Paying full attention to what you are doing increases the odds of having a successful result.
Do you ever feel like you are doing everything and nothing at the same time?
This happens because there are too many distractions coming your way. Simultaneous phone notifications, personal interruptions, and thoughts make your brain work against the clock to process the incoming information.
In the present culture of success, feeling disorganized and unable to deliver proper results can trigger overwhelming emotions and undesired behaviors. Anxiety, sadness, rumination, procrastination, and unproductivity are the most common responses to multitasking. Additionally, it can negatively impact teamwork and socialization.
Is there anything you can do to help your brain focus? The answer is yes.

Your brain at work: processing the information

Your body has six senses: hearing, sight, taste, smell, touch, and movement. They each have different types of receptors that receive information from the outside and transmit it to the brain for processing. The brain then organizes, prioritizes, and decodes this information to give the best possible response. 
The amount of information you are receiving can become an attention thief. Luckily, the brain becomes selective using a filtering process. To preserve itself from overloading, it does not give the same amount of work and spotlight to every stimulus. This is key to optimizing your focus.

Attention control: Can you manage your attention?

In 2020, the prestigious journal Frontiers published a study on attention control. The authors define it as the capacity to have control of your attention regardless of the positive or negative characteristics of the incoming stimuli.
There are two fundamental mechanisms to take control of your attention:
Attentional shifting: this refers to disengaging your attention from one specific situation and consciously paying attention to something else.
You can use this resource according to your priorities. If you are doing something important that you need to get done, you should avoid shifting your attention to something less meaningful.
However, if you are scrolling on social media or watching Netflix and you need to have something done, attentional shifting is a must. It’s a conscious mechanism that you can master with will and determination.
Attentional focusing: this refers to focusing your attention on one particular situation, and not letting new stimuli distract you.
The success of this resource depends on self-discipline, it’s all about resisting the urge of doing something else. Staying a little longer, or doing one more push-up can be the difference between success or eternal procrastination.
Be Aware Of Your Automatic Behavior
Your brain has become so accustomed to grabbing your phone that it will do so even if you have no desire to look at it. Your hand just grabs your phone and starts opening apps, sending unnecessary messages, and scrolling on social media. When something like this happens to you, it means it has become a habit, an automatic behavior. They are unconscious; you do them without noticing it. Be aware of these habits as they hack your concentration.
Take control Of Your Automatic Behaviors
1- Identify the automatic behaviors that hack your focus: phone scrolling, unnecessary visits to the fridge, walking around the house, opening random websites, or visiting YouTube.
2- Draw limits: Putting your phone out of your immediate reach or blocking some websites can go a long way.

Mindfulness Can Boost Your Ability To Focus

Mindfulness can be a resource to help you control your attention flow. It enables your mind to fully attend to the present moment. When you switch your attention from one thing to another, usually anxiety is playing a role. Wondering what others are doing, fears, and intrusive thoughts, are attention control enemies. Meditation practice can enable you to strengthen your mind and focus.
How Can You Start?
Have you ever tried to concentrate on your breathing just for 3 minutes? It seems an effortless task. But it can feel impossible.
1- Check your focus status. Try to concentrate on your breath for 3 minutes. How do you feel? Do you want to stop?
2- Give yourself consistency. Practice the 3-minute breathing for a week. That way, you will teach your brain to gain control over overwhelming information.  
How you handle your focus can be decisive in your life. Use it wisely.
.

Click here Getting enough protein is essential for your everyday health and well-being. Protein is essential for critical processes such as cell structure, growth, cellular processes, and immune function, among others.
Therefore, getting the right amount of protein in your diet each day is highly important. The good news is that you can get your protein intake from either vegan or animal protein.
Some people claim that there is no difference between whether you get your protein from animals or plants, whereas others state that one is better than the other.
Here we will discuss the pros and cons of each type of protein and which one you should include in your diet.

Frequently Asked QuestionsIs animal protein better than vegan protein?Research has proven plant protein is harder to digest than animal protein, meaning your body absorbs less of what it requires from plant protein, although the difference is minimal.

Is plant protein the same as animal protein?The difference between animal proteins and plant proteins tends to be whether they are complete or incomplete. Animal proteins are complete proteins and therefore contain all the amino acids essential for your diet. Plant proteins are often incomplete sources of protein. There are pros and cons to both incomplete and complete protein.

Can you build muscle with plant protein?An exclusively plant-based diet that includes high protein will support mass gains and muscle strength as a reaction to resistance training, in the same way, that an animal protein-based diet would.

