Motivation

How To Motivate Yourself To Workout

How To Motivate Yourself To Workout

Published by on October 10, 2021 | Leave a response

Think about it. Why is it so hard to get yourself to exercise? In most cases, it’s because it’s hard work and humans naturally look for ways to make hard work easier. That’s one reason you may have to motivate yourself to workout. While it’s healthy and what our bodies were meant to do, it simply isn’t natural. In order to succeed, finding ways to motivate yourself can help.

Identify your reason for exercising and what you hope to accomplish can help motivate you.

Why did you consider starting a workout program? Was it a health risk that motivated you or was it a look in the mirror or pants that no longer fit? While those might be good reasons, they’re considered negative reasons. Turn around that vision and make a positive one. Visualize yourself running up several flights of stairs without the need to stop or looking fabulous in your skinny jeans. Imagine how your health care professional will congratulate you when he or she looks at the results of your blood pressure test, your new weight or cholesterol tests. Always envision what you want as being real.

Take a picture, it lasts longer.

That taunt that many children use is actually a good one if you want to lose weight. Success breeds success, but changes are slow and your brain adjusts to them, so you often don’t notice it. Rather than just trying to remember, take a picture the day you start your program wearing something that reveals your body to show exactly how it looks. On the same day every month after that, take another picture. Wear the same clothes and have your body in the same spot each time, so you can do an actual comparison. You’ll see the difference in your fitness level.

Get a workout buddy or spend time playing with the kids every day.

Have a family fun hour or half hour in your schedule to do active things. You can hula hoop with the kids, shoot hoops, play tag or turn on the music and dance if you’re inside the house. The kids will love it and you’ll be building bonds, plus they’ll appreciate an active lifestyle more. If you don’t have children or prefer to go to the gym, get a workout buddy. A workout buddy keeps you accountable, since they’ll be ready to workout on days you don’t feel like it and visa versa.

  • Schedule your workout at the same time every day, making it a running appointment. Just like going to a doctor’s appointment, you’ll be more apt to do it. After a few months, it will become a habit.
  • Find other ways to track your progress, rather than just weight. Get a digital blood pressure machine and take it once a day at the same time for comparison or measure your progress by your endurance, such as walking a mile without rest or climbing more flights of stairs.
  • Keep your goals in front of you with sticky notes pasted everywhere, including on the bathroom mirror. Make your messages positive.
  • Check your energy levels and see how much you can accomplish when you workout regularly. The longer you workout, the higher your energy will be, getting more done throughout the day.

For more information, contact us today at BioFit Performance

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The Critical Importance of Motivation in fitness

The Critical Importance of Motivation in fitness

Published by on January 21, 2019 | Leave a response

By Kevin Masson MSc, CSCS, CPT, USAW, FMS

When you’re lifting weights, there are many different important factors that will impact on the outcome of your training. There’s the program you pick, there’s your dedication to the training, and there’s the amount of time you dedicate to it.
But one of the most important factors of all and something that often gets overlooked is the importance of emotion. There are many reasons why emotion is critical for your training, which we will see now.

Creating a healthy habit

Often you hear people talking about training as though it were a challenge or a chore. They talk about how crucial it is to have the ‘will’ to train and to force yourself out of bed every day, even when you don’t want to.
They talk about ‘no pain, no gain’ and ‘eye of the tiger.’
And that’s all good and well – the drive will certainly help you to get to the gym and commit to your training program. But you know what’s even better?
To actually want to go to the gym. To feel as though any time you’re not training is time wasted, to be itching to get there at every opportunity.
This is how all the most successful athletes feel. This is how Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Jordan, Tom Brady and all the greatest describes feeling. This is what gives you unstoppable motivation and drive to achieve your goals.
If you’re going to reach this point, then that means you need to understand why it is you’re training and what it is that really appeals to you about the idea of working out. For that to happen, you need a vision and a goal with a deadline that has to be powerful enough for you to be able to feel entirely motivated by that vision.
For example, a competitor getting ready to go on stage, the vision is to have a perfect physique, the goal is to win the competition, and the deadline is when the competition happens let’s say in 12 weeks. With the vision, the goal and the deadline, motivation comes and suddenly every single rep, every minute of cardio and every single meal becomes something that one looks forward to.
That is obviously just one example; one could argue that instead of just aesthetic reasons your vision could be to live as long as possible in optimum conditions and be with your grandchildren and great-grandchildren instead of a hospital bed. Health is a powerful motivation the only problem with that is there are no deadlines, which makes it hard for people to stick with.
For that reason, I recommend that you take smaller steps and goals with some kind of deadline, create new habits by changing the bad ones into good ones, create a new healthy lifestyle that will help you reach that ultimate vision of you living an optimal life for as long as possible.


