it won’t happen overnight
We live in a world of instant gratification. Anything you want to watch can be streamed, anything you want to eat can be delivered to your doorstep, anything you want to learn can be googled, and so on. And I’ll tell ya, it’s quite nice 🤷♀️
Getting used to this can be a slippery slope though, because some things still take time. And yes, you guessed it - I’m talking about fitness. Unfortunately for our somewhat spoiled society, it takes time to get fit. Whether your goal is to lose body fat, build muscle, improve cardiovascular health, get out of pain, or live longer . . . . . it will not happen overnight.
Real fitness progress takes time. You might not see results day to day or even week to week, and this can be frustrating - I get it! But don’t let that be your excuse to quit. Keep at it, even when you don’t feel like it and even when it doesn’t seem like it’s working. Because it is. A year from now you’ll be so happy you listened to me 😉
It won’t happen overnight. But if you quit, it won’t happen at all.
Need some help with your results? Grab our New Member Special and come workout with us! We’ll help keep you accountable on those days you don’t feel like showing up.
recovery = results
Recovery. Not a very sexy topic, but one that’s essential if you want to see results from your training. It’s easy to overlook rest and recovery when you’re super motivated, feeling great, and eager to reach your goals . . . but it’s necessary for long-term success and sustainable results.
What actually happens when you rest?
Every time you engage in intense exercise, you create tiny tears in your muscle fibers. This may sound alarming, but it’s not! It’s part of the natural growth process. When you rest, your body repairs these tears, making your muscles stronger and more resilient. While it may sound counterintuitive, you don’t build muscle in the gym - you build it when you rest.
What happens if you don’t rest?
This happens a lot when people begin their fitness journey. They get so excited and addicted to how great they feel from working out (which is FANTASTIC!) that they don’t want to stop. They worry that if they take one day off they’ll fall off the wagon completely and will have to start all over.
But if you don’t rest, it can lead to:
Decreased Performance: fatigued muscles can’t perform at their best, limiting your ability to push harder in your next workout. You won’t see many gains if you can never push it.
Injury: repetitive stress on muscles and joints without adequate recovery can lead to strains, pulls, tears, and all the other injuries that can leave you hobbling around and miserable.
Burnout: if you keep at anything that hard for that long, you’ll eventually burnout. Motivation does not last forever unfortunately.
How often should you rest? This can vary, but most people do well with 1-2 rest days per week. I personally feel my best with two rest days each week.
This doesn’t mean you need to sit on the couch and eat cheetos a couple days a week - although I could get down with that too 😛 You can still move on your rest days, you just want to take it easy. Walking, mobility work, and gentle yoga are great rest day activities if you can’t hold still.
Recovery isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity. You’re not lazy for taking a day off, and you’re not going to lose everything you’ve built. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.
Need some help with rest? Grab our New Member Special and come workout with us! We’ll help you with your weekly workout schedule so you’ll be looking and feeling your best in no time.
HOW DO YOU GET RESULTS FAST?
How do you get results FAST?! The truth is, you don't.
Any results you get in a flash are likely acquired through unsustainable, unhealthy, uncontrollable behavior. Think fad diets, ultimate restriction, being so sick or stressed that you can't eat . . . . . yes you'll lose weight quickly but as soon as you get back to normal those "results" are a long lost memory.
The best way to results is CONSISTENCY.
What do I mean by "consistency?"
Workout. Getting to the gym 3-5 days/week is a great start.
Walk. Shoot for 7,000 - 10,000 steps per day.
Sleep. 7-9 hours per night is a good baseline.
Eat enough protein. Try for about 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight (if you weigh 150 lbs, try to eat about 150 grams of protein per day.
Get outside. Contrary to societal norms, we were not designed to sit in front of computers under fluorescent light all day. We need sunshine and nature to feel our best!
Limit alcohol consumption. I know, booooo! I'm not saying you should stop drinking altogether. But if you're drinking every night and/or binge drinking every weekend, it's going to be challenging to reach your fitness goals.
These are the basics. Are they sexy? No. Will they help you achieve long-term health and wellness? Absolutely.
If you can consistently nail the basics, you may find that you don't need to change anything else to be where you want to be.