Starting a workout routine can be a hassle for a lot of reasons, for those of us that enjoy working out you’ll be pleased to know that working out has never been easier but for the REST of us there are a lot of “hurdles” that come with starting a workout routine and MAKING it work.
I think this is something that’s been true of working out for many decades but one thing that I can tell you right now is that majority of people working out FAIL because they’re probably not following these five tips I’m about to share with you. This is because without this “lens” to view your workouts and diet you’re just not going to get the type of traction that turns into something long-term and that’s ultimately what I want for everyone here that’s reading this.
I think a long, lifestyle-based workout system is really the best way to move forward with sustaining lifelong health but that’s besides the point let me just get into the FIVE ways to make a workout program that works.
1. Start with the end in mind:
This is usually the best way to go about doing ANYTHING and is something that I’m always harping to my readers and students. What’s your end goal? Are you just trying to cut a few pounds or do you want to start something that’s going to last throughout your life? These are important things to determine before starting a workout plan and will help you get a better idea of what you’re getting into before you actually start at all.
This is wise for many reasons but is definitely one of the first things I recommend to anyone that’s curious about how to benefit the most from their workout programs. Always ask yourself what steps are going to needed to be taken before you can get to where you want to go. You don’t have to know every step along the way you just need to know where you’re going so you can always be learning along the way. Starting with the end in mind will always remind you why you’re doing this and will better focus your activities throughout the week to allocate for needs to be done for your exercise plan.
2. Have an exercise program:
This is another really smart thing to do for a number of reasons, an exercise program might limit some people that are looking for longer, lifelong health but I think that for everybody starting out will benefit from adopting some kind of workout routine like P90x or Insanity. If you’re looking for either you can check them out for free here and here.
Having an exercise program at your disposal is going to take all the guess-work out of what you’re going to need to do to get to the results that you want but is something that you might shy from later down the line when you’re trying to better express yourself with working out. Some people like to focus more on cardio than muscle building and vice versa so in this case you might have to “create” your own exercise program but as long as this is something that’s standardized you’re good to go. This will be your “road map” for getting in shape and first of course starts with beginning with the end in mind.
3. Pace Yourself
Pacing yourself is the next big tip I could give you and is going to ensure that you’re prepared for the long-haul. This is going to put you at pace with yourself and give you a good gauge of your progress as you begin working out. Pacing yourself is important because in the first few critical week it’s important to prime the fire but not overdue it. Doing so can overburden the athlete and put them off for their next workout. Instead, find a nice flexible routine that is moderately paced but not too hard.
You want this to work you out but not kick your butt if you catch my drift. There’s a lot of different paces that you’re going to have to set for yourself but make sure that you’re not going too hard in the beginning. This is something I see a lot and is a big mistake for anyone that’s trying to achieve consistent, long-term results.
Ultimately I believe the goal of any fitness program is to achieve long-term sustainable results and this is why pacing yourself is so important, there might seem like it but there’s really no rush to get in shape and the slower you get it the harder it will be to lose so keep that in mind if you aren’t immediately seeing the results that you’d like to in your workout routine.
4. Stay Patient
Patience is a big one and is going to be the most important thing to be during this whole process. Not only are you going to be working harder than you’ve ever worked before you’re also going to be going long periods of time straining your body and this can be bothersome to some people. The best virtue to have throughout all of this is patience as this is going to really help you ensure that you get to where you want to be. It’s going to take time my friends, we get it…this is where patience is really going to come in and help you stay on the path to fitness. You’ve got to dig deep for these ones guys and oftentimes that means being patient. If you can have this virtue while working out keeping the goal of yours in mind you’ll get it probably quicker than expected.
5. Watch Your Intake
The last thing that you’re going to want to do is watch your food intake. This is going to be an important one and although you’re going to want to be eating five or six times a day you’ll want to monitor the actual foods that you’re eating and keep any refined sugars and pastas out of your diet completely. You’re really going to want to load up on the leafy greens, proteins, and other muscle building cornerstones and make sure you’re eating at the right TIMES too. You should have a pre and post workout meal in order to accumulate enough protein and calories in your diet for your new routines. This is going to be important for a number of reasons and will really get the most out of your expenditures if taken into account.
Eat foods high in protein and low in fat and take into account your genetics and body type as well. Mesomorphs need less protein than ectomorphs so if you’re unsure about what you’re body type is check it out online.
All in all I think this is a good place to call it quits for today’s article. I think this will give you an adequate amount of information when it comes to STAYING on the path to success and I really think this will help you out a lot. If you can stay with these guidelines throughout your workout I can tell you right now that you’re going to see great things in time and that’s something I want for ALL my readers.