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I’m hoping that I’m not the only human being with a seemingly insatiable appetite for self-improvement. For every issue of Maxim sitting on my shelf, I have many more books on how to get rich, talk to women, get fit, lose weight, get ripped six-pack abs, win fights, or learn a new language. I am a self-confessed junkie for personal improvement and growth.
The problem with this pathological obsession for being richer, tougher, smarter, sexier and fitter is that I don’t think any of these self-help books have done me any good. And here’s why. There is no shortcut to success.
The reality is that it will take us our entire lives to become the men we want to be. It’s kind of like Groundhog Day when Bill Murray has to go through despair, compassion, hedonism, love and even death before he can achieve that sense of grace. The writer of the script said he envisioned his character being reborn every day for 10 years. The director thought more. 10,000 years he reckons it took for the character to find contentment.
I’d always felt distinctly average in everything I have done until recently. I’ve found what I consider to be my winning formula to get myself fitter, stronger, and healthier than I have ever been before. In just two short months I’ve lost 20lbs of fat while increasing my muscle mass, bench pressing 180lbs and squatting 270lbs. Now I know these aren’t ground breaking figures, but for me they are. The best thing is that I’m improving every day. It’s not just my fitness that has seen the benefit. I’ve got improved clarity and am able to think more clearly about my goals and how I want to achieve them, and I feel happy all the time. A major improvement on the back end of last year.
So how did I do it? Well, here are the seven habits that I have adopted religiously in my pursuit of physical success.
Habit #7 – Motivation
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For me, the hardest part in my pursuit of fitness was giving myself a reason to go to the gym. I’d quite often find myself making excuses for not going. It got so bad that I actually stopped making excuses and just didn’t go at all. After seeing myself in the mirror one evening after a shower, something inside me clicked and I made the decision there and then that I was going to get my fitness back.
The best way to motivate yourself in order to get out of the kind of slump I was in is to make a goal and focus on it 100%. My first goal was to lose fat, improve my cardiovascular fitness and look good in the mirror. Whenever I think about quitting (which is very rarely) I think back to how I looked in the mirror that evening and it keeps me going. You need to find whatever trigger you need to motivate you. It could be how you look, how someone you admire looks or how your girlfriend feels about your body.
Another great way to keep yourself motivated is setting short term goals. When you achieve them, it feels great and keeps you pushing on to achieve more. It could be that you want to increase your squatting by 20% or something as simple as doing 5×100m sprints on the rowing machines with 100m slow rowing between them in 5 minutes. Create achievable short term goals and make them more difficult each week.
Habit #6 – Desire
Image by Steve Collins
This habit directly relates to your motivation and can be a motivating trigger itself. For me, I used my desire and passion for self-help to continually strive for improvement. Part of being that man we want to be is having the desire to do something out of the ordinary and this craving is what keeps us going.
I like to think that my desire is strongest when I’m in the gym lifting weights. When I’m struggling to finish that 5th rep of 270lbs on the squat rack, there is nothing I want more in the entire world at that very moment than to complete my set. I purposely block out everything in my life for those few moments and focus all of my desire and energy on squeezing out one last rep.
Your desire comes back to what motivates you to workout in the first place. Whether you want to lose weight or build strength, it’s quite simply a case of how badly you want it. I’m quite lucky in that I’m very much an all-or-nothing kind of guy and so I give 110% and never give up until I complete the goals I set myself at the beginning of the workout. You need to man up and be strong. Not just physically, but when your body is tired and you feel like finishing 1 rep shy of the set you need the mental strength to force another one out.
Habit #5 – Reflection
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This is a very powerful habit that is often overlooked and sometimes even laughed at but when used correctly, it can fuel both your desire and your motivation to succeed. It involves reflection throughout the day on the workout you’ve done. If you dominated on the deadlift and set a new record for yourself, you should hold on to that for the rest of the day. How could you improve on it? Was your technique flawless? Not only will it help you to better yourself next time you perform the lift, but thinking about a good working makes you feel great. The endorphins are still flowing and you’re naturally on a high. There’s no bigger incentive to head back to the gym than when it makes you feel good. Arnold Schwarzenegger famously once compared working out to ‘coming’ and let’s face it, if we all felt like that after a workout maybe we’d get a physique like he had!
