2 weeks Ago By Mike Augustyniak
MINNEAPOLIS — When it comes to fitness-related New Year's resolutions — breaking them is almost as much a tradition as making them. Twin Cities-area strength coach Carl Champion says about 80% of people who sign up for a new gym membership in January are gone by midyear. "Inspiration is very short lived.
Motivation comes in waves. So what you really need the most is intent. You need some type of a plan," Champion said.
"New year, new you" is not a new concept, but, with 20 years of experience, strength coach Carl Champion has found that there is no one-size fits all fitness plan; and, the better tailored to you it is, the better chance of success there is. "Is it something that I think I can get my arms around and handle on my own? Is it something that I might need to partner with, whether that be an in person coach, whether that be an app that you're using to follow along, something that's going to help you with the accountability piece," Champion said. Health and fitness is no different from anything else in life.
We all have different needs, and what works for your friend or spouse may not work for you. "It's a lot of trial and error in the beginning," Champion said. "There's some people that can have great workouts in their own home.
I've never been able to do that, I have to keep my my gym life separate from my home life. So I think just starting out, like getting going first is the most important thing." Step one doesn't have to be a leap, and it doesn't have to cost money.
"Start to look for workouts at home to try first. If those don't feel like they're really doing the trick, then maybe it's time to start looking around at gyms. And if gyms become intimidating, if you're not really sure what you're doing, then maybe that's when you start to partner with a coach or some type of a community or support group to keep you going back," Champion said.
The most common fear, according to Champion, is that people are afraid they are going to embarrass themselves in the gym. He recommends trying a couple different gyms for a week or two to get a feel for each facility. Champion says one aspect COVID changed for the better was home workouts.
"It wasn't only the people doing the working out, but it was manufacturers of the fitness equipment and the strength equipment figuring out ways to make things more ergonomically accessible for at home use, or, you know, figuring out ways to be more efficient with space," he said. It's recommended to put workouts in a calendar and stick to each planned session. For anyone aiming to start 2025 on a strong note, Champion recommends putting in the research for a coaches or gyms in the last couple weeks of December.
"You don't need to worry about doing fancy things, doing the most, you know, popular challenge that you saw on TikTok or Instagram. It's being able to get into a mindset of, this is the work that needs to get done. I just need to show up and do the work.
And that's how you get ahead." Director of Meteorology Mike Augustyniak was drawn to Minnesota by a love of active weather, and the opportunity to forecast for some of the most weather-savvy television viewers in the country..
