New year resolutionsCategoriespersonal training Program Design psychology

Reframing the Way You Make Your New Year’s Fitness Resolutions

I can sense the eye rolls already.

“Really, Tony? A post on New Year’s resolutions? How profound and unimaginably unique!”

Touche.

I can appreciate that there’s no shortage of similar posts you’ve undoubtedly come across in recent days. You’re likely thiiiiiiis close to introducing your forehead to the keyboard in front of you.  What could I possibly have to say that’s any different or inspirational or less vomit-in-your-mouth(ish) that hasn’t been regurgitated ad nauseam already?

Read on…

New year resolutions

I Promise This Will Be Different

To follow the lead of my coach (I.e., I’m just going to cut and paste), Sarah Moorman, who had some sage words to share herself on the topic:

Almost 40% of the population makes New Year’s Resolutions. From that number, a vast majority of resolutions are within the gravitational pull of health/fitness:

  • Eating habits
  • Exercise habits
  • Building a pair of pecs that can cut diamonds
  • You know, stuff like that

However, much like Sarah, I’m more of a fan of, actually…I’ll just let her say it:

“I’m largely in the camp of setting goals about consistency to help set new habits. For example, instead of a weight loss goal of a specific number of pounds, I advise you to hit your calorie or macro goals 6 days a week.”

“Why?

If someone is more consistent with hitting their calorie goals, their focus is on their eating habits as opposed to the weight on the scale.”

To parallel this viewpoint, the other day T-Nation.com memed me, which is always an honor.

I’ve long championed the 3×52 mentality.

Do something (anything) 3x per week, 52 weeks out of the year (preferably with an emphasis on lifting heavy things1), and something stellar is bound to happen.

Why THREE days and not:

  • 4?
  • 5?
  • 6?
  • 7?

Well, because for most people 3x per week is a number they can wrap their head around; it’s not intimidating.

It’s doable.

It emphasizes REALISTIC consistency.

Like I said, T-Nation made the meme and then posted it up on their IG account the very same day. I had to chuckle at a number of the initial comments:

  • “6×52 is better.”
  • “No days off!”

So on and so forth.

I have a hunch that if I made a Venn diagram and the circles consisted of:

1️⃣ I have zero kids.
2️⃣ I have no family responsibilities.
3️⃣ I am not a coach and/or I read a book on fitness, once.
4️⃣ I like to brag about my 225 max deadlift and/or my entire identity is tethered to how many followers I have on IG.

That that would pretty much represent the type of person who would end up right smack dab in the middle of the diagram and who would make such asinine remarks.

Listen, you’re not a Spartan warrior or a Navy SEAL.

Relax.

Being hardcore (or pretending to be online) doesn’t get results long term. It’ll work, for a bit. Maybe. And then you realize you’re NOT Rambo or Valentina Shevchenko.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia Commons

Being a bit more realistic with the degree of consistency needed and more importantly, expectations one places on one’s self, is key.

It’s human nature to dive right in and to go from zero to 60 without really thinking things through:

  • Says here this detox tea is legit. After 47 days my body will be cleansed of all these pesky “toxins” and I’ll be able to see sounds! Fuck my liver and pancreas. They don’t know what they’re doing anyway.
  • I haven’t exercised since before the pandemic, so I may as well start with some German Volume Training.

We all think we’re more advanced then we are and that we can skip all the seemingly unnecessary & annoyingly rudimentary steps to go from Point A (where we currently are) to Point B (where we want to be) in the fastest way possible.

Can people attain their health/fitness goals in such a haphazard way?

Sure.

But it rarely sticks, because they fail to hone in on the necessary habits to make things click long-term.

So, with 2022 upon us I encourage you to consider reframing the way you go about making your resolutions. Instead of saying “I want to deadlift a bulldozer” say something like “I want to follow a strength training program 3x per week for the next 52 weeks.”

The latter will undoubtedly be more palatable and realistic.

