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Stay Focused, Be Consistent, Make Gains!

If you are just beginning a new exercise program, or if you’ve been faithfully hanging in there with your old regime, then you are on the right track. Yet sooner, or later, everyone gets bored or tired or fed up even with habits that are good for them. That’s the point where you might be tempted to make excuses and pull back or even quit your exercise program entirely. Start following these tips, stay focused, be consistent and you will make healthy gains and see amazing results! 

  1.  Schedule workouts into the day and stick to them. Build your workout times into your calendar and stick to these just as you would a vital business meeting or serious family commitment.
  2. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. Many guys start out too aggressively, going too quickly to a level that’s higher than they’re capable of sustaining without injury or burn-out. Pace yourself with briefer intervals of cardio and weight-training interspersed with rest. Build from there and gradually challenge yourself to go farther and farther.
  3.  Set achievable goals. Sure, you want to lose fat, gain muscle, and build stamina all in one month. Well, it won’t happen, at least not all at once. If you set your sights too high, you may find yourself discounting the gains you are making. Instead of looking too far into the future, give yourself intermediate weekly and monthly goals such as losing a pound of fat per week or lifting 10 more pounds on your bench press. Chart your progress on your phone or in a notebook as you achieve each of your goals.
  4. Mix it up. Doing the same workout over and over again can get boring and your results won’t be as good as if you try a variety of exercises. Instead of doing 40 minutes daily on the treadmill, try every aerobic machine in the gym – and go biking, swimming, or hiking whenever you get a chance. Change your weight training routine regularly to keep things interesting and break through plateaus. 
  5. Force yourself to hang in there religiously for the first three months. Nothing sustains motivation better than results. Though you’ll see changes early on, like increases in strength, it takes time and consistency with your routine before your body really begins to evolve into the machine you’ve dreamed of. Be patient. Hang in there. It takes time, sacrifice and intensity to create a real work of art. Hire a trainer if necessary to keep you focused, on target and committed.
  6. As soon as you miss a workout, re-motivate yourself. You’ve missed one workout, so what’s the big deal about skipping another – or all of them? Before you know it, your whole program could go down the tubes. If you miss a workout, don’t beat yourself up. Now it’s time to get back on track. Remember those goals and promises you made to yourself. Remember how great you felt after those first few sessions.

 Tom Bonanti is a certified personal trainer and massage therapist (MA#40288) with his own one on one facility Pumpnincgym.com in Ft. Lauderdale. Contact trainertomb@aol.com with questions or to set up an appointment.