Maintaining motivation and dedication is probably one of the hardest things to do in a personal training program.  With these three simple suggestions, you will be well on your way to reaching your goals.

1. Goal Setting

I mentioned in an early post about the importance of goal setting.  It’s the easiest way to stay motivated.  Every time a goal is reached, whether its big or small, is a victory.  Those victories are what will keep the drive alive and the motivation to keep moving forward.  There are two types of goals, short term and long term.  A short-term goal could be something as simple as eating a healthy breakfast every morning or exercising 3 to 4 times per week.  Long-term goals are going to take longer to obtain, these could be reaching a certain body weight or a personal record for run or lift.  Before starting a training regimen your goals should be clearly defined.

2. Set a Schedule

To stay dedicated, I think the easiest way is to set a schedule and never deviate from it.  The people that workout “when they can” are the same people that do not stay dedicated.  Having families makes it difficult to stay dedicated, especially for the mothers.  Finding the time to workout becomes even more difficult.  My suggestion for those that fall into this category is to try and set aside time each day for your workout.  It could be as little as 20-30 minutes.  This also pertains to the busy individuals.  There are not many people that cant set aside 20-30 minutes to exercise.   As a business owner and a father, I often find it difficult to set time aside to workout too.  At the end of everyday I don’t, I can look back and find time that could have been dedicated to my workout.

3. Follow a Training Regimen

Having a plan before you head to the gym or begin a workout is a major factor to staying motivated and dedicated.  It is very difficult to “wing” your workouts.  Setting up an exercise regimen before starting will save time and give you a more effective workout.  This will also allow you to be able to track your progression and see the immediate improvements.  If you are someone who has no clue what you should be doing my suggestion is to consult a personal trainer.  However, not just any personal trainer at your local gym, look for someone who has an advanced education as well as a nationally accredited certification.

Brandon Monin MS,CSCS,CGFI

Co-founder, Prolific Fitness

www.ProlificFitness.com

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