Team ISC in Sacramento, CA, we want the workout to be designed around clients’ fitness levels and slowly push past their comfort zone. Challenging yourself is vital to making fitness progress. If the workout isn’t challenging both mentally and physically, you won’t see the progress you want. You’ll maintain your fitness level when you continue to do the same workout without pushing, but you won’t improve. Improvement only comes when you make your workout a little harder.

Take it one step at a time.

Any journey starts with the first step. If you’ve just started your fitness journey, you won’t be able to do as much as you will a month from starting. After a month, that challenging weight or the same number of sets will be easier. That’s because you’re at a new fitness level. It’s also when you should increase the difficulty of your workout and push beyond your comfort zone. It’s time to do more repetitions, extend the time you do the high-intensity section of HIIT—high intensity interval training, or whatever it takes to make your workout slightly harder.

A lot has to do with mental aspects.

In the 50s, Napoleon Hill, an inspirational speaker, shared messages like this, “Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” He wasn’t an athlete, but those words are true for athletes. Consider the elusive goal of breaking the four-minute mile. After almost 70 years of chasing the elusive four-minute mile, Roger Bannister broke through the barrier. Within months, several more athletes broke that barrier. They finally knew it was possible. To get past your comfort zone, you must believe you can!

Push hard, but do it wisely.

Improving at anything always feels uncomfortable when you first start. Consider how you felt the first time you worked out. You have to feel the same level of discomfort to make progress, but not so much that it causes injury. If you feel excessive pain while attempting to get beyond your comfort zone, stop. If you’re pushing so hard it affects your form, stop. Step back, assess your situation, and proceed at a slower, more controlled pace.

• Consistency is the key to pushing past your comfort zone and getting results. Consistency helps you recognize when the workout becomes easier so you can make adjustments.
• One way to get fitter and make it easier to push past your comfort zone is to live an active lifestyle. Not all your progress comes from the gym. You can walk more, take the stairs, and use free time to play with the kids, hike, swim, or do other physically challenging activities.
• Our trainers can help you achieve your best and avoid injury. They constantly check your progress and form to ensure you do everything correctly.
• Always check with your healthcare professional first before starting any fitness program. If you’re working with a personal trainer, let the trainer know of any physical limitations.

For more information, contact us today at Team-ISC