I love working out in gyms. I’ve always been able to focus more and train with greater intensity in the gym atmosphere.
It’s harder to find motivation to train at home, especially when you’re stuck there all day every day. Your sense of time and space gets blurred when your entire life is happening in one location.
Fortunately, you can overcome these challenges with mental reframing and clear practices around your workouts. Below are my five top tips for finding the motivation to work out in your home.
Change your expectations.
Most of us are not going to be able to replicate our regular gym workouts at home. The sooner you accept this, the better. You’ll have more fun training at home when you aren’t constantly comparing those workouts to ones you used to do at the gym.
Adjust your training goals.
Certain goals – like building lots of strength and muscle – are lot harder to achieve with minimal equipment. Additionally, your priorities may have shifted thanks to quarantine and new concerns about health, safety, or finances.
It’s okay to adjust your training goals to address your current situation. You will likely be more motivated to work out if your reason for exercising is aligned with your values and circumstances.
Here are some ideas on how to pivot:
Instead of actively trying to build strength or muscle, train to maintain what you already have.
Train with low-moderate intensity to manage stress and anxiety as opposed to doing hardcore HIIT workouts all the time.
Focus on stretching and mobility to counteract extra time spent sitting. This will pay big dividends in how you feel even if you can’t get in any longer workouts.
If you want to lose weight, now is a good time to improve your eating habits by learning to cook, logging your food, and getting in touch with emotions to battle stress eating. I understand this may not be possible for people under very high stress, such as those who have kids at home.
Create a buffer between your workout and whatever you were doing before.
Give yourself 15-20 minutes to get amped up. Drink some coffee or an energy drink, eat something small, put on some music, and start warming up. Don’t expect to be able to easily shift gears into workout mode immediately after doing another task.
Build a routine and develop rituals around your workouts.
Ritualizing as much as possible about your workout makes it easier to find motivation to be consistent.
Some ideas:
Work out at the same time every day and/or on the same days of the week.
Create a designated workout space in your home, even if it’s just a few square feet.
Use the same pre-workout ritual every day. Have a snack, drink some water, get dressed, etc.
Do the same warm up each time you work out.
Play a certain type of music to get you in the mood to work out.
Have someone else do the hard part for you.
Designing your own workouts takes a lot of time and effort. You can spend hours googling or searching social media for inspiration and still not be sure you’ve put together a workout that’s actually effective. This creates additional stress and can turn into yet another obstacle to working out.
People usually fall into one of three groups when they come to the gym:
They show up with no plan or only a vague idea of what they want to work on that day. They wander around the gym using whatever equipment is available, hitting their favorite exercises, and copying what they see others doing.
They complete a random workout from an influencer’s plan or app. Although they’re following a prescribed workout, each session doesn’t necessarily build on the others.
They do the same workout(s) they’ve been doing for years, with the exact same exercises, sets, reps, and weights they always use.
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with doing what you want at the gym. Everyone trains for different reasons, and if you’re just trying to move your body and fit some activity into your day then it really doesn’t matter what you do.
However, if you have specific goals you’d like to achieve, such as getting stronger, losing weight, building muscle, or moving with less pain, I strongly recommend you take a different approach.
Changing your body in any meaningful way requires consistency, effort, and building specific skills over time. If you come to the gym with a random plan (or worse, no plan), you’re wasting valuable time and leaving potential progress on the table. And if you always do the same things, your body will eventually stop responding. We must strike a balance between too much new stuff and not enough new stuff to consistently move forward.
I’m a true believer in long-term workout programs built around core movements and progressive overload. If you’re tired of wasting time at the gym or aren’t sure why you’re not seeing results, maybe it’s time to change the way you work out.
The Novelty Trap
Everyone wants to have a good time when they come to the gym. Since it’s often hard to find the motivation to train, it makes sense that we’d like to have fun while we’re there. This becomes a problem, however, when we derive all our enjoyment from novelty or are afraid we’ll get bored if we don’t constantly try new things.
Social media exacerbates our exercise ADD. We scroll through our instagram feeds for inspiration and see all kinds of new and crazy exercises. Our favorite celebrity is doing one thing, a pro athlete we admire is doing another, an old classmate is promoting a new exercise system, and a fitness model we follow is doing something entirely different. It’s tempting to pick and choose a little bit of everything we see. This results in random workouts that may be fun but do very little to advance us toward our goals.
Too much novelty leaves us trapped in learning mode. Each time we go to the gym, we devote tons of time and energy to figuring out how to perform new exercises. If you’ve ever tried to learn a new movement, you know it’s tough to push yourself on your first few tries. This is because your brain is not initially efficient at telling your muscles when and how to move. If we don’t give our nervous system time to adapt, we’re never truly able to drive desired adaptations like fat loss, muscle gain, or increased strength. We need time and practice to be able to push our bodies to improve.
You know what I think is entertaining? Getting results. Repeating workouts (with smart progression over time) will always give you more bang-for-your-buck than reinventing the wheel each time you hit the gym.
But don’t I need to confuse my muscles and keep my body guessing?
The idea that you can trick your body into making progress by constantly switching up your workouts was popularized by workout programs like P90X. Muscle confusion is one of those appealing myths that seems like it could be true but isn’t actually rooted in science.
You need fewer changes than you might think to continue progressing over time. I often have my clients work on the same three or four basic strength exercises for several months. I add variety by changing the number of sets and reps performed each month. When the reps are lower, the client will be lifting heavier weights. If I then bump the reps up again and the client can still lift the heavier weight, we’ll know we are making good progress. Even a slight change in sets and reps can also totally change the demands and feel of an exercise. I’m happy because my client is improving through repeated practice, and my client is happy because they feel engaged in the training process.
Another benefit to keeping your workouts simple is that you’ll have exercises and training techniques in reserve for when progress slows or you want a total change of pace. If you’re constantly performing every exercise you know, you’ll be stuck when you hit an inevitable plateau. There’s nothing for you to change and no new direction you can go. You’re more likely to injure yourself and less likely to get really good at anything.
Finally, understand that underneath all the flashy instagram workouts or new products they’re promoting, every person with a great body is performing (or did perform for many years) primarily boring workouts filled with basic exercises that everybody knows. This is true for bodybuilders, pro athletes, crossfitters, and fitness models. I guarantee that 80-90% of their time at the gym is spent doing simple things you probably already know how to do. You just don’t see this stuff online because it’s not as sexy and it doesn’t sell new workout programs.
Want better results? Get back to basics and push yourself.
Only a few things truly matter at the gym if you want to build a lean, strong, and healthy body. You will always be leaving results on the table if you ignore these principles in favor of exotic exercises, flashy workout techniques, and too much novelty.