CategoriesFat Loss Nutrition

5 Reasons Your Fat Loss Has Stalled in 2019

We’re smack dab in the middle of that time of year where people start to falter on their New Year’s resolutions. It’s okay, you’re certainly not the only one and there’s no need to be too hard on yourself.

Fat loss can be tricky, and oftentimes what derails many people are simple “things” they may be oblivious to. My buddy, P.J. Striet, who’s a fantastic fat loss coach, was kind enough to contribute today’s guest post.

Enjoy.

Copyright: klenova / 123RF Stock Photo

5 Reasons Your Fat Loss Has Stalled in 2019

I know: you vowed and resolved to get all “shredsville” come January 1st.

If it’s working out for you thus far, fantastic…commence to kicking more ass.

But if you started out strong that 1st week or two of the new year, and now maybe things seem to be flaming out like season two of your favorite binge show you had such high hopes for, well…it’s no mystery as to why.

Here are FIVE likely culprits (for many it’s more than one as if one breaks down others seem to synergistically follow) and how to get back on the track to looking like Rambo or Linda Hamilton in Terminator 2.

#1: You Were Not in The Correct Caloric Deficit to Begin With

A common problem I see in New Year’s dieters (or frankly with anyone who decides to lose fat at any time) is that they take a qualitative approach. That’s a fancy way of saying they vow to “eat clean,” make better choices, exercise portion control, etc.

And hey that’s great.

That’s a positive step in the right direction for many.

However, the reality is…what gets measured gets managed.

While qualitative nutrition methods can work, I typically only see them working for a short while before someone stalls. It’s kind of a crap shoot: maybe you are in a caloric deficit on some days and on others maybe you are not. And over the course of time, you will eventually stall using the “I’m trying to eat cleaner/better” approach.

If you want to bake the best cookies, you don’t look at the box and say “Ok, I need eggs, milk sugar, oil” etc. and just start throwing random amounts of those in a bowl and mixing them up, hoping for a jaw dropping finished product. No, instead, you’d not only have the right ingredients, but you’d also measure out the ingredients-what the box calls for to get the best result-in the proper amounts.

So, if your fat loss has already started to sputter out into the new year, you may want to consider moving towards a more quantified approach.

That means setting calories somewhere between 10-12 calories/lb. of body weight, making sure protein is where it needs to be (.8-1g/lb. of bodyweight), and drawing up a meal plan for yourself which fits that mold. I can virtually guarantee you’ll start moving again.

#2: You Have A Concrete Meal Plan but Your Compliance Sucks Dog Ass

Shock-A-Khan alert: having a perfect, macro-optimized meal plan on paper means little if it’s not implemented and followed. For whatever reason, that’s a difficult thing for people to wrap their heads around but I digress.

In my experience in working with hundreds of fat loss hungry clients over 20 years, compliance to a plan has to be 90%+.

That’s the result getting range.

Fall into the 70’s or 80’s?

Expect maintenance (at best) or a little regression.

Fall below that?

Well…I don’t think I have to tell you and won’t insult your intelligence (although many are dumbfounded as to why they are not dropping doing things half the time, but, once again…I digress).

via GIPHY

Many will say “that’s just too regimented and stringent…that just doesn’t fit into my lifestyle!” Well, sorry: It is what’s required. If you want the prize, you have to do what’s necessary. Your prior lifestyle put you in a bad spot-to a point where you wanted to change and lean up-so you can’t really expect things to mesh with YOUR lifestyle…not logically.

This is now your new lifestyle.

Beyond that, 10% or so of the time, you can loosen it up a bit.

Let’s put that in perspective.

If you eat four times a day, 365 days/year, that means you can be off your plan 146 times per year and still get some great results.

That’s hardly dietary prison.

It’s just the lifestyle.

And, again, if getting leaner and losing fat (and then maintaining it) is something you say you want to do, then you can hardly moan about what it entails. You are not being forced. It’s a choice.

#3: Your Preparation Is “No Bueno”

This goes hand-in-hand with point #2.

Preparation drives compliance and compliance drives results. If your prep isn’t up to snuff, the entire thing falls apart.

