Redefining Strength Fitness Hacks

I think sometimes we WANT a change.We WANT a new and better result…But we aren’t truly READY to do what it takes to make a change.And so we will never succeed no matter how motivated we are.Now you may be thinking how can I be motivated but not ready?Because motivation is the DESIRE to do something.Being truly READY to make a change means you’re in the headspace to make sacrifices. You’re capable of doing the hard.You’re ready to embrace things that make you question what you’ve always done and challenge you to get outside your comfort zone.Ready is about more than wishing or hoping for a change…it means you’re prepared to do the hard to get the result.And all too often the reason we buy a program and never start despite being motivated is because we aren’t ready for the challenge of change.Because change is hard.Now if you’re thinking….“I’m motivated so how do I know if I’m ready?”I wanted to share some tips I’ve found helpful for clients to take that motivation and let it propel them into being ready to do

One size doesn’t fit all and tracking isn’t right for everyone.And even those that do track won’t use this tool in the exact same way or even forever.Heck, I was a person AGAINST tracking for a very long time.I made all the excuses about why not to do it.And I never saw the results I wanted.Until I decided to try to see opportunity in a different perspective.Until I decided to be open to something new and uncomfortable.I like to really highlight the purpose of any tools we may choose, or not choose to use.I want us to truly understand them. Because that gives us power.I think when we don’t understand a tool and its purpose…we don’t properly use them or even know when they aren’t right for us.I also want to discuss tracking being restrictive because I’m a big believer in NOT giving tools power over us.When we say we can’t track because it makes us obsessed or judgmental…or it’s too restrictive, we are giving the tracker POWER.And in trying to avoid something, we are almost giving it as much thought and attenti

While we each do have our own unique set of circumstances, our unique needs and goals, often there are some fundamental things we can adjust no matter what if we aren’t seeing the results we want.There are actually 5 things I like to focus on first before we move into more of the details if a client comes to me saying they aren’t seeing the results they’d like…

How Do You Even Know What Is Possible?I got asked on a post about getting abs the other day…“How do you even know what is possible for you?”It was one of those moments where you sit back and you go…“Well huh!”And my honest answer back was…“I don’t think you can fully know what is possible until you try.”I don’t think we can ever fully know how far we can go with something until we’ve tried.And even then, we can’t fully predict the snowball that will happen as we continue to accumulate knowledge, make those small improvements and let TIME do its work.I say this looking back at my own photos over the years, my own lifting logs…When I was doing 2 pull ups, I would never have said I’d get 20 beautiful ones in a row.When I was first trying to change my body type from the orange with toothpick limbs, I would never have told you I’d have abs I wanted to show off.Heck if you asked me if I’d have half nakey photos I’d share of myself to social media while also filming videos every week, I would have laughed at you and

Everyday we are either working toward our goals or moving farther away from them.And while I don’t think we can always be focused on the future, and immediate gratification will at times “sabotage” our long-term goals and focus, I think recognizing that every day is building our future result…That your situation today is a result of your past hustle…Is super key.Because so often we stress perfection when we start a new program. We get up in a 21 day or even 6 week SPRINT….only to burn ourselves out with the habits so we can’t keep moving forward.Instead we need to focus on those small habit changes. The ways we can make 1% improvements.The ways we can be BETTER THAN we would have been in the same situation before.Because every day we are technically building and moving forward or taking that step back.And step backs are GOING to happen.But we have to recognize that, in life, there is no starting over.So how fast we get results will also be impacted by those steps….in either direction.That’s why that TODAY, ri

There is nothing better than going on vacation. But it is often where we feel like we sabotage our results and our diet and exercise routines go to die.I wanted to share 7 tips to help you stay on track while you travel so you can keep moving forward toward your weight loss goals. However, I also want to mention that I believe vacations can, and should, be a time to relax and enjoy. Diets often fail because we force restriction at times when we do need to embrace a balance.We end up not really being able to diet on vacation while also not really allowing ourselves to relax. And this ultimately backfires.However, if you travel for work or just travel often and want to find the lifestyle balance right for you, these tips can help you stay consistent with your macros and your workouts while not at home!Do not feel guilty about not using every time you travel as an excuse to splurge. I know sometimes our friends or family can make us feel awkward for caring, but we need to stay focused on what also makes us happy