The Amino Acid Content can Differ.Proteins consist of many amino acids. The human body utilizes around 20 to build proteins, and while your body can create some itself, you need to get the remaining nine amino acids from your diet.
Protein sources differ significantly in regard to what type of amino acids they contain.
Animal proteins are well known for providing complete proteins, which means they have all nine amino acids within them.
Some plant proteins, such as peanuts, wheat, and beans, lack at least one of these amino acids and are known as incomplete proteins.
However, some proteins such as soybeans and pea proteins are complete proteins and often get used in protein shakes.

Animal ProteinThe ProsAs I have touched on, animal protein is regarded as providing complete protein, which means you don't need to worry about getting the remaining amino acids from other foods.
Not only that, but it is easy to source animal protein in local supermarkets, online, or as part of protein powders or protein bars.

The ConsWhile animal protein is certainly more accessible than complete plant-based proteins, there are some unhealthy side effects if you eat too much of the same animal proteins.
For example, if you get most of your animal protein from red meat, you become more susceptible to higher blood pressure and other health issues.

Vegan Protein
The ProsPlant-based protein diets have been proved to help reduce blood pressure in comparison to diets full of animal protein.
Studies have also suggested eating a vegetarian diet also helps lower body weight, reduce cholesterol, and lower the chance of heart disease, cancer, or getting a stroke compared to those who eat meat.
Plant protein can also improve blood sugar management and help treat and prevent type 2 diabetes.

The ConsAs mentioned, the one potential downside to plant-based proteins is that the proteins might be incomplete. However, this is not the case when it comes to certain plant proteins, such as peas, which often tend to be one of the main ingredients of vegetarian and vegan protein shakes.

Vegan Protein vs. Animal Protein: Summary and Key TakeawaysIn summary, the source of protein you choose really depends on your particular needs and what you deem as reasonable side effects.
For example, if you are searching for easy ways to get complete protein into your system and you are not too concerned by the potential health side effects of eating too much red meat, then an animal-based protein diet could be the right choice for you.
Alternatively, if you are willing to change your diet to ensure you get all of your essential amino acids and you want to lower your blood pressure, among other things, then a vegan-based protein diet could be a better option.
Ultimately, it is important to maintain a healthy and balanced diet, and whichever option you choose, be sure to consume foods in moderation for the best results.

Are you convinced that you will never know how to become less lazy? Keep reading because I've compiled some tips that you can implement each day to break your habits and start being more productive.
Each person has a different idea of what is deemed as laziness. For some, getting out of bed and doing a few jobs is a lot! This could be due to many reasons.
For others, they struggle to see why others aren't as active or productive as them.
In this article, I will show you how to improve your levels of productivity rather than asking you to achieve unrealistic levels of productivity straight away.
Ready? Let's do this!

Is It Possible to Change the Habit of Laziness?It is easy to think that some people have a natural ability to go out and accomplish everything they want to do each day. It is also easy to believe you are naturally lazy and find it hard to be a go-getter.
Although many people claim habits are easy to change, it certainly doesn't feel that way sometimes.
For some reason, it's much tougher for many of us to get out of lazy habits. If you find yourself living with these habits, it's important to know it will be tough to break these habits, and it will take a lot of hard work.
But it is possible.

Three Steps to Creating New HabitsSo, how do you break these bad habits? Let's dive deeper into how to get rid of your pesky laziness habit.
Getting into the habit of regularly doing something is much easier said than done. We often find it easy to acquire bad habits with minimal effort, yet forming a positive habit can be tricky.
So, let's cut it down into three steps for you to follow until you have made this new behavior a habit you no longer have to think about, like breathing or brushing your teeth.

Specify What New Habit Will Replace an Old Lazy Habit
What productive, new habits are you keen to instill? Be really specific, as this will help you implement it.
For example, don't simply state you are going to run more. Instead, state, "I am going to do two 2km runs a week."

Remind Yourself to Do the Non-Lazy Thing
The first few days are easy. You are excited and highly motivated, and sticking to your goal is simple.
However, after a few days, you might notice as you try to slip back into your old habits. Perhaps it is raining or cold. Or maybe you just have a really busy day.
Make sure you set daily reminders, either on your phone or add your new habit to your to-do list.
Remind yourself that it is hard to change all bad habits at once, and focus exclusively on your chosen goal.
Keep it manageable. You are 100% able to handle more than you imagine, but that doesn't mean you need to push yourself to those limits each day.

