“Chasing Maintenance”
Maintenance is one of the hardest phases to master. Cause as soon as there’s nothing to chase, most of us just lose engagement and start coasting. There's also the (sad but undeniable) fact that as we get older there IS no maintenance—you're either trying to move forward or slowly falling behind. Coach Trevor Kashey coined the phrase “chasing maintenance” and I love it. It reflects that...
Get out of your head and just get to work
If you find yourself constantly questioning every last detail of your training or nutrition program, it's going to fail. Guaranteed. Even if it IS the "absolute best plan" plan for you. On the other hand, if you go all-out on a "sorta okay but definitely not ideal" plan, you WILL make progress. Guaranteed. But if your gut reaction is to jump straight to WHY you’re stuck in your head, here are...
Focus on nailing the “boring basics”
Bruce Lee was an interesting man. A martial arts legend and cultural icon, he captivated the world with his lightning-fast moves, philosophical insights, and groundbreaking impact on both cinema and the development of modern martial arts. But today, I’m interested in just one of his most famous quotes: "I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced...
Forget searching for optimal. Instead focus on what matters.
When it comes to health and fitness, what’s often overlooked in the decision-making process is prioritizing what fits YOU — specifically, what fits your individual needs, schedule, limitations, and family life. And it’s not just practical—it's powerful. It renders many of the nonsense ‘what’s optimal?’ arguments totally irrelevant. A classic example: “What frequency is best for building muscle?...
You’re not on a diet — this is just how you eat
A while back a new client was having a tough time and emailed me the following question: "When does it stop being so hard?" I immediately shot back: "It stops being hard on June 17, 2024. At 2:37 pm. Eastern Time." I then quickly followed with this: "It stops being hard when the process becomes routine and also kinda fun.” That's the honest truth. Not “when it’s over” or even “when you start...
Everything is connected: Dealing with stress
Work with me and you'll hear the same few expressions muttered over and over. One is "everything is connected," meaning that if something happens in one area of your life, it will undoubtedly affect the others. A classic example? Too much stress affects sleep and cravings, which affects training and food choices, which affects mood and body composition, which leads to... more stress. Yeah, ugly....
Are you guilty of this?
Goal-setting is popular in the fitness industry. Always has been. And the most common goal people are setting? Dropping pounds or inches. “Drop 3 dress sizes for my wedding day. Lose 25 pounds by Halloween so I can squeeze into a nurse costume so inappropriate its banned in most non-western countries. Dump 30 kilos by National Talk Like a Pirate Day. I’ve heard it all. The problem is, these are...