There are millions of you serious about making a New Year’s resolution to get healthy with the exact same plan you had Jan 1st of 2017, but why will 2018 be any different? I can see it now, you’ve got the latest workout gear, the most inspirational 80’s, 90’s and 2000’s beats playlist from Spotify bumping in your way oversized headphones, heck you even picked up one of those metal water bottles all of the cool kids are rocking. Your motivation was almost enough to trick you into joining Joe the “CrossFit Bro” for his WOD, but hold on, wait a second let’s do things differently this year!
Seriously though, how are you more prepared to succeed this year compared to last? Did you study all year to gain the scientific knowledge and know-how to build muscle and lose body fat? Do you have healthier friends and a better social support system this year to hold you accountable and keep you motivated? What about those professional coaching skills needed to make real habit changes and behavior modifications?
Well, would you rebuild your radiator or design the blueprints for your house? Then what makes you qualified to be your own fitness professional, health coach and motivational speaker? It takes experience, knowledge and support to make real habit changes and to build a safe and effective training program. That’s why real people pay real money for real help and support. You don’t have to go about this alone and I suggest you avoid it all costs if you want to succeed and enjoy your healthier approach to life. There are many fitness and health coaching options to choose from and I guarantee there is one out there that will help you!
Let’s get the most important thing out of the way. It may very well be dangerous if you choose the wrong training program or coach without getting a baseline idea of where your health and functional movement are. Before running to the nearest boot camp and slinging weights over your head, jumping on boxes or slamming your chest on the ground 1000 times for fun, think about this. Would you tow a boat with 3 good tires and one flat? Then you must think of fitness training the same way. You need four good tires to operate smoothly. So, ensure you’re ready to begin working out by getting a proper physical movement assessment and health screening. Good professional coaches will always gather this information to guarantee you are ready to train. At Triaffect we use the Functional Movement Screen FMS™ as our tool to evaluate your mobility and design safe and appropriate programs specifically for your health.
How about we take it one day at a time!
To have your best year you must first have your best day! This is the real secret to making manageable and sustainable changes in your life. Don’t get caught up in any of the quick fix gimmicks whether they are services, products, programs or anything else being sold by a 6-pack wielding snake oil sales associate. IT TAKES DAILY EFFORT TO MAKE ANY PROGRESS IN LIFE! “If you are always looking forward to tomorrow, or back at yesterday, you will end up lost today”. Being present and operating in the moment will allow you to recognize and manage the habits and behaviors that lead to a healthier life not only physically, but emotionally and spiritually as well.
Plan your day with the end in mind. You know where you are, and you know where you want to go, now how do you get there? If you want to exercise today what will it take to accomplish this? You will need to schedule a time, a place, and have your workout gear ready! Planning the steps are the hardest part, but it can be easier if you just break them down to the smallest tasks possible. Check out the example below:
By the end of 2018, my client wants to lift a total of 10x his bodyweight (168lbs) across the 3 big lifts: Squat, Deadlift, and Bench Press. 1700lbs lifted by someone who weighs 168lbs pretty much seems impossible right? Well, not when you break it down step by step. Believe it or not and it was done in 2017! https://www.powerliftingwatch.com/records/raw/world
Deadlift: 700lbs
Squat: 550lbs
Bench: 450lbs
TOTAL: 1,700lbs= Success by 20lbs :}
Now how would he do this? Well, we know strength is best built with low reps at maximal weight with optimal nutrition and recovery. His program could look something like this!
3 Repetitions @80% of His 1 Repetition Max
3 Repetitions @80% of 1 His Repetition Max
2 Repetitions @85% of His 1 Repetition Max
2 Repetitions @85% of His 1 Repetition Max
1 Repetitions @90% of His 1 Repetition Max
Mon | Tues | Wed | Thurs | Fri | Sat | Sun |
Squat | Bench | Deadlift | Rest | Squat | Bench | Deadlift |
This would be a 12-week program with %’s adjusted weekly based on the increase in his 1 repetition max. We will measure his progress weekly and adjust from there! His food intake would stay consistent to what he eats now considering he is recovering adequately, making strength gains and doesn’t gain more than 20 lbs. He should add more naps, deep breathing, self-myofascial release techniques and massage for recovery as well. This is his plan for success. Now, what’s yours?