When in doubt, simplify. You can get a lot of mileage out of seemingly basic exercises like goblet squats, dumbbell Romanian deadlifts, pushups, rows, and farmer carries.
You need to train with intensity if you want to see results. Your workouts should push your physical and mental limits while still allowing you to recover. Challenge yourself with heavy loads, more sets, less rest, or intensity techniques.
Repeating workouts several times helps you find your groove and generate more intensity. In my experience, the sweet spot of most programs occurs in the third or fourth week. This is when people feel most comfortable with the exercises and can lift the most weight or perform the most sets.
Focus on progressive overload. Over time, you should see your gym performance improve. This could mean lifting more weight, doing more sets and/or reps, taking less rest, using better form, being more explosive, or progressing to more challenging exercise variations (eg progressing from a kettlebell deadlift to a trap bar deadlift). If you’re not getting better in measurable ways over the long term, you need to take an honest look at your workouts and/or your effort.
If you’re serious about your results, you need to commit to a long-term workout program. I write four-month training blocks for most of my clients. I’ve found this is an ideal amount of time to build essential skills and see noticeable progress toward a goal. Even if you don’t follow a three or four month program, I strongly recommend repeating one set of workouts for four to six weeks before switching things up.
Finally, trust the process and be consistent. Getting stronger, losing weight, building muscle, or rehabbing an injury all take time, focus, and hard work. If you keep showing up and appreciate all the little moments along the way, you’ll have a much better chance to achieve lasting success.
Have I convinced you that your workouts need an upgrade? Here are two ways to move forward:
Sign up for online coaching. I design 100% customized, structured, long-term workout plans based on your unique needs. I also offer nutrition and lifestyle coaching and accountability check-ins to support you with your goals.
Purchase Full45, a done-for-you three month training program designed for busy professionals who want to get stronger and leaner. Train your entire body twice a week for 45 minutes using these client-tested workouts.
Last week, I celebrated my four year work anniversary at Fitness Formula Clubs. For those of you who don’t know, FFC is the gym in downtown Chicago where I train my in-person clients. I spent the week reflecting on all the lessons I’ve learned from my wonderful clients and coworkers.
When I first moved back to Chicago, I wasn’t sure if I would stay in the fitness industry. My life was in a state of enormous upheaval after leaving the classical music world, quitting grad school, and moving cross country for the third time in five years. I knew I loved fitness, but I didn’t know if I could build a lasting career in the field. However, I decided to continue training while I figured things out.
I interviewed at nearly every gym in the city, but the vibe was different at FFC. I could tell the management team was truly invested in the well-being and education of the training team. The facilities were great (and they’ve only gotten better over the last four years) and the atmosphere felt right. After considering a few other offers, I started work at FFC Union Station on June 18, 2015.
2015 me
Despite my good first impression, the first six months on the job were rough. Although I had coaching experience, I had very little business experience. I probably wouldn’t have stuck it out past the end of 2015 if it weren’t for the support and mentorship of some of my coworkers and managers.
Eventually, I began to find my stride. Constantly learning new things made me a more effective coach and helped my clients obtain better results. As time passed, I also built deep relationships with many of these clients. I ultimately chose to abandon plans to pursue another career and devote myself 100% to a life of coaching. Years later, I still feel this was one of the best decisions I have ever made.
In honor of my work-iversary, I want to share four lessons I’ve learned over the last four years. These are insights I’ve gained by observing my clients’ hard work as they travel the difficult path of lifestyle change. Success leaves clues, and after working with hundreds of people, I’ve observed some key similarities between those clients doing the best.
There’s more to getting in shape than eating right and exercising.
All my clients (and probably everyone reading this) know they need to eat healthy food and regularly hit the gym to achieve their goals. However, if you’re serious about getting and staying in shape, there are other factors which are arguably even more important.
One thing that sets my most successful clients apart from the rest is their understanding that true health is multifaceted. It involves looking after your body, mind, emotions, and sense of purpose and connection. To truly look, feel, and perform your best, you need all of these:
It’s relatively simple to follow a strict eating and exercise plan for a few months when you don’t have a lot going on. But what happens when life gets in the way? In my experience, clients who pay attention to the second half of the list are much more resilient and better able to take care of themselves even with limited resources or an influx of additional stress.
No one nails this entire list on a daily basis (I certainly don’t). However, if you’re serious about achieving your health and fitness goals, you will have to address all of these issues in time. I’ve seen clients make some truly amazing progress when they start looking beyond the obvious things and get to the root of what’s standing in their way.
Consistency wins.
My most successful clients are also my most consistent clients. Clients who attend all their scheduled sessions make significantly more progress than clients who frequently miss workouts. Clients who dutifully perform their physical therapy exercises and pay attention to mobility recover faster from injuries and are much more resilient in their daily lives. And clients who follow an eating plan six or seven days per week see much faster results than clients who indulge a little too much on the weekends.
Consistency is the closest thing to a magic bullet when it comes to achieving any health and fitness goal. Do yourself a favor and find a way to do the important things on a more regular basis.
Everyone needs support.
All my clients are smart, successful people. I’m in awe of what some of them do on a daily basis and I would never tell them how to do their jobs or take care of their families.
However, nobody can be an expert in everything. Hiring a trainer is one of the best ways to jump-start progress and bust through plateaus. It’s incredibly helpful to hand over your workouts to someone else you will ensure you make the most of limited time and push yourself in a safe and structured way. This is a lesson I really took to heart a few years ago when I began working with trainers of my own. I’ve seen such great progress that I hope to never write my own workouts or nutrition plans ever again.
Even if you never hire a trainer, you’ll enjoy more success if you have direct support for your fitness goals. Many of my long term clients have built strong friendships with other gym regulars. It’s been fun for me to watch these members interact and support each other in many different areas of their lives. It’s always easier to come to the gym if you know you get to hang out with your friends.
We also need support beyond the gym. It’s important to discuss your efforts with your family or partner to ensure everyone is on the same page. My most successful clients have honest conversations with the people in their lives about why they want to change and what they need to make it happen. Even if family members don’t need or want to make the same choices as my clients at first, they are often inspired to get in shape themselves once they see the results.
Most people join a gym or hire a trainer because they have specific goals. They want to lose 20 pounds, complete their first marathon, or learn how to train safely after an injury. It’s always fun for me to create the first training program for a new client and help them crush these goals.
However, my most successful clients are the ones who realize that getting and staying in shape is a lifelong process that doesn’t end once you achieve your initial goal. It’s vitally important – and often much more challenging – to sustain your results for weeks, months, and years after you hit your goal. You have to continually recommit to the process and find ways to incorporate your new healthy habits into a lifestyle that’s enjoyable, meaningful, and sustainable.