Make the New Action Part Of Your Routine Until It Becomes A Habit
Before your new activity becomes automatic, implementing a routine will allow you to complete it without relying on reminders and willpower.
Try completing your new habit after something you have to do and something you want to do.
So, going back to the running example, try implementing your run after you come home from work before you settle in for the night.
You always come home from work, so you know that cue will always be accessible. And completing your run before you get too comfortable at home gives you a little reward to look forward to when you get home.
Practice this routine each day, and you will notice your new habits become part of your identity.

How Long Does It Take To Create A New Habit?It takes a fair amount of time before a new behavior becomes a habit. It is important to be realistic about your expectations and be aware that you will have to put conscious thought and effort into being productive for some time.
For some, a habit can be changed in 21 days. However, for most of us that live busy lives, it can take 66 days or longer.
The best option is to focus on one area at a time. This will help you make significant progress much quicker. Think about how much you could have changed in a year's time!
​
What Should I Do If I Mess Up?It's important to be honest with ourselves - no one is perfect. It's almost impossible to create a new habit without the odd mess up along the way.
However, during the habit-creation stage, try your best to keep your new habit on track. Just be sure not to throw the towel in and give up if you make a mistake.
One bad day is not a failure.
Tomorrow, you can get right back to it.

What Is Positive Thinking? 
Positivity is defined as the practice of being optimistic in attitude. It's the opposite of negativity, which is the tendency to see the "glass half empty" with a mental attitude focused on challenges, obstacles, and failures.
 
Being positive isn't about pretending that everything is okay and that suffering doesn't exist in the world; instead, it's about having the mindset that negative emotions are not inherently bad, that they won't last forever, and that they can be controlled and even benefited from.
 
What Are The Beneficial Effects Of Being More Positive? 
A positive attitude tends to create a feedback loop in which it sparks even more positivity and happiness. 
 
When you make an effort to draw your attention to things that are going well and sources of joy in your life, you're likely to expect these things to continue into the future. 
 
This means that positivity can make you feel more content, hopeful, open-minded, and confident — while also less insecure, anxious, and envious of others.
 
Some call this the "law of attraction," meaning you tend to attract whatever you believe. If you believe that the world is a good place and that you're worthy of happiness, you're more likely to experience this and make it real. 
 
Another way to describe this concept: "energy flows where attention goes," so what you focus on and expect to happen is likely to become true.
 
Studies show that a positive mindset can buffer against depression and anxiety and is associated with benefits including:
 
• Stronger relationships and less loneliness (since people tend to enjoy the company of others who are positive in nature)
• Better regulation of emotions, which leads to better decision making and seeing more possibilities in your life
• Longer lifespan and better health, since positivity protects against negative effects of stress
• Higher self-esteem and greater likelihood of taking chances that can improve your life
 
 
3 Ways To Practice Positive Thinking 
1. Gratitude Exercises
 
Gratitude is all about appreciating what you already have — including your health, success, knowledge, job, friends, family, and so on. This takes the focus off of what you lack or what you're jealous of others for.
 
Making an effort to be more grateful every day increases how much joy you feel and can almost instantly make you feel happier. It also encourages you to be present because it puts you in the habit of looking for positive things as they're unfolding.
 
There are lots of ways to practice gratitude, including:
 
• Keeping a gratitude list that you write every day, even for 1-2 minutes, as you list anything that went well or made you smile.
• Journaling for longer about events and people in your life that make you happy, or even writing notes of appreciation to others.
• Taking pictures often of things that make you happy or finding other ways to document meaningful experiences and relationships, such as via art, videos, etc.
 
2. Positive Self-Talk And Affirmations
 
The thoughts you have about yourself, your worth, and your capabilities will affect your actions in life. For example, if you believe that you're a worthy candidate for a job, that you listen well, and that you have a lot of value to offer an employer, you're more likely to nail an interview and get a job that you want.
 
You can boost your self-esteem by learning to speak kindly to yourself, just like you would to a friend. You do this by replacing negative self-talk with positive, reassuring words.
 
Try first writing down 10 to 20 character traits that you love about yourself. These could include how responsible, compassionate, funny, reliable, hard-working you are, etc. 
 
Keep adding to this list regularly when you recognize parts of your personality that are improving. Read this list often and make an effort for your actions to consistently line up with the traits that you already value.
 
Then, create 3 to 5 affirmations that you can repeat to yourself often when you're feeling down. These are used to encourage and motivate you at times you're feeling defeated or insecure. Here are some affirmation examples, which you can recite 5+ times daily to yourself:
 
• I am strong and always overcome hardships.
• I'm a great friend and always show up for people I love.
• I can learn from mistakes and come back even stronger.
• I take responsibility for my actions and choose to grow from these lessons.
• I can't control everything, but I can control my reaction.
 
