How to set your new year's fitness goals for 2022
As many of you know, most New Year's fitness resolutions are broken in a matter of weeks, if not days. Setting fitness goals is important, but it makes the most sense to have smart, achievable goals that will start you off on a path towards success, and ensure that you start the new year off on the right foot. Here are the most important tips to consider when setting your exercise goals for 2022.
Achievability. You might be chomping at the bit to get started, but one of the biggest mistakes people make when it comes to any fitness plan, is to sign up for workouts that are just too damn tough. We applaud people's zeal, but like almost everything else in life, you have to walk before you run. Signing up for hardcore programs right out of the gate - especially if it’s been a minute since you have trained, is just setting yourself up for frustration and possible injury. Be honest with yourself about where you are on your journey. We encourage everyone that is just starting out (or hasn’t trained in a while) to go through our Beginner Bootcamps. These programs deliver daily workouts that are designed to get you up and moving again, and will ease you into exercising again by teaching you the basic foundational exercises, and getting your body slowly use to moving again. Our Beginner Bootcamps, 1 and 2 will keep you progressing at an achievable pace for your first 2 months, and by then you will be ready and able to move on to more advanced workouts. The other great thing about doing something that you can realistically achieve is that it builds confidence, and it feels good. These workouts won’t be a cake walk, they will challenge you physically and mentally, but they were designed to be an excellent starting point.
Consistency. We are building on top of the foundation of achievability with consistency. Consistency is arguably the most important component of successfully achieving your fitness goals. Unfortunately, unless you make a consistent effort, your fitness progress will slow and eventually stall out. The stop-start cycle will frustrate your efforts and likely knock you off track completely. Luckily you can bolster up your consistency with the next tip.
Follow a program. Life will always try and get in the way. Work, family, friends - you name it, there is always something that will pop up that will require your time and focus. This is not the time to be scrambling to figure out what exercises and workouts you should be doing. Take that off of your shoulders by following a workout series or program. Let us do that work for you, so that all you need to do is show up and press play. When life gets going, you won’t have time to figure things out, and not knowing what to do is just a perfect excuse to skip training. Most people that follow a program are far more likely not just to be consistent, but also achieve their goals faster. Let our coaches design and program workouts that are achievable for you - and keep your focus on just showing up and following along.
Pick the right time. Many people that start setting fitness goals fall into the trap of trying to make gigantic lifestyle changes at the same time. An example of this is someone that finds it difficult to get up in the mornings, suddenly deciding that not only are they going to start working out each day, but that they are going to get up at 5am to do it before work. Bold intentions, but the likelihood of this being a sustainable strategy is very, very low. Bundling goals together like this often makes them even harder to achieve. If you want to try and reverse your lifestyle so that you can start your day earlier, then go for it, but don’t handcuff your new fitness routine to that new challenge. Instead, think about working out after work (or at some other time when you know that you will actually be awake) and if and when you can establish a morning routine, then and only then start to train in the mornings. Think of achievability.
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Have the tools that you need ready to go. This means having your workout clothes and shoes ready to go - ideally the night before. This simple act of planning to have your workout clothes ready might not sound like much (and takes only minutes) but it will help you build on the habit of working out, and it will set in motion reinforcing behaviours that will help you support your new level of consistency. Secondly, have a few pieces of basic gear ready at home so that you can fully participate in your workouts. For example, BodyRock workouts typically use the weighted vest, a set of dumbbells (start with a 10lb set) and our Pink Thing resistance band. With these 3 items, you can participate in 99% of the programs that we teach here. If you are just starting to workout again, then you will find it frustrating not having the gear you need. It is always possible to modify, but if you are just starting out, this can lead to frustration, and to get the most out of your sweat session, it’s best just to be ready to go, with the right tools, so you can focus all of your determination on completing the workout, not fumbling around and trying to figure alternatives out. Having the right tools will empower you to just get through it, which lets face it, is the biggest challenge initially with any new habit.
Have a plan B. Even when all the factors we’ve mentioned so far are aligned, life, in all its splendid glory, will still throw you curveballs. Maybe it's a sudden deadline at work, an unexpected trip, or god knows what. Even though our workouts here at BodyRock are just 20-30 minutes long, there may be days when you just don’t have that kind of time or energy. That’s why we have created our Quick HIITs series of workouts. These short workouts take just 12 minutes, and are an excellent way to ensure that you keep your consistency. On days that look impossible, you can smash out a quick 12 minute workout and maintain your momentum.
Focus on the right metrics. It’s important to track your progress, but don’t become a slave to the numbers on your scale. We actually suggest not using a scale at all. Instead, keep track of how you are fitting into your clothes. Pay attention to increases in your strength, agility and endurance. You will start to feel yourself getting stronger and faster and more physically capable. Weight loss will follow.
Journal. This is another behavior that will serve to reinforce your consistency. Take a few minutes to write down your workout each day. Keep track of how many reps you can do. Take little notes about how much each movement challenges you. Note down any improvements, or areas where you can improve. As the pages fill up, and the habits grow roots, you will soon discover that you are charting your progress forward in a way that feels amazing.
Accountability. Share your progress with a friend or family member that you can count on to be supportive. If those types of people are in short supply, then check in with our BodyRockPlus community. We have a private facebook group for our BodyRockPlus subscribers, and the amount of love and support happening there is off the charts. You need support. Don’t try to go it alone.
Stream it. People that workout at home are statistically far more likely not to miss their workouts. Adding in the time to get back and forth to the gym, park, etc makes sticking to working out at a gym much harder (and more costly). Training at home gives you maximum flexibility and will save you hours each week. If your goal is to train at a gym, you can always take your streaming workouts with you on your phone. BodyRockPlus streams on any device, from your phone, tablet, smart tv, Apple TV, Roku etc. It’s literally a gym with personal trainers in your pocket. It’s also available to your whole household when you subscribe.
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These are our 10 recommended tips for establishing a successful fitness routine in 2022 that will deliver your goals. Most of this stuff could be considered common sense, but when you fit them all together to support your intentions, your chances of success will be at their best.
Best,
Freddy.