In some cases, clients I’ve had for years are still chipping away at their first goal. What helps these clients stave off frustration and keep them coming back? First, 100 percent of the time they experience benefits they weren’t necessarily expecting such as increased energy, more strength, fewer aches and pains, and more confidence in their daily lives.
Second, they find fulfillment in the act of showing up and doing their best. They like working out, being active outside the gym, and learning to cook healthy meals at home. Rather than obsessing over their destination, they learn to enjoy the journey.
It takes much longer than we’d like to achieve many fitness goals. While we can control our actions and behaviors, we can’t control our outcomes. It’s vital to learn to love the process if you want long-term success.
What will you be able to do when you are consistent, patient, and dedicated to your health and fitness goals?
I’m taking time this week to reflect and be grateful. My job has difficult aspects like everyone’s, but I’m so lucky to be able to come to work at a great gym every day. Thank you to all the clients who’ve trusted me with your health over the years. I’ve learned as much from training and getting to know you as you’ve hopefully learned from me. I couldn’t ask for a cooler group of people with which to spend my days.
Interested in working with me in Chicago? Send me a message here and I’ll help you set up a complimentary consultation at FFC. If you don’t live in Chicago, you can apply for my online training program here.
If you’re reading this in December when it’s first published, you likely have a million things on your plate. Between work parties, get togethers with friends, family obligations, gift shopping, and year-end reflection, there never seem to be enough hours in the day. Many people find it incredibly tough to maintain their sanity, get enough sleep, and take care of themselves during the holidays.
One of the first things we drop when times get tough is regular exercise. Unfortunately, when we stop moving every day, we usually feel worse. I know when I stop checking the training box I have less energy, struggle to focus, and I often feel overwhelmed with things I would normally be able to handle with ease.
To help you stay consistent with exercise during this stressful time, I’ve compiled my top 13 ways to find time to train even when your schedule is incredibly full and chaotic. Because not every tip here works for every person, focus on the ones that make the most sense for your lifestyle, goals, and priorities.
A great way to make sure you exercise is to schedule your workouts the same way you schedule a meeting or doctor’s appointment. This is especially important if other people have access to your calendar. If you don’t protect your training time, someone else can snatch it up from under your nose.
I rely on this tip year round because managing my calendar is essential to control my time during the week. If I don’t block off my workouts, that time can quickly disappear. Scheduling my workouts reminds me to keep those times free.
I’m a huge fan of early morning workouts. Exercising first thing helps me start the day physically and mentally refreshed. People who hit the gym in the morning are often the most consistent exercisers because fewer obstacles interfere with their training. If you leave your workout for the end of the day, a million things can pop up and distract you from the gym. If you get training out of the way first thing in the morning however, you can check the box before you head off to tackle the rest of your daily obligations.
Now, if you absolutely hate mornings or have a hard time getting out of bed, this idea probably won’t help you. However, if you’re already an early riser, consider adding a workout to your morning routine.
3. Train during the work day.
If you have lots of obligations before and after work, training during the day may fit best into your schedule, especially if you belong to a gym right by your workplace. My gym, for example, is located in the heart of downtown Chicago and some of our busiest hours of the day are 11am – 2pm. Many people drop in for a quick workout over the lunch hour and then eat their afternoon meal at their desk. You may need to shorten your workouts to make this work (see tip #8 below).
4. Join a more convenient gym.
Sometimes, it’s tough to work out because we have to travel a long way just to get to the gym. Joining a gym closer to work or home can dramatically cut down on your commute, reducing the total amount of time you have to commit to every workout.
The closest gym will not always be the nicest or the cheapest. However, when time is a valuable or limited resource, changing gyms may be worth the upgrade or downgrade. If you’re incredibly busy, every little bit of saved time makes a difference.
5. Train at home.
What if you still have trouble making it to the gym? Working out at home is a great solution for many people. Home workouts can range from simple bodyweight drills and exercises performed sporadically throughout the day to longer, complete workouts. You can perform some of your workouts at home even if you still hit the gym on a regular basis. Training at home is also a great solution for anyone who needs to work out very early or very late and doesn’t have access to a 24 hour gym.
You don’t need any equipment to train at home. However, purchasing a few small pieces of equipment like bands, kettlebells, and powerblocks can greatly expand your repertoire of possible exercises. Those of you who have extra space or train exclusively at home may want to consider investing in a bigger gym setup (with things like a power rack, benches, full sets of weights, and cardio equipment).
If you’re incredibly short on time, you can do double duty with exercise and other tasks. One of the best examples of this is making your daily commute more active. If possible, walk or bike a portion of your trip to work. In Chicago where I live, it’s often faster to bike to work than to drive or wait for the bus.
Another great way to sneak in extra exercise is to move while you’re watching TV. One of my clients made a deal with himself to only watch sports games while walking or running on the treadmill. If sports aren’t your thing, do something similar with your favorite show, movies, or podcasts. If you’re really into the media you’re consuming, your workout seems to fly by.
One additional idea is to make your home time more active. If you work from home or tend to sit on the couch for hours every evening, set an alarm to remind yourself to get up and do something physical every 30 – 60 minutes. Do a set of pushups, squats, or jumping jacks, or walk up and down a few flights of stairs. It may not seem like much, but every little bit of activity adds up when you’re pressed for time.
7. Train fewer times per week.
It’s not always possible to train as many times as you may like during the course of the week. If you are constantly missing workouts, you may want to dial back your commitment.
There is something powerful about setting ourselves up for success. If you plan to train five times per week but only make it to the gym three times, you view that as failure. But if you only plan to train three times, the same number of workouts is a success. We feel better about ourselves when we meet our expectations and we’re more likely to stick with a realistic and attainable plan.
You can get great results training two or three times per week if you are consistent and follow a well-balanced program. Save the high frequency training for a time of year when you don’t have as much on your plate.
Similarly, if you constantly struggle to make time for exercise, it may be helpful to focus on shorter workouts. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need a full hour of uninterrupted time to have an effective workout. You can get a lot accomplished with short workouts ranging from 15 – 45 minutes.
Sometimes shorter workouts can even lead to better results. When you’re forced to maximize your gym time, you waste less time resting, on your phone, and socializing with your gym buddies. Short workouts force you to come in with a plan, work hard, and then return to your busy life.
9. Utilize circuit training.
If you’re used to long workouts, it’s tough to know what to cut from your routine. The good news is you can cover all your bases with minimal training time using circuit training. I love circuit workouts for people who have 30 minutes or less to train. They are also a great option for people who frequently travel and need some flexibility based on space and availability of equipment.
Here’s how circuit training works:
Select a handful of exercises, preferably one from each major movement group (squat, hinge, press, pull, core or loaded carry).
Set a timer for however long you have to train and complete as many rounds as possible before the timer goes up.
Take as little rest as you can while still using good form and challenging weights.
