How many of you can relate to this scenario?

You just picked up a brand new copy of a book on the latest workout program in the fitness world. As soon as you get home, you furiously read through it cover to cover, set a few goals, and make a plan to start day one on Monday. Then….you start, and you get through 2 weeks of it, maybe 3 weeks, before that excitement – and your motivation to complete the workouts starts to dwindle. Leaving your goals, and the rest of the program in the dust, you move on to the next thing.

I know I can raise my hand to the situation above! The excitement is there and is 100% at the beginning…but then it waivers a little, diminishing with each passing week.

But why does that happen? Why, when we have such good intentions of letting a program help us reach our goals, do we fail to see it through to the end?

There are several reasons, actually (and I’ve strategically designed the format and program of my boot camp program with all of those reasons in mind!) In my opinion, I am only successful as a trainer when my clients are successful, so I’ve  taken into account every one of them, to make the chance of my clients hitting their goals that much higher.

Why Workout Programs Fail

1. Lack of accountability

One of the major reasons that most of my long-standing clients (I’m talking 1 year or more) keep me hired as their trainer is accountability. Sure, within a year, they’velearned enough to go off on their own and create their own workout programs, but there’s something about being held accountable – meeting their trainer 2-3 times a week – that makes it 10 times as likely to be done.

Since I don’t physically meet with my online boot camp participants, each day in your Facebook group, you’ll be held accountable by checking-in with a few words about how your workout went. To add incentive, I’ve volunteered to send a KIND prize package out to the person with the most check-ins every week! Having someone or something keep you accountable on your fitness journey increases your chances of reaching those goals.

2. Too much too soon

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You went from not working out at all to starting a new workout program, complete with finishers and extra cardio on day 1. You also began a new nutrition program which is a complete 180 change from the way you used to eat.

That’s likely too much change too soon. It’s a complete change from how you were living before, and in a lot of cases, it ultimately ends up being too overwhelming to be able to continue for enough time to incorporate it into a lifestyle.

3. Boredom

This is a big one, and is a major reason why those who start a workout program from a book don’t always finish – or finish successfully. You’re typically doing the same 10-15 exercises for 8 weeks, and that can get boring. I’m even guilty of this! I like following a solid, cohesive program, but I also like a little variety

and by this, I don’t mean balancing on any stability or BOSU balls There are alternatives for just about every exercise out there (see alternatives for dead lifts and front squats here!)

In YTP online boot camp, you’ll get two 4-week programs, but every 2 weeks, I’ll give you some new exercises that you can sub in (or not) for certain exercises, if you need a little variety, too.

4. Lack of support

To me, there’s 3 types of trainers out there when their clients don’t reach their goals: some who blame it all on the client; some who blame it all on themselves, and some who blame it both on themselves and the client.

I’m in the latter camp, with more of an emphasis on blaming it on myself. When a client tells me their goals, they become my goals. If they don’t reach their goal in the matter of several months, sure, it might be related to them not sticking with their nutrition plan, or not getting in their “homework” exercise, but to me, the biggest factor is that I am not able to motivate them to do these things as their trainer. (And yes, I’ve ended a couple client-trainer relationships because of this!)

That’s a long-winded, somewhat ranty way of saying that I am my clients biggest cheerleaders. But not only do you get my support, you get the support of every other boot camper who’s going through the same program you are. On the Facebook page, you’ll be able to share successes, struggles, tips, and suggestions with all of your peers – including daily check-ins for your workouts.

Support is huge.

5. Setting unattainable goals that you can’t visualize.

There are tons of goal-setting programs out there, and I outlined 5 tips for reaching your fitness goals here,  but generally speaking, I don’t have my clients make any longer term goals than 3 months. The 3 month goal is usually attainable and specific – and most of all – they can visualize themselves reaching it. If you have a goal of losing 30 pounds in 2 months, do the math, first. That’s 15 pounds a month, or .5 pound a day! That’s too aggressive to be able to complete with a safe and healthy deficit.

Same goes for strength goals. Going from no push ups  at all to 10 push ups on the ground in a couple weeks might be unattainable. Set a goal that you can attain, and then visualize yourself when you’ve reached it.

PS – sign ups for YTP Online Boot Camp close Thursday, 4/17 at 11:59 pm. There are currently 6 2 spots remaining!

Have you ever started a program and not finished? What was the biggest reason to you?

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