Big Mac
Fitness Checkpoint Two
My Fitness Journey (So Far)
My intention was to do a quarterly fitness post with the beginning of July being my mid — year check in with tools and motivations that are keeping me going. That whole ‘Christianity Uncensored’ series kinda snowballed and threw me off. So coming back around a few weeks late with a progress report on where I am with some of my big goals and some of the things that I’ve found helpful lately in staying focused on them.
Overall in my cutting phase, I’ve taken two steps forward (10.7% body fat from 11.6% a couple months ago) and one step back (lost about 10–15% body mass, which is more than I had hoped, but not surprising). So there is a steady increase, but fighting for bigger steps forward and smaller steps back in my cycling of phases.
This is either a welcome breather from the heavier stuff to you or something you couldn’t give two shits about. Either way, I hope this helps encourage some people who like me, thought they missed the boat on the whole fitness thing in their youth and it was too late to kick ass, feel better about yourself and just feel better. So here’s some things that I’ve been keeping at the forefront lately. Hope you can find some nuggets in here instead of at McDonald’s.
Just the Tips
1. Track everything
Guessing is not an option. First of all, we are always wrong. Second of all, we are frogs in a pan. We might not see progress, but the numbers don’t lie. The importance of tracking in MyFitnessPal and tracking my reps, weights, PRs and rest times I was able to know exactly where I was and make adjustments if I saw things trend downward. Watching closely where things were trending I was able to see what was working and what wasn’t. It’s worked for me financially too. If I’m tracking my spending with a budget and looking at my progress on paying off any debt, it’s a huge help towards turning down temptations when you’re aware of where you are and what you’re doing.
2. Don’t give yourself enough time to think
I know the whole “5 Minute Rule” is a popular book and concept. I started implementing it before I knew about the book and had a lot of people tell me it was a thing. I just didn’t regulate it like the 5 minute rule. I just stopped letting myself talk myself out of shit. I can always come up with excuses of things I should be doing instead of working out, or why I shouldn’t make an effort to talk to someone, or why it’s ok to skip my protein shake. Don’t allow yourself the opportunity. Once you’re in it, you realize you’re gonna be alright.
3. Enjoy it
Once you realize fitness and nutrition isn’t a means to an end, but a lifestyle, there is a perspective shift. Suddenly for me I realized that if I wanted to maintain the intensity and be in it for the long haul, I needed to enjoy it. So I’ve been focusing on how good I feel when I’m crushing a preacher curl or how badass I feel when I’m doing weighted pull-ups when some people have a hard time doing a couple with no weights. I fucking love being at the gym. I feel at home there. I know how that sounds, but you’re body rewards you and steps up when you push it and your body starts to crave the good shit you’re doing to it. If being a gym junkie means I feel awesome and my doctor tells me I’m in excellent health, I just don’t give a shit. Having your kid use you as a punching bag and seeing how that impresses him is also a pretty cool benefit.
3. If you never go past enough, you’ll never be more
I think about this often when I think I’ve done enough. I could quit and feel pretty good about myself and the work I put in. But then that’s where most people stop. I want to keep going when they stop. I want to do more and see bigger results. That’s hugely motivating for me. Knowing that a little extra work, beyond what I think is my max, is gonna be where the big results start coming in.
Protein Shake goodness:
(Italics are in the video)
Whey Protein
Turmeric powder
Broccoli sprouts 🥦
Avocado 🥑
Cucumber 🥒
Local Honey
Sunflower Greens
PB2
Almond Butter
Chia seeds
Hemp seeds
Kale
Spinach
Chick peas
Blueberries
Frozen mixed fruit
Frozen strawberries
Frozen bananas
Frozen (the best) or powder Açaí
Frozen Pineapple
BCAA’s
Glutamine
Goji berries (great with yogurt)
Maca Powder
Cacao Powder
Cacao Nibs (with yogurt)
4. Eat food you like
You don’t have to love kale chips, salmon and cotton cheese. I love everything I eat. That doesn’t mean I eat whatever I want. But I’ve found things that are helping with my goals that I enjoy eating. Sure there are those occasional cheat meals. But even those aren’t as enjoyable because of the way they make me feel after. I’ve passed on advice from a trainer I got at Pure Austin to a lot of people. I was getting advice on making bigger steps towards that 10%. Barry at Pure told me “Pay attention to how you feel before you eat something, how you feel while you eat it and how you feel after.” The truth is, when you reward your body with good shit, it pays back in dividends. But I’ve found some great things I love that I’ll take over a juicy hamburger (most days). I can’t bring myself to eat salmon, but bring on the spring veggie mix, some chicken and sweet potatoes. My shakes (seen above) are full or amazing stuff that make me feel almost guilty for not tasting worse. I see people plugging their nose as they down green sludge. But I’ve found some great stuff that works for me and makes me feel great. The temptation is small when you’re eating things you know won’t leave you feeling heavy and shitty.