Every day you show up to the gym without a plan, you are wasting precious time. I frequently see gym goers wandering around trying to figure out what to do next. This is not only incredibly inefficient, it keeps you from getting the best possible results.
Following a set training program helps you get the most bang for your buck at the gym. Set clear goals before you start a program. If you want to run faster with less pain, you probably shouldn’t be following a bodybuilding program. If your primary goal is to look and feel better, you likely don’t need to beat up your joints with a punishing crossfit routine.
There are thousands of quality programs available on the internet; doing some research ahead of time will keep you safe and help you make the fastest progress toward your goals.
Some people are motivated by external commitments like races or meets. If this sounds like you, sign up for an event to kickstart your training. Once you’ve put money and pride on the line, you may start to take your workouts more seriously.
Be sure you have enough time to adequately prepare for the event you sign up for. If you’ve never run a race before and are struggling to stay consistent, a 5 or 10k is much more realistic than a marathon. If you want to enter a powerlifting meet, pick one at least 12-16 weeks in the future.
12. Recruit a workout buddy.
It’s tough to make changes by yourself. Humans are inherently social animals and we always do better with external support. So when we recruit others to help us in our journey, we are much more likely to see things through.
There are many ways you can enlist the help of an accountability buddy. For example:
Work out with a friend or coworker.
Check in with another gym regular, even if you don’t actually work out together.
Take a group exercise class.
Join a running, cycling, or swimming group.
Join a Facebook group for people with similar goals and interests.
One of the best things I ever did for my own training was to invest in a coach. Before I started working with my trainer Bryan, I would make all kinds of excuses later in the week for why I didn’t need to work out. Bryan called me on my BS and instructed me to complete five strength training workouts every week. I quickly stopped making excuses and found time to complete those extra workouts. While not everyone needs to train five times per week to see results, the extra accountability and expectation provided by a coach can be a game changer for consistency.
Most commercial gyms have trainers on staff. Often, you can get a complimentary session with a trainer before making a commitment to ensure the trainer and you are a good fit. If you don’t have access to an in-person trainer or frequently train at home or on the road, online training is a great alternative.You can learn more about my online training program here.
Want to learn more? I created my 4C System for those who want to improve their exercise consistency. If you’ve struggled to stay consistent with exercise, sign up for this totally free 5 day email course using the box below.
I didn’t learn to cook until I moved into my first apartment the summer after my freshman year of college. I was incredibly excited to enjoy my newfound independence, which included preparing my own meals. I could no longer rely on my mom or the Northwestern dining hall for food. Around the same time, I decided I wanted to dramatically change my eating habits to lose weight and improve my health. With these two goals in mind, I headed to Jewel for my first solo grocery store trip.
I had been to grocery stores plenty of times before. However, I never had to buy all my own food and so I had no idea what I needed to feed myself for an entire week. During my first time at the store, I spent over an hour wandering around trying to figure out what to buy. I spent way too much money and bought tons of food I didn’t need. I also forgot some essential items and ended up having to return to the store later in the week to fill in the gaps. The whole process was overwhelming, frustrating, and totally inefficient.
Over time, I managed to develop a grocery store routine that was both efficient and enjoyable. Now I actually look forward to going to grocery store. My weekly trips take around 30-45 minutes depending on when I go. I usually spend between $40-60 to feed myself for the entire week and I rarely throw away rotten or unused food. So how did I make the switch from slow, frustrated shopper to grocery store pro? Keep reading to learn the tips, tricks, and strategies that made the biggest difference for me.
Grocery shopping: Much less scary than nuclear war
Have a plan.
If you’re new to grocery shopping, it’s essential to have a plan of attack. Showing up without a shopping list leaves you vulnerable to impulse purchases and almost guarantees you will forget crucial items. You’ll likely waste tons of time making decisions at the store which could have been made more efficiently in the comfort of your kitchen.
Start by making a list of all the ingredients you need for the week. If you’re a novice cook, it’s helpful to do some meal planning ahead of time. Write down exact quantities of fresh produce and meat you need to avoid food waste. If you’re trying out a new recipe, be sure to list the ingredients you don’t have on hand.
As you become more experienced in the kitchen and at the grocery store, you don’t necessarily need to make a detailed list every time you go the store. Instead, you can establish a plan like my current strategy:
Each week, I buy more or less the same quantity of fresh fruits and veggies. Since I use meal templates for breakfast and lunch, I know I’ll be able to eat a certain number of each item during the week no matter what. The exact fruits and veggies I buy depend on the season and what’s on sale. For example, although I always buy at least 10 fruits to have with two meals per day, I may buy apples in the fall and berries in the summer. I know I’ll eat about three bell peppers each week, but I buy different colors week to week depending on what’s cheapest.
I’ll try to buy proteins that are on sale. Because I rotate between 5-10 different dinner meal templates, I decide what to cook during the week based on what I buy.
Before I go to the store each week, I do a quick survey of my fridge and pantry. Do I need to replace any cans I used last week? Am I running low on staples like rice, olive oil, spices, or hot sauce? I’ll jot down the items which need to be replaced so I won’t forget them at the store.
Once you’ve created your list (or plan), it’s time to go the store. Two important tricks can help you buy only what you need and avoid overwhelm:
First, don’t go to the grocery store on an empty stomach. This is especially important if you’re prone to buying junk food. Instead, schedule your shopping tips right after a meal. If you haven’t eaten in a while, grab a small snack to take the edge off your hunger before you head to the store.
Second, stick to the perimeter of the store. Almost all of the healthy foods, including fresh fruits and veggies, meat and fish, eggs, and dairy products, are located around the outside edges of the store. When you do venture into the aisles, make sure it’s only for items on your list or to replace pantry staples. Avoid any aisles that house problem foods for you, such as the chip and candy aisles.
Develop a routine.
In addition to planning what to buy at the store, it’s helpful to plan when you’ll do your shopping. It’s easier to build new habits when you keep as many variables the same as possible. We are much more likely to make changes when they fit within the context of our existing routines.
If you’re struggling to go to the grocery store on a regular basis, try setting aside a designated day and time for shopping. Weekends work best for most people, but pick whatever time makes the most sense with your schedule. There are definitely advantages to going to the store at off hours: it will be less crowded and you may find extra discounts on meat and produce.
You may also experience more success if you make several smaller trips per week. This can help reduce food waste, especially if you’re only shopping for one or two people. I typically do one big grocery store run on Sundays and one smaller run Friday night to fill in any gaps for the weekend. Experiment to find what works best for you, then stick with it for several weeks to build the habit.
Even if you utilize all of the above tips and tricks, you may still dislike grocery shopping or find it simply doesn’t fit in your busy schedule. There’s nothing wrong with hiring a meal or grocery delivery service as opposed to going to the store yourself. Outsourcing your shopping is a great option if you value your time more than your money.