Why?, What?, How?

The ‘why” you do something is the most important because the why will give you the drive and determination. The “What” and “How” are easy and you are probably already doing it.
What do I want? I want to look amazing for the summer. How do I do it? I eat healthy and workout every day to reach my goal.
The what and how are important obviously but if you do not have a reason why you do something the “what” and “how” are not powerful enough to keep you on track.
This drive and determination that you get from the “why” is also what’s going to make your actual workouts all the more effective. That’s because you’ll be able to dig deep to find that part of you that’s capable of lifting more, punching harder or run further. The “why” crushes that little voice you get in your head and tells you to quit. All athletes have that drive because they want to win and so can you!
And to do this, you need to once again, be able to tap into the reason for your training and to remember why it’s worth so much to you.
This isn’t just a pep talk: There is actual science behind this, it changes the entire way your central nervous system works. When something really matters to you, your body will pump out more adrenaline, more dopamine, more norepinephrine… and all these things will combine together in order to give you more focus and more drive when you’re training.

 

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Why is Semi-Private Coaching Catching Heat?

Why is Semi-Private Coaching Catching Heat?

Published by on June 25, 2018 | 1 Response

By Kevin Masson MSc, CSCS, CPT, USAW, FMS

When it comes to the fitness industry, a lot of people are opting for semi-private training as opposed to personal training programs. So, what exactly is the difference between the two? Semi-private training programs include a qualified trainer along with a couple, or a trainer along with 3 – 5 friends who share the same fitness goals. In such scenarios, they share their training programs, exercise schedules and divide the program cost between them.

These cost-effective sessions not only offer you top-notch training but also give you the necessary kick to get through your workout. Moreover, you start to see the results within a few weeks of following this program diligently. There are numerous reasons why these semi-private coaching sessions are becoming increasingly popular among people. Some of these reasons are listed below.

  • Customized fitness programs as per individual’s needs
  • At least eight training sessions per month
  • Creative team training
  • Cost-effective

One of the highlights of this type of training session is that helps in keeping the monotony at bay. Also, if you don’t like working out alone, you will get the much-needed encouragement from your workout buddies. This program is also ideal for people who wish to attain optimal results without having to plan it out on their own. Since the semi-private sessions are completely dedicated to helping people make some serious progress towards their goals while making their fitness journey enjoyable, their increasing popularity comes as a no surprise.

Benefits of semi-private training sessions

Most clients who attend semi-private group sessions have similar goals, like wanting to look and feel fitter, reduce body fat by a certain percentage, enhance their endurance and lead a healthy lifestyle. If you have any of these goals, then it is essential that your training program covers things such as flexibility, strength exercises that involve your core muscles, some aerobic as well as anaerobic exercises along with some hypertrophy work. Now, this sounds perfect for a lot of people, but when it comes to applying this training regime, they often feel overwhelmed or lost. Most people start off with a bang and then start getting discouraged when their training plan isn’t as supportive as they thought. Some people just join a gym and feel completely lost within the first few days or when their plan gets completely thrown off, as the equipment they need is not available owing to a busy gym floor.

This is where semi-private training can help you. There are so many advantages to going down this route that you will wonder why you didn’t think of it before. Under a semi-private training group, typically about 3-6 clients work together towards a similar program along with a couple of trainers. Mentioned below are some of the many advantages people list when they start semi-private training:

Coaching/ Learning 

All certified trainers aim at assisting their clients as much as possible to achieve their desired goals. They also make sure not to overwhelm you with intense training sessions during the initial days. So, if you are a newbie, don’t worry about being thrown into the deep end.  All good trainers will want to put you at ease first and then work toward the basics and posture before moving on to strenuous exercises. A good trainer will carefully assess where you stand with regards to your end goals and set up a training plan accordingly. These trainers will start with teaching you basic body movements like lunges, squats, hinge, etc. followed by a recovery session. Mobility can help in assessing the areas that you need to work on first before moving on to better things. BioFit Performance system periodize programs months in advance based on strength and conditioning for three different levels, (Beginner- white), (Intermediate – Green) and (Advance- Black), so everyone can participate safely and efficiently. While using the data from your Functional movement assessment, we are able to customize those programs to YOUR needs while you are in a group environment.

