Tag: Get Stronger

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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So you’ve decided you want to get fit?

Great!

Now what? There is SOOO much out there, it can be overwhelming.

You end up collecting information for weeks…but take zero action.

If this sounds like you, we understand. It’s frustrating! 

No worries though, you’re in the right place to kick it into gear. We’ve helped thousands of beginners get started (and reach their goals!) as part of our online coaching program. 

Today, I’ll share with you 3 different ways to get things going, that have been tested by nerds just like you. 

Not sure how to take your first step? Click here to learn how we can help.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

• How do beginners get fit? (3 ways our clients get started)
• “Get Fit” Strategy #1: Exercise
• “Get Fit” Strategy #2: Nutrition
• “Get Fit” Strategy #3: Mindset
• The key to getting in shape: consistency

Let’s jump right in.

How Do Beginners Get Fit?

As Coach Matt discusses above, there are three areas we want to focus on when trying to level up your fitness:

• Exercise
• Nutrition
• Mindset

When someone joins our coaching program, we often think about developing habits around these three pillars.

As I often share with folks when discussing our coaching program:

It’s not just a matter of handing over a bunch of workouts and shoving them out the door – we want to approach people’s goals and fitness more holistically.

What’s the first move in each category?

Well, there’s no “one-size-fits-all” approach when it comes to fitness. 

However, if you twist my arm about it, I will admit that there are a few key habits that I generally have my clients start on.

These habits can be good for a beginner to experiment with as their “first step” for getting in shape.

Let’s go over a few of them now.

“Get Fit” Strategy #1: Exercise

When people decide they want to get in shape, they often start exercising more.

It’s not a bad strategy.

What exercise should we start with?

Our recommended first step here…is actually a first step.

That’s right, a simple walk can be a great way to start exercising. 

Just put on some shoes and head out the door!

Occasionally, I’ll have some clients bulk at this, claiming “That’s not enough! I need to do more!”

While it’s great they’re looking for a challenge, I encourage them not to dismiss the power of walking.

Here’s why:

When we become people that regularly make time for a walk, then we become people who regularly make time for longer workouts too.

In other words, building the habit is the hardest part. Not the exercise itself.

So we start with a walk. Maybe we aim for two or three times a week.

Don’t overthink this – whatever time you can do right now is good. Whether it’s around the block, or to the mailbox and back – just make sure you set the intention and do something.

Plus, the exercise will be good for you too.^[1] 

Some members of the Rebellion – like Tim here – have gotten in great shape by focusing on regular walks. 

Here’s our Walking for Exercise Guide for more tips to get started. 

If you already practice a regular walk, then you can explore doing a little bit more of a formal workout.

After you start walking consistently, I recommend you try our Beginner Bodyweight Workout:

This workout can be done right in your living room, without any extra gym equipment.

Also, make sure you also download the Beginner Bodyweight Workout PDF, so you can track your progress and consistency.

I’ll send it on over when you join the Nerd Fitness Rebellion in the box below:

“Get Fit” Strategy #2: Nutrition

Ah, nutrition.

Any claims on proper nutrition will almost always lead to another battle in the ongoing diet wars. 

Like the Clone Wars, but with more broccoli and fewer spaceships. 

Folks on the internet can’t stop arguing about “the best” diet. 

For some it’s Keto. Others Paleo. Or Vegan.

Don’t forget about the Mediterranean Diet. 

When you start googling a bit, you’ll find lots of contradicting information on how to level up your diet.

People will claim you should:

• Break up with bread.
• Eat less meat.
• Stop with all the ice cream.

Tragic. 

In our coaching program, we often DON’T start with any “eat and drink less” talk.

We actually do the opposite, with “eat and drink MORE” talk.

What do we specifically recommend you eat and drink more of?

• Water
• Vegetables

For our coaching clients trying to get in shape, sometimes we have them start by drinking a glass of water or eating a vegetable at one of their meals. 

When we start with adding – instead of subtracting – we accomplish a few things:

• First, it starts creating a more positive association with nutrition.
• Next (and related), it tends to be a big mental relief from the constant restrictive nutritional talk that we’re used to hearing.
• Lastly, by making a focused effort to add healthy things to our meal, by default, it often replaces other less than healthy things.

This is another step that might seem “too easy” or “not enough” right now, but doing them consistently can still prove challenging.

And doing these things consistently is what’s going to build long-lasting changes.

If you want additional help with these two actions, I have a couple of resources for you:

• Guide to Proper Hydration. Not only will tell you how much water to drink, but we’ll also provide tips for staying hydrated all day.
• How To Make Vegetables Taste Good. Don’t like veggies? No problem. This guide will show you 10 different ways to make your greens something you enjoy eating. 

But if you’re looking for a “Just tell me what to do!” – then have a glass of water or a vegetable at one of your meals. 

If you’re doing that already – add one of them to another meal. Rinse and repeat.

What’s that? You already drink water and have a vegetable with every meal?

Well, you can work on having your meals look a bit like this:

For more here, check out A Nerd’s Guide to Healthy Eating.

“Get Fit” Strategy #3: Mindset

When people discuss getting fit, it almost always revolves around “diet and exercise.”

A big component that’s overlooked is one’s mindset. 

All the workout and nutritional information in the world won’t help if you’re stressed out and not able to focus on creating habits.

That’s why we also work on stress management with our coaching clients. 

We can start leveling up our mindset by taking one of these steps:

#1) Improving Sleep

A good night’s sleep can make everything easier. Conversely, poor sleep consistently can make everything harder.

My clients often have success improving their sleep habits by: 

• Avoiding screen time within a half-hour of bed.
• Going to bed and waking up at the same time – even on the weekends.

#2) Journaling

Grab anything you can write with (even your phone or computer), and write down some reflections from the day. 

You can focus your journal on: 

• Any wins you had.
• Things you’re grateful for.
• Things that frustrated you. 

Your journal is a safe spot for you to get things out of your head and process them, which can quickly reduce stress. 

Personally, capturing my thoughts at the end of the night helps me put the day behind me. Our minds are for creating ideas, not storing them (h/t David Allen).

For more, check out Coach Staci’s video “How to Journal to Reach Your Goals!”

#3) Meditation

Simply close your eyes and focus on taking a few slow, deep breaths.

It sounds almost too easy, but even this quick pause will help you relax and refresh.

It’s not about “emptying your mind”, but instead letting any thought that comes into your head leave just as easily. 

I’ve seen even a brief 5-minute session help some of my clients’ destress after a hectic day. 

You can read a bit more in A Nerd’s Guide to Meditation.

Whichever of these three that you decide for stress management, look to do it consistently several times a week. Just only pick ONE right now.

We’ll work on the others down the road. 

The Key to Getting In Shape: Consistency

If you want to take the first step to level up your life, think about habits around the following:

• Exercise – Take a walk a few times a week. Don’t worry about the distance, just worry about the intention and habit.
• Nutrition – Add a glass of water or vegetable to one meal. If that feels good, do it again with another meal. 
• Mindset – Pick ONE stress management habit. This could be some brief meditation, journaling, or improving your sleep habits. 

That’s it. Simple habits to have you move more, get proper nutrients, and destress a bit.

There’s nothing here that’s going to sound revolutionary.

That’s the point.

The action itself isn’t challenging. The challenge is doing the action consistently. 

So yes, the actions we proposed today might appear easy for you to do.

If that’s the case, then do them. Once you have these habits locked in, we can work on leveling them up to more complex tasks.

Start now, then course-correct later. 

If you want a roadmap for building one habit on top of each other, I got a few options for you.

I’ll share them with you now, because I’m nice like that.

Here are three ways to build healthy habits alongside Nerd Fitness:

#1) Our Online Coaching Program: a coaching program for busy people to help them make better food choices, stay accountable, and get healthier, permanently.

You can schedule a free call with our team so we can get to know you and see if our coaching program is right for you. Just click on the image below for more details:

Our coaching program changes lives. Learn how!

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

You never have to question the next step. Your next new habit will always be one adventure away.

Try your free trial right here:

#3) Join 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 at home” guides, an explanation on the 15 Mistakes That Newbies Make, and much more!

Alright, I want to hear from you now:

Have you taken your first step to getting fit?

If so, what helped the most?

If not, what feels like it’s holding you back?

Let me know in the comments!

-Jim

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Photos from Four Bricks Tall: Into the forest; In 2015, the first woman coach was hired by a Major League Baseball team; Fresh lobster rolls; Violinist Boy; A grape hyacinth

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So you’re having trouble working out consistently?

I get it. 

Life is busy and hectic. You probably wear multiple hats in your life.

Hopefully, one of them is a pirate hat:

If you are having trouble exercising regularly, know that you aren’t alone. 

Not being able to work out consistently is one of the top issues facing our clients in Nerd Fitness Coaching. Luckily, there are some tips and tricks that help them, which we’ll share with you right now too. 

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

Here’s what we’ll cover today:

• Step 1: Why you miss workouts (and why it’s okay).
• Step 2: Building a (specific and realistic) workout plan. 
• Step 3: Why “all of nothing” hurts workout consistency.
• Step 4: The key to getting in regular exercise (make it fun).
• Step 5: How to build workout accountability.
• Step 6: Exercise and workout motivation (and the problems with it).
• Step 7: How to find time to work out.
• How to start working out consistently (next steps).

Let’s jump right in!

Step 1: Why You Miss Workouts

As I mention in the video above, it’s okay to stumble – everyone misses a workout now and again.

Life happens:

• Your job might need you to stay late. 
• Maybe your spouse can’t pick up the kids today.
• Or perhaps you just lost track of time while playing video games.

These things happen, so don’t freak out whenever you miss a workout.

“Wait, wait, wait Jim! I thought this article was about consistency – then you start off saying it’s OK to miss a workout?”

What I’m saying is to not beat yourself up over it. I’ll see people be so tough on themselves for one missed workout, that it spirals downward and then they’re doing NO workouts.

It’s unnecessary, and it’s not sustainable.

Here’s something I remind my clients: If being tough on yourself helped with workout consistency, it would’ve helped by now.

So first of all, forgive yourself.

Then, I share with them a saying we have here at Nerd Fitness:

“Never Two in a Row.”

As Rebel Leader Steve mentions in the video below, it means aim to not miss two workouts, back to back:

It’s a mantra you’ll hear throughout the Rebellion (our community!). 

Here’s the justification: as I mentioned, missing one workout is nbd. 

However, two workouts in a row could be the start of a trend. If you’re not careful, after a few missed workouts, you could just stop exercising altogether. 

That’s the real danger.

So we aim to not allow the trend to start in the first place.

Takeaway: If you miss a workout, it’s fine. Just try not to miss the next one.

Step 2: Building a Workout Plan

Here’s a great quote from Benjamin Franklin:

If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.

When it comes to working out consistently, we need to define what “consistently” actually means.

For that, it’s time to build a workout routine.

As Coach Staci mentions in the video above, we want to focus on three key questions when programming our training:

• What type of workout are you doing?
• When do you plan on doing your training?
• Where will this workout take place?

All three questions are important, but we’re going to focus on “when” right now.

Determining “when” you’ll train is easily the most important step for working out consistently.

That’s why I want you to place your workouts in your calendar!

Schedule your workout like it’s the most important meeting of the day!

(A reminder that you ARE important!)

That’s what I have my clients do in our 1-on-1 Coaching Program. It goes a long way to helping them stick to their workout schedule. 

So if you plan on training first thing at 8am, have a calendar reminder go off at 7:50am. 

It’ll make a difference. I promise. 

What days should be workout days?

For that, I have a couple of resources to share with you:

1. How to Build Your Own Workout Routine. Our MASSIVE guide will teach you exactly how to create a training schedule, including what exercises to do and when to take rest days. If you want to get your hands dirty by building your own workout, this is the way to do it.
2. Nerd Fitness Journey. Our fun habit-building app will tell you exactly when to workout, with video tutorials for every exercise covered. No need to create a plan, just open up the app and check your missions for the day. Plus, you’ll build your very own superhero as you go, which is totally sweet. You can try it out for free right below:

Step 3: Why “All of Nothing” Hurts Workout Consistency

Another one of the best things you can do to improve your workout consistency: have a backup plan.

Let’s say a pipe bursts at your gym, and it’s closed for the next few days.

Does that mean you should stop working out until they resolve their plumbing emergency?

It could be a while…

No!

It just means you’ll have to work out at home, in a nearby playground, or maybe you just focus on long walks for the next few days.

That’s why it’s always good to have a backup for any regular emergency, like:

• If I can’t train at my gym, I’ll do bodyweight training at home.
• If it’s raining heavily and I can’t run outside, I’ll jump on the stationary bike in the garage.
• If I’m sore from a hard workout, today I’ll just do some light yoga. 

Remember, just because your initial plan falls through, doesn’t mean you have to completely throw in the towel.

Or as I jokingly tell my clients, just because one tire goes flat, doesn’t mean you should slash the other three.

Just do the best you can to get back on the road.

Step 4: The Key to Getting in Regular Exercise

If I have one single piece of advice on how to get in more daily movement, it would be this: do something you enjoy.

Every workout doesn’t have to be a slog.

You can schedule things you enjoy, like:

• Hiking
• Parkour
• Video games that get you moving.

If you enjoy the activity, you’ll be WAY more likely to exercise consistently.

For more tips here, here are 40 Ways to Exercise (Without Realizing It). 

Here’s another trick to start enjoying your workouts – do them while listening to some of your favorite music, or a podcast you enjoy.

Heck, you can even flip the TV on in the corner and watch your favorite show while you train.

We call this “Temptation Bundling” and I’ve seen it help a lot of my clients:

• If you only listen to your favorite podcast when you run, eventually, you might start looking forward to running.
• The same thing could happen with music. If you start to associate your favorite tunes with building up a sweat, one day you might actually enjoy building up a sweat.
• Let’s say you only watch The Great British Bake Off while on your elliptical. If that’s the case, you’re going to start protecting your time exercising (“Don’t bother me now”).

Don’t overlook the power of coupling activities you enjoy with your workouts. 

Step 5: How to Build Workout Accountability

Another strategy we can deploy when improving workout consistency: accountability and support.

There’s nothing quite like being accountable to another human being when it comes to exercising regularly.

There are a few ways we can create workout accountability:

#1) Tell Friends and Family.

Share your goals with your loved ones, then let them know the times you’ll be working out.

This will help for a couple of reasons:

• We’re more likely to follow through with action if we commit ourselves in front of others.
• If we don’t show up for a workout, they may politely call us out on it.

#2) Join an Online Community.

In the 21st century, it’s very easy to find a group of people who are on a similar mission.

If you want to exercise regularly, I’d wager you aren’t the only person on the internet working towards that goal.

So join a digital community! That way you can get in on some group accountability.

We regularly hold group challenges through our app, Nerd Fitness Journey. I’ve been told by countless Rebels that they’re more likely to get their training in if they know everyone else in the community is doing it too.

Heck, I did burpees in the snow because everyone in the Rebellion was doing a burpee challenge.

If you want to try out some of these experiences, you can sign-up for a free trial to our snazzy new app right here:

If you want some next-level accountability, I have to mention the ultimate power-up: hire a coach.

It could be a personal trainer in a gym, or you can go digital with an online coach.

Either way, having someone you check in with weekly (who will also program your workouts) is one of the best ways to exercise consistently.

If you know a coach will ask you about your workouts, you’re going to be more likely to do them.

If you’re interested in learning if you’d be a good fit for one of our online coaches, you can click on the big yellow button below:

We can be your accountability partner. Lean more here.

Step 6: The Problems With Exercise and Workout Motivation

In the video above, Steve outlines the problems with motivation. 

I think all of my clients should watch the video. 

That’s because I’ll often hear them say “I need more motivation to workout” or “I’m just not motivated to exercise.”

This is the wrong frame of mind.

Action creates motivation, not the other way around.

For example, let’s imagine a new client. They don’t particularly like working out and they aren’t very motivated to do it.

But they do it anyway.

Then, after a few weeks of successful workouts, they’ll start to recognize the trend they’ve begun.

Our coaching app tracks all the training we assign, so I’ll often see my clients rejoice when they’ve “hit 20 workouts!” 

It feels good to recognize they’re making progress, which often makes them more motivated to exercise.

So they keep working out. 

The problem: getting started in the first place can be tough.

That’s why you should start with ANYTHING that breaks the inertia.

Coach Matt breaks it all down for you right here:

As a beginner, your first step is the most important. And often the hardest.

In our Beginner’s Guide to Starting Your Fitness Journey, we recommend your first workouts be something simple to get started: a walk.

It could be a half-mile around the block. Or it could be to the mailbox and back. 

The exact amount doesn’t matter, but being intentional is. That’s how we work to build consistency.

So do a short walk today. Then another one the day after tomorrow. Then a third two days from then.

Boom, three workouts in one week, all by just walking. 

Step 7: How to Find Time to Workout

I’ll be real with you: no one is sitting around, twiddling their thumbs with time to kill.

If you’re going to make time to work out, you’ll need to figure out what activity in your life you can change or eliminate:

• Maybe your two-hour nightly TV ritual can come down to an hour.
• Maybe you start biking home from work instead of driving.
• Maybe you catch up with your spouse over an evening walk instead of a drink.

This is why scheduling your workouts in your calendar can be so critical – it helps you see what needs to be moved around to get your training done.

Also, it’s okay to experiment here.

If you create a schedule, and you don’t hit it all, it’s okay. 

Perhaps you just created an unrealistic schedule.