Put me in Coach!
Your body and mind are very intricate systems with many variables that must be taken into consideration when developing a healthy approach to fitness and nutrition. Luckily, Fitness and Health coaches can be your #1 asset if you choose wisely. I suggest looking for someone who has more than 3 years of experience, a health-related college degree or 5+ certifications as a fitness professional. This will ensure your coach is serious enough about their education and knowledge to help you get serious results.
True professionals chose their craft because they are passionate about helping others. Keep in mind it takes a lot of energy and courage for a Fitness Professional to prove themselves over and over again to gain the respect and business of skeptical clients. These pros are dedicated because they have seen how transformative a healthy life can be when a good coach and a dedicated client work together as a team!
Look for a good coach in your area first as we know convenience is important, but don’t sacrifice convenience for finding the right professional to help you. The truth is a good coach is worth 1000 times more than the most amazing equipment and luxurious amenities. So, don’t get caught up on how nice a gym is, how great their marketing, how many cool gadgets they have or how great of a deal they are offering if their coaches aren’t right for you. Let me put it this way, how well would you operate a Stealth Bomber compared to your 98 Corolla? Progress must start with the skill not the tools. 8 sessions with someone who has the knowledge experience, patience, and passion needed to help you move better, get stronger and lose weight can literally change your life forever. Show up ready to learn, work hard and you will get way more than you pay for!
Are you seriously going back to the gym today?
Another big obstacle in your way to a healthier 2018 is the nonexistent social support system and lack of culture in most gyms or fitness programs. It’s no secret that social support matters as much as anything to keep you excited about working out! Even at some of the best fitness facilities as a newbie you will feel intimidated, overwhelmed and self-conscience. That is perfectly normal, but the gym staff and coaches should welcome you and ease some of this trepidation. If the staff isn’t friendly or even worse they make you feel intimidated? RUN!! At Triaffect we base everything off how well we treat our clients from the moment we begin working with them. We require our members to be a part of our fun, fitness family!
Find a fun shake or kick your booty fitness class and sign up even if it’s not your thing. New challenges always open the door to new opportunities, new abilities and new experiences so don’t be too afraid to grow out of your comfort zone. Once, In the class take time to introduce yourself to some of the members and ask about their fitness journey’s. You may just realize that you have it easy compared to some!
Reach out to a few of your friends and challenge them to join you for a small group training class. Tell them they probably can’t handle it, but they could try. If you only ask they may be liable to make an excuse, but if you challenge them you’ve added pride into the mix. Most facilities will have free introductory classes that you can all experience together.
You look so much happier what are you doing differently?
Last, but definitely not least. Remember that you must act in order to experience a healthier life not just magically change your mind and expect a totally new way of living. We are going to spend our time on this planet with a majority of it as we choose so, why not choose to live a grateful, connected, fulfilled, vibrant, and healthy life? These are all things that you can control and create each and every day.
You are an amazing creation with unimaginable abilities and unimaginable energy, but too often you let the world define your abilities and filter out your energy. You can stop this though by applying daily practices that help you dig up these buried emotions within. Developing the skills and practices to keep a positive and productive perspective will allow you to continuously cultivate happiness from the inside out!
Small consistent effort leads to massive trans-formative changes. This is harder to do then it sounds, but there are a few ingredients I think make it the perfect recipe for success:
- Ignore all doubts, fears, obstacles or limiting beliefs. They don’t help you so why are you focusing on them?
- Take action no matter how small it may seem. Action follows action! Stop over analyzing and adjust instead. By taking action you will know whether it works or not and can make strategic adjustments.
- Put things into a positive perspective by writing out a few of your blessings and gifts each day.
- Seek to understand the reasons people or circumstances in your life anger, irritate or annoy you instead of sitting on the emotion and letting it control you.
- Decide to follow that which fulfills your soul not that which distracts it. Discover this by envisioning what you want your life’s work to leave as a legacy!
Yes it’s uncomfortable to challenge yourself and build the skill set to live life in HD as I like to call it, but it will eventually become even more painful not to. You should wish to inherit your sight from the blind and your hearing from the deaf as it takes believing before you can ever see and silence before you can ever hear. Now let’s do things different in 2018!