5. Battle the voices with your own
Like most things, we are our own worst enemy. Most of it is in our head. Not all of it. I thought as a kid I could fly if I believed because I watched Peter Pan every day. But most of our limitations we put on ourselves. There are common phrases I tell myself that make me feel physically inadequate immediately. I could be in the middle of a bench press and the right phrase will suddenly make me feel like I need to call it. So I started building a list of phrases and things I could tell myself to combat them. Here are some of the ones I’ve jotted down at the gym and the phrase to fight it with (I would love have some to add to this!):
“This is too much for me”
Surprise Yourself
“I don’t have the energy”
Show up
“I’ve done enough”
I get out what I put in. What do I want to get out of this?
“There’s no fucking way”
Challenge accepted
“What’s the point? Eventually you can’t do this”
I want to be the best me now
“That’s way too much for you”
I am powerful and strong
“You can only get so big.”
I have no limits
6. Experiment and see what works for you
I used to be overwhelmed with all the fitness voices out there telling me what works and what doesn’t. How I should split my days and what exercises are worthless versus which ones Arnold would approve of. I finally started just experimenting and seeing what works for my body and and my way of living. No one is going to be doing things exactly the same.
As long as you’re getting the sleep you need, rest between workouts and sets, filling your macros with good shit and hitting the big compound movements (squats, deadlifts, bench press, rows, pull-ups, dips, military press) then you can shuffle everything else around. See how your body responds to different things and get things working for you.
Don’t worry about doing things wrong. You’ll learn what works for you. Keep adjusting and see what’s right for you and what’s effective for your body.
7. When you feel extra motivated, run with it
There are time where I’m just wasted. I can barely lift a thing and I am just exhausted. But there are also times where I could keep going and want to. Where I have a hard time pulling myself away cause my body is telling me it wants more. If I have the time, I run with it. I’ll pull out my “alternatives” list and start cranking in some more circuits or exercises. But here’s what I do that I really love. I get away from my routine and do whatever the fuck I want. I choose the things I kill at, the things that make me feel awesome and do it. Or I’ll do something that will just make me a waterfall of sweat like box jumps, running, jump roping, burpees, 5 minutes of front planks (my PR) or shoulder tap planks. That extra time doesn’t feel like extra work. I love it. I can break my rules and do what I want because I’ve earned it.
8. Don’t Do It Alone
I’ve had friends reach out just for help or resources. I love being the “if cam can do it, I can too” motivation. I was a perfect example of someone who saw health and fitness as for the hardcore, saw it as zero fun and when thinking of where it could take me only saw limits. But with each other, there’s nothing stopping us from hitting ridiculous goals. Thanks to my f5 team and the encouragement and insight of trainers and friends, I should be hitting my 10% body fat goal this summer instead of thinking it near impossible by the end of the year. I’m in spitting distance now with only .7% to go, but would have been doing circles for the year if I didn’t have the guidance of those around me.
9. Stick to Your Time
The longer you stall, the harder it will be to begin. So make a specific start time. Be intentional. If you tend to put things off and start at 12pm on Saturday instead of an optimistic 7am, make 12pm your Saturday start time. Just set it. Then stick to it.
10. Give Your Rep Everything
Go all in on each individual rep. Treat each rep like the last. Form first, reps second. Don’t be disappointed if your number is under. Don’t see the checkbox as success. Don’t work for the checkbox. Work for the results. See each rep as success. Don’t let pride win over form. Your goal is the low number. (4) Then when your there you fight for the extra 2 reps (6) if you don’t get your extra reps, it’s ok! It’s not about the numbers. It’s about resistance. Pushing yourself.
11. Don’t Cheat Yourself
You cant trick your body. It knows when you’re making small concessions. Those small concessions keep you from big progress. If you think you can get something by your body, you’re wrong. So when you’re isolating a muscle group, make sure the rest of your body is firm and still. Don’t use swaying or momentum. Compound movements should be leading your workouts with some isolation for some of those hidden areas. But make sure those areas are feeling it and you’re not letting other areas carry the load. That’s where bad form steals your gains and gives you injuries in its place. When I’m using bad form in Back and Bicep days, my wrists and forearms step in to compensate and usually cause unwanted strain and injury.
12. End Well
Don’t end on a bad rep. If you need to, go back and get one or two in. Drop sets are a part of that mentality. Lowering your weight and rep to squeeze it all out. When you leave knowing you laid it all on the line, you can be confident your body is ready to now start using that to help your muscles grow with rest.
Moving Forward
So that’s where I am. That’s what’s keeping me going. I’m constantly looking for new ways to be motivated and am constantly tracking and tweaking what works for me. Next check progress report in early October, that 10% will be mine. It’s a good thing too. Cause I’ve got money on it that goes to the NRA if I don’t reach it as well as a commitment to get shot in the leg if I don’t. (thanks for that extra motivation Cina).
If you’ve found things that are helping you crush your goals, I’d love to hear them. Always need more tools in my tool belt. If you want some help getting started or pushing through, I’d love to be part of you being a badass.
