I think we live in one of the most challenging times when it comes to fitness and health.
A lot of people might disagree with me on this, but there is a reason I feel that way. Today, there is so much information available that it is difficult to differentiate what’s good advice and what simply, isn’t. I’ve been consistently lifting weights since I was 16 and it was only within the past few years that I really learned how to build a great body. I will tell you it is a lot more simple than people make it out to be. I’m sure all of you at one point or another have hopped on the internet and looked up “best diet to lose body fat” or “best workout’s to tone or build muscle”. It’s simple right? We have a question so we ask Google or Siri hoping to get a few good tidbits of information that will set us on the right path. WRONG! What we get is bombarded with article after article usually with contradicting methodologies. One website swears by keto and intermittent fasting, while another swears by a low fat high carb approach. Then the slew of workout programs all promising to add inches and definition while sporting a highly paid fitness model at the top of the article. See my point, it isn’t easy to differentiate the good information from the useless. And usually after a quick internet search you leave more frustrated than when you began. Because now you have more information floating around in your brain that may have even deterred you from the current fitness path you were on. So what should you do? Should you give up carbs for good or mound up the rice and not even look at the jar of peanut butter sitting in your cupboard? Should you do calisthenics or heavy barbell squats? The truth is...... They all work to a degree. Keto works wonders assuming that you don’t have high cholesterol and can deal with the fact that you wont be touching another piece of pasta for the next few months or years. Calisthenics work great if you don’t have access to loads of gym equipment or if you enjoy working out outdoors. Heavy barbell squats are awesome assuming you perform them with good form and can handle the stress they place on the body. So how do you build your best body from square one? You have to decide what your goals are, and what the easiest way to achieve them is. Once you have a goal you have to simply work on your progress toward that goal. However, if you aren’t seeing measurable progress, you’re doing it wrong. If you’re in the gym to get bigger and you aren’t getting stronger you’re doing it wrong. If you’re following a meal plan but not losing inches or body fat, you’re doing it wrong. If you’re doing boatloads of cardio, but aren’t gaining endurance, you’re doing it wrong. So, you have to seek progress. It’s that simple. However, you can only see progress if you know what you’re working towards. So, let’s say you’re really new at this and you want to get a six pack. Well you need to do a few things. Number one is set a timeline, that way you don’t have an excuse to not work towards the goal. The second thing is you need to build up your core. The third is you need to get your eating habits right. So how do you get your eating habits right? Start using a food tracker like MyFitnessPal or your Fit Bit if you have one. The app will tell you how much you need to eat. So let’s say you start at 18% body fat and you set a goal to have a six pack in one year. Well a six pack would require you to be somewhere in the 9-11% body fat range. So, basically if you haven’t lost at least 4-5% body fat in six months you need to reassess and see why you aren’t on track. It works this way for any goal you have, but you have to have a goal. The moral of the story is building your best body is all about deciding what your definition of your best body is. Once you have that you have to set goals to get you closer to the big picture. Then you simply work towards the goal. Finally, you measure your progress and assess how your journey is going. If you are making progress, great! If not, you need to reassess and change whatever is holding you back from getting towards your goal. Once you reassess or hit your goal then its time to set another one. And the cycle begins again. Also, don’t be afraid of failure. Anyone who has been successful in any endeavor in their lifetime has failed at something. I trained for years and spun my tires until I eventually figured it out. But, you can get your best body as long as you take it slow, work hard, and learn from your mistakes. Do what works for you, and always try to get better. Stay strong everyone.
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorMy name is Patriel Dunford and as the owner of Infinite Fitness my main goal in life is to spread good advice in the health industry and help people live healthier, longer, more fulfilling lives. Archives
December 2021
Categories |