Tag: fitness

I get multiple emails and messages per day asking:

“Steve, what should I do for a workout?”

Well, partner, today is your lucky day.

I’m gonna help build you a custom workout program, step-by-step! 

After all, a workout should be developed around a person’s age, goals, nutritional strategy, free time, etc.

Not only that, but it’s easy to overcomplicate this process – there are an infinite number of exercises, sets, reps, and programs to choose from.

Now, if you’re somebody that wants to skip all of that, and JUST want to be told what exactly to do: 

We build customized workouts for our Online Coaching Clients and would love to have you. We get to know your story and struggles, your goals, and your lifestyle, and develop a workout plan that fits your schedule.

Want a customized workout plan you’ll ACTUALLY do? Learn more:

Now, if you’re more of a “figure this stuff out on my own” kind of person – we’re going to dig into how to build your own workout plan today!

We’ve also created a free resource for folks who want to build their own workout but would love some more specific direction and instruction.

You can download our free guide, Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know, which covers all of this stuff in a single guide:

OKAY! Are you ready to start building your own routine and want to know how it’s done?

Great! Let’s do this:

• Step #1: Determine your “Get in Shape” situation!
• Step #2: “What exercises should I do to lose weight (or build muscle)?”
• Step #3: “How many sets and reps should I do per exercise?”
• Step #4: “How long should I wait between sets?”
• Step #5: “How much weight should I lift?”
• Step #6: “How long should I exercise for?“
• Step #7: How to create supersets and circuit training workouts.
• Step #8: “How many days per week should I train?”
• Step #9: How to record your workouts and progress.
• “Steve, just BUILD a workout for me!”

Step #1: Determine Your “Get in Shape” Situation

As we lay out in our “How to get in Shape” guide, we need to answer a few key questions:

QUESTION 1: What are your goals?

• Are you trying to lose weight? Awesome.
• Are you trying to bulk up or build muscle? Great.
• Are you preparing for your first 5k? Swell.

Whatever your goals are, it’s good to write them down and be aware of what you’re trying to accomplish.

These goals will shape HOW you build your workout.

QUESTION 2: How much time can you devote to exercise?

If you can do an hour a day, that’s fantastic.

If you have a wife or husband, three kids, a dog, two jobs, and no robot butler, then maybe you only have thirty minutes, twice a week.

That’s fine too!

Whatever your time commitment is, developing the most efficient workout is crucial.

Why spend two hours in a gym when you can get just as much accomplished in 30 minutes, right?

Here’s the good news: weight training is the fat-burning prize fight victor, and efficiency rules all.

So whether you are building muscle or looking to lose weight, a strength training workout will get you the results you’re after (when combined with the right eating strategy!)

While we’re talking about time, let me quickly mention something important:

Proper expectations!

As we cover “how fast can I get the body I want,” make sure you are thinking about your journey with a realistic timeline:

QUESTION 3: WHERE do you want to work out?

• At a gym? Here’s a Beginner’s Gym Guide with 6 levels of workouts.
• At home? Have you tried our Beginner Bodyweight Workout?
• In a park? Try our park workout.

Where you work out will largely determine if you are going to train with bodyweight, or if you can start doing gym strength training.

At this point, we should have:

• Determined your “get in shape” goals.
• Decided how much time you have to train.
• Picked WHERE you want to work out.

We can now start to build your workout routine, your daily workout plan, and your monthly workout schedule!

Let’s do it.

Step #2: What Exercises Should I do to lose weight (or build muscle?)

I like to follow the motto of “Keep it simple, stupid.”

(Note: I am not calling you stupid. You’re reading Nerd Fitness, which means you’re intelligent, good looking, really funny, and most of all, modest.)

The best workout is the one that you actually stick with, and people make things FAR too complicated and try to target a bazillion different individual muscles with six types of exercises for each body part.

It’s exhausting, unnecessary, inefficient, and intimidating.

So keep it simple!

We’re going to pick 5 exercises, and get really strong with those movements.

This is the ENTIRE philosophy behind our Strength 101 series.

Unless you’ve been strength training for years and know what you’re doing, we recommend that you pick a full-body routine that you can do 2-3 times a week.

You want a workout routine that has at least one exercise for your:

• Quads (front of your legs).
• Butt and hamstrings (back of your legs).
• Chest, shoulders, and triceps: (“push” muscles).
• Back, biceps, and grip ( “pull” muscles).
• Core (abdominals and lower back).

By targeting compound movements that recruit multiple muscles at the same time, you can build a full-body routine that uses only four or five exercises.

How’s THAT for efficiency!

Here is a quick breakdown on which exercises will work for each of those movements:

• Quads – squats, lunges, one-legged squats, box jumps.
• Butt and Hamstrings – deadlifts, hip raises, straight leg deadlifts, good mornings, step-ups.
• Push (chest, shoulders, and triceps) – overhead press, bench press, incline dumbbell press, push-ups, dips.
• Pull (back, biceps, and forearms) – chin-ups, pull-ups, bodyweight rows, bent-over rows.
• Core (abs and lower back) – planks, side planks, exercise ball crunches, mountain climbers, jumping knee tucks, hanging leg raises.

Not sure how to do any of these movements?

Want more examples? Check out:

The 42 Best Bodyweight Exercises You Can Do Anywhere!

Pick one exercise from each category above for a workout, and you’ll work almost every single muscle in your body. 

Get stronger with each movement each week, and you have yourself a recipe for a great physique.

Here is an example of a great, effective simple gym workout:

• Barbell squats: 5 sets of 5 reps.
• Barbell Deadlifts: 3 sets of 3 reps.
• Push-ups (or dips): 3 sets of 15 reps.
• Pull-ups (or Inverted Rows): 3 sets of 8 reps.
• Planks: 3 sets, 1 minute hold each.

You don’t need to make things more complicated than this!

(Not that we humans have a tendency to overcomplicate things to the point of paralysis and inaction…)

Ahem.

If you’re not sure how to do any of the movements above, click on their links for thorough write-ups and video demonstrations.

Pick one exercise from EACH category above, specifically ones that scare you the least, and that will be your workout every other day for the next week.

The great news: the above workout routine will work whether you’re looking to bulk up and build muscle OR if you’re trying to lose weight.

You simply adjust your calories consumed – which is 80% of the equation – and that’s how you’ll start to change your physique.

STEVE’S BIG PIECE OF ADVICE: GET STRONG.

Get really good at these basic movements and focus on getting stronger each week (I’ll cover how below).

If you get really strong at squats, deadlifts, pull-ups, and push-ups, you will build an incredible physique to be proud of.

Then, once you get confident in those movements, feel free to add some variety.

Why?

If you do the same exact routine, three days a week, for months and months, you might get bored, and start slacking, or you might hit a workout plateau.

So if you find yourself getting bored, feel free to stick with the above ‘formula,’ but change the ingredients:

• If you do bench presses on Monday, go with overhead presses on Wednesday and dips on Friday.
• Squats on Monday? Try lunges on Wednesday and front squats on Friday.
• Do deadlifts every Wednesday, but change up the sets and reps you pick!

If you hit a plateau or find yourself getting bored, pick a different exercise to improve so you’ll stay challenged, and you’ll actually DO the workout!

Then, focus on getting stronger! (You are writing down your workouts, right?).

I know it’s really easy to overcomplicate this process as there’s an infinite number of exercises, sets, reps, and programs to choose from.

And yes, we have a solution for people that JUST want to be told what exactly to do: our uber-popular 1-on-1 coaching program pairs you with your own Nerd Fitness Coach who will get to know you, your goals, and your lifestyle, and develop a workout plan that’s specific to not only your body, but also to your schedule and life:

Our Coaching will change your life. Learn how!

Step #3: How Many Sets And Reps Should I Do?

SIMPLE ANSWER: Not including a warm-up set or two, I recommend:

• 3 to 5 sets per exercise.
• 8 to 10 reps per set when starting out. 

LONGER ANSWER – watch this video:

As we cover in our “How Many Sets and Reps?” guide, a “set” is a series of repetitions that you complete without stopping.

For example, if you drop down and do 10 push-ups right now, you just did 1 SET of 10 REPETITIONS (or REPS) of push-ups.

Got it? Cool.

Some general rule on repetitions you can follow as you’re starting to build your workout plan:

1. If you’re looking to burn fat while building muscle, keep your number of repetitions per set in the 8-15 range per set.
2. If you can do more than 15 reps without much of a challenge, consider increasing the weight or the difficulty of the movement. This is true for things like lunges, bodyweight squats, push-ups, pull-ups, etc.

There are some other generally accepted ‘rules’ – as pointed out in Starting Strength – about how to determine how many reps you should target per set, based on your goals:

• Reps in the 1-5 range build super dense muscle and strength^[1]
• Reps in the 6-12 range build a somewhat equal amount of muscular strength and muscular size^[2]
• Reps in the 12+ range build muscular endurance.

A 2015 study ^[3] called into question the best rep strategy for building muscle or size:

“It appears that high-intensity resistance (sets of 3-5 reps) training stimulates greater improvements in some measures of strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men during a short-term training period [compared to sets of 8-10 reps].”

What this means: Do not freak yourself out by worrying if you should do 4 sets or 5 sets of 8 reps or 10 reps. 

Our advice would be to START with lighter weight and more reps as you learn the movement, and then decide if you want to stay at higher reps and lower weight or vice versa.

You do you, because either one will get you results!

The only thing you need to worry about: get stronger the next time you do that movement: either pick up a heavier weight, or do 1 more repetition than last time.

“JUST GIVE ME THE ANSWER!”

Keep your TOTAL (all exercises combined) workout number of sets for all exercises in the 15-25 set range, with 8-10 reps per set:

5 exercises total, each with 4 “work sets” is a good start.

Remember, the most important part is to get started – you’ll learn how your body responds and you can adapt as you go.

What you DON’T need to do: multiple exercises for each body part with 10 sets.

A BIG CAVEAT: How you eat will determine if you get bigger or stronger. Nutrition is 80-90% of the equation. So pick a range that feels good, and then focus on nutrition.

And if you don’t want to figure any of this out and just want to be told exactly how what exercises, sets, and reps to do, our online coaches can take care of that for you.

Step #4: How Long Should I Wait Between Sets?

Keep it simple, you “smart, good looking, funny, modest person” you.

Below is a basic formula for you to determine how long you should wait between sets, but this can be adjusted based on your level of health.

The goal is to wait the least amount of time you need, but still rest enough that you can perform all reps of the next set safely and properly!

Here are some guidelines for how long to rest based on how heavy you’re lifting (not rules set in stone!):

• 1-3 Reps (lifting heavy for strength/power): Rest for 3 to 5 minutes between sets.
• 4-7 Reps (lifting for strength): Rest for 2 to 3 minutes between sets.
• 8-12 Reps (lifting for size/strength): Rest for 1 to 2 minutes between sets.
• 13 Reps+ (lifting for endurance): Rest long enough to recover to allow you to do the next long-ass set!

If you need more or less rest than the above recommendations, that’s fine.

Do the best you can, record how long it takes you to rest between sets, and try to rest for shorter periods in the future.

Your body will adjust as you get stronger and healthier!

If you want more information on how much you should lift, how many reps, and when to scale certain movements or adjust your workout, check out our Strength 101: Everything You Need to Know.

It’s free when you join the Rebellion with your email in the box below:

Step #5: How Much Weight Should I Lift?

We have a FULL resource on how to determine your starting weight for lifting, but I’ll give you the gist here.

The simple to learn but tough to implement answer:

“Lift enough so that you can get through the set, but not too much that you have NO fuel left in the tank at the end.”

How do you determine how much that is?

Trial and error.

ALWAYS err on the side of “too light” versus “too heavy” when starting out.

