Before you read through this post I want you to think about why you come in to exercise each day. Is it to be more healthy and live longer? Look better naked? Lose weight? Your doctor said you had to? Athletic performance?

Every day you come in for some reason, why not get the most out of everyday?

I have three things that you NEED to do to accomplish your why.  

Bring INTENSITY to your workout:

I have said before that intensity is relative to the person exercising but it is absolutely applicable to everyone. People ask me all the time, “what is intensity?” It is my opinion that intensity is being comfortable with being uncomfortable. Being uncomfortable is holding on to the barbell for five more reps. Pushing it a little faster on the air bike or running a little faster on your 400m repeats. You get fitter by pushing a little further when all you want to stop. It is that simple.

FINISH Workouts Strong:

This one seems obvious to me but I feel is the second most important thing you can do each day to get the most out of your workout. If you are given 15 minutes to exercise then take the entire 15 minutes. Don’t quit 15 seconds early because you don’t want to pick the bar back up or do a few more wallballs. Those 15 seconds could be the difference between losing the weight you want and not losing weight at all. Along the same lines, don’t slow up a portion of your workout towards the end of a WOD so that you do not have to finish the workout on something you don’t want to do. That is the same as quitting early.

Do Not CHERRY PICK Workouts:

The last piece of effort I have requires no effort in the gym. I have been mixing it up lately and posting workouts the day before to prevent some cherry picking but inevitably it happens. My advice to everyone is show up when you can. Don’t look at a workout and say, “I’ll go tomorrow,” because something may come up tomorrow and you miss out on exercising completely. Whatever the workout is show up and do it!

If you want to see results start with these three steps. Whatever the workout says show up and give your full effort.

Richard Andrews

CF – L2