Struggling To Stick to The Plan?
In the fitness world, there are a lot of opinions on what’s best for you (and yes I acknowledge my contribution to that). However, I do think a lot of advice is unrealistic, and has the potential to be damaging. As is the case for all of my blogs, my goal is to be a source of education and provide clarity on such topics. With that in mind, here is a reminder you may not have thought you needed:
Your exercise and nutrition regime is not an on/off switch; it’s an everchanging dial.
Before we progress, here’s some background…
It’s no secret that we live in a world where it’s hard to escape anything. The second we pick up our phone, we can be bombarded with work emails, distracting apps, social media, and more. We constantly see people who appear to be the epitome of health, telling us THE “5 Simple Tips to Change Your Life”. Insinuating that, even if it were good advice, we can take it all on board and put it into practice at the drop of a hat!
If you’ve ever compared yourself to anyone and felt like you’re broken or not good enough because you can’t stay on top of everything all the time, then please hear me when I say you are not alone. No one stays on top of everything.
I have a question for you...
When it comes to your health and fitness, which option do you think is correct?
- I must complete my training program, as well as meet all other nutrition and health targets every single day, or I’ve failed.
- Some days or weeks, I’ll complete my health targets, but other times I’ll just have the capacity to do what I can. Even if it’s the bare minimum.
The answer?
Option 2, of course.
Sure, in an ideal world, you’d do what everyone states is good for you and complete 5 gym sessions per week, drink 3L+ of water per day, eat 1.6-2.2g protein per kilo of bodyweight per day, meet all other macro & micronutrient requirements, get 7-9hrs sleep per night, hit your step goal etc……
But all of that sounds overwhelming, right?
In reality, there’s no way that week-on-week, you can do all of the above while juggling the other physical, emotional, occupational, and social aspects of your life. Stuff will come up. Life will throw some challenges your way, and maybe, JUST maybe you won’t be able to on that 10km run, or do that big upper body session. And that’s ok!
What do I do in those hard times?
I guess what I’m trying to say here is that the success of your health and fitness is not determined by perfection. It’s about knowing when you feel fantastic and can go absolutely full tilt in the gym, to the other side of the coin where you have to prioritise one of the many other aspects of your life. Sometimes it’s just not realistic to commit to multiple habits at the flick of a switch. Sometimes we just have to dial it back, and sometimes we can dial it up.
My recommendation?
Do the key movements!
I’m going to use an example to explain this point. Let’s say today is a day where you have a lot going on but still manage to turn up to the gym. You know you don’t have the physical/mental capacity to complete the whole session, but don’t know if you should give it a crack, or just walk back out the door.
Well, every effective gym program will have key movements (usually at the start of the session). Let’s say your goals are improving pull-up strength and bench press, and today’s upper body session includes lat pull down & dumbbell bench press, then some accessories of cable rows, and cable fly’s.
In this example, it may be best to prioritise lat pulldowns and dumbbell bench press, even if they’re a bit lighter. Then, you can reassess how you’re feeling and if you’ve had enough, get the heck outta there!
Your health is about playing the long game. Yo-yo’ing between all or nothing will always be outdone by the endless consistency of doing what you can, when you can. Even the smallest bit of movement is enough to maintain your strength, mobility, while providing a bit of mental clarity & creativity.
Remember why you’re exercising. Of course, aesthetic goals are valid, but the overarching reason for any of us to exercise is to improve our quality of life, now and as we age.