By Pete Sisco - Developer of Static Contraction Training
Self Motivation
I've spent a lot of years trying to figure out ways
to engineer and optimize strength training workouts
so a person can get maximum results in a minimum of
time. But the truth is the greatest workout routine
in the world is useless if you don't have the motivation
to actually do it. Here are some tips to help you avoid the pitfalls
that lead to lack of motivation, missed workouts and
stalled progress.
Have a Plan with Goals
Every time you do a workout you should know what
exercises you are going to do and what weights you
are going to use. Moreover, because progressive overload
is the foundation of muscle building progress, you
need to ensure overload increases from workout to
workout. There are three fundamental ways to ensure
an increase in the intensity of overload. Here they
are in order of preference:
a) Use a heavier weight for the same number of reps
and sets (or the same duration of a static hold.)
b) Use the same weight but increase the number of
reps and/or sets
c) Use the same weight and reps but perform them
in a little less time.
Again, a & b yield the best results. Relying
entirely on method c could lead to the dangerous practice
of going too fast and inviting injury.
Don't Keep Switching Exercises
Many people make the mistake of grabbing whatever
exercise machine is not being used at the moment.
So last workout they exercised their biceps doing
barbell curls on a preacher bench, this workout they'll
use a Nautilus biceps machine and next workout they'll
do cable curls on the low pulley.
The problem is there will be no way to compare progress
in an "apples to apples" way. The fact is
that while 100 pounds on a barbell really is 100 pounds,
the same weight on a machine is often not what is
advertised after it runs through a few pulleys and
levers. (We've tested many machines to confirm this.)
Sticking to the same exercises on the same equipment
is the way to ensure accuracy in the measurement of
progress.
Don't Work Out So Often
Overtraining is the single biggest mistake people
make when strength training. You have to remember
that aerobics and strength training are very different.
It's a great idea to do 30 to 60 minutes of low intensity
aerobics every day. And there is no need to increase
the intensity of that exercise beyond your age adjusted
target heart rate. So every day for 10 years you can
do an identical aerobic workout.
Strength training is different. You make progress
by progressively increasing the intensity of your
workouts. To make a long physiological story short
- you can't generate that increase every day. And
contrary to popular gym advice, after you've been
training three or four weeks you can't generate an
increase working out three times per week. You'll
need more time off for full recovery.
If you paid attention to the points above, you'll
be able to clearly see your progress by reviewing
your well planned workouts using the same exercises
each time so you'll have meaningful comparisons.
Measure You Bodyfat Percentage
I've known many people who've become frustrated needlessly
because they didn't realize they really were making
good progress. The goal of all strength training is
to increase the amount of lean muscle tissue in the
body. The benefits of having more muscle are nearly
endless and beyond what can be covered in this article.
Many people make the mistake of using only the bathroom
scale to gauge their progress. So the guy who sees
the scale read "185" for two months can
think he's on a plateau and not making any progress.
But if he'd known his bodyfat percentage since the
beginning he might discover that he's gained 10 pounds
of muscle and lost 10 pounds of fat! That is magnificent,
highly motivating progress... but he cheats himself
out of knowing it because he doesn't check his bodyfat
percentage.
Knowing your bodyfat is not only about how much fat
you lose...it's also bout how much muscle you gain.
Progress is the Ultimate Motivator
The bottom line is seeing constant progress is the
ultimate motivator. It is so powerful it's almost
intoxicating! And that feeling of confidence and positive
achievement carries over into many other aspects of
your life.
If you plan your workouts, make "apples to apples"
comparisons, adjust your training frequency and closely
monitor your strength improvements, fat loss and muscle
gain you'll never want to stop exercising. And everyone
else will wonder what your "secret" to
staying so motivated is.
