How To Continue Training; Not Just For The New Year, But Throughout The Year And Beyond

How To Continue Training; Not Just For The New Year, But Throughout The Year And Beyond

It’s now 2022. It’s January – that means ‘New Year, new you’ and skyrocketing gym membership numbers. You might be inspired to set new goals or change up your training regime to keep out of the hustle and bustle, which is always good – if it’s for the right reasons and not for the sake of change. There is always societal pressure at this time of year to ‘want’ to change, however, to continue training throughout the year and not just for the New Year, we need to set ourselves up to achieve what we want to. Let’s go through some of the best options for getting to that point.

Start SMART. Setting goals in the New Year can be tricky, as you want to progress into a New Year you can overreach. The SMART acronym (Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic & Timely) is incredibly effective for breaking down your goals. You want goals that can be achieved in small spates, something that you can build upon layer by layer going through the year. So if you have a grand idea for a goal, break it down. You can still gain that rush and sense of achievement  plus it’s far easier to track and adjust progress accordingly. 

We all fall off the wagon sometimes, but it’s how we get back on that matters. Life throws up all sorts of things; which is no bad thing. Having smaller goals makes this far easier to adapt to. It all so makes it far easier to be consistent, which is another key to really bear in mind. Becoming disheartened by not achieving goals is something we all experience, but it’s about reframing how we view this mentally. If we can say to ourselves ‘I may not have reached my target, but look at what I have been able to achieve so far, and look how far I’ve already come; that just shows with repetition and consistency I can go even further!’ If you put the work in the reward will come, learn to appreciate the journey and all it’s peaks and troughs, as it can lead you to unexpected places.

Putting things down in writing is another great way to continue training through the year. I like to plan in advance, and having a constant view of things I want to achieve spurs me on. I have a white board in my training studio, so that I can write out lists, goals and objectives. I’m a big believer in visualisation. Just by writing things out, and saying them aloud, helps to gain confidence in achieving those things plus you can have accountability as you can see your board all the time as a constant reminder. If you don’t have time for DIY, or a large enough space, a training notebook is a great way to track and monitor your progression. You can also make notes of any delays, injuries or life scheduling so you can be kind to yourself on reflection as to why you may or may not have achieved your goals.

That leads nicely onto my next point of being kind to yourself, whether it’s programming rest periods or deload weeks, or just forgiving yourself for a missed session. Whatever it is, make sure you take the time off and enjoy it, whether it’s a holiday or some lighter training. The mental and/or physical reset is what gets you ready for the next stage. Also if you’re feeling emotionally fatigued from the January blues, you can use this time to switch off and come back more inspired for your next level.

If getting back into the gym is going to help you get, and stay, motivated, that’s great too. You can look to incorporate more bodyweight training, or calisthenics, into your training as the pieces of equipment you need are more likely to be free at the gym. Also you can get yourself a set of rings, a pull up bar, a skipping rope or a weight vest and train anywhere and everywhere meaning your training can work around you. See the Gravity Fitness store for all your at-home training needs.

In summary, the keys for training throughout the year and beyond can be;

Consistency – even if you don’t quite hit your goals, just showing up and putting the effort in will get the job done. Just keep on truckin’.

SMART goals – hitting small goals with frequent progress will really help inspire you to enjoy the journey and track your progress without it becoming pressurised or something that fills you with dread.

Track your training in writing – Take notes, make lists and visualise where you want to be and how you’re going to get there. When you write things down and/or say them aloud, you put them into the forefront of your mind, making yourself more accountable and making things easier to see. You can look back over the journey and enjoy how you got to where you are now, and where you want to be in future. 

Self Care – Enjoy the journey and the time to yourself your training gives you. Make the most of your deload or recovery and rest times. Forgive yourself for the occasional slip up. Enjoy your holidays and come back stronger form a well earned reboot. 

Tag us on social media so we can see you progress @gravity.fitness. Enjoy the ride and keep on training, as you never know where it may take you.

by Guy Joynson for Gravity Fitness