One of my favourite quotes is "Fitness is a skill, not a talent".
I love this quote because it reminds us that becoming fit - or at least looking it - requires discipline, humility and tons of practice - just like any other skill does.
Whether your goal is to own a shredded 6 pack, bigger squat, tighter bum or a smaller belly - skill acquisition and the ability to develop these skills is going to be the difference between you being able to reach your goal or not.
To make sure you do, we steal some ideas from Japanese methodology...
Kaizen - Change for Better
Kaizen, in English, simply means "change for better".
It refers to any improvement, one-time or continuous, large or small but in the gym setting we like to use Kaizen the same way Japanese Industry uses it - "small, continuous improvement, consistently, over time".
Now improvements can come in many shapes and sizes....
- New/All Members: Move Better > Recover Better > Feel Better
- Intermediate Members: More Reps > More Weight > More Rounds
- Advanced Members: Bigger 1RM > Bigger Muscles > Bigger Sex Symbol
Being able to recover better from the same session is a perfect example of a small improvement that can be consistently improved over time. It might not seem important but better recovery leads to better work capacity which leads to a better body!
Whatever goals our members have, we make sure they know the small, continuos improvements they need to make in order to reach them. If they manage to focus and commit to these improvements consistently, then over time, we get them to where they want to be - simple as that.
Here's an example...
Client: "I want to loose 5kg's".
Me: "Ok, we need to teach you the basic barbell movements, conditioning circuits and provide you with some some healthy eating knowledge. Once you develop these skills we will look to make small improvements to your strength, cardiovascular fitness and diet quality over time and if you consistently stick with this your goal will be reached".
small, continuous improvement, consistently, over time.
One Step At A Time
Now no one squats 200kg, flexes a 6 pack or lands a front cover of Men's/Woman's Health after one week in the gym.
Start off by just adding a little weight to your bar. Try running the same distance quicker. Add one more rep or one more healthy meal. Whatever it is, start small and improve, consistently, over time - You will eventually win.
がんばろう (Good luck).