This is a long process.  If you are serious about having a better performing and/or better looking body then you will be working out for a long time.  I always tell clients to think about months and years rather than days and weeks.  Beginners will make tremendous gains in a short period of time.  This is the exception.  Olympic Weightlifters are happy if they add a few kilos to their total per year.  Bodybuilders will normally compete around the same weight most of their careers and anyone who has worked for more than a year consistently knows how long it takes to see real gains. 

Once you get to a certain level gains are made in small baby steps.  Yes, there are exceptions to this but I am talking about advanced lifters or fitness enthusiast.  When I get new people even if they are experienced they make large gains quickly.  This is simply because I am correcting the mistakes they made in the past and they are introduced to organized training.  Once that honeymoon is over they will stagnate. Then you find some small way to improve.  Then stagnate again.  Welcome to the world of working out.  You should always strive for improvement but that doesn’t have to be a bigger arm, leaner legs or more weight.  It can be small things like better form on exercises or to work on flexibility more.  Think about it…

Let’s say you can bench press 315lbs

If you could add 5lbs to your bench press every month that doesn’t seem like much.  However, at the end of the year your bench would be up 60lbs to 375

2 years=435lbs

3 years = 495lbs

4 years = 555lbs

5 years = 615lbs

6 years = 675lb

If it was that easy everyone would bench 1000lbs.  It is a constant battle to improve.  You have to use smarter and smarter training methods and treat your body better and better for these small bits of improvement. 

Anyone struggling with fat loss has experienced the same thing.  You have 50lbs to lose.  The first 20 come off quickly and then you are stuck.  Instead of dieting smarter you do the same thing and get frustrated so you stop dieting all together.  You gain ten pounds, get back to dieting, lose them quickly but are stuck again.  This pattern goes on until you give up all together.  However, it is you who has failed to accept what a battle this will be and that is a long process. 

·         The same training programs won’t keep working

·         The same diets won’t keep working.

·         It will get harder and harder and harder every year.

The improvement of elite athletes tend to look like steps.  A push then a coast.  These are people who have all day to dedicate to improving.  They are fighting the same battle as everyone else.  They have doctors, trainers, technology, physiotherapist, and everything else at their disposal but are still struggling for those small improvements.  Then best thing you can do is learn how to work with your body instead of trying to force it to improve by doing the same thing you always do.  You may feel like you deserve credit for putting in tremendous effort but no one gives credit to the fly who keeps bumping into the glass to get outside. 

It isn’t easy to keep a six pack when you are 45.  It isn’t easy to get your body back after having 3 kids in 5 years.  It isn’t easy getting your deadlift up another 100lbs when you already can pull 650lbs but people do these things all the time.  It is work and accepting that it isn’t easy.  It is a long term relationship.  The honeymoon is over.  You have to grow together.  You have to accept each other for what you are.  You have to constantly work to improve. 

                It isn’t always easy.  It isn’t always fun but if you are smart and you accept you are in it for the long haul then you will have something extraordinary.