There are several aspects of a well organized training plan that make it a good training plan and following one will help you achieve your goals no matter how modest or ambitious they are. But why is this the case? Here are some of the best reasons to follow a training plan.
Why is following a training plan important?
There are endless reasons to get off the couch and get in a training session. Consistently training improves your physical and mental health, increases your self-confidence, reduces stress and helps you achieve goals. Whether your goal is to set a new personal best time, beat your competitors, lose weight, improve your health, maintain your current fitness, or just have fun, training is how you can reach your goal. But what distinguishes people who achieve their goal from those who give up and fall back into bad habits? A well-structured, organized, but flexible training plan.
1. Precise Guidance
How long should I train and at what intensity? Should I try an interval session? If so, how should the interval session be structured? The questions can be endless when you want to make sure you get the most out of your training. Also, filtering through all the available data and advice to find what is best for you can be tricky.
A good individualized training plan is based on the best sports science, is personalized, and can tell you exactly what to do and when to get the best results. All this reduces the time you have to spend on training. It also allows you to avoid mistakes due to overtraining or undertraining. You will know exactly what to do each day of the week.
2. Provides Accountability
No matter what your goal is, consistency is key. Having a specific plan written down each week helps motivate athletes and hold them accountable. You are more likely to stick to a training routine if you are following an organized plan. Although the best plans are flexible and can adapt in case of unforeseen events, having a structured plan will create a kind of unconscious accountability that will allow you to maintain consistency.
3. Recovery
The biggest mistake made by those who train without a plan is not recognizing the importance of recovery. Intense training sessions are very important, but the real improvements are made during the regeneration phase. By following a training plan, you will get the right amount of recovery to improve and be ready for the next training session.
You may be interested in the following articles on recovery:
4. Variety
If you exercise regularly without a structured plan, it is easy to fall into a routine lacking variety. This can be boring and lead you to abandon training altogether. You will improve more when you always have new stimulation. A structured plan will be slightly different each week. The best plans follow the Periodization method. This not only keeps you from getting bored, but also ensures that you reach your maximum potential.
5. Shows Progress
When you have a structured plan, you can observe changes in your workouts as you progress. More importantly, you have a log of everything you have done. Looking at this log and recognizing that you did a similar workout today as you did a month ago, but with much better results, can really help you keep your motivation high.
How to start?
Once you decide you want to bring your training to the next level with a high-tech smart training plan, it is easy to get started. The best training plans are science-based but also personal and dynamic. You can read more about why 2PEAK training plans will help you acheive your goals here.
You may also be interested in an article on the long-term health impact of following an exercise plan.
2PEAK can create a training plan for you, whether you are a novice endurance athlete or a professional. Just go to 2PEAK.com or download the app on Ios or Android, fill out some data about your goal(s) and current fitness level, and 2PEAK will develop a dynamic plan just for you. As you train and upload each session, 2PEAK learns more about you and your plan adapts to your specific needs.
Discover 2PEAK with 21-day free trial subscription!