5 Strategies To Stay Consistent
I have shoulder instability that I’ve been dealing with ever since my shoulder first subluxed years ago. I avoided bench press for YEARS, because I was scared. Bench press required a lot of stability, and I just didn’t trust my shoulder.
With FORMATION located in Body Arc, I decided I finally needed to get over my fear. So I decided to start small and just be consistent. In November I was bench pressing 55#. This week, I’m up to 80#. I write down my weekly plan and stick with it. My shoulder is feeling stronger, and I can even lay on my right side for much longer without it hurting. Cheers!
This is also where I’ve really leaned on my background in psychology to help. But I know that not everyone has that! So here’s my top 5 strategies for being consistent…to make gains & maintain progress.
Show up every day.
You might not feel your best, but just show up. Even if you don’t get as many reps in, lift as much weight, or have to modify what you initially wanted to do. Some work is better than no work, and helps get you in the habit to keep it up.
Have an accountability partner/community.
Having someone, or a whole community of someones, to keep you motivated is a superpower. Whether its your partner, your gym (like Body Arc!), or your physical therapist…find someone to help keep you consistent. At FORMATION, when clients graduate from physical therapy, they have the option to join the Consistency Club. They get check-ins and continued programming to keep up the progress they’ve made. We're a built in accountability partner that knows where they came from!
Make SMART goals.
Set goals for yourself! SMART goals help keep things doable. SMART stands for: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Based. A goal of “I will complete strength training workouts 2x/week for a month.” is a doable goal. “I will workout more” isn’t specific enough, or measurable.
Celebrate little victories.
When you do hit a SMART goal, celebrate! We all deserve to do a happy dance when we hit one of the steps on the way to a big goal. You put in the work, celebrate!
Ask for help when you need it!
If you’re feeling frustrated, or don’t know where to start, ask for help! If you have an injury keeping you from where you want to be, and want the most thorough 1:1 physical therapy in Richmond, VA, reach out! We’re here to help, and can get you set up for success now and continue it in the future!