What You Need to Know About Reaching Your Fitness Goals – Part 1
Nova Health Club • June 6, 2018
Why is My Exercise Program not Delivering ‘Results’?
When it comes to getting fit, losing weight or achieving some other physical performance goal, chances are that you are like most people – wanting the same intrinsic or physical attributes of an athlete. After all, athletes have great physiques, their bodies move and perform very well and they most likely live vibrant energetic lives from their dedicated training, nutrition and lifestyle plans. Or perhaps you were once an athlete and you vividly remember how good you felt or looked and now you want to achieve that once again. The reality is that athletes are healthy and in great shape so who wouldn’t want to look and feel like one?
So you make the decision to take action on getting fit and losing weight!
First of all; Congratulations! The decision making process precedes all else that follows. Then, like most people you take the next step with an exercise program, geared towards fat loss and becoming more fit, that you found in a magazine, downloaded from a fitness guru or through a personal trainer who creates a slightly better version of those same free programs found in media. You are convinced that doing this new program 2 – 3x’s a week is going to bring the results you are looking for.
The above plan is good but the truth is that this plan of action does not work for everyone and many people following this plan will not get the results they signed up for. Why then do some get the desired results while others do not even after working out hard on this ‘scientifically’ sound program, and after having investing the same effort, time and money?
Here lies the secret that you will neither see nor hear in popular media…
First of all there is no secret, what you are about to read is not new or cutting edge! Rather it is based on the fundamentals of healthy living that most of us know yet fail to live by. We fail to respect this truth because our society constantly looks for quick fix solutions like the new ‘perfect’ workout program, new fat loss diet and or new magic pill. Those that struggle to reach their goals, even after having started the right exercise program have neglected essential health prerequisites that are not new or cool enough to be popularized in media. While the workout program was a good first step, it was just a fraction of the entire picture of what it takes to reach your goals.
All that hard work, time and money you invested however mustn’t be dismissed. Don’t be discouraged because it was an essential step towards your goal and sometimes the best first one move for you to make. The other positive news is that you likely feel better, are stronger and more confident towards taking further steps... But simply starting an exercise program 3, 4 or 5 hours a week just won’t cut it if you fail to be healthy during the other 160+ hours a week you are alive. Now let’s get back to what it is you failed to consider outside of just working out - those fundamentals to healthy living that you must appreciate, take action toward in order to reach your goal of looking, feeling or performing like the healthiest and most athletic people out there.
High performing, lean and athletic bodies are built on healthy foundations.
The above exercise program we began with was good in theory. It assumed that all other parts of your life were in good working order thereby allowing you to get results from that program. But reaching your health and fitness goals sometimes is just not as simple as working out 3x a week because the average person does not have the rest of their life built on healthy pillars. Do not expect much positive change from even the best workout program if implemented on top of poor lifestyle foundations like minimal rest, high stress, low quality food and little to no movement. Not only should you not expect big results, it is important to note that this type of lifestyle is not conducive to and sometimes incapable of handling the workouts, part of the exercise programs designed by the best fitness professionals out there. By doing these workouts based on a weak foundation of healthy living, you may contribute to the problem even further. That is why a hard workout sometimes is not necessarily a good workout. A good workout is the right workout for you based on your needs, wants and abilities. Read the last part again – based on your NEEDS, wants and ABILITIES!
Up to this point you have only focused on what you wanted and have not considered what you need or what you are even able to do based on your age, lifestyle habits, current or past health/injury history. No wonder most people have not reached their goals with only training hard! Sorry but just starting a high intensity workout class at the new group studio without addressing the rest of your lifestyle was at best a momentum starter that hopefully made your muscles and cardiovascular system stronger than it was before.
Now that you have accepted the lack of results, be proud of yourself for taking your first step of exercising more and let’s now go back to the other basic healthy fundamentals that must be addressed so you can get results you want from those workout. The next steps you must take are in the hours you live outside of your workouts and thus where your next challenges and focus should lie. While, anyone can start working out 3-5x’s a week, it takes a lot more to change nutrition, stress, sleep and mindset. We often look for the new program or the new diet for answers but there will never be anything new that ever beats hard work and healthy living. If you want results and positive change in your life know there is no magic program or magic pill for success. It is sometimes a lifelong journey with hard work to change the very habits that got you into your unhealthy lifestyle, wanting change in the first place. Embrace this because there is nothing in the world worth having that does not take some effort and dedication.
In Part 2 of this series we will explore those areas we often fail to address in pursuit of their goals – To train like an athlete you must recover like an athlete.
Andrew has been a Nova member for 9 years. One of his long standing goals was to do his first triathlon. He has been working towards this for years and just at the end of August he did it!
