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Top 10 list of why Fitness Programs Fail
Article by Chris Tuck
The Top 10 List of of why fitness programs fail is a list of mistakes many people make. Has this ever happened to you? Every year around this time millions flock to the health club, join a diet program, or make a pledge to get fit this year. Yet by February 1, 90% have failed in their resolution and have returned to their old ways. Sure they’re frustrated, discouraged, and miserable with their current condition… but feeling that way about your health and your body does not determine whether or not you will be successful this year in making a real change.Why?Well, there are many reasons for fitness failure. And as a fitness professional I see them all the time.
Here’s my Top 10 list of why fitness programs fail:
1. Incomplete programs-
starting a strength training program, with no attention paid to nutrition. Or beginning a cardio program without addressing strength training, etc. I could go on and on. But chances are you can identify with one of these scenarios.
2. Failure to address nutrition first- starting an exercise program, and failing to address nutrition FIRST is just plain dumb. You’ve got to feed your body the right “fuel” to exercise, have energy, keep up with the increase in activity, and furthermore really get your metabolism moving’.
3. Incomplete nutrition- This is one of the most important of the Top 10. With all the crazy diets and ‘well-meaning’ but ‘uneducated’ friends giving you advice in this area, it’s no wonder there is so much confusion. All protein. No protein. All organic. Low glycemic. High glycemic. Good fats. Bad fats. If you’re confused when it comes to how to really put together a nutrition program that will get you to your goals, you’re not alone.
4. Avoiding endurance- mostly a mistake made by men. You know the guys I’m talking about. They’re over 40+ and get back to the gym to work on their “big arms “when they really need to be working on getting’ rid of their “big gut”. That means making cardio a priority!
5. Push too hard, too soon- Next with our Top 10 is number 5 which I also call, trying to go from “zero to hero”. This one is really sad, and it happens because most folks begin exercising with no instruction. And also because most folks are IMPATIENT, and they have nobody to help them establish realistic goals on a timetable, with a plan to accomplish them. So they workout like an animal for a week, then can’t move their body for three, and lose all the motivation they had when they started. Totally unnecessary.
6. No warm-up, cool down- Whether you haven’t worked out in a while. Or you’ve been exercising regularly. MOST people do not put anytime into preparing their body for exercise. And this is essential… especially as you get older! You’ve got to warm up the car, before you put the ‘petal to the metal’. Otherwise you’re just asking to break something’ and be in the repair shop… and trust me, you DON’T want to go there.
7. No stretching- Top 10 number 7 is not stretching. Fail to stretch is asking for injury. And it’s not “if”, it’s “when.” Stretching and attention to flexibility must be part of your warm-up and cool-down routine. And the more you exercise, the more you have to stretch. I preach this all the time,but some people just don’t listen until it’s too late. Don’t let this happen to you.
8. No post workout nutrition- Next on our top 10 is not having any post workout nutrition. Why is it important to feed your body a certain way after exercise? Because the right nutrition after exercise will accelerate your recovery dramatically, refuel glycogen (petrol in your tank) and reduce soreness dramatically. Anytime you perform intense exercise, or strength training, attention MUST be paid to nutrition after the workout. And there is a VERY specific formula for maximising this. Use it and succeed, ignore it and suffer.
9. Lack of professional guidance- go into any health club this week and you’ll see it all over the place.The “blind leading the blind.” Often well-meaning and intentioned, but incredibly misinformed and uneducated people will sink your fitness ship faster than you can say “Titanic.” You wouldn’t ask just anybody to give you financial advice, nor would you have just anybody just you legal advice. You invest in experts to get expert guidance. That’s why anyone serious about getting results from a fitness program should invest in working with a professional coach. As the saying goes, “you get what you pay for.”
10. Lack of accountability- last on the top 10 is having a lack of accountability. You cannot be accountable to yourself. Read that statement again. No matter how good your intentions are, if left to your own devices you will almost always revert to old lifestyle patterns. I call it the “rubber band effect.” You start to stretch out, make changes, then before you know it you’re pulled right back to your old form. And that isn’t where you want to be. You’ve got to work hard to break free and adopt new lifestyle patterns. Having a coach hold you accountable to your plan and IMPLEMENTATION is essential. Without somebody to hold you accountable, you results will almost always be little to nil.
With so many reasons for failure, what’s the BEST way to ensure your success this year?Follow a proven model or system of success, and invest in a coaching program (private or group, depending on your needs) to ensure you’re following the right program for you…and are being heldACCOUNTABLE to your goals and aviod making the Top 10 Mistakes Why Fitness Programs Fail.It’s that simple.
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