Intensity
There are many pitfalls in taking the “go hard or go home” training mentality 100% of the time. Those looking for weight loss often default to the “more” mentality when it comes to reaching goals. More cardio. More squats. Even more gym time. More calorie restriction. But if not careful, more is not always better. “More”can lead to overtraining, injury, chronic fatigue and illness.
While injury, is the worst side effect of going too hard all of the time, not maintaining consistency will impact results significantly. Consistency is the biggest determinant of results attainment. We would rather have you train consistently twice a week for the entire year than 4-5 times in one month, then skip a few weeks, back in and then out again.
Intensity is for the Short Term
There will be a time and a place for intense exercise and tough dieting. However, it is not necessary all the time to make progress. Maintaining a fitness schedule trumps everything. It trumps a super lean body after killing it in some 6-week challenge only to quit for 6 months. It trumps them all in 30-day whole food diet that is often followed by pizza on days 31-40. Paleo, Keto, whatever, if small changes aren’t taken one at a time and maintained consistently, old habits will come back.
To truly achieve and maintain the body you desire, consistency should always be part of the equation.
Why would you consider a no commitment gym membership? What happens in the following months? Are you just trying it? If you don’t radically change your life in 30 days will you quit? In the short term, we recommend 3-4 days per week for those that are really focused on getting results. After you get into maintenance phase, then we change to Twice A Week For Life and an Active Lifestyle. Commit for life to some form of exercise! That means staying consistent and not worrying about intensity, duration and the amount of working out that you do. Those that maintain their weight, keep exercise in the picture for the long haul. There may be a few days, even a week or two without, but the consistency mindset remains.
Formula For Success!
I recently listened to a great audiobook called The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy, the owner of Success Magazine. Hardy talks about how successful people in all facets of life do not make drastic changes. They do not have the “go hard or go home” mentality and do not quit on a goal if they are not successful after a 6-week program. Instead, success happens when one focuses on one goal at a time.
CHOICES + BEHAVIORS + HABITS COMPOUNDED = SUCCESS
Don’t question that short workout; they all count! The all or nothing, let’s kill this workout/diet plan isn’t the answer. Long-term success begins and ends with consistency.
