Recently I was on the road traveling. I am at the hotel gym and a third of the way through an intense body weight workout when the back door slams open. In walks a fairly in-shape guy, maybe 5 years older than me. He gives me a few awkward looks as I am hopping around and doing push ups on the floor. My new companion who I will call Gym Buddy, saunters over to the water machine area. He grabs a glass of water and scans the newspaper.
He then aimlessly walks around all the machines a few times before selecting the recumbent cycle machine that has a sitting-down position. He figures out the toe clips and pushes a few buttons and gets on his way to cycling. A few minutes later, things got interesting.
My Gym Buddy was pedalling away reading the newspaper with one eye while watching the news with the other eye. Then he suddenly jumped off the bike and sprinted for his cell phone that he left by the water cooler. About 40 seconds into his next cycle pattern, the annoying (for me) call came in.
He couldn't hear the caller so he goes over and grabs a floor mat and lays it down on the floor and proceeds to lay on his back and FaceTime with the caller about getting a certain high grade Casio watch for the function on Friday. The wifi connection was failing him and Gym Buddy then bolts out of the gym in haste.
What was the point of that workout for him?
It made me think about how gyms can be the worst place to workout. That is why I workout at home or in the Dojo. There are no cellphone distractions in either place.
Do you struggle with your focus at the gym?
These 3 workout focus tips will guarantee success and keep you going strong this week in your fitness:
1. Have the right gear.
Please invest in the correct form of footwear to match your activity. Then wear the best clothing for the task at hand. Both my gym buddy and I had the right gear on.
2. Have a plan for what you will accomplish.
I had a killer 40 minute bodyweight workout plan loaded and ready to go with me to follow along with. Gym Buddy on the other hand had no plan. I know that no plan in a gym can lead to a serious waste of time and the potential for injuries by using equipment you are not trained on.
My Disclaimer: please consult a fitness trainer at the gym and ask for instruction on any piece of equipment you want to use. Just one reason why I keep it simple… my body, a pull up bar and a few dumbbells.
3. Track your results.
I know I burnt 693 calories in my 40 minutes in the gym. How much did my friend burn? Maybe a 100 calories?
A heart rate monitor is a valuable tool to use here. I use the Mio heart rate monitor which works great for me.
I track my results as part of my 90-Day Plan for my fitness goals and you might want to consider doing this too. Whenever I have a target for 600 calories burnt per workout, I push harder to get there than if I didn't have a target and way to measure it.
Bonus Tip: Be respectful of others anywhere.
Why do you go to the gym or workout?
Why? If you are going to invest your time, energy and resources going to the gym to workout, you should expect a return on your investment. The return could be better athletic performance. It could be better health and longevity. It could be to meet or maintain your ideal weight.
Whatever your reason, focus on it when you are there. Don't cheat yourself out of the benefits that come from following a well laid out exercise program. Be focused about why you are at the gym and avoid the waste of time and energy that my Gym Buddy experienced.
As you can see below, Gym Buddy left without a drop of sweat on his face, while I was drenched in the H2O that came gushing out of my skin.
Where do you normally workout?
What is your favourite workout program that you follow?
Leave me a comment below as I am always up for learning about awesome workout programs that you may be using right now to accomplish your fitness goals.
Domo Arigato.