Another source of reflection is the mirror. The mirror doesn’t lie and is a terrific way of judging your progress. Being able to see a slight hint of six-pack after years of a beer belly can be extremely motivating to force you to burn off that stubborn bit of remaining fat. I like to use the mirror as a way of determining my goals too. Once I’d cut my body fat and could see my abs, I noticed my shoulders were underdeveloped and immediately began to focus on body dips and standing shoulder press exercises. The mirror is a weapon in your arsenal, so use it.
Habit #4 – Resting
Image by littledan77
Rest is essential to allow our muscles to repair and grow, and it gives you time to focus on your state of mind too. One of the biggest mistakes I made in earlier years was not giving my muscles time to recover before working out again. The result was that I was unable to lift to the maximum of my ability in the gym because my muscles were still sore and weak. This obviously resulted in a strength plateau which, at the time, I assumed was down to my routine and simply switched the exercises. Needless to say that didn’t work and I have now come to embrace rest as a very valuable part of a successful fitness routine.
Resting doesn’t mean just sitting around doing nothing though. I like to use rest time to challenge my mind through creative writing or memory exercises. In addition to that, I use visualisation to focus on my muscles development. Actually meditating on the muscles and tissues themselves and visualise them healing and growing. It works really well, especially when done during a deep tissue massage. You may need to smooth-talk your girlfriend into that though!
Habit #3 – Eating
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When I was a teenager, I was extremely active and I could eat whatever I wanted without putting on a single pound. These days, however, it’s a whole different ball game and I do watch what I eat. I’ve never been a big advocate of calorie counting because preparing food is a big enough chore without having to get all mathematically as well! Instead, I try to focus on eating natural, healthy foods such as fish, chicken, eggs, wholemeal bread/rice/pasta. In fact, I’d say that 90% of my meals consist of at least one of those foods.
Now, I’m fairly lucky because I don’t really need much variety in my food to keep me satisfied. I only eat to provide my body with the necessary fuel to repair and build my muscles. This suits me fine because I hate planning ahead anyway. However, if you do need variety then I suggest setting up a weekly meal plan. It’s a bit of a pain to plan out your food consumption in this way but in the long term you’ll benefit exponentially from it.
One thing I always know about with each meal however is the amount of protein I’m consuming. I try to get in about 30-40g per meal x 5-6 meals each day. It’s the only thing I obsess over when preparing food and I can be a bloody nightmare about it! As a general rule of thumb, you should be aiming to consume 1g of protein per lb of body weight. Therefore, if you weigh 200lbs, you would try to get 200g of protein each day. Personally, I try to get it through all natural sources such as egg, chicken, tuna, beef because protein powders cost a fortune when you think how many tins of tuna you could get for the same price (there is approx. 30g of protein per 130g drained tuna).
Habit #2 – Progression
Image by Usodesita
I got into a nasty habit early in my fitness routines in which I’d bench and squat the exact same amount of weight for weeks and sometimes even months. Initially, my muscles got sore and I had to recover before working out again but over time, my body adapted and the weight just wasn’t challenging my muscles anymore which meant they never got bigger or stronger.
I never made the correlation between the lack of growth and lifting the same weight week-in and week-out. It’s actually blindingly obvious that if you want to get bigger and stronger, your workouts need to progress. This is one of the most useful habits I have ever adopted because my body is now in a constant state of change. I add weight to my workouts session to session and have seen a massive improvement in strength and size as a direct result. It also makes it more difficult for my muscles to plateau because I am constantly stressing them with an increased load.
Just like anything in life, you need to progress to achieve more and this is no exception. If you wanted to earn more money at work, you’d progress to a higher position with more responsibility. If you want to lose weight or build muscle you need to progress to more challenging cardio workouts or heavier weights. If you’re looking to lose fat and build muscle then you need to head on over to Strong Lifts for more information on how strength training can improve your fitness.
Habit #1 – Consistency
Image by todd*
This is the single most important habit of any workout routine and one that many people struggle to form. At this time of year, hundreds of thousands of people have probably quit, or just about to quit, their fitness routine. It starts as a new years resolution but never really becomes a habit, and so they quit.
