Focus on sustainability and realistic goals

In order to make the training more effective and take it a step further, sustainable goals are important, says personal trainer Pischa Strindstedt.

 - I firmly believe that training must have a purpose, she says.

 Some of us have a never-ending training routine where excuses for going to the gym doesn’t exist. For those of us who need a fresh start once in a while (perhaps after a holiday), it is easy to be eager and plan to go all in from start: the training should be effective and give quick results. But it could be a trap that causes the opposite, warns Pischa.

- Many people come back after the holiday and think they should do as much as possible, but I usually say that less is more to begin with. If you have been off your normal routine and the training has been put back a little, it is easy to put up a plan to go all in from day 1. That way it is easy to go too hard so that you become ill or unable to cope, and the motivation disappears.

 

Set reasonable goals

Pischa recommends to set up a long-term and sustainable plan with two sessions a week, which is then escalated with additional sessions after one month. By thinking about how much time is actually available for the training and setting a plan for that, it also becomes easier to keep the plan.

- In this way, the training will be more durable and thus also more efficient, contrary to go too hard and get sick instead, which can result in illness and having your training set aside for several weeks.

Since it takes time for the body to respond to the workout, it is also important to decide on a clear goal with the workout. Are you training to get more activity into your office job lifestyle or do you want to become stronger?

- Try to channel your thoughts, why you want to exercise and what you want to achieve. You have to be specific about what you want with the training in order for it to be more effective and give results. For example, being super strong in deadlifts and at the same time aiming to tone the body does not, for example, go together, says Pischa Strindstedt.

 

Focus on what you want to improve

Clear set goals are also important to keep your motivation going.

- I firmly believe that training must have a purpose, no matter what that purpose is. And think about what it is you want to be good at. If you want to start running; how far and how fast? With clear goals, it is easier to formulate a plan and write it down for yourself.

Pischa also advises to keep a journal of the training and your progress.

- On the days when it feels a little tough, it is good to be able to watch a video, a picture or something you have recorded to see where you started and the progress you have made since then.