No matter who you are or what goals you have, I guarantee you can benefit from moving your body on a regular basis.
One reason why exercise is so powerful is that it is a keystone habit. In his book The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg defines a keystone habit as a super habit that causes you to adopt additional positive habits.
Think of it as the first domino in a habit chain reaction. During the process of implementing the keystone habit, many people consciously or unconsciously build other helpful habits to support their efforts.
When we start working out, we tend to adopt other healthy behaviors.
We might go to bed earlier so we can perform better in the next day’s training session.
Maybe we start eating more protein so we can see faster progress from our workouts.
Before we know it, we’re looking, feeling, and performing better as a result of all the changes we’ve made to support our new exercise habit.
Working out on a regular basis can be an incredibly powerful catalyst for change in many areas of your life. And let’s be honest – most people feel it’s easier to start exercising than to clean up their nutrition.
For these reasons, I usually encourage people to start their fitness journey with exercise. Move often in ways that feel good and occasionally challenge your body in safe, productive ways.
Exercise is amazing, but it’s not always enough.
Unfortunately, despite its propensity to be a keystone habit, exercise by itself is not enough to get most people all the way to the finish line.
This is especially true if you have a body composition goal like losing weight. If your diet isn’t in line with your body size, goals, and activity levels, you will not see the progress you’re hoping for with exercise alone.
This misalignment is the reason why some people who hit the gym religiously can’t seem to get the scale or their measurements to budge.
In these cases, diet becomes more important than exercise.
Why is this the case?
Fat loss occurs when we consume fewer calories than our bodies use over a prolonged period of time.
Although our energy balance mechanisms are actually a lot more complicated, it’s helpful to think of this in terms of exercise (calories out) and diet (calories in).
There is only so much exercise you can do before you run out of time, burn out, or hurt yourself. We also tend to burn a lot fewer calories working out than we think (the number your wearable tells you is likely inaccurate).
Eating, on the other hand, happens multiple times every day. Most of us are bad at estimating how many calories we consume, and the world around us is filled with tempting, tasting, high calorie foods.
It’s criminally easy to wipe out any calorie burn from exercise with a big meal, a few drinks, or a post-workout treat.
Even “healthy” foods can contribute to this problem. If you burn 200 calories during a hard workout and then drink a 400 calorie smoothie on the way out of the gym, you’ve wiped out all your efforts and then some.
This is why paying attention to portion sizes through calorie counting or some other method is an essential element of successful fat loss.
Like many people, my fitness journey began because I wanted to lose weight.
By the time I got serious about this, there was more on the line than just looking a certain way. I was 19 and prediabetic, facing a future of chronic disease if I didn’t make some serious changes.
My second major goal – which lasted about four years – was to get as strong as possible. I was introduced to the sport of powerlifting and got hooked.
My training was all about putting up big numbers on the back squat, bench press, and barbell deadlift. I even competed in a powerlifting meet back in April 2014 where I set an all-time personal deadlift PR of 330lbs.
I’m now almost ten years into my personal fitness journey. Increasingly, my goals have shifted beyond just building a lean body and lifting heavy things.
I still want to look good and feel strong (who doesn’t?), but I’ve realized that the biggest benefit of lifting weights is how it helps you later on in life.
You have control than you think over how you age.
When most of us think about getting older, we assume that losing strength, mobility, stamina, and power is inevitable.
I know I constantly hear people saying things like “I’m just old” or “I guess this is just part of getting older.”
Here’s the thing: much of the physical decline we perceive as just part of getting older is not set in stone.
The appearance of your body may change, but you can hold on to much of its capacity if you’re stay active and prioritize resistance training.
One of the biggest drivers of age-related decline is loss of muscle mass. This causes your metabolism to slow down along with a host of other negative consequences.
But studies indicate that you can actually maintain much of your muscle mass as long as you keep using it. You don’t need to be a pro bodybuilder either; you just need to engage in some kind of regular resistance training.
