4 Things To Make Your New Year’s Resolutions On Fitness Happen!
by: Brandon Richey
4 Things To Make Your New Year’s Resolutions On Fitness Happen!
So with the new year sneaking up on us I figured I would focus this post in on those New Year’s Resolutions. You know the ones I’m talking about. I’m talking about those goals people make for the new year, especially concerning those related to fitness. It’s a vicious cycle for many hitting the new year because many find themselves making the same goals as the year before because they never accomplished them in the first place. Well here’s some things to help you make sure those goals stick this year.
Stick To Your Guns!
The fact is Hulk Hogan stuck to his guns. Well he referred to them as 24″ pythons! Nevertheless, the Hulkster was one of my favorite wrestlers growing up and one thing he used to say was “say your prayers, take your vitamins, and train hard.” Well as it turns out this advice is pretty solid.
Get yourself a set of bells to set off your New Year’s Resolutions strong!
On that note I’ve devised a 4 part plan here below to help you to ensure that your New Year’s Resolutions concerning all things strength and fitness will happen this time around, as long as you have an ounce of discipline flowing through your bloodstream. It’s not Hulk Hogan advice, but it’ll do. Check it out here.
1. Take Action Immediately: With many New Year’s Resolutions I hear people talk about what they are going to do by the end of January in terms of their training, or by the middle of February. Why the hell wait? Whether your goals are to improve your current level of fitness, to hit a new PR on the deadlift, or to get into shape for the first time then get started asap. Putting stuff off is like running away from a fight that is going to happen anyway. You’re already involved so why not throw the first punch?
Start your New Year’s Resolutions out with some kettlebell basics!
2. Measure Your Progress By Measuring Your Performance: The best way to tell how much progress you can make with your strength and conditioning program is to measure your progress by measuring different aspects of your performance. What did you hit on that set of 3 on deadlifts? How many pull ups can you work up to doing 3 weeks from now? How fast can you do the agility ladder drills? The list can go on and on. The point is that progress is best measured by improving performance and the way to tell if you are improving performance is to measure it so that you can observe change. That’s it my dear Watson!
3. Tell A Bunch Of People About Your Fitness Goals: Yes, this is a big one. I’m big about telling a bunch of people about what it is exactly that you plan on doing with any goal or New Year’s Resolution. Why? Well, because generally when most people are aware of what it is that you plan on doing then you will be more apt to follow through in making sure it happens. Those 2 words “follow through” are such a big deal. Does anyone follow through anymore? Well, I do and you can too! Start telling your friends about your goals then if you slip they can bust your balls about it.
Enhance your ball busting by getting one of these for your conditioning sessions!
4. Find A Committed Training Partner(s) To Train With: There is nothing better than training with either another person, or a bunch of persons to help bust your ass in the weight room. Let’s face it, when the energy in the room is elevated things get done, period. Having a committed training partner or training group is great for moral and fosters an environment of healthy competition. Remember you should compete with yourself, but to see others doing better should encourage you to do the same. This is what I mean by healthy competition.
You’ll also notice I mentioned the word “energy.” You know this is true. It’s human nature to be drawn to other people or groups. Over the holidays how many times did you see people crowd certain stores more than others and were curious to see what was going on yourself? Many people think this way because the perception and internal psychology is that “I wonder what is going on over there?” This is a natural mechanism which can also create great training environment as well. If you are observing something cool going on in the weight room then chances are you’ll also want to be a part of it more and more.
Make your New Year’s Resolutions happen for 2014! Set your goals and FOLLOW THROUGH! Just setting them doesn’t do anything. That’s like putting the keys in the new sports car parked in the garage and then just leaving the sports car parked in the garage with the keys in the ignition. I mean at some point you want to drive the thing down the road right?
Please feel free to leave your questions and comments in the comment box below. Remember that most anyone can train hard, but only the best train smart my friend. Start your smart training today.
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4 Things To Make Your New Year’s Resolutions On Fitness Happen!
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Brandon if your into powerlifting and strength training and your getting into kettlebell training also. How can you do both of these kind of trainings in a routine each week?
Thank you
Rick
Rick you can certainly utilize kettlebells within the scope of your powerlifting program. If you are referring to powerlifting consisting of traditional bench press, squats, and deadlifts then kettle bells can serve as a great tool to supplement the development of your core strength, help you to further develop and maintain mobility, and to further enhance your cardiovascular conditioning.
You can use kettle bells for multiple lifts and for multiple purposes. If it’s strength endurance then you can utilize swings for high volume (higher reps), but if you want more explosiveness then you can swing a heavier bell or pair of bells for that. The snatch lift is also great for this same purpose.
In addition to that bells are great for pressing overhead as well. Pressing the kettle bell is great for shoulder stability and enhanced core strength. The fact is that there are tons of combinations and you can combine them in different ways depending on your needs. If you have a full gym then great, but if not then you can use kettle bells for a great deal of pressing, rows, and grip strength which are all essential for powerlifting. The versatility of kettle bells can help to fulfill the needs of your training if you have limited equipment and space.
Depending on how you have your program structured you can utilize kettle bells on same or alternate days with your big lifts. Just manage the volume based on what you are doing that day. For instance, if you are performing a high volume of deadlifts then I wouldn’t emphasize doing a bunch of swings on that same day as well. Perhaps focus on pressing the kettle bell instead in this set up.
At the same time if you are bench pressing on a different day then that may be a day that you would want to do some kettle bell swings. You just have to manage what you’re doing so that you don’t tax your neuromuscular system for certain movements. Manage your movements and volume and you should be ok.