If so, then modify the workout:

• Try a 30-minute workout instead of an hour.
• Try two workouts a week instead of three.
• Go around the block once instead of twice.

Again, we’re not worried about the amount of time here. Instead, we’re concerned about you hitting your workout schedule consistently. It’s okay to scale down to do that.

Once you’re rocking and rolling, we can always scale it up if it seems right.

If you want some tips on how to gauge your adherence to sticking with your workout schedule, then check out How to Track Your Fitness Progress.  

Start Working Out Consistently

There you have it, my friend. 

To recap…

Here’s How to Work Out Consistently:

• Step 1: It’s okay to stumble (Forgive yourself). Everyone I know misses a workout here or there. It’s nothing to feel shame over. 
• Step 2: Have a plan! Without scheduling your week’s workouts, how do you even know if you’re being consistent or not?
• Step 3: Have a backup plan! (Lose the “all or nothing” mindset). If your first plan falls through, nbd. Just move onto the next one. “Some” workout is always better than “no” workout. Do the best you can.
• Step 4: Make it fun. Your workout doesn’t need to be something you dread. If you like hiking, go hiking. If you like swimming, go swimming. Any movement is beneficial and should be encouraged. No one said you have to hate it.
• Step 5: Find an accountability partner. Going alone is almost always harder. If you can find a friend or coach to team with, it will make working out consistently easier.
• Step 6: Embrace “action” not “motivation.” If you have to wait around for motivation to start working out, you might be waiting for quite a while. You’ll become motivated after you act.
• Step 7: Don’t find time, make time. Your schedule won’t magically free itself. Look at your calendar and start prioritizing.

That’s it.

The most important thing you can do now today: START!

Not tomorrow. Not next Monday.

Today!

If you don’t know what to do, look at the next free spot on your calendar. Then schedule a walk.

Then schedule it a couple of days later.

Then the following week.

BOOM! You just started a plan for working out consistently.

As always, if you need any help here, we gotcha. 

Here are three ways that Nerd Fitness can help you exercise regularly:

#1) Our Online Coaching Program: a coaching program for busy people to help them make better food choices, stay accountable, and get healthier, permanently.

As I said, this is the ultimate way to build workout accountability. Not only will a NF Coach build your workout, but they’ll check in with you too to make sure you’re able to do it.

If you can’t? 

No problem, they’ll work with you to create a new plan.

You can schedule a free call with our team so we can get to know you and see if our coaching program is right for you. Just click on the image below for more details:

Our coaching program changes lives. Learn how!

#2) If you want an exact roadmap for working out consistently, check out NF Journey. Our fun habit-building app tells you exactly what days to exercise, what days to rest, and helps you track it all so you know if it’s working for you.

Interested?

Try your free trial right here:

#3) Join 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 at home” guides, our Strength Training 101 eBook, and much more!

Alright, I want to hear from you now:

What’s your biggest issue with working out consistently?

What tips helped the most?

Are we missing any helpful suggestions for a beginner?

Let me know in the comments!

-Jim

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Photo Source: Rugby Player, Bruce Emmerling © 123RF.com, Firefighter, Dog Sitter, Bicycle, Toxic, choneschones © 123RF.com, Morning run with the Fitbit

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So you’ve decided it’s time to start running?

Perfect! You’ve arrived at the right place.

We’ve helped thousands of people run injury-free and train for their first 5k or marathon, and we’ve put together everything you need to know below too! 

Tired of getting injured while running? Work with a Nerd Fitness Coach and train smarter today!

Here’s what we’ll cover in our guide to running:

• How to Run Properly Stage 1: Initial Conditioning
• How to Run Properly Stage 2: Warm-Ups for Running
• How to Run Properly Stage 3: Correct Running Technique
• How to Run Properly Stage 4: Walk Before You Run
• Which shoes are best for running?
• Where can I go for a run? What’s the best surface to run on?
• Will running help me lose weight? (Make sure you WANT to run!) 
• How do I start running? (Next Steps)

If you’re interested in starting a proper running practice (which you are, ’cause you’re here), you may want to try our new app! It contains a fun adventure that will take you from sitting on your couch to running a full 5k – with plenty of benchmarks in between for you to find your groove. No guesswork needed, just tie your shows and follow along with the app. 

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

Alright, let’s do this thing.

How to Run Properly Stage 1: Initial Conditioning

Before you even THINK about strapping on a new pair of Nike shoes and going for a run around your neighborhood, we need to get a few things straight:

Your body needs to have a base level of fitness before running becomes a viable option.

Here’s why running too early can be harmful:

• Every time you run, every time you take a step, you put the pressure of your entire body weight on the muscles, tendons, and joints in your legs, knees, ankles, feet, and toes.
• If you are overweight and have improper running technique, that means your joints and tendons are taking an absolute POUNDING for however many steps you take during your run: around 6,200 steps in a 5k, 12,200 steps in a 10k, or 50,000+ steps in a marathon.

Your initial conditioning for running will center on three points:

#1) Focus on your nutrition. This will allow you to lose weight which will reduce the impact of running on your tendons and joints.

#2) Strength Train. We have coaching clients who repeatedly injured themselves running until they started a strength training practice. After lifting some weights their ligaments grew strong and allowed them to run injury-free. 

If you have no idea how to start a strength training practice, give our Beginner Bodyweight Workout a try:

Many a Rebel have used the workout to springboard their strength training journey. 

#3) Finally let’s add in some activity that’s low-impact:

• Walking – go for a nice long walk around your town, and keep your head up. Enjoy the scenery.
• Hiking – my personal favorite: get out and see the world!
• Biking – easy on your joints, gets you moving.
• Swimming – very low impact as the water holds you up.
• Elliptical – although I’m not a fan of spending all afternoon in a gym on a treadmill, this is the better option as it removes the opportunity for joint impact.

Check out 40 Ways to Exercise Without Realizing It for fun activities to keep your body moving!

To Recap: strength train, reduce your calorie consumption, and begin a low impact activity – build up your foundation to prep your body for running. The less weight your body has to carry around, the less work your legs and joints have to do, the less likely you’ll be to damage your joints and/or injure yourself.

Now that you have a solid foundation and you’re ready to start running, you can move on to the next step.

If you don’t know where to start on changing your diet, or have had trouble with it in the past, I got you.

We created the Nerd Fitness Diet cheat sheet to help you get going. It’s a level-up system designed for you to adopt new healthy habits, that will stick, by slowly progressing you from a newbie to an expert.

If you’ve had trouble previously, perhaps it’s because you changed too much too quickly.

Want to check it out? You can grab it for free when you join the Rebellion in the box below!

How to Run Properly Stage 2: Warm-Ups for Running

Before you take your first stride as a runner, you need to be properly warmed up.

When most people think of warming up, they probably think of standing there and doing some static stretching for 10 minutes…you know, to make sure you don’t get injured!

Wrong! Fail! Stretching before running can actually increase your risk of injury.^[3]

Instead, try a dynamic warm-up – get your body properly warmed up and prepared for the rigors of running.

Let’s set you up with a few different options:

#1) A running specific warm-up video from my friend Jason over at Strength Running, who you’ll see in more videos below:

#2) Coach Staci providing you with a quick sequence to try out:

#3) You can also check out our post “How to Warm Up Properly” for more moves and tips.

Just like with strength training, if you don’t have time to warm up, you don’t have time to run.

Cut the run short if you need to, but not the warm-up!

How to Run Properly Stage 3: Correct Running Technique

If you don’t learn how to run correctly, you’re doomed to develop an overuse injury and that’s going to negate the whole reason you started running in the first place!

This is why your running form is so damn crucial: when you run, you’re putting hundreds of pounds of pressure on your joints and ligaments with each bounding step down the road. This is then repeated thousands of times over the course of training and a race.

No wonder nearly every runner has tons of stories of injuries they’ve had to deal with. It can be a brutal activity that can wreak havoc even with good running mechanics.

With poor running mechanics, the results are compounded.

• Not the GOOD kind of “compounded” like compound interest, which you learned in 2nd grade with the story about starting with 1 penny a day and doubling it for 30 days.
• The BAD kind of “compounded” like plantar fasciitis and stress fractures and sore IT bands and torn ligaments and crazy soreness all the time.

You know, painful stuff…

We don’t want that.

Make sure you follow the below five steps:

1) LEAN FROM YOUR ANKLES

Lean from your ankles, and keep a straight line from your ankle, through your butt, and up to your head. If you’re standing still with this slight forward lean, you should feel like you’re about to fall forward.

Just don’t actually fall forward.

When you start running, gravity will help keep you progressing forward. A proper lean from the ankles keeps your body in alignment and loads your muscles properly and efficiently.

2) INCREASE YOUR CADENCE

Cadence is your stride rate, or the number of steps you take per minute. It will probably seem weird at first, but you’re putting less stress on your legs with shorter foot strikes.

Your cadence should be at least 170-190 steps per minute when you’re running at an easy, conversational pace. It will probably increase once you start running faster—that’s normal.

“Steve, what the hell do I do with “170-190 steps per minute?”

Great question. Go to Spotify and look for 170-190BPM playlists, like these which I found here:

• 170-190 BPM: Hip Hop Playlist
• 170-190 Rock Playlist 

Not on Spotify? Cool. (But like, why?) To get a cadence, try running to Outkast’s “Hey Ya” and time your strides to match the beat. That’s the cadence you’re looking for:

Research has shown^[4] that increasing your cadence and taking more steps (around 180 per minute) provides many of the same benefits of barefoot running:

• Less impact shock that goes up your legs.
• Improved running economy (or your efficiency, which means you’ll run faster with less effort!).
• Reduced chance of injury.

You’ll feel like you’re taking way more steps than normal – that means you probably had poor form before and now you’re fixing it!

If your legs get to the point where they’re going this fast, let me know:

3) FOOT STRIKE AT THE RIGHT TIME

When your foot comes down and makes contact with the ground, it should be underneath your body, not in front of it.

Combined with a quick cadence and a slight forward lean from your ankles, you’ll be distributing impact shock evenly—and efficiently.

This aspect of running form is often skipped over by beginning runners.

Instead of focusing on where the foot is landing in relation to the rest of the body, they focus too much on running on their forefoot. If you don’t land in the right place first, a midfoot or forefoot strike will only do more damage.

As you’re running, a good mental cue is to think that you’re just “putting your foot down” in a straight line underneath your body.

There’s no reaching or stretching your leg out in front of you.

Practicing this mental cue will have your leg touching down almost exactly underneath your center of mass, distributing your weight evenly and safely.

4) LAND ON YOUR MIDFOOT

While not as important as landing underneath your center of mass, becoming a mid-foot striker has a host of benefits.

It can help you avoid a lot of injuries by absorbing impact shock and preventing a severe heel striking running stride.

Heel-striking can’t be entirely blamed for injuries and labeled “bad.”

Even elite athletes heel strike when they run races! It’s not entirely bad— especially if you’re putting weight down on your foot just after you heel strike, instead of directly on the heel.^[5]

What you should focus on is having a higher cadence, landing underneath your body, and not aggressively heel striking.

Try to land with your foot flat on the ground, instead of with your toes angled upwards.^[6]

5) SYMMETRICAL ARM SWINGS

Nobody wants to look at you running if you’re flailing your arms wildly all over the place like Elaine dancing from Seinfeld.

An ideal arm swing has your arm bent at about 90 degrees and a front-to-back swing (not side-to-side).

Imagine a pretend line that goes down your mid-line or center of your body. When you run, your hands should not cross over this imaginary line.

Cup your hands loosely together (no clenched fists!) and if you want to use your arms for momentum, pump your elbows, not your hands.

Once you incorporate these changes into your running form, you’ll feel a lot more comfortable and your injury risk is going to plummet.

For extra credit, learn to run softly and quietly.

Foot stomping isn’t allowed and gets increasingly more difficult as you approach 180 steps per minute.

A few other things you want to keep in mind:

• Keep a tall back, chest up. No slouching.
• Look 30-50 meters in front of you – not head down looking at your toes.

Both are easy cues to keep an athletic posture and good running form.

Go back through and read this section a few more times. We know it’s a LOT to think about while running, but it is incredibly important.

If you get a chance, have somebody film you running, and then watch your tape back to see how you’re doing.

I should note that we provide form checks to our coaching clients. Through our awesome app, you can record a video of your running form or exercise technique and send it right to your coach! That way you can know your running and training safely and correctly!

Have a Nerd Fitness Coach check your running form! Learn more by clicking here.

How to Run Properly Stage 4: Walk Before You Run

Starting a running practice can be daunting. 

That’s why I actually recommend walking first. I mentioned earlier that walking can help build the foundation of a great running practice.

Once you’re comfortable moving a little bit, an ideal way to actually start running is to alternate between a brisk walk and a jog. This can help you build up some strength so you can run at a more constant pace.

Try the following five steps to start your running practice:

1. Get comfortable walking for 20 minutes. That’s it. Stroll around your neighborhood a few times a week, until this is a cake-walk.^[7]
2. Bump it up to 30 minutes. After 20 minutes is no problem, take it to the next level for a 30-minute walk. Once you can handle this fine, we can start picking up the pace.
3. Start run/walking. Walk as you have been for 10 minutes. Then, pick up the pace for a light jog for a minute (or 30 seconds if this is too tough). Give yourself a couple more minutes of walking (or longer) before you start jogging again. Do this for about 10 minutes, then walk normally for the last 10 minutes. You’ll still come in at 30 minutes for your exercise.
4. Now, run for longer. Once you’re comfortable holding a one-minute jog, let’s take it up a notch. We’ll still have you warm up for 10 minutes of walking, but when you jog, try going for a minute and a half. If this seems easy, go for 2 minutes! Alternate to a slower walk whenever you need to catch your breath.
5. Before you know it, you will be a runner. As you expand your jogging time, lower the amount of time you walk. At this point, you’re basically running with some short walking breaks. Which is fine! This is how people start to run and many continue to alternate between walking and jogging forever. Even if you get to the point of running races, there’s nothing wrong with taking some walking breaks. You do you.

Alright, we’ve talked about technique, plus some tips for getting up and running.^[8]

However, I know you’re gonna ask, so let’s talk about what kicks you should rock.

Which Shoes Are Best for Running?

There are four components to look for in any shoe.

If the shoe doesn’t meet these four criteria, then your foot is going to be compromised.

A good shoe for running has:

1. Minimal “heel drop:” a lower heel-toe height difference.
2. A wide toe box that allows your foot to spread as it lands on the ground with each step.
3. A pliable bottom that allows your toes to bend to a full ninety degrees of flexion as you step.
4. Something to attach it to your ankle area.

Let’s look at each in a bit more detail:

1. Minimal heel-toe height difference (aka “drop”). When your shoe raises your heel higher than your forefoot (aka “heel lift”), your ankle and lower leg are being positioned in a slightly shortened position for the duration that you’re wearing the shoes.

When your leg muscles are thrown into a slightly unnatural position, it means the mobility of your ankle will suffer… and this will limit all sorts of things including your running gait.^[9]

This doesn’t just mean high-heels either…although running in heels is ridiculous.

This includes most regular shoes that have a bulky heel and lower toe. In many shoes, you’ll see this difference between heel and forefoot referred to as a “drop,” so “zero-drop” shoes are shoes where heel and forefoot are at the same height.

Check to see what your current shoes weigh, and each time you buy a new pair of shoes, work your way towards more and more minimal shoes – down to 10 oz or so (which would qualify them as “minimalist shoe” in our book).

Our advice would be to not go too far below 7-8 ounces.

The big question: “Should I be doing barefoot running?” – Occasionally, and with proper form, SURE. But don’t just put on a pair of Vibram 5 Finger toe shoes and go run a 5k on concrete tomorrow. That’s a recipe for disaster.

2. A wide toe box that allows your foot to spread as it lands on the ground with each step. With each step you take, your foot actually spreads wider upon landing. This is impossible for your foot to do when it’s in a shoe that is too narrow.

If the toe box is not at least as wide as your foot when you’re standing on your foot, while it’s bearing your weight, that’s a problem for your foot. Know that as your foot becomes more ‘natural’ it’s possible it will it may widen further, as the muscles and bones reposition themselves.

Feet crammed into a shoe is like putting a leash on Sonic the Hedgehog: they want to be free!

3. A pliable bottom that allows your toes to bend fully as you step. Your great toe is meant to flex to ninety degrees as you move through the gait cycle. See below:

If your shoe does not allow this due to a hard sole, your feet won’t be able to move as well, and the soft tissues of your foot will get weaker from not being used fully.

PLUS, when you aren’t flexing your big toe regularly, your body will start to lose the ability to use that joint fully. This can lead to all sorts of problems. Doh!

4. It’s strapped to your foot. If the shoe isn’t strapped around your ankle, your toes are going to grab at the shoe to keep it on with every step you take. This makes some of your foot bones push down and some of your foot bones lift up.

That shift means you change the amount of forces on each bone. Over time, this can lead to stress fractures and tissue injuries.

Check out the video below from movement specialist Kelly Starrett:

For each point above, this isn’t an “all or nothing” scenario. Similar to your nutrition, do the best you can when you can, and work your way into running with a minimalist shoe.

If you want to learn more about proper footwear, make sure you check out “A Nerd’s Guide to Healthy Feet,” written by Kate Galliett of FitForRealLife.com.

Lastly, if you want to learn more about the benefits of ditching your shoes altogether, you can check out our article “Is Barefoot Running Really Better for You?”

Where Can I go for a Run? What’s the Best Surface to Run On?

