Training with a Purpose

Giving Yourself a Reason

Giving yourself a reason to train will keep you moving forward!  It’s easy to get to the gym and not have a plan for your workout.  You warm up with some cardio (maybe) then hit the weights.  Try a few sets of your favorite 2 chest, 2 back and arm exercises, then finish with some core and stretch (if you read my mobility blog).  You can repeat this cycle for a while, but eventually that gets boring, frustrating and can lead to burnout.  The difference between the path of burnout and making progress comes down to one thing; Training with a purpose.

There may come a time in your training where having vague goals may be holding you back.  Nothing wrong with just wanting to get in shape, but it can be hard to guide training with vague goals.  Something we do as personal trainers is assist with goal setting. This involves both short and long term goals.  Having some variance gives you a sense of accomplishment when reaching a short term goal but continues to give you something to work towards in a long term goal.  Set goals that lead to purposeful training by being clear, that way you know what you are working towards.  When you set your goals, it's important to be specific.  Instead of “lose weight” you could say “I want to lose 30 pounds in 6 months and focus on nutrition and consistency in the gym.”  This gives you time parameters, a goal weight and highlights HOW you plan on achieving the goal.  

A concept I’ve become familiar with recently is called “Misogi”, which, in short, is a unique challenge done yearly with the hope of personal growth and self discovery by pushing past your comfort zone.  Setting big goals looks different for everyone and I would definitely recommend working with a personal trainer if you’re planning on doing something that pushes your comfort zone.  Working with an exercise professional will help you take on big challenges safely!  If you want to run a marathon, you spend 16-20 weeks focusing on preparing for the race.  If you want to deadlift or squat a big number, you can follow a lifting routine with progressive overload to add weight to your lift.  Both of these goals bring structure to training which can help take away the feeling of not knowing what to do or where to start.   Along with the sense of structure comes accountability.  You have a plan in front of you, either put together by a personal trainer or with a lot of self planning.  Hopefully, seeing the result of being consistent with your training regime centered around the goal will keep you motivated and accountable.  

Earlier I mentioned long term goals.  Breaking down your long term goals into phases can be another way to help you keep focused and build momentum.  Let's use running a marathon as an example.  For someone with a solid running base, 4-5 months is typically enough time to prepare while 7-9 months is better for someone without much experience in long distance running.  Let's use the example of someone who doesn’t have much experience with long distance running.  Taking 7-9 months of prep might feel like a long time, but it’s the safest way for a slow and safe build up.  While it can feel daunting, breaking down your 7-9 months of training into 4 separate phases.  This will break up the monotony of training as you progress through each stage.  I would break down the phases as follows: Months 1-2 start building your base, be consistent with runs and keep the distances/times short.  Months 3-5 you’d want to start focusing on endurance, gradually increase miles.  Months 6-8 are for your longer runs and focusing on nutrition/fueling.  This is when your training peaks and you are completing your longest runs.  Month 9 is about your body.  Your endurance has done a 180 since the beginning of your training, now use the last few weeks to recover.  Keep in mind that this is pretty broad and that everyone will be a little bit different but regardless of who you are or how you prepare, you need to be consistent.  Consistency plays a big role in purpose, through consistency you build habits and those habits build results.  

To sum it up, don’t just work out – train with intention. Set goals that matter and be sure to follow a plan that supports them.  Stay consistent long enough to see the results you’ve been chasing, and reach out if you’re looking for support in your journey!