Success starts from within! I spent a few months this year, wandering around the gym. Sure, I lifted heavy, made some progress, and generally felt good about training. But, I felt as if I wasn’t going anywhere with it. I decided to take a step back and look at my objective goals. I realized that I was “in between” goals, and had allowed myself to stay there.
How many people do you know that go to the gym to “lose weight,” “tone up,” or “get in shape”? What does that even mean? How many of those same people remain unchanged as the months go on? Almost all of them!
The key to a successful workout plan is to visualize exactly what you wish to accomplish. If it is building your ideal physique, think about all of the details that would make it perfect. For example the sweep of the quads, the cap and curve of the shoulders, or the width of the lats. If your goal is performance-based, see yourself lifting your new PR, sprinting through the finish line, or crushing the obstacle course.
It may sound cliché, but if you’re able to visualize your goals, you’re able to achieve them. Working backwards, write down your main goals. The best goals will require a lot of work, and should be a little scary! Break these large goals down into smaller, mini goals. Now, you can create a training plan based on what you’d like to achieve.
For example, if your goal is to run a blazing-fast 5K, you’ll structure your workouts around that. Logging in miles and working on your home stretch kick will be priority over lifting weights. If you’re looking to gain strength, compound movements and lower rep schemes will take priority over cardio. Make each minute in the gym count. Before you train, visualize your ideal, and keep it in mind as you go through your workout.
Assess and reassess your goals on a regular basis. Comfort often equates to a plateau. As for me, I have a new list of tangible goals that include strength and working on aesthetics…and it feels great to be training for something again! I have been taking BetaTOR, and it helps me get those last few tough reps. I feel like it’s helping me recover from workouts more quickly, too!
Thanks for reading! Until next time, train hard, y’all!
- Erin Stern, 2x Ms. Olympia