Training Strategies To Keep You Motivated and Progressing
John, full of beans, joins the gym and goes hard, training almost every day for the first three weeks. He then decides that he wants to get his weekends back and cuts down to training 5 days a week. Within two months he stopped going altogether.
Familiar story?
We’ve watched this happen 100’s of times over the last decade and will watch 100’s more follow this pattern over the next few years.
Two things are happening here:
1. You’ll always make the most progress at the beginning of your training journey. That’s just the truth of the matter. Take an Olympic sprinter for example, they’ll put in 100’s of hours a year, just to shave 1/10th of a second off their 100-metre time. Where-as you or I could link up with a sprint coach and cut seconds off our 100-metre time in 1 year.
2. If you keep doing the same thing every day every week, you’ll get bored. Whether that's at work, at home or the gym. Variety keeps things interesting and keeps you progressing.
Here’s what we recommend our new members do for their first few months at World…
EXTRINSIC VS INTRINSIC MOTIVATION
Knowing what drives you can help you get motivated. If you are intrinsically motivated you are more likely to engage with the activity solely because you enjoy it and gain personal satisfaction from it. If you are extrinsically motivated, you do something in order to gain an external reward or to avoid punishment (the opposite of intrinsic). Occasionally the two can co-exist. Researchers find that when people are intrinsically motivated, the quality of their actions leads to better performance, especially in the long term. They are more passionate and have a stronger sense of personal commitment. With that being said, whenever possible, try to seek out intrinsic motivation by using these key tips:
Autonomy: You must feel like you have the freedom to make your own decisions.
Sense of competence: When you master a skill or achieve a challenging task, celebrate it!
Environment & community: To feel intrinsic motivation it’s important that the environment makes you feel respected, connected, secure, cared for etc. Surround yourself with the right crew.
If you are strongly extrinsically motivated, follow these tips below:
Rewards: Treat yourself to a coffee from your local cafe, take a nap, take a night off from cooking and order takeaways. Ensure your reward is of big enough value to you.
Results-driven: Being clear on your goals is essential, ensuring you’re able to measure your progress too.
Something shiny: Enter competitions/events/races where there’s a trophy or some sort of prize on the line.
NOT-SO-SEXY GOAL SETTING
Have you ever set a goal that you’ve given up on or have even completely forgotten about? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. It’s estimated that about 55% of people don’t achieve their New Year's resolution. Multiple studies have shown how goal setting is a common theme among successful individuals. So what's the difference between the high achievers' goals and everyone else's? They are setting S-M-A-R-T goals, not goals that just sound sexy. Grab your pen and paper and let’s write some S-M-A-R-T goals.
Specific
X “I want to get in shape.”
✓ “I want to gain muscle and lose body fat to feel confident and so I can be a better role model for my family.”
Note: It’s really important that this goal means something to you. It should spark some emotion and motivation. Ask yourself why this is your goal and be concrete on your why. According to a research paper from the American Psychological Association, setting specific goals led to a higher performance 90 per cent of the time for participants studied.
Measurable
X “I want to lose weight & gain muscle.”
✓ “I want to lose 3% body fat & gain 2kg of muscle.”
Note: Ensure you give yourself measurable weekly or fortnightly checklists/deadlines to stay on track to achieving your goal by the final deadline. World Fitness gym has a FitBody Scanner that measures body fat, muscle mass, circumferences and more. This is a much more effective and accurate way of tracking progress compared to just tracking your weight.
Attainable
X “I want to run a full marathon for the first time in 2 months!”
✓ “I aim to run a full marathon by the end of this year. I will compete for 2-3 half marathons first to help prepare for the full.”
Note: Be realistic with yourself. How much time do you have and how much time will you need to commit to your goal? Is this something you can do alone, or will you need a support team/coach/trainer? How much will this goal cost you compared to the value it gives you? (Take into account financial, social, mental and emotional costs and your general wellbeing).
Relevant
Example: A busy mother of three who works full time and wants to prioritise her social wellbeing
X “I want to compete in a bodybuilding competition”
✓ “I want to commit to group fitness classes so I can exercise and be part of a community at the same time.”
Note: Your goals should always align with your future aspirations. Ask yourself where you want to be in 5 years time… What does your ideal life look like? Does your health and fitness goal align with the bigger picture?
Time-bound
X"I want to lose 5kg as soon as possible”
✓”I will lose 5kg before we go overseas on holiday in 3 months time”
Note: Having a finish line will mean you’ll get to celebrate when you accomplish your goal. Having set deadlines gives you a sense of urgency that is lacking when goals are open-ended.
Need help writing your goals? Ask your friendly gym staff/trainers for some pointers to make sure your goals are achievable.
WHAT THE WORLD'S BEST ATHLETES DO
Whether it’s your form during a lift or a skill you’re trying to master, reviewing video footage can be very powerful. It could be video footage from the past to see how far you’ve come to help motivate you, or in the present to help communicate what you’re doing well or what needs tweaking. Every top athlete uses video footage to review their games and performances to not only ensure the progression of their skills but to spark motivation! Give it a try!
TRIBE MENTALITY
You become the sum of the people you hang out with. Surround yourself with active, ambitious and motivated people who are committed to living a healthier lifestyle and watch those qualities rub off on you too. World fitness offers Tribe Training which is a great opportunity to attend group classes where you can meet like-minded people and be part of a community. The camaraderie you feel in group fitness classes starts to build intrinsic motivation which will help you stay motivated in the long run.
Here’s your checklist to complete to make sure you’re ready to unleash your most productive, motivated self!
Identify whether you’re intrinsically or extrinsically motivated and work to your strengths.
Write out your S-M-A-R-T goal(s) so your path is crystal clear.
Take video footage of a lift or skill you want to improve and review it in a couple of weeks time.
Surround yourself with like-minded people.