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Embarking on a nutritional change is a journey of dedication and effort. But what happens when you're putting in the work and the results seem to lag? This episode dives into the frustrating reality of the nutrition plateau, exploring the gap between expectations and reality, and providing strategies to stay the course. We’ll cover how to navigate social challenges, maintain motivation, and ultimately achieve your health goals, even when the immediate rewards are elusive.
The Expectation Gap and the Frustration Factor
When you decide to make nutritional changes, you often have a vision of rapid transformation. Social media, past experiences, and observing others can create unrealistic expectations. The reality is that change takes time, and the body doesn't always reflect your efforts immediately. This "expectation gap" can lead to significant frustration and disappointment.
You might find yourself comparing your results to past attempts or to others' perceived success, leading to feelings of inadequacy. It's crucial to remember that everyone's journey is unique, and progress is not always linear. You may be making the right choices directionally, but visible changes can lag behind the internal work.
The frustration can escalate when you're making significant sacrifices, such as giving up favorite foods or navigating social situations, without seeing the desired outcomes. This can lead to thoughts like, "Why even bother?" or "Are these trade-offs worth it?" It's important to recognize that these feelings are normal and to develop strategies for staying motivated.
It is very easy to fall into the trap of thinking that you have lost a week of progress if you have one bad meal. Instead of this mindset, try to think of shorter more controlled stints of time, such as one meal at a time, or one day at a time.
Navigating Social Challenges and Maintaining Consistency
Social events can be a major hurdle when trying to stick to a nutrition plan. Dining out often involves larger portions, less control over ingredients, and the temptation of indulgent foods. It can feel like you're constantly having to skip meals or endure feelings of hunger.
Social anxiety can also arise, both before and during events. Anticipating questions about your dietary choices or feeling guilty after indulging can detract from the enjoyment of social gatherings. Having a plan in place, such as bringing sparkling water with lemon or lime, and knowing how to respond to questions about your choices, can help alleviate this anxiety.
Telling a person that you respect what your plan is, such as your coach, can help to solidify your resolve. Also, being well fed and hydrated before a social event can help tremendously.
It is extremely easy to tinker with your approach, doubt yourself, and change or give up entirely. This is why having a coach is a great way to stay on track.
Building Sustainable Habits and Finding Your Support System
The key to long-term success is building and reinforcing healthy habits. Focus on small, achievable wins and play with time domains. Instead of focusing on distant goals, celebrate daily or weekly victories. Remember that consistency, not perfection, is the goal.
Having a supportive voice of reason can make a world of difference. This could be a coach, a friend, or a family member who understands your goals and provides encouragement. They can help you stay grounded, navigate setbacks, and maintain perspective.
Remember that many professionals, even other coaches, have coaches. This is because having someone to hold you accountable is vital.
It is important to remember that for women, the monthly cycle can add another layer of difficulty. Be patient with yourself, and adjust your plan as needed.
PS - IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN TAKING ONLINE COACHING FOR A TEST RUN, CHECK IT OUT HERE.
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Learn practical strategies for building baseline nutrition habits that go beyond macro counting, focusing on consistent daily behaviors for sustainable health and lasting results.
We dive deep into the behaviors that form the foundation of your nutritional success. Forget the complicated macro calculations for a moment; we're focusing on the daily, repeatable habits that truly make a difference. These are the routines that will empower you to build a reliable nutrition baseline, ensuring you consistently nourish your body and achieve your health goals. It's not about quick fixes or fad diets, but about establishing a sustainable lifestyle.
We understand that the initial excitement of starting a new nutrition plan can fade. That's why we're focusing on behaviors that reduce decision fatigue. By creating consistent routines, you'll minimize the mental energy required to make healthy choices. This approach is crucial for long-term success, as it helps you navigate those inevitable moments when willpower is low and hunger strikes. We'll explore practical strategies to help you build these essential habits.
Building Consistent, Decision-Free RoutinesMany people get overwhelmed by the details of weighing and measuring food. While these practices can be helpful, they're not always necessary for building a solid nutrition baseline. What's more important is establishing consistent routines that reduce the number of daily decisions you need to make. This means identifying repeatable behaviors that simplify your approach to food.
Think about creating a set meal schedule or preparing a few staple dishes in advance. By having go-to options, you'll eliminate the need to constantly decide what to eat. This consistency is essential for building a reliable nutrition baseline. We'll also discuss how to develop a sense of portion control without obsessively weighing every ingredient. Learning to recognize ballpark amounts can be just as effective and far less stressful.
When facing situations with less control, like social gatherings or travel, having a strong foundation of consistent behaviors is key. We'll explore strategies for maintaining your nutrition baseline in these scenarios, ensuring you can confidently make healthy choices even when your routine is disrupted. The goal is to reach a point where you feel confident in your ability to navigate any situation while staying true to your nutritional goals.
