What comes to mind when I mention the word “success?” Does career, financial freedom, or having kids pop up? The success that I’m referring to is your mental, behavioral, and physical success. To nourish each of these areas, you must keep your mind stimulated, challenge your personal habits and patterns, and maintain a stable physical foundation. How can you accomplish this? By using simple and structured workout plans.

People often ask me “how do you stay so disciplined with exercise?” Giving detailed attention to workout plans came to me at an early age of fifteen. Being a short 5’5″ man my entire life was the fuel to my fire during my younger years. It took a number of years to realize that keeping my muscles shredded didn’t serve my lack of height in any way, shape, or form (big pun intended).

As my life progressed into my college years, the implementation shifted. Yes, I still loved creating a physical body definition, but the feeling of accomplishing intense workout plans was parallel to a newfound strength.

Without getting too deep into my healthy gym obsessions from the past, I simply wanted to share how I created overall exercise success. The path that I took wasn’t the healthiest path for the mind and body, but it led me down a journey I will always remember.

After many years of exercise experience, I have found that it’s easiest to create a blueprint. Here is my simple 6-step to success blueprint you can start using today, for implementing and achieving your workout plans:

1. Start With A Well Formed Outcome (WFO)

According to my past instructor Nicole Schneider of Global NLP, “most people are inherently in a darkroom trying to find what they want, if they even know what they are looking for in the first place. It is hard to achieve the life you want, if you don’t even know what it exactly is that you want.” The structure in a successful person’s way of thinking is known as a Well Formed Outcome, in NLP terms. I began studying Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) a few years back, to help increase my coaching skills and provide guidance to my clients more efficiently. Spend a few minutes to explore the Internet, and you will find various WFO’s. Pick a simple WFO to follow, and begin your journey towards the enjoyment of implementing workout plans.

2. Develop A Weekly Schedule

Sunday is a day of rest for many, while numerous people prepare for the coming week. How about both! While you are relaxing in front of the television, take a few minutes and pencil in two to three days of exercise for the coming week. Use a smartphone app if you feel it may serve as a tool towards accountability. Select days and times that you know will effortlessly fit into your schedule. Having written time slots in your schedule can boost sticking to weekly workout plans. Writing things down brings clarity, focus, and allows you to stay on track.

3. Choose A Workout Focus

Exercise variables range from the actual exercise, reps, sets, tempo, and rest periods. There are many exercise programs out there, but don’t get overwhelmed. If hiring a personal trainer to write you a program is out of the question, then you need to begin to explore on your own. Learn a bit about exercise routines. Do a Google search with something along these lines “beginner workout routine.” Use your search to cater to how experienced you are at exercise. Keep your workout plans to one hour or less. Stick to workout plans that are more anaerobic based (bodyweight, free weights) versus aerobic (treadmill). A general workout structure that I coach clients with is: warm-up stretching, a few minutes on the treadmill, the workout, and occasionally a brief cool-down.

4. Mix A Workout Cocktail

Creating a workout drink is a commonly disregarded prescription. We need to become aware of the demands that exercise places on the body. Exercise is a physiological stressor, plain and simple. In order to modulate stress and regulate blood sugar during exercise, you should consider making a workout cocktail. Make a drink using some form of carbohydrate and protein. According to John Ivy PhD, “when you consume carbohydrates with a protein, you will be able to spare muscle glycogen, blunt a rise in cortisol, and prepare your body for faster recovery following a workout. The workout cocktail I typically make contains organic pulp free OJ, gelatin, and a touch of salt to help reduce adrenaline and cortisol as well.

5. Grab Your Gear

Having a few goodies in your gym bag will provide you with a sense of focus and ease. Do you enjoy jamming to some music while you move the body? Grab your iPod mini or pick up a portable music device. Music provides you with intensity, motivation, and concentration. Pick up a mini notepad at the dollar store. I have found that most people walk into most gyms without a plan. Your notepad is your personal plan-in-hand. The workout focus you chose in #3 will be written in your log, with the ability to make changes as you progress. As a general rule of thumb with workout plans, stick to a sixty second rest period between exercises; consider bringing a stopwatch for this strategy. Oh, and don’t forget your towel!

6. Finish With A Balanced Meal

Now that you have primed the pump by bringing a workout cocktail to the gym, you will need to keep your blood sugar in check by eating a nourishing post workout meal. This will help fuel your cells, muscles, and brain. Maybe you have your meal ready to eat, before your workout plans even occur? To keep it simple for now, I want you to remember these three items when choosing your meal: carbohydrate, protein, and fat. Get all three at your post workout meal, with most of the meal focusing on the carbohydrate and protein aspect. If you want to recover faster, reduce your cravings, and boost your metabolism, you have to develop a post workout meal routine.

Do you want to make small yet powerful changes to your health and well-being? I have a feeling that your answer is yes. Imagine what it will look like as you are heading to the gym with your gear in hand. Notice what it feels like to have a few workout plans written on your schedule. Can you see yourself completing your workout plans and picture what it will feel like once you are done? Excellent!

Start nurturing your mind, behavior, and physical well being with my 6 steps To Success. I look forward to seeing you at the gym.

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