9 Fitness Excuses We're All Tired of Hearing
Reaching your fitness goals requires dedication, motivation and consistency. If you're not making any progress, chances are you're lacking in at least one of those. It's easy to justify this with the same old excuses - we've all been there.
Here's your reality check: excuses will get you nowhere. You can try to justify your lack of effort for as long as you like, but it's not going to help you in the long-term. In the words of Master P, success requires you to "work hard and never make excuses".
Here are the top 9 excuses we're tired of hearing at Kitbox HQ:
1. I Don't Have Enough Time
If you think you don't have enough time to train, you're lying to yourself. Come on, an hour in the gym is 4% of your day. If you have time to spend on social media, reading articles like this, you have time to train! If you're serious about making progress, stop kidding yourself and start putting your fitness first.
2. I'm Too Tired
Life is busy, demanding and stressful. We get that. You're expected to go to work, fulfil your family commitments, spend time with friends and still find time to train. It's exhausting, we know.
This all boils down to how much you want it. If you're occasionally too tired to train, and decide to spend the night on the sofa with a pizza and a film, that's cool. If your head's not in it, forcing a session will do you no favours.
That said, if you regularly use this as an excuse, it's probably your mindset that's letting you down. Break the cycle, get more sleep, and show up to your planned sessions.
3. I Keep Getting Injured
Recurring injuries are a sign that something isn't quite right - but does that mean you should give up entirely? (Clue: the answer is no.)
Instead of skipping the gym entirely, there are a few things you should do to take control of the situation to train injury free:
- Reduce the load, until you figure out what's going wrong,
- Assess your technique, and go back to basics where required,
- Make sure you're getting the appropriate amount of rest,
- Work through any mobility issues with your coach,
- Book an appointment with a physio to get recurring problems assessed professionally.
Simply ignoring the issue won't make it disappear. If you want to keep training, sort it out!
4. I'm Not Enjoying It
There are over 8,000 different sports out there. If you're not enjoying it, change it. It's really that simple.
5. My Training Program Isn't Working
We all know that feeling: you start a new training program, full of enthusiasm, but it doesn't deliver the promised results. So, then what? Are you just going to give up?
The way we see it, you have three choices:
- Stick with it, and see it out until the end. As we've already mentioned, results come from consistency and determination. They also require patience.
- Change it. If you've stuck it out, and you're still not getting results, try something else.
- Give up, and sit at home feeling sorry for yourself.
What will it be?
6. I Can't RX the WODs
Feeling intimidated by the ninjas and ninjettes in the box is a common excuse, but that doesn't make it any more acceptable.
Cliché alert: everyone has to start somewhere!
Most people don't walk into a box and start knocking out unbroken muscle ups. Instead of feeling intimidated, get inspired! Talk to people, listen to their advice, and be patient. You'll get there eventually.
7. I'm Having a Bad Week, I'll Start Again on Monday
You went a little crazy at your office's annual cake sale, so you're going to write off the whole week? What happens next week, when Dominos drop their sneaky little "Two for Tuesdays" email into your inbox when you're feeling weak?
You fell off the wagon. So, what? We all like a little treat every now and again, isn't that what life's all about? The secret is to hop back on that wagon before it runs you over.
8. I'm Lacking Energy on This Paleo Challenge
We don't need to spell out how ridiculous this sounds, do we?
Eat some carbs. Train. Get over it.
9. Post-Leg Day DOMS
You had an intense session yesterday, and you could barely make it down the stairs this morning, you almost had to leave for work without putting on your shoes, and the less said about sitting on the toilet, the better.
It seems counter-intuitive, but a light WOD might be exactly what you need right now. Unless you've had DOMS for more than two days, quit the excuses and train. You'll feel better for it!
If you're regularly suffering DOMS that last more than a couple of days, it's a sign your body isn't recovering properly. Take some time out, drink lots of water and get plenty of sleep. Once you've figured out what your body needs, get back to it.
