Ice, Ice, Baby!

What’s your “ICE” score?

As you know I’ve been doing this a long time, and as much as I try to make it more complicated than it is sometimes, there are some very basic indicators of success and failure when it comes to exercise. Almost without exception, I can ask you three questions using the above acronym and tell you with almost 100% accuracy whether or not you’re getting results. And if you’re not getting results, this test will tell you in one sentence or less why you’re not getting results.

I is for “Intensity":

Are you exercising intensely? Seriously, be honest with yourself – are you fatigued at the end of a workout? Are you trying your best with every exercise and pushing yourself to a limit that’s within safety of course, but beyond what you consider comfortable? Yes, I know, “intensity” is a relative term. What’s intense to one person is not intense to another. So again, are your workouts intense for YOU?

If the answer is “no”, then you will not achieve the results you want.

C is for “Consistency”:

Are you exercising consistently? We all miss workouts occasionally because life will get in the way sometimes – that’s not what I’m talking about. But is 3 workouts a week for you the norm or the exception? And no, 6 workouts one week and zero the next is NOT 3 workouts per week. 3 workouts per week means occasionally two, occasionally four, but usually 3 workouts per week. The number in itself is not a big deal: 2, 3, 4, workouts per week, etc. But staying consistent with it is.

If you do not exercise consistently, you will not get results.

E is for “Efficiency”

Are you exercising efficiently? This is a tough one because many people just don’t know what efficient exercise is and is not. A good rule of thumb is if you are exercising intensely and consistently as mentioned above and you’re not getting results it’s probably because your workout sucks. Another good rule of thumb is if you’re exercising more than 5 or 6 hours per week to get the results you want, your workout probably sucks.

This is where a good fitness professional can come in handy: Are you exhibiting proper technique when exercising? A squat done incorrectly for example, will reap few benefits. Are you making the best programming choices? Quite often, there is just a more efficient better option to get the results that you want than the exercises you’re choosing.

If you’re not getting what you want out of exercise, give your “ICE” score an honest assessment, and get back to me with any questions.

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