3. Humor
 
Having a lighthearted outlook on life can go a long way in improving your relationships and self-esteem. If you can learn to look on the bright side of things and see the humor even in negative experiences, you'll be buffered from many of the negative effects of stress.
 
You can use humor to your advantage by laughing at yourself when you make mistakes instead of taking yourself too seriously. You can also practice recognizing that no one is perfect and that people are always doing unwise things, often in ways that are actually pretty funny.
 
Laughing often, frequently smiling, standing upright, and staying warm and friendly towards those around you all keep you open to positive experiences.

​I'm not going to tell you that you're doing it wrong. I'm not going to tell you that you're wasting your time at the gym, or that you're never going to see results if you keep up with the same routine.
 
But I will say that there are some mistakes that many of us make when we're working out, and sometimes those mistakes can prevent us from reaching our fitness goals.
 
So if you're looking to get in shape this year, pay attention - because I'm about to let you in on some of the most common training errors people make, that cost them time and results.

Ego Lifting
It’s no secret that the gym is a great place to boost your ego and self-confidence.
After all, who doesn’t like to strut around in their tightest tank top and most impressive pair of sweatpants?
But while ego lifting in the gym can feel good in the moment, it can actually be pretty bad for you in the long run.
By ego lifting, we imply lifting in a manner that allows you to lift really heavy weights, but with an improper form.
Ego lifting can lead to injuries, suboptimal workouts and if you fail, embarrassment! ;)
So here's our piece of advice - Avoid lifting weights that cost you proper exercise form and put your muscles, joints, and ligaments at risk!
Lift moderately heavy weights, close to failure!
 
 Not Resting Enough
Lifting too heavy (ego lifting) is one of the most common mistakes of gym goers, but the second one is, lifting heavy and NOT resting enough before the next set.
 
As trainees, we have to understand that heavy lifting is very strenuous for the body and therefore, rest times are crucial for sustained performance.
 
Think of it this way - If you do 10 reps with a given weight and only rest a minute, you’d likely do fewer reps on the next set, if the weight is heavy.
 
But if you give yourself enough time, odds are you will be able to get those 10 reps again for at least a couple more sets.

What does this mean? Well, it means that your muscles did more work, total, thus receiving a better stimulus!
 
In your working sets on your heaviest lifts, take up to 3 minutes of rest between sets.

Progressing Too Quickly
The third common mistake among trainees is that they are trying to increase the weight on the bar too quickly!
 
You’d often see jumps of 10-15% in weight all of a sudden, among trainees, which leads back to the first mistake - ego lifting.
 
Instead, what you want to do is systematize your progression and gradually increase the weights you are lifting.
 
Here’s something to try:

1. Take a given weight
2. Aim for 32+ reps total across 4 working sets
3. Once you hit 33 or more reps across 4 sets, increase the weight 2.5 - 5%
4. Work your way up to 32+ reps, across 4 sets.

Doing Too Many Sets
Last but not least, most people do too many sets in a given workout and the reason for that is that their sets aren’t of high quality.

Generally speaking, a quality working set on any heavy exercise, will leave you begging for longer rest before the next set AND you will soon feel that your performance is diminished.
 
For most beginners, 5 quality working sets (taken close to failure), per muscle group, per week will do the job!

As you advance, that number grows to 15-20+, as you need more total sets to create effective stimulus and progress further.
 
So here’s another piece of advice - Take just a couple of exercises and do multiple sets, close to failure, with 3 minutes of rest between each set!
 
Final Thoughts
It’s easy to make mistakes when it comes to training, but luckily, most of them are easily avoidable.
 
By being mindful of the common training pitfalls we’ve outlined and avoiding them, you can focus on getting the most out of your workouts and seeing results sooner rather than later.
 
Have you been guilty of any of these bad habits? Let us know in the comments!

In part one of this article series, we learned that our modern-day ways of living had robbed us of movement, thus bringing the global fitness levels to an all-time low.
 
Well, luckily, more and more people are becoming aware of this, and with the help of fitness training, the trend is slowly beginning to change.
 
Besides the deprivation of movement, however, we’ve also seen a drastic shift in our eating habits.
 
Both combined have led to abnormal changes in body composition across all ages and demographics.
 
Now, in this second part of the article series, we’ll shed some light on food choices and how you can make the best such for the goal of optimizing your overall quality of life.
 
Ready to learn? Let’s dive!
Food Habits, CurrentlyIf you have an objective look at how modern-day eating habits go, you’ll see a pattern - We’re constantly being bombarded with highly-processed, delicious, well-marketed foods.
 