For a small extra fee, you can hire a company like Peapod or Instacart to delivery your weekly grocery haul directly to your house. If you want to do even less work, a meal delivery service (like Sun Basket, Blue Apron, Hello Fresh, or Green Chef) will send you recipes and the exact quantities of ingredients you need for your meals. Meal delivery services range from sending raw ingredients you assemble and cook, to sending you fully cooked meals you can just pop in the microwave.
Ask your friends which services they’ve tried and shop around for different options online. If you’re unsure whether a service is a good option for you, start with just a few meals per week. Plenty of my friends and clients outsource some of their weekly meals and do a small grocery store trip for everything else.
You can get a big box of fresh food delivered directly to your door.
Putting it all together
Learning to cook for myself was one of the best things I ever did for my overall health and wellbeing. But in order to prepare healthy meals at home, I had to go to the grocery store. Once I learned how to reduce waste, spend less money, and get in and out of the store in less time, grocery shopping became a much more enjoyable experience. You can experience a similar change if you follow the steps outlined above.
If you want more help figuring out how to put together easy home cooked meals, you should grab your free copy of Eleven Easy Meal Templates. I put together this PDF guide to share my go-to meals and demonstrate just how easy it can be to prepare healthy and delicious meals even with minimal cooking experience. Sign up using the box below.
The last few months of the year are anything but relaxing for many people. Despite the bombardment of seasonal advertisements promising joy, togetherness, and peace, this is the time of year when many of us feel the most unhappy, overwhelmed, and stressed.
As the days get shorter and the temperatures drop, many people start to feel down in the dumps. Motivation to exercise and eat healthy wanes accordingly.
Additionally, holiday events and family time can create tons of extra stress. Even if you adore the holidays, you may still worry about purchasing gifts for your list, managing seasonal obligations, and making healthier choices amidst a never ending supply of drinks, sweets, and fried foods.
Regular exercise and healthy eating are often the first things to go when you’re stressed and short on time. The good news is, since you’re already aware of this risk, you can take steps ahead of time to make your life easier as you move into the fourth quarter.
Here are three steps I recommend you take now, before things get crazy:
Adjust priorities. For most people, the last quarter is a bad time to chase a fat loss goal. You will drive yourself crazy trying to avoid every tasty treat that crosses your path between October and December. Rather than setting yourself up to fail with too much restriction, change course and try to maintain your physique or use extra holiday calories to build strength or muscle.
Ask, “What does success look like for me?” We all have different struggles. For me, success during the holidays means avoiding binging. For you, it may mean staying consistent with your exercise regimen, even when you’re traveling. Yet another person’s vision of holiday success includes keeping their drinking under control. Determine what is most important to you so you can prioritize the behaviors and strategies that get you where you want to go.
Manage your minimums. I learned this phrase from Precision Nutrition and I think it’s especially relevant in this context. What are the bare essentials you must do to keep yourself on track? Once you’ve figured these out, direct most of your effort into knocking them out consistently. Everything else you do is just an added bonus.
Below, I share specific strategies for managing training and healthy eating during the fourth quarter (or any other period when you’re under a lot of stress). Just remember to focus on the things that matter most to you. You don’t need to do everything I’m suggesting here to stay on track this holiday season.
Don’t let this be you come October, November, and December!
How to exercise over the holidays
Do less, but do it consistently.
I’ve written about this over and over and over, but it bears repeating here: you do not need to spend hours and hours each week exercising. This is especially true if you’re just trying to maintain your current level of fitness during a period of stress. You’ll see better results by being consistent through the end of the year than you will by occasionally following the “perfect” workout plan and giving up by December.
You also don’t need a full hour for a great workout. If you only have 30, 20 or even 15 minutes to exercise, you can still do something worthwhile. When you release yourself from the need to train for long periods of time, you may actually find more time during the week for exercise.
Plan ahead.
Sit down with your calendar for the remainder of the year and determine how many workouts you can realistically commit to every single week. For most of you this will be just two or three workouts.
You should also consider the length of time that works best with your schedule. For example, if you have to train over your lunch break but can’t be away for more than an hour, you’ll do better with 20-30 minute workouts than 45 minute workouts.
Whenever possible, schedule your workouts into your calendar the same way you do with any other obligation. This helps protect your time and demonstrates to yourself you’re committed to training.
Many people struggle to come up with workout ideas and inspiration when they’re away from their regular gyms. I wrote an entire article about training on the road. Check it out for lots of ideas about modifying your workouts when you’re traveling this holiday season.
How to eat healthy over the holidays
Plan ahead.
When you’re overwhelmed and stressed out, the last thing you want to do is spend precious time cooking food every single day. If you’re not already batch-cooking some of your weekly meals, now is a good time to start. Here are two approaches you can use:
Set aside a few hours on the weekend to prepare as many full meals as possible.
Prepare some items to use in multiple dishes. Make a batch of shredded chicken in the slow cooker, roast a pan of veggies, hard boil a dozen eggs, prepare a bunch of quinoa in the instant pot, etc. You could also chop up raw veggies to throw into soups, eggs, salads, and stir frys throughout the week.
Not everyone has the time or desire to grocery shop or cook all of their meals. If this sounds like you and you have the means to hire a delivery service, you’ll save a ton of time and hassle. You can find services that send you raw ingredients, fully cooked meals, and everything in between. Do some research to decide which option makes the most sense for you.
Make healthier choices when eating out.
It’s unrealistic to expect to eat only healthy home-cooked meals this time of year. If you’re eating out at a restaurant, attending an event, or simply navigating the buffet at family Thanksgiving, try following these tips:
Prioritize protein and veggies and be sure to eat some with every meal.
Take just one plate of food, and try to use smaller dishes when possible.
If you’re going to eat junkier foods (sweets, fried foods, etc.), make sure it’s something you really enjoy. Don’t eat the store-bought cookies just because they’re there.
It’s common to reach for a drink when you’re feeling stressed. However, some people lean more heavily on alcohol during the holidays than the rest of the year. Alcohol flows freely at holiday parties and family gatherings, and it’s tough to say no.
If you know you have a tendency to drink more than you’d like, try following one of these strategies:
Decide ahead of time how many drinks you’re going to have and stop once you hit this number. Recruit an accountability buddy at the same event to help keep you honest.
Drink a virgin drink (like soda water with lemon or coke zero) to make it seem as if you’re drinking. Some of my clients feel peer pressure to drink at work gatherings, and this strategy makes it easier to fit in with the crowd.
If you’re drinking as a response to stress, try to find alternative releases. Go for a walk, take some deep breaths, converse with a friend or loved one, read a book, exercise, meditate, take a bath, journal…the list goes on and on. Experiment to find what works for you.