Yes, meal prep is a big component of this.

There is no “ideal” way to meal prep, and different strategies work for different people based on life circumstances. Some bulk prep for the entire week. Others bulk prep for a few days or bulk prep only certain items (like cooked meats) for a few days and then do it again mid-week. Some people bulk prep some items for the entire week and prep “on the spot” for other foods. Some people do a hybrid of all what I just listed.

No matter what you do or how you choose to do it…you need to DO IT!

 

Preparation also means getting in your calendar (Sunday IS A GOOD DAY FOR THIS 🙂 and trouble-shooting the week ahead, identifying potential roadblocks, and, MOST IMPORTANTLY, plotting out your desired off plan meals/special occasions (TRUE special occasions…NOT “Wine Wednesday”).

Get in your meal adherence tracker (there are several online or just create one in excel or google sheets)) and mark it all off ahead of time, to include your pre-determined off plan meals.

I tell my coaching clients to mark every meal off for the week as 100% compliant and then back track, plotting out when they might be or want to be off plan while staying within the result getting range of compliance (90%+). Then you have the entire week laid out in front of you and you expect success.

It’s on paper.

It’s then just a matter of doing what you said you’d do and honoring the contract you made with yourself.

#4: You Are Getting Caught with Your Hand in The Cookie Jar (Extras)

If you have a sound, quantified meal plan, are following it with a high degree of compliance, are prepared…but your fat loss is stalling, or you are regressing…you might want to be honest with yourself about the extras.

The bites.

The licks.

The spoon fulls.

The hand fulls.

The four glasses of wine you forgot about last week.

The two times you finished up your kids’ uneaten chicken tenders or mac and cheese.

Just understand, a little of this + a little of this + a little of this will eventually not be so insignificant anymore and can either drastically reduce or wipe out the caloric deficit you are in on paper. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve had to dive deep with clients who are reporting 100% compliance to a plan which has them in a large deficit but are either consistently stalling or regressing (because it’s rarely physiologically possible for that to be happening). When I start to ask them if “maybe they forgot about some things”, the vast majority of the time, well, they have.

If this is “you” …clean it up.

#5: Your Off-Plan/”Cheat” Meals Are Outrageous

As I said above, there is room for deviations from your meal plan (10% or so) while still getting great fat loss results.

That said, if your off-plan or “cheat” (and hey you are only cheating yourself) meals leave you feeling and looking like that guy Kevin Spacey fed to death in the movie Se7en…waaaaayyyyy too much.

“But I only had two cheat meals last week!” is a common thing I’ve heard from clients over the years.

When I ask them what those entailed, Joey Chestnut would have been appalled.

You can, in fact, derail all your weekly progress in a meal or two (typically on the weekends).

It’s really not that hard.

So, if you are going to be off your plan (and you can), it needs to be kept mindful. You need to act like and eat like an adult. You can’t look at these meals as a reward (are you a dog?) or an opportunity to “get it all in”.

That’s disordered, low-achiever thinking.

Wrap Up

So, after all that, if your New Year’s attack on fat isn’t going quite as you’d enthusiastically hoped for on January 1st…where are you falling short? It’s one or more of the above…trust me. Be honest and introspective with yourself and course correct.

If you don’t, you’ll be back again January 1st, 2020 vowing to do the same deal, and this whole thing stays on repeat like a bad Spotify workout playlist.

About the Author

P.J. Striet is a 20+ fitness industry veteran and the owner of Revive Fitness Systems LLC, an online coaching company solely dedicated to helping the general adult population meet their fat loss goals. His work has been featured in the likes of Shape, Women’s Health, Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Vanity Fair, and he has also contributed to several popular fitness industry books, in addition to authoring his own, The 60-Second Sweat.

You can find out more about him and his services at www.revivefitnesssystems.com or on his IG HERE.

CategoriesMotivational

Everyone’s Goal for 2013: Train With a Purpose

Happy New Year everyone!!!  Hope you all had a fun, safe, and eventful New Years.  Lisa and I kept with our own tradition and spent our New Years in Boston’s historic North End eating bread with olive oil, pasta, and there might have been a few (dozen) pastries thrown into the mix.  Basically it was one ginormous gluten fest, and it was worth every calorie.