Even more so, the convenience of our world has allowed us to get these exact food products delivered to us, without the need to do something more than stand up from the chair to greet the delivery guy and take the order.
 
This junk food bonanza has totally shifted the human species from the natural ways of feeding & nourishing the body nutritionally.
 
Now, granted, we won’t preach any “diets” here - All we’re vouching for is for everyone to pay attention to what we like to refer to as “nutritional culture.”
 
Think of “culture” as all the ways of life of a population that are passed down from generation to generation, including the most crucial one - Eating!
 
 
Evolutionary-Appropriate EatingBesides the proper nutritional culture that states “eating is a form of self-care that needs a reasonable, balanced approach,” there is another thing we like to refer to as “evolutionary-appropriate eating.”
 
This term may sound fancy but think about it - Given the complexity of the human body, we can say that this exact organism has gone through a LOT during its evolution.
 
And one of the things that shaped it as it is, is namely the way of eating.
 
And trust us when we tell you this - The body has existed for perhaps hundreds and thousands of years, and it’s only been exposed to such an abundance of unnaturally processed foods for a couple of decades!
 
So, you see, there is certainly a correlation (and perhaps causation) between the recent rise of packaged & processed foods and the epidemic of diseases.
 
Now you may be wondering - What is it that one can do to counter this?
 
And the answer is… Eat evolutionary-appropriate foods!
 
Consume the WHOLE foods that our ancestors hunted for and grew.
 
Choose local rather than mass production.
 
If a food product is mass-produced and has a marketing department behind it, avoid it because it is likely to heavy a ton of additives that you don’t really want in your body!

Choose These Foods!Alright, let us be a bit more specific here and give you our list of food products to place at the core of your nutritional habits.
 

1. Grass-fed & Grass-finished Beef (meat/organs)
2. Pastured pork/chicken
3. Eggs from pastured chicken/poultry
4. Dairy from grass-fed cows
5. Root crops (potatoes/sweet potatoes/beetroots/carrots)
6. Fruits & veggies (avoid mass-production, focus on local!)
7. Olive oil (avoid using for cooking)
8. Bee honey
9. Wild-caught fish
10. Wild-caught seafood

Combining all of these foods and bringing balance across your macronutrient profile will provide you with all the energy for your daily physical activities, as well as everything needed to maintain the healthy functioning of all your bodily systems.
 
Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean you should totally exclude your favorite ice cream or junk food - Just bring the balance in favor of the nutrient-dense, high-quality food products!

Final ThoughtsThe key to understanding evolutionary appropriate nutrition is recognizing the importance of consuming foods that are natural, healthy, and nutrient-dense.
 
With a little bit of knowledge about how unnatural modern-day mass-produced nutrition is, you'll be able to find your own path towards making better food choices that can positively impact your physical and mental well-being.
 
So here’s for a wrap on this article series - Move as your ancestors did. Run, jump, climb, crawl, dive and swim. Lift some weights even!
 
And focus on whole, minimally processed locally grown foods!
 
Optimize your lifestyle. Stay healthy.

Lee
Creator, Owner and Coach at BodyFirstPT

If you’ve been feeling off mentally, physically, and emotionally as of late, the odds are that one or more things in your lifestyle need some proper optimizing.
 
And well, the truth is that most people feel that way nowadays, whether it is chronic or just from time to time.
 
This is without a doubt because the cities we live in make life relatively easy - We tend to live sedentary lives, and while doing so, we can easily get junk food delivered to our doorstep.
 
It almost seems like the cities were designed to deprive us of our natural ways of moving and eating.
 
With this in mind, we’ve decided to share our take on this in a 2-part article series, with the goal of helping you optimize your lifestyle, which will, in turn, lead to a better quality of life overall.
 
In this first part, we’ll get through one of the most important aspects of lifestyle optimization - Becoming more active!
 
But first, let’s answer an uncommon yet important question.

Is Fitness An Achievement? 
Many people nowadays consider that becoming active and having good habits as a whole is somewhat an achievement.
 
But with the above-said in mind, we concluded that the modern-day lifestyle has taken us away from our natural movement & eating patterns.
 
Therefore… If or when you start moving more, eating & sleeping well and improving your levels of fitness… Is that an achievement, or just something you get back to?
 
Well, that’s certainly some food for thought, but for now, let’s have a look at the different types of training one can do to get back to the natural fitness that we’re all supposed to have and enjoy.
 
Types Of TrainingIf you know a thing or two about the human body or have heard about certain sports achievements of fellow human beings, you know for a fact that the body is capable of a LOT.
 