I’m horrible with internet slang, acronyms, phrases…whatever.The first time someone posted TLDR I had to google it.I thought of this the other day when my managers and I were talking about abbreviations and acronyms and lingo that may be helpful to make a list of.I made the joke about how I’m so bad with knowing what those things are…And I mentioned to Michelle, my lead Dietitian, the first time I saw TLDR.She Googled it the second I mentioned it as she didn’t know either.Anyway, why am I rambling on about this TLDR…and for those of you about to Google it, it is Too Long Didn’t Read….?Because the first time I saw it, it was commented on one of my blog posts.And seeing it oddly made me sadder and madder than any troll comment I could have gotten at the time.I wasn’t mad because my articles are freaking fabulous and they were missing out but because they were holding themselves back.I was honestly sad for them.Because in their search for a quick answer, a fast fix, simply WHAT TO DO, they were missing out on th

You’ve reached your goal…Now what?Now comes oddly the hardest part…MAINTAINING YOUR RESULTS!And maintenance is hard because it’s a new process in and of itself.You can’t keep doing what you did to get to your goal - you can’t stay in a deficit forever.And you can’t go back to what you were doing prior.Old habits will just lead to you losing everything you’ve worked hard for.Soooo, what do you do?Here are 4 tips to help…

As kids some of us loved asking WHY…like annoyingly so.Ok…we were asking it often more JUST to be annoying, but still…as kids there is a curiosity there to understand more of our world.But at a certain age, we stop….we stop assessing and being as curious.However, as annoying as constantly being asked WHY is, we need to embrace our inner child more if we want to learn and grow.If we want to overcome our own self limiting beliefs and doubts, if we want to break free of the self imposed limitations and negative mindsets, we need to start asking ourselves WHY.Think about it, how often do you ask yourself WHY you have a specific belief?How often do you ask yourself, WHY you believe something is a certain way?How often have you asked yourself WHY you feel you’re good or bad at something?Why you like or dislike things?Why you’ve succeed or failed at certain activities or ventures?Why you are willing or unwilling to do certain things?Why you even expect certain results.Think about all of the times we make statements,

I was one of these people…So I always sympathize with this comment, “I’ll workout all day. It’s just so hard to change my diet.”Or…“I can train hard. I just can’t change my diet. I love food too much.”The thing is…We CAN change our diet.And yes, we all know we just aren’t “willing” to or we don’t “want” to….But what we don’t realize is that training is NOT easy.We’ve just become comfortable being uncomfortable in that way.Realizing that was oddly eye opening for me.Because A. It made me truly recognize that many people do NOT like training. I’ve just developed a comfort zone that includes it.And B. Even with training there are still things I’m not comfortable doing…often new skills I’m not good at. And when you start to assess moves or tools or such you won’t include and often scoff at even, you’ll start to see where your comfort zone ENDS.Basically what we’ve got to recognize is that dietary adjustments are possible…they’re just outside our comfort zone.So how do we learn to be comfortable being uncomfortabl

I think something we too often like to gloss over is the sacrifices and challenges involved in achieving results.Getting a new and better result, making a change is NOT easy.Even something that eventually feels sustainable can be hard to start because it isn’t instinctual. It isn’t what we’ve always done.So when I work with a client I like to discuss the options in how we move forward.While I don’t believe in fad diets or quick fixes, I do believe we have a choice in the speed of our results…And how fast we choose to move forward toward a goal is dependent on how much we are willing to go all in, embrace change and make sacrifices.

Often when we start a new program, we tell ourselves it's going to be THE THING. The lifestyle change we've been looking for.We tell ourselves it's going to be easy and magical (ok maybe not the magical part).Heck maybe we've even been convinced of this by friends who claim it was soooo easy to do and the BEST thing they've ever done.We can even manage to convince ourselves there won't be struggles.But this is exactly the OPPOSITE of what we should be doing.It's honestly what often sets us up for failure.Because if we think or believe that a change should be easy? We'll only end up super frustrated and overwhelmed when it isn't.Which 98% of the time...IT ISN'T!Something almost always comes up.And when it does, if we've told ourselves things SHOULD be easy?We'll feel like there is something wrong with us because it isn't, especially if we've been told it was easy for someone else.We have to realize instead that there will ALWAYS be set backs

Honestly the more we want overnight results, the less likely we are to truly see the results we want and deserve.Fad diet results often not only aren’t real results, but they aren’t lasting results because we haven’t truly created sustainable habit changes.So as much as I know we all want results yesterday, we have to get ready to make some true lifestyle changes if we want to see the amazing results we deserve.That’s why I wanted to share 6 things that often hold us back from truly reaching our goals…

