Set the bar extremely LOW.
“Training is not hard.
Consistently training is hard.
This makes simplifying the concept of training paramount to sustainability.
The longer I’ve done been in this game the more I’ve learned that training is less about what you do & far more about making it a part of who you are.”
-Ray Zingler on X
The main reason many people struggle to maintain a training or “workout” program is very simple.
It’s because they start out with the bar set way too high.
They go from doing nothing to thinking they need to change their diet, increase their water intake, take supplements, and train hard and get sore 3 days a week.
This is sustainable for around 2 weeks. Oftentimes, way less than that.
What most folks need to do, and I mean this sincerely is LOWER the bar.
Go from doing nothing to making it a goal to attend 2 instructor led, beginner, exercise classes per week. 8 total workouts in a 30-day time frame.
Why instructor led? Because it takes out the guesswork associated with fitness, which is the 3rd biggest contributor to resilience to start (1st is laziness, 2nd is excuses, sorry).
Don’t worry about the “diet” (yet) and don’t worry about what pyramid scheme supplements your friend on Facebook is selling, either.
Just go to those 2 simple workouts per week and check the box.
Why is this important?
Because you’re setting yourself up to win. You’re stacking the cards in your favor to be able to tangibly prove to yourself that you can in fact “do this.”
The problem with trying to do too much too fast is that you haven’t proven to your mind that this new activity has any value. There is no proof of concept, yet.
And when the mind (despite outwardly knowing the value) perceives something as low value, it resists the idea of execution.
This is true from going to a workout class to trying to tame a wild mountain lion.
As cliché as the “working out is a lifestyle” phrase is, it’s true.
The objective (down the road), as boring as it sounds is to make the idea of training like getting dressed and brushing your teeth. Pretty mundane, but essential concepts in the modern era if you ask me.
The reason is because motivation is a thief. It’s cheap and it doesn’t last.
Sure, you might have motivation to start, and this is great! (Seriously) Leverage it, but don’t overdo it because that motivation will eventually wain.
Start stupid small, build the proof, slowly and strategically increase rigor and frequency.
You’ll watch your life change.
