Mistakes.
They are a part of learning.
If you tell me you never made a mistake then I would say that you probably never tried.
You played it “safe” and therefore limited your potential. If we want to grow and develop then mistakes are necessary. The trick is to learn from those mistakes and try not to repeat them in the future.
The more I learn, the more I realize how wrong I was in the past (like frosted tips in my hair during the 90’s, the “bowl cut”, and an attempt to grow facial hair for example).
To quote the legendary coach John Wooden:
“Once you know it all you are finally ready to start learning”.
Knowing that I could totally be wrong about this tomorrow because I discover new information on the subject, there is 1 mistake routinely made in the gym that has stood the test of time.
WE NEVER WRITE ANYTHING DOWN
We don’t track how long we were on the elliptical for (whether we should be on the elliptical at all can be found HERE), what speed we had it set at, incline, etc.
If we lift weights we don’t track the exercises that we performed, the order we performed them in, how much weight we used, etc.
Basically, we just show up to the gym and “work out”.
We pick up more weight when the current weight “feels easy” or go a little longer on the treadmill when we “feel” like we have more endurance.
We are not getting results by design. By failing to record our exercise and progress this “routine” with a sense of direction and purpose our results will be a matter of luck instead of a matter of certainty.
I GUARANTEE results because I get them for myself and my clients on purpose, not by accident.
Here are the 3 steps I use when designing programs that allow me to GUARANTEE results for my clients and I in every single workout – instead of merely HOPING we will get results with the time and effort we are already investing.
HOW TO GUARNATEE RESULTS
Step 1) Record your Workouts.
We gotta write it down. And NO – your memory is not as good as you think it is…..
If you are recording your cardio workouts then the metrics you need to keep up with are:
The type of cardio you did
How long you performed the activity for
The intensity (heart rate/speed) you performed the activity at
The frequency (how many times per week) you performed the activity for
If you are doing resistance training (and you should be doing this no matter what your goal is) then you would want to track:
The exercise(s) you performed
The order you performed these exercises in
The intensity (how heavy) you performed with these exercises
The repetitions (how many times you lifted the weight) you performed for each exercise
The sets (how many rounds) you performed for each exercise
The tempo (how quickly you lowered and lifted the weight) for your exercise
The rest period you had in between your selection of exercises.
Step 2) Make ONE of these variables harder.
Each workout, pick 1 variable and make it more difficult than it was the previous week. It may just be 1 more second on the elliptical or 1 more rep on the resistance exercise you chose. Obviously we can make this a lot more complicated, but in reality if we simply just make 1 thing harder about the workout each and every time, we will get better.
Please don’t have paralysis by analysis and not track anything at all. Use this list I provided you with. Write down what you do in your next workout starting today if possible. Repeat the workout next week and make 1 thing about it harder.
Step 3) Stay Consistent
The tortoise wins the race in the fable. The same is true when it comes to health and fitness. Slow and steady is the way to go. I would much rather my client train 2 times per week for 52 weeks straight instead of training 4 times per week for 26 weeks and then taking 26 weeks off.
The first client will get exponentially better and longer lasting results each and every time.
As I always say –
“It isn’t what you know, but what you do with what you know that counts”
Apply this advice and begin guaranteeing results today.
Talk soon,
-Nate
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