One thing I miss about being a kid is the back-to-school preparation. When August rolled around, I was always excited about getting new clothes, pens, notebooks, a school bag, a lunch bag and even a pencil sharpener. When school began, my notes were so neat and colorful – and if they were even a little messy, I would rip out that page and rewrite them!
Of course my euphoria didn’t last forever, but it was a good start. My motivation was at its peak. This is what you need to do with your training. Everyone gets in a training rut from time to time, but think about letting the promise of a New Year pull you out of it this time.
Here are 10 tips to help you succeed:
1. Set a goalNotice I said a goal. It’s difficult to focus on too many different things at once, so just choose a few at a time. You want to be specific and realistic about your goals and focus on the process.
For weight training, you could bump up your training from 3 to 4 sessions a week. To accelerate the post-holiday “defatting” process, you can commit yourself to 2 to 3 interval training sessions per week for 12 weeks.
2. Set small weekly goals that will build up and lead you to a larger goal Small successes are crucial to keeping you on track; reaching each weekly goal will encourage you to set and achieve more goals.
3. Keep your head in the game Think about your goals daily. Write them on cue cards and place them on your fridge, your computer, your bathroom mirror.
4. Find a role model who inspires you If you want to achieve something, find someone who has already done it and use that person’s accomplishments as inspiration.
5. Get excited about starting your goalThe best way to get excited about achieving your goals is to plan out the process. Work out all the details on a calendar. Get excited about the start date and make sure you are prepared and ready to begin.
6. Tell your friends and family about your goalsThe more people who know, the more they can help keep you focused. When your motivation starts to fade, your friends will keep you accountable.
7. Get a new weight training programTry something different. If you normally do high reps, try a low-rep program. Switch it up! Do supersets instead of straight sets. Try drop sets and death circuits (yes, you read that right: death circuits). If you don’t have the knowledge to put together a good program, hire a trainer.
8. Skip the aerobics class and join a modified strongman class Many places now offer these classes, even indoors for the cold winter months. You will build strength, agility and power while getting a great cardiovascular effect. If you aren’t sweating and panting after the first round of exercises, something is not right.
9. Get a training partner Nothing is more motivating than having someone looking at you while you are training. Find someone who is at or near your strength level so you can motivate each other into lifting more weight and getting those last few reps.
10. Choose a rewardHave fun with this one – just make sure your reward is not related to food. It could be a vacation, a massage, a new training outfit, new shoes or even getting a PICP trainer to design your programs. Choose something that you can really look forward to.
Now take a few days to find your goal and get to it. 2013, here we come!
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