“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth”.
Tyson was talking about boxing, but the wisdom of those words reach far beyond the confines of that particular sport.
You already know you need to train consistently to see good results. The question is, how do you do that when life always seems to get in the way?
Between work, school, errands, family emergencies, and other things, finding even 30 minutes for a quick workout can feel impossible, let alone maintaining a consistent fitness schedule.
The good news is that sticking to a routine is easier than most people imagine. You just need to know the most common roadblocks, and as G.I. Joe has taught us: knowing is half the battle.
Injury
Unsurprisingly, an injury can keep you from structured exercise. So when you hear advice about warming up, maintaining proper form, and stretching, it's not just to make things optimal. It's to ensure you stick to your routine and don't lose the gains for which you've worked so hard. So, unless your name is Logan and you have a mutant healing factor, stay safe and leave your damn ego at the door.
Change In Work Schedule
Maybe you’ve started working at a new place, or maybe your work hours changed. Regardless of the reason, if you end up having to shift your workout sessions to later in the day, then you will naturally have less of an inclination to hit the gym, as your energy level will be more depleted. It will take time to adjust to your new schedule and figure out the new optimal time, rituals, and whatever else you need to get your ass to the gym on a consistent basis.
Doing too Much
Burning the candle at both ends might work for a while, but it is not a sustainable strategy. It often overwhelms you, puts you at risk of overtraining, and makes it nearly impossible to sustain a workout routine. Do your best to put things in the proper perspective and evaluate relative to what matters. For instance: does playing some game really matter as much as your health and those sweet, sweet gains?
The All-Or-Nothing Mentality
The all-or-nothing mentality is a cognitive distortion that often causes people to focus on negativity and doubt themselves.
In the case of working out, people with such a mentality often give up because of small speedbumps. For example, a person would hit the gym consistently for four months, skip training for a week, and declare that it is all gone to waste.
Fortunately, that’s not the case. Missing a couple of workouts is not the end of the world, so settle down and get back on that horse.
Not Prioritizing the Gym
Not prioritizing the gym is another huge roadblock. Most people would love to get fit, build muscle, and feel great, but they never truly prioritize the gym. Instead, they approach it with the mindset of, “Ah, I hope I get a chance to train this week.”
Sure enough, such an approach doesn’t work because something else always comes up: work, socializing, catching a few extra episodes of your favorite TV show, and such.
Once and for all: working out is important. It's as important as going to work and spending time with loved ones. You make time for those things, so you can make time for the gym.
Where To Go From Here
It’s the New Year, which means now is the perfect time to make a commitment and prioritize fitness.
It won’t be without its challenges, and you won’t feel like working out every time. But being aware of the most common roadblocks and making it a point to get fit will boost your chances of success.
And just as a reminder of what we talked about, recite the oath and get this nifty Green Kettlebell design.