Being better takes work
If you want to make your life better, you need to do the things that enable it to become better. To the outside world, the end result will make it look easy, but all the work behind the scenes is the unsung hero that gives the perception that you have your shit together.
Have a set bedtime and wake-up alarm every day, even on the weekends.
Our bodies love a consistent rhythm, and nothing is as rhythmic as a consistent night’s sleep. It’s not just about getting enough sleep; it’s about forming a habit to train your body to be tired at a certain time every night, and wake up around the same time every day. Of course, shit happens where you may be out later every so often, and you may want to sleep in at times, but the majority of your sleep should start to fall around the same times. When you start to nail this down, the rest of your schedule falls into place more consistently.
Work schedule, training schedule, meal prep times, etc.. All of those can be worked around that 7.5 to 8-hour sleep window.
Don’t waste time trying to stay up late and maximize your window of solitude. As tempting as that is to do, it’s a snowball rolling down hill, getting bigger along the way and running over all your good intentions.
Keep your meals simple, save the complexity for weekend cooking
There are a few schools of thought when it comes to eating. One school says you should eat the same thing every day for consistency, accuracy, and to think less about food. There is validity in that, but I have found that most people are not wired that way. Most people, no matter how well-intentioned they are, will not dedicate two days a week to prepping and packing food like an assembly line. If that is you, that is fine, but most people are not up to that task.
Another school is intuitive eating. Intuitive eating is about trusting your body to make food choices that feel good for you, without judging yourself or the influence of diet culture. Intuitive eating is fantastic for those who are recovering from an eating disorder or disordered eating. Helping that demographic learn how to eat to feel good without self-judgment is a critical component of their recovery.
Intuitive eating for the average population is flawed because most people will fall back into unhealthy habits that feel good rather than choosing healthy options that take work.
If you are struggling with nutrition, instead of overcomplicating it, eating like a bodybuilder, or saying fuck it and eating whatever you want, the best option is to simplify — and simplifying is the best option for all of us.
Choose easy ingredients like lean proteins, healthy carbs, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats. Learn how to combine simple ingredients into easy-to-make meals. You can use ChatGPT for help, and I have some GPT’s that take the guesswork out of it all and give you meal ideas.
Use that link and enter some ingredients you have in your fridge and pantry, and see what it comes up with.
Keeping most of your meals simple means you will have more control over your calories, your macros, and your time.
If you want to experiment more with food, save it for the weekend when you have more time.
Every meal you make doesn’t need to be Instagram-worthy. Don’t forget that many of those nutrition accounts give you the highlights, not the everyday shit they do. Either that or they have much more free time in their day than you do.
Keep your training simple, targeted, and goal-oriented
“I want to look better.”
“I want to be in better shape.”
On the surface, those are goals, but they are broad goals with no parameters attached to them.
Aesthetic goals can be motivating, but they can be a trap. Those goals can trap you into a body dysmorphic mindset where you never look good enough, and you end up focusing more on how you look rather than how you feel. It is a trap that I fell into for many years, and trust me when I say it is hard as shit to get that trap unstuck. For the average person who is not a competitive bodybuilder, focusing on specific goals can drive their training and nutrition habits into a better place.
Strength goals:
I want to bench press 1.5x my bodyweight
I want to deadlift 2x my bodyweight
Performance goals:
I want to run an 8-minute mile
I want to do fifteen 20-yard prowler sprints in 10 minutes
Weight goals can be dicey depending on the person. They are either going to be a trigger for unrealistic expectations or a motivating factor to push yourself towards that goal.
Instead of picking one large weight goal, break it up into smaller sections. If your goal is to lose 50 pounds, create 5 to 10-pound goals. Keeping them smaller can give you a mental advantage over looking at a large number.
Whatever your goal is, and you should strive for a goal to help keep your focus strong, your training should be the simplest possible method to get you to that goal.
Not the easiest, the simplest.
I have written numerous times about this subject, but it bears repeating. I grow tired of seeing programs that look like they were written by an asshole.
I will give you some examples of well-known coaches who sell programs on Train Heroic, and you can see the complexity and insanity that people pay for.
This is a popular program designed for BJJ athletes on the Marketplace. If there was a contest to see how much shit you can cram into a training session, this one would be up there.
Here’s another one for grappling, but this one uses a picture of a jacked AF grappler for the thumbnail, which gives the impression that this program got him there.
This is basically a glorified bodybuilding program, with even more volume than you need for bodybuilding. But yeah, this is GREAT for BJJ. </sarcasm>
I could go and choose more programs that look like this, but you get the idea.
Overly complex and too much fucking work. I don’t know of any person who needs shit like this, but it sells.
Why?
Because it looks so much sexier than the basics.
