I’ll workout when I have more free time.

I’ll get to the gym when:

• things slow down at work

• all my travel is done

• I have more free time

These are things I hear quite often. And I get it. Sometimes life is so crazy it’s really tough to squeeze in workouts. Exercising can feel like a luxury you just don’t have time for. One that you genuinely plan to tackle when life slows down.

But there’s two big reasons why this mindset won’t serve you well in the long run.

#1. You’re always going to be busy.

I don’t know a single human being that isn’t busy. Are some of us more busy than others? Do kids play a big role in time management and flexibility? Yes of course! But you my dear reader - you’re smart, successful, and always trying to get better. So I hate to break it to you, but you’re probably not going to get less busy 🤷‍♀️

#2. If you wait until you have free time to workout, you’ll stop as soon as life gets busy again.

It seems perfectly logical to wait until you have free time to start. But when do you consistently have free time? I’m guessing your answer is -rarely-

Learning to get your workouts in even when it’s hard will ensure you stick with it long term, not just when it’s convenient for your schedule.

Once you’re working out consistently for a few months, it will become part of your normal routine, your normal (BUSY) life. So as loco as it may sound, the ideal time to start is when you’re busy. Master the most challenging version first, then the rest will feel like cake.

Need some help getting started? Grab our New Member Special - 2 Weeks of Classes for $25! We’d love to workout with you.

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 :)

YOU ARE THE SUM OF YOUR DECISIONS

In the grand scheme of life, it’s the small, seemingly inconsequential decisions that often hold the greatest power. Every choice we make, from the mundane to the monumental, contributes to the way our life plays out. We are the sum of our decisions.

I think most of us realize the power of the big decisions we make - our jobs, where we live, who we attach ourselves to, etc. But what about the small ones? Every day we make hundreds of decisions that affect our trajectory.

Every day most of us have the choice to:

• eat nutritious, nourishing foods or eat junk that makes us feel like crap

• sit on our butts or move our bodies

• order takeout or cook at home

• scroll IG or get to the gym

. . . . . . these are just a few that are specific to fitness! There are so many more choices we’re faced with on a daily basis.

If you want to change anything about your life - how you feel, look, perform, etc. - you have to change your ways. You can’t expect to continue making the same decisions you always have and suddenly get different results.

Is it easy to make healthy choices all the time? Absolutely not. And am I saying you have to make the healthy choice 100% of the time? No! I don’t even think that’s possible. Just remember that you are a culmination of the choices you make. So if you’re ALWAYS letting yourself off the hook or making excuses for yourself, you’ll continue down the same path. And maybe you’re ok with that. . . but if not, start paying attention to the decisions you make every day.

It’s the little things that add up.

Small changes = big results!

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!

Need help finding a high-quality training program? Join us! Grab our New Member Special - 2 Weeks of Classes for $25.

Want a trainer all to yourself? We offer personal training as well! Get more info here.

ARE YOU TRAINING HARD ENOUGH?

Are you training hard enough during your workouts? The sad truth is. . . probably not.

Research consistently shows that the average gym goer drastically underestimates the weights they can lift. Or if you're like me. . . . sometimes you're just being lazy.

Much to my chagrin, under-doing it in the weight room can drastically decrease the results you'll see from strength training. Check out these tips to ensure you're challenging your muscles enough to maximize strength and muscle gains:

- at the end of the majority of your strength training sets, you should have no more than 1-3 reps left in the tank.

- the weights should noticeably slow down on the last few reps of your sets. If your reps are moving at the same speed on your first and last rep of a set - you're nowhere near failure. Time to go up in weight or reps!

Still not sure if you're pushing hard enough? Take a set all the way to failure from time to time and truly test your upper limits. 9 times out of 10 you'll be able to do more than you think!

WHY SPRINTS ARE AMAZING FOR YOUR HEALTH!

Is sprinting part of your training program?  If you want to improve your health and build a lean, functional body, sprints are integral! Check out 5 reasons why we love sprints:

1. Sprints help build and maintain muscle

Sprinting is an anaerobic exercise, so it helps build muscle in a similar way that weight training does. Research shows that sprinting can enhance protein synthesis pathways, so when paired with proper nutrition and recovery, sprinting can promote muscle building.

