Why Consistency is King

This Weeks TLC

Before we dive into consistency - here is this week's Tune, Lesson and Content of the week.

Hit me on Twitter if you enjoy this week's TLC.

Tune

Gorgon City - Read For Your Love. B-B-Banger.

Content

A little snippet I found on IG this week from Nick Bare. If you're a runner, you'll dig this:

Lesson

This week has been rough recovery-wise - full of ups and downs. I've boiled a lesson I learned this week into a single sentence:

Consistency

This week, we move to the next part of The Base of Fitness - Consistency.

If you have not read the OG Base of Fitness newsletter yet - click here.

Consistency is the key to all of my success. I'm not talented, I was born with no gifts - I'm just a regular-ass-dude.

But what I am is more consistent than everyone else. I find what I enjoy, I set goals and I hunt.

Earlier this year, I trained for and ran a 105km ultra-marathon. In the lead-up to this ultra, my mantra was:

CONSTSENCT KILLS KINGS.

I wrote a short essay about what this saying means to me:

Consistency Kills Kings

Mantras come and go

Usually with training cycles

This cycle, leading into #100kmforkai, I have struck - ‘Consistency Kills Kings’

This mantra is for me

This is what gets me through sessions I don’t want to do

Last week though, I noticed it catching on beyond me

Questions, mentions, social media tags etc

It’s helping others with their own goals

I like that

Take it

Use it

Abuse it

Morph it into whatever the fuck serves you

For me, CKK’s is…

The word ‘king’ resembles my goal

It could be a person, a race, a time - anything

Right now, my king is 105km

When I run 105km, nothing can take that away from me

I will be the king of that MFing goal

Sure, anyone can kill the king

And sure, you will replace the king as the king

But consistency, consistency earns you the right to be in a spot to kill the king

You may thrash your way to that spot and take out the king - but how long will you last as the king?

You’re not ready

When you hunt with consistency - you EARN your spot

You’re prepared

You’re not just a flash in the pan

You’re the rightful king

Consistency and Fitness

When it comes to fitness, consistency is the be-all and end-all. The more consistent you are - the more successful you are.

Consistency provides unparalleled results.

Sure, you may see someone workout harder than you and lift heavier than you - but you're there every day.

With social media idolising high-intensity workouts, heavy sweating and super-cool-looking workouts, consistency has been forgotten.

If you can remember and embody consistency - every day you will become a better version of yourself.

Some days it’s okay to 'go through the motions' to stay consistent, not every day needs to be balls out - just show up, daily.

But Tom - What About Rest Days?

Rest days are ALWAYS a part of the plan - just rethink them.

Somedays, going to the gym and moving your body is rest.

Change your intent and change your intensity.

Go and move through large ranges of motion. Stretch. Use LIGHT weights - just move and feel the surge of endorphins and positive neurotransmitters. Chase that feel-good!

Or change it up - get outside, go for a walk, go for a light jog, go to the beach, swim, play, hit the local lawn bowls club.

Think of different ways you can move your body whilst still resting.

What I'm trying to say is - SHOW UP for yourself.

Consistency and Science

If you don't believe me and my 15 years of coaching knowledge when it comes to consistency, I've got some cool science to share with you.

Study #1

This is a direct quote from Psychology Today:

‘The classic study of the use of consistency and commitment in social influence was conducted by Freedman and Frasier (1966). In that study, the pair found that a participant's agreement to a small request made them more likely to agree to a larger request later on as well. For example, individuals who agreed to answer a few initial questions about their household product usage were also more likely to agree to a later request for a two-hour household inventory of the products they actually had in their homes. Essentially, this pattern seemed to suggest that individuals want to remain consistent with their behaviour, choices, and commitments over time. Freedman and Frasier (1966) called this process of using a small request to create larger commitments the Foot-In-The-Door (FITD) Technique’

What does this mean for you and your fitness?

This means that showing up for your small/easy sessions like walking, stretching or 'going through the motions' makes it easier to show up for your main sessions.

Yes, this is not a fitness study. However, think about the implications in a fitness scenario.

If you commit to the small sessions, you think to yourself "well I don't want to miss the main sessions because I've already done the smaller sessions".

Executing the smaller sessions builds momentum and makes adherence to the main sessions easier.

This is using the Suck Cost Fallacy to your advantage - it's tricking your psychology.

Study #2 & #3

By training at the same time each day (big or small - just show up) you will teach your body to expect and crave exercise at that particular time.

Essentially you're tricking your biology and teaching your body to expect exercise. You're creating a positive 'addiction'/habit.

I quote - “Overall, it is evident that physical activity is partially regulated by non-conscious processes”

Sources here & here.

Study #4

The last study I want to cite - A systematic review of the effects of non-conscious regulatory processes in physical activity.

This study complied findings from 52 separate studies. It found a strong correlation between exercise consistency and the habits or behaviours executed leading up to exercise.

In other words, if you do the same thing/s before your exercise session each time (i.e. create a routine) your body will expect exercise post this routine.

This phenomenon is what James Clear calls Habit Stacking.

How to use this information? Build a pre-exercise routine so when you don't feel like exercising you can trick your body into wanting to exercise by executing the routine - BOOM.

FYI, my current pre-exercise routine:

• 4:55 alarm

• Bathroom and teeth

• Shot of coffee and beta-alanine

• Grab my smoothie I made the night before

• Drive the same way to the gym with the same music playing

It doesn't have to be rocket science - It just needs to be consistent.

5 Ways to Help You Build Consistency

So we know why consistency is king, now I'm going to share with you 5 different ways you can help breed consistency in your fitness routine:

#1 Exercise at the Same Time Daily

I'm not going to explain why. We covered this already - consistency through biology.

#2 Create a Pre-Exercise Routine

Again, I'm not going to explain this. We covered this above - habit stack.

What I will say here though, James Clear's weekly 3-2-1 email is 1 of 3 weekly newsletters I read. Click here to sign up for it (you should).

#3 Record Your Workouts

Consistency is aided by small wins and progress.

By logging your workouts you are able to track your progress and reflect upon how far you've come.

This is a free source of inspiration when you need it.

#4 Get a Training Partner

Getting a training partner is a simple way to make your fitness journey bigger than you.

No one likes letting down their friends - a training partner is in-built accountability. It works both ways.

#5 Sign Up For Events or Races

This is like setting a deadline when studying.

Signing up for an event ensures you stay consistent - the threat of embarrassment or not performing to your ability looms.

This can be a strong motivator (for some).

Before I leave you this week, I have one more note for you:

At least I'm consistent with my message.

Take care, but be risky...

xoxo