Once you’ve been in the iron game for a while, you start to develop daily habits that complement the work you do in the gym. One key strategy for advanced athletes is hitting daily goals as opposed to focusing on just the long-term. Experienced weightlifters still have long-term goals, of course, but they’re seasoned enough to know that creating habits that they do everyday will facilitate long-term success.
You can’t build muscle, get lean or increase strength just by setting a goal. You need to think about the things you do each day if you want to have longevity as a lifter and keep making progress. Even if you’re a total beginner when it comes to strength training, there are certain habits you can pick up from advanced lifters to improve your health and get closer to you goals, whatever they may be.
Copy these six daily habits of experienced lifters to stay healthy and keep moving toward your long-term goals.
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They Review Their Goals
Veteran lifters will keep their eye on the prize and make their goal the goal. If they need to get in 200 grams of protein, drink a gallon of water, or eat five meals each day, they’ll keep these goals in mind throughout the day. If they’re lifting upper body on that day, they’ll think about the exercises they need to execute, the time they’re working out, and how long it should take them.
Bottom line: they’re giving themselves a constant reminder of the mini goals they have to reach every day.
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They Move
In the past, bodybuilders, powerlifters, and others in the weightlifting community would fear that if they did other, more functional physical movements, it would hurt their gains. They wanted to optimize recovery and not over-train. We now know that moving and engaging in active play each day is great for recovery. Nowadays, lifters utilize many techniques on off-days to get an edge on the road to their goals. On non-lifting days, a long walk, stretching and mobility drills, or any other physical activity can be very beneficial for long-term recovery and growth.
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They Evaluate Their Physiques
Even though your body doesn’t change much day to day, it’s imperative that you create a habit of looking at your physique and notice changes—and possibly injuries or movement issues.
From an aesthetic standpoint, it keeps you honest with your current condition in regards to muscle growth and leanness. From an injury and movement issue, it helps you understand if you need to back off from training, get something checked out, or push the limits when you are feeling well.
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They Keep a Journal
A journal of your training can be a very useful tool, especially in the long-term. It lets you to reflect back on what worked and what didn’t work, tracks your progress, and helps you remember any issues you had with a certain lift or program. If you just wing it and don’t pay attention to past programs, diets, sleep patterns, and injuries, you’ll find it tough to make any progress.
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They Take Care of Their Bodies
Avid lifters don’t only think about lifting big weights and getting huge. That’s what college guys tend to do, but after you lift for 10-plus years, you’ll accumulate some injuries and issues. This is where Epsom salt baths; foam rolling, extra sleep or naps, massages, and even some Yoga will come in handy. If you pound the weights long enough, you’ll earn some wisdom and find ways to keep on going. Getting huge is one thing, but doing it for a long time will require you to take care of your body everyday.
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They Are Consistent
Experienced lifters see it as a lifestyle, not just a program. They know that drinking water, sleeping enough, eating correctly, and staying in the weight room will only pay off if they are consistent. Sure, they may miss a meal here and there—or even some workouts—but they know that being consistent for the long haul is where it’s at. They never totally get out of the lifting game for extended periods of time, and they pay attention to their diets. If you’re not doing something to improve your body each day, you’ll have a tougher time calling yourself a true lifter.
