Proper Fitness Prep begins long before pushing the play button and getting your body going. Without good Fitness prep and good goal setting, you may never reach your Fitness goals.
Tracking Progress
Its important to measure where you start and track progress to hold yourself accountable. That means having your before and after pictures as well as taking your measurements already. Goals are the first start to fitness prep and it can be as easy as planning where you want to be based upon where you already are. After that, getting your goal’s together and finding a program that is best fit for you is how to start getting things into gear. If you need advice on how to make good realistic, measurable goals go to my post about quadrant goals.
For more in-depth tracking, make sure you put a starting entry into our weight tracker to log your starting, and target weight. This tool allows you to also see how many calories to eat at each meal. What macros to eat at each meal, etc.
Going over the Program
Before starting a fitness program, its important to review the videos ahead of time. Some of them involve moves or routines that will be new, trying to figure them out in the moment can cause frustration or kill motivation for finishing the workout. Similarly, knowing the reps, sets, weights, and rest periods will ensure you can keep up with the workouts. In addition, go over the guide to your program. It will list the List the Equipment needed for your program. That will ensure you have everything you need to get started on the right track!
Clean
Make sure that your workout area is clean! Imagine in the middle of your workout you trip over a shoe, topple over and cause an unnecessary injury. That will only delay your goals and progress. In addition, Clean and prep the kitchen because when it comes to getting results, it consists of 20% workout, and 80% diet! In other words, It’s important to have a nice clean workout area and a clean kitchen so you can remain organized and stay on track of your program. Check out our Nutritional post and ensure you are eating healthy all the time.
Hydrate
Proper hydration is key to maintaining good workout performance. If you’re dehydrated as little as two percent, your workout performance can suffer. In addition, if you’re dehydrated five percent, experts suggest that your power output can be reduced by 30 percent. And it’s not just performance: Exercising while dehydrated can result in dizziness and cramps, ruining the exercise experience entirely.
You may not even realize you’re in need of a drink. By the time you are thirsty, you are already beginning to dehydrate! But chugging a giant bottle before you exercise isn’t the best solution either. Working out with a full stomach can make you sluggish or cramp more easily. Its recommended by the American College of Sports Medicine to drink 20oz of water before you start.
If your concerned about the quantity of water you are drinking, check out our post about Proper Hydration!
Pre-Workout Meal
Eating before your workout is important to keep you fueled during exercise, and able to push your workouts to the limit. Keep in mind that not just any foods will be good for a pre workout. Fatty or greasy foods can upset your stomach and make you sluggish when it comes time to get to work.
If you are short on time or like me, workout in the morning, you should still eat something. Theres no need to force down an entire meal, just opt for a snack. Usually a BEACHBAR 30 minutes or so works great for me.
Gather Supplements
There are multiple types of supplements that anyone can take, check out our Supplement post to find out which are best for you. Ensure that all your supplements are on hand and ready to be taken when needed. Halfway through your workout is not a good time to be hunting down Hydrate from the back of your pantry. Others are most beneficial to be taken at certain times. Pre-workout 30 minutes before or Recovery within 30 minutes. Knowing when and having supplements available can work in tandem with your workouts to help achieve an ideal body.