This is perhaps due to the myriad of environments the human body has been through and had to adapt and thrive in.
 
And well, whatever the case may be, facts are facts - We have access to an incredibly capable configuration of muscles and bones.
 
Now, generally speaking, most types of training/exercise fall into two main categories - Aerobic & Anaerobic.
 
Both of these utilize different components in the body and lead to different adaptations (end results of the training stimulus).
 
So let’s analyze each type of training so you can determine which one fits your goals better.

Anaerobic TrainingFirst and foremost, we have the most common type of exercise - Anaerobic training.
 
The term “anaerobic” is derived from the 3 Greek words - An, aeros & bios, meaning “no,” “air,” and “life,” respectively.
 
In simple words, anaerobic training activities do not require oxygen to use up the energy needed to execute the movement.
 
Generally speaking, anaerobic training activities are of high intensity and short in duration.
 
Think weightlifting, sprints, HIIT training, etc.
 
This type of training engages the fast-twitch muscle fibers, responsible for power output, maximum strength and… Visual muscular development!
 
In terms of hormonal stimulus, visual changes to the body & the development of strength, explosiveness, and strength endurance, this is the type of training you’d want to opt for.

Aerobic TrainingOn the other hand, we have Aerobic exercise, also referred to as “cardio training.”
 
This is opposite to anaerobic and thus, requires oxygen for the energy to be used during activity.
 
Aerobic training activities are of low intensity, but as compared to anaerobic exercises, they are way longer in duration.
 
Think of aerobic training as any activity that isn’t strenuous but is long in duration.
 
Aerobic training activities include but are not limited to:
 

1. Jogging
2. Running
3. Rope skipping
4. Swimming
5. Cycling

 
Aerobic training activities don’t really have a prominent effect on visual & strength development, but they can help you increase long-distance endurance by optimizing the work of your heart & lungs.
 
Which Type Should I Choose?
To further clarify what we’ve said so far, think of the two types of training as… Two types of training with different results!
 
Ultimately, there isn’t really a “better” type of training if it’s not put into context.
 
What we mean here is that both types of training have their advantages, simply because they produce different end results!
 
Both have health benefits.
 
Both help you develop certain physical properties.
 
Both allow you to enjoy the freedom of movement.
 
Ultimately, your best bet is to do both on a regular basis, with an emphasis on the one that resonates more with your goals.
 
Do you want to be stronger, more explosive, and improve your body visually? Go for anaerobic training and do some cardio (aerobic training) here and there.
 
Do you not care about looks and strength as much but want to be a beast over long distances? Go for aerobic training and do some weights here and there.

Try This!If you’re someone who just wants to get off of their butt and get a little from everything that the body is capable of, try this simple workout routine 2 to 3 times a week, with at least two days of rest between each session.
 
NOTE: “Close to failure” means that the set should be challenging and get you close to the point where you can’t complete another rep unassisted.
 


Exercise Rope skipping
Sets 1
Reps/duration 4-5 mins
Rest times between sets

Exercise Squats (Either bodyweight, barbell or machine)
Sets 5
Reps/duration 6+ close to failure
Rest times between sets 2.5 to 3 minutes

Exercise Horizontal or incline bench press (either with barbell or dumbbells)
Sets 5
Reps/duration 6+ close to failure
Rest times between sets 2.5 to 3 minutes

Exercise Deadlift (Either with a barbell or dumbbells)
Sets 5
Reps/duration 5, close to failure
Rest times between set 3 minutes

Exercise Rope skipping/other cardio activity
Sets 1
Reps/duration 20 mins
 
This full-body circuit will give you the best of both worlds - Plenty of stimulus for strength, explosiveness and visual development, but also a great deal of cardio endurance!
 
Sooner or later, you’ll be addicted to seeing improvements in how you look, perform and feel!
 
And trust us - When this happens, you’ll be HOOKED and will look for ways to further improve this.
 
When that happens, reach out to us at _______
 
And until then, remember that movement is just one part of lifestyle optimization.
 
The other, even more important part is to make the right food choices.
 
We have that covered, too, so follow up with us over on the 2nd part of this article series by clicking HERE!
 
See you there!

Lee
Creator, Owner and Coach at BodyFirstPT

The Misinformation We’re Constantly Exposed To

Fitness is an ever-growing industry with so many myths and misconceptions. 

Pair that with the internet, where millions of bits of information are uploaded every second, and you got yourself a nice ocean of misinformation, where you can’t tell what’s really true.

