Tony Horton's Second Law of
Exercise - Consistency By Tony Horton
Improvement and change occur when you do
things often. Stopping and starting all the time will kill any momentum you
need to succeed. You must find ways to stay in the game. Done consistently,
moderate forms of exercise provide far better results than the occasional
full-body pummeling. A lifestyle that includes doing multiple forms of exercise
5 to 6 days a week guarantees results.
There are certain things that rise to the
surface when it comes to staying consistent. One of them is staying motivated.
How does anyone sustain anything without motivation? You bought one of my
programs because you're committed to making huge changes in your life. Being
consistent is critical. But being consistent and staying motivated can be
difficult at times. It's easy to create reasons not to do
P90X or
Power 90, especially when
you're feeling weak and puny, and my jokes aren't funny anymore. We travel, get
sick, get tired, and often get discouraged. We work too hard, we under-sleep,
and we get stressed out. So what do we do about it? It can be overwhelming.
What about the people who don't quit? Who are they? Are they super android
robots from a galaxy far, far away? What the hell makes them so special? Why
are these robot people consistent and others aren't? The answer is that
successful, consistent, and motivated folk have tricks . . . Aha! They have
found a way to do it anyway.
Here's my list of tricks that
will help you stay motivated and consistent.
-
Stop beating yourself up if you
can't sustain and/or maintain your "perfect" plan. It's okay to miss a workout
once in a while. It doesn't mean that your process has gone to hell in a
handcart. It doesn't mean you have to start over. Life happens. Priorities
shift. So what? Big deal. Just start up where you left off. If you're doing
Power 90 or P90X®, just add the missed days to the end of the program. I
decree the burden lifted! Of course, you must recognize the difference between
a missed workout or two and a missed week or two. If you miss 2 weeks of
exercise, it will take at least that long to get back to where you left off. If
you miss one workout once in a while, you lose nothing. The extra day off can
even do the body good.
-
Don't freak out if you don't see
results in the first 45 days. "What?! No results in the first month and a
half?!" See, I knew you'd freak out. The reality is that we all have different
starting points. The 90 in Power 90 and P90X stands for 90 days, not 90
minutes. Some folks will see results the first week—bastards! Others will
have to wait a little longer, based on age, body weight, how out of shape they
are when they start the program, flexibility, balance, athletic background,
etc.—this is normal. The variety of workouts in P90X and Power 90
purposely plays into your strengths and weaknesses. Both programs were created
to have a 30- to 50-day "adaptive phase." This phase is shorter for some and
longer for others. Be patient. Your body will adapt, and you will be amazed at
how you look and feel.
|
Peace,
Tony H. |
