5 Questions to Ask Yourself About Your Workouts

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Are you asking yourself the right questions about your workouts?  Reflecting on your diet and exercise program, even if it is working, is essential to long term success.

If you workouts are lacking and you are not seeing the results you were hoping for, this is even more important.

I know that when I start a new workout program I am full of enthusiasm and excitement about achieving my goals.  I usually make it about 4 weeks on this “new program high” before I start to drag.  Then the motivation dies off and the excuses come pouring in.  I start to miss workouts and the ones I do make it to don’t go very well at all.

This is pretty common and one of the major reasons why people fall back in to the bad habits that got them to the place they hate.

There is an easy way around this.  If you are in a state of constant reflection and analysis of your program, you can keep the motivation up and the progress coming.  You have to be diligent in making sure you are doing what works and stopping what doesn’t.

Here are 5 questions you should be asking yourself from the beginning of your program to the end of your program.  Be honest with your answers, and fix the problems as they come up.  If you do this, you are one step closer to achieving your goals.

1.)  Am I working hard? -

I have always thought I was working hard at the gym.  I thought that I was going in there and taking care of business and getting the best possible workout in that I could.  Then I went to a trainer.  That turned my world upside down.  From the very beginning I was huffing and puffing.  The breaks were short and the exercises were intense.   I had no choice but to push myself to levels I had never seen before.   What I realized was that I could do this all the time.  I didn’t need to pay $50 an hour for this to happen.   I could do these same things on my own time and take my workouts up a few notches.

So ask yourself the question:  Am I working hard?  Don’t kid yourself.  If you are not exhausted at the end, you aren’t working hard.  If you have time to think about things while you’re there, you aren’t working hard.  If you notice anything about anyone else in any detail, you are not working hard.  So change it.  Take the intensity up to where it needs to be and watch the results follow.

2.) Is there variety? -

It is a fact that your body adapts to the stresses you put on it.  If you did the same weight for the same reps every day for a year, you probably are not going to see much difference in your body.    It will adapt to the stress and not have to grow to meet the new challenges.  So you increase the weight and change the rep count to force your body to react to it.   You have to do the same with your workouts.  Change it up.  I don’t use the same workout routine for more than two weeks at a time.    Keep your body guessing and you’ll appreciate the changes it makes.

3.)  Do I have great goals? -

You may have started working out on a whim.  You may have started with a detailed plan.  But without well established, detailed, SMART goals, you are not going to get where you want to go. Without goals, you’re driving without a destination, who knows where you will end up?  Do you have great goals?  Once you do, you should be constantly reviewing and revising your goals.  They should push you, but they should be attainable too.  Make sure your goals are going to get you to where you want to be when you achieve them.  And don’t forget to enjoy the journey.  As Jim Rohn says,

“The most important part of a goal is what it makes of you to achieve it”

4.) What is absolutely not working? -

Make a list of everything you hate about your exercise program.  Write down your frustrations and complications.  Write down what is simply not working.  Then change it.  The beauty of having control of your workout program, and reflecting on it, is that you can change the bad stuff and replace it with good.  You can change bad habits, eliminate bad exercises, and change workout routines.  So figure out what is not helping you reach your goals, and change it!

5.) Why am I working out? -

This is the most important question to ask about any workout program is: Why am I doing this?  What is your motivation for getting in shape? I hope you went through this exercise before you started your plan, but if not, do it now!  If you don’t have a compelling reason to be working out, then you won’t.  It’s that simple.  So write yourself a letter and explain why you want to do this.  Why you need to do this.  Is it because you want to see your grand kids grow up?  Or because you want to look good at the beach?  Or because your doctor said you have to or you will die soon?  Whatever it is, be descriptive because this is what will keep you going when you want to quit.   Read this as much as possible, especially if you are thinking about skipping a workout or quitting all together.   This is your motivation.

Reflection is a critical part of a successful fitness program.  You need to continually asking questions and improving your workouts.   Asking yourself these questions will keep you motivated and keeping you pushing towards achieving your goals.

Do you have another question we should be asking about our workouts?  Leave a comment and let us know!

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