Part 2 - Training techniques - Why failing to plan is planning to fail

4. Being stagnant - Nothing ever grows by being stagnant - Yes, you may not realise it but you stagnate. I see it many times. The same program is followed every month with the same repetitions and the same weight, the same intensity and duration for cardio. In the beginning, you saw progress. Your body adapted pretty well too. You developed strength and became fitter, the weight started falling off. But at some  point, you hit a plateau and became frustrated.
Why isn't this working? Why should I bother?
Your body is a pretty efficient machine, it adapts pretty fast to new stresses you put on it. Which means you're now better at doing what you do and you need to change the kind of stress you put on it in order to get more gains.
Talk to your trainer about varying your program every 6 - 8 weeks. If you're training by yourself, read and research ways to break a plateau. A change is as good as a rest. Usually, this is enough to begin showing progress again.

5. Diet - Yes, diet.
You see, there are so many people who believe that exercising will improve their health and will read and research a lot on exercise forgetting that only 20% of the battle is won with physical activity. You cannot outrun what you eat.
If your eating habits are bad, they are bound to compromise any progress you would have made. Whilst fitness professionals might look like they know what they are talking about, very few of them are actually qualified to give advice on nutrition especially where conditions like diabetes and morbid obesity are a part of the equation. Please consult a nutritionist on this. I know for a fact and from experience even doctors have very little knowledge as pertains to nutrition. Don't rely on quick diets that will damage your metabolism. You don't have to buy expensive foods to be healthy. Seek good information that will lead to a sustainable lifestyle that won't burn a hole in your pockets.

6. Failing to have SMART goals - Anyone who has been in a management class will have heard of setting SMART goals. Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time Barred. We usually hear of goals that are Time Barred and Measurable but lack the rest of the factors. For example, by the end of 2015 I will have lost all my baby weight which amounts to .....kg. How I will go about it? I don't know. Whether this is achievable? I don't know. I haven't done the research to know this. Is it realistic or do I think I'm on the biggest loser? Probably the latter.

Having SMART goals means that you will be able to plan your training progression and diet accordingly and then be able to make changes as time goes by to ensure you get to your goals. If I want to run a marathon in the next two years, I know how many kilometres a week I need to cover and the kind of strength and endurance training I need. Weekly, monthly, quarterly and half yearly goals and training cycles that include rest will help me achieve this.

Most of us are not athletes and do not need elaborate plans. However, there is some truth in the saying that failing to plan is planning to fail. Take the time to plan and review your plans. It's worth the effort.