Progression amidst discomfort

February 08, 2022 4 min read

THE IMPORTANCE OF CONSISTENCY

Have you felt like your performance for exercise has been feeling more like a chore rather than this magical journey of fitness and well-being? Perhaps an inconsistency between your regular gym visits or home workouts?

It's a common problem among people of all ages and all bubbles of interest but, it sure does suck to re-evaluate yourself and question what you used to find passion in.

That is where self-discipline comes in, the ability to push yourself forward and stay motivated – a skill to be honed, and most importantly, a skill to be used in conjunction with consistency. Consistency helps you build momentum to accomplish your fitness goals, develop routines, and habits that should make you involuntarily achieve your goals.

At the same time, make sure to switch things up a little bit – under consistency of course. Doing the same workouts, again and again, does get boring, and it's the reason why people often feel as if they’ve hit a workout plateau and fail to see results.

Reward yourself for the little things, whether it’s through a good nutritious meal or a snack, or fitness gear to help propel you even further. Continue to set up small attainable goals and enjoy the satisfaction of reaching your goals, and if you ever feel like quitting, think about why you started in the first place.

BEING UNCOMFORTABLE IS GOOD FOR YOU

We often associate discomfort as a hassle but in a different perspective, discomfort is simply a sign of progress.

Have you heard of the famous saying “No pain, No gain”? It’s precisely the point of self-discipline and self-growth – the main driving force for our journey in fitness.

The next thing we need to do now is to get comfortable being uncomfortable. Confidence is everything and getting used to discomfort will help you in your journey to fitness!

Never forget to keep putting new milestones and prove yourself wrong about what you thought was impossible. Whether your journey is in weight loss, muscle bulking, or the mental health benefits fitness provides, give yourself a pat on the back, you’ve done an excellent job coming this far into the journey!

No, in fact resting after a good exercise is one of the most vital ingredients for good momentum. Rest is fuel for consistency and it's crucial to practice and to perceive what a good rest is.
Rest can range anywhere from within minutes of break in between your sets to a day or two of relaxation and rehabilitation from a good workout.
Rest facilitates muscle growth and repair, gets the blood flowing and allows momentum for your next training session.

We need to change our mindset that days away from the gym is harmful to our gains because it is in fact the exact opposite. The downtimes are beneficial because they are considered “growth days” to your body, allowing full muscle recovery and alleviating stress from strenuous workouts.

One may opt to include supplements that help speed up recovery to their stack. VPA^® athlete-approved supplements like GABA for good sleep, ZMA6 Recovery, and Harmony tea are all-time athlete favourites that help prepare your body for the next day of training.

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THE MINDSET

Remember that workouts are not just physical; they have a great impact on your mental health too. Remember endorphins? Fitness enthusiasts and athletes are floating in them, you simply feel good when you get your body moving.

Sustaining a positive mindset is crucial for consistency because motivation is passion-driven.

Set an achievable goal and construct a path towards that achievement, every journey is an adventure so make sure to learn along the way.
Actively make goals as this allows you to fixate on breaking a complex task into manageable sizes.

For this we recommend creating workout splits. Workout splits are simply your workout for the day also known as “WOD”. It helps you to plan out and break down which muscle groups are on for a ride for the day. This allows you to save time and persist, knowing you’re thoroughly prepared for the task ahead.

You are what you eat

What you eat is an integral part of a true fitness journey, arguably the most predominant aspect of your health. Eating healthy and energy or protein-dense foods provide you the fuel that you need to perform better.

FOOD TO EAT Before a workout

Eat a light snack before your workout
Fresh fruits, yogurt or smoothies
Bananas are considered the best pre-workout meal.
Boiled eggs

Pick energy-dense foods like carbohydrates to fuel your body.

Oatmeal / whole grains as they supply tons of energy that are released slowly.

Caffeine orpre-workout supplements to give you an energy boost.
Don’t forget tostack up on electrolytes, they provide muscle repair and fluid regulation as hydration is crucial.

FOOD TO EAT AFTER A WORKOUT

A good amount of carbohydrates and proteins are recommended after workouts for muscle recovery. Load up on protein-dense foods like:

Chicken breast
Eggs
Cottage cheese
Greek yogurt

Lean beef
Lentils
Protein Shakes
Vegetarian?See options

Do you really need protein?

Yep, but that’s only true in tandem with a balanced diet, something with a little bit of everything, not just protein alone. Like yin and yang, every fitness journey starts with balance and it’s the same with our diets.

Not getting enough protein can lead to muscle fatigue and reduction because the body lacks the building blocks of protein to facilitate muscle growth. This is often the case when people are left seeing no results to their hard work. You cannot expect to see lean muscle without feeding your body.