Ever since I started training, I have followed a routine. At first, the routine was created for me from being a collegiate athlete with track practice, weights, meals, and school. Collegiate athletics followed a strict structure that propelled us to many victories.
After college, I was a bit lost. I lacked structure, mostly because I lacked a main goal. As a result, I skipped the gym, forgot to eat at times, and started to feel badly about my physique. This went on for about a year.
In that year of wandering, a funny thing happened. By not creating a planned routine for myself, I inadvertently fell into a routine of slacking. Sure, I had fuzzy goals like trying to “lean down” or “get stronger,” but it wasn’t something I could actually strive for. So, if I missed a workout or if I had a crappy meal, it didn’t really matter.
I decided that it was time for a change. But hoping for a different outcome while doing things the same way will not bring change. It was time to define where I wanted to go and work backwards from there. I still loved track and field, but my real estate career made it difficult to spend hours at the track like I used to do in college. I decided to focus on my best event - the high jump. I set the goal to compete in open meets. I woke up at 5am and started doing Olympic lifts again and I hit the track twice a week.
I started to feel better, too. I leaned down without even having to think about it. I began to set professional goals. Within a couple of years, I opened my own real estate brokerage. I was also winning my open track meets. I had structure, a routine, and a direction.
Where do you want to go? Do you have unfulfilled areas in your life? I feel that many of us sink into routines. Without direction, these routines are merely the path of least resistance. Define exactly what you wish to achieve. Then, devise a specific plan to get there. After a couple of weeks, this plan will become second nature – your new routine.
In the end, we won’t drift to our destination. We must have a route, enough steam, and a steady hand on the helm.
My routine always includes BetaTOR. I take it 30 minutes before training, and it helps me train with intensity throughout the workout. I feel like I’m getting stronger, even as I lean down!
- Erin Stern, 2x Ms. Figure Olympia