Note: This post was originally published on new year’s day 2018. For my updated thoughts on training for overall health and wellness, hop over here.
Okie dokie. Day 3 of the new year.
For those of you who have set fitness goals this year (myself included) – how are we doing?
Personally, I’ve been very consistent with having fresh meats, fruits, and veggies available and prepped when I need them, and have been active several times this week. I’m feeling good.
But I’m more concerned about you and your progress.
If weight loss has been a metaphorical dragon you’ve been trying to slay year after year, then I want to help by imparting some lessons I’ve learned from over 11 years in the health and fitness community. This is by no means an exhaustive list, and if people want more, I’m happy to keep plugging away. I just hope you might find some of these useful in your journey to look great naked this year.
With that, let’s take a look at the list, sexy bunz.
1. There is a magic bullet for weight loss – it’s called consistency and patience.
Sorry to burst your bubble, but nothing – and I mean nothing – trumps patience and consistency when it comes to getting healthier. I’ve fallen victim to the instant-gratification mindset myself several times before, and it’s always left me achier and more frustrated than when I started. You have to “embrace the suck” and accept that it’s a journey for a lifetime.
Your body isn’t meant to serve you in spurts of 30 day weight loss challenges. It’s meant to serve you until you take your last breath surrounded by friends and family in that kick ass mansion on that island you bought. Be patient and enjoy the process. You’ll be surprised where you’re at months or a year from now.
2. Lifting weights is important.
Strength training helps keep our bodies strong and able. Cardio is great and obviously important for a myriad of health reasons, but pairing it with lifting weights is like PB&J: it’s just better together.
My recommendation? If you’re new to the iron game, lift things up and put them down at least twice a week –
preferably working your whole body each session – using exercises that train the following movement patterns:
– Squat
– Hinge
– Lunge
– Push
– Pull
– Carry
Hit these hard and often, and you can’t go wrong.
In practice, a workout week might look like this:
Day one:
– Goblet Squat – 3 sets of 8 reps
– Dumbbell Row – 4 sets of 10 reps
– Dumbbell Bench Press – 3 sets of 8 reps
– Dumbbell Farmer’s Walks – 3 sets of walking for 30 sec.
Day two:
– Stiff Leg Dumbbell Deadlift – 4 sets of 8 reps
– Reverse Lunge – 3 sets of 10 reps
– Lat Pulldowns – 3 sets of 10 reps
– Dumbbell Overhead Press – 3 sets of 8 reps
Over time, focus on improving the quality of your form and slowly adding weights to each movement.
3. Quality matters, but so does quantity.
Food. Sweet, delicious, mouth-watering food.
This is the area I think *most* of us (especially me) struggle with more than anything else. I find working out fun and enjoyable. I don’t find dieting fun and enjoyable. But it’s a necessary evil on the road to sexification.
We all know what we should be eating: Lean meats, fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats should comprise the majority of our nutritional habits (lifestyle choices may vary).
But that doesn’t mean that we should abstain from the “good stuff” all our lives.
What matters most in the end is **are you eating in a manner aligned with your goals?**
For example, if you need to eat ~2500 calories a day to lose weight, and eating some dessert will leave your daily intake at 2400 calories, guess what? You’re gonna lose weight. Whether you eat the dessert or not is up to you.
If you eat 3000 calories a day of all “clean” foods when you need to be eating 2500, you will gain weight. It doesn’t matter if the food is healthy – you’re simply eating too much food.
You can eat all the healthy food you want, but if you aren’t eating in a way that’s conducive to your goals, you won’t make progress. There are plenty of ways to find a balanced way of eating that includes a wide variety of foods in line with your goals. It just takes some tinkering and guidance (holler at me if you need some recommendations) to get it right.
Eat healthy, moderate portions 90%+ of the time. The other 10%? Do whatcha want.
4. Surround yourself with supportive people.
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
It’s easy to burn out if your health and fitness goals put you into a “me against the world” mindset. Sure, there are times for extreme “hood up, head down” approaches, but in the long run, joining a like-minded community that will not only keep you motivated but ACCOUNTABLE is crucial.
Find a lifting partner, join a fitness class, or even follow an online fitness community or message board. Whatever tickles your fancy. Nothing feels better than building a healthy body and sharing that success with a community.
5. Go easy on yourself.
Look, I’m not happy with my body right now. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say a lot of people aren’t happy with their bodies.
But one of the more important lessons I’ve learned over the last 6 months is that you need to cut yourself some slack.
Negative self talk is absolutely crippling to progress. I was in such a bad place at one point that I stopped going to the gym entirely and gorged myself on dessert every night. I thought I had to walk around looking like my old self – the guy featured in a book in his undies – to feel like I had any value.
Now I know that isn’t true, and I’m starting to see health and fitness as a supplement to my life, rather than something I needed to focus on for validation. I’m proud of what I’ve achieved and am excited for what I’m GOING to achieve in the future. Fitness is becoming fun again. You need to make it fun to make it last.
If you’re struggling with a negative mindset related to health and fitness and need to talk to someone about it, I am here to listen.
In the meantime, you look fucking great in that outfit. Keep that shit up. I know I’ll be seeing you kicking ass in the gym this week, yes?
Cheers to firm bums, strong bodies, and a healthy life in 2019.
Ian
Ian Estabrook 