The best way to remain consistent is to just go to the gym. Don’t waste time thinking about reasons to go or not to go, just go! And when you get there, focus all of your energy on your goals. I am so engrossed in my gym habit now that if I am unable to make it, it consumes me with guilt and stress. Yesterday I lost my gym card to get in and, because I was in the habit of going at 10.30 every day, I became agitated, frustrated and annoyed that I couldn’t go. In the end I went anyway and talked my way in by blaming my girlfriend for losing it! The point is, if you go to the gym (or workout at home) consistently at the same time every day for a long enough period of time it will become a habit. You won’t even need to think about it anymore and that’s the point.
Of course being consistent doesn’t just apply to going to the gym. You need to be consistent with all your other habits if you hope to succeed. For me, being consistent in cutting out junk food, working out at the same time 4-5x per week, progressing my workouts, motivating myself, resting and reflecting has fueled my desire and I could never go back to the sedentary lifestyle.
If you’re serious about getting fit and healthy, losing weight and building muscle then you need to form long-term habits today if you want to be successful.
If you’ve formed any habits not mentioned here, drop us a comment and let us know what it is and how it has improved your fitness routine.
March 4th, 2008 at 6:59 am
Just what I needed this morning
Thanks for sharing that.
March 4th, 2008 at 7:12 am
Very nice article. Thanks for the advices.
March 4th, 2008 at 7:36 am
For me the best motivator was not having a habit at all. I went when I felt like it, which sometimes meant going two, three days or more without thinking about exercise. But I did set a minimum of 1-2 times a week. In my case, I had to count calories or I was never going to lose weight. I set a budget and stuck to it. It helped me see, for example, that a Snickers Ice Cream Bar had fewer calories than a package of crackers I had been eating before (guess which is more filling).
The mirror is a great motivator, but exercise doesn’t have to be all about looks. Do it for you. Every time I catch myself slacking on going to the gym, I remind myself how good it makes me feel (of course I say this after I promised myself to go out running tonight but stayed home instead to eat some ice cream).
March 4th, 2008 at 7:36 am
this is pretty much “Just Do It” in a drawn out message, no matter how much you make excuses or prepare, Just walk out that front door everyday intent to train like crazy, after you do that its easy.
I use Parkour vids or MMA vids to make me want to jump up and train. of course after you get into habit you dont even need a stimulant, cept for tough days.
March 4th, 2008 at 7:48 am
who can work out at 10:30 everyday?
March 4th, 2008 at 8:17 am
Interesting article. Two things you might want to consider as well. Long term goals in addition to the short term objectives. For example, am leaving my country of residence after 10 years, and I decided to leave in the same shape that I was in when i got here. Pretty difficult task. However, if you combine this with short term goals, like doing 10kms in under an hour in 2 months, will make it more achievable. The other thing is going to the gym even if you are not in the mood to excercise, this will develop the habit and help you maintain your social schedule.
March 4th, 2008 at 8:41 am
Any change of behaviour requires you to change how you are reinforced for that behaviour. The article cites “motivation” but what exactly is it and how do you get it? If you want to start a fitness routine, several of the suggestions above are good but could use some improvement.
1) Going to the gym: the author states that he feels guilty if he does not go and therefore going to the gym is reinforced by the reduction of guilt or anxiety. Instead, find something you enjoy (be it a favourite TV show, music, juice box) and use it as a reward for going to the gym. The key is to make it contingent on completing the desired behaviour and make sure that it is something that you enjoy/desire. Often, the thought of this object during the workout will help you re-focus and stay on task.
2) Goal setting is incredibly important and the key is to be specific! I want to get fit is vague whereas I want to increase the number of minutes I can run by 20%. If you set specific goals you can measure when you have accomplished them (and then you feel great). Do not try and be an ironman and set unrealistic goals either. Make them within reach and then create new goals as you surpass the old ones.
3) Keep records, preferably in a public place. Put a calendar in the kitchen and mark off each day you go to the gym. Have your roommate/wife/one-night-stand encourage you when you are doing well and get on your case when you miss a day.
If you utilize these behaviour modification techniques you will greatly increase the chance that you will work out, enjoy working out, and make it a regular part of your life and not a new year’s fad.
