13 Traits of Those Achieving the Best Results in the Gym

Have you ever the expression 'success leaves clues'? Even if you haven't heard of this one you are probably familiar with some version of it that has to do with modelling the traits of successful people.

And while this list applies specifically to results in the gym you could very easily substitute the title to emphasize to entrepreneurs or something else and the same traits would apply.

So with that in mind here are 13 Traits of Those Achieving the Best Results in the Gym.

1. They look for solutions not excuses Clients that achieve the best results look for ways to be successful. When they are injured they ask what they can still do rather than list off all the reasons they can't train. If they have a food allergy they seek out alternative ways to satisfy nutrition requirements rather than opting for lower quality & convenient options. When they travel they run stairs in the hotel, do core or mobility drills in their hotel room or swim in the pool.

2. They bring a positive attitude Have you ever trained when Darlene, Kimberly or Gary are in? I don't think I've ever seen them have a bad day. They're always smiling. They introduce themselves to others. They even sing in the early AM before the speakers come on.

And guess what? There is a correlation hormonally between being happy, having less cortisol (or less stress hormone) and being able to get quality sleep, lose body-fat and get great results. ***btw I could list many more names of the amazing clients we get to work with but you get the point***

3. They plan Here's another expression you may be familiar with...'Prior Planning Prevents P*&% Poor Performance. And it refers to planning. Everything. You have to know when your training sessions are. What you will have for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. You have to know when you will be asleep (not just in bed) and when you are getting up. By not planning you leave too much to chance.

4. They train in the AM While there are people who train later in the day and get great results for the most part better results come with training earlier in the day. Look at it this way...are you busy? Almost everybody will answer this with a yes. And when we are busy there is a good chance something will pop up during the day and throw a wrench into our plans to train later in the day. But at 6 am there are fewer things that come between you and training.

5. They commit Many people will talk about what they will do with their training. And this will all magically happen at some point in the future. Time is a common excuse. I say it's an excuse because if it were a high enough priority they would find the time and commit. But it's not and so they don't.

6. They do whatever it takes We used to ask our clients to give their best. And we would be happy with that. But guess what? This is probably not there first attempt at trying to lose the extra 25 pounds they're carrying around. And they probably gave their best those previous times as well. Sometimes convincing ourselves that giving our best is adequate just makes failure a less bitter to swallow. If two days a week is your best but success requires two days successful people find a way to make three days happen. They become WIT people.

7. They have a comprehensive plan Successful people realize that success is not simply about adding more pounds to the bar. And it's not just about getting enough sleep at night. And it is not achieved solely by eating quality foods. They understand that each of these are spokes on a wheel and a wheel cannot function with just one spoke.

8. They believe in the process If you see yourself achieving a goal you are more likely to realize success. However if your mindset is one of failure and thinking of all the reasons why you can't succeed, you won't. Maybe you guys can help me out on this one, who said 'Whether you think you can or not, you're probably right'?

9. They are goal oriented Some people go to the gym with no clear or vision. Others will have a general goal such as weight. Next there are those that will be more specific such as wanting to lose around 20 lbs. Lastly we have people who are so focussed on their goal that can tell you how they want to lose 17 lbs in 3 months and get down to under 150 lbs from the 167 they currently weigh. Quite a difference as to how we approach a goal isn't it?

10. They are writers Successful people write things down. Period. I don't care if it's in school, in business or in the gym. I'm kind of like Linus from Charlie Brown but instead of a blanket I always carry around a pen and notebook. I have it with me at every training session, every meeting, every conference, every phone call...everything. Watch Carmen after every training session and you'll see her writing down her loads for the workout.

11. They do the extra Saturday workouts are never programmed into anyone's schedule. But some clients and coaches never miss a Saturday. I doubt that they wouldn't appreciate an extra hour of sleep to start the weekend. Or in Darlene's case imagine getting off work Sat at 7 am and coming in for training before going to bed. That's doing the extra.

12. They get comfortable being uncomfortable humans adapt when exposed to a new stimuli. This helps us grow, learn and get better at a particular skill. If we only ever exposed the body to the same demands at every workout we would stop seeing results. And it may get a little boring. Some people struggle with Turkish Get Ups and make it a goal to master them. I remember watching Gio Sambrielaz start training with us years ago, practicing TGUs. It wasn't always in his program yet he worked on them on his own. Then one day I saw him do a TGU with the gold (107 lbs) KB!

13. They want it for themselves Not only do you have to believe your goal is possible, it has to be something for yourself. You can't do something significant for someone else and stick with it long term. You need to appreciate how a stronger, healthier body helps with your relationships, your career, your sports and your overall life. When someone recognizes these benefits for themself it becomes easier to stay the course and put in the work.

What do you think? Do you agree or disagree? What else would you add to this list?

Chris [fb-like]