All old fitness rules can kiss my ass. We are armed with little time, lots of hope, and a craving for pizza. Oh and we also want to somehow manage to stick a new routine.
“Success: no magic formula. You gotta be willing to work for it. Consistent, hard ass work.” – The Rock
Are you new to working out? Have you finally started to be consistent? Do you want to feel sexy and stick with it? Do you want to stop eating pizza (mmmm soo damn delicious- gimme some!) all of the time?
I hear ya. I hate fitness rules. They can all go to hell along with couples that train together and anyone that takes a selfie in the washroom.
With that being said, we still want to look sexy, somehow and someway. We know we should probably be eating better. We know that we should be training a little smarter to get better results. We want to look sexy without missing out on life and following rules.
This is your step-by-step guide to sticking to your new routine. You’ll finally eat better, train smarter, and look sexier than ever. Yes, you can also take your shirt off at the beach (or before you even get there. Boom!).
Step 1: Accept that perfection isn’t the goal.
As charming as you are, you won’t be perfect. Sorry! Perfection should never be the goal because it’s never going to happen.
I once wrote about living forever because I believe that with small changes on a daily basis we can all feel on top of the world.
The first step is to always remember that you won’t be perfect and that doesn’t matter. Life isn’t about being right 100% of the time. It’s about doing things right when it matters the most.
Step 2: Pick a specific goal.
Wtf are you hoping to accomplish my friend? What is your EXACT goal?
You have to be insanely specific. Some general examples include:
- Do you care about looks?
- Do you just want to feel better?
- Do you want to gain weight?
- Do you want to lose weight?
- Do you want to consistently workout for the next three months?
Then if you want to be specific, it can be:
- Jog at least once a week.
- Eating better during the week.
- Start down squats.
This is for you to figure out. I suggest that you go as specific as possible so that you don’t set generic goals that really go nowhere. There’s no time for that.
Step 3: Eliminate all obstacles aka screw will-power.
We all have HORRIBLE will-power. You have to accept this.
My rules are simple for ditching will-power:
- You need someone to kick your ass into working out.
- If it’s not within your reach, you won’t eat it. I personally never eat junk food unless it’s in front of me. If I don’t see Doritos, I am fine. If you put them in front of me, the whole bag is going to go.
- Pay for it. If you pay for a gym membership, you will be forced to go (unless you are REALLY really lazy).
- Create systems against yourself. This ranges from keeping your workout shorts in your front seat to never buying junk food.
Eliminate every single obstacle. Ditch will-power.
Step 4: Make room to mess up!
You will mess up.
We all mess up. As of typing this, I must confess that I randomly had a slice of pizza yesterday. I was walking by a pizza shop and it just happened.
This is why I wrote about planning an epic cheat day. It’s going to happen. Why not plan for it and go wild?
Total chaos on cheat day is recommended. Rest days are cool if earned.
Make some room to mess up. Live a little.
Step 5: Change up your goals when you get bored.
It’s okay to get bored and switch it up. Once you get lean, you’re going to contemplate putting on a few pounds because you’re tired of feeling so small (it happens).
You might also get bored with one eating style. Maybe you’ll add in more carbs?
You might get bored with your training style. Anything can happen. I go through phases where I swing kettlebells (hence the name of this site), and then I train in the park for the whole summer, then I only do maximum weight on compounds, and then I only attend MMA-related classes. I’m always switching up my goals.
You have to comprehend this: switching your goals isn’t a failure. Once you overcome one fear, it’s okay to move on to the next.
Step 6: Tell someone everyone about your plans!
You have to do this. Nobody wants to be seen as a failure in front of friends. This is why I recommend sharing your goals publicly on Facebook. You already share every other little detail about your life. Why not let your friends in on your plans?
This will force you to stay on track because you don’t want to be seen as a quitter, right?
If you want to see results over the next little bit, you need to check out the ultimate starter’s guide. It’s a three-week course to get you on track and it’s totally free. You have no excuse! Then you make your goals public.
Step 7: Keep on going.
Why stop? Once you pick up some momentum there is no stopping you. It’s easier to keep on going than it is to stop.
Enjoy your cheat days, hit your workouts, throw those chips away, and you’re going to be on top of your new feel-damn-sexy-routine.
“If you always put limit on everything you do, physical or anything else. It will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them.” – Bruce Lee
(Photo credit: gym memes)