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Digging deep to find your fitness motivation

dark skinned man sitting at desk with notebook to find your fitness motivation looking thoughtful wearing a fitbit watch and with his hand resting on his face

Pumping music, chugging pre-working and feeling anxious to get beach-ready for summer are all pretty standard workout motivators. Sure, they’ll hype you up to get you moving and into the gym. But most fitness junkies agree that a long-term drive to stay on track for a fitness journey comes from finding your why. Sometimes, you need to take the time to look deep inside yourself and find your fitness motivation.

Your “why”, or fitness motivation, is a very internal, personal thing. It isn’t related to how other people see your body, or what anyone else is doing or looks like. It’s not something that goes away when you meet a certain goal. It’s an ongoing determination to better yourself and never settle for less.

So, how do you find your fitness motivation?

Realise that fitness is as much a mental journey as physical

One of the most important steps to activating your inner drive is reframing how you perceive fitness. Seeing fitness as a purely physical thing is a limiting view. Through physical fitness, your mental health is likely to see a big uptick. You can improve your relationships. You can become more productive, creative, driven, focused. Your fitness can help you be calmer, more serene, sleep better, and so many other benefits.

Working out ignites the brain in so many positive ways. In the gym, we learn valuable lessons around delayed gratification, commitment and forming habits. Yes, you probably have some physical goals. But think about your bigger, mental goals too. Understand that through fitness, you can make incredible changes to almost every part of your life.

Admit your barriers to working out

To fully look inside yourself, you need to be honest about your weaknesses. Many people struggle to admit their weaknesses to themselves, but then how will they improve?

To find your fitness motivation, take the time to write down what’s stopping you from working out. Is it external factors, like your busy job or all the time you spend looking after your kids? Is it internal factors, like that you often feel lazy on a Friday night or that you, really deep down, don’t believe in yourself to get fit? 

You can only begin to fix what’s holding you back when you’re honest about your shortcomings. If your self-esteem is a big barrier to your fitness, allow yourself to see that. Then, become determined to change it.

Think about a time you enjoyed working out

This is a simple mental exercise but can be very useful to find your fitness motivation. Think about a time you worked out and enjoyed it and then think about why you enjoyed it. Was it the surge of pride you felt after crossing the finish line? Was it the satisfaction of pushing past what you thought were your limits? 

Analyzing these memories can hold useful clues as to what truly drives you. Many people also write down or take a short video of themselves after they workout. This can help them remember that burst of endorphins they feel, and help motivate them to work out again later.

Think about what makes you proud

I met someone who grew up in a family of overweight people. No one worked out regularly, and unhealthy food was the norm. As an adult, he said his biggest fitness motivation was setting a good example for his kids. He wanted to prove to them that through hard work and dedication, that anyone could get fit. His “why” was making his kids proud, because that’s made him feel proud.

Pride can be a deeply motivating factor. As you try to find your fitness motivation, think about your own sense of pride. What makes you feel like the best version of yourself? What changes can you make in your life to feel that feeling as often as possible?

Never settle for mediocrity

A lot of people see fitness as a part of life to trudge through. They view working out as a necessary evil. Stop settling for workouts that are “good enough” or “will do for today”. 

When you find your fitness motivation, hold it in your head all the time. Lean into your drive to be better every day, mentally and physically. Never settle for less.

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How To Keep A Positive Mindset

man with short hair wearing t shirt and shorts meditating to keep a positive mindset standing on mat in gym with hands clasped in front of him

I’m sure you’ve been told before how important it is to keep a positive mindset in all areas of life. And it is true: there are many benefits to positivity. These include stronger relationships, better mental resilience, more energy, higher self esteem, and many more. Positive thinking can be one of the cheapest and most effective supplements to help you both in the gym and outside of it.

An optimistic mindset is an important part of a fitness journey. At Buffalo Nickel CrossFit, we strongly believe that fitness isn’t all about the physical. Fitness and health is a holistic concept. A truly healthy lifestyle includes having a healthy body and mind. Because the body and mind’s levels of wellness are closely connected, keeping a positive mindset will lead to great results in the gym.

How Does Optimism Impact Our Fitness?

Research suggests that there is a strong link between a positive mindset and its effect on wellness. Many of these benefits relate to exercise. Positive messaging and self confidence helps you push yourself to go harder in the gym. Plus, it helps you maintain a more accurate awareness of your progress.

