How many times have you started a 30 day challenge only to find a way out of it on day 11?
How many of you completed dry January only to sit down for bottomless mimosas on February 1st? What about intermittent fasting only to eat a box of donuts when the second hand strikes 12! It’s ok, you’re not the only one.
The purpose of the challenge was most likely to lose a certain number of pounds, inches, maybe to gain muscle or strength and to give up some indulgence during a period of your year.
Get with the program
A program is nothing more than a specific plan set out in advance to accomplish a goal over the course of weeks, months, and possibly years.
If you’re reading this, you followed a program your entire life. The K-12 education system we went through was a specific plan to get us to graduate high school with necessary skills to advance into the work force and make a living. Most of us continued on with another 4-year program to advance in a specific field to further our potential earnings and opportunities in life. We’ve all been programmed!
Like it or not, we as a functioning society, thrive in a programmed environment.
The reality is, most of us don’t look at exercise as an investment. Instead it’s viewed as some type of punishment to break even for all the less than optimal things we ingest. Go ahead, go get that cardio in because you know those pancakes are going straight to your. . . well wherever pancakes go I suppose.
So why would we just “wing” it when it comes to the greatest investment we can make for ourselves, our health and fitness?
winging it
The term winging it comes from the world of theater, where actors would be off to either side (the wings), quickly trying to retain their lines upon being called upon(1.) Not having a plan causes us to “wing it.”
“Hey I know, let’s just run a mile or two. You know what, Maybe I’ll just hit some upper body. Shoot, actually I think I’ll get after it tomorrow because this happy hour is calling my name!”
When we randomly choose to do whatever we feel like on a particular day, there’s no real intent or purpose behind the workout. It seems to be enough just to break a sweat and is warranted with the fact that – well, at least we did something! Right?
How crazy does this really sound?
Trust the process
If you’ve been suffering from “winging it,” you’re not alone. There’s a healthy alternative to winging it. It’s called discipline. And discipline requires you to follow a program.
With so much information readily available on the internet, social media, and all the “fitness experts,” out there, it can get a little murky at times.
Do your homework prior to starting a “free” 30 day program. The old adage of, “you get what you pay for,” turns up 10 notches when it comes to training programs that you can quickly grab off of website or download an app. Look to the source of the information first.
When you follow a program, you will learn to trust the process. When you trust the process, you’ll start to find you love the work that’s required to break through your previous limitations.
It’s time to find your program!
Blair Wagner if a native of Cheyenne, Wyoming. He’s embarking on his 14th year in the profession of strength & Conditioning / human performance. Blair has had stops in every time zone working with the worlds most elite athletes in the WNBA, NBA, MLR, NFL. His duties have also included stops at 5 different NCAA programs from Power 5 to Division II. His most honorable post to date was in 2014 where he was able to contribute to 1SFG(A) - United States Army - Green Berets.
Blair is the founder and owner of DIA Sports Performance, a company he dedicates to all those he’s been able to serve and impact along the way.
Blair is the proud husband to his wife Cam and father to two children - Bremer and Taylor.
He currently resides in Orlando, FL.