How to Know If You’re Making the Right Decisions for Your Training?

There’s a lot of decisions you can make when it comes to working out, so how do you know if you’re actually making the right decisions? I don’t think the answer is whether every workout went perfectly, because I can promise you they won’t. I’d rather look at whether the decisions you’re making have a reason behind them and if they’re actually helping you get closer to what you’re trying to accomplish. You don’t need to make the perfect decision every time just that you need to understand WHY you’re making it.

What Are You Actually Trying to Accomplish?

“Well duhhhhh Dan, of course this is the first point.” I get it, but seriously, before deciding whether something you’re doing is “right” or “wrong,” go back and start with what your goal actually is. If you’re trying to get stronger, your training should reflect that. If you’re working on movement, power, conditioning, building muscle, losing body fat, or simply trying to move and feel better, those goals can all change what your training should look like. This is also a good point on why I don’t love blindly copying someone else’s workout. That workout might be great and beats you up…but ultimately it was manufactured for them. Their goals. Doesn’t automatically make it great for you. I don’t totally shun the idea away but ask yourself some simple questions. Why this exercise? Why this weight? Why this many reps? Why am I pushing harder today? Questioning things is one of your greatest tools to use in life. You don’t need to give me some scientific explanation for every exercise you do. Just make sure there’s some connection between what you’re doing and what you’re trying to accomplish.

Your Body Gives You Information

Now even when you have a great plan, your body isn’t always going to respond exactly how you expected it to. Are you getting stronger?  Seeing your movements improving? How about your energy and fatigue? Are you actually recovering between workouts? Any aches and pains (abnormal or normal)? That’s all basic information. One bad workout doesn’t mean your program sucks, just like one great workout doesn’t mean you’ve discovered the perfect way to train. Track the ongoing ailments, look at the patterns over time. Sometimes the right decision is to push a little harder but sometimes it’s just to back off. Sometimes, maybe most importantly, you don’t need to change anything at all. Learning how your body responds is part of learning how to train and that take a lot of focus and good recording of your journey.

Don’t Change Just to Change, Decide With a Reason

There’s always going to be another exercise, workout, program, or training trend you could try. Social media will make sure of that. The IG reels will always be there. Sometimes changing something is exactly what you need, but sometimes the better decision is to keep doing what you’re doing and actually give yourself enough time to get better at it. Think about it. If you change an exercise every time you get bored or completely switch your program every couple weeks, how are you supposed to know if what you were doing actually worked? Progress doesn’t always require a new plan. Sometimes progress comes from getting better at the plan you’re already following.

You’re not going to make the perfect training decision every single time. Neither am I. That’s part of figuring out what works for you. Try things, pay attention to how you feel with them, give them some time and adjust when there’s actually a reason to adjust. If something is working, don’t feel like you need to mess with it just because there’s something newer or more exciting you could be doing. Your training should have purpose behind it, but that doesn’t mean it needs to be complicated. Know what you’re trying to accomplish. The more you understand WHY you’re doing what you’re doing, the less you’re simply going through the motions.