So, that all sounds great. Even so, we all have rough days where we don’t feel motivated. It can be hard to magically conjure up a positive outlook. Sometimes we hit a frustrating plateau, or our weight seems to stagnate, or it’s really rainy and we just can’t be bothered getting into the gym. Keeping a positive mindset can be really hard. So how can we do it?

Try Motivating Affirmations And Constructive Self-Talk

Your self talk is your internal dialogue. Your inner self might be critical and negative, or it might be positive and kind. If it’s in the latter category, you’re likely to experience far greater results in the gym and in every area of your life. 

Although consistent positive self-talk is really important, affirmations before or during a workout are a great way to bring up your levels of positivity. Here are some great workout affirmations for you to try.

  • “I am strong, I am powerful, and I will finish this workout.”
  • “I feel strong, alive and alert.”
  • “My body can handle anything, I just have to convince my mind.”
  • “I am my best athletic self today.”
  • “I am a better athlete for working out today.”
  • “A little bit of pain is good, it is a reminder that I’m doing a good job and it’s making me stronger.”

There are so many inspiring workout affirmations and quotes. Find the ones that work for you and set it as your phone lock screen, as an alarm on your phone reminding you to go work out, or just hold it in your mind.

Other Tips To Keep A Positive Mindset

  • Workout in a way you enjoy. If your workout involves running on a treadmill for an hour, five days a week, you’ll probably get bored very quickly. One of the best things about CrossFit is the variation. We combine group fitness, weightlifting, gymnastics, and many more. This is a great way to keep engaged with your fitness.
  • Check in with your stream of self talk. Try setting an alarm on your phone for every couple of hours. When it goes off, think about your inner monologue and what you’re saying to yourself. Are you being kind and encouraging to yourself? If not, challenge these thoughts. As you get used to this style of mindfulness, it will get easier to evaluate your self talk and make sure it’s constructive. This practice is much like cognitive behavioral therapy, and can be a valuable way to keep a positive mindset.
  • Track your progress. Take before and after photos of yourself, and keep a workout log – whether an app or on paper. When you leave it up to your brain, it can be hard to see your body change. Seeing hard evidence of yourself making progress is a great way to keep a positive mindset.
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Why To (Maybe) Stop Using A Scale

me on the left before i decided to stop using a scale and on the right is a smiling man who decided to stop using a scale and is shirtless and more muscular

The picture on the left was me somewhere in the winter of 2015/2016 and I weighed 225 pounds. The picture on the right is me in August of 2020 and I have no idea what I weigh. Here is a little about my personal weight gain and weight loss story, and my decision to stop using a scale.

I started CrossFit when I was 23 and weighed right at 170 lbs. At the start, I would weigh myself religiously. I had a little muscle mass, mostly from high-school sports, and working physical labor jobs. I could crush body weight movements, as well as anything cardio. But when any substantial weight was added to a workout I struggled. This was difficult for me to handle, I had always been physically capable and never really struggled with exercise. But, CrossFit has a special way of humbling anyone who participates.

I was obsessed with the scale

My eating habits didn’t help things. I have discussed this previously which you can find here. Intermittent fasting, along with a strict paleo diet, left me wiped out after my workouts and unable to gain any real strength. During this time, I had only gained about 5 lbs of muscle. So after about 6 months of CrossFit, my goal became to gain weight and lift heavy. So I started eating, A LOT!  

I have never measured my caloric intake but here is an idea of how many calories I would take in. At the time I was working on Sundays. Before I went to work I would usually eat a lunch or two. I would also pack some food to snack on at work. Typically, it was grilled chicken, rice, eggs, a couple apples, 2 green smoothies, and a 2 lb bag of clementines. While at work I would also get a burrito from Chipotle, and then go to Smashburger where I would have a burger, fries/haystack onions, and a milkshake. When I got home I would have a couple of bowls of cereal, and usually some ice cream or donuts before going to bed.

Well I did gain weight and the weights I was moving went up. I quickly hit 190 lbs. Then 200 lbs. I got to 215 pretty easily, but my goal was to weigh 225 lbs. It was a struggle to make it to 225. I ate until I felt like throwing up, then I would sit down and let my stomach settle for about 30 minutes. Every day, usually multiple times a day, I would weight myself. I was obsessed with my weight. And I simply could not stop using a scale.

As you can tell, the 225 pounds was not a healthy life for me. While my weightlifting had increased, my cardio was abysmal. My life in general was a struggle. Walking up stairs or a hill at work had me winded. Bending over to tie my shoes had me holding my breath and trying to move my gut out of the way. My clothes started to get very tight. But I still weighed myself. Hitting 225 was nice. I reached my goal! But my body and certain aspects of my life were different. It left me looking for change.  