It’s better to say “I bet I could have done more!” instead of “that was too much, and now I need to go to the hospital!”

If you’re doing exercises with just your body weight, you need to make each exercise more difficult as you get in shape – once you get past 20 reps for a particular exercise and you’re not gassed, it’s time to mix things up.

That’s the key to “Progressive Overload,” as Coach Jim explains in this video:

Can you do 20 push-ups no problem? It’s time to start mixing them up to be more challenging. Pick a variation from this article and make yourself work for it!

20 bodyweight squats too easy? Hold some weights high above your head as you do the next set. Eventually, you can scale up to do exercises like the pistol squat:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Steve Kamb (@stevekamb) on Dec 16, 2014 at 9:29am PST

Looking for more bodyweight exercises? Check out the list of our favorite 42 bodyweight exercises you can do anywhere.

And if you’re not sure how to scale bodyweight movements, or you are interested in mixing things up and want guidance…

Our Online Coaching will change your life! Learn how here:

Step #6: How Long Should I Exercise For? How Long Should My Workout Be?

Easy answer: 45 minutes to an hour.

Longer answer: If you’re doing 15-25 sets of total exercise (3-5 sets for your 5 exercises), you should be able to get everything done within that 45-minute block.

Now, factor in a five or ten-minute warm-up, and then some stretching afterward, and the workout can go a little bit longer.

If you can go for over an hour and you’re not completely worn out, try increasing the intensity.

Less time, more intensity, better results.

What if you don’t have 45 minutes?

Do the best you can!

Maybe you want to build some cardio into your weight training.

That’s where this next section comes in.

Step #7: How to Create Supersets and Circuit Training Workouts

Strength training in a circuit training workout is the most efficient way to burn fat when exercising:

• You’re getting a cardiovascular workout by consistently moving from exercise to exercise.
• You’re exercising different muscles back to back, giving each muscle group a chance to recover, but in a condensed amount of time. Efficiency for the win!

If you’re familiar with CrossFit, many of the workouts are built on circuit principles.

This is also the most effective way to make you involuntarily swear at inanimate objects because you’re so tired and beat up.

We’re going to cover TWO things here:

• Supersets (or alternating sets).
• Workout circuits.

SUPERSETS:

Do a set of squats, wait one minute, then do a set of dumbbell presses, wait one minute, then do your next set of squats, and so on.

Because you’re exercising two completely different muscle groups, you can exercise one while the other is “resting.”

You’re now getting the same workout done in half the time.

Also, because you’re resting less, your body has to work harder so your heart is getting a workout too. Jackpot.

Let’s see how this would play out in a sample workout:

• Lunges alternating with incline dumbbell presses, four sets each, one minute between sets.
• Wait a few minutes to catch your breath and get set for your next two exercises.
• Straight leg deadlifts alternating with wide-grip pull-ups, four sets each, one minute between sets.
• 3 Sets of planks, stretch, and get the hell out of there!

CIRCUIT TRAINING:

A circuit requires you to do one set for EVERY exercise, one after the other, without stopping.

After you’ve done one set of each exercise in succession, you then repeat the process two, or three, or four more times.

I’ve written about multiple bodyweight circuits here on the site:

• Beginner Body Weight Circuit
• Advanced Body Weight Circuit
• Beginner Kettlebell Circuit

You can download our Beginner Bodyweight Worksheet too to help you get started:

We have also 15 FREE circuits you can follow in our big Circuit Training roundup guide!

And lastly, we love building circuit training routines for our Coaching Clients – and we’d love to build them for you too:

Let our coaches build a program for you!

Step #8: How Many Days per Week Should I Train?

We get this question quite a bit, usually from overeager beavers who decide they are going to go from “sitting on the couch watching The Office on repeat” to “exercising 7 days per week.”

I would advise something different.

I mean you can still watch The Office…

…but you don’t need to be training 7 days a week!

We don’t want you burning out quickly and falling back to square one, a concern we mention in our guide “How Often Should I Work Out?“

Instead, focus on building proper habits and set a goal of 2-3 full-body workouts per week.

For starters, your muscles don’t get built in the gym.

They actually get broken down in the gym, and then get rebuilt stronger while you’re resting…watching The Office.

By giving your muscles 48 hours to recover between workouts, especially when training heavy, you’ll stay injury-free and get stronger.

A Monday-Wednesday-Friday workout routine works well to ensure enough time to recover, especially when you are just getting started.

If you want to do Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday, or Sunday-Tuesday-Thursday, great.

Personally, I stuck with a Monday-Wednesday-Friday full day routine for nearly 10 years and just focused on getting stronger with each movement.

These days, I train on Monday-Wednesday-Thursday-Saturday (my workouts on Wednesday and Thursday don’t work the same muscles!)

“But Steve, what if I WANT to exercise on my off days?” That’s fine!

Pick “exercise” that’s fun for you, that won’t exhaust your muscles.

Also, here’s a lifehack: Program your workouts INTO your Google calendar (or Outlook).

You’re much more likely to do a workout that has been planned for in your work-week!

Alternatively, you can hire a coach to program your workouts for you, so every day you know exactly what you need to do!

Step #9: Keep Track Of Everything!

Last but not least, keep a workout journal!

As they say, that which gets measured gets improved.

You should be getting stronger, faster, or more fit with each day of exercise.

Around these parts, we say “Level up your life, every single day.”

So track and measure your progress!

Maybe you can lift more weight, lift the same amount of weight more times than before, or you can finish the same routine faster than before.

Personally, I track all of my workouts in Evernote.

I note the sets, reps, weight, and date.

I have over 1,000 workouts in my folder, which makes it super simple to see what I did last month, or even last year, and to make sure I’m improving!

You can use an actual notebook, a bullet journal, an Excel spreadsheet, a workout app, or a Word document.

Don’t overcomplicate it:

1. Write down the date and your sets, reps, and weight for each exercise.
2. Compare yourself to your previous workout with those exercises.
3. Focus on getting stronger (more reps, heavier weight, an additional set, etc.)
4. Repeat.

Do this with a workout you’ve built, and you WILL get results. I promise.

Here’s how to properly track your progress and set a new personal best every time you train.

Steve, Just Build a Workout For Me!

If you’re looking for sample workouts to build off of, take one of the 6 Workouts in our “Gym 101” guide.

Or if you want a plan to follow, pick one of our 15 Circuit Training Routines!

If you want to build from scratch, great! Let’s break it down into easy chunks with this recap:

• ALWAYS warm up – 5-10 minutes on a bike, rowing machine, jumping jacks, run up and down your stairs, etc. Get the blood flowing and your muscles warm.
• Pick one exercise for each big muscle group – quads, butt and hamstrings, push, pull, and core.
• Do 3-5 sets for each exercise.
• Do 5-10 reps per set for each exercise.
• Determine how many reps and how long you’ll wait between sets for each exercise. Keep it simple. 60 seconds.
• Increase your efficiency and work your heart by doing supersets or circuits.
• Keep your workout to under an hour.
• Stretch AFTER your workout.
• Write everything down!
  
• Give yourself permission to mess up, learn a little, and keep improving as you train more regularly!

More often than not, when I email people back and tell them how to build their own workout, they generally respond with:

“Steve, can’t you just TELL me what to do? I’m afraid of building a crappy workout.”

Why we built THREE options for people like that:

1) If you are somebody that wants to know they are following a program that is tailor-made for their life and situation and goals, check out our Online Coaching Program.

You’ll work with our certified NF instructors who will get to know you better than you know yourself and program your workouts and nutrition for you.

Want a workout program you’ll ACTUALLY do? Great! Learn more here:

2) Exercising at home and need a plan to follow? Check out Nerd Fitness Journey!

Our fun habit-building app helps you exercise more frequently, eat healthier, and level up your life (literally). Plus, NF Journey will build a workout for you!

Try your free trial right here:

3) Join the Rebellion (our free community) and I’ll send you free guides, workouts, and worksheets that you can read at your leisure.

We need good people like you!

I certainly encourage you to try and build your own workout routine.

It can really help you develop a sense of excitement and pride when you start to get in shape based on your workout!

If you have more questions, or have a workout program you’re really proud of, share it in the comments below!

-Steve

PS: Check out the rest of our beginner content. I promise, it kicks ass 🙂

• Strength Training 101: How to Get Strong
• How to Lose Weight Without Dieting: 5 Rules.
• Beginner Strength Workouts
• 42 Bodyweight Exercises you can do anywhere
• How to Find a Good Trainer
• Beginner Gym Workouts (6 Levels)

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Photo Sources: mdwombat, joshtasman: Question Finger 6, black.zack00: Yeaaaah…. Surprise ladies!!, Sterling College: Sterling Gym, ako_law: Stopwatch, black.zack00: Boxing a gentleman’s sport, Photographing Travis: Kettlebells. ahockley: DDC Stuff Sheath and EEEK Field Notes, Ivan Kruk © 123RF.com

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There’s an argument in the fitness world that you can either choose to lose fat OR gain muscle.

They just can’t be done at the same time.

To this, I say, “Hogwash!”

We have tons of success stories from our online coaching clients who have been able to do both simultaneously:

Let us help you build muscle and lose fat at the same time! Learn more:

And that’s what we’ll cover in today’s guide!

We’ll do so by discussing:

• What is body recomposition?
• Losing fat and gaining muscle at the same time (The Controversy)
• How to lose fat.
• How to gain muscle.
• How to lose fat WHILE gaining muscle (The Science).
• Tips to lose body fat while gaining muscle.
• What should I eat to gain muscle and lose fat? (A Healthy Plate)
• How to tell if it’s all working (Continuing to lose fat while gaining muscle).

Plus, I have tons of sweet LEGO photos and silly gifs on their way, which is always a good time. 

What’s Body Recomposition?

As Coach Matt mentions in the video above, gaining muscle and losing fat simultaneously is called “body recomposition.”

So yes, the process is indeed possible, as long as you follow the right plan.

…but you don’t have to take my word for it.

Just ask our friend Aksel here (who achieved an impressive body recomp with the help of a NF Coach):

Read more about his incredible story!

However, as I mentioned in the intro, you’ll often hear that losing fat while gaining muscle is impossible. The argument goes that you should just focus on one or the other, because doing both at once is destined to fail.

Let’s explore this claim.

LosING Fat and GainING Muscle at the Same Time (The Controversy)

To understand why losing fat while gaining muscle can be problematic, we need to explore both processes.

Let’s consider the following points:

• To lose fat, your body needs to be in a caloric deficit. This deficit forces your body to use pre-existing fat stores for fuel.

• To gain muscle, your body needs to be in a caloric surplus. This surplus provides the energy your body requires to repair and build bigger muscles.

Given this, losing fat (caloric deficit) at the same time one is gaining muscle (caloric surplus) seems impossible.

However, if we go a few steps deeper into the science, it IS possible!

To appreciate the nuance here, let’s get into some specifics on losing fat and gaining muscle separately, and then we’ll combine them.

HOW DO YOU LOSE FAT?

There is a simple answer and a slightly less simple answer when it comes to losing body fat.

The simple answer: “consume fewer calories than you expend or burn.”

Eight words, and one or two of those could probably be thrown out.

When your body needs more calories than the amount you are eating, you are in a “caloric deficit.” Your body doesn’t have enough calories to go around, so it’ll start breaking down parts of itself for energy requirements.

(If you’re curious, you can calculate your daily caloric needs here).

The hope is that your body will mostly pull from fat stores, though depending on how you are training it will also break down muscle too.^[1]

Said again: when you are eating a caloric deficit, your body will pull from both its fat stores AND existing muscle for energy.

