The Foundation to Success

The Foundation of Success

January 5, 2021

It's Deep Inside of You

The 'foundation' metaphor has been beaten to death when it comes to fitness, sport and endurance training. Most often you'll hear about starting slow, fixing what's broken, etc., things that are very important, no question. But that's not where the self-coached athlete should start and that's not where I start when doing personal training plans.

When it comes to training the body, most individuals will certainly benefit more from psychological guidance as opposed to physiological guidance. And psychology is where it should all truly start and sometimes a helping hand can make a difference but it's not necessary.

Where Are You Going?

Step one is to ask yourself where are you going. Don't worry about SMART Goals. You don't have to do that involved an exercise if you don't want to though it's good practice. You at least need to ask yourself exactly what you want out of the next few months of effort. Get a vision of where you want to be.

When Will the Work Be Done?

Next comes the real key to success. Everyone wants to find the fastest way to realize their goals so I'm going to tell you. It's through patience and consistency. Sorry, if you were looking for some kind of magical pill or download.

You weren't born yesterday. You have some idea of what your average week looks like already and that's where the work starts either on your own or with your coach. You need to block out time that is reserved for you to look after your health and your goals. To help make it work, consider getting buy in from those who it might affect including work mates or family.

But any experienced coach knows a consistent life schedule week in and week out is impossible for some due to their unique job and family life. It is what is. You do your best to stay on track and fit the workouts in when you can. If you enjoy self-coaching, this type of lifestyle challenge can be a lot of fun to work with. You'll learn a lot through the process or moving things around and listening to how your body responds.

As the New Year approaches, ask yourself where do you want your workouts to lead and when will those efforts be made.

Posted by Geordie McConnell, Head Coach