Another challenge of getting older is being more susceptible to injury. Too many older people die as a result of slips and falls.
It doesn’t have to be this way – you can dramatically reduce the chances of falls by maintaining some level of balance, speed, and power.
Here are a few things you can do to train for health and longevity:
Train all the major movement patterns. Everyone should perform some variation of a squat, hinge, upper body push, and upper body pull on a regular basis. If you want to add a few more, I also recommend training gait (walking and carries), crawling, single leg training, and rotation (both resisting and creating it).
Pick exercises that work for your body and skill level. Not everyone is cut out to use barbells. And if you’re intimidated by the weight room, there are plenty of other resistance training options that can work. I strongly suggest experimenting to find exercise variations that feel good for you.
If you want help figuring out which squat and deadlift variations work for you, you can download my free Squat and Deadlift School ebook here.
Don’t do things that hurt. This is related to the point above. You would be surprised how many people push through pain during exercise because they thing it’s just part of the deal. There is always a way to to modify an exercise or train around pain. Your joints will thank you.
Power training is for everyone. Being fast and responsive is what helps you prevent falls and quickly react to other stimuli in the environment. Learning how to jump and land safely is hugely beneficial. If you can’t jump, try incorporating medicine ball throws or just going for power walks from time to time.
Do mobility work every day. The last thing you want is for your minor aches and pains to turn into more serious problems or permanent restrictions. I recommend doing drills to mobilize your hips, upper back, shoulders, and ankles as often as possible.
Work on getting up and down from the floor. Being able to get up and down from the floor by yourself is hugely important for health and safety as we age. If possible, try to get up and down from the floor at least once in every workout. Turkish getups and lunges are especially helpful here.
When in doubt, keep up your cardio fitness. The best thing you can do for your health is to move every day. If all you can do is go for a short walk, make that your goal. This keeps your heart, brain, muscles, and many other systems healthy and happy.
I still work out to build muscle and get lean. But I also want to stay strong and maintain my independence for as long as possible.
I want to be able to climb stairs, carry my groceries, and take active vacations. I do this work now so that I’m harder to kill if I’m lucky enough to still here in a few decades.
If you’re a millennial like me, now is the perfect time to build a sustainable strength training routine. Find activities you enjoy and set meaningful goals so you can challenge yourself and stay engaged.
If you’re a little older, now is still the perfect time to lift weights or move your body in a way that’s appropriate for you.
As long as you’re still living, it’s not too late to get in better shape and reap the benefits of resistance training. If you want some help figuring out what this looks like for you, you can apply for my online training program here.
I truly love the gym. Over the years, I’ve probably spent more time in weight rooms than anywhere else (except for maybe practice rooms back when I was a musician.)
COVID-19 threw me and many of my fellow meatheads off our game. We’d become so reliant on training in a particular way that we thought we’d never be able to maintain our fitness level or our gains without access to lots of weights.
Thankfully, my worries were misplaced. Through writing (and performing) dozens of home workouts over the last two months, I’ve learned that you can keep kicking ass no matter where you are or what you have access to.
That’s because the principles that drive progress – focus, hard work, intensity, open mindedness, and consistency – don’t require anything beyond your body and your brain.
–>You don’t need the gym to get results. But you do still need to stay consistent and check the exercise box as often as possible in ways that you enjoy.
–>You don’t need lots of equipment to have a fun and effective workout. But you do need to get creative and make the best use of the tools at your disposal.
Is it nice to work out in a gym with heavy weights and cool toys? Absolutely.
Will I be back lifting and helping clients in the gym as soon as it’s safe? You bet.
But that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop training myself or my clients in the meantime.
Accountability, structure, and guidance are three more things we all need even though gyms are closed. Most of us don’t have the time, knowledge, or desire to consistently create effective and engaging workouts for ourselves, especially when gyms are closed and our options seem limited.
