Hey Team,
Somehow another week has disappeared into the rear view mirror and here we sit trying to make sense of it all. Here in Perth COVID chaos continues to reign (best wishes to anyone fighting the virus or trying to understand the latest isolation rulings) and it just ‘feels’ like everyone is just a little more stressed, tired and irritable than they really should be in MARCH…I mean, I can’t believe it’s March already but at the same time, it’s ONLY March…surely we aren’t all jaded and looking ahead to the Christmas ‘break’ already? Surely we are looking forward to the remainder of 2022 with a ‘little bit’ of a plan to ‘get stuff done’?
I’m pretty determined to take the wheel of the positive bus right now. 2022 is going to be GREAT. I mean, what’s the alternative outlook? And – as a quick “Let’s jump on the positive Bus” guide, here are FIVE (5) simple rules for training success in 2022.
Rule Number 1: Create a training calendar that works for YOU!
EVERYONE has time for things that are important to THEM. Whatever those important things are (work, family, hobbies etc), those things that (in your mind) define YOU and the person you want to be, well, you will find time for THOSE THINGS. So – if you start with that as the ‘base principle’ (there is time for things that are important) AND you make the decision that living a Fit and Healthy life is IMPORTANT (going to the gym is part of what I am) then when you are creating your weekly training plan you will be able to create yourself the PERFECT path to SUCCESS.
What is the ‘PERFECT PATH TO SUCCESS’? A plan that is tailored to your life and your lifestyle. It is a plan that makes allowances for YOU – YOUR plan might be set up with the understanding that YOU struggle to get out of bed in the morning…so it DOESN’T include morning sessions. YOUR plan might be set up with the understanding that you battle to get out of work in the afternoons…so it doesn’t include sessions wit a 5pm start-time. YOUR plan understands that nothing sucks away your motivation like the feeling of ‘failure’ – and planning to do something but then not following through ‘feels’ like failure. Circumstances are always going to challenge you from time-to-time – that’s just life and it DOES get in the way…but don’t set yourself up for failure by planning to do things at times that are simply not convenient to you!
Look at your schedule for the week – ask yourself – what time of day/what days of the week am I MOST LIKELY to be successful…schedule your training times for then!
Rule Number 2: Don’t do it on ‘FEEL’ – Just SHOW UP.
In an ideal world, we are all super motivated for our ‘next’ session and roll into the gym with a smile on our face and a “let’s get it” attitude. BUT, well…that’s not very realistic now, is it! Create a gym habit that will see you through those days when you just don’t wanna…when it all seems pointless…The truth of the matter is that the most important sessions are the ones you attend when you don’t really want to. The times you walk in the door despite yourself – these are the times that you are really establishing an identity for yourself. Getting through a session (even if the outcome is a 75% of your ‘normal’ output!) when you just aren’t feeling it is how you establish yourself as “someone who is fit and healthy, someone who trains”. Clearly establishing that identity is the key to creating positive habits!
Showing up is RULE Number TWO.
Rule Number 3: Go in with a PLAN.
This is easy at Round 1 – generally you roll up knowing ‘what’ class you are going to do. But overall, you just need to plan this out (a little). Understand what you are hoping to ‘get out of it’ is (of course) important – I mean, if you have a clear goal of gaining strength then choosing Functional Fitness over boxing would make sense…but ULTIMATELY you need to do whatever it is that you will CONSISTENTLY do. We can all ‘push ourselves’ for brief periods of time to do ‘stuff’ – we can all swim every day when the reality of the Rottnest Channel swim is in our immediate future, we can all run every day when the City to Surf Fun Run is around the corner…BUT. Everything works if done consistently. So create a plan that involves doing things that you LOVE to do…that might be training with a buddy, it might be a boxing class, a strength class (the “WHAT” isn’t that important)…pick the thing you love and do ‘THAT’.
Rule Number 4: Intensity is AMAZING. Consistency is Better.
I feel like the biggest revelation I have had in the past 2-3 years is that the 3×52 model is the BEST model. I admit, for a lot of Round 1’ers this is more like the 4×52 model (or even the 5×52 model) and I get that…but what I REALLY mean with the 3x 52 model is that you do 3x sessions every week of the year, not 7 one week, 10 the next, 6 the next, then 2, then zero, then zero, then one…I’m sure most of you have either been there or know someone else who has.
None of us are training for the Olympics. And whilst there is no doubt using the ‘Hare and the Tortoise’ as an analogy is 100% overdone, if being the tortoise means showing up a few times each week and not burning out…well, be the tortoise!
(Bonus) Rule Number 5: Never MISS TWICE
None of us are perfect. And that’s OK. But you should ASPIRE to something…and the best way to do that is to have a “I don’t miss twice” rule. It is so easy to miss a session on Monday and allow your entire WEEK to be thrown away…just like going out for a run and stopping to ‘stretch your calves’ guarantees you will stop 2 or 3 more times along the journey, missing one session gives you intrinsic permission to miss again tomorrow. Push back (HARD) on that feeling. If you miss Monday, you don’t need to ‘make it up’…but you DO need to get to the next session you had scheduled. If that was supposed to be Tuesday, great – go Tuesday. If it was supposed to be Wednesday…then GO WEDNESDAY…whatever the situation, be sure you “DON’T MISS TWICE”.
Four Steps. Well….Five. That’s all it is…you 100% CAN do it.
See you in the gym,
Michael.
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