What Working Out Consistently Has Taught Me

My New Year’s Resolution for 2026 was to work out every day. I had tried in the past at the start of the Fall 2025 semester, but ultimately got way too busy, didn’t have a set-in-stone plan, and lacked strong motivation. I tried again in January 2026, this time with a plan, with a schedule, and with a strong motivation. As we are nearing the end of June, the six-month mark is approaching. Here is what six months of working out consistently has taught me.

You Need to Be Committed

You must be committed. If you aren’t committed, you will fail. You need to determine a “why” that will get you out of bed every morning. A “why” that will keep you going even when you don’t want to. Without something keeping you going, you’re going to stop. Everyone has a different reason. Whether it’s to stay healthy, lose fat, relieve stress, or look good for their beach trip in August, it’s foundational to have a reason why. Not only do you have to have a why, but to be committed, you need to dedicate a specific time. For me, that’s 7 – 8:30 a.m. Monday – Saturday before class. Find a time that works for you and for your schedule. It might also be important to build your schedule around it. If it’s the last priority of the day, you will never have time for it. Build a foundation to be committed.

Progress Isn’t Always Immediate

Participating in Track and Field throughout middle and high school, it’s easy to see progress when you run a faster mile time or throw a discus farther or jump higher. However, it isn’t so easy when trying to see muscle growth. It’s hard to visually see your muscles grow. The only way to see growth is by being able to lift slightly heavier weights after a few weeks. For that reason, it is easy to get discouraged and quit, but progress to see change takes time. Change isn’t like a weekly paycheck that comes at midnight every Thursday; it’s not on a set schedule, and you won’t gain the same amount of muscle every week. There will be some weeks you don’t see/feel change and some you do. It’s important that you just keep going.

Push Yourself

Pushing yourself is the only way you will see growth. More weight. More sets. More reps. Go to failure. Have max days. Doing the same amount of weight, sets, and reps won’t get you anywhere. Biologically, to grow your muscles, you need to overstress your muscles through tension, sometimes even going far enough to tear your muscles. You can’t tear your muscles if you aren’t pushing yourself.

It's Okay to Change Routines

I won’t lie; I started with a repeatable weekly schedule put together by ChatGPT that served as a great foundation for someone who has never lifted consistently before. Monday was upper body, Tuesday was cardio and core, Wednesday was legs, Thursday was a light cardio/stretching/recovery day, Friday was hypertrophy, Saturday was HIIT and core, and Sunday was rest. However, a month in, I learned that with cardio three times a week, I was practically “running off” some muscle growth. I then changed Thursday and Friday to push and pull days so I could further focus on muscle building and hypertrophy, as that was my main goal of growth. Just because you start with a plan doesn’t mean you can’t experiment. At the start, I only used dumbbells before switching to machines based on what was available to me at my apartment’s gym or at The Rec. Additionally, I experimented with different ab circuits to better strengthen each area of my core. Don’t be scared to change the routine.

Habits are Contagious

There are two kinds of people: people who enjoy working out alone and working out with friends. Working out consistently is so much easier if you have an accountability partner, someone counting on you to be their spotter. I worked out by myself for one day before my roommates wanted to join me in my New Year's Resolutions. We push each other, encourage each other, compete against each other, and push ourselves to grow stronger together.

How to Get Your Own Workout Plan

Resources are out there! You can use AI, like I did. You can get help from a personal trainer such as the ones through The Rec. You can find a plan online through blogs, websites, PDFs, YouTube videos, and even Instagram reels. There are a lot of resources available; however, a lot of resources out there are locked behind a paywall. You can pay, but it’s unnecessary for how many free information and help is available

So, what are you doing sitting down reading this blog? Get up! Start working out! Start your 6-month journey today and don’t stop. Build a habit of working out consistently now so it’s not as hard in the future. Better your mind and body.

Be Well, Auburn.