to class with all the challenges and stresses of their lives. Some are in mourning, or they are coming from a chemo treatment. Others are in the ecstasies of love! I also have students who come to me determined to finally lose those pounds they’ve struggled with all their lives. Or some just want to shed the baby weight or look buff for a special event. I see my students pedaling hard and feeling the joy that comes from exerting their bodies and pushing themselves further. But most important, they tell me how they are able to translate this feeling into making real changes in dealing with their lives.

  I push them because they come in wanting to be pushed. They make me so proud, because they prove that easy doesn’t change you. You change through determination and hard work.

  If you take the time to think about the difficult decisions you’ve made in your life, you will realize how much stronger you were after making them. Now you can look back at what you endured and tell yourself, “Wow, I can’t believe I got through that. Look where I am now!”

  I also learned that to be the most effective teacher possible I had to get off the podium bike. I walk around the room now, keeping my eye on everyone. This way, I feel the vibe. I can correct someone who may be having an off day, or I can help someone reach higher. With this laser focus on teaching and coaching, I can be the “Entertrainer.” All my teaching comes from love, empowerment, and laughter, helping my students learn how to enjoy the power of movement while keeping mental negativity from getting in the way.

  I want my students to come right up against themselves, to pedal hard to the top of the mountain . . . past fears, insecurities, bad habits, procrastination, self-criticism, and indecision . . . to come down the other side into the clear stretch of accomplished joy. “Two turns from zero” is a metaphor for beating the challenges we are trying to push past. It’s facing and overcoming the issues in our tissues—the deep-seated memories and learned behavior we get hung up on.

  We all have those awful nagging voices in our heads that say we’re no good or we can’t do it or we’ll never make it. I’m here to help you with those nagging voices, and we’ll discuss that throughout this book. It’s a really important issue, because no matter what, you can never give up. We will set goals, and we will hit them. That’s the moment we turn into the goal, and we hit that. We never stop scoring goals for the rest of our lives together. As coach and athlete, let’s kick ass together. Cool?

  That’s why this book is about change—which happens when you build mental and physical muscles. It’s also about finding the magic connection between intention and action. About training your emotions and your purpose. About clearing out the mental negativity and getting out of your own way. I have called on my own painful journey of personal transformation to create a unique method for personal empowerment, combining newfound physical strength, mental resolve, and joyful intention.

  This method will teach you how to channel your inner athlete as I’ve learned to channel mine. I want you to embrace and love the body you were born into as I have learned to love mine, even though I abused it with my addictions. I want to help you find your purpose, then embrace it so you can follow your self-proclaimed path in the most inspirational and joyful manner possible. I want you to have all the love you deserve and to give back the love you feel in return.

  This book contains the tools for finding your true, authentic power, for keeping your body and mind in motion, for always moving forward, and for taking on life as you have never taken it on before.

  One of my favorite sayings is “You are stronger than you were yesterday, but no way are you as strong as you’ll be tomorrow.” Another one is “Now, let’s crush it.” So, let’s crush it!

  HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

  I always say Motivation = Intention + Action. This book shows you how to get motivation by finding your purpose, and then set your intentions for change before committing to my action plan.

  The first chapter in part I tells you about the ups and downs of my life, so you’ll see what I did wrong and how I learned to make it right—turning my flaws, addictions, and shame into strength and balance. Along the way, I was able to train my heart to open up to the love I knew I deserved. I also found my true purpose in life, which gave me the motivation to change. I will discuss why everyone needs a purpose in life, and how, when you live with purpose, you can commit to making healthy changes.

  Whatever it is that is holding you back, once you read my story I hope you will be inspired and know you can do it, too. In part II, I will show you how to set your intentions, as well as the basics of defining goals, which everyo
ne must master before tackling the journey to finding their Ultimate Center. I’ll also introduce you to Moving Meditation and show you how it works. Next I will describe creative visualizations to help you focus and move forward. Read the Moving Meditations and creative visualizations all the way through before doing them. From there I will help you clear the physical and mental clutter so you can make a fresh start.

  In part III, I will show you my LET program: Love, Eat, Train. Living from your Ultimate Center can only happen when you learn to love yourself and realize you deserve to be loved. There’s a really important chapter next. It’s called Eat, and it’s important because we all do it. I use this chapter to tell you about my unique approach to food. You are going to replace your old eating habits with good new ones, and when you do, you’re going to reach that goal weight. I will address nutrition basics with menu lists and some of my favorite recipes, all with a Stacey G twist.

  I know you’ve been waiting for this next chapter. It’s called Train, and it’s one of my favorite topics. I’m going to lay out what you need to know about the benefits of exercise (and good sleep) and then show you how to train your body the Stacey G way. Think you might know it already? Well, there’s always more to learn.

  Finally, there is Repeat, and some people think this is the hardest of all. But I will show you how to stay motivated—for life.

  Two Turns from Zero is an ongoing empowerment system. It works for everyone, whether you’re sixteen, thirty-six, or seventy-six. Even if you’re at the happiest place you’ve ever been, you can wake up tomorrow with the rainy-day blues. Or something unexpected at work can totally throw you off. Life is always full of surprises. It changes every day. Your body changes every day. Your goals change, your life circumstances change, and Two Turns from Zero is your reference guide, because today is another day to do it all over again—but this time, do it better. I will give you the tools to keep your body and your mind in motion, in unison, taking on life like you’ve never taken it on before.