New Years Resolutions...break the cycle!
I spoke about this before, but I think given the time of year, it bears repeating.
It's the new year and everyone is making resolutions, buying gym
memberships, and generally getting excited about fitness...then the
enthusiasm drops and the gym empties. Resolutions get broken, and
exercise machines become clothes racks and gym clothes become PJs.
Why?
Personally, I think that the problem is with the concept of
resolutions and generally goal setting. Many people are setting goals
that they feel determine a state of fitness or body image. Specifically
they want to lose "X" amount of pounds in "X" amount of time. We live in
a society of instant gratification. We want to look good NOW with the
least amount of work. However, if you look at the people who are
actually fit, the runners, the lifters, sports athletes, swimmers, etc,
you see WEEKS, MONTHS, YEARS of hard work. Can you see the pounds drop
and the muscles show quickly? Absolutely. But is it safe? NO. Is it
sustainable? NO. A body that is fit, capable, and ready for what the
world has to offer requires dedication and work. THERE IS NO QUICK AND
EASY FIX.
So there is the problem in a nutshell. My solution? Ignore your
weight. Ignore how you look. Ignore what society says you should "look"
like. Ignore societal standards for "beauty" or "handsome". As I stated
above, the goal is to be "fit, capable and ready for what the world has
to offer." If you work towards that, then the fat will shed, the muscles
will show and you will have a body that can do whatever it wants.
For example, my goals for this year is to be able to do a ring muscle
up, perform consistent butterfly style pull ups, hit a 175 lbs snatch, a
250 lbs. clean and jerk, 300 range for front and back squat, 200 lbs
overhead squat and 350 lbs deadlift. I don't care about fitting into a size 30 pants, or having a six
pack, or losing that pesky double chin. If I can make the goals I set
for myself, those other superficial wants will come.
If you are still starting or having issues with your fitness journey,
try setting a goal that is a physical task and with small increments of
gains. Instead of, "I want to look like X" or "I want to lose X weight" change it to, "I want to be able to do X". Let's say for example, "I want to do 25 pushups in a minute!"
But the problem is, at the moment, you can't (yet). So give yourself an
extra minute OR reduce the number of pushups. Repeat those small gains
day in and day out and the progress will show and those incremental
improvements can mean a great deal when it comes to staying motivated.
Set future goals, but between then and now, set believable goals in
between. Like my goals above, I know I'm not going to hit a 350 lbs
deadlift when I go to the gym on Wednesday. I can only do 325 at the
moment for sure. So in the meantime, I'll work towards doing 325
consistently. Then push to 330, hit that consistently for a couple
weeks, the pushup again. Sometimes I'll hit it, sometimes I won't. We
all have the luxury of our life times to put in the work. You just have
to find the time for it. MAKE the time for it.
Studies I can't recall, but vaguely remember, stated something along
the lines of routines aren't truly established until after a month. And
routine is the best way to maintain the motivation and dedication. It's
the hardest part for many people and the reason why gym memberships fall
off by February. But once you get set in your ways, it's very hard to
fall out. You start to feel a self imposed pressure when you think
you're not going to make a workout. You feel awful when you miss a
workout. And when you miss a workout, you tend to work harder the next
time to make up for it. So whatever routine you can maintain with your
life, STICK WITH IT. And as time goes by you add to it because you
become faster and stronger.
The new years is a great time to find workout friends, get in a routine, and really change your outlook on life and build your body into
something better. I hope everyone is still on the grind and ready to tackle the new year and get fit for RTX. Stay motivated friends, you all
pump me up and everyone in the group is here for YOU and to help each other. Don't be shy and get some work in. Don't care about how you look or how you perform. As long as you put in 100% to what you're doing, then you're doing amazing and it will show!
