Other than a program, motivation and a place to train, is there anything you need to make your fitness regime a success?

According to plenty of people out there on the world wide web, the answer is a resounding “yes.”

You don’t have to look very hard to find articles voicing the benefits of shakes and supplements, specialized shoes, training partners and fitness coaches. And indeed, some people swear that these things are the secret to going the distance when training.

 But how much truth is there in that?

Today, we’re getting down to the nitty-gritty of it, and exploring whether they really make a difference. 

…A Gym Buddy?

Conventional wisdom suggests that having a gym buddy is a great way to get results.

Indeed, do a quick Google search, and you’ll find plenty of articles extolling the virtues of a fitness buddy. They’ll tell you that having a fitness partner increases your motivation, commitment, and makes training sessions more fun.

But, in my experience at least, the reality is more complicated than that. While there are circumstances where training with a gym buddy is beneficial, training with someone else can often be detrimental to making real progress.

Here’s the thing: going to the gym is not a social activity. It’s a time for focus, and single-minded concentration on your goals. If you’re training with someone else who acknowledges that, that’s awesome. If your partner is treating your session like after-work drinks, however, you’ve got a problem.

Ultimately, people gravitate towards fitness buddies because they make the gym-going experience seem less intimidating. But, adjusting to working out independently will pay off in dividends in the long run. Working with a gym buddy means you’re tied to their schedule and their progress. Learning to go it alone allows you to set the pace and to own your gains.

…Protein shakes and supplements?

In recent years, the market for protein powders, shakes and supplements has boomed. The fitness community, after all, is a captive audience, and those serious about their training will do anything they can to get results and see gains.

But do those protein powders and shakes really make a difference, and is it worth introducing them alongside your training?

The short answer, at least in this stage of your training, is “probably not.”

Protein powders and supplements do have their place. When you’re a serious athlete, bodybuilder or weightlifter, you’re working at a level where these things make a difference.

But, you’re still at an early stage in your training. Sure, you’re aiming to be the next Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson, but you’re not there yet. You might buy into the marketing and feel like taking protein and supplements is contributing to your gains, but in truth, it probably isn’t.

Focus on sticking at your training regime, and on eating a balanced diet that’s protein rich (we’ll return to this in a future article). Don’t let the supplements become a crutch now; save them for when you really need them. 

…A Personal Trainer?

As with gym buddies, there are plenty of articles online that sing the praises of personal trainers.

Typically, they’ll tell you that they’re useful for teaching proper technique to gym newbies, they’re good for helping you put together a program, and that the instant feedback you get from a trainer is very motivating.

But, as with gym buddies, there’s a downside to personal trainers that doesn’t always get voiced.

Firstly, not all personal trainers are created equal. Sure, many of them know their stuff. But others are glorified snake oil salesmen.

For obvious reasons, your snake oil salesperson isn’t going to aid your training. Quite the opposite. Even with the best personal trainer, though, there’s still a big problem you’ll face.

Ultimately, regardless of how good your personal trainer is, it’s not in their interest to teach you to be independent. When you think about it, their business model needs to revolve around them withholding a certain amount of knowledge and expertise.

By drip-feeding you gains, they guarantee your repeat custom. Yes, you’re getting results. But, those results are deliberately limited, and are taking a chunk out of your wallet.

Truth is, in this day and age, you have the resources at your disposal without needing a personal trainer. You’ve got YouTube, you’ve got an endless source of programs, blogs and fitness forums online. And, if all else fails, there’s always the public library.

While you might gravitate towards a personal trainer as your fitness Linus blanket, taking charge of your own fitness regime will be more empowering in the long run. So go it alone, and save yourself an unnecessary crutch.

…Specialist clothing and equipment?

As I’ve already mentioned, the fitness community is a captive market. And, there’s a whole industry designed to capitalize on this audience by promising results.

It’s not uncommon for enthusiastic beginners to splash the cash before their first gym session. You’ve likely seen them, dressed to the nines, brandishing specialized sports bottles and generally looking like they’ve stepped out of a sportswear catalogue.

But, like with protein shakes, the truth is that you don’t need much to get you going.

I’ve been lifting weights for a few years now, and I still don’t wear any specialized clothing. In my kit bag, you’ll find a pair of $10 shorts, an old Metallica tour shirt and a $30 pair of trainers.

As your training regime develops, your needs will change. And, you might find that you need some more specialized gear down the line. But, there’s no point spending the money until you need to. Chances are, you can start working out with what you already have and build up as necessary.

