One of the biggest killers to all progress is a fear of failure. In reality we never actually fail until we quit.
When you look around at the gym, you will see a range of different people with different backgrounds, jobs, and lifestyles. With these differences come different goals and reasons why they started training in the first place.
Personally, I began CrossFit because I was bored with normal gym training and needed something different so I could get into better shape. Quickly this became less of a focus as I started to see other areas of my health and fitness that needed my attention. Weights started to increase, I could run faster, my diet was better and I was gaining muscle.
Over the years we’ve run CrossFit Border we’ve seen hundreds of our members make huge changes to their lifestyle. However, in some cases there are others who find it harder to improve. So if you fall into the latter of the two, check out 5 reasons why you aren’t making progress, and how you can fix them.
YOU AREN’T CONSISTENT ENOUGH
Simply turning up, and turning up regularly can be the game changer for many people. Quite often we have busy lives with family and work, but setting aside just 3 hours a week is enough to make considerable changes to your training and progress.
Fix: Each week dedicate yourself some time to be at the gym. Give yourself enough time either side that you can get in, train hard and get home. Book it in advance as early as possible. Nothing can stop you unless it’s an emergency. Before you know it, you won’t even need to think about doing this.
NO GOAL
It’s amazing how many people come to the gym with no written purpose. Many of us do it to simply drop a few kg, but we aren’t holding ourselves accountable. Simply writing down and visualising your goal can help drive you towards it quicker.
Fix: Grab a blank piece of paper, and write down 3 things you want from your training in the next 4 months. This could be to lose 10kg, Lift 20kg more or get a pull up. No matter what the goal is, write it down and put it somewhere that you will see it all the time.
YOUR DIET SUCKS
You can’t out train a bad diet. No really, you can’t. I’m not talking about restricting yourself or just eating salads every meal. I mean eating enough food to fuel the hard work you put in at the gym.
Fix: Use your hands to measure your meals. Start with 3-4 meals a day with the following guide.
Male: 2 palm size serves of protein, 2 fists vegetables, 2 cupped hands of carb dense foods, 2 thumbs of veggies
Female: 1 palm size serve of protein, 1 fist vegetables, 1 cupped hand of carb dense foods, 1 thumb of veggies
NOT TRAINING HARD ENOUGH
How hard do you push when you train? The key to results is intensity, and whilst this is totally an individual thing, you do need to push it as hard as you can go. This means taking it to and 8 or 9 out of 10 in almost every session.
Fix: Record your results every session. Take note of how many squats you did, how many push ups, how fast you rowed. This will give you something to improve on next time. Before you know it you will have reached the goals you set and instead of checking the mirror every day, you are making progress in the gym.
SCARED TO FAIL
One of the biggest killers to all progress is a fear of failure. In reality we never actually fail until we quit. Every time you miss a lift, drop some speed or even gain a kg it becomes a lesson you can learn. Sometimes we get so scared of failing that we never train as hard as we could.
Fix: Next time you get close to potentially failing, try anyway. Grab your coach, training partner and get them to help push you through. If you miss, have another go, but if you get it, you’ve taken a huge step forward. Training with a group can be one of the most encouraging environments when you aren’t scared of failure.
NO PLAN
Turning up to the gym is one thing, but knowing what to do is another ball game. For some it can be that you haven’t a clue what to do when you’re there, for others it may mean you aren’t setting yourself mini goals (See 2nd tip).
Fix: Find a coach or group that can help guide you with your training. If you are unsure about anything, ask them for advice, absorb as much as you can. One day you will be helping someone else in the same shoes as you.
Now you’ve found out the why and how, it’s time to do. Go through each step and work on them until it works for you. Use your coach and peers to help you stay on track and be accountable.
Ready to start hitting your goals? Book your FREE intro by clicking below