For the most part, it doesn’t really matter what surface you run on if your form is good and you’re resting enough to recover between your workouts. 

But each surface does affect your body in different ways, so you should know the pros and cons of each one.

#1) Asphalt (road)

People have been running on the roads since they were first paved over 100 years ago. Most people run exclusively on the roads since they’re the most common surface that’s available for running.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with road running. It’s stable and has a relatively predictable surface so you probably won’t twist an ankle.^[10] 

 As long as you’re avoiding cars and running AGAINST the flow of traffic (so you can see approaching cars) you’ll be safe.

The danger of roads comes when you run on the same side of the road all the time. 

The problem lies with the road’s slope. 

For drainage reasons, every road has a slight slope toward the curb. If you’re always running against the flow of traffic your left leg is going to be slightly lower than your right. The solution is to switch sides of the road, but only if traffic conditions allow. 

#2) Concrete (most sidewalks)

Most sidewalks are made of concrete, not asphalt, and are actually a lot harder than the road itself. This isn’t necessarily a drawback, but you will be experiencing more impact forces on concrete than the road. If you do a lot of running on the sidewalk, make sure your form is as good as it can be!^[11] 

#3) Grass (fields)

Unless the grass is very hard-packed and smooth, I don’t recommend running on it for a long period of time. Grass is very soft so you won’t be sending jarring impact forces up through your legs like concrete, but the uneven surface is going to break up your stride and you could tweak your ankle or a muscle in your foot.

Some grass is great to run on, though. The harder and smoother it is, the better it is for running…like a golf course.^[12]

#4) Dirt or crushed gravel trails

Smooth dirt or crushed gravel (very fine— not big chunks of gravel you find in some driveways!) are some of the best running surfaces. Like the hard grass surface of a golf course, dirt and crushed gravel trails offer the same impact-dissipating qualities while still retaining firm footing. It’s the best of both worlds.

You’ll find these types of trails at larger parks with walking paths or in national/state parks with well-maintained trails. 

#5) Single-track trails

Think sharp turns, rocks, roots, stream crossings, hills, and anything else Mother Nature can throw at you. In a word: FUN.

These trails are usually narrow and filled with obstacles. The hills, direction changes, and irregular surfaces will force you to use a lot of stabilizing muscles in your lower legs. This could be good for building strength. 

#6) Track

Found at most local high schools and colleges, a 400-meter outdoor track provides a great training place for workouts.^[13] But that’s what they’re for: workouts. Not every day running!

The surface is forgiving like hard-packed dirt or a very firm golf course. But while the surface is great, the turns are what makes a track not ideal for everyday training. By doing all of your running on a track, you’re constantly turning left and setting yourself up for muscle imbalances.

You’re better off running somewhere where the turns are varied so you expose yourself to different stresses instead of the same thing over and over again. That’s how overuse injuries happen. Tracks are for faster workouts, not easy distance runs.

WHAT SURFACE SHOULD YOU RUN ON?

Your training would ideally be a combination of all of the surfaces that are available to you. Exposing your body to as much variety as possible will give you a better chance at preventing injury since you’re not doing the same thing over and over again.

The few types of running surfaces that lend themselves to more frequent training are: 

• Smooth dirt trails
• Crushed gravel paths
• Hard-packed grass (like a golf fairway).

The footing is sure and the surface isn’t too soft or firm.

Limit your running on concrete and technical trails because of the injury risk. Most sidewalks are made from concrete and are incredibly hard. Throw a tennis ball on one to see for yourself—it’ll shoot right up into the air because of the returned energy. Those same forces are being returned into your legs when you run on them. 

Technical trails present a different challenge: roots, streams, rocks, and uneven terrain. 

Run sparingly!

A good strategy to use when deciding where to run is to figure out how your body feels. 

If you’re sore or have a tender muscle, run on a softer surface. A dirt trail or well-manicured field will help you recover better than the roads. 

But if you’re doing a workout, you want to avoid technical trails or a concrete sidewalk. Pick the track, a clear dirt trail, or a road without a severe camber.

Will Running Help Me Lose Weight? (Make Sure You Like Running!)

When people tell me they’re going to start a running routine, I always ask: “Great! Do you enjoy running?”

If the answer is “No, not really” then I’d say, “Interesting. Then….why running?”

Most people think running = weight loss. If you’re brand new to health and fitness, and you’re trying to lose weight, you’re most likely overwhelmed at what you should start with and how you should train.

So let’s answer the question “will running help me lose weight?”

Maybe!

Running will help you lose weight if you do two things:

1. You run consistently.
2. You fix your diet.

Running won’t help you lose weight if you do two things:

1. You run consistently.
2. You don’t fix your diet.

As sexy as it is to think that just going for a run will help you lose weight, the data doesn’t back it up. Time Magazine rightly pointed this out years ago, and got yelled at for telling the truth, that exercise alone won’t make you lose weight.^[2]

I believe that to be especially true when exercise is only steady-speed cardio.

In fact, many people gain weight after starting an exercise routine and get completely demoralized.

What gives?

As we say here at Nerd Fitness, you can’t outrun your fork, and nutrition is 90% of the battle.

If you go for a mile run and then stuff your face with extra calories “because you earned it,” you’re going to gain weight.

It’s not because you have a slow metabolism, I promise. It’s because you’re consuming too many calories.

This is a common mistake: not fixing your nutrition if you’re running for weight loss!

If this were a movie, nutrition would be Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible and exercise is that funny sidekick who helps Tom. Let’s be real here, Tom is doing all of the heavy lifting to make that movie what it is.

While exercise is important for health, it doesn’t have to be running. It can come from activities you DO enjoy:

• Hiking
• Strength training
• Martial arts
• Ultimate Frisbee

Whatever…

Now, if you answer the question “do you even like running?” with something like:

• “Yes! I love running.”
• “I like interval training and sprints.”
• “I don’t love it, but I need to complete it for a fitness test.”
• “I’m running a 5k for charity/work and want to do well.”
• “Not yet, but I think I could…”
• “I like how I feel AFTER a run.”

…then we can continue the conversation!

The perfect place to continue the conversation?

Our new app! We have an adventure that takes all the information in this guide and provides it with actionable steps (hehe) for you to get up and running. No more “am I doing it right?” just follow the app and know you’re training correctly. 

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

How Do I Start Running? (Next Steps)

Once you get comfortable running around your neighborhood or park, you can start thinking about taking it to the next level.

Have you ever thought about running a race? They can be a lot of fun!

Here’s a clip from a race years ago where I dressed up like a Caveman with 20 of my friends and raised thousands of dollars for kids with cancer to go to summer camp!

If you want to learn how to get started, make sure you check out our article “Couch to 5K.” We cover the popular program and give our take on running your first race.

Just make sure you don’t make these 5k mistakes:

If you want even more guidance on long-distance running, I’ll point you again to my buddy Jason Fitzgerald’s wonderful site Strength Running. I reach out to Jason whenever I need advice on proper running (including the tips found in this post).

You can also check out this interview I did with Jason, where we discuss running, proper diet, and Star Wars.

There’s some overlap…

Alright, I think you’re ready to lace up and head out the door!

Want a little more help getting going? A slight nudge to get you out of the door?

Here are my top recommendations for next steps:

#1) We have a bunch of NF Coaching clients that love to get outside and run! If you want step-by-step guidance on how to lose weight, eat better, and learn to run properly, check out our killer 1-on-1 coaching program:

Have a Nerd Fitness Coach guide your running practice!

#2) If you need a trigger to “get up and run” 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) Join 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 the Nerd Fitness Starter Kit, including the 15 fitness mistakes you don’t want to make and our guide to the most effective diet and why it works

Now, your turn!

Are you an avid runner?

Do you have any tips for Rebels just lacing up?

Or are you like me, and only run when something is chasing you?

Let us know in the comments!

-Steve

PS: Don’t forget to check out the rest of our running content!

• Should You Do Couch to 5K?
• NF Guide to Footwear
• Is Barefoot Running Really Better For You?
• Start Interval Training and Sprint Running
• How to Do Tabata Sprints

###

Photo Source: Man on Dirt Road, Asphalt, Sidewalk, Grass Field, Gravel Trail, Hiking Trail, Track, Flash, Delivery, Decathlon, Fireman, Sonic, My Slowest Friend, Kristina Alexanderson: Lego in Shoe, Runner

GIF Source: Liam “Why”, Homer running, Mission Impossible, Parks and Rec, Homer Hospital, Eric Hospital, Elaine, Dog Golf Course, Trail Running, Walking Man. 

The post Blog first appeared on Nerd Fitness.

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So you want to do a pull-up, eh?

Well you’ve arrived at the right place!

Pull-ups are one of my favorite exercises. Today, I’ll share the exact program we use to help our Online Coaching clients lift themselves up.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

• What are the benefits of doing pull-ups? What muscles do pull-ups work?
• How to do a pull-up (proper form and technique).
• How to get your first pull-up.
• Pull-ups vs. chin-ups (what’s the difference?)
• 5 common mistakes when doing a pull-up.
• Advanced pull-up variations.
• How to do weighted pull-ups.
• How to include pull-ups in your workout.

Real quick…if you’re just starting your strength training journey, check out our massive guide Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know.

You can snag it for free when you enlist in the Rebellion (that’s us!) by signing up below:

Okie dokie, let’s do this.

What Are the Benefits of Doing Pull-Ups? What Muscles Do Pull-Ups Work?

Pull-ups are one of the best exercises you can do.

You want some specifics?

You got it!

Here’s are the benefits of doing pull-ups:

#1) Pull-ups work every muscle in your upper body. Pull-ups are what we call a “compound exercise,” meaning they work out several muscle groups at once. 

The muscles in your back, arms, and even abs all grow stronger from doing pull-ups. 

Abs? 

Yep! You engage your abs as you stabilize your body while hoisting yourself up.

#2) Pull-ups are a great indicator of overall strength. Since it’s just you against the force of gravity, if you can do a pull-up or chin-up, you have a greater strength-to-bodyweight ratio.

With push-ups, some of your body’s weight is supported by your feet. 

Not so with pull-ups. It’s just you and the bar.

#3) Pull-ups will help you improve your posture.^[1] By building strength in your PULL muscles, we strengthen and tighten your back muscles. 

This will naturally cause you to pull your shoulder blades back and down into proper position, providing you a better posture. 

#4) Pull-ups improve grip strength. Grip strength is another indicator of overall health. In fact, a strong grip has been correlated with lower mortality rates.^[2]

Pull-ups are a great way to improve your grip since your hands and fingers have to support your body’s weight during the movement. 

If you’re looking for a stronger handshake, regularly doing pull-ups will go a long way towards that goal.

A quick note: we have a full guide on improving your grip strength if you’d like to learn more. 

#5) Pull-ups are convenient. Some other big compound movements require decent amounts of equipment to perform, like the deadlift or bench press. Meaning unless you have weights, barbells, and power racks at your home, you’re probably heading to the gym for your training. 

Not so with pull-ups. 

Doing a pull-up really only requires a pull-up bar, but even that can be substituted.

You can use monkey bars at a local playground, a towel around a strong beam, or even a sturdy tree:

If it’s taller than you and can support your weight, you can do pull-ups from it.^[3]

Alright, enough about why you should do pull-ups. Let’s show you how it’s done.

How to Do Proper Pull-Ups

HOW TO DO A PULL-UP, STEP-BY-STEP:

1. Grab a bar with a grip slightly wider than shoulder-width, with your hands facing away from you.
2. Hang all the way down.
3. Pull yourself up until your chin is above the bar.
4. Slight pause
5. Lower yourself all the way back down.

That’s it!

You may be thinking, “That’s all well and good Steve, but what if you can’t even do a pull-up yet! What should I do?”

Don’t panic!

I got you covered boo.

I’m going to share with you the exact pull-up progression plan we use within Nerd Fitness Journey to help folks get their first chin-up.

Which you can try for free (no credit card needed) right here:

How to Get Your First Pull-Up

The above video and section are taken from our guide “Get Your First Pull-up.”

If you can’t quite hoist yourself up yet, don’t fret!

We’re going to work on increasing your “pull” muscles through a series of exercises.

First up…

Level 1 Pull-up Workout: Bent Over Dumbbell Rows

Your bent-over dumbbell rows workout will be: 

• 8 reps each arm (or as many as you can do)
• Rest for a 2-minute break
• Do another set
• Repeat until you hit 3 sets

What weight should you start out with initially?

Whatever allows you to get to at least 5 reps a set.

Once you can do 3 sets of 8 reps (each arm), it’s time to pick up a heavier dumbbell.

This will allow you to get stronger and stronger. 

When you can lift a 25-pound (10kg) dumbbell or heavier, consider moving up to the next level.

Level 2 Pull-Up Workout: Inverted Bodyweight Rows

Bodyweight rows are the PERFECT precursor to pull-ups – they work the same muscles, and have you lifting your own bodyweight, just at a different angle.

Our goal here will be to work towards a lower and lower angle, increasing the difficulty of the movement.  

So at first, we’ll do rows with the bar higher up:

Then we’ll progress to getting the bar lower:

As soon as you’re doing bodyweight rows where your body is at a 45-degree angle or lower, you can progress to the next level. 

Level 3 Pull-Up Workout: Assisted Pull-Ups

At this point, you are going to start actually doing pull-ups…with a little bit of assistance.

We’ve got a few options for you.

#1) Assisted Pull-ups with Chair

Either one foot or two on the chair, depending on your needs. Your feet are ONLY there for support, use your upper body as much as possible.

#2) Assisted Pull-ups with an Exercise Band

You can get different types of exercise bands with different levels of strength, or a variety pack for easy progression.

Put your foot in the exercise band and pull yourself up.

#3) Assisted Pull-Ups with a Partner

Have a friend hold your feet behind you and help you complete each rep. Have them use the least amount of help possible to get you through your workouts.

Once you’re comfortable doing a form of assisted pull-ups, and can do about 10 repetitions, it’s time to advance to the next level.

This is probably the TOUGHEST level before getting your pull-ups. If you get stuck on “assisted pull-ups” and “assisted chin-ups”, you’re not alone. This is where most people get stuck.

That’s why we created a specific program within Nerd Fitness Journey to get people up to the bar.

You can try it for free right here:

Level 4 Pull-Up Workout: Negative Pull-Ups

Our next level on our path for a pull-up is what we call “negative pull-ups.”

1. Grab onto the bar with an overhand grip
2. Jump so your chest is touching
3. Slowly lower yourself under control until you’re at the bottom of the movement.

As you continue to lower yourself down, you’ll build strength, eventually creating enough muscle so you can pull yourself up.

If you want more specific instructions on any of these levels or movements, check out our guide “Get Your First Pull-up” for more. 

Pull-Ups vs. Chin-Ups (What’s the Difference?)

You may hear the term “pull-up” and “chin-up” used interchangeably. 

However, there is a difference, so definitions are in order:

A PULL-UP is when your hands are facing away from you. 

This will work your back and biceps.

A CHIN-UP is when your hands are facing towards you.

 Although this also works your back, it has more emphasis on your biceps.

Are chin-ups easier than pull-ups?

Yes, chin-ups are generally easier to perform than pull-ups. The wider grip of a pull-up isolates your lats, which means you get less assistance from your biceps. 

We recommend including both chin-ups AND pull-ups into your workout, which we’ll discuss in our section on including pull-ups into your training. 

5 Common Mistakes When Doing a Pull-Up

Mistake #1: You don’t extend low enough or pull high enough. 

Full extension and a full range of motion are major problems for many people training pull-ups and chin-ups. Most people I see in the gym are doing half pull-ups. Either not pulling high enough, not dropping low enough, or both! It’s not a full rep, and it’s robbing your body of effective work.

Solution:

With each repetition you want your body to be in a straight line at the bottom – keep your elbows extended and your shoulder relaxed slightly up to your ears. Full range of motion for the win! Better to do a few proper pull-ups than more half-rep ones.

Mistake #2: You don’t engage your shoulders at the start.

Another problem I see with people is not setting their shoulders properly when they start their pull-ups, which can put unnecessary strain on your joints/tendons/muscles. It can also be the difference between being able to get your first pull-up or chin-up and flailing around on the bar!

Solution: 

Imagine pinching a pen in between your shoulder blades, then do the pull-up. In other words, pull your shoulders down and back before you bend your elbows to pull up. This puts us in a far more efficient position. By not using our back and shoulder muscles fully, over the long run we’ll be weaker and at a higher risk for injury.

Mistake #3: You’re doing too hard a variation.

Whether it’s lack of strength or too much body mass, you should choose a variation that allows you to have great form while getting stronger. Use a box, an assisted band, or an assisted pull-up machine to start at a low weight and build up your strength.

Solution: Always do proper pull-ups and chin-ups. Get your chin over the bar from a hang with every rep, and maintain good form. If you find yourself committing the mistakes on this list, make your variation easier.

Mistake #4: Not engaging your shoulders at the top.

Many people will get a good extension at the bottom of their chin-up and start with great form. But then as they perform the movement, they’ll find their shoulders in a poor position at the top.

A classic sign this is happening is if the chest/neck doesn’t touch the bar, or the body curls inward significantly at the top. 

Is your shoulder elevated to the ears or rolled forward? Are you shrugging your shoulders as you’re struggling to get above the bar?

Solution: Make your variation easier by working on an assisted chin-up and maintaining a strong shoulder position at the top. 

Keep your shoulders down and back and engaged through the movement.

