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Part IV: 10 Tips for Surefire Success — The Simple, Beginner’s Guide To Strength And Muscle-Building

Posted by on Mar 30, 2013 in Featured Article, Health It UP, Motivation, Muscle It UP | 0 comments

10TipsforSurefireSuccess

*10 Tips For Surefire Success is part IV in our four-part ‘Simple, Beginner’s Guide To Strength And Muscle-Building.’

Part 1: Nutrition
Part 2: The Lean It UP 5×5 Workout Plan
Part 3: Science-Backed Supplement Recommendations

 

1) Make One Change Each Week.

Some people can handle diving head first into an intensive weight-lifting and diet plan. If that’s you, go for it. For everyone else, work on adding small improvements one piece at a time.

Research published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine compared a traditional weight loss program with lifestyle change consisting of one small change per week — the latter group lost more weight, and more importantly, greater success sustaining that weight-loss in the long run1.

For instance, the first week you could kick-off a new workout plan, the second week you could focus on increasing your protein intake, the third week you could work on improving your carbohydrate sources, and so on. The end goal would be to implement all aspects of your program within several months.

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2) Track Your Progress.

First and foremost keep a workout log. How are you supposed to add weight to the bar (remember that discussion on progressive overload?) if you can’t remember how much you lifted during your last workout?

What about your food intake? It’s near-impossible to know if you’re getting adequate nutrition or calories that align with your goals if you don’t know exactly how much you’re eating each day (for more info on tracking your food check out the article ‘Not Seeing Results? — Try Measuring Your Food’). Don’t stop there though. You can track progress in other ways such as weekly self-photos, weigh-ins, and body fat % measurements to gauge whether or not your hard work is paying off, and if not, honestly assess what needs to improve.

 

3) Make Lifting and Eating Well a Priority and PLAN!

It seems like common sense, although there seems to be a shortage of that these days. Lets say you have a big project at work to complete or you’ve got to study for a big exam in school, it’s simple — don’t procrastinate.

Get started on what ever you have to do early, that way you don’t find excuses in the rest of your life as a reason to skip a workout. Yes, sometimes there are unforeseen circumstances, but aside from that you’ve always got to think and plan ahead.

The same concept goes for eating well. If you know you’re going to be out of the house all day prepare food the night before, or if you’re like me you can prep food in mass, once per week. Eating a burger and fries at McDonalds because you didn’t have a chance to make healthy food isn’t acceptable if upgrading your physique is a true priority.

 

4) Set Goals.

Set SMART goals – you’ll see better results.

No, not just “I want to get stronger” or “I want bigger muscles.” Something SMART: specific, measurable, realistic, attainable, and time-oriented.

Say that you can currently squat 135 lbs 10x; your goal in 6 months could be to squat 185 pounds 10x. If you currently wear a size small in shirts and your goal is to gain muscle mass, a reasonable goal would be to fill out a medium shirt — they don’t all have to be numbers-driven, pick an outcome that’s motivating and resonates with you.

 

5) Go Social.

Technology is a great way to enhance and simplify your fitness endeavors. To track food intake I use and recommend MyFitnessPal; to track your workouts and lifting I like the new social network Fitocracy. Both have mobile apps for use on-the-fly.

Don’t just join these apps/websites, take advantage of their features and the social aspects, such as forums and friend opportunities — they’re a great way to stay on track, find free advice, and keep your motivation up. A 2011 study in The International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity showed a positive association between the level of engagement in online fitness and nutrition social network sites/forums and weight loss2.

In addition to online social networks, gaining the support of your family and friends will help simplify the process and make your fitness goals much easier to meet.

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Visualize your next big lift.

 

6) Visualization.

Yes, you can actually improve your strength by practicing visualization or “motor imagery”. Ranging from visualizing a big lift, to simply visualizing your next exercise in between sets and concentrating deeply on the muscle contraction, visualization can help drastically improve your form, strength, and overall performance3.

 

7) Attitude Is Everything.

When you approach the bar for a heavy lift there are two things that can happen: you can dominate the bar or the barbell can dominate you. Go in with one singular mindset — complete domination.

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Go in with one mindset — complete domination.

 

8) Celebrate Successes, But Don’t Become Content.

As a beginner you have the greatest opportunity to substantially improve your physique and strength in a relatively short period of time; enjoy this while it lasts.

Just don’t let reaching your goals be a reason to take a break from lifting or eating well — let it be strong motivation for you to continuously raise the bar (sorry, couldn’t resist the pun).

 

9) Be Dedicated, Not Obsessed.

There’s a fine line between the two. One is healthy, the other is clearly not. Dedication falls under the guidelines of tip #3 (plan and prioritize); obsession allows lifting and diet to take over your life rather than being an important part of it.

 

10) Above All, Do What You Enjoy and Have Fun!

If you constantly view working out and eating healthy as a chore it will be MUCH more difficult to stick with it than if you look forward to lifting and preparing delicious, nutritious meals.

Finding what clicks is highly individual — search hard and experiment with a variety of exercises and workouts, and learn to make healthy go-to dishes to satisfy any cravings. In time you’ll find what clicks and hopefully create a new passion. For a complete list of healthy foods and ingredients to work with, check out our Six Pack Shopping List.



Joshua Nackenson

Contributing Author at Lean It UP
Joshua Nackenson, CSCS, is a medical student at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine with a passion for all things related to fitness and nutrition.

His primary athletic focus is powerlifting, where he competes in the 165lb and 181lb weight classes. In between powerlifting training and competitions, he stays fit by competing in local 5ks and Tough Mudder events.

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References, Notes, Links
  1. Lutes LD, Winett RA, Barger SD, et al. Small changes in nutrition and physical activity promote weight loss and maintenance: 3-month evidence from the ASPIRE randomized trial. Annals of Behavioral Medicine. 2008;35(3):351-357. [↩]
  2. Johnson F, Wardle J. The association between weight loss and engagement with a web-based food and exercise diary in a commercial weight loss programme: A retrospective analysis.International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. 2011;8(1):83. [↩]
  3. Lebon F, Collet C, Guillot A. Benefits of motor imagery training on muscle strength. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research. 2010;24(6):1680. [↩]