RANDOM WORKOUTS VS. A TRAINING PROGRAM
While popping into random, spontaneous workouts can be entertaining; there’s no substitute for an intelligent training program. If you want to see results in the gym, sticking to a training program is crucial.
Structured Progression:
A smart training program is designed to provide a clear path of progression. It ensures that you’re gradually increasing the intensity of your workouts in a way that’s sustainable and safe. You should know what you’re working on and see improvements from the first week of a program vs. the last week.
Avoid Overtraining and Injury:
Randomly increasing your workout intensity or volume can lead to overtraining, which increases the risk of injury. A well-designed program includes planned rest and recovery, allowing your body the time it needs to repair and build strength. This balance helps you stay healthy and continue progressing without throwing your back out (or worse!)
Tracking Your Progress:
Any solid training program will require you to track your progress along the way. How will you know you’ve improved by the end if you don’t know where you started? Ya won’t. Recording your weights, reps, and how you feel over time will also help your trainer make necessary adjustments as you go.
Consistency and Discipline:
If you’ve ever read anything I’ve written, then you already know how imperative consistency and discipline are to success in the gym. You gotta show up even when you don’t want to sometimes, and on some days that takes serious discipline. It’s a lot easier to skip a workout when there’s not one scheduled. If you’re on a smart program, you know exactly what you’re supposed to do and when you’re supposed to do it.
I’m not saying there’s no room for a spontaneous, random workout from time to time if you enjoy it. If you want to get your cardio in through a trampoline class, a choreographed dance routine on a spin bike, or anything else you like - have at it! But when it comes to your strength training, you need to stick to a program if you want to see results. And you deserve results!
Ready to get on a smart training program? Grab our New Member Special - 2 Weeks of Classes for $25! Let us do the programming for you, we’re pretty darn good at it :)
HAVE YOU HIT A PLATEAU?
When we first embark on a fitness journey, we see results FAST. If you go from sitting on the couch to working out, or from eating everything in sight to eating say only half of everything in sight . . . . your body will react, and probably pretty quickly!
Same goes for switching things up. Many people see immediate results when they start a new training or nutrition program. Your body responds to new stimuli, so anytime you change your input (for better or worse) you’ll probably see noticeable changes.
Once you find a high-quality training program and your body starts to adapt to it, the rate of your progress will eventually slow down. Does that mean you’ve hit a “plateau” and need to change things up? Absolutely not.
No weight loss for a week is not a ‘‘plateau.”
No strength gains for a week is not a ‘‘plateau.”
No visible progress for a week is not a “plateau.”
It’s all part of the process.
So please, please, please! If you don’t see results for one week, don’t start a whole new fitness routine, don’t starve yourself, don’t start working out multiple times a day. And pretty please don’t give up and quit altogether.
Stick with it and be patient. Progress takes time, commitment, and discipline. Keep going. When you look back a year from now, you’ll be so happy you did!
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DON’T LET YOUR WEEKENDS DERAIL YOUR PROGRESS
Spring is in full effect! Warm weather got you ready to partaaaaaaaaaaay?
beach trips ✅
drinks on the patio ✅
pool days ✅
This time of year makes it difficult to stay on track. Perhaps you find sticking to your fitness/healthy eating routines attainable Monday-Thursday, but then Friday starts a 3-day indulgence extravaganza that leaves you feeling like @ss on Monday morning.
Sound familiar? No judgement, happens to the best of us.
There are a couple things that are likely happening here.
YOU'RE BEING TOO RESTRICTIVE DURING THE WEEK
Most people only have so much self control. If you're not allowing yourself certain foods during the week - especially foods you love - there is a strong likelihood that eventually you'll binge TF out of them. For example: you love dessert but don't allow yourself any during the week because you're being "good." Then Saturday night one bowl of ice cream turns into an entire tub real quick.
You'd be better off eating a small bowl of ice cream every night. That way you avoid eating so much at once that you feel ill, inside and out.
YOU'RE DRINKING TOO MUCH
Sorry, I said it. And I'm not judging you - I love a good cocktail! But if you're drinking multiple days per week, it's going to be really difficult to meet your fitness goals.
While drinking obviously adds extra calories to your daily intake, it's not just that. Most people's eating habits change drastically while they're drinking and of course the next day. Do you come home and indulge in some late night broccoli? Is your go-to hangover meal grilled fish, rice, and vegetables? 🤢 I think not.
YOU’RE BEING INCONSISTENT
In order to continue progressing in your fitness journey, your body needs consistency. Consistently getting to the gym and consistently nourishing our body.
Under-eating Monday through Thursday then blowing it out of the water Friday through Sunday will probably result in an overall caloric surplus (which can cause weight gain) AND probably leave you feeling like crap for about half the week. If you feel like crap, you probably won't have the best workouts . . . . or might even miss them altogether.
And that my darling, is not what I want for you.
I want you to reap all the benefits of working out, I want you feeling your best all day every day.