From a physique and health standpoint, obviously we’d prefer that your body doesn’t break down muscle when in a caloric deficit, and instead really focuses on using fat stores instead.^[2]

I make this point for a reason: your goal in fitness shouldn’t only be “weight loss,” despite the common vernacular used.

Who cares what the scale says, right?

The goal instead is to reduce body fat while also keeping the muscle you have (or even building more muscle).

That leads to a better physique and a healthier body.

This is the reason why there is a large industry around “tracking body fat percentage.”

By reducing your total fat on your body, OR increasing muscle mass, you’ll end up with a lower body fat percentage (it’s just a simple ratio of fat to everything else).

And lower body fat percentages are where “toned arms” and “6-pack abs” hang out.

We’ll talk about tips to keep and grow muscle while in a caloric deficit further down. For now, remember you need fewer calories “in” compared to calories “out” for weight loss to occur, from either fat stores or muscle.

You may be asking, “Steve, what’s easier to do? Burn more calories or consume less?”

Good question.

Numbers will help tell the story: though this is a gross oversimplification – let’s use the ‘widely accepted’ starting point of “3,500 calories equals roughly one pound of fat.”^[3]

If you want to lose one pound – or half a kilogram – of body fat in a week (a worthy, sustainable goal for some), you would need to create a caloric deficit of 500 calories per day. 

Your options to create this caloric deficit include:

• Consuming 500 fewer calories
• Burning 500 more calories
• A combination of the two

Which half is easier to affect?

Here are both halves of that equation. 500 calories equals:

• The number of calories found in a Big Gulp of Mountain Dew.
• An estimate of the calories required to run five miles.

Yep.

When it comes to maintaining a caloric deficit, it really comes down to diet.

It’s significantly more effective and time-efficient to consume 500 fewer calories than it is to burn 500 additional calories.

As Time magazine controversially pointed out – with tons of cited studies – “exercise alone won’t make you thin.” It’s too easy to add more calories in, and requires too much work to effectively influence “calories out.”

We dig into this in our guide to The CICO Diet. 

This brings us to our slightly less simple answer on getting in shape:

To lose body fat, you need to watch what you eat, and do so in a sustainable way.

Here at Nerd Fitness, we are firm believers that 80-90% of the fat-loss equation comes down to diet (check out Rule # 4).

Here’s another idea we focus on: EAT MOSTLY REAL FOOD.

Meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruits, nuts are all great examples of REAL food.

These foods are very nutrient-dense and often low in calories compared to their processed counterparts. Which means you get filled up without overeating.

Win-win-win.

Have you ever seen the difference between 200 calories of broccoli and 200 calories of a bagel? WiseGEEK does a great job of displaying this, so we’ll borrow a couple of their photos.

200 calories of broccoli:

200 calories of a bagel:

That’s why REAL food is the answer to creating a sustainable caloric deficit.

Most people can eat an entire bagel, no problem. Plates of broccoli, with all of the fiber, are much tougher to overeat.

We lay it all out in our Beginner’s Guide to Healthy Eating. It’ll provide tips on how to gradually create habits that get you to a “REAL food” way of eating, including proper portion sizes, tips on batch cooking, and a cameo from Winnie the Pooh.

With all of this, we advise you to take it slow, so new habits of healthy eating become permanent.

Something you can do for the rest of your life.

It’s a strategy we work closely with our coaching clients on: small nutritional adjustments they feel comfortable making. It’s how some of them have been able to lose 50-100 pounds!

Your own Nerd Fitness Coach will find you a nutritional strategy that works for you. Learn more:

Let me explain again: what you eat will be 80%-90% of the equation to lose body fat.

The other 10-20%? Exercise.

Of course it’s exercise.

That’s a pretty good segue into…

HOW DO YOU GAIN MUSCLE?

If you want to build muscle, you’re gonna have to lift heavy things and eat in a way that your body has enough calories and protein to build that muscle.

This makes logical sense.  

In our Beginner’s Guide to Building Muscle and Strength, I summarize it as follows:

• Lift heavy things
• Eat a diet based on your goals
• Rest so your body can recover

Let’s chat about each one quickly.

1) Lift heavy things. I will always be on Team Strength Training. If you’re looking to build muscle, you’re gonna need to lift heavy things.

When you lift an object (or your own bodyweight) enough times, your muscles reach the point of failure. This causes your muscles to tear and breakdown.

When your muscle rebuilds itself following the workout, it’ll be bigger and stronger than before. Then you do it again.

And again.

And again.

As long as you are eating enough to rebuild your muscle, you’ll get stronger!

Not sure where to start on a Strength Training practice? No problem! You can download our free guide Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know when you join the Rebellion (our free community) below:

2) Eat a diet based on your goals. Because your muscle needs to be rebuilt after exercise, the calories are gonna need to come from somewhere. I’ll talk a lot about proper diet in the next section (with a Harry Potter analogy), so I won’t spend too much time on it here.

Just know that eating the right quantity of foods will be a big part of gaining muscle.  

3) Rest. Your body rebuilds itself while you sleep, so make sure you get plenty of rest each night. I’m talking 7-8+ hours. This will help ensure your body has the time it needs to grow stronger.

If you’re strength training and only getting 6 hours of sleep a night or less, you’re really doing yourself a disservice. Go to bed!

That’s the short gist of how to build strength: challenge your muscles, eat well, and get some rest.

Let’s narrow in on our second point, “Eat a diet based on your goals.” It’ll become very important when balancing both losing body fat and gaining muscle.

To do that properly, grab your owl, and let’s chat about Hogwarts.

How to Lose Fat WHILE Gaining Muscle (The Science)

To answer the question of losing body fat and gaining muscle at the same time, I’d like to introduce an analogy from the world of Harry Potter.

Recall the “Sorting Hat:” The Sorting Hat’s job was to determine which of the four houses kids will call their home.

It’s almost like a traffic director: “Harry, you will go to Gryffindor! Draco, you will go to Slytherin!”

Your body operates on a VERY similar operation: every day it receives new calories (when you eat), and it needs to decide what to do with them!

For example:

You eat a chicken parm sub with fries and a 20-ounce soda. Your body then has to know where to route all those calories.

To keep things simple, it has three choices. It’ll sort those calories into one of three houses:

A. Burn for Fuel.

B. Rebuild Muscle.

C. Store as Fat.

Right now, when you eat food, your body sorts most of those calories into “Burn for Fuel.”

There’s a number of calories your body needs each day just existing: to keep your liver functioning, your heart pumping, your brain operating, to regulate your body temperature, and so on – it burns a good chunk of calories just keeping the lights on.

This is your “total daily energy expenditure” which you can calculate for yourself in our TDEE calculator.

There’s also “B. Rebuild as Muscle” and “C. Store as Fat,” which I devoted entire sections to above.

This is where the problems arise: When you overeat calories and your body doesn’t need anymore to fuel itself, it takes those extra calories and stores them as fat.

However, our goal is the OPPOSITE of this.

We want to keep the muscle we have (or grow it) while getting rid of the fat!

So let’s imagine a scenario where we pull all this together by strength training heavy AND reducing our caloric intake:

1. You strength train regularly, and your muscles break down and need to be rebuilt.
2. You don’t consume enough calories to both rebuild muscle and fuel itself. There’s not enough to go into the “Burn for Fuel” and “Rebuild Muscle” houses.

Does your body just shut down?

NOPE!

Your body has been preparing for this, by storing any excess calories over the years in the “Store as Fat” house.

This means your body can pull from “Store as Fat” to make sure all the work still gets done, including your daily functions as a human and rebuilding the muscle you tore apart.

Said another way:

If you have fat stores (and we all do), you do not need to be in a “caloric surplus” to rebuild muscle. The calories stored in your fat cells act as this required energy.

There is also evidence that muscle can even be grown while in a caloric deficit.

Meaning bigger muscles with a lower belt size.^[4]

However, if you want to skip all the experimentation and trial and error, you can have a Nerd Fitness Coach do all the heavy lifting for you (not really, you’ll still need to work out).

Your Nerd Fitness Coach will build you a custom plan to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time. Learn more here!

TIPS TO LOSE BODY FAT WHILE GAINING MUSCLE

Let’s bring this all together and create some actionable steps to losing body fat and building muscle at the same time.

1) Sustain a caloric deficit while eating enough protein. You need your body to burn more calories than you consume, and also provide your body with enough protein to rebuild its muscle.

The only way to shed body fat is during a caloric deficit.

Remember the Sorting Hat analogy:

If you’re eating too much, your excess calories are being sent to the “Store as Fat” house.

We want to pull from this house instead. So eat less than you burn consistently. 

To help here, I have 3 resources for you:

1. Beginner’s Guide to Healthy Eating. If you want tips and tricks to create habits based on REAL food, that guide will help get you there.
2. “Determining the Perfect Diet for You.” I talk about the benefits of creating a Mental Model on nutrition like Intermittent Fasting, Paleo or Keto (or Paleolithic Ketogenic) to help navigate all the food choices you need to make.
3. Count calories: This means learning your total daily energy expenditure, and tracking your other calories through an app (or weighing your food).

You don’t have to follow some predetermined blueprint like “low-carb.” You can create your own diet (which is what I do). Learn all about it right here.

2) Strength train. If you could sell a pill that could be prescribed to every single person on Earth to make them healthier, it would look something like a strength training routine in a bottle.

It is one of the best things you can do for your body.^[5]   

And really, if you’re after building muscle, you’re gonna need to lift something! Either weights or your own bodyweight.

You need to challenge your muscles in order for them to get stronger. Now, as we discuss in our article on the correct number of reps and sets, there are multiple ways to do so.

To build muscle:

Lift lighter weights for lots of reps.

Lift really heavy with fewer reps.

The important thing: pick a strategy and get started.

Here are 3 paths forward:

1. Start with a beginner bodyweight workout.
2. Follow one of our 5 Beginner Strength Training Routines.
3. Go through our 6 Level Gym Workouts.

To recap: if you train heavy and eat a caloric deficit, your body will pull from its fat stores to both fuel itself and potentially also build muscle. This is a double whammy of AWESOME.

3) Prioritize protein. Outside of being in a caloric deficit and lifting weights (or yourself), eating enough protein is one of the key components of both losing body fat and building muscle.

Protein is the number one nutrient for creating new tissue.^[6]

So when you cut out calories to create a caloric deficit, don’t cut them from protein sources.

Studies have shown that participants can gain muscle, even while in a caloric deficit, as long as they eat enough protein.^[7]

It’s important enough that I’ll say it again:

If you don’t want your body cannibalizing its muscles while you are in a caloric deficit, you need to eat plenty of protein.^[8]

How much protein?

As we point out in our Guide to Protein, roughly 1 gram for every pound of your weight, with an upper limit of 250 grams.^[9] Or two grams for every kilogram if you are on the metric system. This means:

• If you weigh 300 pounds (136 kg), eat 250g of protein.
• If you weigh 250 pounds (113 kg), eat 250g of protein.
• If you weigh 200 pounds (91 kg), eat 200g of protein.
• If you weigh 180 pounds (82 kg), eat 180g of protein.

The gist: don’t skip out on protein. It should be on your plate for every meal (we’ll show you exactly how much in the next section).

If these generalized recommendations stress you out, and you want to know exactly what to do, we can help!

I’ll remind you of Nerd Fitness Coaching, where we help clients lose body fat, gain muscle, and level up their lives. We provide tailored and specific recommendations based on your body and lifestyle, plus accountability and mindset changes to help ensure your new habits stick.

WHAT SHOULD I EAT TO LOSE FAT AND GAIN MUSCLE?

Remember, your eating strategy needs to include two points to lose fat while gaining muscle:

1. Sustain a caloric deficit.
2. Prioritize protein so you can build muscle even while in a deficit.

You may be thinking, “That’s all well and good Steve, but what’s that actually look like?” 

