August 16th, 2022

Recipe for Results: 4 Ingredients for Fitness Success

Not seeing results for all your work in the gym? Below, we dive into what the exact recipe for results involves and how you can start seeing the improvements you want.

4 Ingredients for Fitness Success

Results don’t just happen overnight. They require time, effort, perseverance – and these four key ingredients:

1. SMART Goals

If you don’t know where you’re going, how can you plan a route to get there? Many people state that they want to “get fit” or “get in shape.” While these are great goals, you need to be much more specific.

This is the power of setting SMART goals. SMART goals are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-oriented goals. This means that you’ll know whether or not you’ve achieved them (and how close you are to accomplishing them!). These goals create your “why,” which is a powerful motivational entity—providing you with the push you need when you need it.

These goals also help you (or your trainer) create a custom plan using available resources. From this, you can determine what’s at your disposal—maybe that means using water bottles as weights—which can help you inch toward your goals without having to invest in expensive equipment or gym memberships. If you want to get started on your SMART goals, use our downloadable SMART goals worksheet and guide.

2. Proper Measurement

Many people measure their body weight when they want to lose fat and gain muscle – but this single metric isn’t the best indicator of your actual progress. A better way is to take circumference measurements of the waist, thighs, and more. At the end of the day, muscle tissue is more dense and heavy, whereas fat is more volume-based. Thus, measuring your body can tell you more about your progress than the number on the scale.

Another tidbit here: You should always measure your starting point. From there, you can measure at set intervals, which can provide motivation and encouragement to keep going. This can also show you how much progress you’ve made as opposed to directing your focus toward how far you have to go (which can be very demoralizing!).

3. Regular Course-Correction

Bored of the same ol’ routine? Switch it up! Add new exercises. Change trainers. Adjust the time of day you exercise. These changes can all add new fuel to the fire, keeping you on track.

You can also look at other eliminates outside of exercise, such as a nutrition plan and your personal sleep hygiene. For instance, if you’re not following any kind of nutrition plan, maybe this is where you want to change things up to accelerate your progress toward your goals.

4. Celebration!

Many people are too shy or modest to celebrate themselves. Yet, doing so is of the utmost importance for keeping you motivated and accountable. So, before jumping to the next action step or goal, don’t forget to celebrate your progress!

If you can finally touch your toes, celebrate that. If you lost an inch around your waist, give yourself a pat on the back! These mini-celebrations further help you associate exercise with feeling good.

Need a Little Help?

At Nielsen Fitness, we’re here for you. From virtual personal trainers to personal trainers in Toronto, our team can help you achieve your goals in an effective and efficient way that works for you and your life. Contact us today to get started!