I decided 225 was the turnaround point for me, and that I needed to lose weight. I wanted to get back to looking good and being able to perform all movements well. In a few months, I dropped from 225 to 185. And still I checked the scale every day. 185 left me feeling weak in my lifts, and with little muscle endurance.  

Why I decided to stop using a scale

Over the years I have fluctuated between 185 and 200, but where I feel best at is 190 to 195. I can move enough weight for an athlete of my caliber, but my cardio and body weight movements still feel strong and fluid. About a year ago I decided to stop using a scale. I have an idea of what I weigh only because I have weighed myself so many times in the past. 

Now I am not concentrating on the number the scale gives me. I am concentrating on being happy and enjoying all aspects of my life. Obviously, health and fitness is a major part of my life. Feeling good and operating well in my workouts makes me happy and at peace. Another big part of my life though is food, and enjoying it with my family and friends. Being able to do so without worrying if the scale will change by even a pound makes me happy.

Can a scale be helpful in our health and fitness journeys? Of course it can, but it shouldn’t be the end all be all. The scale is like a photograph. It captures a split second of your life. Sometimes that second is good, other times it’s not so good. But that second doesn’t determine anything else. 

You might find it helpful to stop using a scale and stop worrying about the numbers. Worry instead about how many people you make a positive impact on in a day. Your life will be much happier that way.   

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How To Make Fitness Work For You

make fitness work for you man in gym clothes standing in front of sign that reads ftc and wearing shorts and a t shirt at the gym

There are so many fitness trends out there. These greatly affect how we think we should approach fitness. From skinny detox tea to the keto diet, health and fitness trends are endless. But at the end of the day, what is fitness for? The CrossFit philosophy is that your fitness should work for you. Your fitness should help you move furniture around your house, or play with your kids in the yard. It’s about using your fitness to be functional.

Fitness isn’t about trends

When I started CrossFit, paleo was the popular diet trend. So, I jumped on that bandwagon. For those who don’t know paleo is, it’s a diet where you attempt to eat like humans did in paleolithic times. This means only foods you would come across in a hunter/gatherer society. If you are follow it, you will spend a large amount of time, money and effort to abide by it.  

I was very skinny before starting CrossFit, and when I first joined I put on a little muscle. At the same time I was eating paleo, I was also intermittent fasting. This means having a large block of the day where you don’t eat. The premise is that you keep your calories limited by only having so much time to consume food in your day.

I didn’t know this at first but the intermittent fasting and paleo were actually hurting my performance. I would fatigue quickly during my workouts. My recovery afterwards would take hours, and I was not gaining any strength. But I would weigh myself everyday and I was happy with the number on the scale.

I did about 7 months of intermittent fasting and paleo. By the end, I was burned out. I hadn’t been out to eat, I didn’t eat the same food as the rest of my family, I hadn’t had much “enjoyment” food, such as desserts, or sweets. So, the pendulum shifted. It shifted way farther than it should have.  

Feeling weak and fatigued had been terrible. The first few workouts with a significant source of carbs in my diet was amazing. I felt good, I lifted heavier, I recovered faster. Going to restaurants was fun again, and I could enjoy meals with my family. But as that pendulum kept going I started gaining weight. Some of it was good. I put on significant muscle mass, I was moving heavy weight in all of my lifts. Some of it was not so good.

The fun lasted for a bit, but then I started having trouble doing anything like pull ups, push ups, box jumps, or running because I had gained a lot of fat as well. I had a goal to see how heavy weights I could lift. So, my cardio stopped. I lost definition and the ability to do some of my gymnastics movements. 

Make fitness work for you

Around this time I switched boxes. The shape I was in disappointed my new coach. He pointed out that while lifting heavy was beneficial, I should be more focused on fitness for life. If I was unable to move quickly for a few minutes without having to stop and try to breathe, were my workouts really doing what I wanted/needed them to do?

That became my new mantra, I wanted to be able to do any physical task life called upon me to do. Whether it be a week of hiking, helping push a stalled car, laying sod, riding my bike with Zeke on my back, the list is endless.

The point is, your fitness should suit your life. You should not only enjoy what you do to get/stay in shape, but it should also work for your needs. That’s why CrossFit is so beneficial: it’s functional. 

