Read this article from written by Hyperfit USA.  It’s a great article discussing some of the things that were discussed during last week’s “Post Resolution” Seminar.

Consistency

The following are my opinions, observations and thoughts about fitness and success in fitness. These opinions are gathered from literally conducting tens of thousands of training sessions. (This year, we held close to 15,000 workout for our customers.) The world is full of great theoreticians. I am not one of them. These are observations from lots of experience in the real world.

The process of finding an effective fitness regime has led me to Functional Fitness. I believe that Functional Fitness is the most effective fitness program that exists. In a life time of being an athlete, there is nothing I have found that produces specific measurable results in more ways than any other program. Now that I have touted what we do, here is the bold statement: The workout regime is not the most important component of success. Consistency in a workout regime is more important than the work out regime itself.

In my practice, I have had the opportunity to train some great athletes, soccer mom’s kicking butt like nobody’s business and everyone in between. Reflecting on the differences in the results, the glaring issue with success are excuses. The people who have and are getting great training are consistent and never make an excuse. The priority of these people is to lead a healthly life and with a strong body. They train as a matter of life and lifestyle.

An Analogy: Someone not making time for fitness is like not making time to change the oil in your car. It will run for a long time on bad oil, but sooner or later the machine breaks down. It may be an oil light going on or a catastrophic seizure. (Bad cholesterol or massive heart attack) Why don’t people take their fitness more seriously? The human body is an amazing machine and can adapt to a lot more than we think and will hide problems until something goes drastically wrong.

I believe people fail to attain goals and get “results” because their commitment to health and fitness is superficial at best. A typical gym membership costs between $40 and $60 per month. The average gym goer uses their membership less than ten times per year. They pay $60 per visit per year, complain about towel service and waiting in line for the gerbil machine to watch the TV from. Is fitness achieved? Is anyone better off?

Perspective: If you go out to dinner twice per month or 24 times per year, at an average of $100 per dinner (dinner for two, a couple of drinks and parking). People comfortably spend a large dollar amount polluting their bodies and haggle over pennies for training. It tells me that the VAST majority of people do not value their fitness.

This should drive the point home: I once consulted for a gym that was suffering declining membership. My suggestions were to call all the members who had not attended in the last 30 days, offer them a complimentary training session with a trainer and get the membership remotivated and drive personal training sales. The gym owner did not want members contacted during the summer months and reminded of their membership for fear of cancellation. (Are the goals of the gym the same as yours?)

How to be consistent 101:

• Find some friends with the same goals. We bond to a group and assume identity based on our membership in the group. Be accountable to a group.
• Do something that interests you. Turn your fitness into a sport. Try to accomplish new and varied skills that require you to move your body. Buy a jump rope and a Buddy Lee DVD and learn to use a jump rope like a mad person. Have fun learning something new.
• When you don’t go to the gym, work out at home. If you miss a workout, try this at home 10 push ups, 20 crunches and 30 squats as many times as you can in 10 minutes. The next time, beat your time. No equipment, no mirrors and no waiting in line for a gerbil machine.
• Treat fitness like personal maintenance. Take your commitment to your body like medicine. If you don’t do it, you could die.
• Suck it up: Effective exercise is hard. It is not sitting on the couch with a stim unit shooting electricity into your abs with the expectation that Victoria’s Secret is going to call for a photo shoot.

Almost any exercise is better than no exercise. (I say almost in the sense of what some people call exercise.) Find something beyond the stand in the mirror and judge fitness mentality. You can use a mirror if you really need to check the depth on your squat or full extension on your pull up.

Finally, the reason people fail, more than anything, is neglect. If you missed more than a month at your current gym, did anyone call you, send you a email, anything? If they did, be thankful you are in one of the few places that really cares whether you get in shape. If you receive my emails, you have come to class at least once, inquired about training or a friend of HF USA. If there is something in here that can be of value, please use it.

Our blog represnets who we are and what we do more than anything else. It shows our people, their efforts and community that is Hyperfit USA. In short, Hyperfit USA is our customers and our customers are Hyperfit USA. Whether you come to us, or globo gym, make sure you are giving your all and getting what YOU want out of your fitness. You life demands it.