Originally Posted by
BobJ
Oh good, Phil answered. I was afraid this post would land with a dull "thud," as would a post about developing the social skills of singlehanders . . .
P90X is a good workout. It just requires self-discipline, you have to make yourself go to the gym and DO it.
Another route is Crossfit. In that, you buy a membership and then go to scheduled workouts. The schedule is the motivational trick. Seriously, it's not WHAT you do, that is the challenge for the overwhelming majority of people. You don't have to have the perfect physical development program. It's making yourself do SOMETHING, on a regular basis...THAT is the real challenge.
Anything you do is helpful, the issue will almost certainly be motivation and consistency, so "know thyself" and take steps to make sure you DO it. Personally, I'm not sailing a lot right now but I'm participating in the Scottish Highland Games and what I do is log my workouts online, in two places where the other hardcore athletes will see it. If I skip out for a week, everybody knows. That provides accountability..... Works for me..
I train with an athlete who is a very good thrower, but who has NO personal motivation. She's incapable of making herself go to the gym or throw if I'm not there to show up with the gear. She's finally come to understand that about herself, and so last season she signed up with a personal trainer, who kicked her butt. She's learned that unless she's got hard-earned money on the line....if she doesn't show up, she still pays the trainer for the hour..... and also if someone else isn't providing the discipline, she will not do the work. I'm a lucky dude, I don't have that problem - wanting to improve my throwing provides enough motivation. Logging online provides accountability.
Know yourself, and then do what you need to do to get in there and do the work.....and it really, really, REALLY helps if it's fun. If you HATE lifting weights, then for Gods sake don't go to the gym to lift weights. If you HATE running, then....*duh*. Do something you like.
When I was teaching at the College of San Mateo, I signed up for swimming classes. When I ran out of the times that I could take the same swimming class, I signed up to take the water polo class. It was a CLASS. It met at a scheduled TIME. It was FUN......so I did it. For almost three years I did it, because that sort of enforced schedule -> discipline works for me. It's not that swimming is such a dynamite workout, though it is in fact a great workout. It was just that I got my pathetic butt out to do SOMETHING.
What do you have to do, to make yourself do SOMETHING?
Last edited by AlanH; 01-31-2013 at 12:15 PM.
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