You can’t do everything all at once. When dealing with lots of stress, your exercise and eating routines can easily fall by the wayside. It’s important to focus on the most important things and forget about anything not essential to your success.
Adjust your priorities and figure out what success looks like for you. Determine the one or two things which will make the biggest difference. Nail these as consistently as you can and do what you can to manage stress in the rest of your life, then try to relax and enjoy the season. If you prepare ahead of time, it’s much easier to thrive through a stressful period.
If you’re worried about staying in shape through the end of the year, I’ve got your back.Fill out an application for my online training program and we’ll work together to create a plan to keep you on track without losing your mind.
As someone who’s made a living helping people, I’ve spent a lot of time pondering why some people are able to change and others are not. My most successful clients have a few things in common:
They take ownership of their situation and truly believe in their ability to change it.
They work hard and are consistent with their training and healthy eating.
They all make small changes and transform themselves gradually.
I haven’t had a single client who attempted to make multiple major changes at once and was successful long term. Yet much of the general public still assumes this is the best and only way to lose weight, build muscle, get stronger, and improve their health.
If I’ve learned anything about the psychology of change during my five years in the fitness industry, it’s that slow and steady really does win the race. Doing less initially can actually help you do much more overall.
Why We Aren’t Good at Dramatic Changes
Many of us think we can successfully quit something cold turkey or overhaul our entire lifestyle in a matter of weeks. Unfortunately, we are almost always setting ourselves up for failure with this approach.
We can only manage a finite amount of stress at any given time. Stress comes from many different sources including your job, relationships, travel, physical activity, and health issues. Unless your work and personal lives are totally chill (and whose are), you only have a limited amount of brain power left to devote to making lifestyle changes. If you overload yourself with difficult changes, it’s only a matter of time before you burn out and quit. All of the willpower in the world will not help you if you take on more than you can handle.
I’ve also found that every restrictive diet or grueling exercise plan is accompanied by an equal reaction in the opposite direction. A couple years ago, I went on a fairly strict diet for three months. I wanted to see fast, dramatic results, and I got them. However, after I decided to relax a bit, I went through several months of near-uncontrollable binge eating. I couldn’t sustain my strict eating plan and demanding training regimen when the rest of my life became busier, and I rebounded from months of restriction and built-up stress with months of overindulgence. I ended up gaining much of my lost weight back, which was a frustrating and embarrassing experience.
One Thing at a Time
There’s a better way to move forward and improve your life, no matter what goals you’re chasing. Instead of trying to do everything all at once, focus on making just one small change at a time.
If you have a list of many changes you want to make, start by picking the one you know you can manage right now. The best changes require you to take action in some small way every single day.
You’re also better off picking pro-habits instead of anti-habits, at least at first. This means instead of saying “I won’t eat sweets after dinner,” say “I’ll eat a piece of fruit after dinner to quell my sweet tooth.” Pro-habits are more empowering than anti-habits because they give you practical tools to make better decisions.
Before you decide on a change, ask yourself how confident you are you can make this change on a scale of 1-10 (1 = no way I can do this, 10 = I can do this in my sleep). If your answer is 7 or lower, consider breaking the change down into smaller, more manageable pieces. Pick something you can actually do and don’t stretch beyond your current capabilities.
I recommend focusing on just one habit for two weeks. For fourteen days in a row, devote all your focus and energy to making this one change.Only consider adding a new habit after the two weeks are up. If after two weeks you’re still struggling with the initial habit, you have two options: keep working at it until you can nail the habit at least five days per week, or scale back the habit to something you can manage. When done correctly, over the course of many months you will successfully make multiple positive changes to your lifestyle.
1% Better
In the beginning, it may seem like making one small change at a time does very little to get you where you want to go. And it’s true that you probably won’t see tremendous progress over the course of two to four weeks. You may not even see a dramatic transformation after three months. Over the long term, however, you are much more likely to see lasting and profound changes.
If you focus on getting just 1% better every day, by the end of the year you will be 365% ahead of where you’re at right now. Think of how much better your life could be if you followed this approach consistently and trusted the process Instead of riding the neverending roller coaster of crash dieting and re-gaining weight, you’d make changes that stick. Rather than dragging yourself kicking and screaming into a new restrictive routine, you’d find ways to gradually make positive changes work with your existing lifestyle and values.
Racking up small wins is a powerful motivator for continued progress. Nailing your one habit day after day builds confidence in your ability to change. Trying to change everything about your life all at once has the opposite effect; when you inevitably get overwhelmed and have to stop your mad dash for results, you feel discouraged and start to mistakenly believe nothing you do will ever work. In reality, you need to do less in order to do more. Making fewer changes at once ultimately lets you experience more success.
If you want additional help tackling your goals, sign up for my email list using the box below. When you sign up I’ll send you my 4C System, a free 5-day email course teaching you to become a more consistent exerciser. I also send out regular tools, tips, articles, and recipes to my email list that I don’t share anywhere else.
“I feel like I’m working hard and not seeing any results. What am I doing wrong?”
I’m asked some version of this question on a regular basis. It’s heartbreaking to hear stories of people who’ve been riding a never ending roller coaster of progress without getting much farther along than where they started.
I can also relate because for a long time, this was me. Before I got really serious about losing weight, I made a lot of half-hearted attempts to change my eating and start exercising. None of these attempts were ever successful. I either tried to do way too much at once and burnt myself out or I didn’t work very hard and ultimately gave up because I was impatient and expected more dramatic results. It took a serious health scare for me to take an honest look at what I was doing and make the necessary changes to actually move forward.
If you’ve been working hard for a long time with little to show for it, you may be sabotaging your progress like I was. Keep reading to learn the top four mistakes I see people make that interfere with achieving positive results.
Lack of Consistency
I put together an entire email course on consistency because it’s one of the biggest mistakes I see people making in and out of the gym. Losing weight, building muscle, getting stronger, or performing better don’t happen on accident. It takes months and years of repeated efforts to take you from point A to points B, C, D, and beyond. You don’t have to be perfect, but if you aren’t consistently exercising, eating well, and managing sleep and stress, you will have a very hard time achieving any health or fitness goal.
How consistent do you have to be to see results? This depends on your goals and experience. As a general rule of thumb, I recommend everyone do some type of exercise at least 2 to 3 days per week. Certain goals, like building muscle and strength or training for an event, may require more frequent training. If you’re trying to lose weight, you likely need to watch what you’re eating beyond just Monday through Friday. It’s depressingly easy to wipe out a hard-earned caloric deficit with just a few cheat meals on the weekend. In my experience, if you can consistently eat well 6 or 7 days per week, you’ll start to see much faster progress.
