Consistency, Compliance and Momentum are three key principles when it comes to getting results. It is important to consider this right at the start when writing up your plan on how you are going to get the results you are after. These principles apply to your training, nutrition and habits so they are extremely important.
One aspect of my coaching I therefore believe is critical is to never ask a client to do something they can’t commit to. You never want your clients to feel like the journey is too hard or to have them fail.
A good analogy is deciding whether or not to go over or around the mountain and using your coach as your GPS to help make the right decision. With a GPS chirping in your ear, it is much harder to get lost.
Going over may be quicker but if you have a heavy backpack and a lot of things weighing you down (work commitments, family commitments, time restraints, other priorities etc) going around may be a much better option. It may take longer but there is less chance of falling and overall will be a much more enjoyable journey.
So, while everyone wants to get results as fast as possible sometimes slow and steady is the right answer.
On the other hand, if you are ready for the challenge or maybe you have a window of opportunity to go hard then why wouldn’t you go over the mountain?
The key is to choose the paths that suit both your physiology and psychology.
Consider the entire journey first the break it down into blocks from there. This will depend on the individual but what I like is:
12 month block:
12 week block:
1 month block:
1 week block:
From there, you know what you need to do to kick your short-term goals but also achieve long-term success.
I like to start with a program that may seem slightly on the easier side so it can be adhered to and you can ensure there is consistency but then introduce regular yet subtle changes to both programming and nutrition to keep clients fresh and enjoying their journey.
Only making subtle changes but more often will also keep the ball rolling without having to relearn something completely new and keep the momentum going. Before you know it they are adhering to and killing a much harder program than they ever thought possible.
With Conor (pictured) I started him very easily but in the last two weeks, he was able to do double-day training with me. The success he was able to achieve with this process was truly remarkable.
Cheers Marty