A chin over the bar is a chin-up – we aren’t trying to take away your chin-up if you aren’t getting your chest to the bar. But consider this a progression to even better form so you can eventually work on harder skills like pull-up variations or the legendary muscle-up.

Mistake #5: You use violent kipping motions to do your pull-ups or chin-ups.

We know CrossFitters use the kip to get more pull-ups in a short amount of time. 

NOW, it is the humble opinion of our team that you should only be kipping AFTER you are capable of doing perfectly functional and safe pull-ups and chin-ups (in fact, many CrossFit gyms require qualifying strict pull-ups before you can kip).

Solution: Build strength and good position (the foundation!) before you worry about speed. You want to know how to drive a car before you learn how to race it!

In summary: don’t sacrifice good form for more pull-ups or chin-ups. You’ll create bad habits this way.

To check your form, simply record a video of yourself doing your pull-up variation and match it against the gifs and videos here. If it looks close, you’re doing great!

Or, you can have a Nerd Fitness Coach make sure you’re doing them correctly!

New to strength training? We can help you get started safely!

Advanced Pull-Up Variations

Once you’re able to do 3 sets of 10 pull-ups or chin-ups, it’s time to start thinking about upping the difficulty.

You have two options:

OPTION #1: Continue to get better at doing more reps – 3 sets of 12, 3 sets of 15, 4 sets of 20, etc.

OPTION #2: Start doing other types of pull-ups.

Here are some advanced pull-up variations that you can start doing:

#1) Wide Grip Pull-Ups:

Grab the bar WAY out with both hands. With your grip further out, it’ll require even MORE strengthen from your back (remember our pull-up vs. chin-up discussion).

#2) Side to Side Pull-Ups:

#3) Ring Pull-Ups

Rings hanging from the ceiling are inherently less stable than a pull-up bar. Thus ring pull-ups engage your core more as you stabilize yourself during the movement.

Want in on some ring action? Read our full guide on gymnastic rings workouts for more.

#4) Towel Pull-Ups

If you’re trying to improve your grip strength, try utilizing a couple of towels for your pull-ups. You’ll build lots of strength in your hands as you grasp the towels during the movement. 

#5) L-Sit Pull-ups

Raise your legs straight in front during your pull-up. This will challenge your core like you wouldn’t believe. 

#6) Clapping Pull-Up

The trick here is to have enough power to explode above the bar so you can clap your hands. The next trick is to grab the bar in time to bring yourself back down.

Be careful here. 

#7) One-Arm Pull-Ups

This is the most difficult pull-up variation you can do, what with the whole only using one arm business.

To keep yourself stable during the movement, keep your inactive arm close to your body while you pull.

If you start doing one-arm pull-ups, email us. Seriously. 

That should get you started experimenting with pull-up variations to increase the difficulty.

The other way to “progressive overload” your pull-ups is to add weight to the exercise, which we’ll devote our next section to.

How to Do Weighted Pull-Ups

Personally, my favorite thing to do in a gym is weighted pull-ups:

If you’re at this level and interested in doing so, let me show you how to do them.

How to do a weighted pull-up:

1. Get a weight belt. I bought this one on Amazon and it’s worked out incredibly well for me. I’ve tried doing the whole “put weights in a backpack” thing, and it certainly works. But the angle of the weights hanging off your back is weird. With a weight belt, the weight hangs down between your legs (not a euphemism) so it feels more natural.
2. Add small amounts at a time. Most gyms will have 2.5 lb (roughly 1kg) weights; you might feel stupid putting on a big weight belt and only hanging a tiny weight off it, but you need to start somewhere.
3. Consistently add more weight. I’ll warm up with two sets of 5 pull-ups with no extra weight, and then do 3 sets of 5 weighted pull-ups. If I can complete all 3 sets of 5 reps (with my chin over the bar for every rep), I’ll make a note to add 2.5 or 5lbs (1 or 2kg) to my weight belt for the next time.

If you want any help scaling your workouts, check out Nerd Fitness Journey. We created our pull-up adventure for all skill levels: from someone just starting out to someone who can do pull-ups with no assistance.

No guesswork needed on scaling your workout, just jump into the app and follow the next steps.

Including Pull-Ups in Your Workout

You now know how to do a pull-up, a chin-up, and tons of variations.

The only thing left to cover is WHEN to do pull-ups.

For that, let’s talk about building your own workout. 

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:

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

Pull-ups, chin-ups, and all the variations covered would make a great addition for your “pull” muscles (back, biceps, and forearms). 

So a sample workout routine that includes pull-ups could look like:

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

Boom! Five exercises you can do at the gym and then go home.

Wanna avoid the gym and just train at home in the first place? 

No problem! Lots of our coaching clients choose to train and do pull-ups in their homes. All you’ll need is:

• A sturdy pull-up bar. 
• Lots of bodyweight exercises to choose from.

Seriously, you don’t have to leave home to start doing pull-ups and get in shape.

Want proof?

Meet Christina:

Through our coaching program Christina learned to pick herself up, literally, and now crushes her training without ever stepping foot in a gym. You can read her full story right here. 

Start doing pull-ups regularly and I promise you your life will improve for the better.

If you’re interested in progressing but want help on the next step, we’ve built 3 options that might float your boat:

#1) If you want step-by-step guidance, a custom strength training program that levels up as you get stronger, and a coach to keep you accountable, check out our killer 1-on-1 coaching program:

#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).

Try your free trial right here:

3) Join 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 guide, Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know. It’ll help you start incorporating pull-ups and chin-ups into your training:

That should get you going mastering the pull-up.

Alright, your turn:

Do you head to the gym to crush pull-ups? 

Do you have a pull-up bar in your own home?

Any tips or tricks we missed?

Let us know in the comments!

For the Rebellion,

-Steve

PS: Check out our other articles on pull-ups:

• Get Your First Pull-up
• 5 Common Pull-Up Mistakes
• The 5 Best Pull-up Alternatives (How to Do Pull-ups Without a Bar)

PPS: Want to learn more? Read the rest of Strength Training 101 series:

• Strength Training 101: Beginner Strength Workouts
• 6 Gym Workouts for Beginners
• How to Find a Good Personal Trainer
• Strength Training 101: Inverted Rows 
• Strength Training 101: How to Squat
• Strength Training 101: The Press
• Strength Training 101: The Deadlift

###

Photo Sources: Scenes from an empty lot in Brooklyn, vol 1, Morning run with the Fitbit, Tampa Bay AirFest 2018, Girl on Monkey Bars, Weighted Pull Up, Sunset Nature Climb Animal Tree Monkey Wilderness.

GIF Source: Kipping Pull-up, L-Sit Pull-Up, Clapping Pull-Up, One-arm Pull-up.

The post Blog first appeared on Nerd Fitness.

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“Why can’t I lose weight, Steve?”

This question breaks my heart every time I hear it. And I hear it multiple times per day from frustrated people like yourself.

Some of those people are our 1-on-1 coaching clients, who we work closely with to uncover the truth.

And that’s what we’re after: the truth on why weight loss is so tough to achieve.

Why “eat less and move more” sounds nice in theory, but is insulting to those who KNOW this, try their best, and still can’t lose weight.

We’ll tackle today’s topic with statistics, science, and plenty of Harry Potter analogies. This is Nerd Fitness after all.

We’ll go over:

• Why I hate the nutrition industry.
• How much exercise do I need to do to lose weight?
• How your metabolism responds to a calorie deficit.
• The science of fat loss.
• What to eat for weight loss.
• Which diet should you pick?
• The difference between strength training and exercise.
• How strength training assists weight loss.
• Small changes for successful weight loss.

Let’s jump in, Scuba Steve style, so you can start seeing results!

If you’re somebody that wants a Yoda in your corner to coach you through the ups and downs of your fitness journey, we’re here for you with our Online Coaching Program!

No shame or judgments – just a supportive person who works hard to help you succeed 🙂

Why the Nutrition Industry Makes Me So Angry

I took this picture walking around Manhattan last week:

There is some SERIOUS psychological warfare going on here, and it hurts my soul.

For starters, they advertise as “THE” flat belly tea.

This means there are many other companies selling similar products, which would ALSO lead me to believe this is a lucrative product to sell!

They list every fitness buzzword and term every marketer uses when it comes to selling health and fitness:

• Gluten-free
• Removes waste
• Organic
• Burn fat

Including some real head-scratchers.

“Strengthen your colon?”

How the hell do you strengthen your colon?!

This reminds me of the brilliant Saturday Night Live skit about “Colon Blow” cereal:

But I digest digress…

People are buying this stuff, even if they know it probably won’t work.

Like buying a lottery ticket even when we know the odds of winning are 0% –  what we’re really buying is “hope”:

• Hope that this will actually work – unlike the last 10 attempts.
• Hope we can overcome 20 years of bad choices with a beverage.
• Hope that this product will give us the confidence and self-love we deserve.

Don’t get me wrong.

“Hope is a good thing, and no good thing ever dies.”

I just HATE when hope gets weaponized to sell you expensive snake oil and pretty-packaged fluff.

This is what we are rebelling against here in the NF Rebellion: marketers and companies who are crappy enough to prey on our hopes and fears and sell snake-oil in a bottle.

We’re also rebelling against that voice in our head that talks down to us, calls us failures for not getting in shape yet, and berates us every time we break down and eat a cookie.

I say no more.

Let’s fight fire with fire science.

How Much Exercise Do I Need to Lose Weight?

There are a few generally accepted truths when it comes to weight loss.

All of these come with baggage attached, and your results will vary depending on your:

• Weight
• Level of activity
• Genetics
• Sex
• Medications
• Body fat percentage

Setting all of that aside, I’m going to try and keep things simple just to prove my point.

Let’s go with an (understandably) oversimplified look at weight loss: a pound of fat equals around 3,500 calories.^[1]

This would mean you’ll need to either eat 3,500 fewer calories, or burn an extra 3,500 calories to lose 1 pound of fat.

So…how long does it take to burn 3,500 additional calories per week?

Let me answer a question with another question:

…How many hours do you have?

Studies show you’ll burn an extra 100 calories (approximately) when walking or running a mile.^[2]

So, you would need to be running/walking an additional 5 miles per day, 7 days a week, to lose one pound of fat per week.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t have time to run an extra 5 miles a day.

Nor do I want to!

Not only that, but as you’ll see below – this idea of just burning an extra 500 calories per day to lose a pound a week only works early on.

You’ll quickly run into speed bumps and roadblocks – figurative ones, try to avoid the real ones on your run –  that slow down your progress significantly.

Simply put, exercising your way thin has been proven time and time again not to work.

Here are three such reports:

#1) Many people develop increased appetites as a result of exercise, which leads to no weight loss.^[3] Time Magazine got in trouble for pointing this out  – even though they were right!

#2) A 2011 systematic review and meta-analysis came to the conclusion:^[4]

“In overweight and obese populations… our results show that isolated aerobic exercise is not an effective weight loss therapy.”

#3) Another study compared people who dieted vs people who only exercised:^[5]

Body weight decreased by 10% in the diet group and by 9% in the diet–exercise group, but did not decrease in the exercise group or the control group.

What I’m trying to say, and a lesson we try to deeply understand at Nerd Fitness: “you can’t outrun your fork”

…and the bad news isn’t done.

How Our Metabolism Responds to a Caloric Deficit (Our Bodies Ruin Everything!)

When you start to lose weight, your resting metabolism slows down.^[6]

You might think this is some sort of evil sorcery worthy of “He Who Must Not Be Named,” but unfortunately – it’s just 2nd-grade math.

When you start to lose weight, there is less of you that needs fuel.

In other words: your metabolism doesn’t have to work as hard to fuel all of your bodily functions, has less weight to carry, and thus it will burn significantly fewer calories compared to when you were much bigger.

Here is the estimated daily resting calorie burn (“sit on your ass all day”) of a 35-year old male nerd at 3 very different weights – as determined by our free Calorie Calculator:

• 300 lbs: 2,600 calories.
• 250 lbs: 2,300 calories.
• 200 lbs: 2,000 calories.  

WHAT THIS MEANS: Unless you adjust your calorie intake as you lose weight, your calorie intake will become less and less effective for weight loss, until you hit equilibrium.

Put a different way: this person could eat 2,300 calories per day and over time, lose 50 pounds (from 300 pounds to 250 pounds), but that’s where he’ll hit equilibrium: calories burned equals calories consumed.

In order for him to lose the next 50 pounds, he’ll need to decrease his caloric intake even more, and then STAY at that calorie consumption to keep the weight off.

And then it gets even worse!

There is a solid body of evidence on a bodily feature called “adaptive thermogenesis.”^[7]

Which has nothing to do with the band Genesis – though feel free to listen to “Invisible Touch” right now.

It might soften the blow while you learn about “adaptive thermogenesis.”

“Adaptive thermogenesis” refers to the process in which our bodies will adjust based on how many calories we burn – and do whatever it can to preserve the body fat we have.^[8]

Our bodies WANT to maintain the extra body fat we have (“I don’t know when I’ll need this, better save”), and are actively working in unison to preserve it – so even after a few pounds are lost from running, it’s going to be a persistent challenge to keep the weight off.

As pointed out in this article above:

“In long-term studies of weight-reduced children and adults, 80%-90% return to their previous weight percentiles, while studies of those successful at sustained weight loss indicate that the maintenance of a reduced degree of body fatness will probably require a lifetime of meticulous attention to energy intake and expenditure.”

This is why so many people can LOSE weight, but can’t seem to keep the weight off.^[9]

This doesn’t even factor in all of the other challenges surrounding weight loss: an “obesogenic” environment (you can smell Cinnabon minutes before seeing it), psychological challenges like depression and anxiety, menopause, medications, and hormones.

These factors cause us to crave high-calorie foods, increase our odds of fat gain, and make it tough to keep our calorie intake in-check, because chocolate cake.

To Recap Why Weight Loss Is Difficult:

• You can’t exercise your way to weight loss.
• Your metabolism slows down when you lose weight.
• Your environment makes it difficult not to overeat.
• Your body will try to keep its fat stores.
• Even when you lose weight, your body wants to keep the fat it has.
• If you lose weight, you’ll have to stay diligent or you’ll put the weight back on.

This is all terrible, horrible, no good, very bad news.

And the toughest truth of all: Due to those factors above, it might not be your fault that you’re overweight…but it IS your responsibility to navigate!

I know, I know.

However, there is HOPE!

And here at Nerd Fitness – and in the Star Wars universe – rebellions are built on hope.

We have thousands of success stories from people who thought they couldn’t lose weight…until they did.

People HAVE lost weight, and kept it off.

People who are older, bigger, have more children, less money, more illnesses, and bigger hardships than you.

It’s a constant battle, but one that’s absolutely worth fighting.

And this means that you are not broken. You don’t have metabolic damage. You are not doomed.

Sure, you’re flawed.

But so are your heroes.

You might be playing life on “Legendary” difficulty, but people like you have succeeded.

It starts by using all of the tools at our disposal, because the forces working against us are doing the same.

Let’s get nerdy.

Want to lose weight and get strong like Leslie? Learn more about our Online Coaching Program!

The Science of Fat Loss

YES, it would be awesome if you could drink tea or wrap yourself in plastic to magically lose fat.

YES, it would be amazing if a 30-minute bootcamp class allowed you to eat junk food all day, every day, and not gain an ounce.

YES, it would be amazing if you could take a magic pill that gave you the body you had 10 years ago.

It would also be cool if superheroes were real and I could fly.

Well, not like that.

Come on, Aquaman. People can see you.

We live in a world of science, physics, and thermodynamics.

This means we should ALWAYS look at life through the following lenses:

1. Occam’s Razor: The simplest explanation is PROBABLY the correct one.
2. Law of energy: Energy can’t be created or destroyed, only transformed.
3. Reality: If it sounds TOO good to be true, it probably is.

Let’s apply this to our waistlines:

If we are overweight…

It’s not because we have “toxins” in our bodies that need to be flushed out.

It’s not because we didn’t spend enough time in the “fat-burning” zone during our “muscle confusion” bootcamp.

It’s not because we need fat-burning tea.

These are all pseudoscience buzz terms to sell products, and have no truth to their claims.

Occam’s Razor dictates the simplest solution is PROBABLY the right one.

So what’s the simple explanation to why we’re overweight?

Every day, we consume food that gets transformed into energy.

This food has three options once it enters our body:

1. Fuel our bodily functions: fuel our organs, regulate our body temperature, etc.
2. Pass through as waste: pee and poop.
3. Get stored (usually as fat): saved for a rainy day.

If we are overweight, we are consuming more ‘energy’ than our bodies need every day. Because our body doesn’t need all of it, too much is being stored as fat.

This brings us to the main point of our nutritional focus:

If weight loss is our goal, we must consume FEWER calories than we burn on a consistent basis.

By doing so, our body has no choice but to dip into that “rainy day” fund of fat stores to still get all of its bodily tasks done each day.

Do this consistently, and that’s how we end up with a lower number on the scale and a smaller pants size.

“Steve I know I should eat less. It’s doing it consistently that’s the tough part. Have you tried CAKE?!”

Great point.

And yes, cake is awesome.

But we have to start somewhere!

And it starts here: we need to eat fewer calories, but it ALSO has to be sustainable and enjoyable, otherwise we’ll never stick with it.

And temporary changes produce temporary results. We want permanent weight loss!

Just saying “eat less” doesn’t factor the crazy biological, physiological, and/or emotional challenges we face every day:

We might eat when we’re stressed, depressed, or bored.

