I’ve been working out since I was 15, 16, or maybe even 17. I honestly can’t quite remember when I first started out. But I do remember who showed me the ropes, my dad. And he was a pretty jacked dude in his day. And at 60 something, he still is. Why? Because some things just never change.
1. CALORIES-IN vs. CALORIES-OUT
While I am a believer that the TYPE of food you eat does determine the finer details to how your body looks. Protein shake vs. slice of pizza, is no contest. Obviously the protein shake will have you looking leaner. But if you’re a skinny guy trying to get bigger (like I was through my teens and early 20s), you need to be eating much more food than you’re taking in. And when you’re trying to drop a few extra LBs (like I was this spring), you need to scale back a bit.
Don’t go crazy with counting calories, but at least have an idea of how much you’re taking in. Add or subtract gradually each week until you see the results you want.
PERSONAL TRICK: When I was cutting I gradually cut back from 3/4 cup of oatmeal in the morning and evening to 1/2s then 1/4s.
2. RUNNING IS OK
Yeah, it’s OK. Just OK. Id’ be a very rich man if I was given a nickel every time someone asked if all they needed to do was “cardio” or “run” to lose weight. It’s sort of a hard question to answer because running is, in fact, an activity, you do burn calories, and if you’re in a caloric deficit, you will drop pounds. But at the end of the day, your body needs to build muscle, if it doesn’t, the result is something called, “Skinny fat”. Simple put, it’s just smaller looking version of your fat body.
Go ahead and run all you want, but building muscle comes with weight training, or at least body weight exercises to stimulate muscle growth. Oh, and that will burn fat too.
3. THERE WILL ALWAYS BE A TREND
We naturally get bored doing the same thing over and over. Especially if it’s something not entirely enjoyable. We’re always looking for something new and exciting. That said, that’s why there’s always a new fitness class, or a new app. Hell, CrossFit is huge right now. Not sure what’s coming next, but there will be something.
4. THERE WILL ALWAYS BE A “MAGIC PILL”
Similar to the trend piece about, we’re always looking for an answer. And right now. Supplement brands will keep firing out the research, and you’ll keep hearing about something. It could even be the greatest thing to hit the market, but chances are, if you’re not sweating it out and watching what you shove down your throat, it probably won’t do a damn thing.
