Is What You’re Doing Actually Working?

Is what you’re doing actually working? It’s a simple question, yet one that people purposely avoid. And who can blame them? The answer is almost always – NO.

This is not specific to fitness. People tend to conveniently ignore when a relationship is deteriorating, or if they’re underperforming at work. Acknowledging that something is going wrong disrupts the status quo and quite often, brings some difficult changes.

Nobody wants to make things more difficult for themselves, hence, taking the path of least resistance. There’s a fine line between comfort and complacency. In order to enact change, there must be a disruption to your current routine. But that routine is what you know. It’s what you clearly find comfort in. A new routine or habit will undoubtedly bring change and that’s usually uncomfortable for most.

So, just keep doing what you’re doing, and there’s no disruption. Life is great.

Or, examine what you’re doing, and ask if it’s actually working. If not, it’s time to change.

Direction

The goal itself is relative to the person, but the direction isn’t. You need to be aiming towards something. Pick a goal and determine how you will evaluate progress during the process.

Here’s the catch – it must be tangible.

You need to be able to extract some data, look at it objectively, and redirect when necessary.

If the goal is weight loss…

Well, are you actually losing weight on a weekly/monthly basis? If no, fucking change it. Something is wrong. It’s most likely you, but there are times where a change is warranted.

Weight is the most common indicator and it is useful in the process. It’s consistent, hard data that helps you track the trend. I do think it should be a piece of the puzzle, but photos, measurements, body fat tests, etc. are all equally as valuable.

However, leaving it up to how you think you look, or if you think you’re losing weight, is not trustworthy data as it’s clouded by your bias and can’t be visibly compared with another variable.

If the goal is increased strength…

Are you actually getting stronger? You know the answer to this. You might need to completely change your program. As Louie Simmons said, “everything works, nothing works forever.”

Granted, the intensity, or weight lifted, isn’t the only way to gauge progress (unless you’re a powerlifter and the weight lifted is the only thing that matters). Heavier weight, more total sets, more total load, less fatigue from similar workouts; these are all progressions.

And just like the variables for nutrition, these can be actively tracked and compared to gauge progress.

Confront the Data, Often

I like using weekly tracking with my clients for accountability purposes, but bi-weekly gives you a better idea of the overall trend. But you need to look at it. You need to see it. It needs to be real and NOT just what you perceive.

This applies to all goals. Saving money. Buying a home. Starting a business. Investing. Are you getting closer to the end goal? Nothing will be linear, so expect some turbulence. But at the end of each month, see if you’re closer to the goal. You just need consistent, incremental progress and it will compound into tremendous results.

Don’t get caught up in the comfort zone, as there’s rarely anyone truly great hanging around those parts.