We might be on medication that is causing us to overeat without us realizing it.

We can’t eat just one potato chip without eating an entire bag.

We absentmindedly grab a handful of Peanut M&M’s when visiting Kevin in Accounting.

Not only that, but even when we pay attention to what we eat, studies show that we often underestimate our calorie consumption by 15+%.^[10]

Crap. This just keeps getting worse!

What’s a smart nerd like you supposed to do in this scenario!?

If we KNOW we overeat without realizing it, and we KNOW restricting calories is tough to stick with long term, then the only path forward is to attack the problem differently.

Not with fit tea.

Nor with body wraps.

Not with “muscle confusion.”

But with science, math, and psychology.

What to Eat For Weight Loss

If weight loss is the goal, we need to shift our food choices to foods that give us more “bang for our buck” – healthy, filling, nutritious foods that fill us up and makes us less likely to overeat calorie-bomb foods.

These foods allow us to feel full, but still keep us under our calorie goal for the day:

• Protein like meat, fish, eggs, and so on.  
• Fruit like apples, bananas, and berries.
• Vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and kale.
• Carbohydrate sources like quinoa, legumes, oats, rice, and potatoes.

These are foods that take up a lot of space in our stomach and make us feel full.

If we do this consistently, without feeling miserable, we have a really good chance of not only losing weight, but keeping the weight off.

In contrast, here are some foods that are loaded with calories which DON’T fill us up – thus making it easy for us to overeat:

• High-calorie, easy to overeat foods like breads, french fries, pasta, and pizza.
• Soda, juices, and sugary coffee beverages.
• Candy, cookies, crackers, etc.

To really HAMMER this point home…

As we point out in “Can You Burn Fat and Build Muscle at the Same Time?” here’s what 200 calories look like, thanks to WiseGEEK.

Which ones do you think will make you feel full, and which ones will make you eat more than you realize?

Can you get yourself to stop after 2/3rds of a bagel or a small handful of pasta?

Of course not!

One more example – here’s 200 calories of broccoli:

“Steve, that is an absurd amount of broccoli.”

Yup. It’s also the SAME number of calories as 2/3rds of a bagel (which doesn’t even include the calories from the cream cheese or butter).

Now, it’s insulting to say “You should eat more broccoli and less bagels. There’s yer problem.”

I’m merely pointing this out to emphasize the difference between energy (calories) and volume.

(Hate broccoli and vegetables? Read how to make vegetables taste good!)

Depending on what you eat, you could feel “OH SO FULL” after your meal or “Why am I already hungry again? NOM NOM NOM.”

Which means…

If you can start to make even SMALL changes, focusing on nutrient-dense, calorically-light foods like protein, fruit, and veggies, to replace some junk food – even occasionally, it’s going to shift the energy balance back in the right direction.

You’ll become more likely than not to eat fewer calories than you burn, moving you beneath your daily equilibrium.

Do that consistently, and you start to pull from those fat stores.

And we find ourselves at the holy grail:

Sustainable, non-miserable weight loss.

This is actually the secret sauce for ALL popular diets these days.

As we point out in our “What is the Perfect Diet” article, all the popular diets get you to eat more REAL food and less junk food.

They just all have their own unique marketing spin to sell cookbooks and courses and subscriptions. 

Let’s look at each of these diets in a nutshell:

• Paleo: cut out grains and dairy. Consume only meat, veggies, fruits, and nuts.
• Keto: cut out ALL carbs. Consume only meat, veggies, nuts, and fatty sauces.
• Intermittent Fasting: cut out an entire MEAL every day.
• Mediterranean Diet: focus on REAL foods, with whole grains. Cut out processed foods.
• Carnivore Diet: Only eat meat. Remove everything else.
• Military Diet: Nevermind. Please don’t do this diet.

ANY of the diets above will result in temporary weight loss if you strictly follow the rules, but not for the reason you’d think.

It’s not because we’re designed to eat like cave people (though we are), or that our bodies function differently on a Ketogenic Diet (it does), or even that fasting has plenty of health benefits (it does!).

Those things are like 2% of the reason why they work for weight loss. [2% is a statistic I made up to emphasize the smaller importance of any ancillary benefit compared to the bigger picture]

The other 98%: they make us more likely than not to consume fewer calories on average than we usually eat, which will lead to weight loss in the long term… if you can stick with it.

And each diet has rules and guidelines that speak to the specifics of individual people.

If you’re freaking out about how to eat and which diet to pick and you’re worried if you’ll even be able to stick with it, you’re not alone.

It’s why we created our 1-on-1 Coaching Program!

To help people like you change their habits around food to start seeing permanent weight loss results without being miserable!

No more confusion or frustration! Just a supportive coach to answer your questions and a plan to follow. Learn more:

Which Diet Should I Pick to Lose Weight?

Nearly EVERY diet will work in the short term, because they all lead to temporary calorie restriction. Every diet above will fail you too in the long term, because you need to do the diet permanently to get the results permanently!

So in my opinion, you should only follow a strict diet like those above IF you can see yourself sticking with it consistently for the next 10 years.

“Steve, that’s melodramatic. Come on.”

That’s what I was going for.

If a diet sounds too restrictive to stick with permanently, then it’s too restrictive for you to devote weeks or months of your life to!

After all, temporary changes equal temporary results.

You’re better off picking a diet that you confidently feel like you can stick with permanently. You should be thinking in terms of “days and years,” not “weeks and months!”

Here’s the end goal we’re working towards:

Sustainable weight loss, weight maintenance, and actually enjoying life.

Looking in the mirror and being happy with what you see, knowing that the weight will stay off.

And most importantly, habits that allow us to enjoy life, have great meals with friends and family, while still reaching our goals

Not temporary changes, but rather permanent small adjustments that adjust over time as we start to see results and build momentum.

Sound good?

Let’s get back to basics and start learning about the food we’re putting into our bodies.

Cool? Cool.

A Primer on Strength Training

Conservatively speaking, strength training is the greatest thing ever invented in the history of the galaxy.

Okay, so maybe it’s third after electricity and Nintendo.

But I say this to make a point.

There’s a huge difference between “exercise” and strength training when it comes to body composition.

Coach Matt explains exactly why in this video on gaining muscle while losing fat:

We also cover this in a very in-depth manner in our “Can I Lose Weight and Build Muscle?” guide – which is one giant Harry Potter allegory that you’ll love – but I’ll share the basics right here.

If your goal is consistent, permanent, healthy weight loss and weight management, 80-90% of the battle will be nutrition,

When it comes to exercise, you really only have TWO things to focus on:

1. What exercise do you love? Good. Do that.
2. Strength train as often as you have time for.

I’ll touch on the first one quickly.

When you do exercise you love, you’re giving your heart and body a good workout. You’re reminding yourself “I am living healthy” and THUS you should be more likely than not to stick with your healthy eating strategy.

Notice I said “exercise you love.”

If you hate running, never run a mile again.

Hate going to the gym? Never set foot in one.

Hate bootcamps? Me too. Don’t do them.

Instead, go rock climbing, or hiking, or do yoga, or swing dancing, or LARPing.

Really, anything that gets you off your ass and moving. Cool? Cool.

Never do exercise you hate again. Let us build a fun workout program for you! Learn more:

How Strength Training Assists Weight Loss

Your body functions differently when you strength train, in all of the right ways.

We have a whole Strength Training 101 sequence that can you get you started, but I’ll whet your appetite with the nerdiest metaphor ever below.

You can find study^[11] after study^[12] after study^[13] that shows you the benefits of strength training for weight management.

Let me explain it here quickly, borrowing from Harry Potter:

(You know, the wizard.)

At the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, when each student arrives they put on the “Sorting Hat,” an actual hat that determines which House (group) that child will join for his time at Hogwarts.

The hat acts almost like a traffic director:

“Harry, you will go to Gryffindor! Draco, you will go to Slytherin!”

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

For example:

You eat a large Hawaiian pizza and 20 ounces of Mountain Dew. Your body has to do SOMETHING with all those calories.

To keep things simple, let’s look at the 3 most common results.

It’ll sort those calories into one of three Houses:

A: Burn for Fuel.
B: Rebuild Muscle.
C: Store as Fat.

Your body sorts most of those calories into “Burn for Fuel.” There’s a number of calories your body burns each day just existing: to keep your liver functioning, your heart pumping, your brain operating, and so on – it burns a good chunk of calories just keeping the lights on.

Here are two quick examples (from our TDEE calculator!):

• A 6’, 34-year old male weighing 250 pounds burns 2,300 calories a day just by existing.
• A 5’5”, 40-year old female weighing 140 pounds burns 1,350 calories a day just by existing.
  

Now, if you don’t do any exercise, and you consume MORE calories than the rate you burn each day, the “Sorting Hat” in your body needs to put those calories somewhere!

Where do you think it’ll sort them?

“C: Store as Fat.”

However, your body’s sorting behavior changes when you strength train.
Specifically, when you train in a way that really challenges your muscles. This is completely relative to where you are at in your life right now:

• HEAVY weight training might be a 500 lb deadlift or a 5 pound dumbbell curl.
• INTENSE bodyweight training might be a handstand push-up or a knee push-up.

When you strength train – by picking up something heavy – your muscles are “broken down” during the exercise itself, and then they rebuild themselves stronger over the next 24-48 hours.

Guess what happens during those 24-48 hours?

Your body will divert as many calories as possible to “Rebuild Muscle!”

It also diverts additional calories to “Burn as Fuel” to handle this increased “muscle rebuilding” activity.^[14]

This means two amazing things:

• Your metabolism is revved up for this time period, burning more calories than normal.
• Rebuilding muscle is a calorie taxing activity!

There are significantly fewer calories available for “Store as Fat.”

AND IT GETS BETTER.

When you consume fewer calories than your body burns each day, continuing to strength train will cause your body to get even more clever.

Let’s imagine a scenario where you’re eating fewer calories than you burn every day:

• You strength train regularly, and your muscles break down and need to be rebuilt.
• You don’t consume enough calories compared to how many calories your body needs to both rebuild muscle and fuel itself…
• So 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 is the moment your body has been saving up for.

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.

This is the Tri-wizard cup^[1] of physical transformation victory:

• You get stronger and keep the muscle you have.
• You burn through the fat you’re trying to get rid of.
• You’re decreasing your body fat percent and keeping your muscle = look good naked.

This would be a “win-win-win” according to Michael Scott, Regional Manager, Dunder Mifflin Scranton.

Want help learning how to strength train? You can absolutely build your own workout, or you can work with one of our coaches who can create a custom program that’s specific to your goals and lifestyle.

We’ll even make sure you’re doing the movements correctly via video, because we’re nice like that 🙂

Learn how to get strong with our Online Coaching Program! Learn more:

BACK TO BASICS: How To Guarantee Successful Weight Loss

If you’re still reading, then there is hope for you yet.

You can do this – but you have to be smart and diligent about it! Stop trying to exercise your way thin, and stop trying to find ‘get fit quick’ solutions.

Instead, take this one day at a time. We’re here for you!

We talk about proper nutrition in our big “Healthy Eaters” guide, and we go more in-depth into the specific foods that we recommend, but it starts here:

• You have to eat fewer calories than you eat now to lose weight, and do so permanently.
• The best way to do that is to substitute more protein and veggies onto your plate.
• Strength training will supercharge your results, building muscle while making it easier to burn extra fat.

Understand you’re overeating, and forgive yourself for doing so – most foods have been designed for you to overeat!

YOUR MISSIONS, SHOULD YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT THEM:

#1) Pledge to stop buying snake oil. If you’re not sure, ask yourself “Does this sound too good to be true?” and “What would Steve do?”

In addition: stop doing exercises you hate just to lose weight. Pick exercises you enjoy, and put all of your focus on slowly adjusting your nutrition instead!

Shun the Dark Side and come back to the Light!

#2) Be deliberate in your decisions. Every calorie counts. Every decision counts. So make ONE different decision as a result of you being more aware of what you put in your body.

Drinking water instead of soda or juice.

Swapping out a salad for fries once per week. It all counts, but make your decision deliberate.

You’re a smart person. You know what foods should be daily staples, and what foods should be occasional treats. It all counts. So make ONE decision differently to prove to yourself that you can change.

#3) Educate yourself on the serving size of ONE food that you eat regularly. Google it. Find out if what you THINK is a serving and what’s actually in a serving is anywhere close to accurate.

You might be surprised to find out:

• A serving of pasta is HALF the size of what you normally eat with your meal.
• How much peanut butter is considered a serving (hint: it ain’t much).
• There are 2.5 servings in that one bottle of Green Machine Naked Juice.

I don’t want you to change the food or the portions yet. I just want you to educate yourself on what you’re eating, and compare it to how much you thought you were eating.

NEXT STEPS IF YOU WANT TO GO FARTHER! 

If you are looking for more hands-on guidance, we have three options for ya!

1) 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program! If that sounds like you, and you’re looking for nutritional guidance, custom strength training routines just for your situation, and expert accountability, we’d love to hear your story!

No more dieting. No more shame. Just results and a supportive coach! Learn more:

2) If you want a roadmap for sustainable weight loss, 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) Join the Rebellion! Join our free email list and community – I send out two fun emails a week – and I’ll send you our free 10-level Nutrition Guide along with a bunch of other free bonuses. Get them when you sign up in the box below:

#4) Do a strength training routine! We have so many awesome free options for you here on Nerd Fitness. Pick the ones that jump out at you!

• 15 free circuit training routines: for either the gym or home! 
• Our Beginner Bodyweight Routine is super popular.
• Pick one of our Beginner Strength Workouts to learn about strength!
• Try our 6-Level Gym Workout!

“What is the biggest question you have around nutrition, strength training, and weight loss?”

Oh and please, go eat a vegetable 🙂

-Steve

PS: I know this HOPEFULLY goes without saying, but this is the internet: I totally get that this issue is very complicated to begin with. If you have a hormonal imbalance, PCOS, are on medication for any number of reasons, it could also be affecting your weight.

PLEASE speak with your doctor about your weight and any changes you are looking to make!

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Photo source: A good Sunday to you, Can I have your bicycle, Speed!, Swimming pool, Pizza lab, Dinner is set, Happy monday!, Speed.

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There’s a lot of false information out there on “building muscle fast.”

There’s also A LOT of companies making money selling useless supplements, many of them promising “toned” muscle within weeks.

These two things are not a coincidence.

Today, we’ll provide the truth you so rightly deserve:

• How fast can I build muscle naturally?
• How fast can a beginner gain muscle? (Initial gains)
• How do you make your muscles grow faster? (Strength Training 101)
• Should I worry about getting bulky?

This will help you separate fact from fiction on building muscle when training naturally.

Make no mistake about it, this stuff isn’t easy.

Otherwise you wouldn’t be reading about it on the internet!

If you’re somebody that’s worried about wasting time, or you want to have an expert hand craft a workout and nutrition program that’s based on your current situation, consider checking out our really popular 1-on-1 Online Training Program! I’ve been training with an online coach since 2015 and it has been the biggest boost for me in the world.

Want a custom muscle building plan? Learn more here:

Alright, onto “how much muscle can I build naturally?”

How Fast Can I Build Muscle Naturally?

You’re here for an answer, so I’m going to get the ugly truth (that will probably make you sad) out of the way.

How fast can you build muscle?

Under OPTIMAL conditions, you can expect to gain around 1-2 pounds of muscle per month.

We’ve found that for most Rebels here in the Nerd Fitness Rebellion (our community), closer to one pound per month is the reality.

“Optimal conditions” mean that you are:

• Eating the right amount and the right kinds of food.
• Potenntially using 1-2 supplements (protein and creatine).
• You are training perfectly for muscle growth (which we explain in this section here).

Oh, and proper sleep is also absolutely necessary.

This also means you are trying to thread the needle of eating JUST enough to build muscle, but not too much that you put on a lot of fat, too.

Yeah, you could go full hulk mode (“dirty bulk”) and just eat anything and everything, maxing out your muscle building… but it’ll be buried under fat, which you’ll have to trim again and restart the cycle.

While it is certainly one effective way to gain muscle and strength, we more often recommend fiddling with your diet and training so you can find that sweet spot where you’re building muscle and not gaining too much fat.

All of this to say: Yes, can build muscle quickly, but it will NOT be the crazy amount you read about in the magazines, unless you’re taking Dr. Stark’s super serum (ROIDS!).

If you had grand visions of looking like the dudes in the ads you see in muscle and fitness, don’t expect to do so in 90 days with a few days of training and protein shakes.

Remember: Expect 1-2 pounds of month of muscle gain…under optimal conditions.

The one possible exception to gaining strength and muscle fast? Noob gains.

How Fast Can a Beginner Gain Muscle? (Initial Gains)

Yes, we’ve all heard the stories of guys that have gained 40 pounds of muscle in two months.

We’ve also seen all the ridiculous ads about “the workout supplement doctors don’t want you to see” with a guy that looks like Bane.

99% of that stuff is absolute bullshit, so let’s just get that out in the open!

HOWEVER, If you’re really skinny, young, training hard, and eating all day every day, as a newbie you can produce results very quickly.

It is possible, in the first year of true strength training with intense focus and dedication, to gain 15-20 pounds of muscle. Combine that with 15-20 pounds of fat gain and you can drastically change your appearance if you started out very skinny.

When I started to take strength training serioulsy, I felt like I was invincible. I even gained 18 pounds in a month, and I foolishly assumed most of it was muscle.