The functional movements prepare you for the variety that is life. This way, no matter what life demands of you – a ski trip with friends, carrying your kid around a theme park, helping your brother move – you can do it. Make fitness work for you and for your benefit.

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Fitness is Evolving: The Future Of Fitness

the future of fitness shown by a dad wearing glasses lying on a bed holding son with curly head above his chest by a big window

Who knows how 2020 will be written in the history books? There are still a few months left and, as we have seen, a lot can happen in that time. As you know, my world revolves around fitness. Aside from all the global craziness that has happened, I see a change happening that hopefully continues into the future of fitness.

How has the future of fitness changed in 2020?

Here is an overview of what has happened this year. People have been stuck at home, with little to no workout equipment. This caused people to get creative. 

People usually spend a ton of money on vacations, summer camps, and entertainment outside of the home. This year that money went towards something different.

It went towards bikes, personal workout equipment, and home improvement materials.

No, you aren’t reading the wrong article. This isn’t an economics blog, fitness is right around the corner.

What most call fitness

To the average person, fitness is understood to be visual. A certain ratio of shoulder width to bicep circumference, a tiny waist line, or thighs that don’t touch. 

Many people imagine fitness happening in a building with air conditioning, an Olympic pool, tons of machines, in the most affluent part of town. 

Fitness “gurus” will try to sell the average person on this certain supplement (or tea…you all know who you are), or a specific training plan will give you the ‘ultimate 6 pack in 30 days’. This won’t work, and isn’t what fitness is about.

What fitness actually is

Well, what is fitness about then?

Fitness provides freedom.

This freedom is what allows you to ride your bike with family and friends and not be bringing up the rear. 

It also allows you to be able to load that sheet of plywood from the cart to your truck bed. Then you can carry that plywood from the truck bed to the garage and duck down as you walk through the door with it. 

Fitness/freedom is why you can look good in a swimsuit but still enjoy foods you like.  

And most important of all, fitness equals freedom through functionality.  

The fitness equation

The fitness equation means a person’s level of freedom is directly related to how functionally fit they are.

Of course I don’t mean constitutionally free. I am sure North Korea has plenty of fit people. 

Refer back to the example we gave earlier of people who believe fitness is a skinny girl drinking detox teas. Or those who think fitness means a bicep is supposed to be the size of a newborn child. 

Those people might look fit, but how functional are they? Can the skinny girl even load the sheet of plywood by herself? Can the guy with sleeve splitting biceps go hiking and not feel like his lungs will explode? Are they actually fit? Are they free? 

The future of fitness

My point is fitness is finally evolving. People had disposable income and they didn’t go buy a leg press machine, they bought a barbell and weight set. They didn’t put in an in-ground pool, they bought a road bike to ride with their friends and family. 

Restaurants were closed. So, they didn’t spend money on going out to eat. Instead they started cooking real, healthy food. And they couldn’t go on vacations so they decided to use their own manual labor to finish all those house projects.

These things feel good to do. These things are changing how people think of fitness, and changing the future of fitness trends.

When will the globo-gym model be extinct? Will girls with a waist the size of a pencil and zero muscle tone stop selling BS products? Will guys, who spend years getting perfectly sculpted abdominals and shoulders, tell you that they know the secret to giving you the same in 30 days? One day, will functional fitness be the ultimate king like it was when humans were still trying to learn how to survive on Earth? That’s all highly doubtful.  

But a movement changing the future of fitness has started. People are connecting fitness and functionality. My hope is that people will embrace functional fitness. I hope this trend will continue and that people will continue down the road of functionality – towards freedom.

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5 Workout Don’ts For Fitness Beginners

workout don'ts and workout do's getting advice in the gym

When you start working out, you’ll get hit with a ton of advice (often unsolicited) about what you should and shouldn’t be doing in the gym. Even though these tips surely come from a good place, all the ideas can get overwhelming. However, there are a few key workout don’ts that you do not want to forget about!

These 5 tips are super simple and easy to implement. If you follow them, you’ll definitely be on your way to a great and effective workout. Here we go:

1. Don’t Forget To Warm Up And Cool Down

Structuring your workout correctly is crucial for meeting your goals. When you remember to warm up and cool down, you’ll perform better and have faster recovery times. Plus, you’ll minimize your risk of injury. What’s not to love?

A good warm up prepares your joints and muscles for exercise. A cool down then gently returns your body to its pre-workout state. Spend five to ten minutes doing each at either side of your workout.

