Have you ever felt like there is way too much 'noise' in the health and fitness space?

Everywhere you look, there's conflicting information and someone declaring that their way is the best way

If you get caught up in that noise, you begin to overanalyze or freeze altogether on just taking action

Should I intermittent fast?

Should I eat fewer big meals or lots of small meals throughout the day?

How many leg exercises do I really need to do each week?

How many grams of protein do I need?

Should I go high fat/low carb or low fat/high carb?

Should I put butter in my coffee?

Is only eating meat and liver actually going go get me jacked?

You get the picture.

My goal is to simplify a lot of the noise.

I've found a holistic strategy that works really really really well for myself, as well as with a lot of clients, friends, and family I've implemented it with.

Does that mean it's the best way, the only way, or the way that you should follow?

Absolutely not.

But I do believe implementing even a few of the strategies below can change your life.

It has for me, and it has for so many others.

And I've spent a LOT of years, research, experimentation, and failed a ton to eventually find what really works.

If you're unsure of where to start, just start with some of the things I'm going to outline below.

And then when you think you've found something better, go try that.

My main caveat (and pet peeve) is, stick with something long enough to actually know if it works or not.

You can't follow a diet, workout program, or make any lifestyle changes for a week or two and expect it to transform your life.

So today I want to get real practical with you, and give you some actionable steps you can implement right now to drop some fat and build some muscle

The best part?

None of this requires that much more time

My schedule is busy

I'm sure your schedule is busy too

The last thing you need is another random website spitting out a 6 day 'bro split' or CrossFit workout program that assumes you have nothing better to do than workout

Your workouts should fit within your lifestyle, not the other way around.

What I'm about to list below are the foundations to success.

The habits that don't make headlines, because they aren't 'flashy', but the things that most programs and people have in common that lead to the most success

Workouts

• Strength Train 2-3x/Week: This is the number one thing I would argue you MUST do if your goal is to age well and look your best
  • Choose 2 main compound lifts each workout and 2 main accessory movements
  • Rest at least one day in between workouts, you get stronger as you recover
  • Go relatively heavy and hit both upper and lower body lifts each day
• Cardio is NOT necessary, but that doesn't mean that it isn't beneficial
  • If you want to lose weight/burn fat: focus on low intensity movement such as walking, hiking, or a sport you enjoy
  • If you want to generally be healthy: focus on Zone 2 Cardio (a calculated heart rate of around 180-Your Age). This is usually a lower intensity than you think
  • If you want to be more athletic and lean up: run some hill sprints or sprint type efforts every week (keep this less than 10 minutes not counting your warm up)
  • Cardio CAN hurt your body composition and ability to build muscle if done too much or done incorrectly. Stay away from frequent high intensity workouts
• If you want the actual workout program I've been following for the past ~16 months, just reply PROGRAM and I'll send it over

Nutrition

• Quality: 
  • Focus on minimally processed foods that work for your body and your digestion 
  • Generally speaking, a diet that consists primarily of meats, fruits, and veggies is one that you probably can't go wrong with
  • Shop local, organic, and choose foods that are in season when possible
• Quantity:
  • If you want to lose weight, you need to be in a slight caloric deficit
  • If you have a lot of weight to lose, you can be in a slight caloric deficit and still build muscle
  • If you're already fairly lean, it's going to be hard to lose weight and put on muscle simultaneously. Alternate between slight calorie surplus to put on muscle and slight calorie deficits to lose fat
  • Prioritize Protein (aim for 0.7-1.0 grams per pound of body weight) and fill in the rest with carbs and fats that work for you
• Hydration
  •  1 oz per pound of bodyweight is thrown around a lot out there, but it might not be necessary. Aim for ~6-8 oz every hour your awake before dinner time and you'll probably be just fine
  • Add electrolytes to your water to make sure you're actually staying hydrated and not just peeing it right out (we like LMNT and Promix)
• Food Hygiene
  • Don't eat with distractions (put your phone away, turn the TV off, no eating breakfast in the car)
  • Actually chew your food and slow down how long it takes to finish a meal
  • Eat until 80% full (not until your stuffed)

Stress

•  Stress will spike your cortisol, which will wreck havoc on testosterone and your ability to lose fat
• Practice deep breathing throughout the day
• Limit use of your phone or work first thing in the morning and later at night
• Spend more time around people you like
• Try journaling or meditation to help get out of your head

Sleep

•  Aim for at least 7 hours of sleep when possible. This is a little person to person dependent, but you probably need more than you think you do (and you won't know until you try it)
• Don't forget about quality of sleep. Sleep in a cool/dark room, limit screen time close to bed, avoid caffeine within 8 hours of bed time (or remove it all together), don't eat too close to bed time

Supplements

•  Most supplements are unnecessary, but here are the ones I almost always recommend:
  
  • Creatine: if you workout you need to be on this
  • Caffeine: one of the best performance enhancers (if you're not sensitive to it)
  • Protein: only necessary if you're having trouble hitting protein targets, but should NOT be a regular replacement of protein you can actually chew
  • Vitamin D and a high quality fish oil is a good bet for most people

Hopefully that helps to cut through some of the noise out there in the fitness industry

While that is by no means a sexy list of things to do, I guarantee that if you did all of those for the next 6 months your health and your body would look/feel radically different.

I guess there's only one way to find out...