Christmas is all done with, the boxing day piss up is out of the way and were sitting on the straight and narrow into the new year. It’s part of the annual process we overindulge over the festive period, realise what a sorry state we are physically get guilty about over indulging and break into a all or nothing 2-3 week fitness fest followed by the inevitable slip into your old ways. Being around this environment on a professional basis there are things you need to do to make sure you can meet your new years resolutions,
Make it something you want to do!
If you don’t really want to get in shape your not going to achieve your goal the best way to be successful in anything is to actively want what your striving for.
Set Realistic Achievable goals
Don’t set some ridiculous life changing goals that require you to change all of your habits because you will fail. If your just starting out set an easy target – I will go to the gym 10 times in January, Then keep a check list and mark off every gym visit.
One thing at a time.
It’s a lot easier to achieve one thing at a time when your focused so again let’s assume your just starting out this is how I would suggest you organise it.
1 – Do some exercise 2x a week (6-10 weeks).
2 – Start a sport or exercise you want to compete in or take more seriously (10-20 weeks)
3 – Look at your diet once you are in the habit of a solid training regime you actively love.
My Training Resolutions for 2014
1 – Get Lean in the first quarter of 2014
I have been in shape a few times in my lifting carrer but I’ve never been really lean, the closest I got was in 2007 when I was 82 kg and looked like an emancipated Backstreet boy. I now have quite a few years of good heavy lifting under my belt and I would like to see what it looks like under all of the beer and dominos.
2 – Get Strong(er) again
The first half of 2013 was great I hit personal bests in pretty much every lift while easily sitting a 96-98 kg then I pook up a hip injury and have spent the second half getting back up to speed. I am not going to put a time frame on it but here are some lifting goals I want to achieve in 2014
275 kg Squat
180 kg x 10 bench
300 deadlift (finally put this to bed!)
140 power clean
WG pull up 10 reps chest to bar with 20 kg
3 – Give up Alcohol for at least the first month of 2014
I am by no means and alcoholic but my biggest vice in this life is easily beer. I don’t intend on giving it up entirely since I derive a lot of pleasure from a nice bottle or pint of a good beer but I do really want to cut back drastically. I will be taking part in Dry January www.dryjanuary.org.uk and will maybe carry it on further into the new year. It’s more an exercise in will power than anything else but It’s for a good cause so why not.