There are many resources online with ideas for fun and effective warm ups and cool downs. Try lots and see what works for you.

2. Don’t Focus On A Single Form Of Exercise

CrossFit is all about avoiding routine. A strict workout regimen will only make you get bored and stuck in a rut. There’s no fun in that – and fitness should be fun!

Throughout the week, combine your lifts, movements and exercises in as many creative ways you can think of. Maybe one day it’s a game of basketball. The next day, a run in the park. The day after that, a high intensity WOD. 

Sure, if you find an underlying structure that works for you, that’s great. But try and mix things up as much as you possibly can. This will keep your workouts exciting, fresh and a part of your day to look forward to.

3. Being Selfish In The Gym

This is one of those fitness don’ts that is less to do with your physical health, and more to do with your mental. If you’re new to working out, just remember that it’s important to be courteous to other gym-goers. This keeps them happy, and also keeps you in a positive headspace. It’s a win-win.

When in the gym, don’t hog equipment, clean up after yourself, and be polite to those around you. If you’re kind and respectful to others, they will be to you too. Being friendly will get you a long way. Who knows, maybe you’ll get a new workout buddy!

4. Workout Don’ts: Overdoing It

When you start working out, you may find it tempting to go super hard all the time. No pain, no gain, right?

Wrong – this is one of the major workout don’ts! If you consistently overdo your workouts, you might feel fatigue, frustration and a lack of motivation. It can even affect your sleep.

Your body only builds muscle when resting. It’s absolutely crucial to allow yourself this time to recover from the stress of training. 

Make sure to get at least 24 hours of rest after a heavy workout. If you’re really getting antsy, feel free to do something light like some yoga, or an easy walk around the block. 

5. Don’t Set Unrealistic Goals

Starting a new workout plan is exciting. I’m sure you’re dreaming of your perfect body – and you can’t wait to get it! However, these things take time. And there’s going to be setbacks. You’ve got to mentally prepare for them.

When you set goals for yourself, consider the SMART acronym. This stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-based. Goals that meet these guidelines will be useful for motivating you on your fitness journey.

A bad goal: look like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson by Tuesday.

A good goal: add five pounds to bench press within the next month.

Buffalo Nickel CrossFit can help you with workout don’ts (and dos)

At Buffalo Nickel CrossFit we know that all the workout dos and workout don’ts that get thrown at a beginner can get a bit overwhelming.

At our box, we always try to offer helpful guidance to new members. If you want to try a session with us, or have any questions about your fitness, you can contact us here.

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How To Get Back In The Gym After A Break

woman getting back in the gym

For one reason or another, you took time off working out. You might be looking to get back in the gym after lockdown, getting busy with work, recovering from an injury, or any other reason.

First of all, congratulations! It’s great that you’re ready to get your fitness back on track. However, don’t be overzealous. It can be tempting to go really hard to make up for lost time, but this can lead to burnout and injury.

In this post, we have some key pointers for getting your mind and body back into the workout grind safely and sustainably. If you use these tips, you’ll be able to start working out again in a way that’s positive for your long-term plan.

When you get back in the gym, expect a change in ability

No matter if you used to be a weightlifter, a CrossFitter, a cardio lover or whatever else, you should remember that your physical ability will have suffered. Don’t feel bad about this – it’s normal! 

But, it is important to keep in mind when making a new plan. If you jump straight back into the same workouts you used to do, you may overexert yourself and get injured. Or, you might not be able to perform like you used to and get frustrated. Make sure to start working out again in a sustainable way, so you don’t burn out.

Be patient and take it slow

Take some time to think about your old workout plan, and how you can scale it back. It’s important to set yourself up for success. This means thinking about keeping it sustainable.

Think about your previous high intensity workouts. A good rule of thumb is to start working out again at 20 percent of the intensity of your hardest workouts.

If you had to take time off from exercise because of an injury or illness, check in with your doctor before getting started.

Plan your workout with exercises you enjoy

You’ll be far more motivated to get back in the gym if you’ve got a killer workout plan. When you’re getting back into the swing of things, try to keep it simple. Get back to the basics, and focus on your functional movements. There are many great resources online to inspire you.

Create a workout plan with two to four heavy compound lifts at the start. From there, you can be flexible. Work in some isolation lifts, cardio, bodyweight exercises, or anything you want.

Many people like to ease themselves back into exercising with group fitness classes, such as CrossFit. You could also opt for a game of soccer, tennis, basketball or any sport of your choosing with friends. 

