With the weeks becoming warmer and the days becoming longer one can only sense that the Summer Season is right around the corner. In the fitness industry, the foreshadowing of the humid, sunny, beach weather brings out the people who have been hibernating on their couches all winter long. Most people will be wearing less clothing which means they will be showing more skin which ultimately means that they will need to exchange that extra layer of fat that they added on over the winter months for some ripped, hard, lean muscle.
As a Personal Trainer/Fitness Company Owner I personally love this time of the year. To me there is nothing more inspiring then a packed gym full of highly motivated people who are all focused on reaching their individual health and fitness goals. Unfortunately for the most part, the reality is that the majority of these people who are determined to reach their goals simply do not reach them in time for the Summer Season. Now before anyone accuses me of being unsupportive, uncaring or negative, let me explain to you as to why I believe that some people do in fact fail when it comes to their health and fitness.
Reason #1 – Unrealistic Goals & Expectations – I’m all for setting goals when trying to succeed at anything in life. In fact, I tell every single client that we work with that unless they have a goal in mind that they would like to accomplish when it comes to their own health and/or physique then they are just some person wondering aimlessly around a gym with a pair of dumbbells in hand. I don’t believe in the word “maintaining” as it lacks ambition and desire. However if you are 30lbs overweight and want to drop down 3 dress sizes in 3 weeks then you are delusional and just setting yourself up for failure. It’s important to set attainable goals that are both short term and long term to continue to succeed and produce results with your physique. There’s nothing more frustrating then failing at something and when most people fail they quit. And when you quit on fitness then you fail on fitness.
Reason #2 – Food Prepping 101 – If you haven’t heard it already I’ll say it again – When it comes to transforming your physique training is only 20% of the battle, diet makes up the rest. Most people hate when I say this but working out is actually the easy part. Anyone who is relatively healthy and able can go to the gym and lift weights and do cardio. However very few people can stick to a moderately strict nutritional plan and stay consistent with prepping their meals ahead of time. When you take into consideration that a 1-hour workout with your trainer only takes up 4% of your day then that leaves the remaining 96% up to you to decide what you do with the rest. Quite simply if all you do is put crap into your body then you will most likely look and feel like crap. However if you are prepared and organized and have the majority of your meals planned accordingly for the day then you will continue to move one step forward rather then one step back.
Reason #3 – Staying on Track – In the past I’ve spoken how I truly believe that consistency is the key when it comes to mastering anything in life. Whether your goal is health, family or financially related, in my opinion if you are not consistent with completing the tasks at hand then you will never fully achieve what you set out to accomplish. This is especially true when it comes to transforming your physique and improving your health. You cannot be 100% committed one day and then completely uncommitted the next. If you truly want to accomplish something I believe you need to be fully focused and committed. The whole “one foot in / one foot out” is not going to cut it here. If you want something then you have to work for it. Period.
Reason #4 – Ridiculous Rewards – I’ve worked with some clients over the years who believe that they can eat whatever they like or take a few weeks off training because they “deserve it”. Perhaps some of these people did in fact work their asses off in the squat rack and sweated it out daily on the elliptical trainer for months on end. And ofcourse it’s important to take breaks from training periodically for both your mental and physical state. However I’ve never felt that I “deserved” an extended rest period or a piece of chocolate cake. I don’t reward myself for hard work that I’m doing ultimately for myself. I’ve always relied on listening to my body when it comes to rest and nutrition. If I need a day off from the gym I take it. If I want a slice of chocolate cake I have it. I’m not some animal that needs to be rewarded with a treat when I’ve done something good.
Reason #5 – Taking The Fun Out Of Fitness – Okay, I know it sounds cheesy but I honestly think as adults, we have forgotten how to make being fit fun. I can’t tell you how many people I see at the gym on a regular basis who look absolutely miserable. Working out and eating healthy is not a life sentence. As difficult as it may be, performing squats in the squat rack is probably NOT going to be the most painful and unpleasant experience that you will ever encounter, and if it is, then you should consider yourself extremely lucky. And as much of a pain in the ass as it may be to prepare the majority of your meals ahead of time, you should consider yourself lucky that you are able to afford to have these meals as there are plenty of starving people in the world who would gladly trade spots with you for 2-3 hours of meal prepping each week in a second.
In the end, when it comes to transforming your physique for the better and improving your quality of life I think it’s important to do so knowing that there will be plenty of challenges and plateaus to surpass along the way. How you deal and face these challenges will define your results though.
So if you want a passing grade in fitness and want to keep moving up to the next level then my suggestions are that you set realistic goals, plan each day ahead accordingly, always remain focused and consistent, don’t give into short term gratification at the expense of long term satisfaction and always have fun at what you’re doing.
Life really is too short not to be lived to it’s absolute fullest. But it will be even shorter if you’re not around to live it because of your poor health.
Yours in Good Health,
Nick Cosgrove