I provide this service to my online clients. If you’re looking for a creative, supportive, and experienced trainer to guide you through the process of working out at home, you can apply for my online training program here.
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.
I work with a lot of people who are recovering from injuries or dealing with pain. I love helping these clients figure out how to push themselves safely so they can get stronger, achieve their goals, and reclaim their physical fitness.
In the gym setting, there are a ton of tools I use in this process. I can tweak a movement in countless ways just by using a different implement or changing a client’s position.
Working out at home is a different story. Many of my favorite adjustments and exercises aren’t accessible or even possible. And a lot of the stuff that’s easy to do with no equipment is not a good fit for clients who deal with knee, back, and shoulder problems.
Many of the home workouts floating around the internet right now are geared toward people with zero injuries and no pain. When I see some of the suggested exercises, I wince because I know many people who attempt them are banging up their bodies unnecessarily. Then, when they feel crappy after their workouts, they may give up on home training altogether.
Thankfully, with some creativity and patience, it is possible to adjust home workouts so you can still train without aggravating (or causing) joint pain. This does require you to be a lot more discerning about which exercises you perform and which you modify or skip.
Here are five tips to help you avoid injuries and feel better during your home training.
Do you really need to do those plyometrics?
A lot of home workouts heavily feature plyometric exercises and jumping. People like these because they make them feel like they’re really working hard. And for advanced trainees, they are certainly a good way to up the intensity of a home workout.
If you’re newer to strength training or have a history of joint pain, however, it’s probably best to skip these for now. Instead, focus on building strength, coordination, and balance while staying firmly on the floor.
If you want to build power at home without plyometrics, you can also use isometric holds. Pick a movement and hold the hardest position for time. Try to squeeze every muscle in your body as hard as you can – this constant full-body tension is what drives the nervous system adaptations that make you stronger and more powerful.
Look beyond lunges
Trainees with knee problems may struggle with lunges, another staple in many home workout programs.
If your movement is very limited or you’re in pain, try replacing all single-leg exercises with glute bridge variations. You can also perform hinging and leg curl variations to build supporting strength in your joints.
If you’re only somewhat limited, you can swap lunges for exercises like split squats or step ups. There are countless single leg variations and with some experimentation, you’ll likely be able to find one or two that work for you.
Improve your pushup technique
A third potential injury risk with home training is jacking up your shoulders from too much pressing with poor form. I’ve seen a lot of cringe-worthy pushup videos on social media recently and don’t want you to be one of them.
Make sure you’re doing pushups correctly. This means no shoulder shrugging, keep your elbows within 45 degrees of your sides, use a full range of motion, and maintain proper core position.
If you’re struggling, you may need to elevate your hands on a couch or go down to your knees. It’s better to make things a little easier than to bulldoze ahead with poor technique. Your shoulders will thank you!
Don’t ignore your upper back
When I work with clients at the gym, I want their pulling volume to match or exceed their pushing volume. This is hard to do at home because it’s really tough to train your back without equipment. Combine this with the poor pushup form discussed above and you’re setting yourself up for pain and stiffness.
I strongly recommend purchasing resistance bands to help keep your neck and shoulders happy. You can use bands to perform a number of rowing variations during your home workouts. If you own your home or condo, you can also buy a TRX or rings and mount them somewhere on the wall or ceiling.
At the very least, I recommend performing several sets of band pull aparts throughout the day. This simple exercise pulls you out of your slouched computer posture, opens up the chest, and builds strength in the supporting muscles of your upper back and shoulders.
Prioritize good movement and mobility
One of the gifts of having life disrupted in such a major way is that many of us have more time to focus on things we were neglecting before. We can’t get after the weights, but we can take the time to do some maintenance on our joints and practice moving with greater ease.
Here are some ideas:
Stretching
Home yoga practice
Doing Original Strength resets (check out their YouTube channel for some awesome stuff)
Working to master form on basic exercises like squats, pushups, and lunges
Even if you do nothing else during this quarantine, doing some easy bodyweight drills and stretching for a few minutes per day can do wonders for your physical and mental health.
