Those who know me as a fitness trainer know my stance on the importance of accountability. This holds true for me in business as well. That stance is simple. Without consistency there is little or no accountability. I am talking about consistency of doing the same exact exercises over and over until you reach near perfection. It is the practice of the exercise that is important, not changing the exercise every time!!!
So the important question here is this. How can we improve the quality of our fitness journey to achieve more results?
Answer: MEASUREMENT & ACCOUNTABILITY of your fitness balance sheet.
How can we improve our fitness balance sheet?
Answer: CONSISTENCY of practice.
There must be a consistent pattern of action to enable proper measurement. So, how can we improve workout consistency?
Answer: SAMENESS of FLOW and POSTURE sequencing.
Tony Robbins says that “repetition is the mother of skill” and I concur. It likens to the old adage, practice makes perfect. Of course, you can never reach absolute perfection in any endeavor, and that’s ok. It’s the quality of the pursuit of perfection that matters most. Practice exercise with reps over and over again focusing on form and function until you get the results that you are looking for. By way of example, take the exercise known as the plank, which is a stationary push up position posture. You could spend months perfecting your posture for the 60 second plank hold. When you reach a high level of performance, it is imperative that you keep such a fundamental exercise in your workout so that you can know how much stronger you get each time you perform it. Strength gains are addictive, but only when you recognize them through measurement. This is known as the progression principle in training. The most fundamental exercises and postures should be practiced and proper sequence should be done every time to allow for a foundation of strength and flexibility as well as to foster measurability.
Sameness equates to “saneness” in isometrics, and in all forms of exercise. Many trainers get so caught up in the flawed tendency to change workouts every day and they forget that one of the most important elements to achievement of results is measurement, and, therefore, accountability! How can you know if you are improving if you can’t measure performance against a previous level? You can’t. And with that flawed change approach, accountability goes out the window!
Accountability through consistency is one reason why the Bikram and Ashtanga yoga styles have been so popular. It is the results obtained from the consistency and accountability that keeps people engaged and returning to the gym, and NOT from the changing of exercises, or postures! The flawed change approach creates a sugar high of short term perceived results, whereas a common sense approach based on consistency fosters long term sustainable results based on a solid progression principle.
Consistency is of paramount importance to your fitness routine. Workout types such as yoga, Pilates, Iso and barre should remain familiar in posture and in flow for performance measurability.
Practice of the posture is infinitely more important than changing it!
Cross-train for variety but keep your workout types consistent in posture and flow. Consistency provides measurability which creates accountability!
The 24 hour infrared workout studio HOTWORX provides many workout types and are each choreographed for consistency of flow and posture. The path to optimum results is through focusing your energy on perfecting each exercise with your form and intensity, not changing it. When your focus goes to exercise form and intensity, you will never be bored. Forget the “sugar high” and focus on what’s right!
Think “practice” as in yoga, and any other forms of exercise, as you progress down the path of fitness. For proper “practice” of anything, that thing must be repeated over and over to obtain higher and higher levels of skill and positive results! The only way to know where you stand with those results is through accountability and measurement.
You can’t play the game without keeping score! Failure to measure your fitness results is like a business that failed to pay attention its financial condition. In business, the balance sheet is a snapshot of the health of your business at any given moment in time. You can keep a fitness balance sheet too.
Consider the mirror, the scale and the way you feel today as your personal fitness balance sheet. Improve your workout balance sheet through consistency of practice, measurement of results, and accountability to your fitness commitment.
