Beginning a Workout

With New Year's just now behind us, many people are beginning to reach the point of truth on whether or not they are sticking to their resolutions. For most people this is going to be NO! Starting a consistent workout regimen is the easy part but when it comes to actually sticking to it is what separates the men from the boys. Once the initial excitement wears off from starting a plan, people begin to look for excuses on why not to work out that particular day saying "I'm too tired today" or "Ill do it tomorrow, missing one day won't hurt". This is where the entire regimen falls apart. In order to have get effective results, one must stay true to achieving their goals. Sure workouts will begin to get a little boring or challenging after a while, but you must stick with them, regardless of how your feeling.
In order to develop consistency, pick a time everyday in which you know will work.  This will eliminate any excuses due to other priorities you may have.  Also, having a workout partner allows you to challenge each other and keep the workouts intense as well as fun.  Once you reach a certain point and you actually see results, you will get a second wind and become motivated to keep achieving these results.  Remember, habits are developed after 21 days of repetition, so keep that in mind as a goal to try and reach.  After you become used to a particular workout such as jogging, the difficulty goes down and the enjoyment goes up.  I have actually gone running in order to make me feel better rather than feel fatigued.  It is scientifically proven that exercise increases short term endorphins in the body as well.  So get out their and do your body and mind a favor and get with a program and stay with it!

The Mindset

Having the mindset to get the results you want is the single most important thing in achieving them.  As much as advertisers want you to think, there are no (legal) magic pills or machines alone that will get you the results you desire.  The only thing that will get you in shape is you and your willingness to do so.  Though there are certain supplements that can help (which I will discuss later), nothing by itself will do the trick.  The following are the steps it takes to achieve the state of fitness you yearn for.

1 Desire

For me, I have always had the desire to exceed in my sport, baseball.  Though I had some talent, I was never blessed with any kind of extraordinary ability by any means.  Because of this, I have had the desire to give myself the best opportunity to compete at my highest level.  Whether someone makes a remark about your weight that upsets you, or like me you strive to compete, I have found the most important driving factor that will get you out of bed and to the gym in the morning is one's desire to make a change.

2 Set goals

If you have the desire to achieve something, then you need to know what you are achieving.  For example, if you want to be able to fit into those swim trunks by summer, you need to make a goal of losing the necessary weight and have an image of how you want to look.  If you want to run a 5k then you need to set a goal to do it in a certain time.  Always aim high because if you miss then it will be better than if you missed on a low goal.  However, keep your goals realistic so that you can challenge yourself.  Write your goals down on paper and put them somewhere you will see them everyday such as at your bathroom sink or office desk.

3 Make a plan

Make a realistic plan on paper of what you will do to achieve your goal.  I will touch on some effective plans for various goals later.  I have found that when I have a workout chart for baseball that I have to fill out as I go along, I stick to what I need to do on a consistent basis.  Set a routine time that will work everyday because then you will always be able to fit it in.  This may mean that you have to wake up an extra hour early everyday, but that that goes back to desire.  They say once you do something for 21 days it becomes a habit, so focus on making it to that mark.  It is ok to mix up the workouts from day to day so they do not get boring, as long as they are still beneficial.

4 Find a partner

This is also a very important factor in following a workout.  Whether its a teammate, a co-worker, or just a friend with the same goals as you, working together allows you to push each other to higher levels.  It also makes it more enjoyable.  A workout partner is also there to get you working out even on those days that you just aren't feeling motivated which will happen.

5 Stick to it

This is the final and most important step in the process to get where you want to be.  With out sticking to the plan, your desire, goals, routine, and partner do you no good.  It is just as important to stick to your plans on your worst days as it is on your best.  This is what separates the people who get what they want from the people who don't.  Obviously you want to get want you want if you are reading this.  The only times you should ever miss a workout or stray from the plan is when you are faced with an emergency, or are injured or sick.

These 5 simple steps will not always be easy, but sacrifice always comes with greater change.  Following them will get you where you want to be and feeling the way you want to feel.  It is true that exercise raises endorphins and makes you feel better.  Even on your worst days you will soon find that fitness is the best cure for any negative feelings or stress, yet most people fail to grasp this and it leads them into a spiraling path and greater discontentment.  Don't be one of those people that brings this upon themselves.  Make a change to achieve what you really want!