Should you do more weight training?

When is the optimal time to switch from three to four days of training?

How much cardio should you do?

Is it better to eat many small meals or do intermittent fasting and eat only two big meals?

Without knowing you and your background, your experience, history, current routine (if any), goals etc.. the answer is:

IT DEPENDS.

Give me permission

Everyone wants to know should I do this or that? Many people already have an idea what they believe even before asking the question.

We ask for permission.

To try something.

Or to further enhance what we already think.

You don’t need permission from anyone. Not me, not any coach or “expert” or teacher, parent, authority figure..

If you feel strongly about something, GO FOR IT!

In my own life I’ve done the same thing, asking for permission.

When I decided to just DO IT and see what happens, I always made much more progress than if I kept asking questions and waited to get moving.

So what if it doesn’t “work”?

You learn from the experience.

I did the Squat Nemesis program with the goal of squatting 405. I only reached 395. I didn’t meet my goal but was it a total failure?

Nope. I learned a ton from that experience. Pushing beyond what I thought was possible and breaking down barriers in my mind.

We get ourselves stuck by overthinking and over-analyzing.

Belief is powerful

Often we think that someone else has magical powers we don’t possess.

But when we BELIEVE in an idea, there’s energy in that which can drive our success.

Just believing something will work doesn’t guarantee it will, of course.

Take one diet you believe will work for you and put it next to a diet you think is dumb.

I’m willing to bet the one you BELIEVE WILL WORK, gives you better RESULTS.

Find what you enjoy OR Embrace the suck?

There’s a school of thought that says to find a fitness program you enjoy doing so you will consistently execute the plan and achieve better results.

On the other side, there’s the hardcore mentality of doing what you don’t enjoy no matter what. The reward is in overcoming your resistance with discipline.

What’s the best way?

Once again, it depends.

I’ve been on both sides of this question. Recently I’ve been MORE on the side of embrace the suck and do things you don’t wanna do every day.

On the other hand, I do see the value of doing activities you enjoy also. Just because you like to bench press, doesn’t mean you can’t do it because you always need to do things you hate to do.

You can still find ways to train that appeal to you, while also attacking your weaknesses.

In my own training I have a mix right now of exercises I like (trap-bar deadlift, Dips, Press) and exercises I don’t (pullups, squats, pushups).

Along with activities I really don’t enjoy but know are beneficial like stretching and cardio.

Black and White Sells- Grey Doesn’t

When you see bold headlines that take a strong stance on a fitness topic, remember that black and white sells and grey (it depends) doesn’t.

If I was to write a training + nutrition book called “It depends”, I imagine it wouldn’t sell as well as “YOU ARE MAKING A MISTAKE BY DOING THIS!”

Extremes get attention. Unfortunately, these extremes are often not helpful.

There are some exercises that are more beneficial than others. Same goes for training programs, diets, cardio options etc..

The reality is, you are a living human being, not a robot. You and I don’t just fit into a perfect mold and follow exactly as written and live happily ever after making endless progress.

You have work commitments, family, a social life (maybe), old injuries,physical abnormalities, sickness, stress, medications etc..

There are so many factors we all face in our lives that influence what in the fitness/nutrition world will be most OPTIMAL for us.

Some folks have great success with Keto diets. That doesn’t guarantee you will.

One guy may love the simplicity of a ONE-LIFT-A-DAY program, whereas you may be totally bored and need more variety each day.

Final answer-

IT DEPENDS.

Remember that next time you are asking questions about your training routine or diet. Does it feel right for you?

Try it out.

See what happens.

Personally, I enjoy the challenge of trying new plans and routines. It allows me to get creative when working out and get after it, on my mission to become the strongest version of myself.

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