The last post, Be Consistent: Three Chances to Win, offered a plan for people who have trouble sticking with a fitness program. The plan was to "pick three (and only three) workouts you can choose from: an easy one, a challenging one, and a 'medium' one in between" and then be sure to do one of them six days a week. Since the easy one is excuse-proof, sticking with this plan is pretty easy. But as promised, here's a way you can spice it up.
The simple way to use this plan is to do whatever workout you feel up to doing (at least) six days a week, even if it's the Easy Workout every day. As with all workout plans (and eating plans), it's best to keep a log. In this case, it can be as simple as checking off the days you do a workout--any workout--and watching that log calendar fill in!
You can improve the effectiveness of the plan by assigning points to each workout. We could go with:
Easy = 1 point
Medium = 2 points
Challenging = 3 points
But we need more than this because consistency is the goal. So while doing the more difficult workouts is a great, two challenging workouts a week won't build consistency like six easy workouts.
So instead, score them like this:
Easy = 3 points
Medium = 4 points
Challenging = 5 points
Your minimum objective is 18 points per week. To reach this, you'll need to work out at least four days.
But we can do better than that with logging!
Each week, keep track of your points. Don't get crazy and try for super high scores right away. Stick with something you can make consistently and work your way up methodically. You know...be consistent! You're not competing with anyone else here. Find scores that work for you.
You can easily keep track in a spreadsheet using a line chart with points like shown below.
(If you get fancy and use a rolling average, you're a geek. But a clever one!)
Try to keep your line smooth, avoiding big hills and valleys. And try to keep your line moving up, because more points per week is better. But only if you can stay consistent!
Give it a whirl and build some momentum with your workouts. Keep a separate log with your personal results (weights, measurements, energy level, etc.) to see how your consistency is paying off. You'll feel it, too!
Be seeing you.
-gary