Expect to be sore when you get back in the gym

Every fitness junkie has had a bad case of DOMS at some point. DOMS stands for delayed onset muscle soreness. When you do any kind of resistance training, it causes tiny tears in your muscle fibers. This is why you feel sore after a workout, particularly after your first session in a while.

After you get back in the gym, you should expect some muscle soreness. However, you can minimize it by warming up, drinking enough water and applying ice to the affected muscles after the workout.

Don’t let your sore muscles put you off too much. And luckily, the more often you go, the less noticeable your DOMS will be.

Set (healthy) goals

Getting back in the gym can seem a bit daunting. Setting yourself some goals can help you measure your progress and boost your motivation as you smash through them.

When you set goals for yourself, remember the SMART acronym. A goal should be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-based. When you reach a goal, reward yourself with some new workout gear, or anything else you like!

At the end of the day, getting back in the gym should be fun. If you take it slow and manage your expectations, this will help you ease back into the lifestyle. Before you know it, you’ll be back where you left things – or better than ever!

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What’s The Hardest Part Of Getting Fit?

the hardest part of getting fit lifting weights

Don’t get us wrong, getting fit is awesome. You feel great and you have lots of energy. You’re healthy – your bones and muscles are strong. Your body looks amazing and you feel confident. Maybe you get a little more attention from the opposite sex than you used to! Going to the gym is satisfying and makes you feel accomplished. Yep, getting fit is a rewarding process with so many benefits.

However, we can acknowledge that you’ll run into some challenges on your fitness journey. In this post, we’re going to acknowledge some of the most common issues you may face. There are definitely things you can do to deal with them.

You may disagree that some of these things are the hardest part of getting fit. For some people, one aspect is a huge challenge, but for others it’s no problem at all! Remember, everyone’s different.

So, what are the hardest parts of getting fit?

Sticking to a healthy diet

Even if you don’t think diet is the hardest part of getting fit, I’m sure you’ll agree it can be tough to manage. If you’re bulking, it can be hard to force yourself to eat enough. If you’re cutting, you’ll have the opposite problem. It can be hard to say no to your favorite snacks. So what can you do? 

  • Learn to cook. It’s so much easier and cheaper to eat healthy when you make the meals yourself. Plus, cooking for yourself makes you feel accomplished. Being familiar with spice blends and seasoning makes a huge difference to how your food tastes. Look up some recipes and spend some quality time getting to know your kitchen.
  • Meal prep. After a long day, who wants to spend time cooking up sweet potato and chicken when you could just get fast food on the way home? You can beat this problem by cooking meals in advance and storing them in the fridge. This makes it easy to just grab something healthy at dinner time. There are so many great meal prepping resources to explore online.
  • Eat healthy foods that you like. Try lots of foods, and ditch the ones that you think are gross. Just because everyone at your gym seems to eat oatmeal every day, you don’t necessarily have to jump on that train. There are so many amazing healthy foods, just be open minded and find ones you actually enjoy eating!

Motivation and discipline

Many people find maintaining motivation to be the hardest part of getting fit. Maybe you finish a long day of work and you just can’t face the idea of going to the gym. Living a sedentary lifestyle wasn’t so bad, right? Right? To overcome issues with motivation, try to:

  • Do fun workouts. No one’s going to feel motivated to do something they hate. Ditch the thirty minutes of running on a treadmill. Replace it with fun lifts you love, high intensity and varied cardio workouts, or social sports with your friends.
  • Try group fitness classes. Group fitness classes, such as CrossFit, usually have a fun and motivated atmosphere. The collective vibe will boost your motivation to new heights.
  • Create a workout schedule and stick to it. If you know in advance that you’re going to the gym and know why you’re going and what you’re doing, you’ll feel far more excited to go. Work in your favorite exercises.

Being patient: waiting to see progress

Wake up, eat a thousand eggs, work yourself to the bone at the gym, drink a protein shake, repeat. Sometimes a fitness journey can feel like you’re working so hard, and for what? 

If you don’t see results or feel like you’re meeting your goals, your motivation can really drop. Many people find patience to be the hardest part of getting fit. Here’s how to stay on track:

  • Set small, short term goals. You’ll be waiting a long time to lose 50 pounds. But, if you set a goal for each 5 pounds, you’ll feel much more satisfied with your progress. Reward each 5 pounds with something such as new workout gear or an item of clothing.
  • Stop comparing yourself to others. It’s human nature to look at others, and this can make us feel discouraged. Try to push these thoughts out of your mind. Everyone has their own path.
  • Take photos of yourself. When your body changes just a little each day, you might not notice. Every month or two, take a few pictures of your body to document your progress. When you look at them, you’ll be surprised at the changes you do see.

