As promised, here is part 2 with the next 25 tips... 26. Get a program and stick with it. Don't make your own unless you're a professional. Am I bias? Maybe... but I'll stick to it. Most people get bored so fast that they keep changing up programs and never get anywhere. The whole muscle confusion has been taken too far. How about progressive overload (the word actually hides another word - "progress"!). Stick to a program for 10-12 weeks at least (and get it from someone that knows programming and knows what you need - as well as assessing you).
27. Start focusing more on your nutrition, training and recovery than you are on your supplement stack. Of course supplementation has its place and could benefit you but not as a main pillar of your nutrition. 28. Focus more on glutes, hamstrings and lats. They show true power. Not as much chest and biceps. 29. It's easier to stick to a diet when you have fewer pots, pans, and utensils to clean. Less mess means less frustration, and more motivation to keep on the same track. Try to make multiple foods that require various kinds of prep and you'll be a slave in the kitchen, which brings me to my next point. 30. Eat less variety. At least at first creating healthy eating habits and trying to cook tons of new healthy meals is tough and usually a no go. Find things you like and stick to them as you create good habits. Then add little by little... this is how progress is done. 31. We've discussed sleep and how important it is. I'm bringing it back up that's how important it is... but this time I'll even give you 10 steps to a great night’s sleep:
Make your room cold.
Make your room as quiet as possible.
Make your room dark. Really dark.
Ditch the cell phone.
Control red and blue light (aka your computer screen).
Improve cortisol awakening response (expose yourself to natural light as soon as you get up - this will make you more tired in the evening and help you get deeper sleep.
Set a schedule and stick to it. Go to sleep and wake up at the same time.
Establish a sleep ritual (start an hour before you want to sleeP).
Read for at least 15 minutes before bed (fiction is best).
Get a good bed (took me years to figure this out and I'm finally getting it!)
32. When you are training, control your reps more. Most people just jerk the weight and put a lot of stress on the joints (which causes degeneration). Control it on the weight down, pause it and then explode up. Doing a great controlled rep is a lot harder (and more effective) than "bouncing" reps and making it look like you're stronger... but you're really injuring yourself. 33. Train like an athlete. With that I mean train for performance first (this is beneficial even when there are fat loss goals). Test yourself and then re-test, I guarantee you as you are improving performance you'll also improve body composition (that doesn't mean to not implement fat loss strategies). 34. Just knowing sucks. Start doing. This goes for training, nutrition, or anything else in life. 35. Cut out sugar, there is nothing good about it. Also limit fruit consumption if your primary goal is fat loss (and keep it after training).
36. Take as much as 5-6 grams of vitamin C during winter time and when you're stressed out (now would be good!). It's great with reducing adrenal fatigue. 37. Cook your own food at home more. Eat out less. This means eating better, healthier food, saving money and spending quality time together with loved ones. 38. You can get as much training and nutrition advice as you want, if you don't work on your mindset, self-development, reducing emotional triggers, then all the knowledge in the world won't help you get the results you are looking for. 39. Read something inspiring, motivational, and positive for 10-15 minutes in the morning. This will get your day started right (with some time for yourself). It will reduce stress and keep you in a better state of mind throughout the day. You’ll notice if something stressful happens you'll calm down faster when you do this in the morning. 40. Do you have a "why", a mantra that connects to the reasons why you want to get in shape and change your body? Is it your family, self-confidence/self-esteem, being there for your kids, a new relationship? Find the deepest emotional reason why it matters that you make this change and connect everything you do to it to remind you; a picture of your kids, a quote/motto/mantra that reminds you, etc. Keep it where you can see it, especially at times when you have emotional triggers and lose control, and let it remind you why you are on this journey. 41. The older you are (or your training age is), the longer you should warm up and do soft tissue work, mobility, activation, and movement. Anytime I go against this, my body teaches me a lesson. I advise you don't test it. 42. Make a habit of going into nature more often. Whether it is to train, or be active, or just to relax. I have never met someone who has started doing it that hasn't improved their quality of life, results, happiness, and brought down their stress. The key is to make it part of your schedule once a week. Start with something as simple as doing something in the park closest to you. Meet up with a friend, make it a ritual. 43. The science of motivation proves that we need the following 3 things to truly transform:
Autonomy (choice)
Competence (skill)
Relatedness (connection to others)
This means that having some choice in your training and nutrition empowers you more, the competence of improving skills motivates you while motivation improves your skills (it feeds each other... this is why it’s so important to have the right coach). The relatedness means that we all do better in supportive communities where people are there for each other and push, challenge, support, comfort each other through the journey. All of the above have specific ways to get the most out of people and you should do your due diligence to find out the best place for you. 44. 10% of what we do is conscious and 90% is subconscious (habits). Doesn't it make sense that we should put more effort in changing our habits to change our life, rather than gathering tons of information on what is best, most effective, etc.? I'll answer that - YES. Focus on changing habits above anything else and don't overwhelm yourself with too many changes at once as it’s not nearly as effective as changing a few habits at a time. 45. Measure and track progress. Have you been measuring your progress? Not just the scale, but body fat, inches, training and performance. You can't know if you are doing good or not without measuring some factors that you want to improve. What gets tracked gets measured. Remember, if you're not assessing you're guessing. You'll be surprised how awesome it is to see your own progress when you write it down. And when you aren't progressing you can actually be aware that you need to change something. 46. You should sprint. If you can't sprint on flat surfaces, do hill sprints. If you can't do hill sprints yet then get a sled and pull that. Move something with velocity. I guarantee you'll see your performance and body change.
47. Don't exercise when you're sick - unless your symptoms are above the neck. And even then you might do better taking a day off. Your body will use its resources to heal itself, not build muscle and endurance. When you're in the habit of going to the gym it’s easy to just go and then get even more sick. 48. Fewer things done extremely well is much better than doing a bunch of "advanced" things here and there and with low quality. Focus on creating great habits, one by one, day in and day out. You have to have a work ethic, there is no way around that one. What do you have inside of you? Bring it out!!! 49. Attitude. Effort. Preparation = Success! 50. I believe in you. I really do. When I realize how much potential we all have I work day (and sometimes night) to help people bring out the "warrior within". I believe, you should start believing too! BONUS: To truly transform in any way, we have to realize it’s an "inside job". No one will save us, its choice we must make. The greatest thing you can do for yourself is start inquiring about why you do what you do and become aware of it and be curious in learning and applying to improve yourself day in and day out. Coach Kosta
If you have been struggling with your results when it comes to your body transformation, whether from not knowing the next step or you've been on a roller-coaster diet and you feel stuck, and you are weary of all information on the internet...
... I'd advise you to consider a conversation with me or one of our coaches at Chicago Fit Performance so we can find out the right approach for you. And set up a plan of action for you, one that works based on your individual needs and goals.
This is a strategy session to create clarity around you and your next steps that will help you get to your desired results.
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