March 4th, 2008 at 9:24 am
Real good blog for those who need to succeed in LIFE
March 4th, 2008 at 9:31 am
I agree with everything you posted, but it is way too much protein to have one gram for every pound of weight:
-The human body recycles 70 percent of its proteinaceous waste
-The human body loses only about 23 grams of protein a day
-Consuming more than the body requires places a heavy burden on the system as it tries to rid itself of this excess
*Protein is not built in the body by eating protein, it is built from the amino acids in food
*If you eat any fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, or sprouts on a regular basis, ou ar receiving all the amino acids necessary for your body to buid the protein it needs.
March 4th, 2008 at 10:55 am
Great article – Lots of great advice and info here…Thanks
March 4th, 2008 at 11:31 am
well great tips dude…quite motivational.But how to get the working gagets if you dnt have time to go to the gym.
March 4th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
Well this is a perfect advice but not always you can have all of the things needed so i would like to add one more…. If You Lack One Of The Things Above Try To Lean More On The Others… Just Keep Going And Everything Will Come On It Self… Good Luck And Happy Workout
March 4th, 2008 at 1:21 pm
Wow, eating 1g protein per lbs of body weight each day is a huge amount of protein. I just calculated. My body weight is 80kg = 176lbs (197cm body height). According to your calculation, I need to get 176g Protein each day.
I just checked: an egg has approx. 7g Protein, a tin of tuna 30g. Man… that’s a lot or am I wrong?
March 4th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
All great habits Christian – nice post
March 4th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
NO ONE, I repeat, NO ONE requires THAT much protein. Not even the world muscle man champions are truly processing 1g of protein per pound of body weight.
In all reality, an athletic adult human body is only capable of processing around 40-60g of protein MAX on a day of HEAVY exercise.
Not that taking too much protein has been shown to have negative effects, but mainly its a waste of money to buy all those protein supplements.
March 4th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
Too much protein suggested… cut that by 60%. I couldn’t crap if I ate 150 g of protein per day.
March 4th, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Very well-written article. As a nerd who tries to stay in shape, I do my best to inform others that it’s important to keep motivated. The best motivation that I can provide a nerd to exercise regularly is that it keeps your mind more alert and helps increase bloodflow to all areas of your body, including your brain. Nerds and gamers can certainly use this to their advantage, as it assists in making sure they stay at the top of their game in more ways than one.
http://www.livingwithanerd.com
March 4th, 2008 at 4:17 pm
Christian –
Congrats on your hard work! Its certainly not easy making that decision. My sister did a similar thing – just woke up one day and decided its go-time. She was obese all of her life and just decided one day to get healthy. She lost 100 lbs in a year and has kept it off. You can check her story out at heidihype.com I am very proud of both of you!
Dawn
March 4th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
Great article, very similar to my workout and health routine. A note on the protein, I have heard and read that for body building (or just trying to gain muscle), you should eat as much protein (in grams) and you want to weight (in lbs). So, if you weigh 175 and want to weigh 185, you should eat 185 grams of protein, rather than just 175. This obviously does not apply to people trying to loose weight, but I thought I would share anyways.
March 4th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
#8 change your workout periodically… your body gets used to doing the same thing over and over again
March 4th, 2008 at 5:13 pm
Being a regular weightlifter for abot 10 years or so I would have to say all of these are great points. It doesnt hurt to take supplements-creatine, whey protein, or anything else that might help one out-for cardio, gaining size, etc.
March 4th, 2008 at 6:27 pm
I think you need to be somewhat careful with your canned tuna intake with respect to possible mercury levels. I will not pretend to be an expert but I do remember hearing nutritional warnings, particularly some brands that I will not go ahead and mention. Just a quick disclaimer.
I think this post, otherwise, is a great kick in the behind to people like me where the motivation factor is somewhat lacking.
Thanks so much!
March 4th, 2008 at 6:57 pm
Every guy knows that the most important thing is to have every woman think he is sexy, especially his mom. I mean that’s probably the biggest motivator there is! And thank God, because I know that I don’t like taking a break and watching tv. NO SIR! And there’s no way you’ll catch me just sitting around doing nothing. EWWW GROSS! That would just mean I’d start to feel like a failure. I hate feeling like a failure because that means no one loves me. I can hear my father now, “no one likes a layabout son.” I’m really glad I have motivation like the threat of my father’s self-hatred being thrust upon me to keep me going day after day like a hamster on a wheel, hurling myself towards and empty, shallow death.
