So here you are, ready to start your fitness journey… but where do you start?
Many fitness companies try to push that their workout is the best one for you, but they don’t know you. We don’t know you either. So how do you determine what workout is the best one for you?
The only way to determine which workouts are going to be best for you is the by figuring it out yourself. You… know you… the best!
Below are some questions that we ask our friends when they first start their journey as well:
What are you fitness goals for the next 12 weeks?
This one seems obvious. It’s because it is. Most people who start a fitness routine will usually just start lifting some weights or jumping on a treadmill with no idea if it will produce the result they are actually looking for. We would NEVER take someone who wants to lose weight and put then into an Olympic Lifting program. This is the foundational question of all training because it allows us, as coaches, to start to create a plan for our clients but is only just the tip of the iceberg.
How long do I want to dedicate to exercise on a daily basis?
This is question goes over most people’s heads. The reason being is because a lot of individuals try to mold their schedule around exercise, instead of figuring out what works best for them. Most coaches prescribe a generic 60 minute workout, but what if your schedule only allows for 30 minutes? Does that mean you can’t reap the benefits of exercise? The prescribed amount of exercise someone needs to do on a weekly basis is 180 minutes. So you could do 180 minutes straight, 3 x 60 minutes, 6 x 30 minutes, or even 12 x 15 minutes. Just know, you have options. More importantly, your workout time plays a big role in what you would be doing for that particular workout.
How many days a week do I want to dedicate to exercise?
This question plays a role in the classic “split” question. If you don’t know what a split is, it refers to what body part(s) you would be working out on any given day. Popular ones include Upper body / Lower body, or Push / Pull. Going back to the previous question of “How long do I want to dedicate to exercise on a daily basis?”, the workouts will reflect your availability. I would give a very different workout plan to someone who can only dedicate 3 days a week to the gym than to someone who can go 6 days a week to the gym. Everyone is different!
How many and what exercises should I choose to do?
Again, it all depends on your goals. If someone wants to build a sexy butt, then we would not program a bench press into their routine. Exercise choice and volume are going to play a direct role in your overall result. Most of our clients that we train usually want to lose weight. We wouldn’t program powerlifting workouts into a weight loss goal. This is the portion in which most people get lost. You have to pick exercises that will directly relate to your goal. Train with a plan, not randomly.
Do you want to hit your goals quickly or safely?
This seems like a weird question right? Obviously everyone is going to want to hit their goals quickly AND safely. So why do we ask this? Hitting your goals quickly sounds great on paper because you can spend less overall time working out to achieve said goal. The problem with hitting your goals quickly is that it’s usually short-term. When people start exercising, they generally have the mindset of changing their overall physique (their looks). Which is fine if you are first starting, but changing your physique permanently takes a lot longer than most people think. It is on-going forever.
If you start to ask these questions, it will get you headed in the correct direction when creating a solid and sustainable workout routine. Improving your quality of life should always be your number one priority when stepping inside a gym. After all, whether your goal is weight loss, build muscle, prevent injury, or anything else, your quality of life should always be going up!
BONUS QUESTION
Should I invest in a fitness professional to assist me in my goals?
The answer is always yes. A trainer will be able to create programs specifically designed to hit your goals. You don’t have to think about whether or not the program YOU designed will even work. Not everyone has the disposable income to do so, but hiring a trainer will save you your most valuable resource… TIME