The fitness industry has changed more in the past 5 years than in the previous 20. Big box gyms that have charged $30-$50/month have now began a race to the bottom, all competing to see who can charge the least. The real reason behind this is due to the fact that they are losing value. Period. The same person that entered those gyms every January are no longer seeing the same hope and optimism that the little membership tag on the key chain once brought. The weight didn’t magically come off or if it did it didn’t stay off. The machines, the treadmills, and the personal trainer that helped count reps and held hands from machine to machine just didn’t work any more. Why? What happened? The biggest reason this happens is usually due to lack of a goal outside of vanity. Goals based in vanity alone don’t hold much. The key is to set up a successful process. Sure sometimes working with a certified personal trainer that knows what they are doing can help, but what it comes down to is nailing down 5 things that should be done on a daily basis so that the outcome of weight loss or strength is achieved. In all my years as a personal trainer here are the 5 things that successful long term clients have done.
- Keep a consistent diet journal
- Bring diet journal in to each training sessions(not leaving it at home)
- Train for strength 3x week and do some sort of walking or cardio 3 additional days
- Cut out fried foods, wheat products, and alcohol
- Sleep 7-8 hours a night
Someone can train hard on an awesome strength training and cardio program with the best personal trainer in Tucson or the world and if they only sleep 4-5 hours a night then muscles won’t grow and fat won’t be lost. Same goes for keeping a consistent journal. My favorite are clients the ones that swear they keep a journal but never bring it in. If you don’t have personal trainer than find a friend that can hold you accountable, but this is of extreme importance. Once you master the process(5 steps above) the outcome goals become a reality.
