Being new to working out is intimidating. The first time you do anything is intimidating. For me, though, here are 5 things I wish I knew before I started working out.
1 – Consistency Over Everything Else
High intensity interval training. Boot camps. Peloton. P90X. Insanity.
All these things have the same thing in common: they are very intense workouts. While intensity is a great thing, the more important component when you’re just starting out is keeping your workouts consistent.
Think about it: making things very intense [especially at first] usually means a lot of soreness. If you are not someone who is accustomed to being very sore, this will be a big deterrent for you to do it again. In other words, motivation begins to disappear. Do this enough times and you will potentially have fallen “off the wagon.”
Which brings me to my next point…
2 – The Motivation Train For Working Out
One of the things I hear when someone disappears from training is something along the lines of, “I’m just not motivated anymore.”
Well, is motivation really the key to the castle? Is that really what differentiates those who do vs those who don’t?
Surprisingly, or perhaps unsurprisingly, the answer to that question is, “HELL NO!”
Motivation, especially early on, can be a key in helping to develop working out as a habit. However, you will wake up one morning thinking it would be so much better to stay in bed than get up and work out. And sometimes that thought wins!
Don’t let this derail you. Here is why:
Think of creating a new habit as voting for the person you want to be vs the person you currently are. Each time you succeed in getting to the gym, there is a vote for the ‘goal you.’ Each time you fail at getting to the gym, there is a vote for ‘current you.’
If you have voted 30 times and only once for ‘current you,’ this is not going to break you. I repeat, THIS IS NOT GOING TO BREAK YOU!
Get back up, dust yourself off, and vote for your ‘goals’ even if you vote for ‘current you’ every once in a while.
3 – Don’t Go Home
This one is simple. If you work out after work, do not go home first. Keep your stuff with you in the car or at work. If you go home and your butt hits the couch…
…you’re done. I’m embarrassed at how many times this has happened to me. Don’t tell anyone.
4 – “Diet” Is A Dirty Word
To me, diet suggests cutting this out and cutting that out. When you cut things out, you now have a way to sabotage yourself when things don’t go exactly your way.
Have you ever had a bad day, you got home late, dinner wasn’t ready, and you just said, “f*ck it?”
Yeah, diet does this.
Instead, focus on adding good things to your nutrition. As you continue to add more and more good things, those bad things will have a tendency to disappear. The best part? You’re not “limiting yourself.” Rather, you get to choose and choice is powerful!
5 – Seek Help For Working Out
Maybe it is a group fitness class. Perhaps you found yourself a training partner who is willing to help you out. Maybe you feel you need the help of a professional trainer.
This is what is great about asking questions of someone who has been there and done that: they’ve done it and they know what not to do. They also likely know the tactics and strategies to get there faster.
You do want results, don’t you? Spinning your wheels is no fun for anyone after all.
Want to see the value of what a professional personal trainer can do for you? Click HERE to set yourself up for a free consult and we will be your guide.
I hope to talk to you soon!