Turns out you don’t need much to get ahead in training. But, drive or not, you won’t get very far without a good diet fuelling your progress. In the next edition of this series, we’ll talk nutrition, and how what you eat can make, or break your fitness regime.

You’ve got goals. You’ve got the program to get them, and you’ve found the gym to do it in.

Awesome.

Or at least, it is for the first few weeks or so.

But, once you get into the routine of actually training, it doesn’t always stay that way. That initial burst of enthusiasm is often tempered once you’re in the thick of it. Heck, that’s a big part of the reason why most people don’t stick it out for more than three months at the gym.

So, how do you go the distance? How do you avoid that three-month hurdle and keep your training up for years, or even decades.

It’s about finding the right ways to motivate yourself.

This, of course, is a very individual thing. But, in my experience, at least, there are a couple of common strategies that will work, and a couple of common pitfalls to avoid. In fact, you can check out a few of them below.  

Protect your gym time

Saying that you’ll go to the gym three or four times a week is one thing. Actually doing it is another thing entirely.

As soon as you start going to the gym, you’ll acutely notice that life has a way of trying to sabotage you getting there. Friends will suggest meeting up for drinks during your training times. Work and family commitments will start encroaching into the hours you’ve put aside for your training.

And, it’s easy to let these things get in the way. You think to yourself, “one missed session isn’t going to affect my motivation or my results in the long run. What could it hurt?”

But the truth is, once you’ve let one session slip, it’s easier to let others go as well. Before you know it, one session has become five sessions, you’ve not been to the gym in two weeks and your SMART goal is getting further and further away.

So how do you get around this?

Well, it’s important that you set your boundaries and protect your gym time as much as possible. Let your nearest and dearest know that you’re training, why you’re doing it, and when you’re doing it. Explain to them how important it is for you to complete those sessions, and that where possible, you want to avoid scheduling anything in that time. Once they understand why you’re doing what you’re doing, they’ll respect your need for the space to do it in.

Unfortunately, there will be times when you can’t get out of a commitment that clashes with your gym time. When you’re faced with those situations, though, make sure you reschedule your gym session as soon as possible. Then, put that rescheduled session on the calendar and commit to it. That way, you avoid the risk of missed sessions and the slippery slope that they lead to.

Remember your goals

I’m not going to lie to you. There are days when going to the gym is hard.

Say I’ve been up all night because one of my kids has a fever. The prospect of an hour of squats, bench and deadlifts doesn’t exactly appeal to me. I’d much rather be in bed, drinking coffee, or in bed drinking coffee.

It’s in these moments that it’s important to remember your goals. In the milieu of day-to-day life, it’s easy to lose sight of why we’re training. But, those goals are what brought you to the gym in the first place, and having a clear vision of them will keep you coming back.

Of course, there’s the question of how you keep those goals visible.

Sometimes, it’s as simple as writing them down in your training journal (more on that in a sec). I have a couple of sentences at the beginning of mine that remind me of why I’m there. They’re great to look at if I’m having a bad session, or debating whether I should make it into the gym that day.

If you’re a more creative sort, and you’ve got some free wall space, then making a motivation montage is also a great idea. Collect photos, quotes and illustrations that remind you of your goal and assemble them as a collage in an easy to view space in your home. Being faced with those visuals on a day-to-day basis is a great way of keeping your fitness aspirations in your mind all the time. It’ll pump you up and get you out of the house.

Keep a training journal

Last, but by no means least, keep a journal of your training so that you can track your progress.

In part, the reason for this is practical. When you’re training three or four times a week, you don’t always remember what exercises you did last session, how many reps you did, or what reps you were working at. Keeping a training journal means you won’t be stood gormlessly by the bar, trying to recall whether it’s 50 or 55kg you should be putting on there.

But, the training journal isn’t just a memory aid. It’s also a testament to your progress. You can look back through it and see how far you’ve progressed. Often, the results will surprise you. Knowing that your weights have gone up 30kg in a month, for example, is incredibly motivating, especially when you’re having a session where you doubt your abilities.

One last thing, I’d recommend keeping this journal on paper, rather than on your smartphone. Smart devices can be distracting in the gym, and you want to avoid the risk of checking social media or emails while charting your goals. Pen and paper might seem decidedly old-school these days, but if you want to have the right headspace in the gym, it’s a must.

You’ve got the program to get results and the motivation to do it. Do you need anything else? A gym buddy? Protein shakes? A personal trainer? In the next edition of this series, we’ll be asking just that…

Welcome back to Sticking with Fitness, the article series designed to help you realize your fitness ambitions.

