Preparation: The Key to Success
If you think that you need to workout for hours to feel or see the effects, let me tell you that you’re wrong. Any fitness professional should tell you that consistency is the key to results. My life is busy, so my workouts are only 30 minutes long. If I have extra energy or time to burn, I add 15-30 minutes of cardio. The point is that I plan my workout for a minimum of 30 minutes a day... every single day. That includes weekends and holidays. So, I plan a workout for 365 days of the year. Sometimes that doesn’t happen, but most days it does.
The trick to getting results in such a short time is to make the most of the time you have. I often see people in the gym jumping from machine to machine with no clear plan or purpose. Every time I see this, a saying comes to mind, “nobody plans to fail; they simply fail to plan.” Whether you are working out at home or the gym. . . have a plan. I suggest that you write it down. That way, you have a visual of the program in front of you. Keep track of the exercises you plan to do, the number of repetitions, sets, and the weight you plan to use. From there, you can add or decrease these variables to achieve your desired result. This system is the best for getting the best results. Personal trainers are effective because they plan your program, keep track of your progress, and push you a little harder the next session. Well, at least the good ones do. To be successful at anything, you need to have a plan; repeat that to yourself. Your health, wellness, and fitness all operate the same. In my opinion, the biggest reason to keep track is so you can tangibly see your progress. The scale might still say the same numbers, but if you started off doing five reps with a 5-pound dumbbell and now can do 15 reps or use heavier dumbells, that’s progress. You might not see that as progress if you don’t keep track of your development!
I started keeping track of my workouts by using the “Habit Nest” series. “The Weightlifting Gym Buddy Journal” was my lifesaver. It outlines the whole routine for you and allows you to track your progress. If you are more advanced and want to make up your routines, they also have a journal for that! It’s called “Weight Training Tracker.” I highly suggest these paper journals. Even if you like digital tracking, studies show that writing things down, ink to paper style, helps you take action, have a sense of fulfillment, and push yourself. It reinforces your habit changes, makes you more likely to remember your goals, and stay consistent. Also, keep the journal somewhere you will remember to use it, like your gym bag, on your desk, or your nightstand—someplace where you will see it. If you don’t take the book to the gym, you can transfer information from the day to the journal later.
The other benefit of planning is that you have a path to follow and markers to hit. When I was a kid, we used to take road trips down south. I knew where we were from the interstate exit numbers, and I was excited when we crossed new state lines because I knew we were closer to our destination. On the way home, I would be happy to see the sign “Welcome to Richmond,” an indication that we were about two hours from home! I say all of that to say - nothing feels better than doing a check-in, seeing that you are right on track and that with the current projections, you will hit your goal right on time. When you have that in the front of your mind, it gives you the boost you need to get up early, to go for that late run, or eat more veggies. It could be the push you need to be successful. After you have hit that goal, set another!