Jillian Michaels travels across the country for her second “Maximize Your Life” tour. Credit: Contributed
Jillian Michaels may be a superstar trainer on “The Biggest Loser,” but really, she tells us, “It’s actually never been about fitness.” Indeed, as she travels across the country for her second “Maximize Your Life” tour, Michaels seeks to inspire audiences to create change in areas beyond the gym. The intimate, interactive show has her fielding questions from audience members and bringing them up on stage for participation exercises. “It’s a medium that I really love,” she tells us. “It’s the most effective, in my opinion, to help people change their lives.”
Michaels gave us a sneak peek of the self-help talk you can expect from her show.
Start with your health and build upward
“Your health is a platform you build your life on top of,” Michaels says. When you achieve physical goals, you can take on other challenges, like building your self-confidence. It’s worked for Michaels herself. As an overweight kid, she was bullied — but then took up martial arts. “I became confident,” she says.
Identify your ‘why’
“This means what we fight for, what we live for, what we sacrifice for, what we work for,” Michaels says. Broad strokes won’t work here, she says — you can’t choose health, love or money as your goal. “[That] is not anything that you connect to emotionally or define. It’s pretty much like being a ship that’s lost at sea. It’s work without purpose.” Your ‘why’ should be as specific as possible. So instead of “losing weight,” your goal might be “wearing skinny jeans” or “meeting my great-grandchildren.”
Understand your blocks
A crappy self-esteem is not made in a vacuum, says Michaels, who during the show helps audience members “understand and comprehend the origin of their defeating behavior.” When you understand where negative thoughts come from, you are on the path to changing them.
Appreciate life’s imperfections
Even though we strive to be so every day, “‘Perfect’ is not part of the human condition,” Michaels says. “Life is about progress. It’s about being a whole person, not a perfect person.” Those flaws you think you have? Flip the switch on them. “They give us depth, wisdom, empathy,” she says.
Jillian Michaels’
‘Maximize Your Life’ tour
April 27, 3 p.m.
Beacon Theatre
2124 Broadway, $30-$172
www.ticketmaster.com
