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Your body is incredibly resilient and can cope wit

Your body is incredibly resilient and can cope with and recover from significant periods of inactivity and episodes of dietary abuse.

For example, in addition to regulating blood sugar levels and metabolizing fats, proteins, and carbohydrates, your liver is responsible for neutralizing toxins that enter the body. Your kidneys also play a crucial role in maintaining the body's overall health by filtering and eliminating waste products from the bloodstream.

Research also shows that our gut microbiome, the diverse population of microorganisms in our digestive tract, plays a crucial role in overall health, including the efficacy of our metabolism and immune system. And a healthy gut microbiome can help protect against chronic diseases.

But keep in mind that while your body can readily handle the occasional indulgence, habitually overeating and neglecting proper nutrition can ultimately lead to the development of chronic conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and eventually heart disease.

That's why consistently making positive daily choices that foster long-term health is so important.

And that means:

* Fueling your body with nutrient-dense foods.
* Staying well hydrated and limiting alcohol.
* Getting regular exercise and managing stress.
* Reducing stress and prioritizing quality sleep.

If you're feeling stuck in your fitness journey and unsure how to turn things around, please drop a comment below or send me a DM. I am here to help.

To your positive, daily actions!

#physiquetransformation #musclebuilding #buildmoremuscle #fatloss #fatlosshelp #over40fitness #bodybuilding #onlinecoaching #healthtips

Many clients struggle to hit their protein targets

Many clients struggle to hit their protein targets. And simple math means this is generally worse for a) females and b) all clients at lower calories.

There are many reasons for this, but more often than not, it comes down to one of these THREE things:

1. Too much fat in the diet rips through your calorie budget and squeezes out room for protein.

2. Skipping breakfast or fasting shortens the eating window and makes it harder to hit your protein target.

3. Meal composition skews carb-forward and protein sparse.

The first one is perhaps the most common.

We see things like:

* Salads with more blue cheese, fried croutons, and dressing than greens.

* Fatty cuts of meat (e.g. prime rib) and too many eggs, where as much as 60% of the calories come from fat.

* Full-fat greek yogurts, cottage cheese, and just too much dairy overall.

Fasting can be an excellent tool for reducing total calories because it's harder to eat as many calories in 6-8 hours as in 12-14 hours.

But you now have to hit your full protein quota across just two meals and one or two snacks, which increases meal size and the amount of protein consumed at each sitting.

Lastly, clients' meals are often still carb-forward, of which bread and sandwiches are the biggest culprit. Pasta, rice, and fruit follow closely behind.

To be clear, these are NOT "bad foods." But they are rich in carbohydrates and generally lower in protein.

So if the above sounds like you, here's how to hit your protein target while keeping calories in check:

* Prioritize a LEAN PROTEIN source with every meal.

* Next is a SMALL amount of healthy FATS, like avocado, nuts, and seeds.

* Fill HALF of your plate with VEGETABLES—cruciferous are best, and the more colorful, the better.

* MOVE most of your CARBS immediately before and/or after the training window—earn them with EXERCISE.

* SWAP high-calorie foods for low-calorie alternatives, like non-fat Greek yogurt, 1% cottage cheese, and egg whites.

* SUPPLEMENT protein for convenience or to top-off targets.

To your protein!

#physiquetransformation #musclebuilding #buildmoremuscle #fatloss #fatlosshelp #over40fitness #bodybuilding #onlinecoaching #diettips #proteinfood

Sleep to live. Dramatic? Maybe. But sleep is es

Sleep to live.

Dramatic? Maybe.

But sleep is essential for maintaining overall health and well-being.

According to Matthew Walker, P.h.D. and author of “Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams,” lack of sleep can have a detrimental effect on ALL markers of health, and plays a crucial role in regulating various physiological processes, including metabolism, hormone balance, and immune function.

Sleep deprivation can affect physical and cognitive performance, leading to fatigue, irritability, and decreased motivation. It can also affect emotional performance, leading to mood swings, depression, and anxiety.

