The W Blog

Your Journey Phase III – HAVE A PLAN!!

BY BRETT WALTERT

 

  We are now on to the third step on our way to success with being able to achieve our goals. We have step 1; our goals, Step 2; getting your mind right, and now on to “The Plan”. I am not going to beat a dead horse on this one but if there is one thing that the military taught me throughout the years that I served, that I can transfer over and try to help instill back into my community, it’s have a plan and stick to it. This part of the journey can be the one part that many people can find a plethora of different excuses for what they are doing or what they are not doing. It very easily boils down to ego, lack of knowledge, laziness, and mindset, these four entities set us back in progress and destroy what may start out to be great plans. I will break these items down individually, not to sit on my soap box and smash on what is happening in fitness facilities all over the US, but just to shed some light on common occurrences happening day to day as to why people may be on the struggle bus as far as trying to achieve their goals (Health and fitness related).

EGO -- Get rid of it! Lifting heavy, just to lift heavy is not impressing anyone. If you can handle the weight and make full range of motion with proper technique and form then HULK on, but if you have a spotter pulling as hard as they can while your attempting some variation of a back bridge under maximal strain, just to get up to check the mirror to see if that poor attempt of a lift made your muscles bigger, you are wrong!       ---- Good form, Good technique, appropriate amount of weight = success.

LACK OF KNOWLEDGE – This most likely is not your fault, quality information about what you should actually be doing is somewhat hard to find. Health related concerns should be directed to professionals like doctors and personal trainers. Overall fitness and performance goals should be directed to someone that is qualified to answer these questions, this means if you are thirty years old don’t assume the big guy that is 20 years old over on the bench press knows how to get those arms pumped up again, a lot has changed in your body over the years and its possible to get there but you need your own program and diet. Basically my best advice here is find a person that has accomplished the thing that you are trying to get done and ask for help, they can either answer your questions or direct you to someone who can. Try not to turn to magazines and supplement websites because although some have quality information, most of them are more concerned with marketing and the “beautiful” people plastered all over that are half naked with the air brushed highlights are getting paid to “look good” not working a 9-5 at Nestle.  ----- Quality information from credible sources!!!

LAZINESS – We’ve all had our days, and I’m only going to give you one little line here; TODAY, NOT TOMORROW. You want results, you earn them.

MINDSET – YOU NEED TO GO BACK AND READ MY 2^nd BLOG POST.

On to “THE PLAN” It takes 21 days to create a new routine, this means that you must wake up and go run 21 days in a row before you start to have the “I am ready to run when I wake up” feeling. When planning for down the road you must make a realistic plan for yourself as to what you are going to be doing with your time throughout the week. This plan does not have to be down to the minute by any means but it must be specific enough so you can see what your day will be and what your week will look like. This is very important the more specific your goals are because you should be able to track your progress. It will also prove to be useful in the instance where you’ve been grinding it out for 5 weeks and have seen no results, this is where you would bring in what you’ve been doing to... for instance . . . . ME (personal trainer) or any personal trainer and we will be able to see what you’ve done (or haven’t done) and can assist you with the changes that need to be made. To put this simply without traipsing through all the ways to make a plan and lay out a schedule I will end it with this;

1.)    Get your information from CREDIBLE sources.

2.)    Set up a WEEKLY FITNESS PLAN for yourself with DAILY routines.   

3.)    Stick to it religiously……STICK TO IT…..STICK TO IT …….STICK TO IT….

4.)    Don’t be lazy!!!! (YOU KNOW WHEN YOU ARE!!!)

5.)    Hold yourself accountable.

6.)    GET AFTER IT !!!

7.) Dont be afraid to ask for HELP!!