March 4th, 2008 at 8:16 pm
Awesome Habit List!
Consistency is probably the most important and acts as a glue to all the others. Without consistency it’s so easy to loose our habits.
You got my bookmark!
March 4th, 2008 at 8:39 pm
It usually takes 3 weeks for your body to adapt to any workout routine. There is no need to go up weight every time you workout. You should shoot for 8-12 reps every time you lift and try to increase the number of reps(not the amount of weight) everytime you lift. When you reach the 15-20 reps range and you can do it with excellent form(not using momentum and controlling the weight throughout the range of motion) it’s time to increase the weight by a few pounds. You should change your routine about every three weeks. That means use a differet grip/stance or try a different machine that works the same body part in a slightly different way. Also 5 sets won’t get you better results than 3. My squat routine consists of 3 sets of 15-20 reps at 350lbs.
March 5th, 2008 at 3:14 am
Good article! Now working out for me is not about guilt or just looking good. I just need to go. It’s part of me now. I can’t imagine missing a workout now, and I always make sure not to. That’s part of the reason I have my own home gym now, power rack and everything.
To everyone who thinks 1g of protein/lb of bodyweight is too much: you’re wrong. Ask any fitness professional and you’ll know you need enough protein. http://www.t-nation.com and http://www.stronglifts.com
@Chris: Why do 8-20 reps? That sounds like way too much and takes too long to progress. Look at something like Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe, http://www.stronglifts.com, Bill Starr 5×5 intermediate, Pavel Tsatsouline’s Power to the People, anything like that. Build strength with low reps and increase the weight frequently to get strong AND big.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:32 pm
That was very well done. I put a link to this post in my blog. I hope others will see it and pass the word. My blog has a post on motivation that you might enjoy too:
http://aiminghigher.blogspot.com/2008/01/motivation-to-get-in-shape.html
March 6th, 2008 at 9:51 am
Thanks to everyone for your comments and hopefully you can adopt these habits to keep yourselves healthy and in shape. As far as the protein consumption goes, some sources say you should take as high as 2g of protein per lb of bodyweight. I personally think that 1g is sufficient.
Thanks again for your input and suggestions too.
March 6th, 2008 at 6:31 pm
Jeff,
I’m currently maintaining my squats with 15-20 reps. When I was going up weight I was going up 5 lbs per week. Increasing the reps each workout allows your body time to adjust before you go up weight. 5 lbs per week = 20 lbs per month = 240 lbs per year. That’s pretty fast progression.
March 6th, 2008 at 7:07 pm
Just a great article. First time on your blog…I hope to see more fitness related posts soon.
March 7th, 2008 at 5:26 am
Good article those all pretty much point out the things you need to do in the gym. Well written to.
March 8th, 2008 at 3:08 pm
Great post! I like your site a lot!
The only advise I would like to add is that I think the 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight theory should be changed to 1 gram of protein per pound of “LEAN” body weight.
For instance, if you are a 200 pound man with 17% body fat you would want to get 166 grams of protein per day. Thats 200 Lbs – 34lbs of body fat = 166 grams.
In other words you don’t need to add a gram of protein for each pound of body fat your carrying.
Feed the muscle not the fat!
March 8th, 2008 at 6:58 pm
I disagree about self-help books
I have learned many useful techniques which have quickened the process of change.
In particular, I have used the Emotional Freedom Technique to overcome my hangups and restore self-confidence.
I also learned the Metamorphic technique to turn my life around.
March 11th, 2008 at 8:22 pm
A Very good article. Some great key points that I think apply to almost everybody wanting to gain control of there health and fitness. Every year I diet down in summer as many do to try and look good at the beach(lol). Im sure your points will come in handy. If it is ok with you, I would like to use your article on my blog.
March 12th, 2008 at 2:42 am
This is an awesome post. Very useful information here…keep up the great articles, I’ll definitely keep coming here.
Thanx
March 13th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
The very same principals can be applied to working in general – especially those that are running a business or a start up. Or both at the same time so we can look like Spartan warriors. I wish they’d reinforce issues like this in public schools and bring pride back in our population.
