In Fitness, Consistency Goes Further Than Fads
It can be tempting to think that you’ll meet your fitness goals more quickly by working out harder, faster, and more frequently. When that doesn’t work, it can be even more tempting to change up your routine with whatever the latest fad is: 75 Hard, cold plunges as a cure-all, workouts promising weight loss in specific areas of the body, keeping your heart rate in “zone two,” and more—the list goes on and is constantly changing.
Many of us have fallen prey to some kind of trend hoping for miraculous results. Unfortunately, most of these fitness trends end up being a failure—oftentimes even making things worse and setting us back in our goals.
Instead, we see success and results that can be maintained over months, years, and even decades when we dedicate ourselves to consistency. Placing our focus on finding movements we enjoy and building a regular habit around them—rather than jumping from one fad to the next—sets us up for longevity in the gym. It can also guard against the disappointment that comes when the latest fad inevitably doesn’t provide the immediate results it promised.
That said, consistent does not—and should not—equal boring. Boring workouts very often lead us to try out the latest fad, hoping for more fun and quicker results. While CrossFit training is built upon a variety of core moves, like squats, presses, deadlifts, pull-ups, and running, we continually strive to expand our movement toolbox and skill level. This can mean increasing the weight, range of motion, or number of reps, or introducing a new type of movement (for example, pull-overs have become more popular again in recent years). The constantly varied nature of CrossFit allows athletes to grow their skills and abilities while also ensuring they don’t get bored or burnt out doing the same workouts day in and day out.
To maintain consistency and avoid the temptation to hop on the latest fitness bandwagon, it’s important to:
Set realistic goals. These goals should be “smart”: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound.
Create a routine. This needs to be something you can maintain regularly. For example, maybe three evenings a week you attend a CrossFit session, and then sit down for a healthy dinner with your family. It doesn’t have to be complicated!
Find someone to hold you accountable. Whether it’s a person you workout with regularly or simply someone who you can count on to check in and make sure you’re sticking to your plan, an accountability buddy is a great external motivator to stick to your goals and routine.
Joining a CrossFit gym is a great way to achieve all of these. Coaches can help you set goals for whatever stage of fitness and life you’re in, and the peer support found by attending group classes regularly makes it a lot more likely that you’ll stick to those goals and your routine.
Interested in making training at Rooted CrossFit and Callie Co. Wellness part of your fitness routine? Check out our schedule or send us a message so we can help you get started.