I’ve had many great experiences fitness training with all kinds of wonderful North Shore clients.
If you’ve resolved to “get fit” in 2020, I can tell you that the day you start working out is the day your resolution starts happening! Here are a few tips from your friendly neighborhood personal trainer:
New Years Resolution = Start Now
I’ve read that approximately 80% of New Years Resolutions fail by February. Why? Because changing a habit that you’ve consistently avoided changing requires a new plan to win. You have to start something to win something - the rest is talk! And forget about New Years: the Gregorian calendar, adopted in the US in 1752, is just another reminder to get a plan and work it! So, stop thinking, start training...now.
Try A “Fire and Forget” Solution
For many aspiring exercisers, the New Year's resolution to “start going to the gym” is on repeat: a half-hearted return to the same old plan that failed all last year! To succeed this time, a “Fire and Forget” solution works best. The “Fire” part is to pull the trigger and hire an experienced personal trainer. Best money you've spent in a long time, your fitness problem solved, now you’re going pro. The “Forget” part means you can forget things that messed up your last plan like “What exercises should I do?” and “Am I doing this right?” and “What should I eat?” Your trainer will make sense of all these things, it's a new world.
Experience Matters
There are many new personal trainers out there, so beware, a random North Shore gym might assign you to a trainer who will learn how to train real people like you on your dime. Your dime is just as good for hiring an experienced trainer, a game-changer who knows how to get you fitter, faster (with less time wasted and zero injuries). I often say, "The quality of your training depends on the quality of your trainer" and that's why.
The “Dynamic Duo” Lifestyle Works
The relationship with your personal trainer is professional, friendly, consistent, and all about you and your goals. This is great for you. Together, you become a “Dynamic Duo” that focuses on always on moving you forward and meeting smaller goals that make you feel great as you go. Your trainer brings a new kind of energy and focus - suddenly you're realizing potential that you didn’t know you had; now you're trying new exercises, working with a "can do" mentality, and getting all the support you need to win. Good luck finding that in real life :)
Plan + Action = Success
A resolution alone doesn’t work, a plan coupled with action does work. It's now simple: follow your trainer’s plan, make some simple diet changes at your pace, and meet your assigned goals in and out of the gym. With the built-in trainer accountability, you're more likely to stay on track. When you keep ringing up those training “wins”, the good things keep coming. The changes are subtle at first: you start feeling better, you have more energy, more confidence, and you look forward to your next workout. These kinds of small changes lead to bigger changes.
Small Diet Changes, Big Results
Now that you’ve made training with your trainer a priority, you’ll be motivated to make that investment count. Diet and exercise go together for good reason: the old saying “You can’t out-train a bad diet” is true. Small changes in diet can reap big rewards, for example you can eliminate processed foods, eat on smaller plates (help you eat less), use dining out strategies, avoid the drive thru, and the like. Your trainer is your “Account-A-Buddy” - someone to keep you on track, so be honest and keep working!
The “Snowball Effect”
Yes, doing new, consistent workouts week after week and making small, healthy diet changes can literally transform you. Over the years, I’ve developed an eye for the “snowball effect” - the first signs that a client is starting to “tip” and change rapidly. The face gets leaner, their clothes get a little bigger, the muscle definition is showing through, and their energy is off the charts. A good plan works, especially when you have someone to guide you.
Believe to Achieve
A famous yogi used to answer all the "When will I be able to put my foot behind my head" -style questions with the phrase “Keep working, all is coming!” My experience says that’s true. If you really want to achieve your goal of getting fit in 2020, visualize the results as you work toward them. If you keep your resolution and keep working, all is coming!