Very good article.
Here’s another good article you might be interested in:
Top 10 Awesome Websites That Sell Cool Products You Probably Have Never Visited But Need To.
http://www.comember.net/blogs/firepixel/
Peace out.
March 16th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
Habit #8 – Music
There have been countless scientific and psychological studies showing that music has an incredible impact on our brains, which reflects that change through our bodies. Since most of us have busy schedules, we want to maximize the time we are using to workout. Take some time to think about the songs that give you a feeling of happiness, energy, awake your spirit, make you want to destroy punching bags, push iron, and pleasure the sexy cougar on the treadmill.
Chances are the gym you workout at, if a gym at all, the music played there sucks. I know at my gym, if I were to listen to the garbage they play, I’d fall asleep with a barbell on my chest.
Experiment with this, you’ll see dramatic results…I promise.
Be Well.
Ian Smith.
http://www.pualifestyle.com/forum
March 21st, 2008 at 3:25 pm
It’s actually 1g per kg of bodyweight, not lbs. If you weigh 80kg you take 80g of protein, not 175g.
March 27th, 2008 at 4:49 am
Every men should meet a fitness instructor before starting a routine.
April 6th, 2008 at 1:35 am
This is generally sensible stuff for folks who need to get going. Thanks for taking time to write it. I am not sure what your source, but the fact is you are suggesting far too much protein. I think you meant to say approximately 1g protein per 1kg of body weight. Some people (still healthy) may go up to about 1.5g protein per kg body weight.
April 9th, 2008 at 8:30 pm
Great way of looking at how to get started with exercise. I will share this with my franchisees. We have 600 franchisees in 5 countries and our focus is helping 1 client at a time achieve their goals through one on one private personal training. Our website is http://www.fitnesstogether.com.
Thanks for all your help.
Scott Thompson
May 2nd, 2008 at 2:02 am
Incredible post, and great habits to live by!
June 20th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
Those are some great habits I have exactly the same. Very well written and for muscle building the amount of protein you use is fine.
July 29th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
I definitely need to get into the habit. Staring at computer screen all day (and night sometimes) is NOT good for the waistline or fitness in general.
However, if your BMI is right – why worry?
July 31st, 2008 at 4:27 pm
Great article, some good stuff and I agree with the motivational pointers!
August 19th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
Good article. I can identify with a lot of these points myself. I’ve had many times when I didn’t have a strong enough reason for going the gym. It was something vague like “to get in better shape”. It was in those moments that I gave up the quickest. I think it’s really important to have a really big “why”. That’s the reason that drives you. If you don’t have a strong reason or motivation, then it’s easy to give up. Once I clarified my goal and wrote down specifically why I wanted it so badly, I was able to stay on target and stay motivated.
October 3rd, 2008 at 7:28 am
great article
FatLoss4Idiots
Keith Maven
FatLoss4Idiots Editor
November 8th, 2008 at 11:38 pm
Awesome article!!
I Love the Picture of the guy lifting the stone…. I am a professional strongman and can tell you that it takes tons of DESIRE to load on of those bastards.
Also, they tear your forearm skin to shreds!!!!
November 9th, 2008 at 7:07 am
Great article.Ive been trying to lose weigh for about year now, i never got into the habit of exercise and only ever did after i watch some fitness program or felt like i was fat. Now I’m 16years old ( i know what your thinking, how can i 16year be fat) well because of my father’s habit of drinking coke, this became my habit too. I only just stopped drinking coke about 3-5months ago. I only started to release i had love handles when i was 15. This made me really depressed and after i while i stopped caring what people thought . Now all i want to do is keep up with my friends when we play bull rush or 44 home and any physical actives. I’m Built like a brick sh** house and got alot of muscle along with fat, weight around 85-90kgs(187-198 pounds)
I just found this website about freerunning it loved it and hoping to start doing that. If anyone has any tips on losing weight fast would just be amazing please and thank you.
P.s I hope this Article keeps me motived. ( Sorry if the grammar isn’t great)
December 2nd, 2008 at 8:46 am
Working out always makes me feel better during
the week ahead. Muscles and joints are not
so stiff if I workout everyday.
thanks from tony