Crush your 2016 Fitness Goals – 6 Bad Habits to Avoid in the New Year

With the close to 2015 rapidly approaching, many of us are setting our sights on making 2016 the best year of our lives! Whether or not you are new to fitness or are a seasoned athlete, this is the time of year where we all have some sort of fitness or performance based resolution flashing through our minds.
Envision this;
You start the year with a grand plan of pushing yourself day in and day out to reach those goals and start hitting the gym. A month or 2 roll by and the same thing that happened to you last year you starts rearing its ugly head.  Soon you begin to feel like you are spinning your wheels. You haven't lost any weight.. you haven't added any kilos to your back squat and your 5 visits to the gym per week have stifled down to 2. Meanwhile, it seems like everyone around you is making great progress.. they are hitting PR's, are starting to see a change in body composition... while you feel stuck.
Sound familiar?
What separates you from all of those fit, successful people that are seeing amazing results?? I'm willing to bet you have a few bad habits that are standing between you and the progress that you are looking for. Fear Not! I have taken the time to compile a list of common bad habits that I have seen across the majority of people that have fallen off the fitness wagon. Use this list to evaluate yourself and to help you crush your fitness goals in 2016 and beyond!
Bad Habit #1 - You think you’re committed but you really aren’t
Everyone who walks into our gym has some story related to their fitness... they used to workout, they workout 5x/week....they have never worked out in their lives. Regardless, they are usually coming to us because they want something that is really going to work and CrossFit WORKS. Then when it’s time to sign up for a membership, we hear, “Well, I am too busy for an unlimited membership... I'll probably make it in 2 times per week".  Hold on.. back up. I thought you had goals? I thought you wanted to change your life. Now you are too busy? You are too busy to lower your blood pressure and cholesterol? You are too busy to live a longer, fuller life? Here's another spin..You are too busy to help yourself look better naked?(take that one for what it's worth).I get it, life is busy. If you can’t whole heartedly commit at least 4 hours (preferably about 6 hours) a week to fitness, then you probably aren’t going to reach your goals.
Bad Habit #2 - You think you can just workout and pay no attention to nutrition
Think of your average college student's diet... late night DiGiorno pizzas, ice-cream, Doritos,.. and a ton of alcohol. You probably don't live in  a frat house.. and you may not eat that poorly, but we all probably indulge a little too much. That large mocha duncalattachino isn’t doing you any favors in your weight loss or performance department. Here’s a tip: Just because they are mini Snickers doesn’t mean you can eat a bakers dozen of them. That also goes for donut holes. Clean up your diet all around. Maybe you eat too much, or not enough. Be sure that you are getting enough veggies and protein and fat. It is your fuel.
Bad Habit #3 - You stay in the Comfort Zone
Our Coaches say it all of the time.. heck we even had a run of shirts with this printed on it and it really does hold a ton of value.. GET COMFORTABLE BEING UNCOMFORTABLE.  If you always come into the gym on autopilot and never try to take it to the next step.. you are guaranteed to stay in the same place. Now this doesn't mean go way beyond your means. Anybody new to fitness or the methods of CrossFit should focus on technique first and then slowly push themselves in weights and times. After technique and consistency are established, many athletes get stuck in a comfort zone. We get that it can be intimidating to push yourself, but isn’t that why you joined a CrossFit gym in the first place? Slowly start pushing yourself just to the edge of your limits. You can always scale back down if it becomes too difficult.
Bad Habit #4 - You Don't Focus on Technique and You Don't Use A Coach
Our egos can set us up for failure. I have seen people perform their first deadlift then try to pull 500lbs off of the floor. Thats like trying to get a baby who just took their first steps to run a marathon. Things in life don’t work that way. Master the “uncool” movements and everything else will fall into place. Most of all, hire a qualified and experienced coach that understands your goals and can progress you forward in the right direction. Be extremely cautious of learning from someone who got their degree from youtube.
Bad Habit #5 - You Don't Get Enough Sleep
Let's face it.. we are human.. we have all gotten sucked into the 8pm football game on a Sunday night or the movie that starts at 10. What about tomorrow? A lack of sleep can be the difference between a good workout and a bad one, or working out at all. Aim for at least 7-8 hours  of sleep per night. Not only will you get the rest you need for the next day, you will recover better for the next workout, boosting your results.
Bad Habit #6 - You Have an Excuse for Everything
We all know that famous phrase about excuses. As humans we will come up with just about anything to justify our lack of results. Instead, learn from your mistakes and forge them into solutions. Never let a failure stop you from being successful. When that voice in your head starts to conjure up a reason why you didn't reach your goal, be honest with yourself. Did you show up? Are you eating properly? Were you on the couch when you could have been in the gym? Realize that everything we do has a consequence. In everything that you do, ask yourself "will this help me reach my goal?"
There you have it! 
The 6 common good habits that will help you crush your 2016 fitness goals are staying consistent, staying on track with proper diet and nutrition, getting comfortable being uncomfortable, not forgetting about technique (and using a qualified coach), getting proper rest and ditching excuses. Do all 6, and you'll be amazed at how quickly you meet your goals and how your body changes for the better.
If you'd like to learn more about how you can use our CrossFit or Personal Training services to make 2016 the best year for you, fill out the contact form below to send us a note! We will set you up with a free trial where you will meet one on one with me (or one of the other coaches) and we will review your fitness related goals for the next year all while giving you a taste of what we are all about here at EverProven CrossFit.

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