Written by Sam Coleman | Co-founder
Fact checked by Kirsten Yovino, CPT Brookbush Institute
FACT CHECKED
If you are like me, you work extremely hard every day to better yourself in all aspects of life, especially fitness. You may wonder if you will ever reach your full potential. I know I do, often. It takes a ton of work to become the best you and even more work to maintain it and push further.
The best course of action is not to overthink it. All you need is good management of time and habits and a whole lot of consistency. Once the ball starts rolling, the positive results build momentum. Small increments of success can lead to big change. I've not only seen this in my fitness, I've seen this working for my business SET FOR SET as well.
Let's get into this...
We analyzed successful people in fitness, sports, and life in general, over the years, and came up with these 10 vital tips to truly succeeding at fitness and becoming your best self. These are actions, habits, and methods that literally everyone can achieve.
There will be no excuses for not achieving your highest level of performance.
1. STRONG MENTALITY & DEDICATION –There is no quick fix, it takes time.
It takes a lot of time and dedication to become the best. The same goes for anyone who is really powerful and ripped. The best athletes and bodies out there have been working at it consistently for a long time. This takes strong willpower and a strong mind… because we all know the mind gives up before the body!
So...Dig in! Grind hard! It’s worth the wait.
Dedicate yourself to becoming more powerful, agile, quick, flexible, coordinated – all natural native human necessities and capabilities. Train for that, day in and day out. The results will be an improvement in your overall health, performance, and looks. Remember, the aesthetic factor is a huge plus, and it’ll surely come, but it shouldn’t be the main goal.
2. GOALS - Clear goals mean a clear direction.
By knowing exactly what you want to improve, you are able to create a training plan geared towards that end. To do this properly you must consistently train using that plan for a certain period of time. Doing “whatever you feel like that day” will never get you the results you desire unless the results you desire are inconsistency.
“I’m a firm believer in goal setting. Step by step. I can’t see any other way of accomplishing anything.” Michael Jordan
If you have a clear goal in mind, a consistent training plan will lead to better results. Figure out what you need to improve in the short term ~ 6-8 weeks.
i.e. if you can’t do a set of hanging leg raises, but you can bench your bodyweight and squat 1.5 times your weight, you probably need to work on your core more.
or
i.e. if you are a very powerful person but have limited flexibility, you should work more on mobility and stretching.
Assess yourself. Then set a training plan in motion with emphasis on improving your weak areas. Or, simply add to your current training program. Supplement your regular training with exercises and movements that target your weak areas. Keep the same routine for 6-8 weeks, then re-assess.
To make lofty goals, try to envision the person you want to be in 2 or 3 years. Imagine yourself then - what do you do? How do you look? How have your skills developed? What are you great at? Once you can answer these questions, you will know what to work towards. You will be able to break everything down into smaller steps so that you can reach your big, lofty goals.
TIP: Make your goals tough yet achievable. If your goals are unreasonable or too long term, it’s a recipe for quitting. Have short and long-term goals.
Note: Not to contradict what was written above, but, it is good to try something new now and then throughout your training program. Try to do a Max Rep, or a new exercise you saw on Instagram (as long as it’s safe, and you know your limits). This keeps things interesting.
3. TIME–Making the most of your time
Everyone has a “life” and needs to prioritize their time.
To do this, and see the best results, you must USE YOUR TIME WISELY WHEN TRAINING.
Forget about “filler” exercises. Spend more time on compound movements, such as the big lifts, sprints, HIIT, or explosive movements (plyometrics). These exercises will target multiple muscles, which equals more muscles worked in less time.
If you spend your time on vital exercises you won’t need to train for hours.
21-minute full body circuit workout.
4. SMART WORK - Working harder isn’t always smarter.
Not all of your training needs to be extremely intense. Dynamically stretching, mobility, and Pilates, for example, provide great performance results and aren’t physically taxing like weightlifting or HIIT.
Be sure to make time for a well-rounded training plan, it doesn’t have to always be HARD, but it should always be SMART.
5. STAY ACTIVE - Stay active throughout the day
It’s not easy for most people who have office jobs to stay active throughout the day…
ACTUALLY, IT IS.
You can stay active throughout the day and week fairly easily. It’s pretty simple:
- Walk more
- Pick active weekend activities
- Yoga ball instead of a chair (fire up that core all day)
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator
- Take active vacations
- And, much more…just move whenever you can. Don’t sit all day!
This combined with a weekly workout routine and you are bound to see some positive results-fast!
6. HEALTHY HABITS – Establish healthy habits. Make them the norm.
Trying to be perfect with your diet will set you up for failure. Strive to make progress by continually creating healthy eating habits.
You will feel much better when you are eating healthy – less groggy and lethargic, with no stomachaches.
And, doing the next trendy fad diet probably won’t help you either. Again, making healthy choices a habit will. Consistency over a long period of time is key.
And, it’s not just about eating or drinking...as we all know. We must sleep well! Take a rest from training when needed. These are healthy, smart habits too.
If you do this, it won’t kill your gains (or fat losses) if you eat a pizza every once and a while. You also won’t be that person who can’t indulge because of your diet when out with friends. Plus, without treats, a.k.a. cheats, life can get really, REALLY boring.
NOTE: Some diets are not fads and should be taken seriously, but to do so you must LEARN.
6 fat shredding methods: intermittent fasting techniques.
7. STUDY - Constantly study and expand your training knowledge.
Nowadays, you can get the same access to any training, nutritional or motivational materials that an elite athlete can. If you don’t have the knowledge it is because you aren’t searching or studying… or asking the right people, like us.
If you want to see results, you must have the knowledge of how to achieve them.
Fitness Advancements & Trends That Are Here To Stay
4 types of exercises your workout program must include.
8. COMMUNITY - Train and be around better athletes.
People who are the best at what they do surround themselves with competition…make that GOOD COMPETITION. To be the best, you must play the best. To become better, you must push yourself, and to do this, nothing is better than being a part of a community of people who want what you want and who are further along the journey than you or want it just as badly as you do. They’ll be able to teach you and push you harder than you could on your own. Competition and motivation are the two biggest reasons why people become better at what they do.
But think about these words carefully…
“You are never really playing an opponent. You are playing yourself, your own highest standards, and when you reach your limits, that is real joy.” Arthur Ashe
9. REST - Know when to rest. And do it without guilt.
Know when to take a day off.
If you feel you are over-working your body, which is becoming more frequent amongst the fitness community, take a rest day which can be an off day or active recovery day. Then assess yourself the next day. If you feel better, get back at it.
As the old saying goes, you grow taller when you sleep… That’s right! And, your muscles grow when you rest! Sometimes you need more sleep or simply to take a day off from training.
Also, as mentioned above, you don’t always need to train hard to enhance yourself. If you are feeling worn out, take the day off from strength training or intense cardio and do mobility exercises or work on your flexibility. This will actually help with recovery and boost your immune system.
To touch on another similar point, rest is not only about rest days. You should be properly resting between exercises - take the necessary rest between sets or circuits.
Self-care must always be addressed, and a lot of times people put their well-being on the back burner.
From bodybuilding.com - a good read about overtraining.
10. GREATNESS - Strive for greatness.
Dream your vision to reality. Be the best you. Don't be scared of failure.
“I am not concerned that you have fallen — I am concerned that you arise.” ― Abraham Lincoln
Some more quotes to inspire:
I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
Always Ready,
Sam Coleman
Sam Coleman
Author