You’ve got your SMART and stretch goals. You’ve got your program. Now, you need somewhere to put them into practice.

Fortunately for you, there are plenty of gyms and fitness centers out there, ready to take your money in exchange for letting you train.

Unfortunately for you, though, not all gyms are created equal. And, choosing the right gym for your needs is crucial to staying the course and achieving your fitness goals.

But how do you know what the right space for you is?

As I see it, there are four main things to consider when it comes to finding a gym. Weigh these up, and you’ll find the right space to put your program into practice.

Facilities

When you’re looking for a place to put your fitness regime into practice, facilities are a huge consideration.

The reasons why should be pretty self-evident.

If you don’t have the equipment that you need to perform the exercises in your program, then you can’t train. An all-in one health-spa/fitness club, for example, might be short on squat racks and free weights, which isn’t ideal if you’re doing a program like Starting Strength. On the flip side, a dedicated strength and conditioning gym isn’t the place to train if you’re an aspiring marathon runner. 

You should never sign up blindly to a gym. Check their website – any serious fitness center should be able to provide a comprehensive list of its equipment. If they don’t, then give them a call. Or, even better yet, go and inspect the facilities in person. See what equipment they have and make sure that it suits your needs.

It’s not just what equipment they have that matters, though. It’s whether or not it works. Pay attention to what sort of condition the equipment is in. If you see a load of broken bars and out-of-order machines strewn about the place, that typically isn’t a good sign. You don’t want to find your program thwarted down the line because the stations you need are always in a state of disrepair.

Convenience

Facilities are important when it comes to finding the right gym. But, there will always be a trade-off with convenience.

Let me give you an example. When I started weightlifting, I initially went to a dedicated strength and conditioning gym. For what I was doing, it was the perfect venue: great facilities and lots of people who understood the culture and etiquette around weightlifting (more on that in a sec).

Unfortunately, the downside to this gym was that it was a long way from my house. Buses were infrequent, and my journey there took almost an hour. On top of that, it only opened at specific times during the morning and the evening, giving me a limited window to train in. I loved the venue, but getting to it was a nightmare, and the travel time really affected my motivation.

Eventually, I ended up moving to a more general commercial gym. It didn’t have the amazing facilities of the strength and conditioning gym, though it still had what I needed to do my program. And, it was a fifteen-minute walk from my house, which majorly cut down on my travel time, as well as being open 24-hours-a-day.

When it comes to sticking to your training, a convenient facility that’s “good enough” will always be better than an amazing gym that’s a nightmare to get to. Travel time is a major de-motivator, so make things as easy as possible in that regard. 

Cost

You might find the best equipped, most conveniently located gym in the world. But, if it’s costing you an arm and a leg to go there every month, that’s going to be a major de-motivator.

When factoring in the cost of a gym, there’s one simple question you’ve got to ask yourself:

“What do I actually need?”

There are plenty of fitness centers out there offering you a “bells-and-whistles” gym experience with personal trainers, state of the art machines and luxurious changing facilities. If you’ve got the cash to burn, and want those extras, that’s all well and good.

But none of those are essential to your training. Depending on the program that you’re following, you probably just need the basics. And, there are numerous cheap and cheerful gyms and fitness centers out there that offer those facilities for a fractional price compared to their luxury counterparts.

Getting fit doesn’t have to break the bank. Pick a gym with a membership that’s well within your budget and you won’t be calling it quits due to financial strain.

Culture

Your gym is conveniently located, affordable, and equipped with everything you need. But what are the people like?

This is a question that doesn’t get asked that often. But the truth is, the culture of a gym makes a huge difference to the training environment.

When you’re looking around a prospective fitness center, ask yourself a few questions:

• Do patrons behave respectfully to each other?
• Do users take appropriate care with the equipment?
• How well maintained are the shower and locker facilities?
• Does the gym try to push a personal trainer onto you?

These are details that matter when it comes to your long-term motivation at the gym.

Just to clarify, I’m not expecting you to find some instant sense of unbreakable camaraderie with the people that you’re training alongside. But, you need to be able to work within the culture that your prospective gym fosters. If there’s anything that sticks out like a sore thumb on your initial viewing, then consider carefully whether it’s the right place for you. 

You’re fired up, ready to go, and have somewhere to train. But, how do you keep that level of enthusiasm when you’re deep into deadlifts, squats and lunges? Fear not! In the next edition of this series, Maintain Your Motivation, we’ll be talking about how to keep up your drive and make the gym a habit.

Welcome back to Sticking with Fitness, the article series designed to help you realize your fitness ambitions.

