In the modern world, everyone wants quick results. We have so much access to fast information which has led to lower levels of patience, and when you don’t see the rewards for your time and effort, you get frustrated.
It is important to understand that getting in shape takes time and requires a lot of consistency, hard work and patience. If you do not play the long game, your unrealistic expectations will not be met and you will become upset that you are not making progress. You must be patient, celebrate the small wins and enjoy the journey.
However, it is possible to accelerate your progress. You can reach your goals in a lot quicker timeframe if you focus on improving in certain areas. So, what are these areas? How can you reach your goals as soon as you possibly can?
Hire A Coach
If you are looking to accelerate your progress, you may find it hard to go at it alone. Firstly, it can be hard to consistently motivate yourself to keep going and stay disciplined with the most important areas. Therefore, having a coach, mentor or someone you know to regularly support you is going to be key, especially during the times when you are down and not inspired to train or stick to your diet is going to be vital for getting through tough times and staying consistent.
Having someone by your side is also important when it comes to doing the right things well. This can range from exercise execution and tempo to adjusting your calories every few weeks. Without the knowledge required, it is risky to make changes yourself and you may not even know if you are performing the required tasks to maximum effect. So, a coach or mentor who will make the right decisions when required and make sure that you are getting the best reward for your efforts, which is vital.
Train Consistently
Training will be a huge part of your journey to getting in great shape. It will be your primary form of exercise and the cornerstone behind building muscle, increasing your metabolic rate and adding a better structure to your body. So, it is vital that you show up consistently to your training sessions, put in the hard work and keep progressing. The more consistent you are with your training, the less time it will take for you to reach your goals.
You must have a training plan that is specifically for you and what you are looking to achieve. You then must work hard and consistently progress your exercise execution, strength and intensity during your workouts. Once you have build solid foundations, you can then look at gradually moving into more advanced exercises that will be more metabolically challenging and rewarding.
Stick To Your Nutrition Plan
Another huge part of the increasing rate of progress will be your nutrition. This will be vital, not only in achieving your goals, but also in fuelling your workouts and remaining full of energy throughout the day. It is vital that you have a diet that features a good balance of protein, carbohydrates, vegetables and, to a lesser extent, fats to support you throughout your journey, both physically and mentally.
You will likely have a calorie target or meal structure that you must follow to consistently lose body fat and get into shape. As the saying goes, you can’t out-train a bad diet, and no matter how consistent you are with your exercise, if you are not following your nutrition plan on a regular basis, you will not see anywhere near the rate of progress that you want. So, prioritise sticking to your nutrition and you will see big changes with your body shape.
Prioritise Your Recovery
Recovery is going to be one of the most important areas to master during your fitness journey. For you to be consistent with the tasks required to reach your goals, you have to be in an optimum position, both physically and mentally. Many people make the mistake of burning themselves out when trying to get in shape through high-intensity workouts, demanding exercise routines, and ultra-restrictive diets. Not only is this detrimental to your performance and progress, but it can also be harmful to your overall health.
Adequate recovery involves seven to nine hours of sleep per night, two to four rest days per week, and quality nutrition to repair the body after an intense training session. If you do not prioritise your recovery, you will find the process harder, struggle to stay consistent, and therefore slow down your rate of progress. The process of getting in shape has to be sustainable, so consistent recovery is going to be key.
Sustainable Form of Cardio
Training is very important but another factor that must not be overlooked is your activity outside of the gym. Believe it or not, when it comes to burning calories, gym sessions may not be enough to stay in shape if you want to enjoy your food. An hour of walking can burn up to 300 calories and can make the difference between you gaining unnecessary body fat if you are planning to eat at around maintenance calories. Therefore, it is important to combine your training sessions with activities such as walking and swimming (if you can) so that you are active and burn a sufficient number of calories during the day.
Being active is also a great way to explore destinations you are in and make the most of your time away. Make sure your NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) calories are at good level too – these are the calories you burn outside of exercise, such as the everyday tasks of cooking, making your bed, walking up flights of stairs etc. Playing some sport can also be a good option, both from a calorie-burning and enjoyment perspective. Light cardio, as a support to resistance training, is a great way of accelerating your progress.
Lifestyle Habits
Many people enter their fitness journey with poor lifestyle habits that are responsible a body shape that they are unhappy with. This can be in several areas, such as bad food choices, binging on weekends, a sedentary lifestyle, lack of sleep, and high-stress levels. If you do not work at improving these, you will find your progress stalling and frustration increasing.
So, as well as your training and exercise, look at certain habits you have that are pulling you back and work on getting better. This could be getting more sleep, reducing intolerant food groups, tracking your nutrition, reacting to situations more calmly or simply going for a walk once per day. All of these areas, when combined, can hugely impact the rate of your progress.
Summary
So, your rate of progress can be altered, but it depends on how well you perform in certain areas. These include hiring a coach, consistently training, how quickly you get on board with your nutrition, adding in a sustainable form of cardio, and improving certain lifestyle habits. Work hard to improve at these and you will find yourself progressing at the speed you wish for.
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