Chronic sleep deprivation also has a negative impact on body composition, leading to an increase in body weight, body fat, and the risk of obesity.

Studies have shown that sleep deprivation is associated with an increased risk of developing various medical conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease.

So, how do you know whether you’re routinely getting enough sleep?

According to Walker, a simple measure is whether you could go back to sleep at ten or eleven that morning, or whether can you function optimally without caffeine before noon. And of course, whether you would sleep past your waking time if you didn’t set an alarm clock.

If you are not getting enough sleep, here are some practical steps you can take to start sleeping better:

1. To regulate your body's internal clock, establish a consistent sleep schedule by going to bed and waking at the same time every day—even on weekends.

2. Get away from screens and blue light by creating a relaxing bedtime routine through reading, yoga, or meditation.

3. Keep your room dark, quiet, and cool, and invest in a comfortable mattress and pillows.

By incorporating these simple steps into your daily routine, you can improve the quality of your sleep, and ultimately, improve your overall health and well-being.

To your slumber!

#physiquetransformation #musclebuilding #buildmoremuscle #fatloss #fatlosshelp #over40fitness #bodybuilding #onlinecoaching #sleepmatters #sleepmattersmost #getmoresleep

When it comes to physique transformation, stress i

When it comes to physique transformation, stress is one of the biggest killers of progress.

And it doesn't matter whether you are trying to build muscle or strip away fat. Stress can stop you dead in your tracks—even when you're doing everything right.

This is why @bryankrahn and I work hard in our coaching to identify and mitigate as many sources of stress as possible for clients.

Things like busy careers, long hours, and demands on our time. Financial worries. Conflicts with friends or family. Troubling health conditions for oneself or a loved one. Moving. Bereavement. The arrival of a new baby.

It all adds up fast!

And, of course, the starting point for most of our clients is fat-loss. Which is—you guessed it—another source of stress to deal with.

This is why we always go straight to the Big Three:

EXERCISE
ALCOHOL
SLEEP

Regular physical activity has been shown to significantly reduce stress and improve mood, chiefly through the release of endorphins and the production of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. Exercise can also help to improve sleep, boost self-esteem, and increase overall well-being.

Now, there is nothing wrong with a drink or two—and many people can still enjoy the occasional tipple and make good progress. But be under no illusions—the regular consumption of alcohol WILL slow your progress. So whether it's through the disruption of sleep and reduced recovery or the crappy food choices you make when buzzed—alcohol is best sidelined for when fat loss is no longer the goal.

And last, but by no means least, SLEEP.

Quality sleep is the cornerstone of stress management and is the foundation upon which all other strategies are built. It plays a critical role in regulating our emotions and cognitive processes and is essential for the body to repair and recover from all forms of stress.

And here's the bottom line:

A coach that doesn’t focus on stress management is doing you a disservice.

Because chasing fat loss without first dealing with stress is like trying to climb a mountain with a backpack full of rocks—a heavy burden that will slow you down or, worse, have you tumbling to the ground in a broken heap.

Free Travel Workout. Most hotel gyms are horribly

Free Travel Workout.

Most hotel gyms are horribly under-equipped. So the goal with travel workouts generally means just staying active and getting some work in.

The calorie burn helps offset the potential uptick in calories from expensed foods and limited options.

And getting some stimulus means we don't lose momentum and can hit the ground running when we return to our regularly programmed schedule.

The best way to achieve that in a hotel gym is:

1. Keep it simple, and work the whole body in 45 minutes or less.
2. Stick to dumbbells, as most hotel gyms offer token dumbbell or kettlebell options
3. Circuits work best so you can just find a corner and crack on with the work.

Complete the workout as a CIRCUIT of 3-5 rounds. Suggested reps in (parenthesis).