If you’d like some help putting together home workouts, join my WFH Club. I’m emailing three done-for-you workouts to members every week. Learn more and join us here.
Unfortunately, if you don’t already have some extra equipment at home you may be without it for some time. Dumbbells and kettlebells are selling out nearly as fast as toilet paper. Even if you are able to order equipment online, you’ll probably have to wait longer than usual for it to arrive.
In the meantime, you can convert common household objects into exercise equipment so you can add additional resistance to staple bodyweight movements.
However, I don’t recommend using just anything. I’ve seen a lot of ridiculous-looking and ineffective exercises floating around the internet lately. Only a few things are really worth your time. You want to choose an item that is heavy enough to provide real resistance, and also to use that item for appropriate exercises.
Backpack
You can fill a backpack with heavy items like cans or textbooks to create a sort of makeshift sandbag. A long backpack like the one I’m using in these videos works best. If you’re holding the bag in your hands, try to actively pull the bag apart sideways throughout the entire rep. This helps engage your back muscles and core and can increase the difficulty of the exercise
You can also hold the bag in the pits of your elbows (the zercher position) to load squats and single leg movements. As a third option, wear the backpack so it acts as a weighted vest for pushups or pullups.
Towels
If you have hardwood floors, you can use towels as makeshift sliders to help you add resistance to lots of exercises. My favorite towel exercise is the leg curl, which allows you to hammer your hamstrings and glutes (some of the hardest areas to hit without any equipment.)
Bucket
Fill a large bucket with heavy items for a homemade weight that functions a little bit like a kettlebell. You’ll only be able to use this for certain exercises where you’re holding a weight beneath you in your hand, such as single arm carries or the contralateral single leg deadlifts shown here.
Pillow
I’ve been experimenting with using a pillow instead of a medicine ball for upper body power exercises. This won’t work with fancy down pillows, but it seems to work well with old, bulky pillows. Use your best judgement with these and don’t piss off your downstairs neighbors!
Laundry detergent or gallon jugs
Got a moderate-weight item with a handle? Use it for arm and shoulder exercises. You may need to experiment with different weight and rep schemes to find what works best for your current ability levels.
Hopefully these suggestions give you some ideas for effective ways to load exercises at home. Remember that you can get a lot out of an exercise without ever adding weight, so there’s no need to try to squat your dog or do ten thousand shoulder raises with a soup can.
Would you like to get three done-for-you home workouts sent to your email each week? Sign up for my WFH Club here.
Unless you are essential personnel, you are spending a lot more time at home these days. This probably means more time sitting and working in unusual places like your couch or (in my case) on the bed in your spare bedroom.
Most of you sit at your regular offices. However, you likely have a real desk and an appropriate chair. Perhaps you’re lucky enough to have a standing or sit-stand desk.
If you work in a big city like Chicago, you also probably walk a lot as part of your daily routine. You walk to and from the train, when you go out for lunch, and when you hit the gym after work. All of this movement adds up and helps your body and brain operate at higher capacities.
Working from home is another matter entirely. Many people actually work more hours – and therefore sit more – when they’re wfh.
Even if you do get up to do things, you are limited by your space. It takes me 10 seconds to walk from one end of my apartment to the other. Contrast that with my gym, where I have to go up and down a flight of stairs every time I want to use the restroom.
Being stuck at home means we are all moving less and sitting more. This is a recipe for feeling sore, achey, cranky, and sluggish during a time when we are already operating at high stress levels. If you’re feeling pain or soreness in unusual areas, I can almost guarantee it’s coming from the way you’re sitting and working.
One way to counteract all this sitting is to be proactive and schedule movement breaks (I call them movement snacks) in your day. You may not realize it, but after a long period of sitting and working your body and brain are going to be hungry for movement.
