18
Jun 2020
Get Off That Hamster Wheel!
Whether you are trying to run a business, grow your own vegetables, or achieve the body of your dreams, there is always a process involved…Steps you must take that will either prove successful or not over a given period of time.
Ask yourself, “How long have I been doing ___, ____, &____ trying to accomplish________, and am still coming up short?”.
Albert Einstein is (erroneously) credited with saying, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.”
This saying is universally acknowledged but not accepted. I feel a lot of individuals do not heed this advice, and continue to do the same thing over and over, only to find that nothing has changed.
At CrossFit Magnitude we use metrics to measure progress and rates of success. Based on results, or lack thereof, adjustments are made accordingly.
Most of us are creatures of habits, so our daily routines or rituals don’t tend to change all that much on average. This is great for the individual who has already reached their health and fitness goals and is looking to maintain at this point. All that is needed now is long term compliance. Doing the same thing over and over is ok, as long as expectations are not to see different results.
But what about the vast majority of people who haven’t reached their goals, yet still attempt the same approach day in, day out, hoping, even praying, for a different outcome?
Results don’t come overnight, so make sure enough time has been given with your current approach before sidelining it for the next best thing. If you feel you have put your time in consistently, it may be time to change things up.
It’s time to look at your process, analyze the steps you are currently taking, and determine based on your current metrics, what needs to change.
Let’s say you just came in for your quarterly goal review session, and based off your body composition scan, it shows you have not added any lean muscle or lost any additional fat over the last three months. Your goal was to lose 5 pounds of body fat, and gain 3 pounds of lean muscle. You have been consistently going to the gym 4 days a week and your diet is pretty clean. What should you do?
There are many good directions to take from here. Maybe you dial in your diet a little more. Maybe adding a day of hypertrophy training into the mix. Maybe get rid of a training day focused solely on long duration steady state cardio. Maybe it’s just sleep related, a period of time often overlooked when it comes to making gains (or losses).
A big mistake is to try and change too many things at once. Let’s say you do start trending in the right direction. Can you identify what was the driving factor behind it, and what had no effect.
Start with just one thing, and make that the sole focus for the next thirty days. Check the metrics again, and repeat pattern until you are there!
At CrossFit Magnitude, our team is here to help you every step of the way. To learn more about how, sign up for a FREE “No-Sweat” intro session today.
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