Remember the Basics When Building Your Personal Healthy Lifestyle

This is something you’ll hear a lot and have heard for a long time. ItÔÇÖs because it nails the point so well that it’s worth repeating.

Don’t try to run before you’ve learned to walk. Majoring in the minors is not a good idea. In other words, don’t sweat the small stuff until you’ve nailed down the big picture.

When it comes time for me (and my clients) to start our programs at The Titan Principles, we focus on one thing first: picking up that heavyweight and jogging that distance during our training sessions.  We focus on our calorie total and protein intake when weÔÇÖre not in the gym. Once we’ve mastered those basics then all other aspects will fall into place more easily because they’re based upon lessons learned from hard work done here over weeks/months. ThatÔÇÖs all there is to it.

If you want to make the most progress possible, then following a workout plan is your best bet.

90% of your success will be made if you stick to a fitness regimen, watch your calories, and eat enough protein. What about that extra ten percent? This is for people who need to get the most out of their training – think athletes, bodybuilders, or people who have high & serious ambitions.

That isn’t to imply that individuals who aren’t part of them can’t benefit from the extra 10%. No way. But don’t go after it until you’ve figured out the first 90%. The 10% is only beneficial if it’s put into the right context. You need to know what you’re doing before pursuing that extra effort because otherwise, your 90% will remain unfulfilled and unnecessary efforts could be wasted and overwhelming.

Makes total sense doesnÔÇÖt it?

Let’s start with protein.

I’m sure you’ve heard that eating protein right after a workout is beneficial. That’s something we’ve all heard. There are some benefits to that. But if we’re being honest this is part of that 10% – it’s far more vital to obtain the total quantity of protein in your system throughout the day than it is to time your consumption. Hearing “protein after a workout is beneficial” without the context to put it in will not help in the least.

Furthermore, do not be concerned if you are unable to complete any of the additional 10%. People have been stressed out because they can’t get their protein timings correct due to job/family/etc, or because they don’t think it’s worth it to work out three times a week, or whatever.

Don’t worry about protein timing; getting adequate protein throughout the day is the most important factor. Don’t give up working out because you can only fit X sessions into a week – any activity is preferable to none.

Basically, the vast bulk of the battle is won if you master the fundamentals.

If you’re having trouble achieving your goals, there are a few things you can try (alternative training procedures, for example), but don’t worry about the 10% if you’ve nailed the 90%. Don’t stress out over those small details – focus more time & energy towards making sure all aspects are strong first before worrying about adding flavor later. The 90% is all you need to get the job done.

If you’re reading this, chances are that you’ve got the fitness & nutrition basics down pat. You know what to eat and how much of it to eat for your goals (and if not, we can help). It may be time to examine how much of your efforts are going into those pursuits versus other areas in life that also deserve attention. Are you spending all day at work? What does that look like for you? How many hours do you spend with family each week? Where is the balance between focusing on self-improvement and working toward success elsewhere in your life? It can take some extra effort (and money) to find out where we fall short, but taking care of yourself now will make sure there’s more energy available later.

The next step is finding out what type of training protocol works best with your schedule and goal(s) so that you can go into battle every day knowing exactly where you stand. Chances are good that there’s more than one strategy or protocol available to choose from, but don’t stress about which one will work best until after you’ve done some trial-and-error experimenting on yourself first! Which part do YOU have down? Let me know in the comments below!