The Mindset Of Successful Training

Well it's the New Year and time to make that same old resolution again to lose weight and get fit. So what will make this year different to every other one and actually see you stick to your resolution beyond next week? How about some quality advice from an experienced Glasgow personal trainer? Well that is what I am here to give you so let's get right to it.

Simply put the fastest way to lose weight is to start doing what you need to do and stop looking for a short cut. Constantly searching for short cuts, as most people do, means you never get on with the task in hand. Once you get started training one of the great things you will discover about exercise is how completely predictable it is. The more effort you put in, the greater the reward you get out. Conversely, if you lack effort, consistency or attention to detail any efforts you do make will be wasted. Your best plan of action is to start now, eat a little better, exercise a little more and make changes to your routine once you have started. No-one gets it right straight away but waiting for perfection before you start is a sure way to never start.

So what changes should you make right away? Well there is no need to get fancy with advanced training methods because the good news is if you are really unfit and overweight then practically any increase in physical activity you do will help get you losing weight. The single biggest change you can make is to go from inactive to active, everything after that is just icing on the cake. By the way you should avoid cake! There is a tipping point associated with training that separates the winners from the losers and it's the point where overload and persistence meet. Your body adapts to cope with the demands placed upon it and if your level of physical activity is already within its capabilities then it doesn't need to improve. This means that to change your body you have to train outside your comfort zone, which means pushing yourself to train a little bit harder than you have previously done. Training at this level every now and then won't cut it; to start with aim for 3 times per week, every week, every month and you are in business.

This is the mindset you have to have to succeed in whatever training goals you set yourself. Most people don't give any thought to the mental approach they need to take to do well; they just go straight to the exercises, sets and reps.

Iain Smith (MPhil/CSCS) owns Standout Gym, an independent warehouse gym in Glasgow, focusing on weight loss. He offers small group training as an affordable alternative to Glasgow personal training. Iain is a former international decathlete with 17 years coaching experience. www.standoutgym.com.