Practical Food Strategies and TradeoffsBuilding a healthy nutrition baseline involves understanding the foods that support your goals. We'll discuss essential food groups, focusing on prioritizing protein and carbohydrates while adjusting fats to suit your needs. Learn how to identify single-ingredient foods that offer flexibility and versatility in your meal planning. For example, a big batch of chicken breasts or ground beef can be used in a variety of ways.
We'll also explore the concept of tradeoffs. Understanding that you can enjoy a fattier cut of meat if you reduce fats elsewhere in your diet is crucial for creating a sustainable plan. This flexibility allows you to enjoy your favorite foods while still maintaining a healthy balance. Discover how to incorporate spices, powdered peanut butter, cinnamon, and walnuts into your meals to add flavor and nutritional value.
Having a repertoire of repeated, flexible recipes is essential for long-term success. These recipes should be easy to prepare and adaptable to your preferences and nutritional needs. Consider batch cooking or meal prepping to save time and ensure you always have healthy options available. By focusing on simple, single-ingredient foods and mastering a few key recipes, you'll be well on your way to building a strong nutrition baseline.
PS - IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN TAKING ONLINE COACHING FOR A TEST RUN, CHECK IT OUT HERE.
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Saknas det avsnitt?
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Ever feel lost in the sea of nutrition advice? Tired of starting and stopping diets? Ditch the diet! Learn why you need a nutrition baseline and how to build one.
Your nutritional baseline is you secret to sustainable nutrition success. The key to sustainable progress isn't a quick fix, but a solid foundation. In this episode, we're diving into the concept of a nutrition baseline – your personal safe haven of healthy eating habits.
The Importance of Your Nutritional BaselineThis isn't about restrictive dieting; it's about establishing a consistent, enjoyable way of eating that supports your overall health and well-being. Think of it as your nutritional home base, a place you can always return to when life throws you off track. This episode will equip you with the tools to create your own personalized baseline, so you can finally achieve lasting results.
Your nutrition baseline is more than just a meal plan; it's a collection of consistent habits that make healthy eating second nature. It's the set of actions you can always fall back on, providing a sense of stability and direction.
This "safe zone" helps you maintain a healthy weight and body composition, not necessarily "shredded" but comfortable and thriving. It's the point where you feel good, energized, and in control of your food choices.
This baseline isn't about white-knuckle restriction, but rather about making consistently good choices. It minimizes processed foods, prioritizes whole, nutrient-dense options, and helps you avoid the common pitfalls that derail so many people. Think of it as your personal nutritional reset button.
Building Your Nutrition BaselineA well-defined baseline includes a rough meal plan with similar foods for each meal. For example, you might have a go-to breakfast of 4 eggs with healthy carbs.
Lunch could be 6-8 ounces of lean meat with veggies and carbs, and dinner might be 10 ounces of lean protein with carbs, fats, and veggies. A typical day might also include snacks like Greek yogurt with blueberries.
Flexibility is key – you can add small additions like walnuts to your yogurt or swap out chicken for fish. The core principle is consistency with a foundation of whole, minimally processed foods.
The building blocks of your baseline include reliable protein sources like meat, eggs, and yogurt. Healthy carbohydrates like rice, oats, bread (whole grain when possible), and fruit are also essential.
Dialing In Your Nutrition BaselineDon't forget plenty of fiber from veggies, legumes, chia seeds, and nuts. Start by focusing on protein intake, aiming for roughly 1 gram per pound of body weight as a general guideline.
For individuals who are older or female, a starting point of 12-15 calories per pound of body weight, with approximately 90 grams of protein (+/- 10 grams), can be a good starting point. The remaining calories can be allocated to carbohydrates.
Experiment to find whole foods you enjoy, focusing on 3-4 meals per day. A great strategy is to start with protein at each meal and build around it.
Visualize your plate: protein in the form of chicken breast, carbs from rice or sweet potatoes, and fiber/veggies from broccoli. Nuts can be added to bump up calories if needed.
This approach allows for easy mixing and matching. For example, chicken can be used in various dishes – Mexican, Asian, sandwiches, with rice or in a tortilla.
The goal isn't to follow the exact same recipes every day, but rather to have a flexible framework of nutritious foods that you enjoy and can easily adapt to your preferences and schedule.
Visualizing your macros can be helpful, but don't get too caught up in precise tracking – consistency with whole foods is the most important factor.
PS - IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN TAKING ONLINE COACHING FOR A TEST RUN, CHECK IT OUT HERE.
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Prioritizing long-term fitness over short-term pleasures is the key to achieving your goals. Fitness can feel good, just adjust your time scale.
Feel Good Fitness: Prioritizing Long-Term Fitness over Short-Term PleasuresAre you tired of starting over every Monday? Do you find yourself constantly battling between instant gratification and your long-term fitness goals? You're not alone! In this episode, we're diving deep into the psychology of prioritizing long-term fitness over short-term pleasures, and how to escape the gummy bear trap.