Assuming you’ve read last week’s edition, you’re armed with your SMART and stretch goals and suitably motivated.

But, how do you turn that motivation into something more tangible?

That’s where finding a program comes in.

Finding the right program is crucial to realizing your goals. With so many programs out there, though, it’s sometimes hard to know where to start.

Fear not! Today, we’re running through three of the most widely practiced beginners’ fitness regimes. We’ll be talking about their advantages and disadvantages so that you can find the best one fort achieving your goals. 

Starting Strength

First released as a book by strength guru Mark Rippetoe, Starting Strength is a staple of beginner’s strength training.

If weightlifting or powerlifting is of interest to you, then this program is a great place to start.

Starting Strength is a very simple program. There are two different workouts done three times a week, that look something like this:

Advantages

One of the most obvious advantages to Starting Strength is its simplicity. You only need to learn five lifts, the progression is straightforward, and three sessions a week is a manageable time commitment.

In Starting Strength, you start light, adding 5kg to the bar per session. Working this way, you won’t be exhausted after your first session, and you’ll see results quickly; both of which are major motivators.

Also, it’s a fairly balanced program in terms of major weightlifting movements. Squats, hinges and pushes and pulls are all accounted for.

Disadvantages

Because of the powerlifting slant, Starting Strength puts a lot of emphasis on lower body. If you’re looking to really build your chest, arms and back, then it has its limits.

It also introduces squats and deadlifts fairly quickly. These lifts, requiring good mobility and balance to achieve, can be difficult for newcomers. And, upping the weight before mastering these movements can limit progress.

Still, there are workarounds. Increasing the weight by 2.5kg, rather than 5kg a session, for example (which is what I did when using Starting Strength) gives you a bit of breathing room for mastering the lifts.

Ice Cream Fitness

Jason Blaha’s Ice Cream Fitness (ICF) 5X5 program feels, in many respects, like a response to Starting Strength. Where Rippetoe’s powerlifting program put an emphasis on the lower body, Ice Cream Fitness is designed to increase muscle gains in the upper body.

Like with Starting Strength, there are two workouts, three times a week.

Advantages

If Starting Strength was too light on upper body for you, then Ice Cream Fitness is very much the antidote. You won’t be short on chest, back and arm gains with this one. All the major movement categories are included, along with the focus on major compound lifts and linear progression. But, you also get plenty of supplementary exercises for your upper body.

Disadvantages

Ice Cream Fitness isn’t exactly a simple program, especially when compared to the straightforward Starting Strength.

Your workouts are going to take a lot longer. It’s 5×5, not 3×5 for a start. You’ve also got more exercises per session and a lot of new lifts to learn.

The complexity of the program and the time commitment required can put off some absolute beginners. And, if you’re serious about this one, recovery time is key. You’ll be eating and sleeping a lot to make it work.

 You’ve also got the same squats and deadlifts issue from Starting Strength, though, as with that program, increasing your weights by 2.5kg, rather than 5kg is an effective workaround until you’re confident with the lifts.

Nerd Fitness Bodyweight Circuit

Nerd Fitness has exploded in popularity in recent years. The website, which aims to “help nerds, misfits, and mutants lose weight, get strong and get healthy permanently” has attracted a huge following amongst many who wouldn’t normally consider a fitness regime.

Unlike the other regimes on this list, the Nerdfitness Beginner Bodyweight Circuit is designed to be performed outside of the gym. In fact, the only thing you’ll need is a kettle bell, though even this can be substituted for a gallon milk jug. The circuit looks something like this:

Advantages

The very obvious advantage to this one is its accessibility.

It’s short and incredibly simple; you can complete it in under 20 minutes. It doesn’t require any specialist equipment, you can do it pretty much anywhere and it costs you absolutely nothing to do.

As a result, it’s incredibly easy to stick to the Nerd Fitness Beginner Bodyweight Circuit, and it can be a hugely motivating place to start your exercise journey.

Disadvantages

Unfortunately, the simplicity that makes the Nerd Fitness Beginner Bodyweight Circuit so accessible is also its biggest downfall. On this program, you’re going to plateau very quickly. You can add more circuits, sure, but you’ll quickly stop seeing the benefits.

It’s perhaps unfair to be too hard on Nerd Fitness for this, though. The whole point of this program is that it’s an introduction to personal fitness, and a means of making fitness a habit. On those terms, it’s a success. 

You have your goals. You have your program. Now you need somewhere to train! In next week’s edition, we’ll take you through the process of finding the best gym to put your program into practice, and the pros and cons you’ll need to weigh up.