Happy New Year! Each year, many of us arrive at this point ready to take on the world and make this year better than the previous. My goal is to provide you with some insight and practical tips that can make that dream a reality. Motivation and positive encouragement are important, but without a plan or system in place, you are depending on a miraculous change to simply occur. Let’s create a roadmap on how you can navigate a positive change.
To make a positive change in your fitness level requires consistency with your program. The best workout will not work if you are inconsistent. Accept that things are always going to come up. What you want to avoid is morphing a single missed workout into a month of missed training sessions. Remember, you’re playing the long game. You want to make this the best year, not week, ever. Look at your training schedule from a 30-day perspective. If you plan on training three days a week, that
is the equivalent of thirteen sessions in a month. If you become ill or have something that comes up unexpected in your schedule forcing you to miss a session, commit to make it up within your 30-day period. This may require you to train on back-to-back days. Taking the time to look ahead at your schedule can be a critical factor in winning the battle of showing up. The schedule may not always be ideal, but your goal is to get a specific number of sessions monthly.
Key Takeaway: Plan and review your schedule 30 days at a time.
Creating a positive environment for change is valuable. If you don’t like the place, you are training, pick a new place. We can become products of our environment. One of my goals at the studio is to create a positive environment for every person that walks through our doors. That experience starts with being greeted by your name when you enter, the inspirational quotes inscribed on the walls and the words of encouragement from the coaches during your workout. Unfortunately, in today’s society we can’t shape every environment we enter, but for our members, we strive to make them feel good simply by walking through the door. I credit this for the reason some people chose to continue working out in their home after the pandemic ended and the gyms globally opened back up. Changing your environment can be one of your most effective steps in making a positive behavior change.
Key Takeaway: Select a positive environment to train in.
There are multiple components of fitness. Mobility, strength, body composition, muscular endurance, power and cardiovascular fitness. I am part of the camp that believes your program should be well rounded and address each of the prior mentioned. When striving for improvement, pick one to emphasize and focus on that. This approach also allows you avoid mental and physical burnout.
Reducing body fat, while improving strength and increasing the intensity of your cardiovascular workouts is a recipe for disaster and will lead you to burn out. Take the first three months of the year and concentrate on body composition and work to reduce body fat. Then shift into improving strength for months four to six. Make mobility the goal months seven to nine and finish out the year improving your cardiovascular fitness. Changing the bull’s eye on the target is a healthy way to help keep things feeling fresh. You’re making lifestyle changes. Remember you’re in it for the long haul.
Key Takeaway: Update and change goals every few months.
Stay tuned for my post next week on how to make positive change more than a one week wonder.