We've all been there: the siren call of the donut, the allure of skipping a workout, the "I deserve this" mentality that derails our progress. It's easy to fall into the trap of doing what we want right now, but what happens when those "right now" choices add up? Six months down the line, are you closer to or further from the body and health you truly desire?
This episode explores the crucial concept of the time domain in fitness. We often think about our goals in terms of what we want immediately, neglecting the bigger picture. We'll help you dissect your true desires, peeling back the layers of "I want a 6-pack" or "I want to weigh X" to uncover the deeper "I don't wants" – the feelings of bloat, guilt, low energy, and lack of capability that drive your long-term vision.
How to Prioritize Long-Term Fitness over Short-Term PleasuresThe Gummy Bear Trap: What it is and how it sabotages your fitness goals. We'll explain how focusing on short-term pleasures can lead to long-term dissatisfaction.
Identifying Your True "I Wants": It's more than just aesthetics. We'll guide you through a process of discovering the deeper motivations behind your fitness goals – the feelings of health, strength, confidence, and well-being you're truly seeking.
Mastering the Time Domain: Learn how to shift your mindset from immediate gratification to long-term vision. We'll explore practical strategies for aligning your actions with your goals.
The Power of "Peeling Back": Discover how to analyze your goals and understand the underlying "I don't wants" that are driving them.
The MED (Minimum Effective Dose) for Long-Term Success: We'll discuss how you don't need to go to extremes to see results. Identify the key changes that will have the biggest impact on your fitness journey.
Honing Your "Feel Good" Skills: Learn to recognize and appreciate the positive feelings associated with healthy behaviors. It's not just about white-knuckle discipline; it's about enjoying the process.
The Importance of Self-Awareness: Pay attention to how your body feels after certain actions. Develop a deeper understanding of how your choices impact your well-being.
Playing with the Time Domain: Experiment with different approaches and find what works best for you. Fitness is a journey, not a race.
Key Takeaways:
Prioritizing long-term fitness over short-term pleasures requires a shift in mindset and a deep understanding of your true goals.
It's not about deprivation; it's about making conscious choices that align with your vision.
Small, consistent changes can lead to significant results over time.
Self-awareness and the ability to recognize how you feel are crucial for long-term success.
PS - IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN TAKING ONLINE COACHING FOR A TEST RUN, CHECK IT OUT HERE.
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Gain physical freedom through nutrition. Sustainable nutrition builds a foundation for health and physical freedom.
What is Physical Freedom?Let's first consider financial freedom, a term often discussed. We define financial freedom as the ability to do what you want with your time. You achieve this because you have earned enough time (in the form of money) to be able to do what you want with your time.
Physical freedom is the ability to be able to do what you want with your body. You earn this through the discipline of healthy training and nutrition habits over time.
You can gain physical freedom through nutrition and exercise habits.
You build habits that support your goals. These habits become joyful. You have agency and the ability to influence your life. Things do not just happen to you. Sometimes things are outside your control (injuries and illnesses). Either way, you roll with the punches and control what you can.
Physical Freedom Through Nutrition: Body Image & Bad GoalsMany of us spend all or most of our lives walking around comparing ourselves to some image or celebrity. For many, that is Bradd Pitt in Fight Club.
Andrew actually experience 6-pack abs and extreme leanness in an environment he would never want to recreate, where he was training like crazy, had little freedom and was undereating.
Later, Andrew learned how to build sustainable habits that did not require extreme diets. He actually was able to enjoy the process and sustain that level of leanness. He had built habits that supported his goals. The Brad Pitt goal was a false idol.
Physical Freedom Through Nutrition: Love the ProcessLearning to love the process really matters. Both Andrew and Niki have found themselves able to enjoy periods such as the holidays, where they kick back a bit, enjoy more alcohol, more desserts, but do not eat to physical discomfort.
Ironically, when Andrew had less healthy habits, he was more anxious about holiday periods, felt he could not enjoy them, but regularly ate until he was physically sick.
Approaching these periods with the long-term in mind, no anxiety, and knowing you can enjoy them but that includes enjoying yourself after the meal (not feeling sick) is sustainable and healthy.
Achieve physical freedom through nutrition.
PS - IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN TAKING ONLINE COACHING FOR A TEST RUN, CHECK IT OUT HERE.
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The Beast over Burden podcast is beginning to come out in series as opposed to weekly. The first series will cover attaining physical freedom through nutrition. Frustrated with extreme diets, yo-yo-dieting, or nothing seeming to work? We'll help you find practical, sustainable nutrition strategies that help you reach your fitness & health goals. Stay tuned!
PS - IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN TAKING ONLINE COACHING FOR A TEST RUN, CHECK IT OUT HERE.
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Do a diet reboot if you've slipped up and need to get back on track. These tips & tricks help you stop diet derails and help you stay on track.
Diet Reboot to Get Back on TrackIt’s January 2nd (or maybe later). You pull the belt across you on the plane, you get into your pants, you look in the mirror…what the fluff!?
