There’s never a perfect time to start a training program.
There’s never a perfect time to start a training program.
You might tell yourself that there is.
Once the summer’s over and things calm down, then I’ll get back in the gym.
But then work picks up again, the kids’ schedules get hectic, and before you know it, it’s the holiday season.
That brings even more chaos as you’re running around like a maniac just trying to keep your head above water.
Then comes the New Year’s resolution.
This is it. I’ll finally get a fresh start.
But within a few months, a huge percentage of the people who started an exercise program in January have already fallen off.
The bottom line is, there’s no perfect time to start.
There will always be friction.
There will always be a multitude of things pulling at your attention, and getting to the gym will always be a challenge.
Unless you accept two things:
The traditional gym model might not work for you.
You’ll never be perfect. You’ll have far more success if you simply get back to your normally scheduled training as soon as possible after you miss a day.
So let’s address the first part, well, first.
Traditional gyms are basically equipment rentals.
For that model to work, you need to get yourself there consistently. You need a sustainable, progressive program that meets you where you’re currently at and continues to nudge you forward.
And then you actually have to execute it.
There aren’t many touch points or much support built into the traditional gym model.
You need to white-knuckle your way there when you’re exhausted after a long day, be organized enough to have your program ready, and then have the gumption to push yourself through it even though physically and mentally you might be somewhere else.
You’re relying heavily on willpower.
And willpower isn’t a great long-term strategy.
At Resilient, we often say:
The heaviest thing you’ll lift is the front door of our building.
Once you get here, we take care of the rest.
We have your program ready, with your unique needs taken into consideration, and we’ll coach you through every set of every exercise.
You don’t have to guess what exercises to do, what weights to use, or how hard to push. We’ll even take into consideration how you’re feeling on a given day and adjust accordingly.
On top of that, you’ll have a group of people just like you who are fun to be around, provide some banter between exercises, and support you on the days when you might be a little preoccupied.
Because there will be other days when you lift them up when they’re in the same boat.
Now for the second truth: you’re going to get knocked off track.
Everyone has been in a situation where they felt like they were in the pocket.
Eating right.
Training consistently.
Feeling good.
And then something happens.
A work trip.
You get sick.
A vacation.
A crazy week with the kids.
Something bumps you off your routine just a little bit, and suddenly you struggle to get back on track.
So you continue the slide because you know that first day back is going to be tough.
Then the first day doesn’t come.
And the longer you wait, the harder it feels to come back.
Little by little, you get more deconditioned until eventually you’re not feeling so hot about your health or fitness anymore.
That’s why we live by the mantra:
Do the next right thing.
When life throws you a curveball, you don’t need to make up for everything you missed.
You don’t need to punish yourself with a brutal workout.
And you definitely don’t need to wait until Monday, next month, or January 1st to start over.
Just do the next right thing.
Get back in here.
We’ll ease you back into the swing of things and get you moving forward again.
Because the goal was never to be perfect.
If you train three times a week for 48 weeks out of the year, you’re going to get more fit.
You’re going to get stronger.
You’re going to feel healthier.
And you’re going to look the part.
You can miss workouts.
You can take vacations.
You can have crazy weeks at work.
You can get sick.
You just can’t let one missed week turn into three months.
There’s never going to be a perfect time to start.
So you might as well start now.
