The Modern Day Cycle of Training

After speaking to a number of clients and online followers about their training history and experiences I have noticed a pattern emerging. It made me wonder, how many other people have experienced the following:

You join a gym, This time, THIS IS IT!! You are feeling motivated and determined You have heard they do a great circuit class/boot camp/spin/(insert class) so you get involved and give it everything and then some. By the end of the class you are a quivering wreck BUT you got through it and feel proud of the achievement. Next day you can’t sit on the toilet and although it is agony to walk down the stairs, you can’t wait for the next class.

Fours weeks in and the eating is on point. You haven’t missed a session and have now increased the number of times you go. The atmosphere in the gym is fantastic, the instructors encouraging and the members all seem to be friendly. The sessions are still pushing you to your limits but you were only sick once this week and last week you managed to get through the entire session without needing to sit out for a while. Not only that but you have started to notice some changes. Clothes feel looser, you have more energy and you are feeling more confident.

Another four weeks later and people are starting to comment and tell you how well you look. It is really pushing you on and only last week you added yet another class to your weekly schedule. Four sessions a week. You KNOW you are fitter now, you can keep up with some of the fitter ones and you have increased the weight you have been lifting. By the end of the session you are still seeing stars but you are managing.

Fast forward another four weeks and you are still going and enjoying the sessions but you have missed a couple. You were too tired to go once and then there was this program you really wanted to watch this other time. Eating is still mostly good but you have slipped up a few times. He/she brought home a take away and the smell was too much. Then there was you work colleges birthday and they brought in a tin of heros so you decided you would have a few….or 15. You haven’t put any weight back on but it has stopped coming off.

Twenty eight days later. You have stopped altogether, you keep saying you will go tomorrow but something always comes up. You are finding it hard with work, family life and you are always exhausted. Eating has also slipped and you are back to justifying eating that biscuit with your tea and having a burger instead of cooking some food because you genuinely don’t have the time..or energy. The weight you lost is creeping back on but you tell yourself, next week Im getting back to it.

8/12/16 weeks later….. You join a gym, This time, THIS IS IT!! You are feeling motivated and determined You have heard they do a great circuit class/boot camp/spin/(insert class) so you get involved and give it everything and then some. By the end of the class you are a quivering wreck BUT you got through it and feel proud of the achievement. Next day you can’t sit on the toilet and although it is agony to walk down the stairs, you can’t wait for the next class.

Hands up how many people have experienced this cycle? Next time I will explain why its happening, how it isn’t your fault and what you can do to change it.