“How do I pick the right workout plan for me?!” Guys, I’m bringing you my number one MOST ASKED question, and I understand why it’s so popular. We live in a world that is overly saturated with plans, and hey, that’s not always a bad thing because a girl’s gotta have options, right?
But information overload sometimes leads to analysis paralysis, which can actually cause us to NOT make a move, and then, guess what? Houston, we have a problem. So if you’re wondering “what’s the right workout plan for me?” consider how much time you have, what your goals are, and what your timeline looks at. Here’s my super simple 5-step process to keep in mind as you’re shopping around for your next workout plan.
Step #1: Determine Your Goal.
The first step should be determining what your goal is! Are you wanting to lose 20 pounds, run a marathon, or just start getting active? There is no right or wrong answer here; it’s all just based on your personal preference and your goal. But the first step HAS to be figuring out what your goal is. Remember when we talked about setting SMART Goals? A SMART goal is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-Sensitive. ANY goal you set should follow this acronym, but you should take it one step further and tie an identity-based goal to it. Meaning, what is it you’re wanting to see yourself become by achieving this goal? Are you wanting to see yourself as a slimmer version of you? A more athletic version? A stronger version? A healthier version? You get to create the narrative, friends! Just make sure it’s YOUR story.
Step #2: Assess Your Time.
Time is of the essence, right? If you’re wanting to run a marathon, but you only have 20 minutes a couple days per week to train, and the program you’re looking at calls for an hour each day, that might not be the program for you. Figure out how much time you can commit, and that will help you narrow down your options!
Step #3: Build a timeline.
Give yourself an end date! When you give yourself a deadline and start working back from there, you’ll be more likely to STICK with that goal and plan, but you’ll also have a better idea of what you need to do and what you need to look for as far as workout plans. If your end date is 6 weeks from now, then a 6 MONTH program isn’t going to cut it, right?
Step #4: Choose a plan.
Yep! Sometimes it’s really that simple. Just choose one! BUT…I highly recommend that you narrow your selection progress to a plan that is customizable to you. That’s the entire reason we built The Transform App the way we did: It can update your progress, it will give you flexibility based on your lifestyle and your timetable, it caters to your ability level (with alternative and modifications for every move!), and it will give you options that fit your specific needs.
Step #5: Go all in.
This is the final and most crucial step. It can be really difficult to do this, especially when you’re entering the unknown, so I totally get it. But, you have to go ALL IN. It’s normal—with anyone and any plan—that after a few weeks, you’ll hit a wall. Things won’t be as shiny and new, so it won’t be as much fun, right? Sometimes it’ll even seem like work. You may even question why it is you’re doing what you’re doing and why you even started to begin with! But stick with it, friends. The plan won’t work, whichever plan you choose, unless YOU work the plan. Once you break through any plateau, you’ll start to see the true progress. You’ll learn more about yourself, your mindset, and what you’re truly capable of when you jump in with both feet and truly trust the process. Stop looking around, stop plan hopping, and stick with it. You’ll be so glad you did, I promise!
So what is your goal? I’d love to hear what you have planned for the rest of 2020! Drop it in a comment, then plan out your timeline. You got this!
xo,
Related reading:
Consistency Is Key: How to Make Your Fitness Goals a Reality
Fit on a Budget: How to Build a Budget-Friendly Home Gym
How to Beat the Odds and Actually Finish Your Goals | Jon Acuff
Fit on a Budget: 5 Workout Plans Cheaper Than a Gym Membership
Goal Setting: 3 Things Making You Play Life Small
One Response
I just love your well power and beauty. And most of all I love how you put others before yourself sometimes. Even with all going on. When I see your post you help encourage me to push myself. I have been struggling with my weight for about 25 years now and here recently in the last 5 years I’ve been working really hard on trying to get my weight down especially since I’ve had my little girl it’s hard guarantee that but I keep pushing myself I keep working on it each and every day but I love seeing your encouragement words I love reading your post to keep it up and thank you for all you do.