Don’t Be a Star: Our Thoughts on Training Consistency

So many of us have experienced that fire and hunger when we start up with training when the desire and pull of possible results are the strongest. That fire can come about when starting something completely new or beginning a new phase of a current program or working with a new coach- This is great!

But what happens after? What happens when that fire is exhausted, like when stars run out of their nuclear fuels and die? How do we keep going? In this post, we hope to provide some suggestions and recommendations that can help you progress toward your goals! 

Motivation + Consistency

Motivation is an internal drive or need that trigger processes or actions. It is also widely perceived to help maintain focus on goals and in turn, translate that to action and further into desired outcomes. However, due to the irregular and highly dynamic, and susceptible nature of our intrinsic processes, we cannot rely on motivation if we want results. As Roar MMA’s boxing coach, Zobiah (Z) says: 

“Consistency comes down to you. Set your alarm, get your as$ out of bed, and go to training.”

Motivation is affected by our moods, fatigue levels, hormones, other commitments, stress, anxiety, you name it. Most of us have either thought or uttered words to the effect of, “I’m not motivated to _________.” or “I’m waiting for motivation to ________”. Looking at this objectively, motivation is not a reliable source for getting things done! Coach Z wants you to ask yourself…

“How bad do you want to achieve your goals?”

Say hello to consistency! In terms of human behaviour, this relates to actions that are performed regularly or as expected. Being consistent is a no-brainer if we want to see progress and achieve our goals. As BJJ Professor Kyle says…

“Everything in life that is worthwhile is built off being consistent. A good marriage takes constant effort, the Grand Canyon took the consistency of nature over aeons, and not crashing your car takes constant paying attention.

Training and becoming proficient in a skill is no different and requires consistency.”

Consistency is not an intrinsic process but a pattern of behaviour. Behaviours are habits, regular practice, or performance of certain tasks. And introducing the first recommendation. Self-analysis. It is good practice to analyse if those specific tasks that you regularly do align with your goals/ where you want to be. If they do, carry on, if they don’t, what can you modify to change the trajectory? Answering this question objectively can help you identify the direction that is best for you.

The reason we still acknowledge motivation as a factor is because it IS that desire that was strong enough for you to spring into action in the first place. Ignoring it or undermining its importance is a disservice to you, your goals, and your wants.

In order to be consistent with training, we need to ensure 2 things:

  1. What we are doing is sustainable
  2. We program recovery

Below are some of our tips for you to consider…

Deliberate and Sustainable

Set yourself up for success- Don’t be training 3 hours 2 times per day 7 days per week when it doesn’t fit with your life. Take time to identify what is sustainable.

Time Blocking

Take a moment to seriously consider what are the non-negotiables (aka the necessary things such as work/ school, food prep, family time, training…etc) in your life and block out time in your day to do them. This can help you identify pockets of time that you can assign for rest or other tasks; identify a more efficient way to use your time; or cull the unnecessary.

Strength Training

Regularly training in your chosen discipline, you will come to realise that you need to do more to see progress in your martial arts form. This is where cross-training comes in. Sport-specific strength training will help you towards your goals. It does not matter if you are just starting out, a serious amateur, or have professional aspirations, strength training should form part of your program. Besides your discipline training, strength training should be a non-negotiable.

Outsource the Thinking

Sometimes we are too close to see the forest for the trees. This is when an external, objective person can help you. Enter stage left, your coach. These days, you have a lot of options, from in-person to online programming. The reason coaches are important is because they can help you with strategies to integrate all aspects of your life and non-negotiables. We find that coaches who have experience in a specific sport, for us, combat sport, are useful as they have an intricate understanding of what is required and what is useful. Although this is a significant investment, having direction from a good coach will save you from wandering aimlessly; completing workouts that are not sport-specific; support to manage your training load, etc.

Find a coach to work with. This can be for training or nutrition or both! Here at Roar MMA, we have instructors who provide private sessions as well, so email [email protected] if you would like more information for privates. Whether you choose Roar MMA’s instructors or not, find the right coach for YOU.

The right coach will:

  • Vibe with you
  • Is evidence based
  • Invest in their continuous education
  • Respect you and push you
  • Give you the feeling of trust
  • Remind you of your goals
  • Refer out or recommend other services when it is beyond their scope

Recovery-Oriented Training Approach

Instead of considering recovery last or not at all, consider recovery first. Why? Because recovery is that forgotten 5 spice at the back of the cupboard – forgotten but is often the missing ingredient to give a dish that oomph.

We encourage you to consider recovery first. Instead of when we get tired, sore, or worse, injured. Think about it this way. Your martial arts/ fitness/ health/ wellness are journeys. They are not sprints, they are marathons as we want to be able to do it for as long as we possibly can! To do so, we need to look after ourselves, and to do so, rest and recovery are essential. After all, you do not get stronger training but during rest.

Briefly, in order to recover well, you need to refuel (include hydration), reduce (stress/ training load) and rest. This can look like having a protein-centric post-workout meal and hydrating; programming a light run or yoga session the next day, and literally sleeping! Besides looking at the physiological recovery, consider the psychological recovery too. There are some recovery tools that may not have strong evidence to speed up recovery (yet), but they can make you feel better!

Here at Roar MMA Bibra Lake, we are fortunate enough to be under the same roof as Roar Active Bibra Lake which means there is easy access to the pools (including the outdoor, indoor heated, and cold plunge pools), infra-red dry sauna, physiotherapy, and chiropractic services.

*Note that access to these facilities will require a membership with Roar and is not included with Roar MMA membership.  

Let us know your thoughts on this post! If we can help you in any way, please contact us at [email protected]