You have heard it all : No days off, Go hard or go home, 24/7, breaking sh.t etc… So does this mean you have to train everyday like an animal? Totally not. I have trained with people who won the Olympics, World Cups, you name it. These athletes treat training like work, they show up each day and do the best they can THAT day. Ditto for my clients at my NYC personal training company.
So no, you will not shatter PR each day and there is no need for doing so since progress is not build by hardcore, puke inducing workouts but vi consistency.
But you need to have productive weightlifting sessions, so here are some guidelines.
1.This is your job, so treat it like one which means no socializing in the gym. . This one is tricky, since you do not want to come across as an arrogant muscle head. If you are like me and do not have any friends, the issue will not arise. Save the fantasy football debates for the locker room.
2. Find out what ritual puts you on the zone. For me it is down my cardio before lifting followed by either flyes or dumbbell pullovers to bring the anxiety level down ( I live in NYC after all)
3. You will not change the world, sorry. So you ll need to be able to block out the following people:
Selfi queen/king
cell phone talker.
BO guy ( tough).
Attention seeker. trust me, there where plenty of times where I wanted to smash several peoples head in with a 45 lbs plate. let it go, it will hurt only you ( plus, who is is gonna come up with the bail money?)
Do not let annoyance destroy your workout.
4. ideally have a set workout time, so you can build your nutrition around it. This may not be doable for all of us ( me included)
5. Psyching yourself out. This happens to me quite a bit, as I put so much pressure on myself with needing a great workout, press x pounds, etc. that I am sometimes almost paralyzed. It is not war, just training!
6. Leave when you are done. You need a mental break from the gym. As a NYC personal trainer, I send my clients away a lot even though it hurts my bottom line. Remember, you grow outside the gym!
In closing, remember that you are doing this for yourself and no one else. Bodybuilding can be a beautiful journey, enjoy every step of it!