Finish The Race

When facing new challenges, namely in fitness, some of my trainees have been sharing some feedback with me, and I wanted to address the issues head-on for everyone. As you may or may not know, I specialize and train with home fitness products from Beachbody which can be very intense and challenging. My mom recently moved up from her "Start It Up" DVD from the "Slim In 6" program to the "Ramp It Up" video which is more challenging. She asked me, "Should I now go back and forth between videos since the intensity is higher?" Not a bad thought, but if some of you are in the same boat, I would say that once you move to a new intensity level, rather than move back down, just modify what you are doing in the new routine such as take longer breaks, less reps, etc, and gradually you will find yourself getting through the workout as originally designed. This way, you will keep challenging yourself and won't allow yourself to "dog" it.

Another popular thing I hear is: "Man, I couldn't get through the whole workout..." Some people are starting a routine, then give up after a certain period of time because they are worn out and feel they simply cannot finish. This is a mistake. Don't sell yourself short by not following through with the routine because there are most likely lifts and moves later in the workout that you will miss, and some muscles and/or muscle groups will get neglected this way. Instead, press "pause" (if working out at home) or take longer breaks in between sets otherwise. Modify moves and intensity to not sacrifice form, and follow through by completing the workout, even if it takes longer. In this way at least you will be familiar with the workouts and know what to expect and how you might prepare better mentally, nutritionally, and also be able to pace yourself a bit more at the beginning if necessary.

So "finish the race". Lets say you start a marathon with a sprint. Obviously, you will be worn out and may not be able to finish. In the same way, you wouldn't jog at the beginning of a short race because you will sell yourself short and lose. So the best way to approach either of these is to run at an appropriate pace for the race at hand. Regardless of the workout, race, challenge, etc, being prepared is key, but finishing will always make you stronger physically and mentally. Please comment below on your successes/challenges as it will help me and will help others as well. Thanks for reading everyone!