Sticking to New Year's Resolutions

I know it has been a few days since a fitness update. I apologize for that. I got lazy and busy and am filled with lame excuses. That being said, it is good to be back!

I kicked off this morning with the usual first thing after waking up:

5 reps of each exercise for a total of 2 sets

1. Kettlebell Clean & Press

2. Kettlebell One Armed Swing (Both Sides)

3. Kettlebell Goblet Squat

4. Kettlebell Deadlift

5. Burpees

6. Bicycle Crunches (20 on each side)

7. Kettlebell Weighted Sit Ups

I then did 5 reps of each exercise below for a total of 2 sets:

1. Pull-Ups

2. Split Squat Jump (each side)

3. One Legged Squats (each side)

4. Dive Bomb Push Ups

I used a 30 pound kettlebell again since I am not fully warmed up first thing in the morning. I was able to do the workout in 9:02, a new personal record! I was wiped out after this! I went non-stop for the entire 9 minutes, which may not sound like much, but believe me, it was!

I want to take this opportunity to share a little bit about sticking to fitness New Year's Resolutions. First of all, it is hard. Really, really hard to stick to them. I am guilty of making many ambitious resolutions, only to find in 2-3 weeks, if not 2-3 days, I have started to skimp. NO MORE I SAY! I wanted to share some tactics and techniques that work for me to help stick to my fitness goals. Some of these are probably old school and some may be new. I just want to share what I personally have done before that worked for me. Without further ado, the following three tips help me stick to my workout routines, even when I don't want to:

1. Do it first thing in the morning & keep it quick

I have found that if I get to my resolution, whatever it is, before I am fully awake, then my monkey brain can't kick in and start coming up with excuses as to why I shouldn't do it

Also, I have found that the day can very easily get away from me, so if I just get it over with as soon as possible, then I am free and clear for the rest of the day.

As for making it brief, I have found that a really hard 10 minute workout is something I can usually stick to

2. Just tell yourself you are just going to do one rep, that's it.

What I mean by this is, just convince yourself to get started. I tell myself I will just do a couple reps and see how I feel. I have noticed that if I can just get started, even a single rep, or perhaps write a single sentence, I can then power through and accomplish the full workout I set out to do.

3. Accept failure

The past few days are a perfect example of this. There are days where I just don't get it done. I'm lazy, I'm sick, I'm up against a deadline, you name it! The point is life really does get in the way sometimes and interrupts your routine. The idea here is you just need to get back on that horse and keep plugging away. Don't let a down day or a down week get you down for good. Just pick up where you left off and get back on track!

In addition, there are things like track yourself, keep it measurable, etc. One additional item that does help me is to have a workout buddy. They hold you accountable and help keep you motivated.