But due to taking the supplement creatine (which allows your muscles to hold more water weight), almost all of it was water weight, along with some fat… and then probably 2 pounds of muscle!

I’ve since come to learn “TEH MUSCLE GAINZ” aren’t that easy. Fortunately, that’s only part of what I learned in that month.

If you are new to strength training and you are eating right, you’ll not only pack on muscle, but you’ll see some incredibly impressive gains in your strength training:

• Going from 1 pull up to 3 sets of 15?
• Adding 100 pounds to your squat?
• Adding 150 pounds to your deadlift?

I can’t predict what sort of results you’ll see in that first year, but it can be pretty epic if you attack it right!

Muscle growth might happen slower than you want, but I expect something different will happen along the way – you’ll fall in love with this idea of building STRENGTH! In fact, getting hooked on progress, and strength training is one of the best things you can do for yourself.

So, if you are young, growing, and brand spankin’ new to strength training, you’ll be able to pack on muscle at a decent clip. Our goal will be for you to do it in a way that’s sustainable!

Hopefully I didn’t put a big damper on your Captain-America fueled dreams! I just want to set proper expectations so you don’t get discouraged with slow progress, and instead get SUPER encouraged with any progress. Getting strong should be freakin’ fun!

Weirdly enough, once I stopped trying to get there quickly is when I started to actually make permanent progress.

Good?

Good!

Now let’s build you some muscle!

How Do You Make Your Muscles Grow Faster? (Strength Training 101)

We’ve covered this at length in the “How to Bulk Up Fast” Guide but I’ll give you the abridged version:

How to build muscle quickly and bulk up:

1. Lift heavy things.
2. Then, lift heavier things than last time (progressive overload).
3. Specifically include squats and deadlifts and compound movements – they target the muscle building triggers in your entire body.
4. Target sets and reps in the 4-5 sets of 6-10 reps per set.
5. Sleep as much as you can.
6. Eat more calories, especially on training days (with plenty of protein and carbs, and vegetables). Head here to calculate your caloric needs.
7. Use a protein supplement if you cannot consume enough protein via regular sources.
8. Consider supplementing with creatine.
9. Repeat month after month after month.
10. When in doubt, eat more than you think.
11. If you put on too much fat, slightly cut back on calories on non-training days.

The goal here is to thread the needle where we pack on size and muscle but not fat. If we don’t eat enough (generally a problem for us skinny people), we will struggle to put on either.

However, if we overeat we’ll build muscle and add some fat. We can then trim the fat, if after a few weeks we notice our body fat percentage creeping up.

“But Steve, I don’t have access to a gym – can I pack on muscle with just bodyweight exercises?”

Yes, you can pack on size while only doing bodyweight exercises. Look at any Olympic gymnast!

I personally managed to pack on some weight while traveling the world.

However, this can feel like playing Halo on Legendary difficulty. It can be done, but damn it can be challenging – especially for lower body movements.

If your sole goal is to get bigger as fast as possible, access to a barbell for squats and deadlift is almost a requirement.

Note about all of the above:

If you’re confused about how to start with strength training, or you want to start with bodyweight training before trying a gym, or you just want to make sure you’re squatting and doing pull-ups right, we cover ALL of that in our free downloadable guide, Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know.

Get your free guide when you sign up in the box below, and we’ll show you exactly what to do:

Should I Worry About Getting Too Bulky?

“I want to put on muscle, but not too much I don’t want to get too bulky, Steve!”

We get this comment via email a LOT, from both guys and gals.

In fact, I heard this fear so frequently that I included it in our top 7 myths of strength training for women. Mostly, this comment comes from folks who are new to strength training and fitness, which makes sense.

The unknown is scary, and we’re scared to start something if we’re not quite sure how our bodies are going to adapt.

Combine this with mainstream magazines saying things like “lift light weights to tone arms!” and we conjure up visions of lifting heavy weights producing a Hulk-like response.

Here’s a before and after from Staci, a Senior Coach in our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program, who picked up VERY heavy weights and actively tried to get bulky.

Let’s see the results:

Here’s the truth: YOU DO NOT GET BULKY WITHOUT DEVOTING YOUR LIFE TO IT! Unless you are training with hypertrophy (increased muscle size) as a focus, have superior genetics, take steroids, eat like a horse, and focus on nothing but muscle size for months/years, you are NOT going to get too bulky.

I run a fitness site. I have dedicated my life to health and fitness for the past twelve years, and I have actively been trying to put on weight and muscle throughout that entire time.

I am nowhere close to looking bulky, despite all of my efforts to do so, and dedicating my last 13 months to building muscle and size. 

Yes, genetically some people MIGHT put on muscle more easily than others, but even then it’s fractions of a degree, not DRASTIC sweeping differences. We tend to get this question from men or women who are so thin and have such fast metabolisms, they probably need to put on 40-50+ pounds of both fat and muscle, before they would ever even think to use the word “too bulky.”

So, remove this from your vocabulary! 

Build Muscle and Get Strong Now.

 I want to talk about one final thing: all of the above info about muscle building is true, if you are 100% focused on muscle building.

Your results will vary if you are trying to build muscle while also:

• Running regularly
• Doing martial arts
• Participating in sports that require endurance

Why? Well, because instead of using the calories from your food to grow big and strong, the calories are going to fuel an extra long run.

We dive deep into the subject here in “The Ultimate Guide to Building Any Physique.”

Now, all of this information comes with a caveat: do what makes you happy! If you love to run, or play ultimate frisbee 4 days a week, go for it. Just be sure to temper your goals if you’re ALSO trying to accomplish a billion other things too. Just temper your expectations as to what will be possible.

If you are looking for more specific guidance on how to build muscle naturally, or you’ve been at it for months/years without getting results and think you’re a lost cause, you’re not alone!

I honestly thought I was a lost cause because I spent 6 years training to bulk up and saw no results. Despite the story I told myself, it wasn’t because of my genetics. It was because I was following bad advice, had a bad training program, and didn’t have the right nutritional strategy!

If you are tired of not getting results, want to avoid trial-and-error, or you just want to be told exactly what to do to reach your goals, check out our popular 1-on-1 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 strategy for you.

Now, if you are somebody that is more of the “do-it-yourself” type, check out our self-paced app, Nerd Fitness Journey.

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

Try your free trial right here:

What else can I answer for you about healthy strength and muscle building? 

We can become superheroes, and we have dozens of stories to prove it 🙂 – just remember it’s going to take time. Attack the problem with the right game plan, and your ascension to superhero status can come a bit quicker.

What do you want to know about building muscle and strength? Leave questions in the comments!

-Steve

PS: Not ready to commit to one of our programs?

That’s cool too!

Make sure you sign up for our email list so we can send you BOTH the “Skinny Nerd’s Guide to Bulking Up” and also our entire “Strength Training 101: What You Need to Know” ebook! You can get both free when you sign up in the box below:

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photo source:^[1]

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“Steve, what am I supposed to do on days when I’m not training?”

It’s a great question and one we receive quite frequently here at Nerd Fitness.

With our coaching clients, not only do we create workout schedules for them, we also help them utilize “off days” with active recovery. 

Have your Nerd Fitness Coach create a complete workout routine, including active recovery! Learn more here:

Today, we’ll share with you the exact same lessons (click to jump to that section): 

• Is it good to work out every day? (Why you need rest days)
• What should I do on gym rest days? (Active Recovery)
• Rest Day Workout 1: Mobility
• Rest Day Workout 2: Fun Activities
• Rest Day Workout 3: Intervals, Sprints, and Walking
• Rest Day Workout 4: Yoga
• Rest Day Workout 5: Foam Roller
• Making the most of your days off (3 Rest Day Best Practices)

Let’s do this.

Is It Good to Work Out Every Day? (Why You Need Rest Days)

We advise our coaching clients to work out 3 days per week with full-body strength training routines.

This would include lots of compound movements like:

• Squats
• Push-ups
• Overhead presses
• Deadlifts

These exercises train multiple muscle groups at once, resulting in an efficient, functional, strategy for strength building and weight loss.

Here’s the important science for today’s lesson:

Muscles are broken down during a workout.

When challenged enough, they tear during the exercise, becoming weaker. They only start to grow back stronger during the 24-48 hours after training.^[1]

That’s why it doesn’t benefit us to train the same muscles every day; we don’t want to destroy them without giving them a chance to grow back stronger.

If you follow our advice and do full-body strength training workouts 2-3 times a week, the question “How many days a week should I rest?” can be answered with “around 4 or 5 days without heavy lifting.”

So, does this give you free rein to binge-watch your favorite show on “days off from the gym?”

While I’m not going to tell you to delete your Netflix account (the horror), I do want to talk about making the most of your time away from the gym.

What Should I Do on Gym Rest Days? (Active Recovery)

The biggest problem most people have with off days is that they become “cheat days”! 

Because they’re not training, they’re not thinking about being fit and it’s much easier to slack off, eat poorly, and lose momentum.

This is bad news bears.

Remember, exercise is only 10-20% of the weight-loss equation: how we eat and rest is the other 80-90%!

To help here, I’ve found I’m far less likely to eat poorly when I’m doing some active recovery than when I’m not doing anything deliberately.

So plan your off days!

Think of them not as “off days,” but they’re “recovery days.” They serve a vital role in building an antifragile kickass body capable of fighting crime (or roughhousing with your kids in the backyard).

Whether it’s scheduling one of the Rest Day Workouts below at the same time you normally train, or deliberately adding a morning mobility/stretching routine to your day, doing SOMETHING every single day is a great way to remind ourselves:

“I am changing my life and I exercise daily.”

This leads us to the idea of “active recovery.”

What is active recovery?

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

That’s why we discuss active recovery throughout our guide on DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness), because it might help ease the pain.

When you exercise, you increase blood flow to your muscles. By moving your body, you’re actually speeding up your recovery and reducing soreness.^[2]

The trick is to be active enough to increase blood flow, but gentle enough that you allow the muscles to heal. 

Our Rest Day Workouts below will walk that fine line.

You could also walk a tightrope on your rest days.

Personally, on days when I’m not training, I try to block off a similar amount of time to work on myself in some way to maintain momentum. I encourage you to do the same if you lose momentum when taking a day off.

It could be flexibility training, mobility training, meal prep, and more. I’ll cover these below!

Whatever it is, do SOMETHING every day, even if it’s for just five minutes, to remind yourself that you are making progress towards your new life.

Need help building a weekly workout schedule, including rest days? I have two options for you.

1. The first is to get your hands dirty and check out our guide “How To Build Your Own Workout Routine.” It’ll walk you through everything you need to design a day-to-day exercise plan.
2. Alternatively, we can do all of the heavy lifting for you (well, not ALL the heavy lifting) – we’ll create a specific routine so all you have to do is log into your NF Coaching App each morning and do the workout your coach prescribed!

Never wonder what to do next. Learn how our coaching app can tell you exactly what to do every day!

Rest Day Workout 1: Mobility

We’ve all felt that soreness the day after (or two days after) strength training or from an intense run – our muscles have been broken down and are incredibly tight from all of the heavy lifting.

For that reason, one of the best things you can do on an off day is to work on your flexibility and mobility. Dynamic stretching and mobility work helps prepare our body for the rigors of strength training, keeping us injury-free!

Regardless of whether or not you have a training day scheduled, try to start each morning with a mobility warm-up: a series of dynamic movements that gets your body activated and wakes up your muscles, joints, and tendons.

This gives us a chance every morning to check in with our bodies and reminds us mentally “I am leveling up physically, might as well eat right today too.”

Here’s a Beginner Warm-up Routine you can try:

Here’s another favorite mobility routine from my friend (and coach) Anthony Mychal:

It says it’s a warm-up for tricking, but it’s quite helpful for those of us mere mortals.

Here’s another more advanced warm-up routine that I personally use before lifting:

If you spend all day at a desk, doing some basic mobility movements throughout the day can keep your hips loose and keep you thinking positively.

Here’s an article on how to dominate posture at your desk job.

Rest Day Workout 2: Fun Activities

We are genetically designed to move, not sit on our asses for 60+ hours a week. Not only that, but we are genetically designed to have fun doing so too!

This means we can spend time on our off days working on our happiness AND staying active at the same time.

Like with whatever is going on here:

This fun activity can mean something different for everybody:

• Go for a bike ride with your kids
• Go for a run around your neighborhood
• Play kickball in a city league (I play on Thursdays!)
• Play softball
• Swim
• Go for a walk with your significant other
• Go rock climbing
• Learn martial arts like Brazilian Jiu Jitsu or Capoeira or Kung Fu
• Take a dance class
• Try Live Action Role-Playing (LARP!)
• Play on a playground
• Roll down a hill and run back up it

Check out our guide “40 Fun Exercises! Exercise Without Realizing It” for even more ideas!

I honestly don’t care WHAT you do, as long as it’s something you truly enjoy doing – it should put a smile on your face and gets your heart pumping.

Exercise does not need to be exhausting or miserable. If you haven’t found an activity you enjoy yet, you haven’t tried enough new things.

The point is to get outside, remember it’s a damn good day to be alive, and that we are built to move.

Helping clients discover exercise they love is one of the key components of our Online Coaching Program. Whether it’s learning parkour, hiking in a nearby forest, or heading to the gym to grab a barbell, we help clients discover their passion so working out becomes enjoyable.

Our coaching program makes getting healthy fun. Seriously! Learn how we can help you on your journey.

Rest Day Workout 3: Intervals, Sprints, and Walking

“But Steve, I have this big party coming up and I really am trying to lose as much weight as possible.”

Okay okay, I hear you – if that’s the case, then 90% of the battle is going to be with your diet. You should focus your energy on healthy eating in order to lose weight.

But there are SOME things you can do on your Off Days that can help you burn more calories:

1) Interval Training

In interval training, you’ll be varying your running pace. This means you may switch between jogging and walking, or walking and sprinting (there are few different methods of interval training). This training style can help speed up your metabolism for the hours after you finish.

2) Sprinting

If you like the idea of burning extra calories and building explosive power and speed, check out our article on becoming the Flash.

Find a hill, sprint up it, walk down, and repeat the process for 10-20 minutes. No need to overthink it!

3) Long walks

Walking is a low-impact activity that burns extra calories and doesn’t overly tax your body. What a “long walk” will be is different for everybody based on their level of fitness, but walking is one of the best things you can do for yourself!

If you want to take a more active recovery day, the most important thing is to listen to your body. Destroying ourselves for 6+ days a week can really wear us down, causing long-term problems if we’re not careful.^[3]

Rest Day Workout 4: Yoga

You might not realize it, but yoga is the perfect complement to strength training:

Strength training makes us stronger, but it can tighten up our muscles and make us sore.

Yoga, on the other hand, lengthens our muscles and tendons,^[4] aids in their recovery,^[5] and helps our body develop better mobility and flexibility.^[6]

It’s the perfect way to create a strong AND mobile body, ready for anything and everything we throw at it.

It’s kind of like turning your body into a swiss-army knife: prepared to be strong, flexible enough to avoid injury, and truly antifragile.

Now, if you’ve never been to a yoga class before, it can certainly be intimidating, especially if you’re a ones-and-zeros programmer wary of the practice’s more spiritual aspects.

That was my concern years ago before I got started with it; I had to muster up 20 seconds of courage to attend my first yoga class, and I’m so glad I did.

Here’s how to get started with Yoga!

• Nearly any commercial gym you join will have yoga classes.
• Most yoga studios have classes throughout the day.
• Follow a plethora of videos online if you want to get started at home.

In fact, here’s a beginner yoga routine you can follow right now:

Need help with any of the poses?

Check out 21 Yoga Poses for Beginners for guidance on all positions.

Rest Day Workout 5: Foam Roller

You’ll often hear using a foam roller as “self-myofascial release.”

You may be asking, “myofawhatnow?”

Don’t stress, because “fascia” is just the connective tissue covering muscle. 

Just know that “self-myofascial release” means giving yourself a tissue massage.

The important thing for today’s lesson: a rolling massage has been shown to help alleviate muscle soreness.^[7]

The study in discussion found:

Rolling massage over a tender spot reduces pain perception.

That means it’s a perfect inclusion for active recovery!

Here are some simple rolling exercises you can try today, courtesy of NF Coach Matt: 

Yes, that is in fact a T-Rex. Yes, it was 100% Matt’s idea.

If you want even more information, including recommendations on which type of roller to purchase, check out our guide “How to Use a Foam Roller.”

Making the Most of Your Days Off (3 Rest Day Best Practices)

No matter what you end up doing on your rest day, here are some best practices to keep in mind. 

Rest Day Best Practice #1: Meal Prep

As we know, a healthy body is made in the kitchen, not in the gym.

It’s important to stay diligent with healthy nutrition even on days when you’re not hitting the gym.

One of the best ways to do that is to use one of your non-training days to prepare your meals for the week! NF Coach Staci Ardison does all of her meal prep for the week on Sundays, and looks at it like an activity that is furthering her fitness journey.

Interested?

Staci walks you through everything you need to start cooking for the week in our Guide to Meal Planning and Prep.

Plus, here’s my exact recipe for batch cooking chicken:

Rest Day Best Practice #2: Engage Your Brain

I like to use one of my off days to break a mental sweat too!

On Tuesdays, I take fiddle lessons, which is a mental workout so taxing that I can’t wait to get back to deadlifts!

Learn a language, build a table out of wood, or go play chess with a friend. 

Anything that forces your mind beyond its comfort zone engages your brain. A great way to spend your time away from the gym.

Rest Day Best Practice #3: Have Fun!

