Recently, I listed some ways for you on how to NOT achieve your health and fitness goals this coming year. If you’re someone that is 40 plus years old and new to fitness, reading the 6 tips below will increase your chances of hitting your goals. If you have worked out for a long time and still not making progress, I would also read on. After over 15 years of working with others, I look at the 6 tips below as a necessity!!
#1 Be S.M.A.R.T>> Whatever goal you decide to tackle, be sure that it’s Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. For example, the goal of “I want to lose weight this year” meets a couple of the criteria but not all of them. Instead for example, “I want to lose 20 pounds and 5 inches around my waist in 6 months” is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. Use the S.M.A.R.T acronym when making your goals and your chances for success with increase. By doing this, you can track your progress (or not) and make the necessary changes.
#2 Think Better Nutrition Habits, Not DIET: I’m not going to slam the popular diets that are making headlines right now. I will let the dieticians and nutritionists do that. Nutrition is a hard subject. There are many factors that go into it. What we can all agree on is that sugars, high processed foods, binge eating, overeating (good and bad fads) isn’t going to lead to success. My advice to you is to start journaling for the next week exactly what you consume. That means everything and don’t lie to yourself and not write something in. You might be surprised of the amount of food you eat in a course of the day. You might notice for example; you drink a lot of soda and juices that can be decreased or eliminated and swapped with something else. You might realize that you’re not getting enough vegetables in. By journaling, you can see where you’re good and bad at and make the appropriate changes.
Also, when it comes to all the diet fads right now, they all have one thing in common. That’s creating a calorie deficit to ultimately lose weight and the reverse if you’re trying to put some weight on. Yes, you can gain weight by eating more chicken than what you’re supposed to.
#3 Think of This As A Lifestyle Change, Not a Quick Fix: Your health and fitness aren’t quick fixes. If you’re new to fitness, I would come to the realization that you’re going to need to work on this your whole life. That’s not a bad thing either. Looking for quick fixes is a recipe for disaster, failure, and sometime injury. Besides, quick fixes aren’t sustainable either. You won’t learn anything from the process, and you’ll go right back to where you were or worse. We have a few PhDs that are members at our gym. We always joke that it didn’t take a year to get their degree. Don’t expect getting healthier to be any different.
#4 Start Slow and Pick The Right Exercise Program: Like we mentioned in our previous article, the Tour De Force mode and using the professional bodybuilder’s workout plan isn’t a good idea. If you haven’t worked out for some time, going to the gym 5-7 days for 1-2 hours might sound like a good plan, but it isn’t. Start off slow. Maybe 1-2 days per week and then add another day the third week. Also, if you’re new to fitness, I would make sure that you first get screened by your trainer. At First Capital Gym, we use the Functional Movement Screen because it’s the best screening tool in the industry. Your trainer or gym doesn’t need the Functional Movement Screen, but they better have something to screen movement. I would be hesitant of a gym that throws you in a training session or class without doing some kind of screen.
After your screen, picking the right exercises and program is extremely important. Long gone are the days of weight machine circuits and large group fitness classes. Besides reaching a healthy weight, you need to move better and become stronger. That means you need to work on flexibility, strength, functional movement, power, and endurance. At First Capital Gym, we offer a 30 Day Personal Training Experience program for new people who don’t where to start. You can click on that here for more details>> https://www.firstcapitalgym.com/30-day-fitness/
#5 Don’t Compare Yourself To Others>> To be honest, this is where most people go wrong. With social media, everyone compares themselves to others. I must admit, when I struggled with my fitness and other goals for that matter, I found myself comparing to others. My advice to you is to not get on social media and see what others are doing and how they’re doing. Worry about yourself and only yourself.
#6 Beware of the Shiny Object>> There is such a thing called the Bright Shiny Object Syndrome. That means getting derailed by doing something else or getting totally thrown off course. Again, I am guilty of this. I am guilty of this when I’m looking for quick fixes or I compare myself to others. Stick with the plan. If the plan’s not working, make sure that it’s not YOU that’s not working. Lots of times, when the plan isn’t working, you can look at your behavior in the previous weeks and notice you weren’t doing the necessary things. Also, make sure you give the plan some time to do its job. That’s why using S.M.A.R.T when it comes to making your goals is important.
I really hope this helps you get ready for the 2020 year. Whatever you decide to do, make sure you realize that it’s going to take some work and probably a few sacrifices. I hope you have a great 2020 year and hit your goals!!
gain, if you’re new to fitness or just need guidance, we offer a 30 Day Personal Training Experience for new members to try us out. We’ll set you up on the best path to success. Click on the link below for more information
INTERESTED IN MORE INFORMATION? WANT TO GIVE FIRST CAPITAL GYM A TRY?
Fill out the form below and we’ll get back to you within 24 hours to answer your questions or set up a free consultation!