In order to become more consistent, it helps to have some semblance of routine. You don’t need to map out every hour of every day; if you’re like me, this level of planning is suffocating. However, you should have some idea of how you’re going to spend your time and energy. Schedule in the most important obligations including your training sessions. Decide when you’re going to go to the grocery store or place your online grocery delivery order. Make sure you get enough sleep, preferably getting up and going to bed at the same time every day. When you have daily routines, it’s much easier to build in time for exercise, cooking, and stress management.
Lack of Patience
Another big mistake people frequently make is giving up too soon because they aren’t seeing results as fast as they’d like. Everyone wants immediate, dramatic results. I know I’ve been guilty of this myself on numerous occasions. Unfortunately, most fitness goals take a loooooong time to achieve. The sooner you accept that you’re in it for the long haul and learn to embrace the process of change, the more likely you are to see real results.
One thing I’ve learned in my own fitness journey is the power of riding out plateaus. It can be super frustrating to step on the scale day after day and see little to no progress, especially when you think you’re doing everything right. This is when we are most vulnerable to quitting because it seems like our hard work isn’t paying off. However, if you are patient and ride out the plateau, you often make dramatic progress very quickly. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve held the same weight for 5 to 7 days and then dropped 3 or 4 lbs seemingly all of a sudden. If your progress seems to have stalled, wait it out and keep doing what you’re doing. You will often see a similar leap forward. If you go a few weeks and still haven’t made any progress, then you should consider changing some part of your approach.
Constantly stopping and restarting leads to slow progress at best. As mentioned in the previous point, if you can try to keep exercising and eating well on the weekends, you’ll be less prone to weekend binges and the accompanying setbacks, guilt, and frustration. Do your best to keep moving forward in some small way. If you’re working with a coach or following a program (which you should be), be patient and work through your entire program before looking for something else to do. Jumping from program to program is a surefire way to waste time in the gym.
Exercising too much
This seems counterintuitive, but hear me out. Some people are simply doing way too much work in and out of the gym. Our bodies need time to recover and adapt to the stresses placed on them during exercise. If you’re constantly training, you can run yourself into the ground and actually end up worse off than when you started. More is not always better; sometimes more is just more.
To avoid reaching a point of diminishing returns with your training, make sure everything you’re doing has a purpose. This is especially true of taxing activities like heavy strength training, high intensity interval training, and long cardio sessions. You don’t need to do these activities every single day to see results. If you’re feeling burnt out, beat up, overwhelmed by how much exercise you think you need to do each week, or frustrated by your lack of progress despite tons of effort, scale back your training. Do the most important things, take some days off of training, and cut everything else out for a while. Give your body time to rest and recover.
As a member of Strength Faction, I’ve seen the value of organizing my training week along the neurometabolic continuum. This is a fancy term that basically means you perform your most neurologically taxing activities at the start of the week and your most metabolically taxing activities at the end of the week. The first half of the week is a great time to lift really heavy weights, perform sprints, and do high intensity interval training. During the latter half of the week, get your pump on, perform higher rep sets, and do some low intensity recovery cardio. Since I started organizing my weeks like this, I’ve felt less burnt out and more capable of really pushing myself at appropriate times. Try this out to help you recover better and get more out of your training.
Not working hard enough
On the flip side of the previous point, many people aren’t seeing results because they aren’t working very hard. I’m not big on “tough love,” but I do think some people could benefit from taking an honest look at how much they’re truly pushing themselves. If you want to disrupt your current equilibrium and achieve a health and fitness goal, you need to test your limits and get out of your comfort zone.
There are many types of discomfort you can expect as you chase different goals. Building muscle requires enduring burning pain to eek out a few more good reps beyond what you thought you could do. Getting strong requires a similar kind of discomfort and focus to crush a new PR with great form. If you want to lose weight, you will certainly have to get comfortable with being a little bit hungry much of the time. The opposite is true if you want to gain weight; you’ll need to eat past the point of fullness to give your body the fuel it needs to build new tissue.
Few people want to experience these feelings for their own sake. But if you’re serious about your goals, you have to learn to embrace them. If you never feel uncomfortable, you likely need to kick your efforts up a notch. An absence of any of these feelings is a clue that you’re probably not doing the things you need to do to make progress.
If you want to receive more tools, tips, and strategies to help you get strong and feel great despite your crazy schedule, sign up for my email list here.
Even with all the time management and productivity hacks in the world, there isn’t always enough time to get everything done.
Most of my clients are high-powered professionals working in downtown Chicago. They have demanding work schedules, sometimes with little flexibility and numerous travel days every month as well as relationships, families, and active social lives.
It’s easy to put self-care on the backburner with all these obligations especially when you mistakenly think you must spend many hours in the gym to see results.
One of the most common goals I help people achieve is to increase exercise consistency (for more information and a free 5-day course, check out my #4CSystem here). If you’re like my clients, you probably don’t have hours and hours to devote to training each week. However, you still need to exercise to stay healthy, focused, and energized. And if you have any interest in changing your body or achieving a performance goal (such as helping your team win the rec softball league or squatting twice your bodyweight), consistent training is essential.
Are you doomed to mediocre progress if you can only train twice a week? How can you make the most of your limited gym time to maximize your results and not waste precious energy?
The good news is you can still get good results training twice a week. Training twice per week is much better than training zero times per week. With a few simple adjustments, you can still see progress toward your goals.
The Essentials
The first key is to have a plan or follow a program. I’ve written extensively about the value of following a smart, progressive program. Most people come to the gym with only a faint idea of what they’re going to do. This is a waste of time and does little to challenge you or stimulate growth.
There are many ways to find an appropriate program. The best solution is to hire a qualified in-person or online coach. You can also purchase DIY training programs from people you follow and respect in the industry. Some coaches and websites have free programs available. I followed free training programs for years when I was just getting started and saw great results. The most important thing is to find some kind of structure and stick with it.
Second, stop wasting time. Following a program helps because it eliminates time spent wandering around the gym looking for equipment and making split-second decisions. It’s also a good idea to leave your phone in the locker room or turn it to airplane mode if you need it for music or to track your workouts. Don’t waste half your training time answering emails, taking calls, and scrolling through social media. Focus on your workout and push yourself if you’re serious about making the most of your time.
What to do in Each Workout
If you are only training twice a week, adjusting priorities is key. Full-body workouts help you get the most bang-for-your-buck over the course of the week. These ensure you will hit each major muscle group and movement pattern at least twice every week. Two times is the bare minimum you need to get stronger or build muscle; anything less may allow you to maintain your current fitness level but won’t help you improve.