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Do Hard Things Now, So Life Becomes Easier Later Modern humans default to the easy way but it's not our fault... Throughout human history, we were wired to survive constant hardship - scarcity of food, threats from predators, harsh environments and manual labor for everything. Our DNA evolved for survival in these conditions, not for modern living. Imagine an early human stumbling across a fruit tree. It made sense to gorge - there was no telling when the next meal would come. The human who gorged had a higher chance of survival than the human who only ate a few pieces of fruit. Practicing self-control in an environment of scarcity would have been a death sentence. Likewise, if given a chance to rest instead of walking miles or hunting, rest was the obvious choice. The problem? Our genes haven’t caught up with modern life. Today, food is everywhere. We don’t have to fight to meet our basic needs. Technology does the heavy lifting, cars replace walking, entertainment is on-demand and calorie-dense foods are always within reach. Left unchecked, our instincts will always lean toward easy options like overeating unhealthy foods (that are so easily accessible) or driving to the store instead of walking. In other words, we’re still hardwired to take the path of least resistance. But here’s the catch: Choosing easy now often means a harder life later and choosing hard now often means an easier life later. Most modern humans are overweight, stressed, tired and dealing with chronic health problems because we’re following outdated survival programming that no longer serves us. It’s time to become aware of these defaults. To override them. To consciously choose the hard thing - because doing hard things is what actually makes life easier in the long run. Hard things like: Going to bed on time instead of watching another episode Preparing a healthy meal instead of grabbing fast food Moving your body instead of sitting all day Walking or biking to the store instead of driving Managing stress with deep breaths and fresh air instead of pouring a drink Looking at your habits instead of masking symptoms with medication It might feel uncomfortable because it goes against everything your biological programming is urging you to do. But that’s exactly why it matters. Don’t think of it as punishment or sacrifice. Think of it as an investment. Every time you take the stairs instead of the elevator, cook instead of order out, or put your phone down to truly rest, you’re building a life that’s easier, richer, and more fulfilling down the road. And remember: Do easy things, and you’ll have a hard life. Do hard things, and you’ll have an easy life. Most of the above information is probably not new to you. That’s because we live in the information age with the internet and now AI - we already know what it is we need to do. The problem however is implementation. This is where having a customized plan and accountability comes in. If you know the hard things you need to do more of but struggle with breaking past your ‘default mode’ then contact us for a complimentary consultation HERE .
Congratulations to Sonya Jeyaseelan, Our July 2025 SuperNova!
Congratulations to Liz Belford, Our June SuperNova!
We are back with our second series of 'Pod Calls' available exclusively to our Nova Health Club members. Don't miss these unique sessions to help you level up your health and wellness game! What is a Pod Call? A Pod Call is a live online (webinar like)_ session with a Nova coach, offering support and insights on key health topics like fitness, nutrition, recovery and overall wellness. Why did we create Pod Calls? Our goal is your success and your health goals can not be built on fitness alone. After delivering thousands of personal training sessions, we noticed a disconnect between fitness sessions we were delivering and the other pillars of health (and lifestyle habits that happen outside of the gym). To get the most out of your health and your fitness sessions at Nova we need to link other pillars such as mindset, nutrition, stress and recovery. Training coaches who care about your results will agree that a couple hours of personal training each week is not enough time to workout AND learn everything you need to know about maximizing those workouts... Things like how to eat before or after workouts, what recovery habits should be practiced or the link between stress and working out are all subjects that you need to know on your health and fitness journey. Pod Calls are dedicated sessions where we teach you essential health and fitness insights that we can't often cover during your gym workouts. We hope you take advantage of these expert-led sessions that will enhance your workouts, teach you new concepts about health and bridge the gap between fitness and overall wellness. Upcoming Pod Calls (all times in EST) Mon Jun 2, 2025 (6:00pm) Topic: How To Eat Carbs For Better Energy, Muscle & Fat Loss Coach: Josh Allen Wed Jun 4, 2025 (2:00pm) Topic: Hip Mobility Using the 'CARS' (active session) Coach: Kim Vo Sat Jun 7, 2025 (12:00pm) Topic: Benefits of Single Leg & Arm Training for Overall Strength Coach: Matthew Nadler Tues Jun 10, 2025 (6pm) Topic: Releasing Neck Tension Coach: Zack Fernandez Wed Jun 18, 2025 (1:00pm) Topic: Training The Backside of The Core Coach: Colin Soltesz Thu June 19, 2025 (7:00pm): Topic: Ayurveda for Healthy Ageing Coach: Kayla Hutchinson These calls are free for Nova members and Zoom links for each call can be found in the Nova Mighty Networks platform. If you are not a Nova member and would like to attend any of these please email Info@NovaHealthClub.com for a seat. We look forward to seeing you then!
Check out the interview with Beth to see the habits, mindset and lifestyle shifts that helped her reach her goals
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