It looks like this!

Taken from our Guide to Start Eating Healthy, which I really want you to read.

The plate is composed of the following: 

• 1-2 servings of protein (¼ of plate)
• 2 servings of vegetables (½ of plate)
• 1 serving potatoes, rice, or pasta. (1/4th of plate)
• 1 serving of fat (size of your thumb)
• 1 zero calorie or low calorie beverage (water, diet soda, tea)

By sticking to our Healthy Plate strategy above, you’ll focus on “REAL food,” which will help you maintain a caloric deficit over time.

Let’s hone in on protein for a moment, because it’s the critical piece for “building muscle.”

Protein can come from any number of sources, including:

• Meat (steak, bison, pork).
• Fowl (chicken, turkey, duck).
• Eggs!^[10]
• Fish and shellfish (salmon, tuna, shrimp).
• Legumes (black beans, chickpeas).

Not a meat-eater? Read our massive plant-based guide!

A serving of protein is about the size and thickness of your palm.

*The 4 oz serving is for an uncooked piece of meat. Cooking reduces about 25% of the weight, bringing it down to about 3 oz.

If you’re curious, here’s how much protein is in a serving of food:

• 4 oz (113 g) serving of chicken has around 30 g of protein.
• 4 oz (113 g) serving of salmon has 23 g of protein
• 4 oz (113 g) of steak has 28 g of protein. 

While all of the Healthy Plate above is important, I want you to pay extra attention to your protein intake since we are trying to build muscle. 

If you’re having trouble making your protein intake goals, check out our Guide on Protein Supplements for some tips and tricks to up your intake, including some awesome smoothie recipes.

This is the exact strategy I followed to lose 22 pounds and get to single-digit bodyfat percentage WHILE building muscle:

• Lift super heavy.
• Eat LOTS of protein.
• Reduce carb and fat intake.

If you are NOT losing weight, it means you are still eating too many calories. Keep your protein intake high, and reduce your fat and carbohydrate intake. 

I cover this in greater detail in our “why can’t I lose weight?” guide.

Eventually, you’ll reach a status where there just isn’t enough fat on you to help with “Rebuild Muscle.” At this stage, you can no longer stay with a caloric deficit. You’ll need to flip to a slight “caloric surplus” to build more muscle.

Which means you’ll have to eat more.

It’s debatable when this will actually occur, and we are all different. Reaching 8% body fat for men and 16% body fat for women is a good place to start.

I talk about this extensively in our guide “How to Build Muscle.”

It covers ways to increase your calories for muscle gain, from eating plentiful amounts of Paleo foods to drinking enough milk to make Santa Clause jealous.

I encourage you to read it if you are plateauing in size.

I want to stress that if you are lifting heavy, and not gaining muscle, diet is likely the culprit.

It was my problem for years, and I’ve seen it amongst countless readers of Nerd Fitness who have trouble gaining muscle.

If you want an expert who will tell you exactly when to eat more or less, check out our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program. 

Let your Nerd Fitness Coach calculate exactly how much to eat to reach your goals. Learn more!

HOW TO TELL IF IT’S ALL WORKING (Continuing to Lose Fat While Gaining Muscle)

If you’re trying to improve something, it’s important to track it. This also holds true of body composition.

Most people do this by jumping on the scale. This can be “Ok,” but it’s only going to tell part of the story.

As I explained muscle weighs more than fat, so if you are losing body fat and gaining muscle at the same time, you might actually weigh the same. Or even more!

Despite weighing more, you could potentially have a better physique.

That’s why in addition to jumping on the scale, I would also encourage you to take progress photos.

Take front and side photos in your mirror, wearing underwear or a bathing suit. Each week, take new photos, and record the number on the scale under the same scenario. Two forms of tracking here allow us to get the full picture.

The scale sometimes lies!

If you eat for a caloric deficit, strength train, and prioritize protein, see what happens.

You may find yourself losing some fat and gaining muscle.

If not, track each category:

• Are you really in a caloric deficit? Track your calories to find out.
• Are you lifting enough? Track your compliance with never missing a workout and whether or not your progressing in increased weight or repetitions.
• Are you prioritizing protein in your meals? Track your macronutrient breakdown each time you eat.

Data can help tell the story.

…I was thinking of detailed notes.

But an android would be helpful too.

Oftentimes if you’re not seeing desired results, notes and record-keeping can help point us in the direction to make adjustments.

Test your assumptions if things don’t appear to be on track. Here’s our Guide on Tracking Fitness Progress for you to learn more.

The tips outlined above will get you started losing fat while building muscle, but if you’re looking to go a bit further…

#1) If you want step-by-step guidance on how to lose weight, eat better, and get stronger, check out our killer 1-on-1 coaching program:

Have a Nerd Fitness Coach design you a plan to build muscle and lose fat!

#2) If you want an exact blueprint for getting in shape, check out NF Journey. Our fun habit-building app helps you exercise more frequently, eat healthier, and level up your life (literally).

Try your free trial right here:

#3) Enlist in the Rebellion! We have a free email newsletter that we send out twice per week, full of tips and tricks to help you get healthy, get strong, and have fun doing so. 

I’ll also send you tons of free guides that you can use to start leveling up your life too:

Alright, I think that about does it for this guide.

Did I miss anything? Do you have any tips and tricks when it comes to shedding body fat and building muscle?

Share it with us!

-Steve,

PS: Make sure you read the rest of the articles in our “How to Lose Weight 101” Series!

• The Beginner’s Guide to Healthy Eating
• Why Can’t I Lose Weight?
• How Many Calories Should I Eat? (Our TDEE Calorie Calculator)
• What’s the Perfect Diet for Me?

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All photo sources are right here: Venting Off, Ekaterina Minaeva © 123RF.com, czgur © 123RF.com, morethanl8ve © 123RF.com, Константин Колосов © 123RF.com, Maxim Maksutov © 123RF.com, Julianna Funk © 123RF.com, jump

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“HOW COW! He doesn’t even look like the SAME PERSON! ”

Meet Aksel, an economics student from Norway who is on a mission to turn into Wolverine.

I think you’ll agree with me in saying he’s more or less succeeded!

Aksel joined NF Coaching a year ago with the goal of losing some weight and building a lot of muscle.

So our very own Coach Taylor helped him do it.

However, pictures don’t tell the whole story.

Before joining Nerd Fitness, Aksel had hit a “rough patch” and knew something had to change in his life.

Here’s how Aksel’s journey went down.

The 4 Keys to Aksel’s Transformation

Aksel used to be an avid swimmer when he was a teenager, even competing in the national swimming championships in Norway.

Then, life happened.

Somewhere along the way, Aksel stopped swimming. Then he more or less stopped exercising. Soon alcohol and pizza began to provide him with most of his “nutrients.”

From all of this, Aksel became depressed.

This continued until one sad day, Aksel’s uncle passed away from cancer. This acted as a “reality check.” Aksel realized his lifestyle wasn’t making him a healthy person.

So he decided something had to change.

After going down a Google rabbit hole, Aksel found Nerd Fitness. He quickly decided that a coach might be exactly what he needed.

So he dived into the Rebellion.

Here are the 4 BIG changes that helped Aksel make progress:

#1) ALL CALORIES COUNT.

From Aksel, “I began getting in shape by tracking everything I ate.

I never knew how many calories were in the food I bought. Why are there so many calories in beer!?!

It was really eye-opening to analyze all the food and drinks in my life. Even ‘healthy’ food is often packed with calories.”

Once Aksel got his head around all this, he made a plan with his Coach.

Aksel still wanted to eat a diverse diet, plus he wanted to be able to have the occasional drink with his friends. However, he started to consider the amount that would help him reach his goals.

Takeaway: you don’t have to count calories, but all calories count. For the right clients, we’ll create a mission to have them track their food intake for a week. This helps to give a full picture of how they’re eating.

Many clients start to naturally behave differently after going through this exercise.

#2) STRENGTH TRAINING CHANGES EVERYTHING.

When Aksel first attempted to get in shape, he decided to start running.

But Aksel’s knees hurt from jogging. So he stopped.

When he joined NF Coaching, he mentioned to us that he wanted to build some muscle. So his coach had him start strength training immediately…since that’s how you build muscle.

It didn’t take long for Aksel to fall in love.

He started seeing results right away, losing body fat that he’d never been able to shed before.

The energy and confidence he gained from strength training propelled him to keep going.

Takeaway: strength training is one of the best things you can do for your body.

As we say around here, a strong nerd is a healthy nerd. No matter what your goals are, being strong will help them.

#3) DON’T UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF A GOOD NIGHT’S REST.

If you’re going to strength train, you need to recover.

That means you need to prioritize a good night’s sleep.

“I used to be a zombie before. But developing an actual sleep schedule has probably made the biggest difference in my life. Sleep helps my training. And my training helps me sleep.

I’m not sure I could do one without the other.”

Takeaway: don’t overlook your sleep habits. Proper shuteye really does make everything easier.

#4) HAVING A GUIDE WHO KNOWS THE WAY IS A GAME CHANGER.

As Aksel puts it, “Yes, you can just google most things.

But a coach adapts to you and your goals. It becomes SO MUCH easier when you have someone helping you out.

I was clueless when I started, and although I’m more knowledgeable now, I continue with my coach because I just want to be told what to do. This allows me to focus my brain power on my studies.”

Takeaway: you don’t have to figure this out alone. Yep, lots of people are able to search the interwebz for info and make a plan from that.

However, if you don’t want to go through all that trial and error, a coach can be a great way to progress at a quicker pace.

Through Hard Work, Amazing Things Are Possible

I’m gonna be real with you: what Aksel and his coach achieved is truly incredible.

If I didn’t know Aksel’s coach – and hadn’t seen the progress pictures – I might be a tad skeptical myself.

But once you start to understand all the hard work Aksel put in, you begin to see what happened:

• Aksel’s coach made a plan.
• Then Aksel went and executed it to a T.

In other words, Aksel put in the work and the results followed.

Here’s the most important thing about Aksel’s journey: he started.

After spending a little bit of time on the internet, Aksel found a program that seemed doable and jumped in.

Yes, he’s been working very hard the last year. But all that hard work resulted from one decision: hiring a coach.

Around the Rebellion, we call this “20 Seconds of Courage.”

One moment – that often only takes seconds to do – that will help you gain momentum to move forward.

For some, it’s opening up a recipe book and turning on the stove.

For others, it’s walking through the front door of a gym.

For Aksel, it was hiring an expert and following their plan.

While it might only take 20 seconds, the first step is often the most important one.

You just have to take it when the moment arrives…like Samwise Gamgee.

If you want someone to help you start your journey to leave the “Shire,” we’re here to help.

We have a team of wizards who do this stuff all day, every day:

• We have kick-ass Coaches that create custom programs for our clients. For Rebels willing to put in the effort (like Aksel), we get amazing results (also like Aksel).
• We offer worldwide accountability and support. If you start traveling again in 2021, your NF Coach will come with you. They’ll assess your new surroundings and build you a custom plan for your new environment.
• We check-in and adapt. Your coach won’t just establish a program and walk away. They’ll actually talk to you and make sure it’s working. If it’s not, no problem. We’ll record that information like a scientist and work with you to create a new path forward.

Sound good?

IF you are ready to jump into battle with your own Gandalf in your pocket (through the NF Coaching App, not literally)…

Let’s make a plan for you to be the next Nerd Fitness success story:

Learn more about Nerd Fitness Coaching!

For the Rebellion!

-Steve

PS: Seriously, Aksel is awesome. Holy moly.

PPS: Shoutout to Coach Taylor for showing Aksel the way!