Fighting the stereotypes that come with getting fit

Before getting shredded, you would probably never consider this to be the hardest part of getting fit. However, many gym buffs really struggle with the stereotypes they face. Big and muscular people, particularly men, are often assumed to be vain, superficial or even stupid. These assumptions can be hurtful!

To overcome this challenge just remember:

  • People at the gym won’t think this way. Try connecting with other fitness junkies. Be kind to those you meet at the gym, and they’ll be kind to you. Of course they know that there’s far more depth to people at the gym than just caring about working out. 
  • Remember you’re doing this for you. There are so many benefits to fitness that go beyond aesthetics. You’ll be the one laughing when you’re well into old age and in great health and amazing shape.
  • It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. At the end of the day, you know there’s more to you than the gym. If someone assumes you’re vain just because you work on yourself, they aren’t someone you want to associate with anyway!
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5 Effective Fitness And Nutrition Hacks

fitness and nutrition hacks a bowl of healthy fruit surrounded with muffins

So, you want results and you want them now? You want to know which fitness and nutrition hacks will work in your favor to get you shredded as soon as humanly possible.

Well, luckily, there are steps you can take to optimize your muscle growth. We all know patience is a key part of building muscle. Still, it’s natural to itch to see results from your hard work in the gym.

In this post, we’ve rounded up some tried and tested fitness and nutrition hacks to speed up your journey on the road to ripped.

1. Eat enough protein

This macronutrient is crucial for building muscle. Cut out your sugars, slash your starches and processed carbs: protein is your best friend when it comes to making gains.

You don’t need to consume hundreds of grams of protein every day. If you do this, your body will just store it as fat. Scientific research shows that 0.8 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight is best for someone who is trying to build muscle. So, if you’re sitting at 200 pounds, you’re looking at 160 grams of protein each day.

Opt for low fat sources of protein. Chicken, turkey, pork, beef, fish, milk, yogurt and eggs are all great options. If you’re struggling to get enough into your diet, a great nutrition hack is to stir a bit of protein powder into a yogurt for a quick and high-protein snack.

2. Do compound lifts

To build muscle, you should regularly do lifts that work several muscle groups at once. These are called compound lifts and include deadlifts, bench presses, squats, military presses, kettlebell swings and pullups.

There are many benefits to compound lifts. These exercises are an effective form of cardio, improve flexibility, and help you to build muscle fast.

When performing compound lifts, lift as heavy as you possibly can. Do more sets, and less reps. 5 sets of 5 reps is a good rule of thumb. At the end of your 5 reps, if you physically couldn’t do another then you know you’re lifting heavy enough. If you think you could do more, you need to up your weights.

3. Pre-exhaust your muscles

This popular fitness hack involves performing an isolated exercise, and following it with a compound exercise that works the same muscle group. For example, you could do leg extensions before doing squats. 

When you do your compound lift, your muscle fibers will be damaged from the isolated exercise you just did. This means they’ll be primed for optimum muscle growth. 

You’ll also feel each rep more on the compound lift. This helps you to perform high-quality sets.

4. Get enough rest

Sleeping well and taking enough time out of the gym is highly important. This is one of the easiest fitness and nutrition hacks for building muscle fast.

On your rest days, do some light cardio to stretch out, such as a half-hour walk or even some yoga. There are many great ways to help your muscles recover.

Many people also recommend cold showers as part of a rest routine. The cold water increases blood circulation which allows you to recover faster and get back to working out. Cold showers also strengthen your immune system and promote endurance.

Whether or not you’ll be jumping into a cold shower, make sure you get enough sleep. Building muscle involves tearing apart your muscle fibers in the gym, and rebuilding them better and stronger from the protein you fuel yourself with. This rebuilding process happens when you sleep, so it’s absolutely vital to spend enough time in bed.

5. Take progress pics

Of course, taking photos isn’t going to directly affect your muscle growth. However, this is a great fitness hack to help keep your motivation up. Taking pictures of your body at the start of your fitness journey to look back on is a concrete reminder that you ARE building muscle.

When change happens slowly, it can feel like your hard work isn’t making a difference at all. If you take some pictures of yourself from different angles, after a few weeks you’ll start to see how far you’ve come.

