If you’re training on a regular basis, watching what you eat, and getting serious results, then you may want to quit reading right now because you’re probably already following the advice I’m about to give. Even if you are getting serious results right now, this article should help validate what you’re doing and hopefully give you the strength needed to keep on truckin’.
Serious results are all about making progress, moving forward and never settling for anything but the best. However, the best-of-the-best didn’t get there by chance. They got there because they put in the hard work. They took the necessary steps it takes to continue moving forward. They either constructed a killer plan themselves or they hired a coach to give them a plan. After the plan was developed…
THEY FOLLOWED IT!
In the strength and conditioning world, there’s a popular quote that goes a little something like this:
“A bad program executed well is better than a good program executed poorly.”
Take a minute to chew on that one. Let it really sink in.
Did you do it? Did you think about for a few seconds at least? I sure hope so because that statement packs a powerful punch if you understand what it really means. We’re all searching for that perfect plan; that one piece of information you haven’t had before; that one strategy that will flip the switch and make success a reality; that one exercise or power food that will help melt all the fat away.
Guess what?
You’re probably wasting your time UNLESS you are consistent with something…anything. Let’s use weight loss as an example. This goes for way more than weight loss, too. Consistency will improve every aspect of your life from wealth building to blood pressure, or it will destroy you if you ignore it. Weight loss is a great example, so let’s talk about how to achieve consistent fat loss by following a plan.
First things first. We need develop the plan. We need to analyze where we’re at currently and where we’re looking to go. The start of any good plan begins with an assessment. We should be assessing our current movement and fitness baselines, our current level of nutrition, our busy schedules and how a new plan will affect things, etc… In order to achieve optimal results, we’re going to need to find consistency in multiple areas of our lives.
Without consistency, it’s nearly impossible to tell what’s working and what’s not. If you’re inconsistent with making it to the gym or getting in all of your workouts, it can definitely affect your results. If you’re not consistently eating well, you’re results will show. If you’re a stressed out mess, I’m sure your results will be mediocre at best. Being consistent is tough. It’s pretty easy to let life get in the way and create roadblocks or barriers that prevent us from getting in every session and eating the nutrient-dense foods needed to lose fat. So, with that in mind, let’s discuss some tips or strategies to help improve your consistency:
- Establish some starting baselines – Since we’re using weight loss as the example, to establish some initial baselines we’d need to get some measurements done. Where are you at now? How much do you weigh today? How big are your waist, hips, chest, arms, and thighs? What’s your current body fat percentage? What’s your current level of fitness? How well do you move (preferably you’d be getting a movement screen done)? What does your nutrition look like on a day-to-day basis? Answer these questions and write them down. Take a picture of yourself and put it on the refrigerator. Get as much information as you can on where you stand today, and then we can move to the next step.
- Set some goals! – Now that you’ve established your baselines and know where you’re at currently, it’s time to look into the future and visualize where you want to be. If you’re aimlessly working towards a general goal like fat loss, you may lose some fat in the process, but I’m certain the results could be better. A clearly defined end point is absolutely necessary. I don’t want to spend too much time elaborating on the importance, or how to properly set goals here. I’ve already written an article on just that. To find more info on how to do this step properly, check out the previous blog post on goal setting here. (https://completefitnessresults.com/importance-writing-goals/)
- Create the plan – If you’ve taken the time to do the first two steps, you should have an idea of what it’s going to take to get those results. If you’re not really sure about how to develop a plan that will get you from point A to point B, I highly recommend paying to have one developed for you. Hiring a coach for whatever specialty your goal is centered around is the absolute best way to achieve said goal. Either take the time to learn some effective fat loss methods or simply refer this portion out to a professional. I don’t do my own taxes. I have an accountant do them for me. I’ve saved myself a lot of time and money by hiring the right professional. Since fat loss is the example, either learn the strategies yourself, or hire a knowledgeable personal trainer to help you construct the plan.
- Identify upcoming roadblocks and barriers – After you create the plan, it’s wise to start planning ahead. Most plans are developed around a consistent schedule. If you’re consistently able to make it to the gym 3x a week, you’re plan is going to be based around that. The same is true for food. We develop the exercise and nutrition plan around a consistent life, a consistent schedule. As a fitness professional, I expect some consistency from my clients in order to get results. However, as we all know, life isn’t going to allow us to be consistent every day, every week, all year long. Things are going to pop up. We have special events planned. Vacations or weekend getaways are bound to happen…hopefully. Various things are going to happen in our day-to-day lives, so looking into the future on a regular basis and planning ahead is critical to your success. Start to think about what you’re going to do to stay on track…to stick to the plan when these roadblocks pop up. Planning ahead and creating strategies is extremely important. Without proper planning, the likelihood of sticking to your plan will be reduced drastically. Learn how to be consistent in an inconsistent world 🙂
- Review your goals daily! – Hopefully, in step two, you wrote down your goals on paper. If you didn’t actually write them down on paper, take a couple minutes and do so now! Awesome, now that you have a written set of goals, put the list somewhere you will see it DAILY! Review your goals every single day. At the end of each day, ask yourself a question. Did I do the necessary steps needed to move me closer to my goal today? If the answer is yes, great job! Another successful day in the books. If the answer is no, think about what you’re going to do tomorrow to get back on track. Just because you have one little setback doesn’t mean you’re a bad person. Life happens. However, if you’re reviewing your goals regularly, you don’t have to go more than a day with being off track. Don’t self-sabotage your efforts, make the corrections and get back on the plan immediately.
- Check progress regularly – If our goal was to lose 25 pounds in 4 months, simple math says we should be losing a little over a pound and a half each week. This is doable. This is a realistic goal. Personally, I’d break this down into 5 mini milestones. Each 5 pounds is a success, and in order to stay on pace, these mini milestones should be accomplished about every 3 weeks. Re-measure regularly and track your progress. If it’s working, keep doing what you’re doing. If you have 2 consecutive bad progress reports and you’ve been consistent with your plan, maybe it’s time to switch things up a smidge. You’ll never know without regular tracking, though.
Those are some strategies to follow if you want to achieve your goals. This process works for more than fat loss. It can help you make more money, reduce stress, or anything else you can think of. Create a picture of where you’re at today. Look into the future to where you want to be. Develop a plan or refer this portion out to a professional. Follow the plan and create strategies for any obstacle that’s going to try to prevent you from achieving your goals. Review your goals regularly and see if you’re on track or off track. That’s about it…follow those simple steps and you’ll be amazed by the results you can achieve. Anything is possible with the right plan.