Here’s a scary fact: Summer is less than 8 weeks away. Have you made any progress towards your goal of looking better than Zac Efron in Baywatch, or doing at least one pull-up as you walk your dog through your local park’s playground?
If the answer is a resounding “no” or even a hesitant “um…”, don’t stress. Whatever your fitness goals may be, there’s still time to make the right choices to achieve them in time for summer.
Here’s how to do exactly that.
1. Think about your goals
The reason most people don’t achieve their short-term fitness goals is they set unrealistic expectations.
Let’s be honest: It might not be possible to get washboard abs, drop two dress sizes, or reach your deadlift goal in just a few weeks. You can try, but the last thing you want to do is go too hard and rebound or burn out after a short-lived victory.
Setting realistic goals doesn’t just make them achievable, but means the results are more likely to be sustained long-term.
Once you’ve picked a reasonable goal, ask yourself one question: Is what you’re doing now working towards those goals or hindering them?
2. Pick a program and stick to it
With summer just around the corner, now is not the time to be inconsistent with your training.
Forget trying out pyramid sets one week, adding in HIIT the next, then switching it up to a six-day split. That might keep you interested, but it’s not going to get to where you want to be.
You want to find a program that’s been designed by a professional (not just a social media influencer). Whether they’re a qualified personal trainer or an accredited yoga teacher, an expert knows how to design a program that will allow you to progress and improve each week.
Most importantly, stick at it for at least eight weeks. Being consistent is what’s going to lead to results.
3. Reassess your eating habits
What you eat is about more than weight loss or muscle gain. Your diet has a major influence on how you perform during your workouts.
That doesn’t mean you should start a drastic diet— that will only lead to a post-summer rebound and leave you worse off than when you started. The key is implementing sustainable diet changes while being aware of the few weeks left between now and summer.
Write down what you’re eating every day and try to identify any problem areas. Are you snacking too much? Not getting enough protein in? Eating a bit too much sugar? Figure out what’s holding you back and make a plan to address it.
Be honest about how well you do with moderation, too. If a single glass of wine easily turns into an entire bottle, one Oreo into the whole sleeve, or one tablespoon of peanut butter into a straight-from-the-jar feast, those things have to go— at least for now.
4. Get into routine
From now until summer, mornings are no longer the time to scroll through Instagram and drink lattes. Mornings are for chasing your goals.
Wake up early. Hit the gym. Eat a good breakfast. Make sure you’ve got that healthy lunch and dinner ready to go. Go to bed early so you can recover. Then do it all over again the next day.
It’s really that simple.
5. Invest in your fitness
One sneaky hack to smashing your fitness goals is reducing barriers. This doesn’t just apply to being honest about your ability to refrain from eating an entire jar of peanut butter in one sitting, but creating incentives to make fitness something you look forward to.
For some people this means signing up for a new class or even an entirely new gym. Others are motivated by new activewear. And of course there’s nothing more fun than testing out new fitness equipment and accessories.
Avoiding hip thrusts because the bar is leaving painful bruises? Invest in a squat pad and get ready for booty gains. Grossed out by using the shared gloves in boxing class? Buy your own (and in a colour you actually like, too). Or maybe you want to kick off your home gym with a slick set of kettlebells.
Whatever it may be, your fitness is worth investing in. And there’s no better way to reduce barriers and provide an incentive to work out than some shiny new fitness toys. Need help choosing the right equipment? Reach out to our team today for helpful advice.