12/08/2021
Let’s talk progress, making progress, tracking progress, progressive overload… Basically everything in between us setting a goal, and reaching it.
Now to even start making progress, you need to have a goal to progress towards. We all have that one long term goal of a dreamy summer bod ready for our holidays, but what about the short term goals in between?? Setting yourself weekly, fortnightly, monthly goals are baby steps towards our long term ones. These goals could be as small as drinking enough water each day, or hitting your step count. We’ve all heard the saying “pennies make pounds” and I guess you could say the same goes for fitness.
The next step in making progress is sleep… Are you getting enough sleep?
You probably don’t realise this but by not getting enough sleep/ having a poor sleep you’re slowing down your progress. The recommended amount of sleep for an adult is 8-9 hours per night (a luxury for some I know). To put it simply, adequate sleep means improved brain function, so greater capacity for daily activities I.e. getting your session in or going for a stroll.
You wouldn’t leave your phone off charge with low battery so why aren’t you charging your brain?
Another key factor in making progress is consistency… summer bodies aren’t made in one day and all that malarkey, but that’s the truth. Consistency leads to habits and making training, eating correctly and staying active a habit is guaranteed to lead us to reaching our goals right?
Even if you put aside 90 minutes of your week for exercise then you’re 1 step closer to becoming consistent. Without consistency the body has a hard time adapting to training. 1 set of bicep curls never made anyone into Mr Olympia just like one donut never made anyone fat, it just goes to show that you don’t really make any progress unless you do something consistently.
Final tip for progress is being patient. It takes years of hard graft to achieve what a Mr Olympia does; but your goals whether it be to shed a few pounds or build some major muscle can take you as long as you need. If you’re consistent, making healthy habits, trusting the process and being patient.