Posted on March 21, 2019 by Jenny Cromack
Here’s a list of some really exciting fitness things: 1) Starting a cool new programme with loads of interesting new exercises you haven’t seen before; 2) Telling everyone your goals and posting your training on social media, #fitfam #workoutwednesday #norestdays #grind; 3) Hitting new personal bests or records. But guess what? Most of the exciting stuff isn’t what’s going to get you the results you want. It might make you feel good, it might temporarily get you motivated and inspired to train, but that motivation is fleeting. This blog is about why doing the boring stuff is brilliant for you.
Progress is made through consistent effort every single day of every single week for years at a time.
With that in mind, here is an alternative list of 3 not so sexy, sort of boring fitness things that will actually make a HUGE impact on your long term progress towards your goals.
1) Tracking your workouts.
Writing down all of your exercises, all of your sets, all of your reps and all of the weights you used. Recording how far you ran, cycled or swam plus how long it took you to complete that distance. Doing this every. single. day.
2) Tracking your food.
Recording the calories you eat every day. Recording how much protein you eat every day. Having a working daily knowledge of what you eat, how each food tends to make you feel and which foods your body responds best to. Not only will this help you achieve the physique you want, it will also help to keep you fueled ready for each workout.
3) Getting consistent with your sleep.
Making sure you get at least 8 hours every day. Ideally going to bed and getting up at the same time every single day. This means going to bed rather than watching that extra Netflix show. This means sometimes choosing to stay in rather than go out drinking with your friends. This also means not moaning about the sacrifices you make; they’re not sacrifices, they’re the cost of achieving what you want to achieve.
And there go, 3 boring fitness things that will absolutely, positively 100% help you reach your goals.
You just have to do them.