Whether it’s playing a video game, getting caught up on a movie or TV show, or reading a book, it’s important for us to do the nerdy or fun things that make us who we are.

As the Rules of the Rebellion state: fitness can become part of what we do, but not at the expense of who we are!

I’m currently playing through The Last of Us: Part II, and it makes me happy our current apocalypse isn’t as bad as that one.

If you live for playing Dungeons and Dragons with friends, make room for it on your calendar. 

Just like it’s important to schedule health and fitness, it’s important to schedule fun.

This guide has provided you with all the tools you need to begin an active recovery practice and to make the most of your rest days.

If you’re looking to go a bit further, I have three options for you…

#1) If you want step-by-step guidance creating a workout schedule, getting stronger, and even eating better, check out our killer 1-on-1 coaching program:

Our coaching program changes lives. 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 tell you exactly what days should be “off.”

Try your free trial right here:

#3) Join 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, your turn: How do you stay on target even on days when you’re not “training?”

I’d love to hear from you – do you take the day off completely? Do you challenge yourself in a different way?  Do you try to do something every day to keep the momentum up, or do you actually take days off?

Leave it in the comments!

-Steve 

PS: Another good rest day activity? Take a nap!

Your body does quite a lot of its healing during sleep. Get some proper shut-eye.

###

Photo sources: Mikkel © 123RF.com, A good Sunday to you, resting cat, Rain doesn’t stop a photographer, juhajarvinen © 123RF.com , Run, foam roller, back to vacation,

The post Blog first appeared on Nerd Fitness.

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So you want to start eating healthy, eh?

Amazing!

We’ve helped hundreds of thousands of people like you transform into actual superheroes, and we focus on proper nutrition to do so.

These are the exact strategies we teach our Online Coaching clients, and we’ve used these tips to help them lose weight and get in great shape without being miserable.

No shame, no guilt, just results! Learn about our Coaching Program.

Plus, we use fun LEGO photos and gifs to keep you entertained.

In this Ultimate Guide, we’ll cover everything you need to start eating healthy today:

• The TRUTH about healthy eating (DON’T SKIP).
• What is “healthy eating” exactly?
• How to start eating healthy: eating real food.
• What about fruit. Is fruit healthy?
• Are cheese and dairy healthy? 
• What’s the right diet for me: Keto, Paleo, Mediterranean?
• Healthy grocery shopping, cooking, and meal prep.
• 19 healthy meals you can cook today.
• How to simplify nutrition (3 steps)
• None of this matters without your BIG WHY:
• Healthy Eating: Next Steps.

Let’s jump in!

The Truth About Healthy Eating

It’s really easy to tell people the following advice: 

“To lose weight, just eat more REAL food.”

“Just eat less fast food and junk food.”

“Try to eat more organic vegetables watered by unicorn tears, farm-to-table meals served by centaurs, and kale omletes made with eggs from chickens that you raised since birth.”  

Okay so maybe people don’t say the last one. 

But it’s not far from what healthy people say to people who can’t seem to get healthy.

In my opinion, these positions are completely out of touch with reality and it makes me plum dog mad.

For starters, fast food is crazy delicious and dirt cheap, and often the only way that many busy parents can feed themselves and their kids.^[1]

Next, applying morality and guilt to food consumption (“I’m being ‘so bad’ by eating this cookie”) creates an emotional rollercoaster – my least favorite kind of roller coaster.

I mean come on, we don’t need to be told that freshly grown fruits and veggies are better for us than junk food.

We don’t need to be told that organic grilled chicken and kale salad is healthier than a Double Whopper with Cheese.

We all know this! 

So rather than “trying harder” to eat healthier we’re going to use things like “science” and “human psychology” and “excessive quotation marks.” 

Cool?

Here’s what you need to know: If you’re just trying to be healthier and maybe lose some weight, there’s no need to start funneling kale smoothies, mainlining chicken and broccoli, and abandoning your loyalty to the Burger King.

You can lose weight and be healthy while still eating these foods occasionally. 

Heck, people have lost weight by eating Twinkies^[2] and drinking soda and eating at McDonald’s 3 times per day^[3].

I share this info not to promote those foods, but rather to make a big point:

If you are terrified of giving up all “junk food”…

You do not need to give up fast food if it brings you joy.

You do not need to feel shame for eating ice cream. 

You do not need to use terms like “cheat meal” or “guilty pleasure” when talking about a chocolate chip cookie.

Food isn’t good or evil, my dear friend! 

It’s just food! 

Let’s bring it all together:

If we have certain health goals, we can give ourselves the best chance of success by getting strategic about what foods we say “YES” to, and what foods we say “SOMETIMES” to. 

These YES foods give us more energy and have fewer calories on average than “junk food,” which means we’re likely to eat fewer total calories without realizing it.

And thus, we end up with the Triforce of Awesome:

• A longer lifespan.^[3]
• A smaller waistline.^[4]
• A happier, healthier existence.^[5]

So what are these magical foods we’re talking about?

I thought you’d never ask.

What is Healthy Eating?

Removing all the morality and science of food, let’s talk about a realistic definition of “healthy food”:

“Foods I can eat frequently that give me enough fuel to get through the day AND don’t make me miserable.”

Most doctors, websites, and books have generally the same list of “healthy foods”:

• Protein like poultry, meat, low-fat dairy, and legumes. 
• Fruits and vegetables.
• Healthy carbohydrates like rice and quinoa.
• Healthy fats like almonds and olive oil.
• Occasional full-fat cheese and dairy.

(A more complete list of healthy foods is below). 

Why is it that these are the foods that happen to end up on every list on every website when it comes to “healthy eating?” 

Simple.

They are full of vitamins and minerals while also being lower in calories than ultra-processed foods that are easily overconsumed.^[6].

They also fill us up, making us feel satiated, and keep us under our calorie allotment for the day^[7]. 

Now you’re starting to get it:

If we can prioritize these foods on our plate even occasionally, we’ll feel full more often while eating fewer calories… 

Which leads to sustainable weight loss and maintenance! 

Let me drive this point about into your brain (not literally). 

Each of the following foods contains 200 calories in the quantities shown (courtesy of wiseGEEK):

And here’s a huge plate of broccoli, also 200 calories:

In this context, the realization that we might overeat certain foods compared to others starts to become more clear:

• If we accidentally overeat broccoli, we might eat an extra 20 calories. And who accidentally overeats broccoli?
• If we accidentally overeat spaghetti, we might eat an extra 500-1000 calories. 
• If we accidentally eat a family-sized bag of Sour Patch Kids, we might eat an extra 2000 calories (and have no tastebuds left on your tongue)^[8].

Which brings me to the next point:^[9] 

We humans are terrible at estimating how many calories we eat.

Like, really really bad at it. I bet the proportions of the above foods surprised you. 

We consistently eat much more than we realize, by as much as 47%+.^[10]

To make matters worse, we also OVERestimate how many calories we burn through exercise. 

One study showed that Fitness trackers like AppleWatch or Fitbit do not estimate energy burned through exercise accurately, some by as much as 90%!^[11]. 

That’s why we made this fun infographic:

So when we “can’t lose weight,” it’s not because we have a broken metabolism. 

It’s not because we have bad genetics^[12].

Or that we’re not eating for our blood type.

It’s because we consistently eat too much food without realizing it.

Because we always have a ready supply of new energy from recently eaten food, more than we need, our body NEVER has to dip into our stored fat to burn for fuel. 

And when we think we’ve out-exercised our bad diet, we really haven’t.

So it’s time to stop “trying harder” and instead “try differently”:

In order for us to get healthy, we need to find ways to include more foods that fill us up AND taste good.

Luckily, I have that list riiiiight here!

How to Start Eating Healthy (Healthy Food List)

There are three big macronutrients that we’re going to focus on as we build our plate like the image above:

• Protein: building blocks for our muscles.
• Carbohydrates: our bodies will burn as fuel. 
• Fats: can be burned as fuel, and also helps with nutrition absorption!

#1) PROTEIN: Priority Numero Uno. 

Protein is amazing. 

Your body uses protein to rebuild your muscles and keep you strong, especially if you are exercising or strength training regularly. 

Protein is both good for you AND highly satiating.^[13] 

Protein can come from any number of sources, including:

• Meat (beef, bison, pork).
• Poultry (chicken, turkey, duck).
• Eggs!^[14]
• 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.

When building a plate, aim for the following amount of protein:

• Dudes: 1-2 servings (6-8 oz or about 170-228 g): two palms
• Dudettes: 1 serving (3-4 oz or about 85-114 g): 1 palm.

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. 

As we cover in our “how much protein should I eat per day?” you can target anywhere from 80% to 100% of your bodyweight in pounds per gram of protein, with an upper limit of 250g^[15]:

• If you weigh 150 pounds (68 kg), target 120-150g of protein.
• If you weigh 200 pounds (90 kg), target 160-200g of protein.
• If you weigh 250 pounds (113 kg), target 200-250g of protein.
• If you weigh more than 250 pounds (113 kg), target 250g of protein.

#2: VEGETABLES: The difference-maker when it comes to healthy eating and weight management.

They are nutrient-dense: full of all the good nutrients that your body can use to function at optimal performance. 

Next, they are voluminous but calorie-light, which means you can eat lots of them, you’ll feel full, but you’re unlikely to over-consume calories.

A serving of veggies is about the size of your fist.

Remember this is what just 200 calories of broccoli looks like (holy crap). This is at least 5 full servings:

Here’s a quick, non-complete list of veggies that can fill your plate:

• Broccoli
• Broccolini
• Cauliflower
• Spinach
• Kale
• Spaghetti squash^[16]
• Brussels sprouts
• Zucchini
• Cucumber
• Carrots
• Onion
• Asparagus

Target 2 servings of vegetables on your plate – it should take up ½ the plate! 

“But Steve, I don’t like vegetables…yet!” 

That’s cool, I didn’t eat vegetables until I was 22. Now, they’re a main staple of every meal I eat. 

If this is you, read our guide on “how to make vegetables taste good.”

To recap portion sizes of protein and vegetables:

#3) HEALTHY CARBOHYDRATES: Fuel and fiber! 

These are the foods that can be an important part of a diet, provided you eat them in the right quantities for your goals. 

These foods are also great to consume right after a strenuous strength training workout to help your muscles and liver refill their glycogen stores (their energy tanks^[17], essentially). 

Examples of healthy carbohydrates:

• Rice
• Legumes, lentils
• Quinoa
• Potatoes
• Sweet potatoes
• Yams
• Whole grain bread (or pasta)

This is a list of REAL food, minimally processed, that also have plenty of fiber^[18]. 

If you’re wondering how fruit factors into this equation, that’s the next section.

Back to healthy carbs: when consumed in appropriate amounts, these are great foods that can help you feel full and give you energy and all that jazz. 

Just make sure you know what an actual portion of these foods are! 

A LOT of people accidentally overeats carbohydrate-heavy foods, even healthy ones, and then wonders why they aren’t losing weight.

To help you get better at eyeballing serving sizes:

1 serving of a starchy carbohydrate is 1 cupped hand (uncooked), or your two hands forming a cup (cooked). 

Here are some images to help you learn proper portion sizes (thanks to SafeFood):

#4) HEALTHY FATS: No longer the enemy!

Fat had a bad rep in the 70s, 80s, and 90s, but now things are swinging wayyyyy back in the other direction.

In some circles, dietary fat is considered a superfood – the healthiest thing on the planet that also does your taxes for you.

Let’s get to the truth:

Fat is neither a superfood nor evil. 

It’s just a macronutrient that you can eat that can help you reach your goals in the right quantity, or keep you from your goals if it’s overconsumed.

When your doctor tells you to eat more healthy fats, she’s referring to polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats^[19].

Healthy fat can be found in foods like:

• Avocado 
• Almonds 
• Walnuts
• Macadamia nuts
• Olive oil
• Almond butter 
• Peanut butter

Now, science has recently come around on saturated fat too^[20] – once completely vilified, but now cautiously considered okay for moderate consumption. 

Saturated fats can come from things like:

• Whole milk
• Full fat dairy
• Coconut oil
• Grass-fed butter
• Lard
• Fatty cuts of meat

Fat can be good for you provided you’re eating the right quantity for your goals. 

However, like carbs, fats can be overconsumed accidentally too. 

To help you gauge: a serving size of fat is roughly the size of your thumb!

THIS is a single serving of almonds (162 calories):

THIS is a serving of olive oil (119 calories, taken from Runtastic):

As you can see, if you’re not careful – you can accidentally eat an extra 500 calories of “healthy fats” by absentmindedly eating too many “heart-healthy” fats. 

Many folks in our Coaching Program had us analyze why they weren’t losing weight, even though they “only ate grilled chicken and veggies.” 

When we dug into it, they had been preparing all of their food in an extra 500-600 calories worth of olive oil they weren’t accounting for. 

To recap carbs and fats: feel free to include a starchy carb on your plate in the form of rice, potatoes, pasta, or legumes. Healthy fats can spice up a meal, provided you’re using an appropriate portion size

I realize that was a CRAZY amount of info, so let’s put it all on the same Healthy Plate:

• 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)

I know that not all of your meals are going to be perfectly segmented like a bento box. For example: 

• A fatty cut of meat like chicken thighs means your fat and protein are commingling. Cool.
• Lentils and legumes mean your protein and your carbs are attached at the hip. Swell.
• A burrito bowl with chicken, rice, guacamole, and cheese means all of your macros are cohabitating. Neato!
• Salmon cooked in olive oil and coated in almond flakes means your fat and protein have fused. Stupendous!

This plate and serving size stuff above is just to help you get started thinking about healthy food differently and in proper portion sizes:

• Trying to lose weight? Reduce your portions of carbs and fats.
• Trying to gain weight? Increase your portions of carbs and fats! 

Remember, all calories count. 

I can already predict your next series of questions:

• “What about beverages?” Simple. Liquid calories count too. So stick to low or zero-calorie drinks like water, tea, coffee, and diet soda. 
• “How about condiments?” Grilled chicken slathered in 1000 calories of buffalo sauce means you’re still eating a calorie bomb!
• “But what about things like Paleo or Keto? I thought low carb = healthy?” I address that in the “which diet is right for me?” section. Keep reading.

What’s the Deal with Fruit? Is Fruit Healthy?

As we lay out in our “Is Fruit Healthy?” Guide, fruit is absolutely healthy and can help you reach your goals – in the right quantities. 

Fruits are full of nutrients, packed with fiber, and can make for a great snack or part of a protein-focused breakfast!

Personally, I blend up frozen mixed berries in my post-workout smoothie.

Just remember that fruit, like every other food, obeys the laws of thermodynamics.

So, simply be aware of the calories (and carb and fiber content if you’re following a lower-carb diet).

Here’s a list of the calorie, carbohydrate, and fiber content of some common fruit:

• Apple: 95 cal, 25g carbs, 4.4g fiber. 
• Banana: 105 cal, 27g carbs, 3.1g fiber. 
• Orange: 45 cal, 11g carbs, 2.3g fiber. 
• Pear: 100 cal, 28g carbs, 3g fiber. 
• Peach: 59 cal, 14g carbs, 2.3g fiber. 
• Strawberries (1 cup): 47 cal, 11g carbs, 3g fiber. 
• Pineapple (1 cup): 82 cal, 22g carbs, 2.3g fiber. 
• Grapes (1 cup): 62 cal, 16g carbs, 0.8g fiber. 
• Raspberries (1 cup): 65 cal, 15g carbs, 8 fiber. 

Fruit is a better, healthier alternative to nutrient-empty food from a vending machine.

Where fruit can get you in trouble is if you start to move in the direction of “fruit-like”:

#1) Fruit juices (cranberry juice, orange juice, grape juice): these are high calorie, sugar-filled beverages. 

For example, here are the calories in one 8 oz (or 1 cup)^[21] serving of: 

• Apple Juice: 114 calories^[22]
• Orange Juice: 119 calories^[23]
• Grape Juice: 14 calories^[24]

#2) Dried fruit: notoriously easy to overeat because they are so small. Since the water has been taken out, all that’s left is the sugar and fiber. 

Here’s 1 serving of raisins, which is 108 calories and 21 g of sugar:

If you are saying “oh man, I eat 5x that many raisins when I eat them…” then multiply those calorie and sugar numbers by 5!

3) Fruit Smoothies: Just because it’s a fruit smoothie doesn’t mean it won’t make you fat! Have you seen the calorie count and sugar content of smoothies and ‘green drinks’? Yikes.

• Green Machine Naked Juice (15.2 oz or 450 ml bottle): 270 calories, 53 g of sugar.
• Smoothie King Banana Boat (20 oz or 591 ml smoothie): 450 calories, 70 g of sugar.

**If you prepare your smoothie at home with a blender, it can actually be healthy since the fiber is intact. Here’s my personal recipe.**

To recap: fruit is healthy, provided you stick to fresh or frozen and not fruit-like food, dried fruit, or canned fruit packed in syrup. 

If you enjoy a small glass of orange juice occasionally, or you pack a serving of raisins in your lunch and it makes life worth living, by all means! 

Just don’t chug OJ by the gallon, drink a 64 oz “real fruit smoothie,” and eat raisins by the handful and then wonder why you’re not losing weight.

Are Cheese and Dairy healthy?

We get questions about these two types of food frequently. 

Let me start by saying I’m assuming you’re not doing Paleo (which says “NO dairy and NO cheese”), or plant-based (which says NO to all animal products).

