GETTING IN SHAPE IS MUCH LIKE BEING IN A RELATIONSHIP, WITH ALL THE HIGHS AND LOWS THAT GO WITH IT. JUST AS BEING IN LOVE CAN BE TRYING AT TIMES, SO CAN YOUR COMMITMENT TO YOUR EXERCISE REGIME. SO HERE ARE SOME TIPS TO STOP THE FIZZ GOING OUT OF YOUR FITNESS RELATIONSHIP THIS VALENTINE’S DAY

The years I have spent in the gym under a bar have helped me learn that there are principles in training that you can apply anywhere in your life to be successful.  These principles will not only help you to become more patient and understanding, but they will also help you understand that your love of fitness is not that much different to your love in a relationship.

As we approach Valentine’s Day, we are reminded by that it is a time to celebrate your appreciation for the people in your life. Your personal relationships can be strengthened if you begin to parallel them with the love you maintain for fitness.

The first example is when you choose a partner; the criteria will be similar to that when choosing a training partner. You should find someone that you feel comfortable with, someone you can depend on, and someone you can look towards for inspiration. You don’t want someone who fails to commit to your agreements, devalues your time, or displays negative attitudes.

You want someone who shares the same values and goals as you do. This person doesn’t necessarily need to be just like you; they should balance your weaknesses and your strengths.

Relationships, like training for a goal, can hit a plateau so it is important to continually do new and exciting things to prevent a routine of boredom. You must continually update your programmes and exercises. Understand that in order to grow, you must accept instability at times — whether in a relationship or in a training environment.

When you are training, it is important to visualise what you are trying to achieve, whether it is to maintain weight, build muscle, lose fat, tighten skin or rehabilitate bones and joints. The same can be said for finding a partner. You might have an idea of what your partner looks like and where they socialise. Goals are important to focus on because a skilled archer cannot hit a target that they cannot see.

Consistency is a common principle found in successful trainers. Their excuses are left at the door when they are sore from a previous training session and, although they may not be getting the results they want, they train anyway. Relationships only work when both partners are focused and are not tempted to stray. This is the same with your body shape. Changing your body shape does not end in the gym because 80pc of your results will be dictated by your diet, so if you stray from nutrition, you are affecting your training.

Relationships will hit times where you believe that there is no solution to your problems. Likewise, there are going to be times when you are staring at the mirror and all you see are love handles and cellulite. The true test of the relationship will be whether you quit or remain consistently supportive and understanding when adversity knocks at the door.

Never give up. It is when we appear to be far away from our goals, that it is difficult to stay confident and on track.  There are certain principles that you can discover almost anywhere in life.  If you want to be a lean, mean love machine, treat relationships and fitness like banks — you only get out of them what you put into them.