I’m a trainer at a gym (the best gym in state… just sayin’), I am a member at a big box gym and I also purchase guess passes at other gyms to be able to train with friends and my girlfriend on a regular basis.
My favorite thing about training at other gyms is definitely people watching! And not in a creepy way either, I just like seeing what other people are doing in their routines.
Sometimes I see new things I would like to add into my training, but to be honest I usually just see horrible form or the same guy doing the same things day after day.
Last week at the big box gym I was walking over to the squat rack and a man approached me, a man who is always doing the same things, he asked me how I get the results I’ve gotten.
Me being who I am, this turned into a 30 minute conversation about intermittent fasting, mobility, form, periodization and so on. In my opinion I had an impact on this guy and he would most likely improve something about his training from what I told him that day. But this also made me want to write a post, about stopping the confusion with training and dieting.
There are seriously so many programs and diets out there its hard to decide what to do. Some people get a coach and let them decide for them, which is the smartest route to go. But some people don’t have that option, so what should you do?
First of all what you must make sure your doing is switching things up.
If your program hasn’t change in the last 2 months, it probably needs to. Very few programs out there actually run past 4-6 weeks. This is because this gives your body time to adapt, improve and succeed. Then it’s on the next program. If your not switching things up often enough you run out of room to progress and progression is one of the biggest keys to physique success.
This can also apply to your diet, if you’ve done the same 30 day protocol, 4 times in a row… lets face it, its probably not going to work as good the 5th time! So switch it up!
Try a new diet or nutritional approach. This could be anything from adding some form of fasting to your diet, switch up the protein, fat, or carb sources, or even trying an entire new protocol. Like I said before; the key is switching things up, being consistent with it, and once you plateau figure out where you can modify/improve what your currently doing.
Next thing a lot of people do that causes confusion or lack of improvement is, over thinking and/or over-stressing!
Too many people get so sucked in the little things that they end up stressing over whether they should eat a green vs. a red apple, or if their going to build more muscle from a supinated grip vs. a pronated grip.
Stop your crazy thinking, eat the apple and row the damn barbell! If your last program had a certain grip, try the opposite this time (remember… switch it up!)
They key here is that stress will raise cortisol and other hormones we don’t want at high levels in our body, which in turn will cause fat gain and a slower fat loss rate. So take it easy and just stick to a solid program. Don’t rush it; don’t worry about it and just go with the flow. Especially if you’re on a trusted program, nothing happens over night so just ride with it and trust the process.
A big question I always get from random gym rats when talking about results is, “What supplements do you take?”
As if results are made from supplements, so my next point to be made is just that… Supplements!
This one always makes me laugh because when they ask they expect my answer to be something crazy like, “Testo-Rage, Hydro-Whey, Ignito-Burn”…
But my real answer is always, “Fish oil, Vitamin D & C, and whey protein”. But then they don’t believe me!
I can name many close friends and colleagues of mine who are ripped and pretty damn jacked, who do not take any crazy supplements. They all just eat good and take their vitamins.
Your body produces all the hormones you need to build muscle and burn fat; and food has all the nutrients you need do these things also.
Instead of relying on supplements and wasting all your money on these products, spend it on natural, hormone free, and grass fed food products. It will get you further in your fitness goals and also in the long-term goal of over all health.
At the end of the day the key to reaching success in your journey to the body you want is simpler than we make it.
Eat clean [Organic if possible], take vitamins [not crazy supplements], switch things up [get a coach, who can take you through quality programs], and most importantly… don’t stress the little things!
