By Kyle Finneron
Many people have approached me and are frustrated that they have just started a new program and they are not seeing the results on the scale they want, or they feel like they are not getting any stronger. The first thing I usually ask them is “Have you taken a before picture?” or “Are you writing down your workouts?” Most people stare at me blankly and admit that they haven’t done either of these things. Trust me, you should do both.
The before picture is such a powerful, and free, tool. Chances are that you are looking at your self at least once a day in the mirror. Since you are looking at your self on such a consistent basis you will most likely not see the small changes that are starting to take place in your face and around your body. Take a before picture and don’t look at it for a month. Once that month has passed take a new photo, try to be as consistent as possible with where you take it an when, then take a look at what you have accomplished in the last month, I bet you will surprise yourself.
Apples to Oranges
It is human nature for you to compare yourself to others. You see someone who is where you want to be and you cant figure out why they look the way they do and you don’t. I’ll let you in on a little secret; they have probably worked at it a lot longer than you have. I saw and interview with Terry Crews (Brooklyn Nine Nine and from the Old Spice commercials) and he was asked how he was able to be so, for lack of a better word huge. His response was simple, consistency. “I started working out when I was 14 and now I’m 44, I have been working out for 30 years,” said Crews.
I do not know many people that have done anything consistently for 30 years.
The other important aspect is to start where you are. There is no reason to try and jumpstart the process. When people get ahead of themselves that is what can lead to injury, which can put them even further behind than they are now. Leave your ego in the car when you are trying to make yourself better. Whether you are just starting out or have been training / exercising for months, don’t try to rush the results.
Ounces equal pounds
People need to remember that every little bit counts. In previous challenges people have come up to me after a few weeks of being in the program and they are upset because they have only lost one or two pounds that week. What I try and remind everyone is that every pound counts. Yes, you may have seen a more dramatic drop in the scale in the first week or two but if you could consistently drop a pound a week you would reach your ideal weight a lot faster than you expected.
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