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Let’s learn how to jump rope!

Even if you’re stuck at home, a jump rope can provide a great cardio workout.

You just gotta know what you’re doing so you don’t keep hitting yourself in the shins.

Have no fear, even if you’ve never touched a jump rope before, we’ll get you started. 

We specialize in helping people train from home, with little to no equipment whatsoever. Today, we’ll share with you a beginner jump rope workout routine that you can do anywhere. 

If you’re in a hurry, sign-up for our free weekly newsletter and we’ll send you PDFs of our “Work Out at Home” guides!

Download our Free Home Workout Guides!

Here’s what we’ll cover:

• How do I jump rope? (Video for Newbies)
• The Nerd Fitness Jump Rope Workout (with Video Tutorial)
• The 13 best jump rope exercises
• How do I choose a jump rope? (Length and Type)
• Jumping “rope” without a rope (Jump Rope Alternatives)
• Where should I jump rope?
• Will a jump rope help me lose weight?
• How do I build a jump rope workout (next steps)

Cue the Rocky theme song… 

…and let’s do this!

How Do I Jump Rope? (Video for Noobs)

Coach Matt, from our Online Coaching program, guides you through learning how to jump rope in the video above.

Matt breaks down jumping rope into three parts: 

1. The Jump
2. The Arm Swing
3. Timing

First up…

#1) The Jump

First, let’s just practice jumping.

Stand tall, feet about hip-width apart. 

Then, practice jumping up and down in one spot.

Most of your power will come from your ankle and toes. It’s really more of a “hop” than jump. 

If you have trouble with this, Coach Matt recommends drawing some type of “X” or mark on the ground so you stay in one place. 

Another tip from Coach Matt: keep a little tension throughout your body. If you’re too loose, you might flail around a bit and get off your mark. 

#2) The Arm Swing

Your arms will remain mostly stable when powering the rope. We want to keep the movement narrow, mostly coming from your wrists.

The name of the game with jumping rope is “in control.” Swinging from the wrists will help you maintain control of the rope. 

Resist trying to rotate with a lot of elbow movement (try to keep them stable instead). 

For the position of your arms, you want your hands out roughly at the height of your hips. Your arms will go downward at about a 45-degree angle. 

To start, you might even just try getting the rhythm down with one hand:

Don’t even worry about jumping at first. 

Once you’re comfortable swinging from both hands, it’s time to think about putting it all together.

#3) Timing

When you first get going, go slow with the arms, and do two hops per one rope revolution. 

It looks like this:

When starting with this position, you might find your elbows flailing out a bit since they’re moving slow. So you’ll have less wrist control.

That’s okay. 

Once you get comfortable with the rhythm, try one hope per rope revolution to tighten it all up. You may find it easier to keep your arms and elbows stable moving faster. 

Here’s a great point from Coach Matt: as a beginner, the rope itself will be your coach.

If you hit your shins or toes with the rope, something went wrong. Maybe you hopped too high or your elbows went a little off.

No problem. Just accept that the rope is providing you with immediate feedback, and try again.

Getting the rhythm and timing down with a jump rope can be tricky, so hang in there and be patient.

Once you get the feel of it, it’s time to do some workouts. 

The Nerd Fitness Jump Rope Workout (With Video Tutorial)

Coach Matt walks you through 5 different levels of difficulty for your jump rope workout. 

If you’re familiar with High-Intensity Interval Training, you’ll notice it’s the strategy for our beginner jump rope workouts.

Let’s go over each level now.

Jump Rope Workout Level 1:

• Single Unders: 30 Seconds
• Rest: 30 Seconds
• Single Unders: 30 Seconds
• Rest: 30 Seconds
• Single Unders: 30 Seconds
• Rest: 30 Seconds
• Single Unders: 30 Seconds
• Rest: 30 Seconds
• Single Unders: 30 Seconds
• Rest: 30 Seconds

Total time: 5 minutes

If this is too much, feel free to increase your rest period. Meaning you can rest for 45 seconds, no problem. 

For the next level, we’ll do the same moves, but we’ll increase your single under duration

Jump Rope Workout Level 2:

• Single Unders: 45 Seconds
• Rest: 15 Seconds
• Single Unders: 45 Seconds
• Rest: 15 Seconds
• Single Unders: 45 Seconds
• Rest: 15 Seconds
• Single Unders: 45 Seconds
• Rest: 15 Seconds
• Single Unders: 45 Seconds
• Rest: 15 Seconds

Total time: 5 minutes

On Level 3, it’s time to mix in double unders.

During our jump interval, you can do every other, so one single under followed by one single double under (1 jump, 2 rotations of the rope). 

If this is too tricky, do a double under for every four normal jumps.

Just try to keep it consistent, as this will help your rhythm. 

The mission with Level 3 is to get comfortable performing double unders.

Jump Rope Workout Level 3:

• Single/Double Under Mix: 30 Seconds
• Rest: 30 Seconds
• Single/Double Under Mix: 30 Seconds
• Rest: 30 Seconds
• Single/Double Under Mix: 30 Seconds
• Rest: 30 Seconds
• Single/Double Under Mix: 30 Seconds
• Rest: 30 Seconds
• Single/Double Under Mix: 30 Seconds
• Rest: 30 Seconds

Total time: 5 minutes

Now that you’re at Level 4, it’s all double unders, all the time. 

We’re going to focus on building power, so we’ll do intervals for 15 seconds, then rest for 45.

Jump Rope Workout Level 4:

• Double Unders: 15 Seconds
• Rest: 45 Seconds
• Double Unders: 15 Seconds
• Rest: 45 Seconds
• Double Unders: 15 Seconds
• Rest: 45 Seconds
• Double Unders: 15 Seconds
• Rest: 45 Seconds
• Double Unders: 15 Seconds
• Rest: 45 Seconds

Total time: 5 minutes

With our last workout today, we’re bumping up the duration of double unders to 30 seconds, then resting for the same time. 

This might be challenging. 

Jump Rope Workout Level 5:

• Double Unders: 30 Seconds
• Rest: 30 Seconds
• Double Unders: 30 Seconds
• Rest: 30 Seconds
• Double Unders: 30 Seconds
• Rest: 30 Seconds
• Double Unders: 30 Seconds
• Rest: 30 Seconds
• Double Unders: 30 Seconds
• Rest: 30 Seconds

Total time: 5 minutes

If single and double jumps get boring, have no fear.

We’ll cover additional exercises you can do to level up your jump rope game now. 

Feel free to mix and match any of the moves below into your workout.

After a while, your rest period might be normal hops, while your interval period can be one of these sweet moves. 

The 13 Best Jump Rope Exercises

Now that you have the basics down on how to jump rope, let’s cover some moves so you can expand your workouts.

#1) The Single Under

This is the most basic jump rope exercise. One hop per rope revolution, both feet together.  

Get this down before you move on from here.

#2) Double Single Foot Jumps

Once you get the single under down, try hopping on one foot.

To really test your balance, jump twice from the same foot. 

An example beat would go left foot, left foot, right foot, right foot, with one rope revolution between. 

#3) Kick Out Jumps

Here, you’ll alternate taking one foot forward every jump. 

So while your left is down, your right foot will be kicking out.

You’ll hop and switch feet between rope revolutions. This is trickier than it looks. 

#4) Jump Rope Jacks

Your feet will act as they would in a normal jumping jack, jumping wide apart every other hop.

Your arms will stay as they would during a normal single under, so it’s more of a “half jack.”

#5) Twist Jumps

This jump rope exercise is all about rotating your torso.

Your feet will jump together, but will be rotating about 180 degrees from left to right, twisting from your hip.

Your shoulders will stay firm, which will keep the rope in place. 

#6) Skiers

The feet will land together for your skiers, but one leg will be in front and the other will be behind. 

You’ll alternate leg positions between jumps, in a scissor like motion. 

#7) High Knees

Alternate jumping from one leg to the other with your hops. The trick here is to bring your knees up high as you do so.

#8) Butt Kicks

These are much like your high knees, but in reverse, as you’re trying to bring your foot back to the point where it meets your glute (butt).

A good counter exercise for your high knees.

#9) Squat Jumps

If you want to really challenge your lower body, hold a squat position while doing your hops.

Your entire lower body will be engaged for this exercise.

#10) Squat Jacks

Just like the name would suggest, here we are combining our squat jumps with jumping jacks.

To do it, perform jump rope jacks, but land in a squat position when your legs are kicked out wide. 

This will get challenging quickly.

#11) Criss Cross Jacks

These are like jumping jacks, but instead of bringing your feet together, you cross one foot in front of the other. 

Your feet will go wide, then left in front of right, then wide, then right in front of left, then wide.

After some practice you’ll get the coordination down. 

#12) Jump Rope Figure 8

We’re gonna have fun with this one.

This exercise has you doing four normal hops, followed by four twist jumps.

Here’s the fun part: when you rotate, bring your arms together and have the rope do a revolution on the side you’re twisting away from. Alternate to the other side, combining your twist, hop, and whip.

Don’t feel bad if this takes some practice. This is starting to get into the “jump rope tricks” territory. 

#13) The Double Under

This is one of the more advanced jump rope moves, as you need to swing the rope under you twice per hop.

Coach Jim walks you through performing Double Unders in this video:

If you get the double under down consistently, you’re no longer a jump rope noob.

Want a workout that will have you doing some of these jump rope moves? If so, check out our new app!

NF Journey will match a workout for you based on your experience level, and will also show you exactly how to use your jump rope.

No guesswork needed, just grab your rope and follow along with the app. 

You can sign-up for a free trial right here:

How Do I Choose a Jump Rope? (Type and Length)

There are a couple of things to consider when choosing a jump rope: type and length.

Let’s discuss both.

There are generally three types of jump ropes you’ll run into.

#1) Speed Ropes

This is the most common type of jump rope you’ll come across. It’s also what Coach Matt uses in his videos above. 

Speed ropes are lightweight, which will help when doing certain moves like the double under.

Coach Matt’s speed rope has a plastic covering, but occasionally you’ll find these with just the wire. This makes them even lighter. The danger here is that if you hit yourself…it’s with a bare wire…

Ouch.

WOD Nation has a decent coated speed jump rope that isn’t sold out (unlike a lot of other gym equipment).

#2) Beaded Ropes

This rope is probably what you used as a kid on the playground.

Beaded jump ropes don’t tangle as easily as speed ropes and weigh a bit more. 

They are also clunkier and will make double unders tougher, but the little bit of extra weight might make them easier for a beginner to handle.

Rogue Fitness has some pretty cool ones to check out. 

#3) Weighted Ropes

For more advanced jumpers, we have weighted ropes.

These can range from a one-pound rope to a six-pound rope.

Why the additional weight?

With extra weight added, your upper body gets a more intense workout.

If you’re a beginner, it’s probably best to skip these for now (hehe), but something to consider as you level up your jump rope skills.

For those interested, this is a decent weighted jump rope that’s still available to buy.

The next question we want to answer: how long should my jump rope be?

The good news here: most jump ropes you purchase will be adjustable. 

When properly adjusted, step on your jump rope with one foot, and both handles should reach right around your armpit:

If it’s a little higher or lower than that, you may be okay, but you’ll likely need good jump rope technique to skip correctly.

How to Jump Rope (Without a Rope)

In the video above, Coach Jim walks you through 3 alternatives to jumping rope.

Just in case you want to get your heart rate up and you don’t have a rope around, or if you’re just getting started and haven’t quite got your rhythm dialed in.

Here are three alternatives for jumping rope:

Jump Rope Alternative #1: Marching in Place

This is as easy as it sounds, simply march in place. The higher you bring your knees, the more challenging this will become.