Documenting your progress is a great way to motivate yourself to hit the gym when you’re having a lazy day.

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Can I Gain Muscle While Getting Shredded?

gain muscle mass and get shredded at the same time

Most guys dream of getting healthy, fit and shredded. When they start working out, they picture themselves rocking chiselled biceps like a Greek god and abs you could grate cheese on. They want to be ripped and lean, and for good reason –  this looks great. But gaining muscle mass is super fun too. Being able to bench more and more impressive numbers as the weeks go by is a highly rewarding process. And who doesn’t want to get big and strong? It would be ideal, for many, to gain muscle while getting shredded.

Lots of people feel torn between hitting a low body fat percentage so they look amazing and toned, and getting big. It’s natural to wonder if you can gain muscle mass and lose body fat at the same time. This is hotly debated, and there are many different opinions on if it’s possible to get big and shredded all at once. Is it possible?

Yes, You Can Gain Muscle While Getting Shredded

But only to an extent!

To increase muscle mass, you need to lift heavy while eating enough to fuel your gains. Muscle requires a lot of energy and calories to create. You’ll be gaining weight, but you’ll be getting super strong. Unfortunately, it’s common to put on body fat during this process. You’ll be eating in such an excess of calories that your body likely will store some as fat.

Getting shredded is basically the opposite process to getting big. To get shredded, you need to minimize your body fat percentage. This means consuming fewer calories than you’re expending. Your body then “eats” its own fat stores and turns those into energy.

Luckily, there is a middle ground. You don’t have to treat gaining muscle mass or losing body fat as mutually exclusive. If you do this, remember that your strength gains and fat loss won’t happen at the speed that they would if you were focusing on a single goal. However, you’ll be looking incredibly fit and amazing.

If you eat a balanced diet that’s high in protein, do a range of exercises including strength training, and get enough rest, you should be able to gain muscle mass while getting lean at the same time. 

What Should I Do?

There are a number of things to bear in mind if you’re trying to gain muscle while getting shredded. They are:

Don’t cut calories (too much)

To lose weight, you need to lose body fat. To lose body fat, you need to consume less calories than you’re using, so your body resorts to using its fat stores for energy. 

However, if you’re trying to gain muscle mass at the same time, it’s a bad idea to not give your body the fuel it needs to turn your strength workouts into gains. You’ll be burnt out and tired. If you do decide you want to cut, cut no more than 300 calories from your daily BMR.

When trying to balance losing weight and gaining mass, you shouldn’t necessarily expect the number on the scale to go down. Muscle weighs more than fat, so you may even gain weight. Just continue to eat a balanced and healthy diet with minimal to no sugar, and notice how you look and feel, not how much you weigh.

Eat enough protein

This macronutrient is crucial for building muscle, so you need to get enough of it. Aim for 20 grams of protein per meal, four times a day. Don’t cram all your protein into one meal, but have it throughout the day so your body has a constant supply. Many people recommend consuming extra protein after a workout.

Great ideas for lean protein intake that will support your muscle mass goals without ruining your body fat loss goals include: 

  • Fatty fish such as tuna, tilapia and salmon
  • White meat such as chicken and turkey
  • Dairy – milk and yogurt are great choices
  • Eggs – one of the cheapest forms of protein, eggs go with almost anything

Do a range of exercises

When you’re trying to gain muscle mass and get shredded all at once, you need to perform strength exercises for your gains, and cardio to lose body fat. For muscle gains, compound lifts are the most effective. Remember to focus on heavy squats, deadlifts and bench presses. Isolated movements can also be great, just make sure to vary what you do.

To burn body fat, you’ll want to do a range of cardio movements. Biking, swimming, rowing and running are all great options. If you prefer, try some high intensity routines that incorporate burpees, pushups, situps, kettlebell swings, and many more. 

There are many great CrossFit classes to put you on the right track for gaining muscle mass and getting shredded at the same time.

Get enough sleep

One of the most overlooked aspects of fitness is getting enough rest. Most athletes are recommended to get between 7-10 hours of sleep per night. 

Chronic sleep deprivation can “undo” the effects of dieting and lead to weight gain, which is not what you want. Sleep also gives your muscles time to restore and repair. Cells regenerate best at night, which helps you gain the mass you’ve been working hard for.

For best workout results, create a sleep schedule and come up with some techniques to relax you and help you wind down at night.

With hard work and patience, you’ll soon be looking shredded, big, and amazing.

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