New Year's Resolutions: Natural Booster or Absolutely Pointless?

Once you've been bitten by the Iron Bug, it won't let you go. You're infected, your muscles are crying out for regular exercise from now on. If you're not in training for a few days or even weeks, you're simply missing something to make you happy. And like every year, you look back on the year behind you and review what kind of athlete, what kind of person you have become in these 365 days. This in turn gives rise to new goals that are to be tackled in 2022. But what do you want to achieve? Do you want to keep your training journal even more meticulous? Do you finally want to safely bring more than 50 kilos overhead? Or don't you care as long as you don't lose the fun of it? Depending on how you tick, your goals may be completely different from those of your gym buddies. We as the wodstore would like to accompany you into the new year and give you a few things you can work your way along, be it fitness etiquette or mindset!

Aspect number 1: Don't be afraid of January!

January is a rather notorious month for fitness enthusiasts around the world and inspires fear and terror from the end of November. Why? Because sheer legions of "new athletes" flood the entire chain of global gyms and disturb each and every one of us in our well-cherished routine. After all, lots of new people come to us who may not know what to do with barbells, kettlebells and the like. It is understandable that this causes stress. You probably fluctuate regularly between amusement, helpfulness and mental isolation. But we would like to say two things about this:

Stay human is the motto!

First: The spook will soon be over. Just a few weeks later, the wheat is separated from the chaff and only those with a serious bite remain in your sport.
Second, even if "newbies" might be annoying and/or have absolutely no idea what they're doing, we've all been in this position at some point, possibly even at the start of a new year. So you should be more tolerant than your head and heart tell you at first. If it makes sense, be cosmopolitan and helpful, that's all we can ask of you. But what you should always keep in mind is: Each of us goes our own way and works our way through the dumbbell. We're all the same under weight, no matter when we started functional fitness, bodybuilding, or powerlifting.

Aspect number 2: You should not want too much

The New Year can be tricky. At every turn you will be confronted with aspects of self-improvement, with healthier habits and ideas for losing weight. It is quite clear that this creates a certain amount of pressure. But here, too, two things apply that you should stick to: The life of others is not your life. So you cannot fully accept everything that other people do. Their daily routine is different compared to yours, their commitments are probably completely different from yours. That's why you should only let yourself be inspired and encouraged, but not try to copy.

Take a deep breath, athlete!

The second thought here is even more important: You determine your pace. When you're making New Year's resolutions like a weight-loss challenge, your schedule and metabolism will both throw you off if you set too high a pace. Even with lofty goals, not everything goes according to plan. It's important not to get discouraged!

Aspect number 3: Prepare for mistakes

Each year confronts you with new upheavals. As already explained in the above aspect, you should not overestimate yourself. From our point of view, this also includes knowing you and your mistakes. New Year's resolutions as an athlete are often concrete, but they can also present you with hurdles. Similar to a PR, it is then quite normal that you fail at the beginning. You should manifest this thought right at the start of the year in a similar way to your goals themselves. It doesn't matter if you fail. You don't disappoint anyone when something doesn't work out. On the other hand, you inspire those around you all the more when you step into the week-long struggle for a few kilos more in the bend, less on the scales or with more self-confidence in front of your loved ones. Your path and your goal are intertwined. Pay attention to both!

Aspect number 4: Stay strict!

"A new self isn't a sprint, it's a marathon!"
Look at athletes around the world. What unites almost all of them? The will to run full throttle against the mirror image and against walls day after day. Very few of us are born as a pure natural talent, even less as a true all-rounder. The rest, pretty much every normal person, has to work for what they want. This is only possible if every day takes one more step in the desired direction. So if you're one of those people who want to rediscover their Weekend Warrior and start their gym life in January: Go for it! We stand behind you! But we have to make one promise from you right now: don't let it end at January, but always keep your goals firmly in sight. The next year can be yours as long as you remain purposeful and gracious to yourself and others at the same time!