How's that for a tongue twister?
In all seriousness, if I were to only tell you seven things about fitness, nutrition, and getting better, I think these would be it.
Simple?
Yes.
Easy?
Of course not.
1. Create a Caloric Deficit
This is the most important part of burning body fat. If you burn more calories than you consume, you will lose weight. For most people, taking your bodyweight in pounds and multiplying it by 10-12 is a good starting point for sustainable weight loss. Of course, it all depends on your activity levels.
2. Full Body Strength Training
Training your entire body each time you step foot in the gym will engage the most muscle groups and burn more calories than other training protocols such as isolation days where you only work certain muscle groups. Shoot for three sessions per week using compound lifts like squats, deadlifts, lunges, presses, rows, and pull-ups. If you go to Spurling, we take care of all that for you :)
3. Supplementary Conditioning
A lot of folks will prioritize cardio when trying to lose fat, but in reality it should be supplementary to strength training. If you have time, use cardio as a supplement to your tenish workouts a month of strength training. Or, if you really love it, do it as often as you want, but don't feel like you have to do it in order to lose weight.
4. Sleep 7-9 Hours
Proper sleep helps you recover from training sessions as well as control your appetite and stress. This seems like an obvious one, but out of the seven strategies, I would say this one is the hardest. An important reminder, you already know it, but important reminder, it's all connected. If you don't sleep well, you won't eat well, you won't perform well, and you won't feel well. It starts with a good solid sleep routine.
5. Eat Protein and Vegetables at Every Meal
Protein and vegetables should be a staple of a any diet. Aim for 1g/lb. of bodyweight with protein. This combination will help fill you up, rebuild muscle, and provide the vital nutrients your body needs to operate at the highest level. We're not big fans of "diets" here, but these two are staples in any plan.
6. Optimal Stress Levels
By optimal, I mean you should have some stress in your life. A low level of stress is a good thing, it keeps you on your toes. Although it sounds nice to have a "stress free" life, we know that's not possible, and even if it was, you'd be bored. At the same time, you don't want to have so much stress you cannot manage it. We know stress is a leading indicator to poor nutrition choices and lack of sleep. Use exercise as a tool to let out that stress. That's why we like medicine ball slams so much here at Spurling. :)
7. Relentless Effort
Progress takes time. There is no way around it. You need to be willing to put in the time and effort over the long term to see the results you want. There will be peaks and valleys along the way, and you must have the discipline not to get too up or down during the good and the tough times. That's the truest example of 1% Better.
Which one of these are you going to prioritize this month?
Although it's only seven, don't try to focus on all of them at once, pick one, crush it, and move onto the next.
1% Better.
Dedicated to Your Success,
Doug Spurling
PS: We designed Spurling with the mentality of "you show up and we'll take care of the rest." Meaning, we know this fitness stuff can be boring, intimidating, and scary. All we need you to do is show up, and we'll take care of the rest, whether that's showing you what exercises to do every day, or giving you a little high five and an extra push when you need it. We just opened up enrollment to our 6 Week Summer Shape Up, and we'll close enrollment in two weeks. Click here to save your spot.