1. 1¼ Dual DB Front Rack Squat (10-15)
2. Single Leg Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift (10-15)
3. Alternating Dumbbell Floor Press (6-10/side)
4. Alternating Dumbbell Bent Over Row (6-10/side)
5. Alternating DB Bicep Curl and Press (8-12/side)
6. Bilateral Dumbbell Upright Row (8-12)
7. Push Ups (standard width) (MAX)
8. REST 2 mins

I've even created a playlist for you on YouTube. You can access it at the following URL:

https://uncommonsensephysique.com/db-full-body-circuit

To your progress!

#physiquetransformation #musclebuilding #usptips #fatloss #fatlosshelp #over40fitness #bodybuilding #onlinecoaching #travelworkout

There are only three reasons you should have your

There are only three reasons you should have your phone within reach at the gym:

1. Your wife is expecting a baby at any moment, and you're "on call."
2. You need to look up or record your next lift.
3. So you can set and dismiss a timer for your rest intervals.

Of course, I jest about the first point. Both your wife and baby will assuredly be fine without you.

But by not recording your lifts and timing your rest intervals, you are introducing variability into your workouts that WILL affect your performance across sessions.

One school of thinking is that rest intervals are all highly individualized and that you should "take as much time as you need to recover between sets." However, the problem is that people have a horrible tendency to lose all sense of time between sets.

And rest intervals are integral to the workout and a fundamental part of the training stimulus equation.

Don't believe me?

Complete heavy squats with 30 seconds of rest between sets, and you'll soon get the idea.

So what should you be doing? What is a "good" rest interval?

First and foremost, a "good" rest interval is fit for purpose and specific to your training needs.

In general, that means:

3-5 minutes for powerlifting or bodybuilding with large, heavy, compound movements.

2-3 minutes for most bodybuilding and strength training movements where optimum recovery and performance are critical.

60-90 seconds for most isolation and functional movements.

0-30 seconds for supersets, circuits, or specialized sets utilizing clusters, rest-pause, and myo-reps.

For most workouts, I program 60-90 seconds for everything other than heavy compound movements, which get 2 minutes by default.

And in my workouts, I find 60 seconds works for just about everything—even "heavy" deadlifts or compound work.

As with most things in bodybuilding and physique transformation, what's crucial with rest intervals is to be deliberate and CONSISTENT with your timing.

This way, any improvements in your lifting performance are less likely attributable to additional rest.

To your rest!

#physiquetransformation #musclebuilding #fatloss #fatlosshelp #over40fitness #onlinecoaching #buildmoremuscle #restintervals

Consistently showing up for yourself is perhaps th

Consistently showing up for yourself is perhaps the foundation of every successful physique transformation journey.

But it's a hell of a lot more than simply hitting the gym.

It's about routinely making healthy choices, setting boundaries, and taking care of yourself, physically and MENTALLY.

In short, it's about taking daily action that your future self will thank you for.

Look, C.S. Lewis said this:

"The future is something which everyone reaches at the rate of sixty minutes an hour, whatever he does, whoever he is."

So what are you DOING?

Are your daily actions and current trajectory going to benefit your future self? Or are you just so wrapped up in the emotion of NOW that tomorrow doesn't matter?

And what's the best way to predict your future?

CONTROL IT. Take ownership.

At least everything that YOU can control.

* Practice mindful eating and try to create a balanced, nutritional plate at each meal.
* Stop looking at foods as good or bad and treat food as the foundation of a healthy lifestyle.
* Get to the gym consistently, and strive for progress. Really push yourself.
* Prioritize quality sleep and make time to relax and unwind.
* Cultivate relationships that support you and move you toward your goals.
* Walk more—get outside and connect with nature.

And the best part?

When you show up for yourself, you'll inspire others to do the same.

You'll set an example of what it looks like to put yourself first and chase your goals with determination.

And if you're like most of my clients and have kids that look to you as a role model?

Is there a better example to set than someone that takes daily action to improve themself—even when they honestly don't FEEL like it?

So, make showing up for yourself the foundation of your physique transformation journey.