Yup you heard that right. We make things impossible because we tell ourselves they aren’t possible.And guess what?Sure…everything isn’t possible…nor we will achieve that goal in the same way someone else has even if we get there.Getting abs for you may be different than for me.We of course all have genetic limitations and pre-dispositions.But to just say you can’t get abs…well why not still strive for YOUR version of your leanest physique?Why just say you can’t have that exact thing and give up?Seriously then what is the option?!So often if we believe we can’t have something we just don’t even try!But we’ve got to stop telling ourselves we can’t if we want to move forward.Life is about constantly growing and improving. That is the fun in it.And I do truly believe that too often we write ourselves off.I didn’t think I could get abs!I didn’t think I could deadlift 310 pounds.I didn’t think I could get a tennis scholarship to a Division I team and play.I didn’t think I could start a business and go out on my own

Body acceptance…Loving your body…I’m going to be brutally honest, I don’t think we’ll ever be 100% happy with ourselves or content. I think it is the human condition to always want more. BUT I also think we need to find a balance where we appreciate who and what we are flaws and all.We need to love ourselves despite the struggles and even value ourselves potentially more because of what we’ve gone through.Struggles do not diminish our value.Personally I believe those life experiences enhance our worth.But I thought this was also an interesting way of thinking about value…If I offered you a crisp and new $20 bill right now, you’d want it.If I crumpled that, you’d still want.If I rubbed some dirt on it and stepped on it, you’d still want the $20.Because the value of that bill hasn’t changed despite the dirt.Honestly the wear and tear on the bill really doesn’t matter, it’s still $20.We’ve got to value ourselves in the same way - we need to value ourselves despite painful conditions and failures.We can’t degrade

I got an email saying “What about the stubborn belly fat? Yeah I know macros, but what else can I do?”My reply - “Why add complication to something that should be simple?”Too often we want to do more. We want to do things that maybe make that 1% difference over staying focused on the thing we just simply need to do consistently.Because it makes us feel more in control…or often we even hope we can AVOID doing the hard but key thing to get results.I know this is not “sexy.”But truly results are built off of those boring basics.It’s not the supplements. The fancy equipment. The crazy moves that make the difference.It boils down to clear workout progressions repeated weekly with a focused goal for their design and macros.Yup macros. No matter your goals.If you use those two fundamental things and seek to always learn and track (what I believe is self-empowerment), you will be able to adjust your lifestyle as your needs and goals change - whether those changes are due to shifting priorities, simply something new y

Raise your hand as high as you can.Go ahead...do it right now.Now raise your hand higher....You did didn't you?Funny how I told you to raise your hand as high as you can and yet you could still raise it higher when I said to....Funny how it didn't take really much more effort to raise it a bit higher either....Why do I mention all of this?Because A. Often we don't realize we can give more until we are asked to.And B. So often we don't necessarily do everything we can even though those little tweaks, doing just a little bit more, doesn't take much more effort.It isn't that we are lazy either. Or that we don't care or want to give our all.We do. But I think sometimes we just don't realize how much we are truly capable of. We don't realize the little bit more we can get out of things with just a very small bit of extra effort.Sometimes we need that extra outside push.That outside perspective.We need to be shown that our limiting beliefs are false and that more is poss

You end up pleasing no one. Especially not yourself.I personally believe we will ALWAYS care about what other people think…it’s how we can actually function as a society.But we also have to learn to filter what we care about.We have to learn to recognize when someone gives us an opinion that isn’t in line with what we need or want.And then we have to be ok with them judging us because we don’t go along with what they believe.But we have to remember we are doing this to be true to ourselves.Because whether we make ourselves happy is really what matters long term. You are stuck with yourself. You have to be the one that ultimately lives with your decisions.I mention this because often when we make lifestyle changes, make sacrifices others don’t understand, we will meet resistance and judgement.And it can feel awkward.It can feel awkward to skip the chips or bread. To not have the drink. To pick something “healthy” off the menu.And while I firmly believe we need to strike a lifestyle balance right for us, at tim

Often we DEFEND previous dieting and exercise practices as having “worked” for us because we did see potentially an immediate result from them.Yet often as we are defending these old ways of doing things, we’re fighting against something new we’ve sought out because we no longer have the result we wanted.Aka the habits or routines weren’t sustainable.So the question that always comes to mind for me is… Did it really work?My answer?No.