We were kind of rushed through dinner – we made reservations at 10 PM, hoping to be there when midnight hit – not knowing that the kitchen closed at 11.

So by 11:15, we have to make the executive decision to hop back on the “T,” pastries in tow, and head back to our apartment so that we could watch the fireworks on tv.  Low and behold the higher ups of the MBTA decided to take the train we were riding out of commission, and we were forced to get off and wait for the next one to arrive.

As the minutes passed with no train in sight, both Lisa and I were bummed that the likelihood that we’d be spending the first moments of 2013 on the train – and not in the comfort of our own living room – were more and more evident.

Alas, the train finally arrived and we were back in business.

We only live like five stops from the heart of the city, but when you ride the Green Line five stops can seem like an eternity.  At like 11:57, we were one stop away but decided to get off and spint – literally sprint – up the street to our apartment building.

Suffice it to say, we made it just in a nick of time, and right as I turned on the television Fergie was yelling HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

We kissed, and more importantly wolfed down our goodies from the North End.  And, I think we were both dead asleep within the hour.  Yeah, you can say we’re pretty romantic….;o)

New Year’s day itself was pretty low-key, but that’s exactly what I wanted.  We closed the facility for the entire day which meant I was able to sleep in. Score!

After some basic food prep, we headed to a local Boston Sports Club for our first training session of 2013.  Fittingly, Lisa and I both benched pressed our asses off.  Why not, right?

She did some cluster sets with me, and afterwards, for the hell of it, I had her attempt a one-rep max.

She smoked 150 lbs! If we hadn’t done all that work beforehand, I’m willing to bet should could have hit 160-165 lbs, easy.

The kicker is that while we were testing her 1RM, there was an older gentleman training at the bench press station next to us puttering around with 95 lbs.

Now, maybe that was challenging weight for him, who knows?  But I have a sneaky suspicion that it wasn’t.

As I looked around, I couldn’t help but notice the same kind of blase “hey-I’m-at-the-gym-so-it-has-to-count-for-something” attitude amongst many of the gym patrons.

Most looked like zombies just going through the motions. Some torso twists here, some arm circles there, and texting. Lots and lots of texting.  Why people can’t leave their iPhone’s in their locker is beyond me.

There was one guy, however, taking himself through some massive free-for-all circuit of god-knows what (and making guttural noises that can best be described as a grizzly bear getting raped by a rhinoceros), so I’ll give credit where it’s due.  My man was getting after it!

As a whole, though, pretty much everyone was just, you know……there.  As if that’s all that matters.

Sure, there’s a lot to be said about taking some initiative and making an effort to head to the gym – especially on New Year’s day. That should be commended, and as GI Joe would say “is half the battle.”

We all know the saying: the hardest part is showing up!

But there’s a lot more to “it” than just showing up.

Whatever “it” may be – for some it’s shedding off the Holiday weight gain.  For others it’s more specific like nailing a 2x bodyweight bench press – you can’t just expect things to magically happen because you walked through the doors.

There has to be some semblance of urgency or better yet, PURPOSE when you train.

Now, I’m not saying you have to go all CrossFit and train to the point where you cough up your appendix every training session. That serves no purpose.

But what I AM saying is that you should train with a purpose. Train with some balls!  Or, in the case of the ladies reading, with some fallopian tubes (because, you know, you don’t have balls).

Try to have a clear-cut, attainable, measurable goal to train for.  I don’t care what it is – I’m not here to state what that should be.  But if you’re lifting a weight for ten reps (and you could have easily gotten 20), or more to the point, you just meander around the gym floor with no rhyme or reason and just kind of “fake it till you make it,” you’re doing yourself a huge disservice.

So everyone’s goal for 2013 is to train with a purpose.

Try it – you might be surprised as to how much of a difference it can make.  And for the love of god, put away the phone!