You may have eaten normally for most of the holiday period. For many people who find themselves gaining weight, it doesn’t come from the decisions they’re making for lunch on Wednesday, it’s the “abnormal” days.
Many who fail to lose fat do well on the week days but then overeat far too much on the weekends, negating any caloric deficit they may have created during the week.
During the holiday periods or similar times like vacations, “abnormal” days increase, further increasing the caloric surplus.
What can you do? Snap back to health by resetting your baseline.
Diet Reboot: Snap Back to HealthBefore you begin addressing the problem, consider your approach. Don’t catastrophize.
This may be a long habit of unhealthy decisions that you’ve decided to stop, or you may generally feel pretty good about your nutrition habits and just need a quick course correction. Either way, don’t expect to fix this in a couple days.
For big changes, you need to think about 6 to 12 months.
When it comes to metrics, know yourself. For some, recording your weight each day will drive you crazy. For others, it’s useful information that helps inform their decisions without causing overreactions.
In terms of approaches, starving yourself is not a good approach. It may be useful, however, to have a short period where you’re strict with no alcohol, no added sugar, and focus on having as many single-ingredient foods as possible.
This resets your baseline and will, actually, have you feeling better after a couple days. You’ll find that the bloat is gone and you come to begin appreciating healthier foods.
Weighing and measuring for a period of time may also help. Why? Because it helps prevent a slide into hidden calories (“that’s close enough”). It also, if you have not done it, helps inform you of just how many calories peanut butter, whiskey, and cooking oils have.
Filling your plate with more veggies really helps too.
If your diet has derailed, don’t freak out, snap back to health with these strategies. Do a diet reboot!
PS - IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN TAKING ONLINE COACHING FOR A TEST RUN, CHECK IT OUT HERE.
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If you travel regularly, you will have to continue to strength train as you travel. Learn fitness travel hacks in this ultimate guide to strength training while traveling.
Strength Training While Traveling: Why It MattersWhy train while traveling?
While, in part, it depends on how often you travel, your goals, the length of travel, and how consistent you are outside of travel. For those who are extremely consistent and rarely travel, it might make sense to take the week off.
If you travel for business, you need to train.
You will feel better if you train. The workout might not feel good, especially to start, but you will feel better afterwards. You might even feel better during the workout (e.g. initial warm ups feel terrible, then the heavier warm ups and work sets move well and feel good).
It also helps provide structure to your days, which on vacation can often lack structure. Additionally, it gives you some short amount of you time, and, importantly, healthy you time.
Strength Training While Traveling: Fitness Travel HacksIncorporate your gym seeking into your travel planning. Checkout the hotel gym and nearby gyms. You can often find a serviceable gym that has a guest policy. You might need to call the gym to check the visitor policy.
Pack and prioritize some equipment. Belts and other bulky items are not needed. Having a pair of shoes that you can both lift and do cardio with makes sense. You might pack some small things like liquid chalk, straps, or knee sleeves.
Plan your workout ahead of time. Intend to do at least something hard – get into that “worth it” zone.
Depending on the number of times you will train and decide whether you will do full body and a split. Fewer times means full body makes more sense.
Besides that, Niki and Andrew have some general tips and approaches they take:
Mentally let go of the weight on the bar AMRAPs supersets (antagonistic or similar) burn out sets drop sets hard exercises that don’t require tons of weight (e.g. bulgarian split squats) bend these joints: knees, shoulders, elbows, hipsTry out these tips for training while traveling.
A couple links for helping you train while traveling can be found here & here.
PS - IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN TAKING ONLINE COACHING FOR A TEST RUN, CHECK IT OUT HERE.
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Learn about helpful home gym equipment. This gear solves common problems or makes your lifting more fun, varied, or effective.
Helpful Strength Equipment for Your Home GymYou need a few items to begin strength training properly, though you can also start exercising today.
As you progress and build the habit of strength training (and simultaneously get older) some equipment can help solve common problems you will likely encounter.
Some of these items help add variety and make training more fun.
Other gear helps deal with common injuries or pain points.
Regardless, this list of items can help you build compliance and improve your training. If you use it, it is ultimately an investment in yourself and your health.
Accessories for Accessory WorkAccessory work can get repetitive if all you have is a barbell. A few pieces of equipment can multiply the potential hypertrophy and accessory work you can program.
Adjustable dumbbells allow you to add dumbbell variations and accessory lifts without taking up a ton of space (and saving money compared to a full set of dumbbells).
Not only can you perform dumbbell variations of the main lifts, you can also perform more accessory work that you simply cannot perform with barbells (e.g. dumbbell flies or lateral raises).
A similar example of helpful strength equipment is a pulley system. This enables lat pull downs as well as using the pulley system for hypertrophy work (triceps, biceps, etc.).
The last helpful items that focuses primarily on the upper body is getting a dip attachment to your power rack or an adjustable bench. They allow variation for pressing movements, and you can also perform accessory lifts on the bench.
