The 3 WORST Workout Routine Mistakes (Part 1 of 3)

How many times have you started a new workout routine?
You get excited, commit to the process, and weeks or months later, you find yourself utterly frustrated with your results (or lack thereof)?

It takes a lot of time to get yourself psyched up for a new routine. It takes a lot of energy to get started. And often costs a fair amount of money to get a routine, whether from a trainer or an app, or something else.

To invest all that time, money, and energy and be left with little to nothing to show for it is highly discouraging.

What if I told you, assuming you have a good plan, that virtually all fitness struggles come down to 3 significant mistakes that people make?

Well...

That's what I'm telling you.

If you've been struggling or frustrated with your results, then this 3 Part Series is for you.

Fix these things, and you're guaranteed to see dramatic progress.

In this 3 part series, you'll discover the 3 biggest mistakes people make in their workout routines and how to fix them fast.

Even if you've been working your whole life, even if you're a trainer yourself, you might be surprised to find you're making one of these mistakes.

Today you're going to learn about the #1 killer of workout results.

Consistency... Or should I say, inconsistency. 

Mistake #1 - The Two Types of Inconsistency

Inconsistency will RUIN your progress. 

You might be thinking... "Duh, Justin"

But I'm not just talking about the obvious type of consistency. There's more to consistency than you might think.

Can I tell you a quick story?

In 2020 (may its name be blotted out), I met with a guy named Jeremy. Jeremy had some ambitious goals. He wanted to lose at least 20 pounds, put on muscle, and get rid of his knee pain. 

He wanted results fast and wanted to go hard. So I asked him how aggressive he wanted to be, and he said, "On a scale of 1-10... I'm an 11!"
I get nervous when people want to be that aggressive (because it tends to kill consistency), but against my better judgment, I agreed.

Unfortunately, with work and family commitments, Jason couldn't keep up the pace. He started to burn out. 

He began to miss workouts, meals, and even his morning stretches.

Eventually, he just stopped working out.

"I don't want to do it if I can't be all in!" He said.

And that was it for Jeremy.

He ended up taking all of 2020 off. 

The next time I saw Jeremy, he'd gained 17 pounds...

Now you know why I'm not too fond of super-aggressive strategies.

They have a strong tendency to kill consistency. And when you kill consistency, you kill results. And when you kill results, you usually end up going backward.

But on to the good part.

January of 2021, Jeremy came back in, but he agreed to focus on consistency instead of intensity this time. 

He focused on making sure everything in his program was "doable," which would allow him to stay consistent. And he did just that. He was able to maintain a moderate pace consistently.

And guess what?

We just did his measurements this morning...

He's dropped 15 pounds of fat and gained 8 pounds of muscle.

Oh, and by the way...

His knee pain is gone too.

When I showed him his results, he said, "That's crazy! I haven't even been trying that hard! That's encouraging!"

*Note: Encouraging instead of discouraging

That's the power of consistency.

It beats intensity 10 times out of 10. 

If you want to fix your results, the FIRST thing you need to look at is consistency.

There are 2 things you need to be consistent with to be successful when it comes to your exercise routine.

What You Need To Be Consistent With

1. Exercise Selection & Type
2. Workout Frequency

Exercise Selection & Type

Staying consistent with the type of exercises and workouts you choose is perhaps the most overlooked aspect of strength gains. People have a sort of exercise A.D.D. We're always looking for new exercises to "change things up."

Well... I hate to be the bearer of bad news. But when it comes to muscle gains, changing the type of exercises constantly isn't a great idea.

Here's the truth: People who do the same boring exercises over and over build more muscle than people who "change it up" all the time. 

Studies show when you do a new exercise, you go through a 'learning phase' of 2-3 weeks where you incur additional damage and recovery needs. This means muscle growth gains don't begin until about weeks 2-3.

https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1113/JP272472

Why? Because new exercises cause more muscle damage. New exercises will make you sore, and that makes you feel like you're making more progress. But the reality is your body spends more resources on repair than it does growth. 

What does this mean for your workout routine?
If your goal is to simply burn calories and have fun, "mixing it up" should be fine. But If you want to build more muscle, it's best to stick with similar exercises for 3-4 weeks before changing it up.

Workout Frequency

If you're a part of a workout program like small group training or personal training at PCF, you already know what your consistency should look like, so I'm not going to talk about that. 

Instead, I'm going to assume you're attempting to create your own plan.
The question I get most often is, "How often should I workout?"

This varies widely by the goal, but for general fitness, it might look something like this:

• 2-3 Days of Strength Training Per Week
• 1-3 Days of Cardio Exercise Per Week
• 1-3 Days of Flexibility/Mobility Per Week

You can play with those variables to find the right mix for you. If you're just starting, it's better to stay on the lower end of those frequency recommendations. If you're already in great shape, you might try the higher end of those recommendations.

Find what works for you and STICK TO IT.

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