The saying goes: Everything in life is temporary.
But do your hard-earned RESULTS have to face the same fate?
Imagine…
You just dropped from a solid, lean 195 pounds to a debilitated 165 pounds.
In ONE MONTH.
THIRTY FRIGGIN’ POUNDS.
All while enduring a merciless fight camp. But the blood, sweat, and tears was all worth it for the glory of stepping into the ring and delivering a K.O. – a little sweet, chin music.
Then you decide to throw all that amazing progress – single digit body fat, anyone? – away for your wish lists of food cravings you had the last 30 days. And that list was bigger than a kid’s letter to Santa.
Flash forward, two weeks or so. You step on the scale and find yourself up even more weight than at the start of your fight camp. (This is the only instance we actually care about the scale.) Your clothes barely fit and the mirror has become enemy number one.
From there, it’s a downward cycle. Physically and mentally.
To top it all off, you have to turn down fights because there is no way you will be ready to lace up the gloves again.
That person was me. The life of an amateur Muay Thai fighter.
Maybe you think I’m crazy and would never step into the ring, yourself.
Hmm, but maybe this resonates more closely…
You’ve just landed that job promotion you’ve been dreaming of.
But…. Only for the next three months. Then you’re demoted.
You managed to bank ten thousand dollars in your savings account.
But…. You lost it all betting on the Pats/Broncos game. (Bradyyyy, aka the G.O.A.T)
Both of those scenarios would seriously SUCK, wouldn’t they?
But when it comes to our fitness, we fail to give it the same respect and seriousness as the rest of our life. We work our asses off (sometimes literally) just to turn around and fall back right into the bad habits.
All that hard work DERAILED.
What’s 3 months of sweat equity, intense training, dialed-in nutrition, and legit discipline worth if you’re going to throw it all down the drain after you reach your goal.
Your goals, aspirations, and dreams should ALL have the same intent. We should aim to not only reach and maintain them, but also continually progress them for the rest of our life.
We can all agree that in our professional, financial, and family life that we always want to progress. We seek to grow and ultimately reach our fullest potential.
So it’s time we looked at fitness in the same light. Let’s face it. Up until now, it’s been nothing but a vicious never ending cycle.
As the holidays approach are you going to yet again make the same New Year’s resolution to get in shape?
Sound familiar to what you said in 2003, 2006, 2010, 11, and 14?
Aren’t you sick and tired of going through all those motions already?
It’s time to stop setting yourself up for failure and finally get some real success.
To fall off the wagon and not be able to recover, like a fighter taking a ferocious body shot, there are five methods you can use when you’re up against the ropes.
Take it from someone who has personally failed to sustain his own progress made during past fight camps. Just last year!
But with these methods in my arsenal, I have been able to get back where I was, maintain that progress, and continue on the path.
Method 1: Make Small Changes..
Rome wasn’t built in one day.
During my first fight camp ever, I was plagued by anxiety and fear surrounding making weight. Being my first experience cutting a significant amount of weight, saying I was unsettled was an understatement.
So right out of the gate, I threw all my chips all in. I significantly increased my training frequency and duration, cut my calories and carbohydrate intake, focused on sweating as much as possible every session, and even used a thermogenic supplement.
Thankfully, I had the upper hand and made weight. I even managed to strategically put 20 pounds on before the fight and have outstanding energy.
But that came at a cost. I spent weeks worrying and 0bsessing about everything I ate and how much I trained.
Instead, if I took it one step at a time and progressively changed my dieting protocols, my training camp would have most certainly been more enjoyable.
Method 2: Planned Breaks.
The true meaning of Christmas?
Holidays are to remember historical and specific moments in history. Christmas celebrates Jesus Christ’s birthday. Easter, commemorates him rising from the dead. Fourth of July recognizes America’s independence.
Did you ever think maybe holidays are perfectly spaced out to give us natural breaks in our life to take a step back from the craziness and cherish our loved ones?
Well, why not apply that same concept to our training and dieting. There’s a reason why we advocate weekly cheat meals. To keep your mental sanity!
Planning periodic breaks in your training or dieting is a sure fire way to keep yourself from burning out and your motivation fresh.
It doesn’t have to be a full out vacation from your healthy lifestyle. Just spend a day enjoying friends and delicious food or lighten up your intensity for a week in the gym. It can be that simple.
Method 3: Remember Your Motivation.
What are you fighting for?
There’s nothing worse than walking into a gym and feeling flat. Those days when you just don’t have it.
When your energy is off and your mind is distracted, there’s no question your training will suffer. You’ll get unmotivated, discouraged, and take a step backwards towards reaching your goal.
To negate this from ever happening you need to be smart, in tune with your body. Sometimes it’s as simple as listening to your favorite pump up song or watching YouTube video. Maybe, it takes switching up your entire program.
What do you do when you face the man in the mirror and know you cannot beat him that day?
Take a day off. Focus on why you decided to start this fitness quest in the first place. Rekindle the fire. Then go out and defeat your biggest opponent.
Method 4: Never Be Content.
Be dynamic & redefine your goals.
You’ve reached your goal. Congratulations….
Now find a new one.
In fitness, you cannot become comfortable. You’re body does not give a shit that you just spent months dieting down or packing on slabs of muscle.
After investing your willpower into building solid habits that allowed you reach your previous goals, it’s time to find a new set that are in line with your new aspirations.
These challenges could be aesthetically driven. Such as dropping your body fat percentage or adding some muscle to that frame of yours.
Or these endeavors could be physical. Compete in a powerlifting meet. Step into the ring. Sign up for an obstacle course race.
Whatever it is, you must find a new goal, you cannot get complacent.
Complacency leads to a lackadaisical mindset. A small cheat here and there turns into a week long binge. We know what’s that like. We’ve been there plenty.
Unless you’re using a planned break outlined in Method 2, adhere to the game plan and continue down the road of success.
I made this exact mistake after my last fight in 2013. Instead of pushing forward and reaching new heights, I made excuses. Yes, I had spent the last 6 months training my ass off and eating the strictest. But it was no reason to slack. Although my training was still strong, my diet was lazy and I was too far in the hole to make a comeback.
Method 5: Reverse Dieting
Work your way back into the game.
What I should have done after that last fight in 2013 was reverse diet. After dropping my caloric intake to a record low and training as hard as Rocky preparing for Drago, my adrenals and metabolism had taken a beating.
If I had instead increased my caloric intake over time, my body would have slowly adapted. Then I would have been able to stay at a lower body weight while still consuming a ton of food.
If you have just successfully dieted down, don’t dive headfirst into a Thanksgiving style feast. Slowly increase your macros and let your body regain its full metabolism. Don’t give up now, you’ve came this far.
Everything else in life is temporary but your results don’t have to be. Those results can be sustainable with a plan of attack.
It doesn’t always have to be linear. Sometimes we have to sacrifice to prosper.
Like gaining a couple extra pounds to put on muscle.
Or tapping into your savings to invest in something that could have a huge return on investment.
Maybe it’s quitting a great job for an even better opportunity.
What matters most is that you intend to move forward, in some fashion.
Now, go out into the world, kick some ass and take some names. Be the exception to the rule. State your goal and lay down a plan that will GET and KEEP you there.
“Opportunity often comes disguised in the form of misfortune, or temporary defeat.” – Napoleon Hill
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