Wait! Consistent strength training? How is that possible?
“I can never maintain a consistent workout schedule. My motivation starts out strong, but it eventually dwindles.”
Sounds familiar?
We get it. It may seem difficult to stay consistent with your strength training but trust us – it’s completely doable.
The case for consistency
But what does consistency mean? How can you be consistent with your training and still have a regular life?
Let’s answer this in a different way: what happens when you don’t drive your car regularly?
The internal parts of your car lose lubrication, the car battery goes flat, and the fuel tank corrodes.
Your car becomes completely non-functional.
Now compare your car with your body. What happens when you don’t move your muscles? They may lose their strength, inviting many health problems – not just physical, but mental and emotional too.
As you slowly age, you may even find walking a flight of stairs difficult without being out of breath or maintaining your energy levels throughout the day. And that’s why engaging in consistent strength training exercises is vital to living a healthy and happy life.
Why Is Consistency With Your Strength Training Workouts Important?
Consistency is the only way to get the desired results. When you train regularly, you’re teaching your body to get well-acquainted with the load on your muscles, you build strength, you fall in love with the post-training rush of endorphins that makes you want to work out more and more.
So when you work out regularly, you make your body stronger, healthier, and happier.
Yes, happier! Strength training can transform you inside out.
But, if you’re unsure about how to stay consistent with your workouts, you’ve arrived at the right place!
Here Are 5 Actionable Steps You Can Take To Achieve Consistency In Your Strength Training Workouts
1. Choose discipline over motivation
Let’s face it – you’re not always going to feel motivated to workout regularly. You may have a rough day at work, a fight with your partner, or simply not in the ‘mood’ to move. And so, you decide to ditch your workout that day.
It IS hard to give 100% in your strength training workout, 100% of the time. But what if your only responsibility is to SHOW UP? Half the work is done!
The secret to staying consistent with anything is to train your mind to not rely on external motivation.
Also, your exercises don’t have to be perfect. Start small. Simply commit to working out for only 1 hour for three alternate days per week.
Seems doable right?
2. Be open to learning new exercises and understanding what works for you.
What’s the point of doing something if you’re not going to enjoy it? Doing the same set of exercises can eventually get boring. As soon as you hit monotony, you’ll be less likely to keep going with your workouts – and you don’t want that!.
It’s always a good idea to have a mix of strength, endurance, speed, and mobility exercises in your workout program. It could be bodyweight exercises, lifting, yoga, dance, or any other form of cardio – anything that makes you happy.
Switching things up will remove boredom from your routine and make it more fun..
3. Appreciate your efforts and small wins. You deserve it.
You work hard on yourself to stay fit and healthy. You religiously follow your strength training routine, even when you don’t feel like it. You’ve trained your mind to become disciplined in your workouts. And you’ve been going at it very well.
But, if you don’t take out time to acknowledge and appreciate your hard work, you’ll soon start falling back. Pause and give yourself a pat on the back!
You’ll feel that dopamine rush, are instantly gratified and feel good. When you’re happy, you’ll be more likely to be consistent.
4. Keep a schedule and follow it.
One of the best ways to stay consistent is to have a schedule/routine in place and stick to it.
If you’re a busy individual with little time available, just mark an hour daily and make it your golden hour. Be sure to pick a time that works for you and do what’s sustainable for you in the long run. 1 hour is not possible? Choose 30 or 15, even 10 minutes.
Because, if you are not being smart about choices, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment.
5. Team up!
Community is very important, especially when it comes to building habits. When you have like-minded people around you, it makes it easy to stick to a way of life.
This is true when it comes to lifting weights too. Not everyone can remain motivated working out by themselves on a regular basis. But when you find a group, a tribe that prioritizes fitness, it makes sticking to your training a breeze!
Before you locate that tribe, get one buddy. Your workout partner, who you can train with, who will encourage you when you feel the urge to hit snooze.
You will find you are sticking to your strength training with ease and what a rush swapping war stories with your partner, your tribe, is!
What are you waiting for?
Here are your 5 ways to achieve consistency with your strength training workouts. Try one today and tell us if they worked for you. Did you have more luck with one than another?
Strength training helps you develop a deep sense of gratitude for life. Incorporate this into your daily routine and watch how your life changes for the better. Call us, let us to show you how!
Happy training!