It is boring to look at a program that is centered around movement patterns, intelligent programming, and simplicity. 5/3/1 by Jim Wendler was criticized for years by coaches who say it’s not enough work. Meanwhile, you can look at the results from thousands of people who have used it, still use it, and Jim uses it to train the kids from London (OH) High School football.
Their record speaks for itself.
When people hire me, my goal is to make their training program and nutritional plan as simple as possible. It is no surprise that my retention rate with clients is very high, because they get results without having to spend a couple of hours a day in a gym moving around between stations and exercises like an asshole. Less time in the gym means more time for life.
Be honest, if you could have the results you want and spend less time making them happen, you would have to be insane not to want that, unless you really love spending free time in the gym. In that case, go off.
We have only so much energy to spend on training, both mental and physical. Don’t waste that time doing nonsensical training programs that only look good on paper.
Do something physical six days a week, do nothing physical one day a week
I love the three-day training schedule. Unless you are a competitor or a person who just loves to be in the gym, a three-day program checks all the boxes.
Frequency ✅
Ability to train hard and recover ✅
Adaptability to your schedule ✅
Most of my clients are in the gym three days a week, but that’s not all they do.
Mountain biking, rock climbing, walking, jogging, weekend sports, jiu-jitsu, competitive running, and more.
I strongly encourage everyone to move their body on the days they aren’t in the gym. Movement is medicine, and that medicine is not only good for your body but also your mental health and well-being. There is enough research and evidence that shows the benefits of daily movement, which makes this a no-brainer.
Do you have kids? Go for a walk with them or play with them. Don’t waste your time with your face in your phone or molding to your coach, get off your ass and do something.
Are you pressed for time and can’t make it to the gym, or the weather sucks and you don’t want to do something outside in shitty conditions? Amazon sells compact treadmills that you can buy so you can get some movement in at home. If you work from home, get a standing desk and kill two birds with one stone — work and walk.
The possibilities are endless, and this extra movement doesn’t need to be intense or performance-oriented. It can be something you do that makes you happy. Hiking in nature, riding a bike, or joining a local sports league.
Do something. That’s all.
Care less about what others think and care more about caring for others
We live in a chaotic time in history. You would have to be willingly ignorant not to know this. It is easy to get sucked into that vortex of doom — reading the news excessively, doomscrolling social media, being barraged with others’ opinions, curated lives, and toxicity. One of the biggest benefits I have seen from being on social media less is that I am not very informed as to what is happening in the fitness world. I don’t know the drama, the news, the gossip, and I am much better off for it. I read the news once a day, and I don’t spend any more time on it than that limit.
I have clients who have expressed their sleep issues, and all of them are on their phones in bed scrolling through mindless shit on social media.
We live in a world where information is literally at your fingertips, but maybe we are too informed. Do we need to give a shit about the details that don’t affect us? Do we need those little dopamine hits that keep your eyes glued to that little object in your hand?
Those distractions affect your productivity, your mental health, your relationships, and your sleep.
It is amazing how much clarity you can get from minimizing the input from other people who should have no say in how you live your life and treat others around you.
Give yourself a digital detox for a week. Only use the phone for texting, emails, and phone calls. Turn off all other notifications. Stay off social media. Read the news once per day, but do it from your PC or laptop, and don’t read the comments.
After that week, analyze how you feel and how much more time you have to spend in the present. I know it will be improved. It always is.
I believe this last one is the most important one to follow, and it’s the only one not directly related to fitness.
It is the one that will clear your mind away from comparisons, distractions, unneeded stress, and dopamine dysregulation.
That extra time can be spent doing something that benefits your life. Training, preparing food, spending time with your family, reading a good book, taking a hike through the woods, or writing.
Imagine being calmer, more present, healthier, focused, and goal-oriented. It’s all possible, even for those who feel they can never be that person. I promise you that you can.
It takes work, but the end result is worth it.
I am accepting clients for nutrition and training services. With over 25 years of experience in the fitness industry, I can help you achieve your goals.
Studying for my Master’s in Psychology from APUS
BAS in Applied Nutrition and Health from ASU
AAAI/ISMA — ISSA Strength and Conditioning — Pn1 Certified — ISSA Sports Nutrition
Former Superleague Rugby player
Competitive Strongman from 1999–2010
Former NPC Masters Physique Competitor
Former assistant rugby coach for Mentor HS (OH) and former Assistant Rugby Coach at Liberty HS (MO)
2011 Speaker at Denison University’s Strength and Conditioning conference
Three self-published training books
Multiple magazine articles for Muscle and Performance, Muscle & Fitness, and Ironman
Published on PPSC, Elite FTS, and top articles of the week from Ben Bruno and PTDC
Subscribe to my mailing list to receive blog updates, subscriber-only newsletters, specials on coaching, and more that you will not see elsewhere.