You can create a movement snack using any combination of movements. I generally pick three or four stretches, bodyweight movements, and drills that hit as many joints as possible. Shoulders, backs, hips, and necks tend to get particularly tight after too much sitting.
Here are four options I’ve been using a lot:
Walkout + pushup + 3 point lunge each side + walk back, repeat 3-5 times
5 standing head nods + 5 wall slides + 2 standing hip CARs each side
5 cat cows + 5 hip rockers + 3 squat to stand w/ rotation
3 bodyweight squats + 2 shoulder CARs on each side
After any movement snack, walk around your home for 1-2 minutes before sitting down and resuming work or Netflix.
For best results, I suggest having a movement snack every hour on the hour. You can set a recurring alarm on your phone or computer to remind you that it’s time for a break.
If every hour seems like too much, or if that will seriously disrupt your work flow, do every 90 minutes or 2 hours. The important thing is to make a conscious effort to get up and move on a regular basis.
Building movement snacks into your wfh routine is one small thing you can do to feel better right now. If you want more help designing home workouts, join my WFH club. I’m sending members three done-for-you home workouts three times every week. Learn more and join us here.
Greetings from coronavirus quarantine! We are certainly living in crazy times. The gym I work at was closed in mid-March. I’ve spent the last few weeks modifying programs and adjusting coaching plans for my all in-person and online clients who find themselves without a gym. My own training has also been completely upended since I’ll also be gym-less for the foreseeable future.
In this time of uncertainty and chaos, I hope you will make time for movement as long as you are able. I know exercise may no longer be a priority for you with everything going on, but it is one small thing you can do to maintain a sense of normalcy and take care of your physical and mental health.
Even without these purchases, however, you can still work out at home with no equipment beyond your own bodyweight. The trick is staying engaged when basic exercises become too easy.
Here are some of my favorite strategies to make bodyweight training more challenging, effective, and fun.
Slow down
If a bodyweight exercise is too easy, slow down the lowering portion to 3-8 seconds. For example, when performing a squat you would sit back and down to a slow count of 3-8 seconds.
You can also slow down the entire movement. To use my squat example again, you could lower yourself to a slow count of 3-8sec and also stand up to a slow count of 3-8 seconds. This can be deceptively difficult.
Add a pause
Pauses are traditionally added in the middle of a movement like the bottom of a pushup, squat, or lunge. However, you can add pauses to any portion of a lift. Try adding multiple pauses or very long pauses if you want an extra challenge.
Elevator reps
You can add segments of a movement to each rep to make it more challenging. One of my favorite techniques to intensify bodyweight movements is using 1.5 reps. A 1.5 rep pushup looks like this: start at the top, go all the way down, push halfway up, go all the way down again, then come all the way up. That’s one rep.
If you really want to challenge yourself, you can add even more partial reps with things like ratchet squats. For these, go all the way down, ¼ way up, all the way down, half way up, all the way down, ¾ way up, all the way down, all the way up. That’s one rep.
Practice harder movements
If you’re already relatively strong and don’t have many joint problems, you can use this time to build toward more challenging movements. Learning to do exercises like pistol squats and handstand pushups – or even just being able to knock out a set of 10 perfect pushups – will provide ample challenge without any extra weight.
Density
Instead of just doing straight sets of every exercise, you can use density workouts to get more done in the same amount (or less time).
There are many ways to increase the density of your workouts. Here are two methods I like:
Density blocks: Pick 2-3 exercises and do as many rounds as possible in a certain amount of time, such as 10-15 minutes.
Every minute on the minute: Run a stopwatch and perform a set number of reps every time you hit a new minute.
Don’t let the fact that your gym is closed stop you from staying active this spring. With a little creativity, you can still have fun and effective workouts in the comfort of your own home with zero equipment.
Would you like me to take the stress and guesswork out of home training? Join my Workout from Home Club to receive three done-for-you workouts delivered to your inbox each week. Learn more and join us here.
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.
