As we all know, January is the time when people tend to set resolutions for the New Year, and fitness just so happens to be the number one goal. But, so many times, people’s enthusiasm wanes after the first few months. Let’s talk about this, guys… all the craziness in the gym in January may be a tad overwhelming, but I still want to see you in there come next September! Let’s look at some of the main challenges people face when implementing a new fitness and wellness plan.
The gym is too busy
When people start in early January, they may not be prepared for how busy it is in most facilities, so be aware that you may have to wait for machines and your workout may take a little longer, but don’t let this discourage you. It does die down in a few months, and by that time you will be well acquainted with the machines and the facility, so be patient and stick it out.
Setting unrealistic training times
People sometimes set a goal to train 5 days a week at 6 am before heading to work. If you aren’t used to getting up at 5am most days, then you may have a problem getting your best workout in at 6 am. Think about your energy levels, some people do very well training early in the morning, but others (myself included) need to have a few meals in me before my energy levels really peak.
Too much too soon
It’s great that you may be all gung-ho and full of piss and vinegar, but hold on a sec! If you go full throttle out of the gates you may be setting yourself up for disappointment down the line. Often people push themselves way too hard at first and their bodies are not yet used to hard-core training and dieting. The best advice I can give is to ease into it. Get the training down pat; make sure you are getting to the gym and using the equipment correctly and THEN focus on making the changes to your diet. You need to focus on creating new behavioral habits little by little. If you cut too many calories right away you will feel hungry all the time and have no energy for your training. You need to determine your caloric baseline (the amount of calories you need to maintain your weight) in order to determine how to change those numbers to gradually put you in a fat burning and anabolic environment (we can help you do this!)
Setting unrealistic weight loss / muscle gain goals
To ensure success in your New Year’s resolution, you need to set attainable goals. If you decide you want to lose 30 lbs in the first month, you are setting yourself up to fail. In order to lose fat and build muscle you need to do so at a pace your body can become adjusted to. Your body will have a hard time maintaining any type of extreme change in a short period of time. Instead of setting one big goal, make multiple smaller ones over the course of several months. This way, when you see that you have lost, say, 5 lbs of fat and gained 2 pounds of muscle in a month you will feel successful and encouraged to keep going. Smaller conservative goals are much easier to attain and maintain.
Choosing the right gym for YOU
The type of facility you train at can play a major role in the success of your fitness goals. We all know it’s common knowledge that to change your body, you must be doing more weight training than cardio, so if the gym offers more cardio machines than it does weights, it should not be the gym for you. In addition, if the dumbbells only go up to 50lbs, there won’t be enough for all members, so be prepared to never find the weights you want.
Choosing the right program for YOU
Proper program selection is also a key factor is the success of your goals. Let’s face, most people simply want to look good naked, which means losing body fat and increasing muscle in areas proportionate to their body. So, you need a program that includes a meal plan (with personalized macros designed for your bodyweight and age) a weight training program (that considers any injuries or limitations you may have) a cardiovascular plan and a supplementation program. Your program should reflect what you need help you achieve your goals and should not be a template or cookie cutter program that you could easily find from the internet.
So, there you have it folks, my recommendations to help you begin this year off successfully. Contact us today to discuss how we can design a customized and all-encompassing fitness and wellness plan that will be the right fit for YOU 🙂
Written by Angel Simmons for Kosta Kromidas.com