Constant variation

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

-Albert Einstein

This statement couldn’t be more accurate when it comes to fitness goals. You don’t want your body to get used to a routine. Once that happens, the results start slowing down. Most people fall off track with their gym schedules because they start to get boring. With a semi-private coaching program, the training sessions are so varied that you have no chance to get bored. The general layout, however, includes Release, Warm-up, Mobility/Correctives, Reactive (power), Strength, Conditioning, Recovery. 
The release part, where you will get on a foam roll and start targeting tight areas in your body. We can’t expect your body to move optimally if you are tight in some areas. Followed by a general warm-up to get the core temperature up start getting some blood flow to those muscles and get your nervous system ready for the session. Mobility/Correctives are also part of the warm-up where we target some of your personal problems and try to correct these deficiencies. We then transition onto the first part of the workout, the reactive movements, which are power exercises this will target your central nervous system and get your fired up and ready for the next part. Depending on which class you are in the main workout is either Strength or Conditioning and finally end the session with some recovery tools.
There is science behind the reason why we write each of our sessions this way but one of the main aim of bringing versatility into your training sessions is to keep you motivated and achieve result towards your goal.

They measure progress

No, not literally with the scales! And no one should evaluate their progress using these because the scales are perpetually fluctuating and aren’t important anyway. When you work with a particular trainer consistently, she/he can figure out what you can or can’t do. They can evaluate your progress based on your mobility and fitness to body composition. This is far more vital and something that counts rather than merely looking down at some numbers on a measuring scale. As your performance starts to improve, your image and bodyweight will begin to show signs of improvements too.  Once you combine your workouts with proper nutrition, there’s absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t hit your training goals.

Customized workouts

Although it’s a group workout, pretty much everything in the training session is designed to cater to your fitness needs. A good trainer, after assessing your strengths and weaknesses, will quickly develop a training program that will enhance your growth.  It’s almost like having a personal trainer without having to shell out an extra chunk of cash. The perfect trainer will conduct a fitness session, which works out great for every individual. For instance, if you have a weaker upper body and find it challenging to do pull-ups, your trainer will add some variations like ring rows. If you aren’t feeling up to it, then he/she will map out a different workout for you. Regardless of your fitness levels, rest assured that your trainer will always have a workout to make your life easy.

Finding new workout buddies and being responsible for your fitness

If you are a fitness freak like me, you are going to find it annoying to attend those boring social gatherings that circle the same alcohol-induced nonsense talks. Now I am not saying alcohol is bad but, after a while, such mediocre gatherings do get boring.  Instead, why not get together with a few mates and participate in a session that revolves around fitness. You know what they say, “You are only good as the company you keep.” If you are perpetually surrounded by people who have no interest in keeping their bodies fit, you will slowly become like one of them. Unless that’s what you want. Also, the fact that you are going to be accountable for your progress certainly helps you in the long run to achieve your goal. We love some friendly competition.

100% mapped out schedules

One of the most beneficial things about taking up a semi-private training session is that you are almost never going to feel lost. The layout session will be there for you to see much before you start your workouts. Isn’t that relieving? I mean, who has the time to plan out your work out session amidst other essential issues that take up our time like family, commitments, spouse, kids, etc.? So, having all of your 60-minute sessions mapped out by your trainer comes as a great relief. All you have to do is show up at the class. It’s far better than having to sit around in a gym, not knowing what to do next or merely relaxing in the sauna and then just heading back home. And mind you all this comes at a hefty cost too. What a waste of your valuable money and time. Instead of doing this, just take out about 60 minutes a day for your semi-private training sessions and let us take care of everything else.

Pricing

Let’s face it. Not all of us have a lot of money to spare when it comes to fitness training. And personal training can be extremely pricey. Most personal fitness trainers charge about $100 per session. Even if you take up three sessions a week, that comes to about $1200. If you have that kind of cash, by all means, go ahead and hire yourself a personal trainer.  Now some of you may argue that you can join a local gym that may offer the same for as little as $10 a month. But think about it. Even though the fees are cheap, what’s the point if you don’t show up every day or have no clue what kind of workouts you should be doing? Like a lot of people, you are going to go straight to the treadmill for an hour and wonder why you are no achieving the goals?
Semi-private training sessions, on the other hand, cost approximately $30 per session, per person. For some people, that’s still not cheap enough, but you will end up getting the same benefits that you would get from hiring a personal trainer. Now considering that, you may re-evaluate your priorities and find the price to be very reasonable.

Now that you have read all of the above benefits, I am sure there is no speck of doubt in your mind that semi-private training sessions make more sense.

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