By Find out what essential habits will help you get results sooner
I started getting back into the gym scene after my daughter was born.
She was about four months old, and I decided to hit the gym three times weekly to start changing my body shape.
Classes were my thing — because I needed a bit of motivation and something to look forward to. So I picked body pump and cycle.
To make this happen, mum was babysitting during that time, so scheduled hours were critical. Back then, it fit into my lifestyle nicely.
After my first body pump class, I was hooked — but I was also extremely sore. I could barely walk up and down the stairs, let alone laugh.
Everything hurt like mad.
But I still kept going!
It wasn’t always that simple, though. With a new baby, you have sleep deprivation and exhaustion.
That workout was the only thing that helped my physical and mental well-being; soon enough, those results changed my body shape.
One: Results may depend on your experience
Results will always vary depending on a person’s lifestyle, food choices and body type.
The kinds of exercises you do will also determine those changes.
For example, doing much more cardio will increase your cardiovascular capacity, whereas weights will strengthen, tone and reshape your body.
My progress was stalled by not performing enough strength training exercises. The problem was I didn’t know enough about exercise and nutrition.
Nutrition is the most significant part because you need the right fuel to give you enough energy for your workouts and sustain recovery.
Unfortunately, women don’t eat enough food, let alone protein. Not eating enough was one of my biggest downfalls.
Two: You have to have a clearly defined goal or you sail without a direction
The exercises you do regularly determine your outcome.
After taking on body pump and cycle classes, It took roughly nine months to see the full results.
When I started weight training for body-building competitions, It took eight weeks to become leaner and put on muscle.
The differences in times are astounding — but the critical factor was I had a nutritional & workout plan with a clear goal to reach.
Here is what I did:
- A clear goal with a timeframe
- Focusing on diet more than exercise
- Doing the right exercises — focusing on weights
- When it came to cardio, HIIT was the winner
- Eating the right macros — not eating less
Three: Being consistent with training is key
Getting up despite the cold or how sleep-deprived I was, played a massive part in my progression.
When training for shows, I had a personal trainer — they gave me the motivation and determination I lacked.
Plus, this is a significant investment.
If you don’t show up, you lose that, and trainers hold you accountable for your actions and inactions.
There is only so far you can go without the proper knowledge. So in terms of training — knowledge is power.
However, it does pay to self-educate yourself.
Either way, you must do the work several times a week — try and fail many times over and over again.
Four: Staying active every day is essential
Exercise is one thing we can do regularly, but how about attaining those step goals too?
We can’t just assume that one hour of training per day is enough.
It’s necessary to keep moving as much as possible — sitting down a lot less than we currently do.
Five: There is no magic bullet
I wish there were something that could fast-track all of this in an effortless & pain-free direction. But, this is all part of the journey.
If your diet is not in line with an outcome — you will experience a lot of trouble achieving that goal.
Perfect abs don’t suddenly appear after eight weeks. It might take a long time, perhaps years, to see the results you’re visualising.
Have patience and faith.
Essential advice to keep you going
Initially, I wanted to lose body fat, which was my primary motivation.
But unfortunately, I didn’t even realise how much more critical health and quality of life are.
I suppose when you are young — that never really crosses your mind.
Goals change as you age.
Quality of life and mental health play an even more significant part in my life.
My parent’s death taught me that it could happen to anyone — and those who make less than ideal nutritional choices, smoke or drink, are more inclined to experience disease.
If you go beyond the initial weight loss goal — you will find that this way of life is more meaningful and poses more benefits than just a number staring back at you.
Life’s outlook and the quality of our experiences are enhanced when we’re healthy have energy, drive and stamina.
One thing you won’t regret is taking the first step, and now you have built up a health empire to back you up when things get more challenging.
As a result, you can bypass the many diseases older individuals now face — and become an inspiration to your own family.
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