Do you need a boost with your independent training?

Although many of us work with personal trainers, belong to a running club or participate in group training classes, it is often the quality of work we do independently that most contributes to our progress. While effective independent training is crucial, it can become a source of frustration if we don’t know how to keep it progressive and motivating.

Here are some strategies to ensure success with your independent training program:

  1. Create clear goals. Why are you exercising? What do you want to accomplish with your fitness program? Without clear answers to these questions, your program’s effectiveness will suffer. Instead of completing purposeful training sessions, you’ll haphazardly do workouts with little direction. Your goals can be broad or specific. As long as you have a target (and you’re inspired to hit that target) you’ve established proper goals. Try using S.M.A.R.T goals as you create your strategy.
  2. Create commitments. Once you know your goals, establish commitments that map towards success. At One on One, we create weekly commitments using the “Less is More” approach. Aside from becoming fit, it’s amazing what regular adherence to commitments can do for your confidence and motivation.
  3. Document your workouts. Writing your daily exercise plan creates structure for your workout, which helps with accountability especially on days when your energy is lacking. Another benefit of documenting your workouts is the motivation that comes from tracking progress. It is powerful to see tangible progress over time.
  4. Create accountability. If you’ve been around One on One long enough, you know the importance we place on accountability. It is far too easy to “drift” without accountability. You could have the perfect plan, but it’s often the accountability strategy that makes the difference between success and failure.
  5. Have measures of success. How do you know if your program is working? Your measures of success depend on your goals. For example, if your goal is to be healthy for the long term, then a clean bill of health at your annual check-up would be a good measure of success. Those with fitness related goals would want to create fitness-based measures to ensure they are progressing and not plateauing.
  6. Have fun! Let’s face it, there are times when exercising can be a drag. Even the most enthusiastic fitness fanatic has days when they aren’t feeling it. We must keep our fitness programming fresh. This could mean finding an exercise buddy, participating in organized sports or changing exercise protocols to create variety.

Also, check out this One on One workout if you want some fresh ideas about what to do in the gym.

After reviewing these 6 strategies, what’s missing from your independent program? How can you adjust your exercise program to keep it motivating, fun, and effective? If you need help, let us know.

 

by Ryan Burke