Take your progression and performance to the next level ft Dr. Nic Gill

When it comes to health and fitness, progression and performance are two crucial aspects that generally go hand in hand. Whether Fitstop has been your first experience in the fitness world, or you are years into your fitness journey, these principles play a vital role in achieving your goals, no matter how big or small they might be.

PROGRESSION

Progression in fitness refers to planned improvement or advancement in your training routine. It involves goal setting, tracking your progress, and gradually increasing the difficulty or intensity of your training overtime.

Progression is important to track, because it forms the stepping stones towards achieving your goals, and can help you celebrate the successes along your fitness journey to keep you motivated. It is extremely important to remember that progression is not just about lifting heavier weights or running a quicker time, but also about improving your form and technique or overall fitness levels, learning new skills or increasing your range of motion. It’s all about challenging yourself and pushing outside of your comfort zone to become stronger, faster, happier, healthier and more confident!

Sometimes progression is also about “pulling back a little” or having an easier session or week to allow the body time to absorb stress and adapt to avoid burnout. This is what the best athletes in the world do! We need to have “hard weeks” and “easy weeks” to allow our body to express the progression in fitness.

STRENGTH PROGRESSION

Progression can look different for everyone, and it’s important to ensure you are progressing towards whatever your goals might be. Here are some examples of what strength progression can look like in the gym:

1. Increasing a heavy set of 5 back squats from 60kg to 65kg

2. Heavy back squat of 5 reps with the same weight with “better” form e.g. depth

3. Being able to deadlift 80kg for 8 repetitions instead of 6

4. Keeping your elbows higher in front squats, whilst maintaining full range of motion

5. Being able to control a 50kg bench press rather than bouncing it off your chest

6. Being able to complete a chin up with no bands to assist you

7. Being able to hold a plank for 90 seconds instead of 60 seconds

FITNESS PROGRESSION

Another way Fitstopper’s can progress after training consistently over time is in their overall fitness levels. Here are some ways you can measure fitness progression:

1. Decreasing your resting heart rate (more on this coming to Fitstop soon 👀

2. Feeling recovered in less time and being able to add an extra training session into your routine

3. Completing the same workout in a quicker time (with the same rep standards and weights)

4. Being able to complete a 5km run without stopping (or in a quicker time!)

5. Feeling less exhausted when being active with your kids

PERFORMANCE

Performance refers to the actual execution and outcome of your fitness efforts. How your body performs on any given day can be influenced by many factors. Some factors we cannot influence or directly control such as workload, life stressors, illness etc. However, there are a number of factors we can control like how we eat, sleep and hydrate. At the end of the day, what dictates how we perform at any point in time is a reflection of these factors. So, make sure your nutrition is going to support you in achieving your goals and make sure your sleep quality and quantity is sufficient to allow you to adapt and recover.

MINDSET

A massive part of human performance is an individual’s mindset. The mindset of high-performing individuals is often the difference in achievement.

• What is your why?

• What is going to get you out of bed at 5am to train?

• What is going to help you make great food choices and drink enough water?

By having the right mindset that is anchored by your goals, your plan to achieve them is reflected by your dedication, your commitment and the discipline to repeat what is required and when.

Mindset plays a huge part in overall performance, and below are a few reasons why:

1. Motivation and Goal Setting: A positive mindset will allow you to set clear goals and stay motivated to achieve them!

2. Resilience: If you can remain positive and adaptable even when things don’t go to plan, you can keep pushing forward towards your goals!

3. Self-belief: Positive inner dialogue and belief in your abilities can boost self-esteem and enhance performance. You have got this!

4. Focus & concentration: Essential to help you get through those tough training sessions! Stay in your flow state and get the job done!

WE CAN ALWAYS REACH A NEW LEVEL

Progression and performance are quite connected and play vital roles in your fitness journey. Progression fuels performance, and improvement in performance motivates for further progression. An important thing to remember is that progression is never linear and looks different for everyone, so stay true to your goals, celebrate progression towards your goals and celebrate your improvements in performance, always!

Written by Dr Nic Gill