Wow! If you aren’t quite reaching your fitness goals at the moment, you need a shot of Diva! Her mantra “Hard Work No Excuses” is just the kick in the butt we all sometimes need, and she gives excellent, targeted, easy to implement ideas and tips to help us take our fitness to the next level.
Richards is one of the Northeast regions most sought after Health & Fitness experts with over 17 years of experience. She is highly regarded in an array of fitness genres being CrossFit Level II Certified, Spin Certified, TRX/Kettlebell Training Certified, and a NASM Personal Certified Trainer. Richards is also the founder and President of Hard Work No Excuses, LLC., owner of Hard Work No Excuses Fitness Facility located in Marlton, NJ, and CEO of Hard Work No Excuses fitness apparel.
Diva talks with Dave about making decisions to change, keeping realistic goals, and staying motivated. Overall health, mind and body wellness is a driving focus instilled into anyone who comes into the world of Diva Richards and Hard Work No Excuses.
What was your upbringing like and how did you get to this point?
Since my mother was a former collegiate athlete, I grew up fairly active and always had an image of a female in the house working out.
In middle and high school I started to move into performing arts and actually got a degree in Dance from Temple University. I genuinely enjoyed moving around and working out so getting certified in spin and getting into CrossFit was a natural progression.
Where did “Hard Work No Excuses” come from?
As I got into health and fitness I realized that a lot of what deterred people was the lack of hard work and the number of excuses. The people who were actually successful were the ones working hard and eliminating their excuses. As I started to build my brand within the fitness community I really stuck with “nothing matters but hard work and no excuses”.
How would someone start working out?
The first step is getting up and making the commitment to you and your health. At some point, you get tired of being sick and tired and you have to make the change. You have to make the decision and choose to get up every day and put in the work. It’s a tough spot to be in, but you have to just start somewhere.
I always say, “commit for 90 days”. What do you think about that time frame?
I have a friend that says, “ If you didn’t do 
it for three months I’m not sure that you tried”. We know that it takes time to build healthy habits, just like how it takes time to build poor habits. People don’t get out of shape overnight and we aren’t going to get in shape overnight. I would 100% agree that committing for 90 days is all it takes.
When it comes to working hard, how much is too much and how little is too little?
One of the biggest things I teach is balance, and most people don’t have it to start with. If you’re working out, aren’t recovering, and you’re just so sore you can’t get out of bed every day, maybe you’ve done a little too much. Some people think that unless you’re rolling on the floor, throwing up, and passing out you aren’t working hard. On the other side, some people don’t think they’re capable and are accidentally holding themselves back. Once you make that push you can really start to change. If you aren’t sure why you aren’t meeting your goals, reach out to someone you know in the fitness community. Sometimes all you need is another perspective to help you find that balance.
How many hours a week should people be exercising?
I believe the general population should be working out for 3 hours a week. Any more training than that might be tough to stick to, and you want to have achievable, attainable goals. If you’re looking for general wellbeing, more flexibility, increased mobility, etc., then 3 hours a week is perfect.
With that people also need to be clear on what they’re trying to accomplish. For someone who’s being competitive at a lower level, they could easily train for 5-6 hours a week, with recovery time added on top of that. If they want to be a fitness model, a bodybuilder, or an elite CrossFitter, they’ll need more. It’s important to think about your short term and long term goals when you’re starting out.
What do you think about the concept of “maxing out” when weightlifting?
I think it’s more about ego than anything, so I don’t have my clients max out. If you have the right program you should be able to see results over time without it. If someone feels like they want to we might max out two times a year at most, but there’s really just no need. Your program should be solid enough that you can see a progression over time without running the risk of damaging your body.
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From Diva herself:
I really enjoy fitness, and I enjoy movement. One of the things that got me to this point was wanting to create a space where you can apply all movement mediums to reach your goals. There’s something here for everybody.
If you’re on your journey you just have to find a fitness medium that works for you, inspires you, and keeps you motivated. There’s no right or wrong to it. Find something that works for you and stick to it.
About Diva…
Diva Richards is one of the Northeast regions most sought after health & fitness experts with over 17 years’ experience, founder and President of Hard Work No Excuses, LLC., owner of Hard Work No Excuses Fitness Facility located in Marlton, NJ and CEO of Hard Work No Excuses fitness apparel. Richards is highly regarded in an array of fitness genres being CrossFit Level II Certified, NASM Personal Certified Trainer, Spin Certified, and TRX/Kettlebell Training Certified.
Important links shared in this episode:
Diva’s website: https://www.divarichards.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DIVARICHARDSFIT/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diva-richards-71baa3101/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/divarichards/
