So, you’ve overindulged over Christmas. The number on the scales gone north. You’re looking at yourself in the mirror and not a fan of what you see.
Well, the good news is it’s January. The start of a new year. And a great time to rectify the damage and finally get into the shape you’ve long desired to be in.
It’s time to shift that belly, have your partner find you attractive again and be a role model to those around you.
You may need a little help with this. This is what this articles for. Let’s get into this addressing the biggest mistakes to avoid as you embark on your journey to a leaner, healthier you.
No.1 Operating without a plan
I know most say consistency is everything. And I agree! Consistency is damn important. However, we’ve seen far too many guys over the years being consistent but with a messy plan.
It doesn’t matter how consistent you are, if your plan’s a mess you’ll soon find yourself hitting your head against a wall as you come to realise the gains you’re making don’t match the effort you’re putting in.
You need to assess your lifestyle and ask yourself “how many times, every week, can I commit to proper training?”
Notice the word proper in there. I’m talking proper training. Accurate and progressive training. Mobile phone off. Mentally dialled in. Focused on the task at hand.
Hopefully the answer to the above is at least 3 because that’s how many times a week you need to lift if you’re to make good progress.
Once you’ve committed to a training frequency you need to design a training split that suits your individual postural, development and cardiovascular needs.
This of course then needs to be complimented with an accurate nutritional plan so you can productively work towards your desired body weight.
No.2 Setting unrealistic goals
A lot of guys come to us wanting to look epic in 3 months.
To their dismay we often have to educate them that in actual fact it’s more likely going to take 1-2 years.
You absolutely must be realistic with your goals.
Failing to do so will hammer you mentally throughout the process as you’ll feel like you’re failing.
Let’s think, have you any major pressing postural concerns? Muscular imbalances? Lingering injuries? Most do!
These all need rectifying before you can start to make solid ground in terms of muscular development.
Unfortunately, rectifying the above alone can sometimes take 3 months before you’ve even started to get into the nitty gritty fun stuff.
The foundation has to be right before you build on it.
So, don’t get lured into the false promises out there that getting into shape can be done quickly. It can’t. Unless you have incredible genetics or use lots of anabolic steroids.
No.3 Falling for fads
These cripple our guys!
You must do intermittent fasting. You do no carb. You must do this. You must do that.
It’s all nonsense.
Everyone is different. You need to do what’s right for you and no one else.
The test uses indirectly calorimetry to enable us to see how many calories the individual is burning at rest. So, no guess work! Straight to business with accurate nutritional programming.
How the individual’s nutrition is structured is then based on their body weight, level of body fat, training frequency, preferences, daily routine and finally the season we’re in e.g. summer, winter and so on.
While there is a lot to consider, just remember that caloric balance will fundamentally underpin whether you lose weight or gain weight.
However, a calorie isn’t just a calorie so don’t see it like this and start thinking a high protein yogurt from Aldi is going to be the same as a grass fed ribeye steak.
Food is information for our bodies so how your nutrition is devised matters.
Keep it simple. Opt for animal-based nutrition if it suits your dietary preferences/religious requirement and eat seasonally and locally.
This podcast episode touches on nutrition in a little more detail:
Our podcast episode with Dr Jalal Khan
No.4 Procrastinating with the details
A lot of the gents that join us are data driven guys. They like the science. And often listen to the likes of Andrew Huberman, Peter Attia, Tim Spector and so on.
Andrew Huberman
However, while science is great, science requires action.
And lots find themselves procrastinating in it.
They become so fixated on what the perfect plan is, what the new bio hack is, how many milligrams of the fancy new supplement they need that they forget to get started, be consistent and actually work hard!
It doesn’t matter how good your plan is. If you’re not consistent with it and you don’t execute it with a good degree of intensity you’re not going to progress.
So, don’t fixate too heavily on every single detail. Create a plan that’s as accurate as it can be relative to the knowledge you have and then get after it!
No. 5 Tapping when the going gets tough
This process isn’t easy. There’s a reason not many people are in great shape.
It takes time, a well thought through strategy and mental resiliency.
If, as soon as shit hits the fan you throw the towel in, you’ve got no chance getting into great shape.
Like point no. 4, the process won’t be perfect. So don’t expect it to be. If you slip up. Cool. Park it and get back on the horse.
The longer you dwell the worse it becomes. Embrace the rough with the smooth and strive for progress over perfection. Don’t tap!
If you want help with your training and nutrition so you can save yourself time spinning your wheels check out our what we offer page. Here you’ll find our different services and the one most appropriate for you.
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