"A plan is only as good as those who see it through."

The question comes up," What do I have to do to relieve this discomfort?" or "What do I have to do to be stronger at this?" After spending time with them on an assessment and getting a handle on what they are willing to change in their lifestyle I draw something that I think will stick. Depending on the person and situation some will do part of the workout, some won't do anything at all and rarely does anyone do everything. I'm smart enough to know that putting together a life-changing routine is only as good as one's ability to follow it. The only way to find out if they are following it is to;

1. Follow Up,
2. See what they liked or didn't like,
3. Make additions, subtractions, other modifications,
4. Rewrite,
5. Follow up again.

No plan is ever perfect. Even with adjustments plans still aren't perfect. With ongoing modifications you do get closer and closer but only when that person follows your recommendations, enjoys the process and sees the desired results is the plan "perfect".

One Foot in Front Of The Other

"When your mind doesn't do the job, your feet have to." -Anonymous

This saying was told to me once when I forgot my keys and had to hike back to the apartment. The walk was not bad. What was bad was that we were already late to the movie and there were four people waiting on me.
The point of this message is that if there is little to no thought of exercise selection in strength and conditioning fitness programming someone is going have to work later. By "work" I mean there is going to be a lack of efficiency in getting to the end fitness, strength, power relating to the sport or activity. The only way to make up for the lack of efficiency is to make up the gap in performance with increased effort and energy. In the end poor performance, movement inefficiencies, overuse injuries and fatigue are sure to follow.
If you are an active exerciser, consider the amount of planning that you took on your workout. For example, if you workout three times per week consistently, this adds up to 156 workouts/year. I'm not even talking about how long you're in the gym, lifting, jumping, doing group exercise, cardio, etc.. All put together, at the end of the year you can be 156 workouts closer to achieving your goals or 156 workouts closer to pain, discomfort.
Take some time today or before your next workout and evaluate your performance and level of conditioning. Are you achieving your desired results? Are you making gains in conditioning and strength? If you can honestly answer a solid "yes" to those two basic questions, great! Keep up the good work and keep plugging along. If not, let your mind do more of the work so your feet don't have to.