Many people firmly believe that being consistent with your training is the only vital key to achieving your health and fitness goals. Whilst I agree that consistency is extremely important, I personally believe that there are many factors which impact on one’s ability to attain success. This would include good training intensity, technique and having clear realistic goals. All these factors need to be implemented in order for you to achieve results. With this said, it’s not hard to see how consistency plays a major role in your ability to reach your goals. There are a few things that you can do to better your consistency with your training.
Schedule Your Sessions
This is a really important task if you are trying to make your training a part of your regular routine. We all get busy and have multiple priorities; this can impact on your consistency if you don’t have a plan. Lack of prior planning will have you skipping sessions, pushing you further and further away from your goals. Take time to sit down each week and schedule time for each training session. This will be easier some weeks over others but the more often you do it the easier it will become. Ideally, you will train at the same time week to week as this is easier to follow and it will help create better more consistent habits. You will get to a point where you training is a part of your daily routine and you will plan other activities around your training. When planning ensure you schedule frequent sessions. Aim for somewhere between 3-6 session each week.
Having a Set Session Plan
Having a set routine to follow within each session is imperative. A well-structured plan gives you direction and allows you to maximize your workout time. A session plan will give your training purpose, avoiding wasted time and keeping the length of your sessions to a minimum. Your consistency will improve as a result of this. It’s much more manageable to fit in a 30-45min session most days then it is to sacrifice 2 hours every 2-3days. This will keep the intensity of your sessions at an optimal level therefore progressing you towards your goals. The more often you complete your program, the more familiar you will become with each exercise. This will build confidence and give you a greater drive to achieve bigger goals. Following a program that is tailored to your needs will give you the results you are looking for. This will keep you coming back each week.
Setting Goals
You need to set realistic and achievable goals to keep you focused when training. Unrealistic goals that are too hard to attain will damage your confidence. This will impact your commitment to your plan and scheduled sessions. The best way to achieve your goals is with small deliberate steps. For example you might have a goal to be able to do 50 Burpees. For the first week you could do 5 every day or every second day then the following week up your reps to 6-10reps and slowly but surely add some reps in each week until you reach your goal. These goals are very manageable and will help you to evade being overwhelmed by your initial goal. This builds confidence as you are constantly progressing towards your goals. With confidence and achievement you find enjoyment in your training.
Balance
If you are trying to find consistency with your health and fitness routines then you need to find balance in all aspects of your life. This is not easy but is crucial if you are trying to form healthy habits. If you want to succeed, you must make health and fitness a priority. As we touched on earlier, planning and scheduling your training can help you allocate time for your sessions and ultimately make the best use of the time that you have available. If you’re missing sessions or other important events in your life then you need to take time to reevaluate your goals and/or strategy. Balance is the key to a long, happy and healthy life.
Creating new routines can be challenging and developing new habits takes time. Having a purpose built program and planning ahead can help you juggle your busy life and still remain consistent in the gym. This will keep you on track to achieving your goals. Working with a health and fitness professional can help speed up this process and have you achieving results a lot sooner. Staying consistent will revitalise you physically and mentally allowing you to reach your full potential.
xx Tara
Do you find it hard to stay consistent with your training? Let me know in the comments section below.
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