2. Sprints keep you fast and athletic

Most people begrudgingly accept that you have to slow down with age but you don't! Sprinting helps keep us young. If you don't use it you lose it though, so get to it.

3. Sprints improve cardiovascular health

Studies show that regular sprints lower your risk of heart disease, improve blood cholesterol levels, and help control/prevent high blood pressure. Steady state cardio is beneficial and has a place in any solid training program too, but sprints HIIT different! ?

4. Sprints are convenient

You can do them anytime, anywhere, and in just a few minutes.  No equipment necessary!

5. Sprints are fun!

Ok maybe not during. . . . especially in the beginning. But once they’re done you feel great! Feeling yourself improve on them over time also feels amazing. And feeling amazing is pretty darn fun if you ask me.

HOW DO I STAY MOTIVATED?

Are you in a slump?  Trying to find the motivation to workout, eat nutritious foods, complete a nagging task on your to-do list?  How do we stay motivated??

The sad truth is . . . . . we don't. 

We've all felt that intoxicating rush of motivation when we first started a training program, a new job, or were preparing for an exciting event - it's amazing!  

But much to our chagrin - it's not human nature to remain amped up to do anything forever - d@mnit.

So what do we do when these slumps hit?  Sit on the couch, eat cheetos and wait for it to return, right?!  Been there, done that, possibly doing it as you read this? But alas, it's not what brings the motivation back.

Research shows that motivation alone is not enough.  In order to stay on track, reach our goals, not feel like a lazy POS :) - discipline must come into play.  

We have to be disciplined enough to get to the gym on the days we don't feel like it, eat a balanced meal when we really just want ice cream for dinner, and tackle that annoying task instead of binging Netflix.

This doesn't mean we need to be perfect all the time - lord knows that ain't happenin (speaking from experience.)  It means that we need to be disciplined and consistent most of the time.

Inspiration happens in motion.  So even when we don't feel like it, oftentimes if we just GET MOVING,  the motivation we've been yearning for returns.

This isn't easy, and most of us can't do it on our own.  Finding a workout routine that you actually enjoy, a workout buddy or coach to hold you accountable, and a trusted program that delivers results will help.

6 REASONS TO BRING YOUR WORKOUT OUTDOORS

As the summer is winding down, the fall weather is finally here. That means that it's time to get back outside and enjoy the sunny, 70 degree days. Even better news, you can bring your workouts outdoors again! Here are our top 6 reasons why you should move your workout outside:

1 - Absorb some of that healthy sunlight

Sunlight, through Vitamin D, helps us fight feelings of depression and heart disease. The UVB rays in sunlight work with the cholesterol in our skin to produce Vitamin D within the kidneys and liver. Along with the natural production of Vitamin D, sunlight also helps to lower blood pressure, in turn reducing the risk of heart disease. With sunlight, your body releases a compound called nitric oxide that causes the blood vessels to dilate. As such, the blood pressure is lowered, leading to overall healthiness and a longer life. Sunshine also is a mood booster that helps you fight depression. Ever notice that slump you fall in during the cold and dreary, winter months? That is because your body is not producing as much serotonin, a neurotransmitter with an effect of calmness, due to this lack of sunshine

2 - Lower your stress levels

“Various studies have shown that activities performed in the "wilderness or urban nature areas" show results of reduced stress. According to other studies published by the Journal of Environmental Psychology, people feel "more alive" when they take their workouts outdoors. They even showed that a person who walked outside reported more enjoyment and received higher results on vitality and energy tests (lower anxiety and depression) than a person who walked inside on a treadmill.”

3 - Room to Move

“There's no denying the energy of a Heat workout in the studio - but bringing your training outdoors to an open field or park will allow you to move in some ways that are limited indoors. Challenging exercises such as sled pushes and pulls, hill sprints, ladder drills, and medicine ball throws to name a few are all much easier accessed at an outdoor workout. Also, while treadmills are great great training tools, they are no match for real running outdoors.

4 - Fresh Air

While we work hard to keep our gym clean, there is no denying the benefits of getting outside for some fresh air. The EPA found that indoor air is 2 -5 times more polluted than outdoor air. If you have a typical job, you probably spend at least 8 hours each day - so the fresh air could do your body good!

