Have a Plan!

There is a phenomenon in the gym that plagues my mind and causes me excessive frustration. I have even at times been guilty of participating in it, and it is, simply put, aimless, random, haphazard working out. People enter the gym, maybe get on the treadmill for a couple of minutes and amble about the weight machines without any clear purpose. They might then finish off with a few more minutes on a piece of cardio equipment. Even more “sophisticated” gym goers appear to follow this mindless approach. They might know they want to target specific muscle groups, but there is still no system at play.

 

Maybe I am just sensitive to this behavior pattern because it is my job to study human performance and fitness. However, I get upset because I know that a majority of the gym crowd will make NOTHING of their membership. They have no idea where they are or where they want to go. They simply have an abstract idea or a poor or non-existent methodology. Consequently, they are wasting their time and failing to pursue their goals on a higher level.

 

What are obvious solutions?

 

• Education: No person can become great at any pursuit unless they become a student of the activity or discipline. There is so much information out there if only people would simply seek it!

 

• Planning: Since when did anyone get through school, a business program, or trip without having at least some rudimentary step-by-step strategy? Life without planning is chaos!

 

• Assessment: How can you develop goals or track change if you have no idea where you stand or rank? What marks success, failure, or stagnation? Exercisers need to invest more time in determining where they are before they ever lift a weight or run a mile!

 

• Tracking: Is it possible to progress without recording key information? Is it possible to form new or more ambitious goals if you are not charting your activity in some way? I don’t think so!

 

• Scheduling: We are ALL creatures of habit and routine, even if that routine seems random or constantly changing. We live by the clock and calendar with regard to business, academic, and social spheres. Yet, in fitness only a minority of people has a regular, planned, and disciplined schedule. However, we know that training is only effective if it is changed systematically and frequently. You cannot expect to see results if you train irregularly, at the same intensity, or for an indefinite period of time.

 

The solutions presented above are integral components of a successful program. The people who excel in the gym are those that apply, model, and adhere to these disciplines. I know that Haphazard Workout Disorder will continue, but it is my commitment to eradicate it wherever I encounter it. It is a dangerous condition, and it will sabotage fitness goals and threaten the quality of lives if it goes untreated.