5 Simple Steps to Create a Workout Plan

The summer was fun! We ate, we drank, we partied and may or may not have gained some weight.

The days are getting shorter, the nights darker and motivation is running thin. It’s a reminder that 2015 is coming to a close soon and that it’s time to get it together and shift gears.

It can feel intimidating or impossible to get back on track or just get started with the cold weather approaching so here are five simple steps to get you to where you want to be:

1.

Write it Down

Create a Plan

If you don’t make a plan before you decide to sign up for the gym — you’ll end up on doing the same boring workouts every day while getting no results.

Decide which body part you really want to work on. Do you have great legs and want to make them stronger? An awesome backside that you want to get firmer? Do you have a trouble area that never seems to improve? Or do you want to lose weight overall?

Once you know what your goals are: WRITE THEM DOWN. Research has proven that writing down goals helps you achieve them.

Write it on your phone, board or agenda. Record an alarm, tell mamí, your boyfriend, tía Juana and everyone else in your life about what you’re GOING to accomplish.

There’s serious power in writing down your goals.

There are no wrong answers, whatever you choose is right!

2.

Schedule Your Workouts

Start a Challange

Consider “gym time” as an important business meeting with your flyest self. CEO’s don’t cancel or skip vital meetings because they don’t feel like going and neither should you.

Don’t call out. Resist every urge to cancel on yourself.

Make it easy and start a challenge. A squat challenge? The gallon challenge? No alcohol challenge? A Bootcamp transformation challenge? WHATEVER floats your boat. Take the guess work out and sign up for whatever works for you.

Put your big girl panties on, sign up and stick to it!

3.

Find a Parter

Get a Gym Buddy or Hire a Trainer

After the first few weeks, your willpower will only get you so far.

After you choose what you’d like to focus on and made a plan ( example: one day of steady cardio, two days of strength training, two days of a Bootcamp challenge/group class,) find yourself an accountability partner.

This person is meant to keep you on your toes, give you company and help you when you’re feeling weak.

You go about this one of two ways: Hire a Trainer/Coach or bring a friend or family member along for the ride!

Either choice is a good call. A trainer or coach will teach you new workouts, habits and ways to get and stay on track. They are professionals and know how to help you target your problem areas.

But, just like dating — you may need to go through a few bad dates until you find a good one. Look around your area, try a few people out,(usually the first consultation is free) sign on with the person you vibe with the most and get started.

A friend or family member who you want to bring along for the ride should be someone who knows you well and who wants to support this change. If you tell said friend “hey let’s eat some pizza instead” and they agree… Sista’ you’ve got the wrong partner!

*Here’s more on why having a workout buddy could be more of an advantage: https://medium.com/@GetFitWithMassi/3-reasons-you-ll-reach-your-goals-faster-with-a-workout-buddy-5f47a28634ca

4.

Break It Down

Mix up Cardio and Strength Training

Take the first week to focus on choosing your plan/fitness challenge. Focus on trying out different locations and signing up for what suits your lifestyle the best.

Your second week, focus on your eating habits. Continue to go to the gym, on the days you’ve scheduled and go to the grocery store to restock your cupboard and fridge with healthy food swaps.

Begin to tailor each day as a chance to work on something different. Let’s say you want to lose overall body fat, you want to break down each day to reach your goal.

Below is an example of how I plan my workouts:

Monday: Leg/Glutes — deep hip stretching

Tuesday: Cardio day: Teaching Zumba® :)

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday: Upper Body/Abs

Friday: Yoga

Saturday: Bootcamp/Cycling or another group fitness class

Sunday: Rest day/ Yoga

5.

Consistency is Key

Pick one thing and stick to it. I always say this to folks who want to lose weight or want to target a certain body part.

If you do it for a few weeks and then relapse you can’t blame your trainer or your friends. YOU have to want to make a change and you must hold yourself accountable.

Sure we all fall off of the horse sometimes and that’s okay. I’ve tried a lot of things at first and gave up each time after the first-week spark was over. It wasn’t until I found something I really liked that I was able to stick to it.

So if you’ve been trying and haven’t been able to stick to something yet, that’s totally normal. In the beautiful words of Aaliyah, “If at first you don’t succeed, you can dust it off and try again.”

Success doesn’t come from what you do occasionally, it comes from what you do consistently. — @MarieForleo

Your body is unique. There’s no one like you. Thank God! Take care of your body and health— the rest will take care of itself.

Much love and respect, your trainer Massi

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#GetItRight #GetItTight

#GetFitWithMassi

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