you are f***ing up your diets because you have neglected these 3 key things

When most people start a weight loss, general health or muscle building program they often forget about these 3 essential things

I know what you are thinking. Here we go again someone else banging on about how abs are made in the kitchen or its 80% nutrition and 20% exercise. Blah, blah, blah! Well I'm not even gonna mention nutrition and changing eating habits in this blog. Why? Because most people who are starting out on a health and fitness kick are usually not ready for that. They might think they are but they are not! And that's why it doesn't take them long to fall off the wagon, leaving all their efforts nul and void and maybe even getting a bit fatter in the process. So for me, the 3 things we talk about in this piece are the foundations of good health and nailing these 3 things before you start changing your eating habits will make you far more successful at doing so on a long term basis. 

1. Training Consistency

People often want to make changes to their bodies and do 1 of 2 things with their training. They go off too fast, try to train every single day thinking that more is better. When you are just starting out, this is not the case. As we have previously mentioned a loads of other videos and articles is that 3-5 sessions per week is the optimimum training volume to allow you to make improvements in muscle mass and cardiovascular health. 

DO NOT TRAIN FOR FAT LOSS OR TO BURN CALORIES!!! This is not what your workouts are for. You  are in the gym to do 3 things. 

• Boost your mood - Regular training will make you happier. I guarantee it! 

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• Build lean muscle - If you want to reduce body fat and build lean muscle, you must do weight training. If you are over 40, weight training is the single best form of exercise you can do bar nothing. Not running, not yoga, not pilates. Weight training is the Mother f***ing Fountain Of Youth! You want to move better, age slower, feel and look younger? THEN LIFT HEAVY SHIT! Do it consistently and often.

 

• Improve your health health - The actual energy burn you get from cardio training is a very, very low percentage of your overall daily calorie burn. So focus your cardio around building stamina and improving health. 

TIP!!!!! If you are just starting out, timetable in 2-3 workouts per week for the first 3-4 weeks, After week 4, try to consistently hit 3-4 sessions per week. Once your body is feeling fitter and more conditioned then 4-5 training sessions per week will give you the best possible restults. Always timetable in 2 rest days for muscle groeth/repair and bgeneral recovery. 

CONSISTENCY OVER TIME IS THE KEY TAKEAWAY HERE!!! MAKE YOUR HEALTH A PRIORITY AND UNLESS YOU ARE SEVERELY ILL, LAME OR DYING, THERE IS ZERO EXCUSE FOR NOT TRAINING A MINIMUM OF 2-3 DAYS PER WEEK

2. Hydration

​The amount of water you drink has a huge effect on how successful you are at changing your body shape. Drinking lots of water helps literally every bodily process function better. It helps improve everything, your cognitive function, your sirit and mood and your day to day physical performance. 

We should aim to drink at least 2-3L of water per day. Yeah, you are gonna piss like a race horse for about 3-4 weeks but stick with it because there are absolutely loads of advantages to staying prperly hydrated. Check em out:
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• Improves how your brain functions, allowing you to think more clearly and consistently make better choices
• Improves how your muscles, bones and joints function due to better cell helath
• It improves your mood, helping prevent you becoming a moody fucker and reaching for the red wine or buscuits
• It helps keep you feeling fuller. Feeling less hungrymeans its easier to eventually make changes to your diet as sugar cravings and feeling of tiredness and lethargy are reduced. 
• Helps improve bladder, kidney and liver function
• Helps reduce infammation throughout the body, perhaps helping to reduce pain and injury

So yeah... You will be stopping by the loo a bit more often. But a few extra pisses in a day has got to be worth all of that stuff. Doesn't it?

3. Recovery...

... Or in this instance, SLEEP! Sleep is the single best recovery tool we posses. It is also the single best thing we can do to help keep us in a good mood. Let's face  it. Everyone turns into a big cranky pants when they are tired don't they? And when you get tired mid afternoon because of a shit nights sleep, it's biscuits, crisps and sweets from the vending machine we turn to isn't it? 

So study after study, after study has shown us that in order to function optimally as adults we need somewhere between 7-9hrs of sleep per night and that is the target we should be aiming for. If we are training hard on a consistent basis then up to 10hrs of sleep is optimal. So let's really strive for that minimum bench mark of 7hrs to get all the benefits which include:

• Improved brain function, helping you stay in control of your decisions
• Better recovery both for your muscles and your brain
• Reduces your want to snack and eat sugar which in turn helps you regulate blood sugar and stops you getting Hangry
• Improved mood
• Improves muscle repair and growth, meaning you will get more out of your training
• Improves enrgy levels. Again, meaning you will get more out of your training. 

So there we have it. If you have tried to diet or stick to exercise before, chances are nobody told you or you didn't focus on this stuff. So next time you want to make real changes to your body and lifestyle, don't rush head long into another fad diet or try to survive on 500Kcals per day. Take your time, build up your training slowly and build consistency, start drinking water to stay hydrated and focus on getting a good night's sleep. If you can do this, dieting for weight loss or increased muscle mass becomes a million times easier. 

faster fitness solutions brand new 21 day program
​Workout, hydrate, recover

This is our brand new online coaching program that we are launching with our clients to help them get off to a great start on their health and fitness journeys. Its a fully coached 3 week program where we help you build consistent habits that will allow you to:

• Get in the gym more consistently and build momentum in your training
• Gradually increase your hydration levels to help you stay hydrated so you feel fuller and have more energy
• Get a better night's sleep

All in all, this program is designed to help you feel mentally and physically better. So when you are ready to make changes to your diet and nutrition, you will be in the best possible place to ensure these changes stick. Because staying consistent over a long period is the only way to be successful when it comes to improving your health and body composition. 

If you would like to find out more about this program and how we have helped some of our other clients create long term successful transformations, click on the buttons below to find out more about our personal training and group coaching programs. 

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