Success at Obtaining Fitness Goals (Part 3)

Continuing on with our guest blogger series on fitness goals, here is Brad Covington's "Part 3".  If you missed previous entries by Brad be sure to check out his introduction, part 1, and part 2.

CONSISTENCY
 
The next part of the blog in this series is about consistency.  There are going to be times when you will have great workouts and times when you won't have good workouts, but you still have to show up.  Workouts are a lot like life - you have to mix in the good with the bad, but you still have to be present to experience both.

One of the worst things you can do, especially when you first start a workout program, is to not show up.  You have to be consistent with what you are doing or it will not work.  It takes 21 days to change a habit, so even if the first part of your workout is simply to show up and do a light workout, that will suffice.  As you begin to develop your habits and you feel your energy levels, strength, and endurance begin to increase, then you should gradually start to increase your intensity, frequency, and duration (commonly known as the F.I.T.T. Principle).

However, if you start and you are here one day this week and maybe three times next week and then don’t even bother showing up at all the third week, you are doomed for failure.  So, how can you become more consistent?  I am glad you asked.  The first thing I would do if I did not have any fitness experience is to meet with a qualified fitness professional and have them make up a plan for me.  You can pull anything off of the internet, but does that make it right for you?  Probably not.  Does the program set a baseline fitness level for you?  Take into account your medical history?  Does it take into account your fitness experience?  Having the right plan developed for you and your needs is vital for you to start and maintain your fitness program.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions either.  Many people stop working out because they feel silly for doing exercises on the main floor.  Guess what?  Most people do exercises wrong anyway, so don’t sweat it.   If you are unsure about something, ask one of the fitness professionals at your club, they will be more than happy to show you the proper way to use the machine or perform an exercise.  Remember, if you learn to do an exercise incorrectly, you will continue to do it wrong and will more than likely end up getting hurt.  If you learn to do it right, you will continue to do it right and have better results and enjoy your experience a whole lot more. 

Stay tuned next week for "Part 4" in my series.  Until then, stop by PROMATx Health Club and let our fitness professionals help you get started!