Prior to going into any battle, any regime must have some sort of a plan on how the enemy will be defeated. So before starting any new workout & weight loss plan, you should have a plan of attack in place. And in order to have the right plan, there are a few questions you must ask yourself.
1. What’s Your True Goal?
You would like to [do something] within this [amount of time]. Maybe it is going from a walk to a run. Maybe it’s dropping that last 10lbs or 20lbs before the end of summer. Maybe the goal you had a year ago isn’t the same as what you want to accomplish right now.
Your goal need to have a start date & end date in order for you to measure a level of success. Identify a realistic goal.
2. How Will Reach Your Goal?
A lot people complete mess this up because they have this bright idea that if they just run everyday and do crunches at night before they go to bed that in six weeks they will look like the person with the six pack abs on the late night infomercial. I’m sorry to let you know that you probably gonna be disappointed.
Just because you know someone who had great results with a particular workout program doesn’t mean you will have the same results as them. Make sure your plan directly reflect your goals. The paths of building muscle and losing body fat for you may be different in nature
3. How Long Will It Take?
How long do you think it will take you to reach that next milestone? 30 days, 60 days, or maybe six months. The industry average for healthy weight loss is about 1.0 to 2.5 pounds a week depending on how much you are trying to lose. Pick a future date an work backwards toward where you are currently at. (Example) If you are giving yourself twelve weeks at an average of 2.0 pounds a week then you should be close to dropping 20-24lbs in those twelve weeks. Your numbers may fluctuate as you progress and may even stop at a certain point. Don’t get discouraged, muscle weighs more than fat.
4. When Will You Workout?
Will it be early morning before the rooster crows, after you drop the kids off at school, during your lunch break or sometime in the afternoon after a long day of work? This might be some trial and error with this one. Find the time that is less likely to be interrupted.
5. How Many Days Per Week?
So you might be really motivated and 6 days a week with only on rest day might fit your daily schedule or maybe only 3 days week is what currently have available. Putting yourself on a workout program that requires you to be in the gym five days a week when you can rationally only make it three or maybe four days if you really push it is a disaster waiting to happen. People still do it though and then wonder why they aren’t seeing results. Remember, consistency over a long period of time equals results.
6. Will You Have Fun Doing It?
If you are not enjoying it, then you probably will not stick to it. There are a lot of great workout plans and if you are not looking forward to you next cardio kick boxing session or doing Jefferson squats then you might want to find something that best fits your personality. Once you have identified some of these key elements to your plan, then get ramped for a full out assault to reach you goals. Check out www.bodybuilding.com for some really great workout plans to get you started. If you’re ever confused as to what’s the best one be sure you consult with a certified physician or personal trainer.
Stay On The Grind….