I’ll also assume you’re not doing Keto, which almost requires you to load up on dairy and cheese to eat enough fat every day! 

Let’s pretend you’re just curious if cheese and/or dairy can be consumed on a “healthy diet:”:

YES, you can still eat cheese and be healthy.

YES, you can still eat dairy and be healthy.

And there was much rejoicing:

Like the healthy carbs and fats listed above, it all comes down to your calories consumed in a day, and if these foods fit into your daily calorie goals:

1. Want to put cheese on top of your salad of chicken and vegetables? Great! 
2. Want to eat greek yogurt, a scoop of protein powder, and frozen berries for your breakfast? Amazing! 
3. Want to eat a bowl of cereal with skim milk (or whole milk) in the morning with your kid before school? No problem.

This is true for higher-fat cheeses or full-fat dairy too – the food just needs to fit into your goals! 

Luckily, all dairy comes labeled, and most cheese will come with a nutrition label on it too. 

Just ensure that you’re choosing appropriate portion sizes. For reference, here are four different servings of cheddar cheese (about 113 calories a serving):

And here’s a serving of greek yogurt (120 calories in 142 grams):^[25]

And although nobody in the history of the world has ever eaten just one serving…here is a serving of ice cream:

(A scoop of ice cream the size of a tennis ball is about 127 calories, cleverly shown above.)

So, dairy and cheese are both perfectly acceptable healthy food options! Just make sure they fit into your goals. 

If you are NOT losing weight, and you consume a lot of dairy and/or cheese, consider measuring your intake and see if it’s in line with your expectations! 

What’s the Best Diet for Me? Keto vs Paleo vs Plant-based.

“Low fat diets? Low carb diets? No carb diets? I don’t know which one is the BEST diet!” 

“Help me, Steve Kamb, you’re my only hope.”

Okay, you’re probably not saying that, but it’s an excuse to pay homage to Star Wars so I can use the great photo above.

You probably do have questions though about what’s healthier, a low fat diet or a low carb diet.

Low carb diets are all the rage right now, but are they healthy and will they help you lose weight? 

Maybe.

It may depend on how your body regulates glucose (blood sugar)^[26]:

Some who don’t regulate glucose well may do better on a lower-carb diet.

Others who do regulate glucose well might do better on a lower-fat diet. 

Studies show that people who follow EITHER a low fat OR a low carb diet will still lose weight, as long as they are in caloric restriction and can adhere to the diet for at least a year.^[27]

So, it comes down to: “which diet are you more likely to stick with for a year or longer?”

I personally lost 22 pounds over 6 months on a lower-fat diet (and eating plenty of carbs), but everybody is different.

This means you’ll need to experiment and see which is better for your lifestyle, and your day-to-day well-being.

But I bet you have questions about the big popular diets too. 

I’ve written a huge guide that covers all popular weight-loss diets together, but we’ve also written individual ultimate guides that cover:

• The Keto Diet (Ketogenic Diet).
• Intermittent Fasting.
• The Paleo Diet.
• The Mediterranean Diet.
• Vegan and Plant-Based Diets.
• Carnivore Diet.
• The Military Diet.

Let’s look at each of these diets and explain why they will help you lose weight, at least temporarily:

Truth #1:  Every diet works in the short term.

Truth #2: Nearly every diet fails in the long term.

Let’s address these two truths individually: 

Why does every diet work in the short term? 

All the diets above have a clever way of restricting calories without you needing to count calories, which leads to weight loss: 

• Paleo Diet: eliminate everything but veggies, meat, fruit, and nuts. 
• Intermittent Fasting: skip an entire meal!
• Keto Diet: remove an entire macronutrient from your diet (carbs).
• Military Diet: Only eat specific foods in certain quantities.
• Plant-based Diet: Only eat foods from plants.
• Carnivore Diet: Only eat meat! Eliminate everything else. 

Of course, there are plenty of benefits from following certain diets for certain groups of people. For example, Larry went Keto and it helped him reduce inflammation from rheumatoid arthritis. 

However, 99% of the reason why these diets result in short-term weight loss is that they get us to eat fewer calories! 

The problems arise when we get to Truth 2: 

“Nearly every diet fails in the long term.”

Put another way: 

Temporary changes create temporary results. 

If somebody “goes Keto” for 60 days, they’ll most likely lose weight, and might even feel better! This is cool. 

BUT! 

(There’s always a but…)

If they spend those 60 days in misery, dreaming of carbs, counting down the meals until they can “go back to eating like normal,” they will put all of the weight back.

In order for restrictive diets to create permanent results for somebody, they need to be adopted PERMANENTLY! 

For most of us mere mortals, we can’t stick with a restrictive diet for 30 days, let alone a year or a decade. 

For these reasons, I strongly advise you to change how you think about dieting.

You need to determine how likely you are to stick with a restrictive diet permanently:

1. How averse are you to change?
2. How likely are you to stick with your changes?
3. Have you tried a restrictive diet in the past and failed?
4. Do you have a healthy relationship with food?
5. Do you have an “all or nothing?” mindset?

Like playing a video game, you need to determine what level of difficulty you are willing to attempt. 

Playing on “Ultra Hard Difficulty” (like Keto) gives you less room for error, but it can also produce impressive results quickly – if you don’t rage quit.

And 99% of people rage quit restrictive diets like Keto.

So what’s the best diet for you? 

I’ll give you the same answer that I give people when they ask me, “What’s the best workout plan?”: 

The best diet is the one that helps you reach your goals, that you ENJOY, and that you’ll actually stick with permanently!

Personally, I don’t follow any sort of restrictive diet. 

I’m a big fan of small changes that eventually produce big results, like my boy Optimus Prime:

This is why I’ve SLOWWWWLY adjusted my diet over the past decade, so that no change was too drastic and I could stick with it permanently.

It’s not a diet. It’s a lifestyle change. Permanently.

And that’s what I would recommend for you: 

Small, non-scary, permanent changes over a long time period! 

You need to start thinking in terms of “days and years,” not “weeks and months:”

How to Grocery Shop, Cook and Meal Prep!

Okay! Now that you’ve determined your healthy eating strategy, it’s time to take action. 

There are three big steps you’ll want to master if this is your path: 

Step #1: Grocery Shopping!

You can read our full guide on “How to grocery shop”, and we even have a video that keeps things fun too:

Here’s how to grocery shop like a pro:

• Stick mostly to the outer rim. This means you’re mostly buying meat, fruit, and veggies^[28].
• Read the nutrition label! Just because it says it’s healthy on the front doesn’t mean it is. Read the nutrition label and learn portion sizes. This can help keep you below your daily calorie goal. 
• Don’t shop hungry! It may seem silly, but you end up buying way more junk food accidentally if you shop while hangry (a mix of hungry-angry, never a great emotion).
• Make a list. Before you go grocery shopping, write down everything you should get. You can even put “non-healthy” food items on the list. But then you can only buy what’s on your list! This means no candy in the check-out aisle, or buying Oreos just because they’re on sale! Plan ahead. Stick to the script, sister.

Step #2: Learn to cook!

In the next section, we share recipes for basic healthy meals that you can cook at home. 

Here’s why cooking at home is amazing: 

1. You know all of the ingredients. When you eat at restaurants or pick up fast food, there are often hidden calories in the cooking oils and sauces that are sabotaging your healthy efforts. Because of this, it’s really hard to have an idea of how many calories you’re consuming. When you prepare food at home, you know what you’re getting.
2. You can recreate healthier versions of your favorite foods. Making homemade tacos or pizza with homemade dough can be a great date-night experience, makes your stomach happy, AND can help you reach your goals!
3. You save money. If your budget is tight, grocery shopping and cooking your own meals is a great way to balance your budget and free up some cash! Our most successful coaching clients work with their coaches on building the habit of cooking at home.

Now, if you’re somebody who only ever uses your kitchen to heat up microwave meals, that’s no problem. 

Here are the guides you should check out: 

• Cooking 101: Essential Kitchen Tools: Not sure what kind of knives to get, or what you REALLY need? I’ve been there. This is why we created this guide for you! 
• How to Stock Your Pantry: If you’re not sure what to stock your shelves with, and how to set yourself up for long-term success.

Step #3 (BONUS): Meal Prep and Batch Cooking!  

This step isn’t necessary, but if your goal is to make healthy eating a habit for you and your family, batch cooking can be the difference maker! 

By “batch cooking,” I simply mean setting aside time to prepare larger quantities of food at the start of the week, so that throughout the week you already have meals to eat!  

Personally, batch cooking changed my life.

And every single success story we’ve featured on Nerd Fitness (like this one) involved some sort of batch cooking (planning your meals for the week ahead). 

• Here’s our guide on “How to start Batch Cooking and Meal Prep.” 
• Let me walk you through how I batch cook chicken for the week. There’s even a video too:

Follow these rules, and you will crush it in the Healthy Eating Department^[29]!

19 Healthy Eating Meals You Can Cook Today

“Okay Steve, you have me convinced I should be eating more healthy foods. But I am a nerd and I need specific instructions to follow!”

I got you. 

As a kid raised on LEGO and K’nex, I am the exact same way! 

Here are options to get the ball rolling on healthy breakfasts, lunches, snacks, and dinners. Use these as inspiration or starting points for your meal planning! 

3 BREAKFASTS (Unless you do Intermittent fasting!)

Breakfast 1: Prosciutto-Wrapped Mini Frittata Muffins (4 muffins)

• • Calories: 440
  • Protein: 32g
  • Fat: 24g
  • Carbs: 16g

Breakfast 2: Kale Breakfast Salad (1/4 of recipe)

• • Calories: 331
  • Protein: 15g
  • Fat: 12g
  • Carbs: 14g

Breakfast 3: Breakfast Meal Prep Bowls (1 bowl)

• • Calories: 204
  • Protein: 10g
  • Fat: 10g
  • Carbs: 19g

3 LUNCHES

Lunch 1: Spicy Tuna Cakes (4 cakes)

• • Calories: 368
  • Protein: 20g
  • Fat: 20g
  • Carbs: 28g

Lunch 2: Chicken Zucchini Enchilada (1 enchilada )

• • Calories: 154
  • Protein: 16.7g
  • Fat: 7.2g
  • Carbs: 6.1g

Lunch 3: Lettuce Wrap Sandwich (1 sandwich)

• • Calories: 279
  • Protein: 26g
  • Fat: 19g
  • Carbs: 10g

3 SNACKS (Unless you’re on “Team No Snack”)

Snack 1: Green Protein Snack Pack (2)

• • Calories: 234
  • Protein: 22g
  • Fat: 16g
  • Carbs: 32g

Snack 2: Avocado Egg Salad (1/4 recipe)

• • Calories: 330
  • Protein: 18g
  • Fat: 25g
  • Carbs: 8g

Snack 3: Baked Chicken Wings (1/5 of batch)

• • Calories: 440
  • Protein: 34g
  • Fat: 33g
  • Carbs: 1g

3 DINNERS

Dinner 1: Big-o Bacon Burgers (2 burgers)

• • Calories: 450
  • Protein: 34g
  • Fat: 40g
  • Carbs: 2g

Dinner 2: Vegan Portobello Pizzas (1 pizza)

• • Calories: 165
  • Protein: 7.7g
  • Fat: 10g
  • Carbs: 14.5g

Dinner 3: Ground Beef Veggie Skillet (1/4 of dish)

• • Calories: 261
  • Protein: 29.5g
  • Fat: 1.8g
  • Carbs: 8.5g

All of these meals are nutrient-dense and low in calories, so they’ll give you the best chance at weight management without feeling miserable

Does all that seem like too much?

Watch this video from Nerd Fitness Prime where Coach Justin shows you how to make 7 “No-Cook” meals:

Meals covered in this video:

• Egg and Avocado Rice Cakes
• Cheese and Turkey Roll-ups
• Chicken Pomegranate Salad
• Shrimp Pineapple Salad
• Smoked Salmon Wraps
• Greek Yogurt (with Protein Powder)
• Two-Ingredient Desserts

Want some more ideas? Check out 26 Easy Meals You Can Cook. 

Just remember, quantity counts:

• If your goal is weight loss: Keep an eye on the fat and carbs portion of your plate!  
• If your goal is weight gain, then you can ratchet up your total calories consumed by increasing your fat and carbohydrate portion of your plate! 

Not sure how to make these meals work or how to adjust them for your goals? 

This is exactly what we do with our Online Coaching Program!

Let us help you make better food choices! Our Online Coaching Program rocks:

How to Simplify Nutrition (3 Steps)

In the video above, Coach Staci walks you through her step-by-step plan for simplifying nutrition.

Yeah, I’ve thrown a lot at you today.

But as Staci mentions above, you can start off small, with some simple steps. Once you get these down, we can work on adding some more simple habits.

To start eating healthy:

• Have a glass of water with every meal.
• Have a vegetable with every meal.
• Have a source of lean protein with every meal.

That’s it!

When someone joins our coaching program, these are often the steps we have them take. 

Yeah, sometimes they’ll bulk, thinking this is not enough…

…but consistency is where people start to see real progress.

Don’t overlook the power of simple and consistent habits.

Will You Commit to Healthy Eating?

As we start to wrap up this guide, I have one BIG final question for you:

“Why the hell are you reading this?” 

Sorry to be so blunt, but your answer matters! 

If you are trying to eat better because somebody told you to, or because you think you should, you’re setting yourself up to fail. 

You might be excited and motivated to eat healthy today, and that’s great! 

But next week, Oscar in Accounting will put cake in front of you at work, and ask you to “live a little” and eat some cake “just this once.”  

And then you’ll discover apps are half-priced at Chatchki’s during happy hour, and you figure “well I already had cake, might as well split some shrimp poppers and extreme fajitas with Meredith.”

This is how it always happens: Motivation abandons us when we need it most. 

And then one “ehh” choice becomes three bad choices which becomes “crap, I failed at my diet! I’m a loser. Okay I’ll just try harder next month…”

If you are committed to this goal of eating healthier, you need a DAMN good reason to start eating healthier in the first place!

Here are some examples you can build off of:

• “I want to look better naked and start dating again.”
• “I want to do epic stuff like running my first 5K.”
• “I don’t want to die early like my dad did.”
• “I want to find out what I’m capable of.”
• “I want to feel pride, not shame, when I look in the mirror.”

There are many tough days ahead, many happy hours, and sabotaging coworkers. 

Having a great reason WHY can be the light in the darkness that helps you navigate the maze of temptation.

In our Nerd Fitness Coaching program, we call this “The Big Why,” and having a reason can be the difference between success and failure:

It’s our Big Why that stops us from living emotionally and chasing instant gratification from a donut or six slices of pizza when we’re sad or stressed.

It’s our Big Why that allows us to say “Yes, I can have a slice of pizza, because I planned for it in my ‘calorie budget’ today. I’m not gonna feel bad about it either, because my breakfast tomorrow is gonna be great.”

It’s our Big Why that allows us to get back on track after a vacation or after just one day of poor eating, instead of letting things slide for a week or a month.  

Have your Big Why, and remind yourself of it constantly! 

Write it down, put it on a post-it note on your bathroom mirror, staple it to your forehead. 

But have a REASON you’re committing to change.

It will be crucial when life starts to get busy next week and you want to give up. So let’s talk about next week (and beyond!)

Healthy Eating: Next Steps!

This guide has provided you with all of the tools you need to start making healthier choices, but if you are looking to go a bit further…

#1) Our 1-on-1 Online Coaching program: a coaching program for busy people to help them make better food choices, stay accountable, and get healthier, permanently.

You can schedule a free call with our team so we can get to know you and see if our coaching program is right for you. Just click on the image below for more details:

#2) If you want an exact blueprint leveling up your nutrition, check out Nerd Fitness Journey! Our fun habit-building app helps you exercise more frequently, eat healthier, and level up your life (literally).

If you follow our Nutrition missions, you’ll learn to eat healthier while earning XP! Sah-weeeet.

Try your free trial right here:

#3) Join 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:

Healthy eating will change your life. 

But it needs to fit INTO your life too. 

Small changes, not dramatic shifts!

You don’t have to give up the foods you love, you just need to PLAN for them. 

Learn how to make a plate like we lay out in this guide.

Prioritize protein, and always put a fruit or vegetable on your plate before filling the rest of it up!

This will get you 90% of the way towards a great healthy eating strategy.

And when in doubt, whenever you’re not sure if you should eat a particular food, ask yourself “What would Batman do?”

Seriously, this has been studied with children, and it helped them make healthier food choices by giving the decision-making over to somebody they looked up to ^[22]. It’s called “self-distancing,” and there’s no reason it can’t work for you too. 

Oh, and when you eat a bad meal – who cares?! “Never two in a row,” right? Make the next meal healthy. 

YOUR MISSION, SHOULD YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT: 

Start eating healthy today with literally one change:

• Try a new vegetable.
• Cut one soda out of your day. 
• Prioritize protein in your next meal. 
• Swap out one high-calorie drink for a zero-calorie drink.

I don’t care what the change is, just as long as you make one!

Okay enough about me, let’s talk about you: 

What’s the ONE change you’re going to make today?

For the Rebellion!

-Steve

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

• “Why can’t I lose weight?”
• Can I build muscle and lose weight at the same time?

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All photo sources can be found right here: Leia eating breakfast, stuffed veggies, stormtroopers and egg, fruit ninja, Caution: Cheese Hazard, Fish soup, Yoda and R2, Happy Monday, almond serving size, olive oil, raisins, serving of cheddar, yogurt, Shopping, dinner on the beach.

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