And because it can be difficult to tell fact from fiction, we at ______ decided it was time to set the record straight!

After doing some research, we've compiled a list of five common fitness misconceptions that you may have heard before.

Let’s have a look!
​
#1 Fad Diets Work Like Magic
A diet is a plan for day-to-day nutrition, and each person has their own unique needs.  
A fad diet claims to work for everyone because it restricts specific food groups or encourages only one type of food with the premise that it is somewhat superior to other types of nutritional approaches.
However, most people cannot stick with these diets long enough to see any real benefits because… Most fad diets are NOT sustainable!
The truth is that no single type of diet is superior to others when calories & macronutrients are equated!
Though keto, vegan, carnivore, or paleo don’t work like magic, they might turn out to be more sustainable for certain individuals, and THAT is the most important thing.
When structuring a nutrition plan, consider your individual needs, caloric intake, macronutrients and ask yourself the most important question - “Can I stick to this in the long term?”
If the answer is yes, shoot!

#2 Fat Spot-Reduction
Contrary to popular belief, fat spot reduction isn’t really possible, though it has been supported by the idea that if you exercise a certain muscle group, the body will use the fat around that area because it’s closest to where energy is needed.

Well, that was a lie.

The truth is that when in a caloric deficit, the lipolytic hormones (hormones that help burn fat for energy) allow you to burn more fat than you store.

However, these hormones circulate with the blood, which circulates through the entire body, making spot-reduction impossible.

Key message - The areas that hold the most fat, will lose it last! Eat in a caloric deficit, train with weights, and stay consistent. This is how you lose stubborn body fat.

#3 Women Shouldn’t Lift
For decades, women have been told that they should avoid weightlifting because it will make them "manly."
But this myth has little to no scientific basis.
In fact, women who lift weights are less likely to be overweight or obese than their female peers who don't work out at all.
This is because training with weights helps you build lean muscle, which burns more calories even when resting. 
Plus, lifting weights can improve your mood by decreasing anxiety and depression—something many women struggle with today.
So the next time someone tells you that you'll get "big and bulky" if you lift weights, tell them that it's simply not true and has more benefits than downsides! (Actually, no downsides if done right!)
P.S it will also make you look better naked, regardless of gender, so hey, what’s to lose here?

#4 Carbs Are Inherently Bad
One of the most persistent myths about food is that carbohydrates are bad. 
The problem with this myth is that it's based on an outdated understanding of how we should eat.
Carbohydrates have only been demonized in recent decades as a result of low-carb diets and fad weight-loss plans. 
But carbs aren't evil: they're just misunderstood, and when you know what to look for, it's easy to find healthy ones.
It’s true that some carbs don't offer much nutritional value, and some even have pretty imbalanced nutrient profiles.
But others are pretty friendly and worth including in your diet!
Remember, the primary function of carbs is to provide energy!
And in fact, when it comes to intense training performance, there isn't a better energy source than carbs.
Here are our most favorite sources of carbs:
1. Sweet potatoes
2. Normal potatoes
3. Fruits
4. Honey

Take-Home Message

In a world where we have an ever-expanding database of unchecked information (the internet), it is easy to fall for fallacies that sound legitimate.

However, one must always remember to stick to the basic principles of training and nutrition and avoid anything that sounds “groundbreaking,” because quite frankly - We won’t reinvent biology and it will always function as it does!

Eat well. Sleep well. Move well. Avoid toxic habits.

The holiday season is a time of joy and celebration. There are holiday parties, holiday dinners with family and overall, it's holiday treats galore!
It's practically inevitable that you will gain some weight during the holiday season - especially if you're not careful!
In this blog post, we'll discuss how to avoid weight gain during the holidays so that your hard-earned progress doesn't go down the drain!
How Do You Gain Weight, Actually?
Alright, if we try and get down to the core of it all with fundamental analysis, we can conclude that there is a specific reason why you gain weight...
Okay, okay maybe that was a too complex way to say "overeating causes weight gain" ... But the point is this - If you manage the amount of food, you can eat any food type you want.
So essentially, if you consistently go way above your daily needs for maintenance, you will gain weight.
And though that happens, one must remember that just a small percentage of the weight gained during the holidays is fat.
You also gain:
●     Muscle and liver glycogen (stored carbs)
●     Water
●     Food weight
 
