When it comes to fitness; speed and self-criticism are the two biggest problems that cause good folks to fail when trying to achieve lasting success.
I. UNREALISTIC GOALS
Unrealistic goals are far too common in our industry. Yes, they’re an easy way to get you to sign up for a membership, but inevitably reality sets in and you’re left feeling like a failure because you didn’t hit your gaols. A trainer can’t do the work for you, so it’s easy to put the blame on you.
The idea of a “90-day super body” sounds amazing! And if it were true, it would make my life as personal trainer so much easier, but the truth is that when it comes to lasting fitness, aggressive short-term goals are a recipe for failure.
You have to give yourself — and your body — a healthy amount of time to transform and internalize your routine. This isn’t just a physical change, it’s a lifestyle improvement. As we like to say, getting leaner and stronger is a marathon not a sprint.
Rushing to the finish line will cause you to burn out along the way, and very likely get injured. You’ll also miss the opportunity to truly learn why you do the workouts you do and why you’re moving in a certain way. When you’re training right, you’re not just working out, you’re learning methods that will stay with you for life.
II. SELF-CRITICISM
The other big reason why people fail is self-criticism. You know, going into the gym with a mindset of “powering through a miserable workout” or “punishing your body until it cries sweat.” This is dumb and harmful. If you have to talk yourself into working out, you’re not doing it right.
Most training programs are designed from 100-to-0, meaning you go into the gym, get put through hell, and then leave feeling spent and uncomfortable. The next day you can barely walk, your muscles ache and you have to drag yourself into the gym to do that all over again? Nope. This is unsutainable, because at the end of your workout you still have life to deal with.
I believe that training should be fun and uplifting, which is why we use a 0-to-100 approach at our gym. We start where you are (regardless of your fitness level) and help you progress from there. This way, training becomes something that you look forward to every single day.
I know from experience that when you workout with the right goals, the right mindset and with the right support, you will leave the gym feeling reenergized, period. This is ideal, because you can take that post-workout energy to your work and personal life.
A REAL COACH
Your strength coach should be a teacher as well as a mentor, never a drill sergeant. Do you really want to pay to get yelled at? An effective coach is someone who understands your capabilities and builds your training plan around that. It’s someone who knows how to get you to a point of balance, where you’re working out hard enough to make progress and stay engaged, but not so hard that you start considering calling in sick in order to avoid your workout.
Take it from someone who’s been in this industry for over a decade, and who’s helped hundreds of people achieve lasting success; getting leaner and stronger takes time, and your body is never the enemy. When you have the right support, the right environment and realistic goals, you’re going to achieve unbelievable physical and personal results.
At the Happy factory, we’re going to teach you perspective, proper form and technique, and how to change your mental narrative from one of self-criticism to one of appreciation and possibilities. And just as importantly, you’re going to be surrounded by people who see the best in themselves and those around them.
When you’re ready to get stronger. When you’re ready to get happier, sign up for a free personal training session at the Happy Factory.