Jump Rope Alternative #2: Mountain Climbers

To do a mountain climber:

• Place your hands and knees on the floor.
• Place your right foot near your right hand, but extend your left leg behind you.
• In one motion, switch your legs, keeping your arms in the same position.
• Continue to switch your legs, attempting to keep your arms and back in a staple position.

Jump Rope Alternative #3: Hop in Place

And last but not least, you can simply hop in place for a jump rope alternative.

Where Should I Jump Rope?

The cool thing about a jump rope is that you can pretty much use it anywhere, as long as you have room to maneuver.

That doesn’t really mean you SHOULD jump wherever, as not all surfaces are created equal for jumping.

In the videos and gifs above, you’ll notice that both Nerd Fitness Coaches use mats for their jump rope practice.

This is a good idea. 

Jumping on a mat will put less stress on your joints, lowering your chance of injury. 

If you do jump on a harder surface like concrete or asphalt, it’s okay, just focus on less intense moves like single unders. You might want to save the fancy moves and double unders for when you have a more forgiving surface under you.  

The other thing to consider is your footwear. 

Something with good shock absorption will help as your feet make contact with the ground. 

You don’t necessarily need a running shoe, since you’ll be coming up and down from your toes. But you probably don’t want to jump barefoot either, because that rope hitting unprotected toes won’t be fun.

Here’s our guide on healthy feet that includes some general shoe recommendations. 

Will Jumping Rope Help Me Lose Weight?

If you’re trying to lose weight, a jump rope and one of the workouts above could be a great part of the plan.

The other part of the plan should be your nutrition!

As we lay out in our Coaching Program, throughout Nerd Fitness Prime, and our massive guide on “Healthy Eating,” we believe that nutrition is 80-90% of the equation for weight loss.

No joke.

It’s by far the biggest factor for success.

So will you lose weight jumping rope?

Definitely maybe!

If you fix your diet AND begin to incorporate a jump rope workout a few times per week, you’ll find yourself building muscle, losing fat, and getting stronger!

That’s because a jump rope will you train your:

• Calves
• Rear Deltoids
• Abdominals
• Quads
• Hamstrings

As long as you do it correctly:

My point is jumping rope needs to be part of a larger picture for weight loss. 

So how do you fix your diet?

Great question.

Whether you choose to follow a Keto Diet, Paleo Diet, Mediterranean Diet, or something like Intermittent Fasting, the best path will be up to your goals, your situation, and your habits.

Here are some basic tips though (as we cover in The 5 Rules of Weight Loss):

1. If your goal is weight loss, you have to eat less than you burn each day. This can be through eating less and burning more (from the resistance band workout above)
2. Processed foods and junk food make it really tough to lose weight: They have lots of calories and carbs, low nutritional value, don’t fill you up, and cause you to overeat.
3. Vegetables are your friends. If you don’t like veggies, here’s how to make vegetables taste good.
4. Liquid calories are sabotaging your efforts. Soda, juice, sports drinks: they’re all pretty much high-calorie sugar water with minimal nutritional value. Get your caffeine from black coffee or tea, fizzy-drink fix from sparkling water.
5. Eat more protein! Protein helps rebuild muscle and can help you stay under your calorie limit because it’s satiating and filling. Here’s exactly how much protein you should be eating every day.

Those tips should get you started, but if you want more specific instruction and guidance, check out the NF Coaching Program – Your Coach will build a routine tailored to your individual needs and what equipment you have available:

A Nerd Fitness Coach can guide your weight loss journey! Learn more here.

How to Build a Jump Rope Workout (Next Steps)

The only question left to answer with this guide is “When should you do your jump rope workouts?”

You have a bunch of different options for that, with a few considerations.

#1) Jumping rope for warm-ups

All Nerd Fitness Workouts have a note to warm-up before you start.

It can be five minutes of simple exercises like arm circles:

Or jumping jacks.

Do you know what else it can be? Five minutes of jump rope! 

A short round of jump rope is a perfect warm-up for any workout you pick.

Is your gym closed? No problem, check out our guide The 8 Best at Home Workouts.

#2) Jump rope for active recovery

Active recovery is any gentle movement designed to help your muscles heal after training. 

If you hop with low intensity, a jump rope workout can fit this bill perfectly.

In between your strength training workouts, you can mix in some jump rope, stretching, or even a little yoga for active recovery. 

If you don’t want to jump with low intensity, you have another path.

#3) Jump rope as a full-body workout

With enough intensity, a jump rope can provide a great full-body workout.

You can up the intensity by working up to double unders or other advanced jump rope exercises. 

Or you can look into a weighted rope once you get the swing of things.

The other thing to consider would be circuit training, where you mix in jumping rope with some bodyweight exercises. 

Maybe you alternate burpees with your jump rope intervals. 

Lots of HIIT workouts include jump rope sessions, so you have tons of ways to bring your jump rope into your training.

Once you get your technique nailed down, the world will become your jump rope playground:

If you need any help pulling this all together, Nerd Fitness is here for you.

We have three great options for continuing your journey with us. 

Option #1) If you want a professional coach in your pocket, who can do video form checks, provide feedback, and adjust your workouts based on the equipment you have available, check out our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program! 

For example, let’s say you find yourself stuck indoors during a pandemic, and you want somebody to custom-build you a workout program based on the furniture and equipment you have (like a jump rope). That’s where an online coach is a game-changer! 

Personally, I’ve been working with the same online coach since 2015 and it’s changed my life. You can learn more by clicking on the box below: 

Our coaching program changes lives. Learn how!

#2) If you need a trigger to “get up and jump” check out NF Journey. Our fun habit-building app helps you exercise more frequently, eat healthier, and level up your life (literally). Plus, we’ll send you on an adventure that teaches you how to jump rope!

Try your free trial right here:

Option #3) Become part of the Rebellion! We need good people like you in our community, the Nerd Fitness Rebellion.

Sign up in the box below to enlist and get our Rebel Starter Kit, which includes all of our “work out from home” guides.

Alright, I want to hear from you and your experience with jumping rope! 

Do you train with jump ropes?

Any exercises or tricks we’re missing?

Are you one of those people who hasn’t touched a jump rope since grade school?

Let me know in the comments!

-Steve

P.S. If you’re looking for ways to do interval training without a gym, check out The 20-Min HIIT Workout for Home. 

###

Photo Source: Speed Jump Rope, Beaded Jump Rope, Weighted Jump Rope, 166/366, Boxing a gentleman’s sport, Jump Rope, Laughing Buddha, David Pereiras Villagrá © 123RF.com, 167/366

The post Blog first appeared on Nerd Fitness.

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So you want to get in shape and start getting fit, but you’re not sure what the perfect workout is?

Not only that, but you want a workout program that you’ll ACTUALLY do?

Great. This is what we do, and we’re pretty dang good at it.

We create personalized workout programs for our Online Coaching Clients, and this guide walks you through the exact 9 steps we follow to create each program:

What’s the perfect workout program for your goals? Let us build it for you!

 

This may seem like a lot, but ALL of the steps are important!

In our step-by-step guide to picking the best workout plan and getting fit, we’ll cover:

• Step #1: What Are Your Workout Goals?
• Step #2: What Workout Is Best for Weight Loss?
• Step #3: Finding a Workout Routine You Enjoy.
• Step #4: What Is the Best Workout Routine? (An Introduction to Strength Training).
• Step #5: Creating a Strength Training Workout Plan.
• Step #6: Focus Your Workout Plan on Specific Goals.
• Step #7: Have Healthy Expectations for Your Workout Plan.
• Step #8: How Do I Pick a Sustainable Workout Routine? (Exercise with Others)
• Step #9: Tracking the Results of Your Workout Plan.

Let’s jump right into #1!

Step #1: What Are Your Workout Goals?

You’re reading this guide, which means you likely have SOME goals around getting fit.

Those goals will likely fall into one of three categories:

1. Feel great and look good naked – You want to lose weight (and/or build muscle) and feel comfortable in your own skin.
2. Get Healthy – Your doctor told you that you need to change your ways or you’ll die an early death. Yikes.
3. Be Happy – You are on the hunt for an exercise program that you don’t hate.

I like to refer to these three goals as the Triforce of Awesome.

Because I’m a dork, and because you’ll remember it.

Happy, healthy, look good naked.

(There’s nothing wrong with wanting to look good naked, by the way. It’s why I started training all those years ago!)

MY goal for you is to have you satisfy all three conditions to become healthy, happy, and look damn good.

It starts by identifying why you’re here in the first place.

Because let’s be honest:

This journey is gonna be tough.

You don’t just want to “lose weight” and “get fit.”

You want to “lose weight” and “get fit” so that you can “start dating again after a messy breakup.”

Or because “your dad passed away from health issues at a young age and you want to be around for many more decades to raise your children.”

The more specific and DEEP you can get with your reasoning, the more likely you’ll be to push through when you’re struggling to stay consistent!

I also want you to be realistic about how much time you think you can dedicate to this journey:

• 3 days a week for 30 minutes?
• 5 days for 15 minutes each day?
• Only on weekends?

That’s cool – just be up-front with yourself.

Here’s how to put it all together:

PART A – IDENTIFY A GOAL THAT YOU’RE FOCUSED ON:

1. “I want to lose 50 pounds.”
2. “I want to build 30 pounds of muscle.”
3. “I want to fit into my favorite dresses I haven’t been able to wear for years.”

PART B – WRITE DOWN WHAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN YOU ACCOMPLISH THESE GOALS:

1. What is your “Big Why?” “I’ll lose this weight and I can start dating again!”
2. What would getting in shape mean to you? “A better life not full of pain.”
3. Who are you doing this for? Your family? Yourself? Your wife?

PART C – BE REALISTIC WITH HOW OFTEN YOU CAN TRAIN:

1. “I’m a broke college kid with lots of time. I can train 4 days per week no problem for an hour.” Great!
2. “I’m a single mom working two jobs, so I can train once per week at a gym and the rest will have to happen at home.” Amazing!
3. “I’m a Robot with unlimited energy and I have been sent to conquer earth.” Ruh-roh. Email me.

Be specific with your answers above.

STEP #1 TAKEAWAY: Pick your goals, pick your “Big Why”

We’re going to pick goals that work for us, and then build on top of that foundation.

Have you written down your goals yet?:

• “My goal is to lose/gain X amount of weight by X date.”
• “My Big Why is I want to start dating again/my wife to look at me like she used to/be an inspiration to my family.”
• “My plan is to train once per week and then find time elsewhere.”

We make EVERY coaching client in our online coaching program pick their Big Why too.

It’s what keeps us on target when life gets too busy and we want to quit!

Now that we have a foundation, we can start to build on top of that. Like Fornite. #UnnecessaryButTopicalNerdReference

Step #2: What Workout Is Best for Weight Loss?

You can lose all the weight you need to lose without doing a single minute of “exercise.”

I shit you not.

(What a funny expression by the way, it makes me happy every time I use it.)

If your ONLY goal is weight loss in any way, then exercise is not necessary.

No treadmills. No gym memberships. No bootcamps.

No feeling bad about yourself training in public.

No hating exercise.

“Steve, you sorcerer, what madness is this?” You exclaim!

When it comes to weight loss, how you eat will be responsible for 90+% of your success or failure.

If you are only trying to lose weight, ALL of your effort can go into fixing your nutrition.

As we say here in the Nerd Fitness Rebellion, “You can’t outrun your fork.”

Yes, this means if you can’t lose weight, you are eating too many calories compared to how many calories you burn every day. I can almost guarantee it’s not your metabolism or genetics.

It’s because you eat too much food.

