We all see the magazines, tv shows, movies, etc. and we have this preconceived notion of what we need to look like or what we desire to look like. We all have this visual of the perfect man or perfect woman, what we would like to look like, and what type of body figure we would like to have. So where do we start? We end up going to the gym, getting on the scale and feeling worse than when we initially walked in through the door. Then we do some body fat calibration and take some measurements and maybe feel even worse about where we’re at.
The first thing I want to tell everyone that walks in to the door of any gym is, “Job Well Done. The journey has just begun. I am proud of you and I am excited that you were brave enough to take that initial step into taking better care of yourself.” It takes a lot of guts to take that initial plunge into something unknown. It is scary for some of us to even think about working out because of what they see today on tv and social media. It portrays perfect body figures, people climbing mountains, playing professional sports, and doing crazy workouts. Some will think, “I could never do that.” and stop there and do just that, never try. So again I say to everyone that has made that initial step towards a fitter you, “Job Well Done.”
As this New Year starts and we all set our new year’s resolutions, we all wonder, what do results look like to me? 1 lb, 10lbs, 3 dress sizes, drop 5% body fat, etc. What our culture says about the number on the scale, the pounds we lose, and the % body fat, is that this is all that matters. Although these are measurable items to take into account they are far from what we should be focused on in terms of measuring our fitness progress. We get so caught up in the number on the scale, we don’t get to enjoy the progress that we’ve made so we end up quitting before we’ve started. I hate to burst your bubble, but getting results takes a lot of hard work. From getting consistent on your workout plan, cleaning up your bad eating habits, doing your extra cardio, and still going about your normal life, it takes a lot of hard work.
Here are 5 Steps that everyone should remember:
1) Take a hard look in the mirror:
- You have to be 100% realistic with the amount of time, effort, and energy you are willing to put into your overall fitness level.
- If you want to get results there will be some sacrifices needed to be made.
2) Don’t Beat yourself up
- If you are dedicated and willing to put in the time and effort don’t get discouraged when there are setbacks.
- Personal issues
- Work
- Home life
- Social life
- Etc.
- Just remember this is a process and nothing happens over night
- Research shows us it takes about 3 weeks to build a new habit and about 4-6 weeks to break old habits.
- So if you mess up and have a soda, or pizza, or you miss a workout……… IT’S OK.
- Jump back on the horse and ride
- Research shows us it takes about 3 weeks to build a new habit and about 4-6 weeks to break old habits.
3) Enjoy the process
- Goals are good and are very helpful for motivation.
- That’s what goals should be used for.
- Instead when we miss a goal, short-term/long-term we end up feeling like failures.
- Many times when we set goals we go in with the mindset of, “I need to lose 20lbs and then I’ll be someone.” Or “I need to get down below 25% body fat then I’ll be proud of myself.”
- These are lies that we tell ourselves and I want to be the one that tells you to STOP IT.
- Instead of going into making goals with the mindset of, “Once I meet my goal I’ll be someone.” Make Goals with the mindset that you are striving to meet them and they should be motivating you to hit certain benchmarks, whether it’s to bench 225 lbs., Deadlift 315 lbs., or just lose 1 pound this week.
- You are already good enough, so stop beating yourself up. These goals should be made to motivate you to achieve greatness, not put more stress in your life.
4) Progress is Progress
- I want to give you a list of things that every single person that walks in through the door should be proud of.
- Doing your first full push-up, pull-up, unassisted air squat, etc.
- Set a Personal Record (PR) such as your Max Plank time, or Max Deadlift
- Losing Inches
- Losing Weight
- Fitting into your clothes better
- Having to buy all new clothes, because none of your current clothes fit anymore
- Feeling more confident
- Having more vitality and energy
- Feeling Better
- Looking Better
- Joints hurting less
- Release of endorphins
- Surprising yourself in a workout
- Setting new benchmarks and times to beat such as 5k or Mile times
- Jump Higher
- Sprint Faster
- Be more explosive
- The list could go on and on and on.
- I could sit here and write a million different things that, as a trainer I see every day, that are huge accomplishments. We just have to take a second each day to realize and appreciate them.
5) Take Pride in your Results
- Whether your goals are to lose 70lbs or 7, set new Personal Record’s, or just start to feel better, if you are working hard towards those goals then own them.
- You should be proud of the effort you put forth and the sacrifices you make each in every day.
- Remember it is not any easy road, but the payoff will be so rewarding in the end.
The way in which we measure fitness progress as a culture needs to change. The average person who walks into the gym is not going to get insane results like we see on Hollywood TV shows where they spend 6 months in a controlled environment eating, sleeping, and working out correctly 24/7. With that in mind, we need to be encouraging more and more people to take that initial step through the door, so they in turn can get motivated to invest in their health and well-being. Just remember that there are a million ways to measure your fitness progress, so make sure you find those along the way.
Andrew McKain, CPT
ESN Health Human Performance Manager and GM
