One of my favorite trends in the fitness industry is the 30-day transformation challenge. (If you don’t pick up on the sarcasm, I published a related post yesterday—“Making an Athlete”, May 17). It seems like every fitness center and wannabe personal trainer is promising incredible results in just 30 days. Even the best program, led by the best professional/educated trainers, not demonstrate life-changing results in 30 days. Progress takes time, dedication, sacrifice, and hard work. Even with these, sustainable progress in 30-days is not going to be as dramatic as presented. One might expect an honest fat loss of two, maybe three, pounds in a week. Ten to 12 pounds of fat loss in a month is impressive. Gains in muscle mass are likely to be less than 2-3 lb—depending on effort, diet, and genetics. Strength gains in a 30-day challenge may be large—because the exercise is novel and the person committing to the challenge is untrained or poorly trained. Such gains will come from neural adaptations more so than skeletal muscle hypertrophy. The key to success in any 30-day commitment is specificity and personalization (which most of these transformations lack). Generic WODs work only for the untrained and only to a point.
If you want a 30-day challenge, by all means, challenge yourself. Choose a goal—specific to you—and go for it.
I joked with friends the other day that I had a 30-day fitness challenge: “Get off your butt do something every day for 30 days and in 30-days you will be 30 days older—guaranteed!” I stand by this challenge. What you might also get is results.
Have a plan. If you have an end in mind, plot a path. Add 50 pounds to your squat—plan on 10- to 15-pound weekly increases.
Be specific and intentional. Random, nonspecific workouts may not get you to wear you want to go. Planned, intentional workouts will.
Don’t expect a “new you”. Expect a better you.
Above all else, be consistent, persistent, and patient. Results will come.
Be your best today; be better tomorrow.
Carpe momento!