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A contribution from a Chicago Lodge 7 Magazine sponsor
Chin up – you can make your New Year’s commitment
The New Year has arrived, and people are mak- ing goals to be healthier and fit by trying to lose weight through diets, signing up for a gym or hir-
i i
short-lived and often result in going back to normal habits because of lack of commit- ment and a plan of action.
A great example of commitment is go-
ing to work every day. You know you must
be on time for work and perform your du- ties as an officer and, in turn, you receive a
paycheck. Even when you feel sick or didn’t sleep well, you still attend work (though I don’t necessarily agree with going to work when you are seriously ill). The point is there is a re- ward for going to work and being at your best every day. You must prepare mentally and physically for every day you are on duty. This discipline can apply to exercise and becoming or staying healthy and fit.
I’ve learned from a mentor that “motivation is temporary, but commitment involves discipline and dedication.” Ap- plying commitment in achieving any desired goal takes hard work and focus. A plan of action toward your fitness goals will help your commitment through the process.
I look at setting fitness goals like creating a financial bud-
BRIAN SCHAB
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g g
a personal trainer. But these goals may be a
62 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ JANUARY 2019
Personal Fitness
get. A budget is a plan that lays out what your expenses and income are and what you have left for spending. Fitness goals must have a similar approach. Write down your goal, with a reasonable time to achieve it, then create a weekly plan of at- tack of how to reach the goal.
For example, the goal may be to do a vertical pull-up, and you give yourself six months to reach it. Find out what your schedule allows for weekly workouts, and plan each in your calendar. Make it even more detailed as to what you are fo- cusing on in each workout, like “Monday: upper body-pull- ing/trunk exercises.” A side note, if doing a pull-up is your goal, performing this exercise alone isn’t the best strategy. Your workouts may be heavily focused on upper body, but don’t neglect your lower body or the trunk muscles (core), as they have their function in helping, too.
Creating a nutrition plan is also essential. Are you eating too little or too much to reach this goal? This is just as import- ant as what you are eating. You can research recipes online for you to cook and meal-prep for the week. Staying hydrated throughout the day will allow muscles to be pliable and ready for your workout. In addition to nutrition, other variables such as quality of sleep, management of stress and perform- ing cardiovascular exercise (possibly less than normal due to your goal of pull-ups) need to be controlled and consistent.
Depending on your goals, the workouts will be different in intensities, and the sequence of exercises may be altered towards the specific goal. Part of my job as a personal train- er is to create the strategic order of workouts for the desired outcome. If you have any questions on workout plans, please don’t hesitate to email or call me.
Remember, being committed to a goal takes focus and hard work. Creating a plan of action will help you stay fixated on the end goal. It will be difficult, but it will also be worthwhile because of the work you put in.