Is it routine you're lacking?

If we look at all successful sports players and businessmen/women, they all have one thing in common…routine.

This is why successful sports teams have set schedules. They train at the same time, eat at the same time and rest for the same amount of time. Routine really is a key figure to success.

Having daily routines will:

• Build good habits
• Increase efficiency
• Keep you motivated
• Build momentum
• Help to better yourself

In the world of fitness, aren’t these all things that we should be doing?! Whether you are competing or just attending the gym for general maintenance, these 5 key points are what we look for when we step through that door.

It shows that having a planned routine in your life can directly correlate to success in the gym because it reduces the amount of mental energy you expend during the weekly ‘grind’. It also forces you to focus on what’s important while eliminating any time consuming distractions.

The very first step to creating a routine is finding out what works best for you. Are you the type of person who needs to write things down in a diary or someone who needs to set up 1000 reminder alarms or even simply use another method that works for you? When you know which plan works best for you, you can start to look at each day and plan accordingly to what you need to accomplish.

Once you’ve figured out the best way to hold yourself accountable, the second step to creating your routine is to actually plan out your schedule. List out the most important things you have to accomplish (your to-do list for the day) and build the rest of your day around them. This brings us back to eliminating time-consuming distractions. Knowing what is on your to-do list each day allows you to plan ahead and can actually help to free up blocks of time for otherwise less important tasks, or tasks that don’t need to be done at a specific time. Keep in mind that things do come up and it is more than likely that you will have to adjust your schedule at some point. Having a routine set can help to allow you the flexibility to re-organize things when life happens.

After your schedule is laid out in front of you and you have a plan for how you will approach each day, the final step is to give it a shot. Try out a routine for a few days, setting a specific bedtime, wake up time, etc. and give your body the chance to adjust to it. Test it out for a few weeks, letting your body settle into the routine and see if this is working for you. If it is, great! If not, take a step back and analyze what the problem is. It could be that you need another method of holding yourself accountable, or maybe you need to prioritize tasks differently.

Example of my diary ………

Starting up a business knowing that I had to manage my time well with juggling clients and running the operations of a gym helped me master routine. 

Every day looks the same for me. As my clients will be well aware, I have set times in the day I personal train (7-11am and 4-9pm) and set times to work on pushing the business forward (admin time, 1-4pm).  I even train at set times every day (11am).  This structure has been vital to me in day to day life.  It allows me to stay focused and keep on track.

Applying this to your fitness regime…

How can you achieve success/ track progress if you are walking into the gym every day not knowing what you’re going do?!

To progress forward you must plan ahead. It can be as simple as planning four weeks in advance then reviewing and doing the cycle all over again. Before planning what your going to do you have to know what you want to achieve! For example; If your goal is to gain muscle mass, there isn’t much point planning cardio sessions. You need to work out what is realistic for you to achieve (how many days a week you can attend the gym), how long you can use the gym and what exercises/ program is going to be the most effective for you in the time you have.  Writing down a periodised plan will definitely help you achieve your goals. 

Don’t be that lost soul in the gym!

If you have troubles prioritizing or setting routines and would like to talk about it, feel free to ask any questions you may have. I’d love to help!

Hayden