5 - Change of Scenery

A change of pace can be crucial to keeping your workout routine interesting, thus keeping you motivated to stick with it for the long haul. Getting outside is one the best ways to break up the monotony of your typical workout. Luckily for us, the city of Raleigh is filled with great parks (Halifax and Fletcher, to name a few), along with greenways, trails, rivers and lakes. There's no better time to take advantage of all of these opportunities than this time of year in NC.

6 - Fun!

Let's not forget that working out should be enjoyable! What are some of your favorite outdoor activities? Whether it's playing organized sports, swimming, running, or one of the many other options we have access to here in Raleigh -- grab a workout partner or two, get out in the sunshine and move! If your exercise routine puts a smile on your face, you'll be much more likely to stick with it.

This Fall, break the routine and get outside and move! You’ll be glad you did.

SMART TRAINING 101

No matter where you are on your fitness journey, it is easy to get wrapped up in the common misconception of workouts only being effective if we essentially have to be dragged off the gym floor...

I hear it all the time, "Wow, that workout really kicked my ass!" or "I could barely walk for a week!" as if it is a badge that should be worn with pride.  This may surprise a few people, but most of your workouts should actually have you feeling better when you walk out of the gym than when you walked in.  Wait, what? Working out isn't supposed to put you in a constant state of soreness and fatigue?  Yep, you heard it right. Smart training is supposed to make you feel good.

Don't get me wrong – burning muscles, heavy breathing, and sweat are all integral parts of any successful program, but grueling workouts are only one small piece to the puzzle in regards to achieving results and staying injury free in the long term.

A smart and effective training program can be broken down into five major parts:  Consistency, intelligent programming, fun, mindfulness, and intensity.   Let's look at each one in more detail:

Consistency:  This one is pretty self-explanatory and the MOST important part of a successful fitness program.  If you continuously show up and move your body, you’ll be well on your way to results.  

Intelligent Programming:   Essentially, this means making sure your workouts make sense for your goals.  For example, if your goal is to lose fat, but you are only doing cardio, that’s not the right program for you because strength training(muscle) is essential for maximum fat loss - along with a good diet, of course.  The good news is if you have general fitness goals - lose fat, gain muscle, feel better - your program should look something like this:  a few days of strength training, a few days of interval or circuit training, some mobility work, and some REST.  Don’t sleep on rest (haha - get it) – this could definitely be its own category so I want to make sure it is not grazed over.  Rest not only includes getting ample sleep on a daily basis, but rest days also allow your body to recover from this stress and come back stronger. 

Fun: Fun is both an underrated and underutilized part of a successful training program.  Are you enjoying your training or does it always feel like work?  If the latter is true, you’ll want to switch some things up.  What forms of exercise do you love to do?  What sports do you enjoy playing? Do you have a workout partner that makes exercise more enjoyable?  Don’t get this twisted – training is going to be tough at times, but if you are constantly feeling beat up, tired, and dreading your next workout, there's a high likelihood that you are not going to stick with it in the long term.

Mindfulness:  In other words, focus.  When you are in the gym, it’s necessary to stay present and focused on the task at hand.  What is the goal workout you are trying to accomplish?  What is the goal of the specific exercise you are completing?  How challenging is the weight you are using?  Are you using the best possible form for effectiveness and injury prevention?  More often than not, we see people just going through the motions in the gym, and while that is absolutely better than sitting on your butt, the addition of this level of detail will most certainly give your training a boost. 

Intensity:  There is a reason this concept is saved for last - and it's not because it's the least important.  While training intensity is a major factor in achieving results, it should only be added once the other pieces are in place.  Here's why:

Intensity without consistency = lack of results and high chance of injury

Intensity without intelligent programming = lack of results and high chance of injury

Intensity without fun = lack of results because there’s a good chance you won’t stay consistent - because training sucks

Intensity without mindfulness = can lead to short term results, but comes with a very high chance of injury

See my point?  Intensity is a good thing and an absolute necessity if you are looking to achieve high levels of health and fitness.  That said, it only becomes your friend once you have the other principles in place to go along with it.  

It is when you can get each of these components working together that you will achieve results that last a lifetime.