A while back I realized I needed to make some changes in my training. I was in a rut. I was slowly getting in worse and worse shape. My mobility and flexibility was getting brutal. I flat out needed to train and move more. I needed to make my health a priority again.
In order to do so, I knew I needed to get back to some of the basics and to get out of my comfort zone a little. I made simple changes; I started to make it a priority to train consistently and work my ass off when I did so. Those were the easy and simple changes, here are a couple other easy and simple changes I made that have been a game-changer for me.
I’m now 39 years young and in close to the best shape of my life, stronger then I have been in a long time. My mobility and flexibility are back. I feel as good as I can ever remember feeling. Here were some of the keys to making such a drastic and positive change;
Having a Reliable Training Partner
The best thing that has happened to my training is having an actual training partner (or more). I always found it easy to skip out on a training session when I was tired or just being lazy. Its easy to skip out when you only have yourself to answer to. However, having someone counting on you to be there to train with gives you a little extra kick in the ass when you might not be feeling up to training.
The key is finding a training partner that is reliable and willing to push you on the days that you aren’t feeling it (we all have those days). Your training partner needs to have somewhat of a similar training style as you, but it doesn’t have to be identical. If your training partner is training for a marathon and you want to be a powerlifter, it obviously isn’t a good fit. That isn’t to say you need to be doing the same program, just have more similarities then differences.
Have a Coach that Guides You
Besides having a great training partner or two, training in a gym/environment that fits your personality and pushes you to reach your goals is critical. If you want to try your hand at powerlifting, I’m not sure Planet Fitness is the right environment for you. I have the luxury of training at MaxWay Performance in a great weight room that has an incredible environment. It’s hard to watch some of our clients train and not get fired up to train.
Make it a Priority in Your Day
I make sure I get into the gym 4-5 days a week, sometimes in the mornings, sometimes at night and sometimes during the day. Unfortunately, because of work commitments I can’t lock in a specific time to train every day. However, I can lock in the fact that I am going to train at some point during the day, I make it a priority. It’s just something I do and make sure that I get it in at some point during the day.
A Reliable Coach
Having someone else write your training programs can be a game changer. Having someone else, a second set of eyes, design a program for you is a great way to push yourself to bigger and better things. For starters, it’ll keep you honest. If you have to check-in with someone every 3-4 weeks to see how the program is going and/or get your next program, you’ll be more apt to stick to the program. Additionally, when you write your own programs you tend to continue to do the things you like and are good at. A good coach will program to make you better overall, not just continually getting better and stronger at the things you enjoy. There are a ton of great, reliable coaches that offer online training for a reasonable price. I would absolutely recommend finding one of them and letting them do your programming for a while and see what type of positive changes you can make.
Hopefully someone finds this helpful in their fitness journey!
And, if you are looking for more guidance in your training, check out the Train With Craig Inner Circle. Within the Inner Circle we have monthly training programs for everyone along with a great community of like-minded people!
You can find out more about it HERE!