Your future self thanks you.

#SelfCare #Priorities #PhysiqueTransformation #FitnessMotivation #WorkoutMotivation #Goals #Habits #Routine #FitnessJourney #Transformation #Coach #Boundaries #HealthyChoices #SelfLove #SelfDiscovery #MindsetMatters #mentalhealthawareness

Be yourself. Something a little off-topic today.

Be yourself.

Something a little off-topic today. But I ran across this tweet from Alex Hormozi a few weeks back, and it stuck with me.

Because even though I work in an industry that heavily promotes change, it's the WHY of change that matters most.

So don't change to satisfy another's opinions or ideals.

And don't AVOID change for the same reasons.

Change for YOU or not at all.

#physiquetransformation #musclebuilding #usptips #fatloss #fatlosshelp #over40fitness #bodybuilding #onlinecoaching #buildmoremuscle #beyourself #thursdaythought

Feast to win? Refeeds first gained popularity in

Feast to win?

Refeeds first gained popularity in the 90s in bodybuilding communities where hard dieting and achieving a low level of body fat were integral to the sport and culture.

Fundamentally, it was a planned increase in calorie intake, typically high in carbohydrates, and intended to boost leptin levels and improve metabolism after a period of calorie restriction.

The idea behind refeeding is that it helps to replenish glycogen stores and reset the metabolism, which can improve energy levels and help prevent the body from going into a state of adaptive thermogenesis—otherwise known as "starvation mode".

But there is also a psychological component, whereby a refeed provides a mental break from dieting and can help to prevent feelings of deprivation, which can help to increase long-term adherence to a diet.

Combined, the positive effects of a refeed on both physiology and the psyche become increasingly advantageous the deeper you push into fat loss. Because as body fat, calorie levels, and energy levels drop, mental fatigue increases and adherence wains.

So when did this valuable protocol become cheating?

Well, it's not entirely clear, but there's a solid chance it came about as a gross exaggeration of the flexible dieting protocols of the IIFYM movement around 2010.

The idea behind IIFYM is that as long as a person meets their macronutrient goals, they can eat the foods they enjoy and still lose weight or achieve their fitness goals.

But taken to extremes in the context of a refeed, "eat the foods they enjoy" took on a whole new meaning—in both the quality and quantity of the foods devoured.

Regardless—it still worked—and "cheat meals" were born.

So here's the skinny:

Do you need them? No.
Should you use them? Only if you have a good relationship with food.
When should I start? About one month into a well-executed fat loss protocol.
How much should you eat? ONE meal of whatever you want, eaten to satisfaction.
How often? ONE Once every two weeks. Weekly if under 10% body fat (around 18% for women).

#physiquetransformation #musclebuilding #usptips #fatloss #fatlosshelp #over40fitness #bodybuilding #onlinecoaching #buildmoremuscle #cheatmeal

Did you quit already? If you're one of the milli

Did you quit already?

If you're one of the millions of people that committed to improving your health in 2023, there's a really good chance you've already abandoned your goals.

And you're not the only one.

One study found that only about 8% of people who make New Year's resolutions actually achieve their goals.

The University of Scranton found that about 25% of people who make New Year's resolutions will abandon them within the first WEEK, and another study by Strava, a social network for athletes, found that January 12th is the "quitting point" for many people who make exercise-related resolutions.

That's just 12 days into the New Year!

Want to know why?

By far the most common reason people fail at resolutions is by setting goals that are simply too ambitious.

When people set unrealistic or overly broad goals, they can quickly become overwhelmed or discouraged. And the key characteristic of unrealistic goals is that they are frequently outcome-focused.

E.g. "I want to lose 20 pounds" or "I want to run a marathon".

But outcome-focused goals can be difficult to achieve because they don't take into factors outside the individual's control—such as genetics, injuries, life events, etc.

On the other hand, behavior-focused resolutions such as "I want to eat a healthy breakfast every day" or "I want to exercise for 30 minutes three times a week" are significantly less overwhelming and depend substantially on individual action to be achieved.

