Proven Ways to Stay Consistent with Your Workouts
Tired of Starting Over? Training that Sticks Starts Now.
Let’s be honest:
Getting started with workouts is easy. Staying consistent with workouts — that’s the real fight.
And if you’re struggling to stick to a workout routine, you’re not broken. You’re human.
The good news is you can set yourself up for success starting this minute.
This blog covers my 5 favorite tips for staying in the game and seeing results for the long run— and if you want a free simple but effective 4-week plan designed around those principles, it's waiting for you, too (check out the Last Man Standing plan).
Read on for what I’ve learned over a few decades of training, coaching, and rebuilding myself after setbacks:
Keep skipping structure and you'll keep starting over — stuck in the same frustrating loop, year after year.
Push too hard, too soon, and you'll burn out — sidelined by soreness, fatigue, or injury before progress even begins.
1. Picking a Modality You Actually Enjoy Is the Easiest Way to Stay Consistent
This sounds obvious, but way too many people get trapped chasing the “hardest” or “trendiest” programs — not realizing that enjoyment drives workout consistency.
If you dread your workouts, guess what? You’ll quit.
If you look forward to them, you’ll keep showing up.
Choose a style of training that fires you up. Something that feels fun, challenging in a good way, and matches your personality.
For us, it's kettlebells, but maybe for you it's bodyweight, barbell training, or backyard obstacle courses — pick your flavor.
Consistency beats perfection. Every time.
2. Stop Killing Yourself with Weights That Are Too Heavy
Here’s the truth: You don’t have to crawl out of the gym on your hands and knees for your workout to “count.”
One of the biggest workout consistency killers is going too heavy, too soon — wrecking yourself so badly you don’t want to come back the next day.
Train smart.
Choose a weight you can move with solid form — not one that turns every session into a survival event.
Remember: soreness isn’t a badge of honor. Progress is.
If you want to avoid workout burnout , start with manageable intensity and build over time.
3. Create a Dedicated Space to Train
You don’t need a fancy gym membership or a $10,000 garage gym.
But you do need a space that’s yours.
- A corner of your garage.
- A mat in the living room.
- A kettlebell next to your desk.
When you have a ready-to-go setup, you eliminate excuses. You won’t waste time hunting for gear or clearing space. You’ll walk in, start, and win the day.
Environment shapes behavior.
If you want to stay consistent with fitness goals, build an environment that makes showing up easy.
4. Set a Workout Time — and Treat It Like an Appointment
Life’s busy. Work, kids, stress, distractions — they’re not going away.
If you just “hope” to find time to work out... you won’t.
- Schedule it.
- Pick a time.
- Put it on your calendar.
Defend it like it’s a meeting with your boss — because it kind of is. You’re the boss of your body.
Morning, lunch break, evening — doesn’t matter when. It only matters that it's blocked and honored.
Building a consistent fitness schedule is one of the best training motivation strategies out there.
Bonus tip: Scheduling that session with a workout partner, a personal trainer, or a class you have to pay for in advance increases your likelihood of follow-through by nearly 100%.
5. Track Your Progress (It’s More Motivating Than You Think)
The scale might lie.
The mirror might not tell the whole story.
But your numbers don’t lie.
- Track your lifts.
- Track your reps.
- Track your times.
- Track your consistency streak.
Because sometimes the changes you feel or see lag behind the progress you're actually making. If you’re lifting more, moving better, recovering faster — you're winning, even if the six-pack isn’t popping yet.
Tracking your progress is one of the simplest and most powerful training motivation strategies you can use to stay locked in.
The Bottom Line
Consistency isn’t about being perfect.
It’s about stacking small wins over time.
You don’t need superhuman willpower.
You just need a system that makes showing up easier than giving up.
If you want to stay consistent with workouts, avoid burnout, and actually reach your fitness goals, start using these strategies today.
If you're inspired to get started with a no-nonsense, simple to follow plan, then you are who we made Last Man Standing for.
A program you’ll enjoy.
A Workout that scales to your level.
A set schedule to follow.
A simple setup.
A progress tracker to keep you honest and motivated.
It’s free. It’s 4 weeks. And it’s designed to make you better — not just sore.
If you’re ready to train with purpose (and without burnout), grab the program and join us.
You don’t need more willpower; you need a plan.
Whether it be kettlebells or something else, I'm rooting for you to stay in the game. Win the long battle.
You were born for it.
— Nikolai
Pick a program you enjoy.
Train with weights that keep you coming back.
Schedule your workouts and protect that time.
Create a space that welcomes you in.
Track your progress and celebrate every step forward.
Related readings
Nikolai Puchlov
Nikolai Puchlov is a veteran strength and conditioning coach whose career began in 1995 under mentors Willie Austin and Andrew “Bull” Stewart. Over the next three decades he turned that apprenticeship into a multifaceted path as an athlete, coach, inventor, and entrepreneur.
After studying with kettlebell expert Tom Corrigan and Master of Sport Mikhail Marshak in 2012, he founded Seattle Kettlebell Club. Within a few seasons his training system had lifted the club into the top tier of teams worldwide and produced dozens of national and world‑record holders. Puchlov’s own lifts have set multiple U.S. records as well.
Powerlifting circles took notice too: in 2014 the Washington State chapter of USA Powerlifting named him Coach of the Year, citing his technical eye and athlete‑centered approach.
The innovative streak that drives his programming soon found its way into hardware. In 2020 Nikolai and his wife Amber unveiled the patented Atlas and Apollo Pro Kettlebells—competition‑grade bells whose ergonomic design has earned praise across the global kettlebell community. The pair also released Level‑Up Magnetic Weight Chips, the Pro Kettlebell Workouts app, and a growing catalogue of digital training resources.
Today the couple co‑lead the Pro Kettlebell Certification Series and Professional Kettlebell Trainer Program, distilling evidence‑based coaching methods for fitness professionals around the world. Through thousands of sessions, seminars, and brand consultations, Nikolai continues to help athletes replace guesswork with smart, progressive training and reach new levels of performance.
