Staying consistent in the gym

I’ve received a ton of questions about how I stay consistent in the gym, so I thought I would give you a couple of real basic tips that have worked for me! 

Pack your gym bag before you go to sleep! There were times when I woke up late, but was still able to make it to the gym because everything was ready to go. Conversely, there were times that I woke up late and/or was moving slow and by the time I packed … I didn’t have enough time to work out. If you are going to work out at the crack of dawn or after work, you should pack your bag the night before to help remove any excuses J.

Go to bed early! It’s amazing how much easier it is to get up and work out when you are fully rested. I’ve been working out first thing in the morning, but this is also true if you work out later.  When you are rested you are less likely to skip work outs. In addition, your body actually grows (or improves for those trying to lose weight) when you are at rest, so you must make sure you get enough sleep.

Mix up your work out routines! Make sure you vary your work outs to keep from getting bored or burning out. If you are new or returning to exercising, make sure you mix it up a lot.  Don’t just do the same gym routines week in and week out! Try different things … lift weights, run, hit the track for sprints, sprint a long set of stairs, ride your bike outside up real hills, chase your kids, do a boot camp, run backwards, cross fit, box, hike, etc.  Shocking your body with new activities will build other muscles and promote improvement by keeping your body guessing.  There are lots of studies that show your body gets used to a work out in 3-6 weeks, so you need to mix up your gym work outs as well. Work out at a different location sometimes if your gym has multiple locations … the change in scenery will be good!

Use the buddy system! If you are not the type of person that can consistently work out by yourself, then you need to recruit a work out partner or someone that can help hold you accountable to your goals.  Confirm that you will be working out together, call or text first thing in the morning or do whatever you need to do to make sure you both make it to work out.  In addition, people are inherently competitive, which will help keep you consistent. Reminds me of how I used to under count reps all the time when lifting in college with my track teammates/biggest competitorsJ.  Shhh don’t tell them!!

Okay, well I can go on, but will keep it short this time!  Hope this helps J  KB

Take Baby Steps!!

I’ve been receiving a lot of inquiries lately on how to get fit & trim for the summer, so I thought I would share a couple of my thoughts to a wider audience via blog. I’ve wanted to blog for months now, but this is my very first entry.  Why? I’ve procrastinated, been busy, didn’t know where to start or which blog service to use, didn’t want to start something I couldn’t keep going, made a bunch of excuses, etc. I got a laugh when I realized the answer to getting fit & trim is the same as the answer to blogging … Take baby steps!!

If you have been a couch potato for the last decade, don’t try to be a cover model in the next 90 days J.  Take baby steps!!  Find 1 or 2 things you can do consistently and do those things until they become habits. Once you build consistency with these things, you can add additional improvements or set higher goals.  This will build psychological momentum and put you on your way to developing a healthy & fit lifestyle. 

If most of you saw my eating plan, you would walk away and say it’s not worth it!  But, I didn’t start eating as healthy as I do now … overnight.  I gradually improved my eating over the past 15 years.  For example, my first eating goal was to not eat fast food every night when I got home late from work.  So I went from having burgers, fries and soda every week night to having chicken teriyaki, rice and veggies.  I made a goal that was an improvement and realistic for me at that time. I definitely could not have given up McDonald’s fries for good back then J. 

If you haven’t worked out in years, don’t make a goal that you will work out at 6am every day for the next 90 days!  That’s a very drastic change that most people can’t stick with.  I’ve noticed that the “New Years’ Resolution Gym crowd” fades away before the end of January!  Make a goal to work out 2 to 3 days per week.  That’s an improvement without being overwhelming and is something you can stick with until it becomes a habit. 

So, if becoming fit and trim is one of your goals, I encourage you to improve your diet and exercise in small, sustainable increments.  Like I said … take baby steps!!