12 TIPS TO KEEP YOU FOCUSED AND MOTIVATED WITH YOUR FITNESS GAME PLAN

12 TIPS TO KEEP YOU FOCUSED AND MOTIVATED WITH YOUR FITNESS GAME PLAN

1. GET A WORKOUT BUDDY: Working out with a training partner will help you get to the gym on those days you do not feel like exercising. Also, knowing that your friend is waiting for you will keep you accountable and committed.

2. SCHEDULE YOUR WORKOUTS: Make your workout a daily appointment in your schedule that is just as important as a scheduled meeting with a client.

3. BEGIN SLOW: Pace yourself. Incremental changes create monumental movements. Be realistic with your workout schedule, the frequency and the duration. Set yourself up for success.

4. CHOSE THE BEST TIME FOR YOUR WORKOUT: If you are not a morning person then trying to workout at 6am will not set you up for success. Determine the best time for you to consistently workout. Think about when you may have the most energy as well as the least stress if you have to leave the office to exercise.

5. MEASURE YOUR SUCCESS BY YOUR APPEARANCE, THE SIZE OF YOUR CLOTHES, YOUR BODY FAT COMPOSITION, AND THE HEALTH OF YOUR BODY: Though a scale may tell you how much you weigh, it may not be the best method to measure fitness success. You may weigh 120lbs yet you may have 28% body fat, a relatively high number for the average female. The scale does not measure how much muscle you have nor how much excess body fat you are carrying around.

6. CREATE A VISION BOARD AND PICK A ROLE MODEL: Knowing what you are working for will help keep you motivated. Having a role model will also keep you focused. Allow the vision board to be a place that you can create a collage of goals, dreams, and expectations for your personal fitness. Include a role model that is your example of health and fitness.

7. TRACK YOUR PROGRESS: Write down your starting weight, body fat composition, and pants size as well as your cardiovascular endurance and muscular strength. Begin a workout log and training journal where you can record the following aspects of your workout: the amount of cardio, the exercises, the reps, the sets and weight used for each exercise, and how you feel during your workouts. Also make notes about your nutrition and how your choices fueled or did not fuel your workouts.

8. EVALUATE YOUR PROGRESS ON A REGULAR BASIS: Check your progress regularly in order to improve your fitness level, push yourself past your present level of fitness, and to keep you focused and committed.

9. STICK TO YOUR WORKOUTS AND GET TO THE GYM: Your body will not change if you do not exercise. Though you may have little energy, most times you will feel better after your workout. How great will you feel if you lay on the couch and pig out? Think about it!

10. GET BACK ON TRACK: Missing a workout or a workout/run gone terribly bad is not the end of the world. There will be days that you just cannot make it to the gym or when you do it does not go the way you had hoped. Get back on track immediately the next day. Recommit, forget, and persevere.

11. CHANGE UP YOUR ROUTINE: Monotony and boredom will make you lose steam and motivation. Try changing up your exercise routine every month. Continue trying new classes, new exercises, and different methods of varying your workouts. Try doing high reps, low weights. Or low reps, high weights. Run hills instead of getting on the stair master. Change your workout and you will continue to change your body.

12. Rest and Recover: Without adequate rest and recovery your body will not fully reap the benefits of your workouts. Over training will contribute to a decrease in drive, motivation, and results. If you are burned out or can't seem to shake those little aches and pains, schedule a few days off to help your body recover.



Sourced from: Encyclopedia of Body Building, Robert Kennedy