Enabling lower body accessory work comes in handy as you become more advanced, as deadlifts and squats don’t only get repetitive but if you face a big injury, you might not be able to perform one or both of these lifts for awhile.
Some helpful strength equipment for this area are a reverse hyper, glute ham raise, or leg extension/leg curl attachment. Some of these take up a lot of space, but getting just one of them can provide additional leg stress and make a big difference in your lower body training.
Supplying Supplemental LiftsThis might be the widest area, as we’re talking about different types of barbells and other items that can modify the main lifts.
A deadlift bar can really help your deadlift 1RM, as it has a smaller diameter and more whip (which reduces the range of motion). An axle bar for the press or bench press reduces your ability to grip the bar but enables good pressing variants. It is also necessary if you’re considering Strong Man training.
Getting a slingshot or board attachment can help overload the bench and work on the top portion of your bench. The slingshot can also help if you have shoulder pain.
Bands and chains are helpful strength equipment that enables accommodating resistance.
The safety squat bar and football bar (and variations of both) not only add supplemental variations to the lifts but can also prevent pain for the shoulders and wrists specifically.
Convenience & ClimateThe last area of helpful strength equipment includes items that add convenience to your lifting or improve the atmosphere of the gym.
The monolift attachment allows you to not have to take a step bar or move the bar from the pins to the shoulders on the bench. It provides the most benefit to the most people for the bench press, as many find it reduces or eliminates shoulder pain. Niki also uses it for the RDL.
A deadlift jack makes loading and unloading plates easier for any lift that has the barbell on the ground, especially the deadlift.
A 1-arm deadlift jack is smaller and more mobile – you can put it in your gym bag. A 2-arm deadlift jack makes more sense if you have a decent amount of space in your home gym or for public gyms.
Wrist wraps & lifting straps help with wrist support or grip support for compression or tension grips.
Ammonia or smelling salts help bring focus and intensity to big attempts.
Clothes help you feel and perform better. Clothes really are helpful strength equipment.
A timer or watch can ensure that you don’t waste time in the gym between sets and make the rest time consistent. This is especially important at a public gym or if you’re a coach, because the lifter isn’t paying you to tell them stories.
Last but probably not least for most people is something to help with climate control, specifically heating or cooling your gym.
PS - IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN TAKING ONLINE COACHING FOR A TEST RUN, CHECK IT OUT HERE.
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The holiday season is coming up, and for many of us this is a time where we gain weight: whether we justify an unexpectedly large bulk or simply seem unable to avoid our weight inching up despite our best intentions. Learn some practical methods to achieving your goals and preventing or limiting holiday weight gain (or even enabling holiday weight loss).
The holidays present unique challenges: huge meals, home-baked desserts, calorically-dense food items, peer & family pressure, fond memories. We can enjoy the holidays while still moving toward our goals.
First, leave room in your food & training journal to assess why you deviated from your plan. This isn’t to judge yourself, but to build awareness. Were you hungry? Did you eat because you always eat at a certain time? Did you not want to disappoint someone? Did you mindlessly eat? Or, did you just really want that food item?
Approaching holiday meals and time periods with realistic plans. Fasting prior to a meal is likely unrealistic. Eating a protein-rich meal the day of a big meal that will have plenty of fat and carbohydrates, however, makes sense.
For the big meals themselves, have a plan to help you prevent or at least limit overeating. For example, fill your first plate with a normal amount of food. This may mean limiting the items you put on your plate. This may mean putting sample-size amounts on your plate. Then, when you’re done, wait 15 minutes before getting seconds.
For dessert, assess whether you’re hungry or not. Take a dessert home if you really want it--you don’t have to try every type of pie that meal or that day!
Finally, Niki & Gillian discuss the idea of “volume eaters” and “intensity eaters.” Though people may be some combination thereof, volume eaters tend to overeat through large quantities of food, whereas intensity eaters tend to overeat through calorically dense items (eggnog, anyone?).
Arm yourselves with the knowledge and tips to better battle the holidays!
PS - IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN TAKING ONLINE COACHING FOR A TEST RUN, CHECK IT OUT HERE.
Connect with the hosts Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected] -
Unleash your physical freedom. Reclaim your body and mind from bad habits, restrictive and narrow goals, and unrealistic expectations.
Thank You, Listeners (aka Beasts & Future Beasts)Andrew and Niki are thankful for all that has happened in 2024.
Thank you to Stephan, the editor and podcast producer, who is a true expert and professional. You have no idea how much work he does!
Thank you to Dan, Paige, Daisy, Nick, Noah, and the whole team at Barbell Logic. We thank Ryan Matt Reynolds as well.
But most especially, thank you, listeners. You are beasts (or future beasts) and we could not do this without you. We've got exciting podcasts coming in 2025.
PS - IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN TAKING ONLINE COACHING FOR A TEST RUN, CHECK IT OUT HERE.
Connect with the hosts Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected] -
Unleash your physical freedom. Reclaim your body and mind from bad habits, restrictive and narrow goals, and unrealistic expectations.
