I get these excuses a lot! Of course if it’s a serious injury that has to be taken care of before starting a training program. Today I am going to give you a few tips to make progress when it seems like everything is working against you!
The first thing Is to realize that if there is no perfect time to start, that means every time is the perfect time to start. Take one small step towards your goals, today! The all or nothing mentality is the absolute worst mentality to have when it comes to reaching your fitness goals. Whenever I see someone go from doing nothing for months or years to “all in” for 7 days a week of training I know it will end in long term failure. The same with extreme diets. Going from what you are currently eating to eating “perfect” for the rest of your life is a recipe for disaster.
Lets also make sure your goals are realistic. You can’t complete a 4 year degree in one semester, so stop thinking you will lose 30lbs in 28 days. Too many of you are looking for quick fixes instead of focusing on building a foundation so strong you will never go backwards! If you don’t have a strong foundation you will be the person who starts and stops over and over again. A strong foundation also includes the people you surround yourself with. They will take you from A to B to C, not A to Z overnight. A to Z overnight means you will go backwards in the future! One of the main reasons our members get results is because of accountability and coaching!!
A few tips for those who are busy==>
Start by choosing compound multi joint exercises(work a lot of muscles at once) instead of wasting your time on strength training machines that are doing nothing. Choosing the right 3 to 5 exercises(for you) will work your body in less time (and way more effective) than a bunch of isolation exercises. Most of the isolation stuff is overrated, especially for people short on time. You can’t even pick up a pencil off the ground without using your entire body! So why spend all of your time on useless machines? If you are intimidated by these exercises or don’t know where to start then hit reply and we can schedule a one time session.
Reduce the rest periods between your strength training exercises in order to get more work done in less time.This is a form of progress also! doing more work in less time!! This is how we program our strength training with circuits, appropriate HIIT, metabolic conditioning, and supersets. It also allows you to get the cardiovascular benefit without having to step on a boring treadmill. It is much safer than the constant pounding that comes with running!!
Understand the law of diminishing returns when it comes to programming exercise. Understand you only get the benefit of what you can recover from!! You don’t need a full hour to workout. You can get a lot done in 20 to 30 minutes if its programmed right! A lot of people are just cutting into recovery with junk volume on exercises that are doing nothing! Some are just causing injuries by doing more than what you are ready for!
Lots of people are viewing people at big box gyms wasting their time separating cardio and strength training. You know the people who talk in between strength sets and brag about their 90 minute workout! Not too many people really understand how exercise actually helps with transformation. It’s more than burning calories during exercise!! This is why strength training programmed the right way is superior to just cardio for body composition.
Avoid doing nothing! The nothing got you in trouble! It was not because you had a few bad workouts or a few bad meals. It is always because of an extended period of time of doing nothing towards your goals. Success ALWAYS comes from effort, over time! Do the math on what 1 to 2 workouts a week equals over a year. If you have done nothing at all, and add 1 to 2 workouts a week ,it will improve your quality of life! I see this with our active ageing program and the ability to do everyday task that were not possible a year or 2 before. It’s more than fat loss people!!!
A few tips for those who might have to work around injury ==>
Focus on what you can do!! Follow our red light green light system to help you modify in the group setting! You might have a knee issue but can still do our low impact variations, Romanian deadlifts, or sled drag variations compared to squats and lunges. Maybe you have a low back issue and we take you into mobility exercises or single leg work to avoid bending over and putting stress on the back. Maybe we remove all of the getting up and down and jumps if you are just starting. Maybe you have a shoulder issue and replace the pushing with rowing towards your body, more posture work. The options are endless!
Start slower than you think you have to! We analyze the risk and reward of every action before having you just go exercise. You are almost guaranteed to get hurt if you try to return from a layoff going right back into crazy hard session! It makes me sick to my stomach to see these large group classes that don’t take the time to know everything about you!! Everyone needs to be treated different! A real trainer will take the time to know this and find the right program for you!
Technique is everything!– If you are not doing the exercise right you are getting nothing out of it except an injury!
Your body(and goals) changes over time! A program that worked for you in your 20s might not be ideal for you in your 40s, 50s, 60, over 70! Maybe a beach body is not your goal and it’s just enjoying life with your grandkids! Maybe it’s time to focus on mobility, flexibility, functional strength, and a program geared towards YOUR SPECIFIC GOALS!!
Building a foundation starts with the FREE 30 minute consultation. I can tell the fitness industry has been watered down with overnight certified trainers and fad programs when people are willing to hand over money before meeting with someone. You would not give someone money and say “fix my car” if they could not tell you the problem?! Hold us to a higher standard people!! Do your research!! A real trainer will never give recommendations to someone without knowing what goal you are trying to reach! Your specific challenges!!
During the FREE SUCCESS SESSION we get to know more about you, your schedule, previous exercise history, injury history, goals, budget, preference of group size or if you prefer semi-private/personal training, etc. A quick meeting of about 20 to 30 minutes to see if we are even a good fit for each other!! If you need to set this up just respond to this email or text 757 589 7028. Not like the places where you end up paying for what you are not using. Individualized group personal training, not a group class!
Just about every fitness center out there works for people who will get results anyway. Our goal is to create an atmosphere for the other 95% that are failing to reach their fitness goals. The people who need more than a big box gym or large group class. Who need the accountability and don’t want to pay personal training prices. You have to make it a priority! You have to view it as an investment that will pay for itself over and over again. HIT REPLY so we can change your life!!
Detric Smith, CSCS, ACSM EP-C
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