Ask a Trainer: How to plan to fail

Happy New Year! What? Not yet? If the retail stores can put out Christmas decorations the day after Halloween, I think that we can start celebrating the New Year early, too! Are you a resolution person? Have you made your resolutions, yet, or are you waiting until Jan. 1? Jan. 2? Maybe the end of the first week of January? How did your resolution go last year?

If you’re like many people, you’ve thought about your resolution and are committed to it! Right now, at least. Jan. 1 seems like some nebulous date in the future and you can deal with the life changes then. But now, we eat as much as we want! If you’re also like many people, your goal is the same as last year, but this year’s going to be different! “I want to lose weight.” “I want to tone up, but not get bulky.” “I want to find my abs!”

The reason so many of us have difficulty with our New Year’s resolution is because the goal doesn’t have a plan. It’s just a goal. And a goal without a plan is just a dream. Have you heard the saying, “A failure to plan is a plan for failure?” Let’s make this year different! Begin thinking about the plan now in a step-by-step manner. “This year I’m going to join a gym…and get a personal trainer.” Did you know that many gyms have great new membership deals in December? And there are typically fewer people in the gym during this time of year. Now is a great time to get acclimated to the environment and the equipment. One of the most important things with reaching your fitness resolution is to buddy up. Buddy up and hold each other accountable! Maybe taking the first step in 2015 is the first step toward reaching your goal in 2016!

But don’t let that gym membership sit on the shelf! What happens once you’ve joined? How many times a week do you workout? What do you eat? What exercises do you do? How much cardio? Should you do cardio? Every goal is different and requires a different journey. Many people with whom I’ve spoken with are afraid of weights, because they don’t want to get bulky or look like a body builder. Did you know that weights can make you slimmer and burn fat faster than cardio alone?

We have a 30-day Get Started plan that is customized and guided by a personal trainer, free, to help our new members reach their goals. This is a plan to succeed, based on your goals! We’re a coaching club that helps our members avoid the pitfalls of setting the same New Year’s resolution year-after-year. What resolution would you set in 2017, if you reached your fitness resolution this year? What would you accomplish that’s been the backup resolution to losing weight or toning up or eating healthier for the last few years?

2016 is the year to turn your resolution into a successful and healthy revolution. Let us help you with your plan. Don’t plan to fail this year!

Patrick McGaha Jr., member experience manager at Anytime Fitness, Winter Park, is dedicated to building a welcoming environment in the club, conducive to helping members and clients reach their health fitness goals. To get your fitness and nutrition related questions answered by a certified personal trainer, or for a free personal training session, call us at 321-972-5833 or email [email protected].