Physical Freedom: Financial Freedom as an AnalogyThe concept of financial freedom - no longer stressing about finances and not having to trade your time for things you do not wish to do - helps derive useful lessons for health and fitness.
Attaining financial freedom requires discipline. One must define and follow through with hard decisions over a long period of time.
This, though, is the path to freedom. Don't look for shortcuts. And, even if you somehow find yourself with a sudden pile of money, you will only use that money well if you have developed the habits ahead of time.
Physical Freedom: Bash Bad HabitsThe first and most obvious steps you must take is to remove bad habits. You have trouble saying no to highly processed sugary foods. You overeat.
Do you feel free when you make these decisions that do not align with your stated goals? Of course not!
Freedom requires some discipline to build virtues (e.g. the virtue of temperance so you can willingly say no to the donuts).
Physical Freedom: Remove Restrictive GoalsMany of our coaches and clients have followed overly restrictive goals that they bought into. For example, you follow the dictum that physical strength is the most important thing in life.
When you follow this, you will sacrifice your health and get fat to pursue this goal. You will avoid activities you enjoy, such as skiing, swimming, hiking, because this will remove weight on the bar in your next session.
Unless you have a hyper-specific goal or truly believe such a restrictive goal is true, ditch this counterproductive dogma.
Physical Freedom: Own Your ChoicesHere is another example. You are so concerned with leanness, that your plan (even if you have not said this explicitly) requires you to never eat your grandma's pie again.
Is this really sustainable? Can you avoid every holiday food for every meal forever? Are you really going to eat chicken breast and broccoli every meal.
When you have physical freedom, you can choose in indulge when appropriate, knowing you will not go off the rails and that you can make another choice to get leaner after a vacation or holiday period.
PS - IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN TAKING ONLINE COACHING FOR A TEST RUN, CHECK IT OUT HERE.
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Don't delay your fitness goals - do it now! Complete that rep or set, go for a walk, take your first step. Become the person you want to be.
Don't Delay Your Fitness Goals: Start Now!Taking your first steps and the subsequent steps moves you closer to your goal. Too many people will "start tomorrow" or, once they begin, quit when it gets hard or when the initial motivation wears off.
This is not about a 4, 6, or 12-week diet or workout routine, it is about taking steps that become habits. Lean, strong people do certain things (and avoid certain things) regularly.
You will experience pain and anguish, but if you do not make the change you will still be stuck without your goals (and likely having slid further away from them) and experience pain. Think about people who seek comfort and avoid pain all their lives - does pain not creep up to them eventually?
Don't Delay Your Fitness Goals: Every Workout & Meal Matters!Andrew shares a story of a workout he did not want to do and almost quit. He ended up turning on the camera, getting over his negative feelings, and the workout actually went pretty well.
Visualize the person you want to be and what that person would do. Alternatively, you may envision what your future looks like if you fail to make the changes you desire.
Don't delay your fitness goals! Start (or continue) today.
PS - If you're interested in taking online coaching with Barbell Logic for a test run, check it out here.
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Building a strong nutritional baseline is the key to sustainable, healthy holiday eating. Don't derail for your health & fitness goals due to the holidays!
How to Build a Nutrition BaselineBuilding a nutritional baseline is the ultimate holiday eating hack that let's you truly enjoy special holidays meals and days without totally derailing from your health and fitness goals.
What is a nutritional baseline and how do you build yours?
A nutritional baseline is a normal, habitual way of eating that you do seven days a week that brings you toward your goals. You know how it feels and looks, you know which foods and in what quantities it consists of.
Essentially, you can mindlessly return to this baseline because it is your nutritional normal or your nutritional north.
Building a Nutritional Baseline: Fearless FeastingHow does this apply to holiday eating, though?
Those truly special days that you want to enjoy and not track, you should do so.
The surrounding days and really the vast majority of the days during the holiday period, however, you need to eat at your baseline.
For some, the holiday season can go from before Halloween through the Super Bowl. That's getting close to half the year. You cannot eat sloppily for half the year.
At the same time, however, you should be able to enjoy meals such as Thanksgiving or Christmas with family and friends.
Andrew and Niki recommend not tracking on these days (unless you have super strict nutritional goals) but rather focusing on enjoying the food.
Walking after the meals can help.
Remember, additionally, that eating so much that you are sick is not enjoyable. Enjoy the whole process: family, friends, cooking, eating, drinking, and afterwards.
Those in-between days should be at baseline.
Building a strong nutritional baseline can help you reach your health and fitness goals, even during the holiday season.
PS - If you're interested in taking online coaching with Barbell Logic for a test run, check it out here.
Connect with the hosts Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected] -
Lift your way to a leaner you. Strength training is your secret weapon to leanness, despite the lingering weight loss myth that you should simply diet and do cardio.
Debunking the Weight Loss Myth of Cardio & Caloric RestrictionYou go to the doctor and the doctor tells you that you need to lose a certain amount of weight for your health. He questions why you lift and recommends you perform regular cardiovascular exercise.
