Body transformations aren’t easy to achieve. Whether your goal is to lose fat, gain muscle, or maybe even both, a lot of hard work is needed to achieve it. Most importantly, you’ve decided to better yourself on this journey. Whether you have already started your transformation or are looking for tips proactively, these tips will allow you to optimize the entire process and hopefully make it a bit easier.
- Ease Into It
It’s probably the most important tip when starting. Most of us want to go all out at the start of the transformation, frequently burning out way too fast. Your transformation is a marathon, not a 60-meter sprint. The key to success is to ease into your newly found routine.
Going from being physically inactive to going to the gym seven days a week isn’t reasonable, and it certainly isn’t maintainable right out of the gate. Diet can be a huge issue, too. People go from eating junk all the time to eating cleaner than bodybuilders and then fail miserably.
Take baby steps at first- go to the gym three times a week, and start with a small caloric deficit. Then, as time passes, you can increase the workouts and the deficit. Your goal is to consistently stay on this path of transformation. Burning out is the last thing you want to do.
- Respect Your Recovery
Expanding on the first tip, recovery is a vital part of body transformation. When you’re just starting, you won’t have the same tolerance to physical activity as a regular gym-goer. Another major thing to remember is that your body adapts during rest periods.
You won’t build muscle unless you get quality sleep, and you most certainly won’t lose body fat if you sleep poorly and your hormones are out of whack.
- Progressively Overload
One of the fundamental principles of training is progressive overload. It basically says that in order to improve, you need to gradually increase the intensity of your exercise. You can do this by increasing the weight you’re using, the number of sets or reps you perform, or the number of total exercises you do. Notice a pattern here? You need to step up things gradually, not start from a tall starting place and then crumble down.
- Set Achievable Goals and Then Break Them Down into Smaller Goals
Let’s be real. You will not lose 200 pounds in a month or gain 45 pounds of lean muscle in three months. Being realistic with your goal-setting could be the difference between failure and success.
After setting realistic goals, it’s time to break them down into smaller goals. For example, planning to lose 80 pounds in a year is great, but that year is a long time from now, and sometimes, it might seem too far away. By chunking the big goals down into bite-sized goals, we can track our progress and ensure we are on the right track.
Plus, seeing yourself achieving goals monthly can be a huge motivation boost!
- Plan for Vacations and Life
Even the hardcore bodybuilders have a life; so can you. They call them cheat days. A study from RC do Vale and associates showed that people who enjoyed a cheat day once a week had increased motivation and self-control regarding dieting. Both groups in the study, the one with a cheat day and the one without a cheat day achieved almost identical weight loss. Dieting can be challenging, and cheat days can help you make it more enjoyable.
Like cheat days, going on vacation or attending a party or celebration doesn’t have to derail your long-term transformation goals. Plan ahead, make good choices, and don’t go crazy, and you will be fine.
- Take Progress Pics
Taking progress pics is a must. You don’t have to share them with anyone. Just stash them somewhere so you can look back to see how much you achieved. I couldn’t even count the times my clients told me they regretted not taking a few progress pictures, especially when they were starting.
- Get a Coach
If there’s something that will help you achieve your goals, that’s a personal trainer. Not only will your accountability go up since you’re spending money on services, but a quality trainer will do everything they can to help you achieve your goals. From structuring workout programs to putting together a nutrition plan, a quality coach will be your second most significant advantage on your path to success. (The first is your discipline.)