I’ve covered nutrition and weight loss EXTENSIVELY here on Nerd Fitness, so read these to help determine the best eating strategies for you:

• The beginner’s guide to healthy eating
• How to determine the perfect diet for you
• The beginner’s guide to Intermittent Fasting

As we have laid out in our Start Eating Healthy Guide, if you are trying to lose weight it comes down to making slightly better choices, slightly more frequently:

Story time! Nerd Fitness Rebel Tim was told he couldn’t exercise due to an injury. He joined our NF Academy (now a part of Nerd Fitness Prime), and focused on the 3 things he could control:

• He fixed his nutrition.
• He adjusted his mindset.
• He built the habit of short walks.

6 months and 50+ pounds of weight loss later, Tim is a changed man! You can read his whole story by clicking on the image below:

So yes, exercise burns calories and will help you get fit. 

(If you’re curious: strength training is the calorie-burning victor when it comes to efficient weight loss.) 

Exercise of any kind will also make your heart stronger and you will FEEL better.

But maybe most importantly, exercise reminds us that we’re trying to be healthier.

Which means exercise can also remind us to make better food choices.

Just instead of doing this: “Well I exercised today so I can eat 5000 calories!”

Instead, do this: “Well I exercised today, so I’m going to stick with my eating strategy so I don’t backslide!”

STEP #2 TAKEAWAY: Pick a food strategy you can stick with!

Pick a strategy that speaks your language, and that results in you consuming fewer calories.

Nutrition is the most important thing, so your time is best spent understanding this stuff!

If you are trying to lose more weight or build more muscle FASTER, your nutrition needs to be even MORE dialed in.

Here’s how to start eating healthy:

1. Learn how many calories you actually need on a daily basis.
2. Start tracking how many calories you eat, education for the win!
3. Eat fewer calories than you burn each day.
4. Cut back on liquid calories, especially sugary beverages.
5. Eat mostly real food: meat, veggies, fruit, nuts.
6. Track your progress and see how your body changes.

If you are a noob on nutrition, check out our free 10-level Nutritional System that simplifies the entire process! It’s free when you sign up in the box below:

Step #3: Finding a Workout Routine You Enjoy

If your goal is to look good enough and feel good about yourself, there’s only ONE solution when it comes to the perfect workout program:

Any exercise you actually enjoy and will do regularly.

Full stop.

Exercise is only a 10% piece of the “how to get in shape” formula, which means if your goal is “look pretty good, feel pretty good,” ANY exercise is a bonus.

And that means you might as well ENJOY what you are spending your time on!

Here are some suggestions for fun exercise you can do:

Running, cycling, powerlifting, yoga, parkour, gymnastics, weight training, LARPing, capoeira, jazzercise, swing dancing, Beat Saber, walking, hiking, geocache, Pokémon GO, hashing, ballet, CrossFit, bootcamps, martial arts, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Ninja Warrior, Dance Dance Revolution, aerial silks, acro yoga, and anything else you can think of.

This is me giving you permission to attend Jazzercise classes regularly, if you enjoy them.

Seriously.

This is me also giving you permission to never run on a treadmill ever again, unless you actually enjoy running on a treadmill.

Don’t suffer through a particular type of exercise if you hate it.

There are plenty of ways to get your heart racing and your body moving.

Think of it this way: You’re always a work in progress.

You never get to “be done.”

So suffering unnecessarily to reach a goal just so you can lose some weight, and then stopping won’t work.

Here’s another phrase to internalize:

“Temporary changes create temporary results.”

Stop trying to get to the finish line as quickly as possible – that’s why you failed in the past.

Instead…

STEP #3 TAKEAWAY: Do an activity that you enjoy. Do it frequently.

Write down a list of “exercise” activities you love. Write down a list of “exercise” you hate. And then do things on the first list frequently, and don’t ever do things on the second list!

You don’t need to suffer.

Nutrition is 90% of the battle, so if you want to lose weight, get healthier, and be happier, pick a form of exercise that you actually enjoy.

Don’t worry about how many calories it burns.

Instead, keep the focus on your nutrition and THEN do fun exercise.

To answer your next questions:

“But Steve I don’t like exercise.” You haven’t tried enough things! I too hate “exercise,” so I ONLY do things I enjoy. Here are 40 fun exercises to try.

“I have always wanted to try (activity) but I’m afraid to try it.” Use 20 Seconds of Courage – it works. I promise 🙂

“Steve I have very specific physique goals and I’m willing to suffer a bit to hit those goals.” Sounds good. You’re going to want to focus on calorie restriction, strength training, and moving more. Keep reading.

Step #4: What Is the Best Workout Routine? (An Introduction to Strength Training)

Okay, now we’re getting down to the good stuff: 

Yup, eating better can help you lose weight.

Yup, any exercise is better than no exercise.

HOWEVER, if you want to keep yourself injury-free, build a physique you’re proud of (aka that “fit toned” look that everybody is after), AND get better at whatever fun activities you picked in Step #3,…

There’s a component that needs to be incorporated into your life:

Strength training. 

There are so many benefits to strength training, it’s ridiculous.

100% of people, no matter their age, gender, or size should be doing SOME kind of strength training in some capacity.

And please don’t worry – you will NOT get too bulky – unless that’s what you want.

Here are 4 reasons why strength training makes every part of life better and will help you get in shape:

1. Your body is forced to burn extra calories to rebuild muscle. This ‘afterburner’ effect of increased calorie burning lasts for 24-48 hours, which means 30 minutes of strength training will burn significantly more calories than 30 minutes of steady cardio. Efficiency ftw.
2. You teach your muscles to become more resilient and “antifragile.” From giving your kids a piggyback ride to playing frisbee to carrying groceries to walking up stairs, strength training makes you safer when doing everything.
3. Strength training will make you better at any activity you picked in the above section for fun exercise. Yes, even THAT activity. Let’s just say your significant other wants you to strength train.
4. Strength training builds the physique you want. It’s the best way to lose weight, it’s how to build muscle, and how to keep the muscle you have while burning the fat on top of the muscle.

So hopefully at this point, you’re all:

“Steve you sly devil, I am INTRIGUED. But strength training doesn’t seem fun, and gyms intimidate me.”

We cover this extensively in our “Beginner’s guide to strength training,” but I’ll cover it here too:

When I say “strength training,” I simply mean “moving your body in a way that your muscles must respond by getting stronger:”

Your muscles are introduced to outside stimuli (you pick up your kid, you do push-ups, you carry groceries, you do a squat, etc.), and they get “broken down” through use.

Over the next few days, they rebuild themselves stronger to prepare for more stimulus (a greater challenge).

By building up strength over time, it allows you to become more functionally strong and avoid situations like Mr. Potato Head here:

“Strength training” can take place in a gym or at your home, with your body’s weight or with free weights, in a box or with a fox. The ways to strength train are endless.

HATE gyms? You never have to go into one. Ever. Christina lost 50 lbs without a gym.

AFRAID of weight training? You can train with just your body weight!

WANT to learn how to train in a gym? Check out our 6-level gym workout guide.

NOT SURE how to strength train and want guidance? Check out our online coaching program!

This does not need to be overcomplicated!

Start with two basic movements that you can do literally right now, even in your cubicle:

• Desk Push-Ups: 3 sets of 8

• Bodyweight Squats: 3 sets of 8

 

Boom, look at that! You just did strength training.

I promise you: get stronger with push-ups, squats, and learn how to do a pull-up, and you will be in better shape, and look better, than ever before.

So how do you get stronger? Simple: “progressive overload.” 

This might sound complicated, but it just means increasing the challenge by a tiny amount with each workout so your body has to work harder and adapt more each time.

And then one day, you’ll look in the mirror and say: “WHOA I HAVE MUSCLES WHEN DID THAT HAPPEN!?”

Coach Jim breaks down 8 different strategies for progressive overload in this video:

I have one final person I want to address: “But Steve, you nincompoop, I hate strength training.”

That’s not a nice name to call me, but fair enough!

Consider getting bit by a radioactive spider or finding a super-serum.

Otherwise, these five alternatives might pique your interest:

1. Aerial silks.
2. Gymnastics and Parkour.
3. Handstands.
4. Acro Yoga.
5. Hiking with your kids.

Let us build a strength-training program that you’ll ACTUALLY do! Learn more about NF Coaching here:

STEP #4 TAKEAWAY: Start strength training today.

Pick a workout that doesn’t intimidate you and give it a shot! You can start TODAY.

• Brand new to strength training? No Gym? Do our Beginner Bodyweight Workout.
• Have a gym membership and want to train there? Read our “how to train in a commerical gym!”
• Excited to try barbells and dumbbells? Check out our Strength 101 serious.

You don’t HAVE to strength train, you GET to strength train.

Every time you work out, do ONE more repetition, one more push-up, or lift ONE pound heavier than last time.

What’s the best way to do more than last time?

Write down what you do! Keep it simple. Write down your sets, reps, and weights. And then do one better next time.

If you’re wondering how many reps and sets you should start with, Coach Jim answers that right here:

Step #5: Creating a Strength Training Workout Plan

Alright alright, you read the previous section, and you’re thinking:

• “Steve I heard training individual body parts like a bodybuilder is the best for muscle building.”
• “What about Stronglifts 5×5 or Starting Strength or CrossFit?”
• “I hear I should ONLY do free weights, and machines are the devil!”

My thoughts: I don’t care HOW you strength train when you get started, or which beginning strength training program you pick:

If you want to follow a bodybuilder routine that uses lots of machines and isolation exercises, great!

If you want to train your left bicep and right butt muscle on Tuesdays and right tricep and left shoulder on Wednesdays and so on, go for it!

If you want to follow a workout DVD or follow bootcamp style stuff on YouTube, great.

Whatever gets you manipulating your body and learning the fundamentals of strength training, I’m for it.

As long as you’re enjoying it and getting results, keep doing what you’re doing.

And if you want a Beginner Strength Routine to follow, that’s cool too.

Here are the foundational philosophies we teach our online coaching clients:

#1 You’ll be healthier and see more well-rounded results training with free weights and bodyweight exercises compared to machines.

Machines can be used when you’re rehabbing an injury or there’s no other options (you’re at a hotel gym, for example).

If you only want to train with machines? You do you. Here’s how to switch from machines to weights.

#2 Full compound movements will help you get strong and healthy in the most efficient manner:

• Barbell squats
• Deadlifts
• Push-ups
• Pull-ups
• Bodyweight dips
• Overhead presses
• Bodyweight rows

Your body is a complex machine that uses all of your muscles in unison when you do physical activity.

Thus, it’s safer and more efficient to train with compound movements instead of isolated movements.

Here are 15 Circuit Training Routines that use these exercises.

#3 Keep it simple. If you make progress every week by picking up more weight or doing more reps, your body WILL transform like Optimus Prime.

But like, into a better version of you, not a robot:

#4 Barbell squats and deadlifts can change your life, like they changed Coach Staci:

#5 If you have more fun with a bodybuilder-style workout, or you like boot camp classes instead of weight training, that’s great!

If you’re healthy and happy and getting results, stick with it.

#6 Muscle confusion is totally not a thing.

STEP #5 TAKEAWAY: Pick A Strength Training Program! 

Here’s how to level up your strength training:

1. Read our Strength 101 series, and learn to do squats, deadlifts, and presses.
2. Afraid to train in a gym? Read this gym guide and follow the beginner gym workouts (or here’s how to build your own).
3. Pick a program: Learn about the best strength training routines and exercises.
4. Want form checks, guidance, and a custom workout each morning? Get a coach!

What’s that? You want to BUILD your own workout program?

Great! Here’s how to build your own workout routine.

If you want us to do the heavy lifting for you (HEYO), we have a killer online coaching program where we build the exact workout for you, including nutritional guidance, support, and accountability.

