My first real post is actually a post I wrote a few months back for a guest post on Spurling Training Systems blog. The topic is a question I am ask at least once a week, “why am I not seeing any results.” In this post I will give several reasons you or your clients might not be getting or seeing the results you want.
Every January thousands of Americans make the same resolution, “to get in better shape”. They’re all thinking, “This is the year I’ll get into the best shape of my life.” Well that desire will usually last for about two weeks, maybe even a month. The people who have made it this far and have still not seen results, are most likely frustrated and thinking there is something wrong with their program. This leads us into the first of three points.
Programs
There are two sayings you may have heard, “the program you should be on is the one you’re not on” and “ the program you’ll stick to is the one you should do,” or something along those lines. If you are not on a program, get on one and stick to it. Flip-flopping between programs will never lead to the results you are looking for.
If you’re looking to lose weight don’t expect to see massive gains in strength and muscle mass. The same goes if you’re looking to get big and strong don’t expect to lose massive amounts of weight. Make sure the program you’re on fits with your goals. On that note make sure you have defined goals. Don’t say, “I want to look slim and sexy and also put up PR (Personal Record) numbers.” Pick one goal and stick with it.
Sleep
You have heard it for years; get 6 to 8 hours of sleep each night. If you do, your body will thank you. Your body needs this time to rebuild muscle. This will also help sharpen your mind and help you stay focused throughout your workday and through your workouts. Getting enough sleep will overall improve your mood and performance. What’s not to loose? Other then missing a few reruns of a TV show you don’t really like.
Eating
This is the Achilles heel for most people. People may find it easy to follow their program religiously and get the 8 hours of sleep each night, but for some reason the sweet taste of food is just too hard to fight. I know it is for me. Just as the program must match your goals so must your food intake.
So what this means is that just because you’re now working out 3 to 6 days a week does not mean you can eat whatever you want. You’re not burning thousands of calories each time you are working out. So does this mean you can’t eat ice cream or sweets? No, but what it does mean is that you can’t be eating junk food every day and expect results.
If you’re looking to loose weight you will have to reduce your caloric intake and decrease your carbohydrates as well. This means staying away from sweets and other junk food, but this does not mean starving yourself either. It is a balance.
If you’re looking to build strength and mass, then you should not be on a caloric restrictive diet. Your body needs the protein and carbs to rebuild and refuel. This does not mean you can eat to your hearts content. Your diet has to match your goals.
As you can see, there are a handful of reasons that you may not be getting the results that you are seeking. So, if you are not where you think you should be, make sure your eating and sleeping habits match up with your goals. The big take home point from this is that your habits have to match your goals if you want to see results.
Bests,
Josh Williams
