Plenty of people are pissed off, stressed out, out of shape and completely unhappy. And I get it. I used to be one of those people. It took a lot for me to make necessary changes to my life over the years.
But since I did I couldn’t help but want to share the steps I took to transform my life with other people. Sure, helping people pack on muscle, lose fat and add weight to the bar is awesome and rewarding in itself. However there’s more to life than just chasing numbers.
With that said, I firmly believe that in order to be truly successful and happy, health and fitness must be a priority in your life. These things go together and are crucial for our quality of life here on this planet.
So, I figured I should put together a list of the things we should all do in order to achieve optimal health, wellness, strength, muscle mass, success, freedom and happiness.
These are the steps I have learned from my coaches and mentors and personally taken to change my life for the better, as well as the people who I’ve worked with over the years. These tips are in no particular order, just naturally flowing off of my distorted brain.
So grab a pen and paper, you may want to take some notes…
- Wake up early. At least 30 minutes before you “have to”. This is the best time to get the work done which you say you have no time for.
- Move often. Walk, stretch, stand. Just don’t sit in one spot for too long.
- 30-60 minutes per day, every day.
- Knowledge is powerful. But it’s useless if you don’t apply it.
- Sprint often. Human beings are designed to do this. Sprinting is in our DNA. It will help you build lean muscle, develop explosiveness, burn fat and produce hormones like testosterone and human growth hormone.
- You are a product of the five people you spend the most time with. Choose your inner circle wisely.
- Belief is powerful. If you want to achieve anything you first have to believe it’s possible. Choosing the right circle of people has a lot to do with that.
- To achieve anything you have to be relentless. Not just for one day, or one month. EVERY-FUCKING-DAY. Consistency is the key to your success.
- Tell people how you feel. Let them know what’s on your mind. Holding that shit in is toxic and will eventually lead to resentment and anxiety.
- Lift heavy shit.
- Hike, jump, throw, swim, play.
- There is an entire world out there filled with shit to see.
- Invest in yourself. Take classes, go to seminars and events. Learn something new!
- Tell the people you love how you feel. You’ll make their day and you’ll feel even better for it.
- Don’t hate on other’s success. Be happy for them and let them know it.
- Ignore the haters. They’re out there. Trust me.
- Keep your training between 45-60 minutes. Anything more than that is counterproductive.
- Sleep 7-9 hours per night.
- Turn off all electronics 60 minutes before bed.
- Take a COLD shower before bedtime. You’ll sleep much better.
- Face fear. We all feel fear. Some let it hold them back. I was one of these people. Because of that, I was MORE anxious and depressed. Once I started to make it a point to face my fears my life changed for the better. Be sure to do something that scares you, or at least makes you uncomfortable every day.
- Get out of your comfort zone. You’ll never grow there.
- Take risks! You only got one life. Try to accomplish what you want. To do that, you’ll have to take some risks.
- Don’t argue with people. It’s cool to disagree. We will never agree on everything. But arguing with someone who’s narrow minded will get you nowhere.
- Seek out mentors. Don’t try to accomplish your goals alone. Find someone who’s already done it, and don’t be afraid to pay them for their service.
- Write down your goals, and read them every day.
- Your mind fills up with plenty of thoughts, emotions and all things alike. Journal what’s going on and read through it. Sometimes you’ll find the answers you’ve been looking for all along.
- Don’t be a slave to your phone. Don’t look at it first thing in the morning or right before bed. When you’re working, keep your phone on vibrate and across the room. When you’re with other people, be present. If you’re looking at your phone constantly you’ll never be present.
- Be totally present.
- Don’t fucking text and drive. It’s stupid and irresponsible.
- Care for other people and LISTEN to them. Truly listen. Don’t just wait for your turn to talk.
- Squat and deadlift often.
- Don’t train to failure.
- Eat plants, animals, fruits, unprocessed carbohydrates, nuts and seeds. That should be the make-up of your diet. If it is, you’ll build lean muscle mass and burn fat.
- Avoid processed, refined sugar.
- Avoid flour.
- Avoid foods that are fried in cancer-causing oils.
- Get a massage as often as you could afford.
- This has been a game-changer for me and calms my psychotic brain. You don’t have to be a pro to start. I recommend holosync by Centre Point to help you get started.
- Remember that when you feel like you have no control, you can always control your breathing. I work in box breathing every morning when I meditate. 5 seconds on the inhale through the nose, 2 second hold, 8 second exhale through the mouth as if you were blowing through a straw for 4 sets. You can also do this when you feel stressed or nervous.
- Dream big and set your goals high.
- If you think you’re doing enough to accomplish your goal, double what you’re doing.
- Competition is great for our well-being. Compete in some way and compete often.
- Schedule quality time for your friends and family.
- Stand up for what you believe in. Not everyone will agree with you and that’s ok.
- Don’t try to please everyone. You’ll never succeed. Be true to who you are.
- Don’t wait for tomorrow. Start right now.
- Be open to new ideas.
- Put the fucking toilet seat back down.
- Don’t piss on the toilet seat.
- Embrace the journey. Life won’t always be perfect.
- Make quick decisions. Even if it’s the wrong one you’ll make some progress and course correct. Overthinking just wastes time.
- Make sure your daily habits are aligned with your goals. If they’re not, change them.
- Don’t ever fart in my car.
- Hate something? Don’t fucking do it anymore. Trust me, there is a way. It just takes work.
- Be grateful and express your gratitude.
- Drink water. At least half of your bodyweight in ounces daily.
- Drink your coffee black. Out of respect, that is.
- Don’t ever say ‘JK’.
- Don’t be afraid to pump up the gunz with curls and direct tricep work. Regardless of what the ‘experts’ say.
- Create a code and live by it.
- Learn new skills. A martial art, how to play an instrument, how to paint…whatever you want to do. Just be sure to do it.
- Don’t fear failure. There’s always a chance that you’ll fail, but if you don’t take that chance you’ll never know if you could have succeeded.
- Train with rage.
- Volunteer, mentor or give back in some way. This is the most rewarding and fulfilling thing that you can do.
- As Ray Lewis says ‘BE PISSED OFF FOR GREATNESS’. It’s the edge you’ll need to succeed.
I believe that we are all capable of achieving great things in our lives. However people hold themselves back with self-limiting thoughts and beliefs.
They hate on others and are full of negativity, spend their time watching mindless bullshit and don’t do anything but complain about the success of others. That will never get you anywhere. And I believe that to be happy and to be the best you, nutrition, exercise, sleep and recovery need to be prioritized.
Once they are you’ll start to see things from a different perspective. You’ll be open to learning, traveling, competing and having fun. Because you’ll feel better and your brain chemistry will change.
Then, all of a sudden, your life has changed.
This doesn’t happen overnight. It’s when you apply these new rules to your life consistently enough that you begin to see the shift.
I truly hope you take advantage and see the impact that these ‘rules’ can make on your life.
Thank you for reading.
Now…go dominate the fuck out of this life.