Begin resistance training regardless of age, as it offers massive benefits for strength, lean mass, bone health, and cognitive function, even for frail elderly individuals, and it’s never too late to start.
Hard training and consistency are the biggest levers for results, trumping specific exercise selection for building muscle and strength.
Everyone should train until failure at least once to understand what true failure feels like, as intermediate and beginner lifters often underestimate their capacity by 5-6 repetitions.
For muscle hypertrophy, train within a few repetitions of failure, but you probably don’t need to go all the way to failure, especially on compound movements, to maximize the response while managing fatigue.
To maximize hypertrophy, ensure exercises put tension on muscles in a lengthened position, as this appears to be an important factor for muscle growth.
Engage in progressive overload with weight lifting, as this process strengthens tissues and reduces sensitivity to pain over time, often decreasing lower back pain.
Research doesn’t strongly back the idea that perfect form is crucial for injury prevention; instead, progressively loading tissues and allowing them to adapt is more important.
Avoid drastic and sudden increases in training volume or load, as this is a major risk factor for acute injury; instead, increase load and volume progressively and carefully.
When recovering from an injury, use exposure therapy by gradually reintroducing movements that cause pain at a low intensity, progressively increasing load or range of motion as tolerated, without making the pain worse.
Prioritize sufficient sleep (e.g., 8 hours per night) as it is a big lever for reducing acute injury risk and improving pain management.
Actively manage psychological stress through techniques like therapy or setting boundaries, as it is a massive lever for reducing acute injury risk and overall pain.
Cultivate a mindset of strength and resilience when dealing with injuries, as people who believe they are resilient tend to recover faster and experience less pain than those who believe they are fragile.
After a poor night’s sleep, auto-regulate your training by reducing the load and adjusting as needed if you’re not feeling well, as one bad night of sleep is unlikely to significantly increase injury risk.
Make exercise a non-negotiable part of your lifestyle, ensuring it gets done consistently, much like brushing your teeth, rather than waiting for it to feel good or for motivation.
Don’t wait for motivation or for exercise to ‘feel good’; commit to doing activities conducive to good health regardless of your feelings, making it a non-negotiable habit.
Avoid perfectionism in your fitness journey, focusing on consistent execution and starting, rather than getting stuck in ‘paralysis by analysis’ over perfect form or an ideal plan.
Understand that the ‘magic’ or significant results you seek are often found in the consistent hard work you are currently attempting to avoid.
Focus on maintaining a healthy body weight and avoiding excess body fat, as this is a primary factor for improving metabolic health, reducing disease risk, and promoting longevity.
Choose a sustainable dietary approach, whether it’s low carb, intermittent fasting, calorie tracking, or omitting certain foods, that helps you consistently control calorie intake to reach your goals.
Aim for a daily protein intake of 1.6 to 2 grams per kilogram of body weight, as this range provides the vast majority of benefits for muscle growth and overall health.
During a calorie deficit, consider increasing protein intake up to 3 grams per kilogram of lean mass to improve the retention of lean muscle mass.
Balance your macronutrient intake to ensure sufficient carbohydrates and fats for fueling hard training sessions, as optimal training performance is a bigger lever for results than excessively high protein intake.
Distribute protein intake across multiple meals throughout the day, including a meal before bed, to ensure consistent amino acid availability and support muscle protein synthesis.
Increase your intake of dietary fiber through fruits, vegetables, and whole foods, as there is overwhelming and consistent evidence for its protective effects against cardiovascular disease, cancer, and overall mortality.
Prioritize consuming whole foods over isolated compounds or supplements, as the complex food matrix often provides greater beneficial effects than individual extracted components.
Eliminate sugar-sweetened beverages from your diet as a primary and impactful step for improving metabolic health and reducing overall calorie intake.
If you regularly consume sugar-sweetened beverages, substitute them with diet sodas, as randomized controlled trials consistently show this leads to weight loss and improved metabolic health.
Track your calorie intake for at least three days without changing your eating habits; this provides an instructive experience to understand actual consumption and can spontaneously lead to behavior change.
Prepare and have healthy food options readily available at home to prevent impulsive unhealthy eating, especially during stressful times or when hunger strikes.
Implement physical barriers, such as locking a bedroom door or putting a lock on the fridge, to disrupt autopilot unhealthy eating behaviors and create a moment of mindfulness before acting.
Identify and verbalize potential triggers for unhealthy behaviors, such as stress leading to binge eating, as this mindfulness practice can drastically reduce the risk of acting on those impulses.
Hold yourself accountable for your actions but avoid self-shaming, as shaming yourself for mistakes is counterproductive and will not facilitate long-term behavior change.
Incorporate variety into your training program periodically to maintain motivation and prevent stagnation, as people often do well with new and exciting workouts.
Maintain a consistent wake-up time daily, as this practice can significantly help overall well-being and consistency, even on nights with less sleep.
Batch cook protein sources like chicken breast to ensure quick, easy, and accessible protein throughout the week, as carbohydrates and fats are generally easier to prepare or find.
Utilize convenient healthy meal options, such as frozen meals high in protein and fiber, to save time and expense, without letting the pursuit of perfection hinder good enough choices.
Allow yourself small, enjoyable treats, such as a small bowl of ice cream or a cookie, to satisfy cravings and maintain dietary adherence without feeling overly restricted.
Incorporate air-popped popcorn as a high-fiber, satiating snack, as it can provide a significant amount of fiber and takes a long time to eat, contributing to satiety.
If rushing before training, consume a quick source of glucose, such as gummy bears, to ensure you have circulating energy and are properly fueled for your workout.
If consuming red meat, prioritize unprocessed, leaner cuts and ensure a high intake of fruits and vegetables, as overall diet quality heavily influences its health impact.
If you are concerned about the potential effects of seed oils, opt for olive oil or avocado oil for cooking and food preparation.
Take 5 grams of creatine monohydrate daily (3 grams for small women) for cognitive benefits, memory formation, depression symptoms, and lean mass/strength improvements, as it is very safe and well-researched.
Consume caffeine, whether from coffee or energy drinks, for its consistent nootropic and cognitive-enhancing benefits.
Use whey protein as needed to meet your daily total protein intake goals, as it is a high-quality, tasty, and relatively inexpensive source of protein.
Consider supplementing with Rhodiola Rosea (100-600mg, standardized to 3% salidrosides) as an adaptogen to improve mental fatigue, time to fatigue, and perception of fatigue, and potentially reduce caffeine’s jitters.
Ashwagandha shows promise for improving lean mass, strength, sleep, and stress management, making it a potential tier-two supplement to consider for overall well-being.
Consider taking a multivitamin to ensure you are covering your basic nutritional needs and filling any potential gaps in your diet.
If you struggle to get enough fiber from whole foods, use a fiber supplement to ensure adequate intake of both soluble and insoluble fiber, without letting perfection be the enemy of good.