Want something?

Achievement requires consistency.

Consistency, consistency, and then more consistency.

It’s not sexy, it’s not popular to talk about and it’s not what people want to hear, but consistency trumps talent, genetics, and even hard work (if that hard work isn’t consistent).

Social media has done many great things and can bring us closer together, however in the world of health and fitness, social media can be so misleading. Instagram posts are full of athletes hitting workouts really hard drenched in sweat, accomplishing some amazing feats, and showing off some impressive physiques.

What the snapshot doesn’t show you is the grind, the daily rituals, the consistent effort and adherence, but what allowed this athlete to accomplish whatever it is you see?

CONSISTENCY.

No-one wakes up able to do; a pull-up, muscle-up, run a sub 10 second 100m, a sub 3-hour marathon or anything else that requires hard work, dedication and consistency.

But unfortunately, many of us nowadays see footballers, rugby players, weightlifters and CrossFit athletes hitting some serious numbers on social media and want to accomplish that right away.

Whatever happened to mastering the basics first?

At Activate, we establish everything we do on consistency. From day one when we started to plan Activate, consistency was our number one priority.

Why?

If we, as coaches and as a facility, don’t bring our members consistency, then how can we expect our members to achieve their goals in a consistent manner?

Our timetable is consistent.

How can you truly reach your potential if your gym changes its timetable every few months? Or changes classes and methodologies at a whim and doesn’t pay heed to what its members need most: CONSISTENCY.

We laid out 46 classes each and every week to ensure that our members can get a workout in and remain consistent regardless of their busy life schedule.

Our class structure and format is consistent;

each day begins with a targeted and specific warm-up to ensure we remain injury free and perform at our best.

We work consistently on technique and correct form which, in time, will lead to healthier and stronger athletes. It can’t all be, lift big right away, there has to be a solid foundation based upon consistent technique.

At Activate we always take time each class to really focus on making our athletes move the best they can.

Our coaches strive to have athletes move better before moving faster. This is why each class we do a thorough warmup, followed by technical practice.

A common phrase our members hear is: “Everyone go grab a PVC pipe,” or “Let’s warm up our technique with an EMPTY barbell”?

Everyone wants to lift bigger, move faster and have a massive arsenal of skill, but this can only be accomplished if you listen to the coaches, leave your ego at the door, focus on moving well and moving well consistently then and only then should you be increasing load.

The precious tiny details and mastering the basics should be the first step to any athlete, basic or advanced. If done correctly, they should never be forgotten or overlooked, and should always be applied every workout we use them.

I mightn’t agree with everything Coach Glassman says, but he was on the money when he said: “Countless bad-asses from sporting and special operations communities, long regarded as bulletproof, have been burned at the stake of ego and intensity.”

I’ve worked with plenty high-level athletes who have forgotten this, and wound up with an avoidable injury.

“Training to failure (all the time) is failing to train.”

We’ll have another blog coming up which focuses on our coaching methodology and program rationale which will explain the above a little more.

Our programming and coaching are consistent,

we meticulously plan and lay out our workouts and program in advance to ensure everyone, from beginner to advanced athlete can advance, get healthier, fitter and stronger in a measured and rational way.

As a strength and conditioning coach and sport-scientist one of my hobbies is to analyse data. I often get raised eyebrows to this, but, it’s only through looking at correlations in data that we can fully understand if our programming is working and what, if anything needs to be changed.

Recently I looked at a correlation between strength gains and class attendance, and guess what?

The members who were progressing the most were those who were most consistent.

When I say “most consistent”, I mean that these individuals do a lot of different things regularly that all lead to better overall health and fitness.

They consistently:

• Attend classes (At least 3 classes per week)
• Give 100% effort during the workout, listen to your coaches and don’t cut corners, shorten the range of motion of a movement, or shave reps because they just want it to be over.
• Arrive a few minutes early to mobilize and leave a few minutes late to do some stretching.
• Ask questions and seek knowledge on how to improve inside and outside the gym.
• Eat well-balanced meals with real ingredients (their cheat meals are the exception, not the norm) and get 8-10 hours of sleep a night (We saw this in a recent challenge where some simple nutritional amendments and proper rest and recovery saw people reach even greater heights in their performance.)
• And the list goes on…

Some of this stuff may sound boring, and I assure you, some of it is, but creating good habits and consistently performing them will bring you results.

Despite all the things that we are sold daily by social media, fake websites, advertisements, magazines, celebrities and QVC over the years, there is no quick fix to get and stay healthy for the rest of your life.

Health, wellness and fitness are all about consistency.

So, if you’re someone that thinks they need a little more consistency, choose one of the items on the list above that you’re not as good at and challenge yourself to make a change in 2018.

After 1 month of consistency, it will become a habit and you can move on to the next item of your choice.

Soon enough you will be the model of consistency and you will see the health and fitness benefits that accompany it.

Data analytics, professional coaching, top quality programming and world-class equipment all become redundant if consistency isn’t the cornerstone it’s all built upon.

Want to be in great shape? Be fitter, faster and stronger than ever before?

Look better naked? Drop a dress size? Run a 5km?

Or on the other hand, are you gaining excess fat, breathless going up the stairs or seriously lacking self-confidence?

None of this happens overnight, it’s not magic.

The same way, one take-away and night on the town won’t make you unhealthy and one salad won’t make you healthy.

Your health and wellbeing is the summation of every decision YOU make, if you consistently choose poorly then your health will suffer, if you start making healthier decisions today and become consistent in making those decisions then your health will begin to prosper.

At Activate, we gear everything towards making those better decisions easier for you, from our consistent timetable, programming, coaching and approach.

So, without flogging a dead horse, what is the first habit you’re going to implement? We’d love to hear your thoughts on this subject and to help you achieve whatever goals you’re going to set for yourself.

We’re introducing a number of really exciting initiatives in 2018 which will ensure our members are given consistent support and advice to stay fit and healthy.

If you have no idea where to get started, we want you to learn more about Activate and how we do things differently. Starting with CONSISTENCY!

It doesn’t take long to be successful and to have a healthier lifestyle. Decide what you want right now and go after it!

Take the first step today by contacting us or booking your free-intro class at: www.activate.ie/free-intro