Ever find yourself enthusiastic to start a new workout routine, only to fizzle out a few weeks later? Well, you are not alone. Many people struggle to maintain a consistent exercise routine, often due to setting unrealistic goals or a lack of motivation. But what if there was a way to build a workout routine that fits perfectly into your life, but also keep you engaged in the long run? In this post, we’ll look at how to set up a workout routine that lasts. Instead of chasing quick results, we’ll focus on building a fitness habit that really sticks. Get ready to turn your fitness goals into a lasting part of your daily life.
The key to making your workout routine stick is to set realistic goals. Instead of trying to get a six pack of abs in five minutes, begin with manageable goals that fit comfortably into your daily life. For example, if you have a goal to increase your core strength and develop abs, I would recommend doing three sets of ten reps on a crunch machine two times a week. This consistency would help target and strengthen your abs without overwhelming your body, allowing for gradual progress and muscle development. Additionally, the specific frequency ensures that your muscles have adequate time to recover and grow stronger between ab sessions. This workout, despite how much it is, makes it easier to stay consistent without overworking yourself. Overtime, As you gain confidence and build a routine, gradually intensify your workouts and increase their frequency, and take note of specific weights lifted. By creating a specific routine, you will see results over a long period of time, and by taking pictures along the way, you will be reminded of the progress that you have made.
Being consistent can lead to muscle success (Source)
Mix it up
Once all your specific goals have been set, the next objective to complete is to keep your routine fresh by incorporating a variety of exercises. Only doing one exercise can be a negative to muscle growth as it can lead to a muscle imbalance, and by overworking one muscle, this can end up being a negative in the long run. To keep things exciting and challenging, try alternating between different types of workouts such as strength training, cardio, and flexibility exercises. For instance, you could alternate between weight lifting and running. An example of this could mean a specific schedule as follows below
Monday – Back Day
Tuesday – Chest and Shoulder day
Wednesday – Arm day
Thursday – Leg day
Friday – Cardio/rest day
This variety not only helps you work different muscle groups but also reduces the risk of overuse injuries. By mixing things up, you’ll stay engaged and motivated, making it easier to stick with your routine over time.
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Another example of a weekly workout plan (Source)
Building a workout routine that lasts comes down to balance and variety. Set goals that challenge you but don’t overwhelm, switch up your exercises to stay engaged, and give yourself time to recover. Remember, fitness is a journey, stay consistent, enjoy the process, and watch the results follow!
I found this blog very helpful because it reminded me of good and bad practices in my own workout routine. I don’t always think about the importance of rest in building muscle and feel guilty when I take a day or two to recover. However, in this blog Kavi acknowledges that without rest I can be doing harm to my muscles by overwhelming them. I especially need rest days at college where I am constantly busy and tired. When doing my workouts I tend do exercises on what I want immediate results on, but this blog reminded that it’s important to think about the long run.