Let our online coaches build you the perfect workout program! It’s like having a Jedi Master in your pocket. Learn more:

Step #6: Focus Your Workout Plan on Specific Goals

Okay, now we’re getting down to the secret sauce that has transformed thousands upon thousands of lives at Nerd Fitness.

Don’t worry our secret sauce is low calorie, low carb, and keto-friendly. 

Here’s the scenario: you have a goal of losing 50 pounds, and after eating better and moving more…you actually start to lose some weight!

I’m so proud of you.

In fact, I just called your mom to tell her what a swell person you are. Nice lady.

Anyways, things are going well until you start to approach your goal weight (woo!) and encounter a divergent path:

• Path A: “I’m about to reach my goal weight! I can be done soon!”
• Path B: “I’m approaching my goal weight. What is my new body capable of?”

People who pick Path A always backslide and usually put the weight back on over the next few months and years. This is why most people are doomed to fail at losing weight permanently:

Temporary action = temporary results.

Now let’s talk about Path B? It’s the reason our coaching clients keep the weight off and continue to transform.

Consistent effort + progressive challenge = permanent improvement.

People on Path B ask themselves, “Now that I’ve lost this weight, what am I capable of? Let’s train for that!”

This is a distinct mental shift.

Exercise is no longer a means to an end.

There is no end.

Just like…

We encourage our Rebels to shift from weight loss goals to physical challenges (Like Double Dare, but with less Gak):

1. “I’ve always wanted to do a handstand, let’s start training to get better at those.”
2. “I’ve always want to do train with gymnastic rings! Let’s try that!”
3. “I’ve always wanted to run a 5k, I will adjust my routine to become a stronger runner.”
4. “I want to try Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. I will sign up for a class!”
5. “I’m gonna sign up for Swing Dancing so I can crush the dance floor at the next wedding I attend.”

WHY THIS WORKS: By training to get better at a particular activity, you are triggering the same processes in your brain that makes us hooked on progressing in video games:

It’s why we say, “just one more level!” or “I bet I can do one more rep!” or “I can climb this new path that’s tougher than any path I’ve attempted before!”

STEP #6 TAKEAWAY: Shift from weight loss goals to physical challenges.

As you start to get in shape, updating your mindset can be a HUGE game-changer.

You spent all this work building a new body – take it out for a test drive and find out what you’re capable of!

Counterintuitively, the less you worry about your weight and the more you worry about your performance, the more likely you’ll be to build a body you’re proud of, that’s functional, and that you can keep, permanently.

As they say, “Appearance is a consequence of fitness.” 

If you want to dig more into skills and advanced physique stuff, read our post here: “The ultimate guide to building any physique.”

Pick a skill, pick somebody farther along (more fit) than you to model yourself after, and adjust your training and nutrition to get better at that skill.

When you get better and better at these physical skills, your physique will start to improve as a side effect.

Want a workout program that grows with you and keeps you happy and challenged? Learn more:

Step #7: Have Healthy Expectations for Your Workout Plan

As we’re talking about physique and physical goals, I want to address something that is a major challenge for many people:

“Steve, I want to lose some weight, build some muscle, and also build up more endurance. I want to get strong and run a marathon but also look like a model.

Oh and get a six-pack. But I don’t want to be too bulky.

Can I do this in 6 weeks please?”

Here’s the truth: your body can only do so many things at once, and the three goals above will pull your body in three completely separate directions. 

If you’re not sure what are realistic goals, I have answers for you on BOTH questions (click each to learn more):

• “How fast can I get fit and lose weight?” 1-2 pounds per week of weight loss is a safe pace. Could be more or less depending on your starting weight, how you eat, and how you train.
• “How fast can I build muscle naturally?” 1-2 pounds of muscle gain per month is possible under optimal conditions for most. This could be more or less depending on your level of experience, how you eat, and how you train.
• “Can I do both at the same time?” As we point out in our article on “gaining muscle and losing weight at the same time,” it IS possible – but requires you to be really dialed in with eating enough protein, maintaining a slight calorie deficit, and heavy strength training.

Are those numbers in line with your expectations? Do you wish you could get in shape faster?

Of course you do. So do I!

For example, it took me 7 months of focused effort to lose 22 pounds safely and sustainably.

Surprisingly, by changing our timeline to be more realistic, we can make better progress than at any point in the past:

KEY TAKEAWAY #7: Have realistic expectations!

Have the right expectations, and put your focus on the process.

You’ll get there when you get there – so just focus on what you can do today.

If you’re not sure if you should build muscle first or lose weight first, here’s my humble advice:

1. Eat a SLIGHT caloric deficit. Strength train and move a lot.
2. Eat enough protein and train heavy to lose fat and keep your muscle.
3. Do this until you get down to a low enough body fat percentage (10-11% for men, 17-18% for women).
4. Now, increase your caloric intake slightly. Build strength and muscle until you’re at your desired size.
5. Decide now if you want to reintroduce cardio, cut more fat, or keep getting bigger.
6. Repeat!

Step #8: How Do I Pick a Sustainable Workout Routine? (Exercise with Others)

I love sharing stories on Nerd Fitness of REAL people, with real struggles, that found the perfect program that fit THEIR lifestyle, like Christina above. 

These are not people with superior genetics. They’re not on steroids, nor are they choking down supplements (Most supplements are a waste of money).

The success stories in our community work full-time jobs, have kids, friends, and nerdy hobbies.

Some are single moms.

But they found a workout program that works for their life situation:

Some of them are powerlifters.

Some of them train at home with no equipment.

Some of them run 5ks.

As you are starting to get yourself into better shape, who you associate with is almost as important as how you train.

Sounds ludicrous (did I just make you yell, “Luda!”?), but it can be the difference between long term success and long term floundering. And not the cute kind.

They say you are an average of the 5 people you associate most with.

Think about your roommates, significant other, friends, and coworkers:

Are they people who have succeeded in the way you want to succeed, support you on your journey, can answer questions you might have, and make you want to continue being better?

Or are they people who ask you to skip your workouts, make fun of you for waking up early to train on a Saturday morning, and enable you rather than support you?

The more time you can spend with Group A people, the more likely you’ll be to stay on target and make progress.

As you are getting better at a skill, do whatever you can to hang out with people who are good at that skill!

1. Like running and want to get better at running? Join or start a running group!
2. Want to take powerlifting more seriously? Hire a personal trainer or join a powerlifting club.
3. Want to be better at handstands? Try joining an adult gymnast class!
4. Want to look like CrossFit athletes? Great! Join the cult! I kid, CFers, you’re good in my book 🙂

If you don’t have people in your life that are making you better, consider hiring a coach or instructor or joining a class to help you push yourself even farther and stay accountable!

And I’m not telling you to fire your friends, but you might need to make sacrifices like Katniss until you’re better equipped to stand up for your new healthy lifestyle when they want you to come back to the dark side!

Nerd Fitness helps people with workouts and eating better, sure.

But I believe we get permanent results for people because we do our best to foster the most supportive community on the internet.

Many of our success stories have 1-on-1 instruction from our Online Coaching Program, while some come from our self-paced courses in NF Prime.

And others? They read the free articles on Nerd Fitness and helped themselves stay on target!

It comes down to learning from and interacting people who are just like you, or who are people that you want to be like when you “grow up” (get in shape)!

Click on each image to learn their full story:

STACI THE POWERLIFTER:

ANTHONY THE IT PROFESSIONAL:

LESLIE THE SINGLE MOM:
JOE THE IT DEVELOPER WHO TRAVELS 2 WEEKS PER MONTH:

SAINT THE APP DEVELOPER WHO LOST 60 POUNDS AND GAINED 6 PACK ABS:

And me? I started with karate as a kid. Then cross country running in high school. Then bodybuilder style training in college. Then it was bodyweight training.

And now? Powerlifting and gymnastics! It’s how I went from Steve Rogers to Captain America, and then leaned out.

STEP #8 TAKEAWAY: Surround yourself with people that push you to be better.

You need people in your life that are pushing you to be better.

If you don’t have those people already, consider joining a club or class in your community. You might just make new lifelong friends!

And if you want to be at the top of your game in a particular skill or activity, you might need to hire a trainer, coach, or an online personal trainer that knows your situation specifically.

In addition to our paid private communities, we ALSO have a free Message Board community that is thriving!

We’d love to have you be part of OUR online community!

Step 9: Tracking the Results of Your Workout Plan

“Thanks Steve, but that was a lot. What do I do now?”

Let me recap Steps #1-#8:

• Step #1: What Are Your Workout Goals?
• Step #2: What Workout Is Best for Weight Loss?
• Step #3: Finding a Workout Routine You Enjoy
• Step #4: What Is the Best Workout Routine? (An Introduction to Strength Training)
• Step #5: Creating a Strength Training Workout Plan
• Step #6: Focus Your Workout Plan on Specific Goals
• Step #7: Have Healthy Expectations for Your Workout Plan
• Step #8: How Do I Pick a Sustainable Workout Routine? (Exercise with Others)

Depending on where you’re at in life, and how much weight you need to lose, you might be satisfied with just Steps 1, 2, and 3 for the next few years.

That’s awesome!

And if you’re ready to do more than that, we’re here for ya too.

If you’re looking for me to actually tell you what to do, I would suggest the following:

Here’s a strategy optimized for effortless awesomeness, happiness, and look-good nakedness:

1. Strength train twice per week: squats, pushups, and pull-ups.
2. Do fun activity 1-2x per week.
3. Walk when you can.
4. Focus on your nutrition.

I would start there, and then do two things after 30 days:

#1) Track your compliance to see if you actually did the workouts!

Did you go for walks, strength train twice per week, and do a fun activity? You can track this on your calendar or in a notebook.

• Yes? Great! Move on to question 2.
• No? Great! You learned you tried to do too much. Do less and repeat for another 30 days.

#2) Measure if you got closer to your goal weight/skills/physique?

Are you healthier, happier, and more confident?

• Yes? Great! Keep doing what you’re doing!
• No? Great! That strategy didn’t work. Track your food intake, adjust your diet. Repeat.

“Steve that’s still not specific enough. I want you to tell me, for my exact situation, what to do every single day to reach my goals. Oh and hold me accountable. K thanks.”

I’m not clairvoyant or omniscient (…yet), so in the meantime, you can check out our really fun 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program.

Your Coach (a member of Team NF we’ll match you with based on your needs) will get to know you, your goals, and your challenges, and develop a workout plan that’s specific to not only your body type, but also to your schedule and life.

Click the image below to schedule a free call to see if we’re a good fit for each other!

Our coaching program is like having Yoda in your pocket (not literally, of course)! Learn how we can help:

I don’t care whatever path you pick, be it our coaching, NF Prime, or if you just read the free stuff on Nerd Fitness and never buy anything!

I just want to help you get results, feel better about yourself, and stop struggling to make exercise consistent.

So let’s hear it. Where are you on your path to finding your perfect workout program!?

Tell me what your goals are. I’d love to hear about what you’re working on.

Which step are you on? Stuck on Level 3? What are the activities you LOVE/HATE?

What program are you following? Do you have a question on what to pick?

What have you found works for you, and what DIDN’T work for you?

Leave a comment and share your story with your fellow rebels!

-Steve

PS: If you want a blueprint for your own “perfect workout” – one that customizes to your own experience level – check out NF Journey.

Our fun habit-building app helps you exercise more frequently, eat healthier, and level up your life (literally).

Try your free trial right here:

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photo sources: Reiterlied Biking on the Lake, Reiterlied To The Lofoten Islands and Back Again 8/16 – Hooray for the blue sea!, clement127 Amazing playground: bicycles and football, clement127 Eurobasket 2015, Legozilla treadmill, themofoit: Stormtrooper Pushups, beach, road split, egg, runner

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