Coach's Corner: Checking the Box

Managing PR’s and Progress

Ever feel like you’re just plugging away?

It can often seem like pulling yourself out of a warm bed to head to the gym, go for a jog, or do some simple exercises at home is just a grind that gets you nowhere and never ends. You see no difference in the mirror, on the scale or in your lifts and might start to wonder “What’s the point?”

The truth is you might be looking to the wrong metrics for validation.

What Progress Looks Like

Many of you have probably seen a line graph drawing that shows “What people think progress looks like VS what progress actually looks like” (I added my own just in case you haven’t). I’m here to tell you the image on the right is accurate!

I like to visualize progress is like a flowing river. It meanders left and right, and even seems to double back on itself at times. It shifts from rapids to a lazy river with little warning.

But here’s the thing: that river is always flowing toward its outlet.

Measuring Progress & PRs

We so often focus on the most easily measurable metric to decide if we’re getting results. The number on the scale, the weight on the bar, or the time on the clock. But there are so many metrics to gauge your progress by! What about your heart rate variability? Your sleep quality? The strength of your bones and connective tissue? What about that nagging knee pain? The list goes on…

All of these measures are important at any given time, but can also become more important during different stages of life or goal-setting. Injuries can change our direction. Work/life balance can alter our speed. But we are always flowing forward.

Check the Box

Remember not every single workout needs to be a homerun. If you’re telling yourself “I’m not sure I have the motivation for the gym today” just show up. Doing something will always be better than doing nothing. Your body will reward you for the effort and you’ll continue moving forward.

So show up, get some work done and enjoy the rest of your life!