Sporty success

Follow through on New Year’s resolutions: Trainer reveals tips

Don't throw your resolutions overboard - we'll help you stay on the ball and turn your sporting dreams into reality.

(Bild: NDABCREATIVITY - stock.adobe.com)

If you're on the verge of throwing your good intentions overboard and giving in to your inner bastard, read on: we let personal trainer and fitness professional David Distl (32) have his say, answering frequently asked questions and revealing how you can start, stick to or successfully follow through with your sporting goals. Let us motivate you!

Many people start the new year full of enthusiasm and with sporting resolutions, be it more exercise, weight loss or even training for their first marathon. But most of them give up after just a few weeks. By February at the latest, there is often disillusionment and people fall back into old routines. "Next year", many console themselves ...

But why do so many people give up after a motivated start? The reasons are usually unrealistic goals, a lack of planning or too high expectations of quick success. A lack of time, a lack of routine and the inner couch potato also play a major role in why New Year's resolutions all too often fail to become reality.

Promising tips from a professional
Personal trainer David Distl (32) from Vienna knows the decisive factors why clear goals, structured training and perseverance are invaluable for achieving sporting goals - and not just at the turn of the year. He has been coaching clients of all ages and abilities for over twelve years. He answered krone.at's ten most frequently asked questions from newcomers to training.

Sports professional David Distl reveals how you can stay on the ball with your training, when you will see your first successes and he answers eight other frequently asked questions about fitness, nutrition and more.

(Bild: gajj – stock.adobe.com, Tina Götz, Krone KREATIV)

krone.at: Am I too old to start exercising?
Personal trainer David Distl: It's never too late to start. You are never too old, too fat, too clumsy or too untrained. There are numerous stories of senior citizens who only started exercising when they retired and who only regret not having started earlier. So get started! You can also meet like-minded people at sports clubs or group courses, for example, and make new friends.

How many times a week do I need to train to see results?
Two days a week is enough for beginners to start with. Experienced athletes who want to reach and/or maintain their absolute top form should aim for three times a week. The most important thing is to find a training frequency that you can integrate into your daily routine. Five training sessions a week are no good if you stop after ten. This is also the most common mistake: training too often too soon.

How do I keep motivation high when I don't feel like exercising? The key is to start with manageable goals and continually adjust them as progress is made. This will make you look forward to each of these small successes and motivate you to work towards reaching the next milestone. It can be very helpful to find a training partner or join group training sessions. Many people are motivated by the social aspect. If none of this is for you, remember the good feeling you had after one of your last exercise sessions. Have you ever said to yourself: "Oh, I wish I'd stayed on the couch today instead of going to the gym"? I bet that's never happened.

Can I do sport even if I'm overweight or have health problems such as knee or back pain?
Absolutely! Being overweight or having health problems is an additional reason to start exercising. Not doing sport is the signature of decline. If you don't exercise at all, you will only get worse in the end. With professional support and the right approach, you can exercise despite any old injury or limitation. Doing nothing will definitely lead to pain or health problems getting worse. Important: If you have acute pain, you should consult a doctor and/or physiotherapist before starting to exercise.

Do I need to do cardio training to lose fat?
Cardio training can of course help with fat loss, just like strength training. However, running, cycling, rowing and the like have no significant advantage over strength training. Yes, endurance training can make the weight on the scales tumble faster. But be careful: this does not mean that endurance training is better for fat loss. It just means that you lose weight earlier because little or no muscle is built up. Don't forget: Fat loss is also dependent on a change in diet.

How long does it take before I see the first results from training? 
That depends entirely on the individual starting point. Visible results such as muscle building and fat loss can take several weeks to months. Performance-based results, on the other hand, are often noticeable after just one or two weeks. These include more strength or improved endurance performance during training or simply a greater sense of physical well-being. While fat is reduced and muscle mass is built up at the same time, weight can stagnate or even increase slightly, although the body becomes leaner and more defined. It is therefore worth monitoring other progress in addition to weight, such as measurements, body fat percentage or fitness level.

What nutritional points do I need to pay attention to in order to get fit and healthy?
The best and healthiest diet is a balanced diet! This may not sound as cool as low carb, low fat, intermittent fasting, etc., but it has been tried and tested for decades. This means consuming complex carbohydrates with a high fiber content (tip: increasing fiber too quickly can cause stomach pains, so increase slowly!), including protein-rich foods in your diet (such as meat, eggs, pulses, tofu, skyr yogurt, cottage cheese, curd cheese, etc.), eating lots of vegetables and some fruit every day, focusing on healthy fats - such as olive oil - and drinking plenty of water. However, no body needs soft drinks and sugar to survive, so only include them as a sporadic pleasure factor. Important: The only sensible diet is one that we can stick to for the rest of our lives. There is no point in rigorously changing your diet just to lose a few kilos - only to start all over again a few weeks later. Frustration is pre-planned. If low carb is a lifestyle for you and easy to stick to, then a low-carb diet is perfect for you. If you only stick to it in order to lose five kilos, but are miserable in the process, then you won't be able to stick to this diet either.

There are numerous gentle training options for injuries, such as swimming, cycling or water aerobics. If you have acute pain, you should consult a doctor before starting training.

(Bild: Yuri Arcurs, stock.adobe.com / KroneMED)

How will continuous training affect my weight?
This depends entirely on the training. Strength training may not have any effect on the body scales at first, as muscle mass is known to weigh more than body fat - so please don't give up if you don't see much on the scales at first! If the weights increase during training, it won't be long before you see this on the scales. This also depends on your diet. If you eat less than you burn, you will lose weight in the long term.

Do I need special equipment to start with or can I train without equipment?
No, special equipment is not necessary. Training shoes and breathable clothing will suffice for the time being. As far as exercises are concerned, you can already achieve a lot by training with your own body weight. Exercises such as planks, press-ups, squats etc. can be started at home without much effort. After a while, you can look for a gym or personal trainer or use small aids such as therabands, medicine balls etc. to make the exercises more complex.

Important: If you ever skip a workout or "cheat" a little on your diet, simply start again and/or keep going!

(Bild: NDABCREATIVITY - stock.adobe.com)

Should I be afraid of developing too many muscles when I start strength training?
Absolutely not! Muscle building is a slow and resource-rich process. If it were really that easy to build up mountains of muscle, we would see a lot more supposed bodybuilders on the street. If you still have the feeling that it is going too fast, you can reduce the weights in training or reduce the number of sets. Then it will quickly change again.

What should I do if I don't stick to my resolutions? 
If you have skipped a workout or "cheated" a little with your diet, simply start again and/or carry on. People often take advantage of these small "mistakes" to convince themselves that they couldn't have done it anyway. But this is how you give your inner bastard the reins! Believe me, even experienced athletes have a low point or occasionally fail to stick to their resolutions and/or training plans. This is only human and no reason to throw in the towel or even despair. So if this happens - and it WILL happen! - don't let it get you down and just carry on where you left off. Nobody is perfect - and that's not even necessary!