This allows individuals to be more deeply engaged in the process, and research has found that people who focus on process-oriented goals tend to have greater well-being and satisfaction with their lives than those who focus on outcome-oriented goals.

So if you're someone that's already had to bail on their New Year's resolutions, take another go. And this time stay focused on introducing or improving the behaviors that a) you can control or at least directly influence, and b) move you incrementally toward your desired outcome.

#physiquetransformation #musclebuilding #usptips #fatloss #fatlosshelp #over40fitness #bodybuilding #onlinecoaching #buildmoremuscle #tiptuesday

The ART of MORE. Muscles don't just grow—they

The ART of MORE.

Muscles don't just grow—they adapt in response to the increased demands of stress. And that fundamentally means lifting heavier weights or getting more reps with the same weight.

And of course, the reps and weight used need to be challenging—you can't just futz around and go through the motions.

The trouble is, way too many trainees have simplified progression down to more is better AT ANY COST.

But there's a LOT more to progression than just... MORE.

Now in the early training years, or after a long layoff from regular workouts, it's possible to add weight to the bar in almost every session. But linear progression—the constant, steady increase in load over time—eventually plateaus, and that's when you need to train smarter, not harder.

Now, this message is less about specific intensity techniques and much more about progression as an art form. And that fundamentally comes down to simply doing the work BETTER.

And what does better look like?

* Controlling the tempo of the movement to improve the mind-muscle connection.
* Eliminating body English and putting all the work through the muscle being trained.
* Resisting gravity and milking the eccentric portion of the movement.
* Pausing briefly at peak contraction and extension.

In a nutshell, it means owning the weight on the bar instead of IT owning you!

Or, as my friend and physique coach @Bryan.Krahn likes to say, "Before you go for more, go for better."

Wise words that'll keep you training for decades to come.

#physiquetransformation #musclebuilding #simplenoteasy #healthtips #usptips #fatloss #over40fitness #bodybuilding #trainingtips #onlinecoaching #buildmoremuscle #fatlosshelp #mindmuscleconnection #theartofmore #goforbetter

Stop trying to lose fat. Calories in, calories ou

Stop trying to lose fat.

Calories in, calories out. Eat less and move more.

And you'll get no real arguments from me—these albeit trite and overused sound bites capture the "essence" of the equation for fat loss.

That is, one must sustain a negative energy balance over a prolonged period for the body to draw on body fat to make up the energy shortfall.

But fat loss is nuanced, and repeatedly spending too long in a state of caloric restriction has implications that encompass more than just physiology.

First, the metabolism WILL adapt to the reduction in calories by actually reducing your energy requirements. This is a function of homeostasis—your body's ability to maintain a stable internal environment despite changes in external conditions.

This is why a continual reduction in calories—no matter how gradual or controlled—is essentially a race to the bottom.

Second, just like someone that habitually overeats, we can also become psychologically acclimatized to (and even comfortable in) an environment of reduced calories.

This is hard on the metabolism and makes gaining any appreciable muscle substantially harder as these individuals can struggle to eat enough calories to sustain a prolonged period of hypertrophy.

So this fat loss "trick" is not really a trick or a hack at all.

It's simply about recognizing when it's time to stop chasing fat loss and instead shift gears to an extended period of muscle building.

Just don't go directly from poverty meals to epic meals of refeed proportions.

* Gradually increase calories—200 Kcals every couple of weeks is a good starting point.
* Dig deep in training and chase your logbook.
* Monitor the scale, tape, and mirror.
* If things are moving too quickly, reduce the calorie INCREASE or add some light cardio to the mix.
* The key is to NOT CUT CALORIES, boost your metabolism, and build room for another run at calorie restriction down the line.

And as a bonus, remember that muscle solves problems. There's truly NO downside to packing a few more pounds of lean tissue onto your body.

To your healthy metabolism!

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