What do you do? Lift your way to a leaner you (while ensuring you are in a slight caloric deficit).
You acknowledge that you could be a bit leaner, but you've been lifting for awhile. You look better with more muscle on your frame and you enjoy strength training.
More muscle increases your daily caloric expenditure, as it gives some of your incoming calories an additional place to go beyond fat gain.
Lift Your Way to a Leaner You: Slow & Steady Wins the RaceSlow and steady weight loss, with consistent lifting and a healthy, high protein diet help minimize muscle loss during your weight loss. Ultimately, you want to be leaner, you do not really care about the number on a scale.
The doctor in the above scenario is a bit hyperfocused on BMI. Metrics, however, are supposed to measure progress. In this case, we are concerned about health and longevity.
You want more muscle but you also want to be leaner. Abandoning strength training, reducing calories, and adding cardio is likely not going to produce the body you envision. It is certainly not going to help produce a muscular body.
Lift Your Way to a Leaner You: Cardio for Cardiovascular HealthConditioning or "cardio" is not really the best way to help increase the calories out part of the calorie equation. A better method would be to increase your daily low-level activity, such as increasing your steps.
Regardless, conditioning is really about improving your performance for certain tasks and improving cardiovascular health.
Lift your way to a leaner you.
PS - If you're interested in taking online coaching with Barbell Logic for a test run, check it out here.
Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page.
Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE!
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Connect with the hosts Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected] -
Buy back your time with a professional coach. Coaching yourself means less progress in the gym and more time learning to become a coach.
Buy Back Your Time: Grocery Delivery ExampleYou probably need to value your time more. Too often, people avoid certain purchases because they deem them as too expensive. Sometimes this is true, but often buying back your time - a non-renewable resource - is the best thing you can do.
Grocery delivery for most people is a no-brainer. You spend little money to avoid the headaches and time needed to go to the grocery store.
Mowing services for grass are another great example. If you do not enjoy doing these tasks and need more time, pay money to someone who will do it for you to earn back your time.
Buy Back Your Time: Home GymHaving a home gym is another great way to save time working out. In this case, you will probably also save money over a long-enough period of time.
Don't wait for equipment, don't worry about the broccoli hair Zoomers, lift when you want at your house.
Buy Back Your Time: Professional CoachThis is really the benefit of hiring a professional coach. An expert takes something off your plate, allowing you to not worry about it. That expert will move you to more progress than you otherwise would have gotten. Additionally, you do not have to learn some level of the expertise.
Any time you decide to "do it yourself," you are taking on the burden of learning a certain skill that someone else is an expert or professional at. Sometimes, the task is quick, so it's fine.
You should consider buying back your time, however, by hiring a professional online coach.
PS - If you're interested in taking online coaching with Barbell Logic for a test run, check it out here.
Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page.
Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE!
No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/
Connect with the hosts Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected] -
Pain and setbacks can derail progress. Overcoming pain and setbacks requires addressing your why and acknowledging how you feel when you perform healthy habits.
Overcoming Pain and Setbacks: Oh Snap!A client finds himself making progress in all areas of fitness, at the lightest bodyweight in years and working toward specific barbell numbers.
He has a week of stressful work, where sleep was out-of-whack, he sat more than normal, and his schedule was off.
He returns to the gym and during his warm ups feels a tweak and hears a pop.
Training has to change now. Right before he crested the mountain top, he was cutoff at the knees. Suddenly, he found himself letting nutrition, alcohol, and sleep slip too. After all, why was he training now that the clear goals were unachievable?
Overcoming Pain and Setbacks: What is Your Why!?This client's why had really become the weight on the bar. It is easy to get emotionally tied to seeing the numbers go up. The numbers cannot (and will not) always go up.
It is critical to touch on your deeper whys for training. Even if you signed up for coaching or began training with specific numbers in mind - even if you are an elite lifter chasing numbers - you certainly actually have a deeper reason than seeing a larger amount of iron go up.
Overcoming Pain and Setbacks: What Feels Good!?Remembering how you feel when things are going well matters. Yes, the numbers were going up. That was fun. Did you feel good when you were eating healthy, drinking less, and ensuring you got sufficient high-quality sleep?
How did it feel to check off your nutrition, fitness, and health tasks every day?
When considering how you feel and how you felt, think about over a long period of time. Yes, staying up late with alcohol and processed food feels good in the moment. How do you feel that next morning? How does it feel to check your bodyweight on the scale? What do things look like after a couple weeks of these behaviors?
Overcoming Pain and Setbacks: Think of February & March!Think about the future. You may think about running this process through your head - what will things look like if the sloppiness continues for weeks and months?
You might also think about a specific time or place in your future. How do you feel in February after months of excess calories? How do you feel in March (or insert your time here) at that beach vacation?
What feelings arise when someone who has not seen you in awhile sees you and you've gained weight?
Overcoming Pain and Setbacks: Love the ProcessLoving the results without loving the process will cause problems.
