“A goal without a plan is just a wish.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Most research concludes that about 80% of people who set fitness oriented New Year’s Resolutions are giving up on them at this point in February every year. Sadly this phenomenon has even coined the term “National Quitter’s Day;” a scathingly unfair label to attach to an otherwise innocent, unsuspecting second Tuesday in February, don’t you think? A combination of unrealistic expectations, failure to establish new healthy habits, gym intimidation and a lack of tangible results are all cited as the underlying causes for the gym exodus. Yet somehow, in spite of this unfortunate trend’s high level of predictability, there is little being done in the way of promoting a winning strategy to skew the statistics in the opposite direction.
By juxtaposition, looking at the calendar, I realized that the spring of 2026 marks my 17th anniversary as a full-time fitness professional and in all that time I’ve never actually experienced the “National Quitter’s Day” phenomenon. At Breakthrough Strength and Fitness we’ve had the privilege to coach everyday people (who might even be too modest to call themselves athletes) who use their fitness prowess to accomplish amazing physical feats all the time and they just… Don’t… Quit. Completing marathons, breaking powerlifting records, and winning Jiu-Jitsu tournaments, are just a few of their accomplishments, but also fighting fires, caring for the sick and even performing the most thrilling stunts on the silver screen; these are all common occurrences for our trainees. If we were to narrow down the “vital few” elements that consistently forge successful everyday athletes who defy the odds and stay the course, they would be:
- A periodized program (if we’re trying to get from where we are now to someplace new, we need to follow a map created by someone who has actually made the trip before.)
- A coach (if you knew you had to get in the boxing ring and trade blows with a real opponent in just a few weeks, would you try to train for that fight all by yourself? Didn’t think so, you’d get a coach.)
- Training partner(s) (they don’t have to be on the same program, but they do have to show up and be as committed as you are.)
With these “Big 3” components taken care of, let’s get into a few more details as to the strategy we choose to carry out an individual training session. It’s not by accident that each one takes us a step closer to a better tomorrow and a step away from giving up.
1. Start the session with some form of “reset.” – This might look like a brief breathing meditation, myofascial release with Yoga Tune Up Therapy Balls, vestibular or nervous system training or even all of the above. This helps to quiet the mind, relax the body and serves as a bridge to move the focus from concerns outside the gym to a time focussed on self-improvement. Making a conscious shift to embrace this outcome right as we begin, will noticeably help increase the session’s productivity.
2. Take some time for movement preparation. – Including a section that explores ranges of motion, improves mobility and balance while also performing a program-specific muscle activation “systems check” prior to getting into any strenuous movements isn’t strictly necessary… But it is so obviously helpful in keeping us safe and improving our results that it would be negligent to not do it! Joint mobility drills and individualized corrective exercises prescribed by a coach are excellent ways to begin a training session or even make an off-day more productive.
3. Train your core for strength and skill while you’re fresh. – Practicing a low volume of high tension skills with the muscles of the “core” near the beginning of a session accomplishes a couple of very important things. First, it allows us to train the core for strength before we’re fatigued and distracted from other efforts, which enables higher levels of muscle activation on everything we do. Second, it primes the muscles and skills used to protect the spine during the heavier or harder sets which are about to come.
4. Include an element of power development, agility or other athletic skill. – Some of our programs work on explosive power and agility throughout, some of them just have a power devoted section in the beginning and/or the end, but all them have it built in somewhere. A recent study concluded that the critical power output level required to perform the basics of independent living is about 23.7 watts per kilogram of bodyweight. If we fall below this threshold ability, just getting up out of a chair and moving around becomes too much of a challenge. Maintaining a foundation of good health means that we also maintain power and coordination. This translates to more years with the power to move and function independently.
5. Prioritize strength training. – Strength is the mother of all physical attributes. Greater strength will improve the performance of anything. I grow tired of saying this but… Yes! Strength remains the priority for those with body composition goals too. A body with a higher proportion of lean muscle takes more energy to maintain and as such, will burn more calories, even at rest. A muscle that is stronger will have more “tone.”
A muscle that is stronger is capable of producing more force. With more force being produced, the farther each step will carry you, the more powerful each swim stroke, punch or swing of the bat or racket, the higher each jump will be… The list of movements we can improve with resistance training is truly exhaustive. The stronger we get, the more productive our training sessions are too.
6. Train movement patterns, not body parts. – The human body is made to move. Movement is life. Movement is based on the performance of an action, not the isolation of a limb. The human body can (and should) squat, hinge, push, pull and rotate. Training these patterns and their variations (single leg stance, vertical vs. horizontal, moving in different planes etc.) results in a body that is ready for the action of sport, work or recreational activities and whatever else life demands of us. Train the movement, not the body part.
7. Save high intensity intervals and other cardio for the end of a resistance training session or another day entirely. – Generally speaking, getting yourself “smoked” and then trying to move something heavy or do something hard just isn’t smart or safe for a training session. Remember that this is training, not testing or competition. If the schedule doesn’t permit energy system work on it’s own day or days, then using an element of it to conclude a strength session is an acceptable compromise.
Strategy, planning and structure differentiate the good from the lucky. For some reason, lots of people are eager to do “work outs,” in January, but comparatively few people take part in actual training that lasts a lifetime. Haphazard bouts of exercise performed all alone can be downright dangerous and won’t likely do much in the name of progress. Most people who do them, quit. Random workouts, even in a group class setting, don’t lead to lasting results, unfortunately. A program, a coach and training partners are what the pros use and it’s not hard to see why. The presence of these “Big 3” elements can almost guarantee success all by themselves. With those in place, adhering to carefully structured training sessions using the components described above can work wonders that go beyond the physical. Following a very specific format enables a set of specific results; both physical and otherwise.
After all, “Success is 20% skills and 80% strategy. You might know how to succeed, but more importantly, what’s your plan to succeed?” — Jim Rohn