So here’s for a mental checkpoint - Don’t stress out for a couple of pounds gained.
Focus on long-term habits!
Let Your Soul Loose
There is a tendency for people to fall so seriously into diets and nutrition plans that their entire perspective on food is warped.
This is exactly when one may be worried about overeating for a couple of days during the holiday.
However, if you give your soul some more food than what your body needs and you are mentally okay with that and don't feel guilt, you can, in fact...
Leverage The Binge!
Yes, that's right - Binging on food doesn't necessarily have to mean gaining a bunch of unhealthy weight.
Think of the binge as an abundance of energy, which can be used for physical activities that will stimulate the body in a good way.
In short - Stay active and train intensely during the holidays, when your food intake is higher.
Here Are 5 More Tips To Control Binging
If you have a really big problem with self-control, holiday binging can truly get out of hand...
And though that is true, there are ways to manage your cravings!
Check out these tips below
●     Eat sequentially
The human stomach was made to digest almost anything and everything, but nevertheless, the different nutrients get chemically digested in different parts of the digestive system.
For this reason, eating your nutrients sequentially in each meal may improve the feeling of satiety, as well as overall digestion and gut health.
Simply - Whatever holiday food you are eating, eat first the carbs and veggies and then move on to protein and fat sources.
If the foods on the table mix all nutrients together, however, fear not! Just chew the food longer, as that will ease the work of your stomach.
●     Eat plenty of protein and fats
If you want to avoid overeating, you NEED to be satiated and not think about food.
And well, that is only possible through quality proteins and fats, mainly from animal sources.
However, though animal sources do provide proteins and fats that are satiating... the most satiating food you can eat is...
●     Potatoes!
Yes, you heard it here first - If the holiday dinner table has potatoes to offer, don't be afraid to combine them with anything else you have on your plate.
In doing so, you will increase satiety and make it far less likely to overeat and gain excess weight as an end result.
To Wrap It Up
Managing your holiday eating habits doesn't have to be difficult, nor do you have to gain excess weight.
Stay active, stay mindful, and if you happen to eat more food - Use that energy!

​Lee

The holidays are a time for celebration. It's also a time to indulge in all of the delicious food and drink that we've been waiting all year long to enjoy!
The holidays can be hard on your waistline, though.
Luckily, a short slip won't ruin everything for years ahead, so in this article, we will tell you exactly how you can get back in shape after the holidays if they took their toll on your body!
But first...

How Can You Prevent Gaining Weight?
​
It is a common belief that gaining weight around the holidays is inevitable...
But really, if you re-frame the whole thing, you may actually reap benefits from all this extra food you're getting.
Read our article "How to avoid weight gain" to get more insight on how to:

1. Prevent weight gain around the holidays
2. Control binging

And well, if that didn't help or it's too late, follow these 5 tips to get back in shape after the holidays!

Post-Holiday Rebound Tips

#1 Calm Down! Holidays have the ability to relax the body and mind so much that we become overly indulged in consumable goods.
Don't let that translate into your day-to-day eating habits, though!
Get back on track with your nutrition and focus on:

1. Animal products
2. Grains and root crops
3. Vegetables
4. Fruits

Eat just enough to feel properly satiated and avoid binging and overeating.

#2 Use That Energy Once you're back on track with a consistent meal plan, you should also consider putting the nutrients from that food to work!
Get more active, lift some weights, run some miles, stretch and mobilize!
Eating good food and spending time in the gym is an investment in your body composition.

#3 Increase Protein & Quality Fat As we mentioned in the previously referenced article, you have to feel satiated in order to avoid overeating and stay on track with your plan.
To be satiated, consider adding quality protein and fats from animal products, or, if you are plant-based, a combination of grains, legumes, and other plant sources of protein.
These are the most satiating nutrients, so don't miss them out!

#4 Focus On The Long Term One of the most important factors is to remember that a little slip during the holidays won't have a big impact on long-term progress if you don't let it.
Swipe away the feeling of guilt from your mind and focus on the important things for your shape and performance - Training well, eating well, and sleeping well.

#5 Stay Disciplined Focusing on the long-term, bigger picture of your physical development, you may come to realize that motivation is usually short-lived.
Especially after the holidays are over, people start setting goals like "new years resolutions".
Those are generally accompanied by a spike of motivation that doesn't really last long.
Instead of seeking motivation to do what you have to do, develop discipline and accept that fitness is about establishing a consistent set of body-nurturing habits.
Take-Home Message When the holidays are over and it’s time to get back on track with your diet.
You can do this by making small changes, like following a meal plan or starting an exercise program.
If you need some help coming up with these plans, we have resources that will guide you through the process of getting into shape after holiday binging.
We also offer nutrition coaching services as well as fitness training for those who want professional guidance from experts in the field.
For more information about what we have to offer contact us at lee@bodyfirstpt.co.uk today!