We are on part 3 of our achieving our fitness goals. As of right now, you would’ve

• Set S.M.A.R.T goals
• Broken them down

Now what?

One of my friends George P ( shameless plug ) gpfit_mtl has this habit of posting his watch after every workout. I like it when he does it because it’s just a visual representation of consistency. I don’t think any of us expect to show up to the gym for 3 weeks and lose x amount of pounds or kilos. Consistency is the way to go, we have to incorporate fitness into our lives to make the gains. So here are my top 3 tips on how to remain consistent in the weight room.

1. Proper timing

Proper timing is personal to each person, this means finding the best time for you to get a workout in. I go early in the morning, I mean like 3 or 4 am. I’m not telling you to do this but here are my reasons:

• I work a day job – I typically start at 7 and finish around 4 pm – therefore I can’t go during those times
• I also coach high school football in the afternoons for most of the year – from Feb to early May and from mid-July to November – so going in the afternoon wouldn’t work either.
• I don’t like crowds or crowded areas –  so going to the gym at those peak hours wouldn’t work.
• Balancing my workouts and social life is important to me – when I used to work out in the afternoons I would often have to choose between seeing friends or seeing gains.

Due to these factors, going in the morning is better for me.  I would suggest finding a time that doesn’t conflict with your everyday life. Working out shouldn’t feel like a chore.

2. Compound gains

You don’t have to set a new personal record every workout. Pushing yourself is important but it’s not the end all be all. The concept of compound gains is similar to compound interest. I like to use pushups as an example. If you can only do 10 pushups, you consistently do 10 pushups every time so maybe 3 days a week. You feel like you’re doing more work because it’s harder. On the other hand, if you were to hit 5 pushups every day you’d feel like you’re doing “less” work but you’ll end up doing more total pushups.  Focus on doing the work  and showing up, it will:

• Less likely to work out when you don’t feel like it
• It’s easier to convince yourself to fo when you can say “Meh it’s isn’t that bad” 

3. Make friends

The gym is full of people and contrary to popular belief they aren’t all intimidating. Some of the nicest people I met are people that I came across at the gym and or my athletic life. When you make friends at the gym you get a sense of community and it’s less of a chore. I go to the gym and I know my  Georges ( yes, multiple Georges)  will be there, I know I’m likely to run into Vince, Morny, and Marie-H on the way out. It makes  the time at the gym more fun. They also sometimes keep you accountable. If they don’t see you for a few days, they may ask you about your absence.It makes you realize, if you miss a few days, people will notice. Sometimes, that gives you the extra push you need. 

Have Fun

Working out is fun. Seeing progress in the mirror is fun. Making new friends at the gym is fun. Hitting new personal records, you guessed it, FUN. Enjoy your time at the gym. There are so many different workouts for each muscle group so you don’t have to do the one that you hate. Enjoy the journey. 

Share with us in the comments some of your challenges to staying consistent and we can workshop ideas together on how we can get over this hurdle together.

STAY CONSISTENT, STAY STRONG.

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