As with everything in life, being prepared, having goals and knowing how you are going to get from Point A to Point B is crucial for success. The same is true when it comes to exercise and getting fit. Unless you are gifted genetic freak, to get a strong and toned body you need to workout with focus and you should go into each workout with a goal in mind and a plan on how to acheive that goal. If you don't you will likely waste time and your workout will not be as effective. All exercise is good but if you want to step up the results, you have to put in the prep work outside the gym too. I know, this fitness thing is a lot of work, but so totally worth it when you feel comfortable in your own skin.

I feel you should always step into the gym with a written plan in hand to reference. Even though you may sometimes feel like a dork carrying your workout with you, taking the time to write down what you want to do forces you to think about what your goals are for not only that particular workout but your overall fitness goals as well. If you want to have a larger upper body or a smaller midsection you need to know what exercises are effective in achieving that and consistently perform these exercises. Having a written plan will help keep you on track.

It is a lot like going grocery shopping. You can go to the store with a list or you can just wing it, but if you are like me, winging it always means you will forget something or you will get home and realize you don't really have a meal so much as you just have food. Sure you can eat it but it doesn't quite come together as well as if you have shopped from a list and got exactly what you needed. You also waste time going from one end of the store to the other as you remember to get things or wander around trying to decide what sounds good.

I think the same thing can happen if you go to the gym without a plan. You get a workout in sure, but it is unfocused, wastes time and isn't as effective. You also may find yourself doing the same machines and lifts because it is what you know and you may not try new things, which is extremely important to do so you don't plateau. Look at the big picture and be sure that you aren't neglecting parts of the body like the legs or the shoulders. There is something a little strange when someone is out of proportion in terms of their muscle development. The worst offender is the big, developed upper body with little teeny chicken legs. I think that may be worse than kankles.

It of course takes a little time outside of the gym to plan ahead. Visit some websites like bodybuilding.com to get a description of many different exercises and what muscles they are working. Decide what you want to do, write it down and take it with you to the gym. On that plan should be the exercises that you will be doing for that given day written down along with the number of reps, the number of sets and the sequence of which you will perform them. Having this in front of you will greatly improve the effectiveness of your workouts.

If you are a regular gym goer (well done btw)and want better results think about what you are currently doing and make your workouts more focused. Results don't just magically happen because you stepped into a gym. You have to work hard, there is no getting around that.

On a side note, I meant to make this post funny but that didn't happen at all. So serious! Oh well, at least I got to use the term kankles.