Enjoy exposing yourself to discomfort through training. Maybe the weight on the bar is not challenging, but you get to feel a pump. Maybe you don't get a pump, but you have to complete high-repetition exercises you hate - this is voluntary hardship too!
Overcoming pain and setbacks is challenging, but you can do it.
PS - If you're interested in taking online coaching with Barbell Logic for a test run, check it out here.
Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page.
Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE!
No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/
Connect with the hosts Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected] -
Mastering fitness habits is the key to crushing your goals and gaining lasting results to boost your health and quality of life.
Mastering Fitness Habits: Actions You Do No Matter WhatHabits are things you do without making new decisions. For Andrew, his four healthy habits are walking, food choices, sleep, and training.
He can go on auto-pilot in these areas, which automatically bring him toward his health and fitness goals.
Niki's dog died recently. No one would have blamed her for not training. For Niki, however, it was not only important to maintain the habit but it actually provided an emotional outlet, where she could get out of the house and get out of her mind and do something healthy for herself.
Mastering Fitness Habits: Applied Principles Not Rigid RulesThis does not mean black-and-white rigid programs. It does not mean if you do not do your 3x5 low bar squats, 3x5 bench press, and 1x5 deadlift with at least 5 minutes of rest you are not doing the program and have failed and are a bad person.
Rather, you incorporate walking regularly as part of your day. Most of the time that means at least 10,000 steps for Andrew, but sometimes that is unrealistic.
On vacation, for example, he continues to train, but workouts will tend to be shorter with less volume and less weight.
Sleep may become a lower priority on vacations, but it is not completely ignored and certain actions that help Andrew sleep better will be maintained.
Mastering Fitness Habits: Find FreedomHabits do not restrict freedom they create it.
Do you feel free when you cannot say no to the office donuts or that second or third drink or have to go through the drive through on your way home from work? Is this freedom?
No, freedom is not choice. Freedom is the ability to do what you want, in line with your values. If you want to be healthier and more capable, and be able to do more, you have to regularly train, sleep, and eat well.
Mastering fitness habits is not complicated, but it's not easy. Learn some tips to crush your health and fitness goals.
PS - If you're interested in taking online coaching with Barbell Logic for a test run, check it out here.
Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page.
Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE!
No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/
Connect with the hosts Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected] -
Learn why you should walk more, how it improves your health, mindfulness, and quality of life. Don't eschew this pedestrian but effective fitness tool.
Physical Fitness Benefits of Walking MoreA good reason why you should walk more is because it provides many health & fitness benefits.
Andrew mentions a study that shows that the benefits of walking 10,000 steps a day equates to, essentially, a "change in effective years" of 8 years. To simplify, it equates to making you 8 years younger than you otherwise would be.
Now, it is easy to draw too much from studies, but what is clear is that walking was correlated with positive health outcomes. Walking is accessible to almost all people, usually exposes you to the sun and gets you out from behind screens, and gives you time to think about things.
Mental Health Benefits of Walking MoreAnother reason why you should walk more is the benefits to your mental health. Walking gets you away from screens and your everyday problems. Creating this time and space to do something else let's you think or do other important activities such as think, talk, or listen to a podcast or audiobook.
Walking is a great activity to do with deep work. You can decide to take a break from the urgent and focus on the important, while doing something physical.
Why you should walk more!? Because it's all-around good for you.
PS - If you're interested in taking online coaching with Barbell Logic for a test run, check it out here.
Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page.
Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE!
No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/
Connect with the hosts Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected] -
Learn about how Jack Armstrong, BLOC client, completed the Three Peaks Challenge for charity. You can donate to the cause here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/daniel-surphlis-1718352507474
Three Peaks Challenge for CharityJack Armstrong, BLOC client, competed the Three Peaks Challenge. The challenge involves climbing the 3 highest peaks in Scotland, England, and Wales, along with driving to the peaks, within 24 hours.
Jack's training had to change, with much higher volume at low intensity and ensuring that his back (which can act up with heavy deadlifts and squats) was healthy.
He also hiked regularly.
The event itself was one long, hard day, and the team only failed to complete the challenge under time because they got stuck in traffic (but they ascended and descended the hills under their planned time).
Despite the rain, wind, cold, hail, and physical pain, this - being stuck in traffic - was the most painful moment of the day.
If you want to help donate to the hospital where Margot, who has cancer, is being treated, you can give here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/daniel-surphlis-1718352507474
PS - If you're interested in taking online coaching with Barbell Logic for a test run, check it out here.
Check out the Barbell Logic podcast landing page.
Get Matched with a Professional Strength Coach today for FREE!
No contract with us, just commitment to yourself: Start experiencing strength now: https://store.barbell-logic.com/match/
Connect with the hosts Matt on Instagram Niki on Instagram Andrew on Instagram Connect with the show Barbell Logic on Instagram Podcast Webpage Barbell Logic on Facebook Or email [email protected] - Visa fler