Set up your workouts to save time. I love using supersets for opposing muscle groups such as pairing a squat with an upper body pull or a deadlift with an upper body push. Supersets minimize set-up and tear-down time and allow you to take less rest between exercises. In general, I recommend keeping rest intervals short if your training time is limited. You can get away with 30-60 seconds rest between most exercises. Increase this to 90-120 seconds if you’re completing a heavy barbell lift which requires longer recovery.
What to do the Rest of the Week
Just because you’re only in the gym twice per week shouldn’t mean you completely neglect your fitness the rest of the week. If you’re serious about getting stronger, changing your body, or improving your health, find other ways to sneak activity into your week. Small changes like walking more, biking to work, taking the stairs, investing in a standing desk, or participating in active hobbies can go a long way.
Not everyone exercises to lose weight. I’ve helped dozens of clients over the years whose primary goal was to move and feel better. If this sounds like you, twice weekly training can go a long way, especially if you monitor the way you’re moving (or not moving) the remainder of the week. Pay attention to your posture and try to sit less. If you engage in repetitive movements at work, be sure to use good form.
I’ll never forget how I felt when I first started working out. I was an overweight college student, frustrated about my perpetually low energy levels and extremely self-conscious about the way I looked. Although I was an athlete throughout much of my childhood, it had been years since I did any kind of regular exercise. I didn’t know how to properly take care of myself or what I should do in the gym. I felt lost, clueless, and overwhelmed when I first set foot in my campus rec center.
My first foray into regular exercise was to spend 30 minutes on the elliptical. Right away, I noticed an increase in my energy levels. However, I hated the elliptical and wasn’t consistent. I began enjoying training more when I ventured into the weight room. When I started lifting weights, I wrote down all the major muscles on a notecard and picked one exercise to target each one. Not exactly the most scientific approach, but it kept me coming back. Ultimately, I discovered better resources which sparked a deep curiosity for all things training and nutrition and led to a career as a fitness professional.
These days I work with many clients who are coming to the gym for the first time. I empathize with the fear and uncertainty that goes along with the decision to join a gym for the first time (or the first time in years). It shows a lot of courage to put yourself out there!
This week, I want to share the steps I would take if I was going to the gym for the first time (or after a long hiatus), knowing everything I know now. If you or someone you know is on the fence about starting to exercise because you feel lost or overwhelmed, this is the post for you. Read on to learn from my mistakes and get it right the first time.
Start Slow
The secret to long-term fitness success is consistency. If you commit to too much at once, you put yourself at risk for excessive fatigue, injury, and burnout. None of these are conducive to you returning to the gym week after week.
In my experience, the people who ultimately get the best results start slow. They honestly evaluate where they’re at and are realistic about how much they can handle. Over time, they build a routine filled with physical activities they enjoy that fit well with the rest of their life. This can only happen if you are patient and lay a solid foundation.
For example, while many people claim they want to come to the gym 4-6 times per week, most can realistically come only 2-3 times. The good news is, especially if you are really out of shape, you can get awesome results training just 2-3 times per week.
I recommend starting with 2-3 strength training days and 1-3 cardio days. You can perform cardio and strength within the same workout (that’s how the math works out – more on this below). Once you’re consistently crushing 2-3 weekly workouts, then you can consider adding in more training days.
Another initial obstacle to building a regular training routine is time. Many people don’t have an uninterrupted hour to train, plus the extra time needed to shower, change, and eat. However, it’s a mistake to think you need a ton of time to have a good workout. Many people just starting out would actually get better results if they cut their workouts down to 30 or 45 minutes. If you are especially crunched for time, you can train in as little as 10-20 minutes. Don’t let the lack of large chunks of uninterrupted time deter you from coming to the gym at all.
Finally, don’t throw too much stress at your body all at once. If you are returning to the gym after a long hiatus, your strength and conditioning levels will almost certainly be less than they were previously. Choose exercises and regressions that work with your current level of fitness. Use less weight, perform less cardio, and don’t go as hard as you used to, at least for a little while.
Strength Training
Although strength training should be your number one priority, it’s often the most intimidating part of coming to the gym. It’s helpful to work with a coach or trainer to learn the basics of lifting, if possible. A good trainer will follow the principles laid out below and help you develop the confidence to eventually transition out on your own. A workout buddy with a bit more experience than you can also do the trick.
New trainees should perform full-body workouts moving as much of the body as possible. The majority of your training should consist of compound movements such as squats, hinges (eg. deadlifts, pull-throughs, RDLs, swings), presses (eg. pushups, bench press, landmine press), pulls (eg inverted rows, bent over rows, chest supported rows, cable rows), and single-leg work (eg lunges, step ups, split squats, single leg deadlifts). Focus first on performing these movements correctly before adding weight.
A good place to start is to perform 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps of each exercise. If you can easily perform the exercise for 12 reps, add weight or increase the resistance on the next set. When in doubt, slow down and use less weight. Slowing down an exercise promotes good body awareness.
If you are new to the gym, start with bodyweight exercises. Add weight with bands, dumbbells, kettlebells, and cables as needed. Stay away from barbells until you’ve been consistently training for a few months. Barbells are a phenomenal training tool, but it’s easy to load up too much weight and hurt yourself if you haven’t first build a solid foundation of good movement and strength.
Be sure to track your workouts in a notebook or on your phone. The first 3-6 months of training are an exciting time when most people make rapid progress. It’s difficult to keep track of everything you’re doing in your head, so write it down. Keeping a log also gives you something to look back over to evaluate your workouts and celebrate your progress.
Start with just 10-20 minutes of cardio per session. Resist the temptation to force yourself to spend 30-60 minutes on a single piece of cardio equipment, as this is a recipe for boredom and burnout. You can always add in more cardio later once you’ve become more consistent or if your progress stalls.
Deconditioned trainees should pick lower-intensity modalities including treadmill walking, elliptical, and stationary bike. Fitter trainees can experiment with running (assuming you have no history of knee, lower back, or ankle pain), the stair master, and the rowing and skier machines. The most important thing is to pick a modality that you enjoy at least somewhat. Nobody can force themselves to perform cardio they hate for very long.
If you are combining cardio and weights, perform cardio at the end of your workout. You may want to warm up on a piece of cardio equipment before performing your dynamic warmup in the weight room, but keep it brief (2-5 minutes). You can also perform cardio as a stand-alone training session.
Now What?
Now it’s time to put everything together. Start by having a realistic conversation with yourself about how often and for how long you can train.Put these sessions directly in your work calendar so you take them seriously. Next, divide up your training between strength training and cardio, making sure to prioritize time in the weight room. Always perform a brief dynamic warmup before lifting weights. Your strength training sessions should be full-body and focus on compound exercises from each of the major movement groups. Keep cardio sessions brief at first and choose a modality you enjoy. When in doubt, do less and slow down so you can remain consistent. Be sure to track your progress so you can look back on how far you’ve come in the weeks and months to come.
