Are you struggling to stick to a workout routine? You need to plan your workouts in advance.
It’s hard to make a routine stick. Really, I get it!
For years I would go through the roller coaster of working out, then kinda working out sometimes, then not, then jumping all in again with workouts… the cycle just kept continuing.
- I didn’t hate the workouts.
- They were appropriately challenging.
- I would see results.
- I always felt great after.
But, for some reason I could not make a habit of it.
Once I started actually sitting down + planning what my workouts would be in advance, sticking to a consistent workout routine became a weekly habit for me.
So, today I wanted to share with you:
- 3 reasons why you should plan your workouts in advance
- Exactly how I plan my workouts each week
- 2 free workout planners for you to use
3 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD PLAN YOUR WORKOUTS IN ADVANCE
1. YOU’LL BE MORE LIKELY TO FOLLOW THROUGH
When you plan your workouts in advance, the schedule will act as a trigger for your behavior to work out. Many times when we go to do a workout we take our time leading up to the workout since we really don’t know what we want to do.
Eventually, many of us end up just ditching the workout + making excuses because we don’t feel motivated to even begin. Why? Decision fatigue. Humans exhaust ourselves with the thousands of micro decisions we constantly have to make.
Once I started using a simple workout planning system, I found that I felt more efficient + productive because I didn’t have to wonder what I was doing every day!
Instead of planning my workouts around my day, I began planning my day around my workouts. Working out then became a priority because I felt inclined to follow the schedule I made for myself.
2. YOU’LL HAVE A BETTER WORKOUT EACH TIME
The second reason you should plan your workouts is that you’ll be way more focused during each workout. No doubt, I have a way better workout when I know two things:
- The body part(s) I am working out that day.
- The exact exercises I am going to do.
Why? Because, like I mentioned above, there are less decisions to make. In the past when I just would wing my workout, I would waste time in between exercises because I had to look up/decide what I was going to do.
My pacing would be slower, I would not challenge myself as much, + I would leave feeling like it was an “ehhh” workout.But, one I took the time to just plan my workouts, I found that my workouts improved.
Since I knew exactly what I was going to do I took the workout more seriously. I felt less anxious about starting the workout + more of a pump ending the workout.
Better yet? I started seeing better physical results + feeling better mentally!
- Related: FREE 20 MINUTE LEG WORKOUT
3. YOU’LL CREATE DISCIPLINE + A HABIT
Overall, this might be the most important reason you should plan your workouts in advance! Everyone talks about motivation when it comes to working out. I get it. It is a big key when on your wellness journey.
But, discipline is where your focus should be. You will NOT always feel motivated to get up + work out or work out after a long day of work. Motivation, a lot of times, is just not enough.
Having a workout plan in place makes it easier to just power through + take charge, no matter what your mindset is trying to tell you. When you begin to check/cross your workouts off your workout list each week you’ll feel inspired to want to push forward + repeat the behavior!
You’ll immediately FEEL results the first week. A few weeks in, just watch… you will SEE results, too.
When that happens, the discipline will just continue. You will look forward to giving your brain a break from decision making + will start to making your workout routine a habit!
EXACTLY HOW I PLAN MY WORKOUTS EACH WEEK
Right now I plan my workouts on my phone every week using the iNotes app.
I simply create a list with the body part/workout I will do each day of the week. This is what it looks like:
If it’s a workout video, I just make sure it’s saved to my YouTube playlist “WORKOUTS” or I note the specific name of the program [i.e. 10 minute abs – BeachBody app].
For lifting workouts [which I do a lot more than videos], I write them down in separate folders in my phone like this:
Related: 5 YOUTUBE FITNESS CHANNELS FOR WORKING OUT AT HOME
Here is an example of a lifting workout I have planned:
In the beginning, if you’re writing out your workouts it’ll take a bit of time. But, over time, you’ll create a library for your workouts + it’ll be less leg work.
To be honest, I usually repeat a week of workouts for 1-2 months until I get sick of them. Then, I switch them up. Really, make your own rules. Don’t think you need to do something different every week!
TIP: Create a “WORKOUT” board on your Pinterest + save pre-made workouts. Here is mine: MY WORKOUT PINTEREST BOARD
2 FREE WORKOUT PLANNERS
Ready to plan your workouts for the week/month ahead?
If you are more of a paper planner type of girl or you’d like to have a digital file to edit, here are a few workout planners that could work for you:
Leave a Reply