Tom’s Corner: Why Consistency is Key

Written by Tom Marchand

When I first began training with weights (way back in the ‘60’s if you must know!), there were very few of us engaged in such an uncommon practice. As every gym teacher and sports coach informed us, lifting would make us muscle bound and slow, so we’d better avoid it like the plague. Despite the many obstacles in our path (including the fact that there were hardly any gyms available, often necessitating workouts in basements or garages), those of us bitten by the “Iron Bug” kept on training.

Now that we’re through with my rather long-winded prologue, I’ll get to the point of this article: Consistency. Training of any kind is only effective when done on a regular basis. Stopping by the gym for a workout every few weeks or months will not cut it! Your body needs to be hit with another dose of training on a regular basis, or there’ll be no training effect. In fact, coming in to train on a hit-or-miss basis, may actually cause injury, since you are constantly starting each cycle from a detrained state, rather than consistently moving your fitness level upward.

Now that it’s a new year, why not start it the right way and make an effort to get to the gym 2-3 times each week, every week. I know it may seem like a chore, but it’s the only way to guarantee real results from your workouts. Once you make it a habit, part of your routine, your body will thank you by not only feeling better but by also allowing you to perform everyday tasks much easier.

-Tom Marchand