If you want something, you have to do all that’s in your power to get it. The point is simple.
Find your motivation and use it. Stick to the plan and don’t lose focus on the goal.
“When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you’ll be successful”
Just watch, then go hit the gym:
- Preston
I’d just like to start out by apologizing for the lack of activity this summer/fall. Preston and I have both been on 60-80 hour a week schedules and unfortunately the blog ended up taking a back seat to the “real world”.
In my first post back I’d like to talk about finding balance. Like many mid 20′s Americans, I have two jobs. During normal office hours I work as a leasing consultant for one of the largest apartment complexes in Blacksburg, VA. However, when the sun goes down and the lights of downtown Blacksburg illuminate College Avenue, I jump to the opposite end of the spectrum and work through the night at a popular college bar.
Typically I spend an average of 60-70 hours a week at work, and while this is normal for a person of my age, it made me realize how easy it is to forget about the physical fitness goals that one may have had prior to a schedule such as this one. I find myself exhausted most days. Whether I’ve gotten home at 5am from a shift at the bar or at 5:30pm from a day at the office, going to the gym has gotten harder and harder over the last few months. While I’m still figuring out ways to motivate myself post exhaustion, I still feel like the gym is home for me. The last few months has been a battle trying to beat back fatigue.
So lets talk about how to defeat the work day blues so that you can get back into the gym on a regular basis. Waking up earlier than you have to in the morning sucks, but so does heading straight to the gym after a long day at work. Not only are you going to the gym at the same time as 100 weekend warriors, you’re tired, hungry, and the last thing on many of our minds is jumping right into a physically exhausting activity. Counter this by waking up earlier. I know what your thinking, “Sunday night football isn’t over until 11:30! The Pats and 49ers are playing this week!!” here’s a tip, skip it. Go to bed early and start your week off on a positive note because I’m going to tell you exactly what’s going to happen. The 49ers D isn’t what it was earlier in the season, Tom Brady is going to roll over teams this December as the Pats fight for a first round bye. Wes Welker and Aaron Hernandez will both score via Air Brady. Ridley and Brady will both rush for a score in the first half. The game will be out of hand by the end of the 3rd quarter. Come on, Man! It’s Foxboro. You should know this.
Back to work.
Don’t think about waking up at 6am. Think about going to sleep at 10pm and getting 8 hours of quality sleep. Wake up, grab a snack that will add some fuel to the tank (so that you aren’t passing out in front of the senior citizens that beat you to the gym everyday) and finish your workout before you ever begin to contemplate skipping it to meet your friends at happy hour. I’m not going to lie to you, this schedule is going to take getting used to. It’s going to be worth it.
Tip 2: If you’re sitting at a desk all day it may be hard to remember that you still need to hydrate your body. Take a water bottle that holds more than 32oz in with you everyday. Make sure you’re refilling it at least a couple times through out the day. There is a direct correlation between dehydration and fatigue, and if you’re set in your ways and still want to roll into the gym at 5pm every day, you’ll need all the energy you can get.
Tip 3: Pack snacks. Your body is still recovering from yesterday’s workout. The last thing you need to do is go into a caloric deficit and waste all of that hard work you just poured into getting back in shape. Protein shakes work for me, they’re quick and easy when you’re on the go. If you get tired of shakes but you’re still adamant about reaching your macro/micro nutrient requirements for the day, try making a batch of healthy muffins (Kurt Weidner gives you his recipe in a step by step tutorial @ http://youtu.be/_nThG8mL9sE ). Regardless of what you choose, you should make sure that you’re eating enough to support your activity levels as well as supplement your recovery. Waiting for your lunch break and then stuffing your face with the largest salad at buffalo wild wings isn’t an ideal lifestyle for a healthy individual. (I say this because I’ve done it. I know… I know…Tragic)
Tip 4: Prioritize your time. I know that you’ve seen that episode of How I Met Your Mother at least 3 times.. I have too. Skip it. Laying on the couch may be relaxing in the present, but think back to how many times you’ve skipped your workout because you didn’t want to get up (Guilty). While none of us would like to admit to it, we’ve all done it. It doesn’t matter if you’re using this new found time in the gym, or simply reading a book. Kick the lazy habits and become mentally and physically active. Use the 2 hours that you were wasting watching reruns and make your meals for the week. Planning ahead, especially in terms of eating, will put you in a position to stay on track and keep you away from junk food.
Tip 5: Set Goals! Demand the best from yourself. Prove somebody wrong. Hell, Prove yourself wrong. Everyone wants to be that next big transformational story but there aren’t many out there that have the courage to get off their ass and do something about it. Start slow if you’d like. Aim to do cardio 3 times next week, then 4 times the week after that. Challenge yourself. Do more than you did last week. No one is asking you to be the next model on the cover of Health and Fitness, but living a healthy lifestyle will lead to a healthy physique, and a healthy physique will lead to a higher level of confidence. Set a deadline for yourself. If that means signing up for a marathon, tough mudder, or a bodybuilding competition, do it. Knowing that you have to perform in front of an audience is going to do more for you than anyone else can.
As always, I hope this article helps at least 1 person. To the readers that have missed us, we’re going to do everything we can to follow these tips ourselves and find some consistency. If you have any questions or you’d just like for us to address a specific topic in our next post, head over to our Questions page.
Thanks for reading. #Conquer
- Jared
Good Morning Guys,
To give our readers an idea of my daily caloric intake and macro nutrient choices, I want to post what a regular day looks like for me. The day I decided to record was a Friday in March, I was out of frozen veggies on this day, broccoli is usually a go to vegetable for me. I consume anywhere from 2-3 gallons of water a day, probably a little too much, but over time my body has gotten used to it and I begin to feel dehydrated if I’m not drinking at least 30 oz of water per hour.
(Sidebar: I eat every 2 1/2 – 3 hours, and I work friday and sat nights so I’m up until 4-5am. I will take in more calories than usual on these days due to activity levels.)
Meal 1: 1 cup egg whites, 1 cup cooked oats, 1 scoop whey, 1 large banana, black coffee
Protein: 58g Carbs: 54g Fat: <5g
Meal 2: 8oz Chicken Breast, 1/2 cup cooked rice, 1/2 sweet potat0, raw nuts
Protein: 65g Carbs: 46g, Fat: 15g
Meal 3: 2 Scoops Gold Standard Whey, 1 cup oats, raw almonds (or 1 1/2 tbsp NatPB)
Protein: 55g Carbs: 54g Fat: 12g
Meal 4: 8oz Tilapia, 1 Sweet Potato, 1 cup rice
Protein: 56, Carbs: 57g Fat: 10g
Workout
Meal 5: 2 Scoops Gold Standard, 1 cup oats, 1 Nature Valley pack,
Protein: 50g, Carbs: 60g, Fat: 9g, Sugar: 12g
Meal 6: 6oz Chicken Breast, 1 1/2 cup cooked rice,3/4 tbsp olive oil
Protein: 50g, Carbs: 51g, Fat: 10g
Meal 7: 8oz London broil, 1 sweet potato,
Protein: 50g, Carbs: 25g, Fat: 15g
Meal 8: 5oz LS Turkey Breast, 1tbsp natty pb
Protein: 28g, Carbs: <5g, Fat: 9g
3,756 Total Calories – 412g protein (1648 calories), 347g carbs (1,388 calories), 80g fat (720 calories)
Individual meal goals: P: 50g C: 50g Fat: 10g (Timing factors in.. typically no carbohydrates before bed and high carb before and after workouts)
This diet is the most important part of my training, without it I would never be able to find the results that I desire. While my diet is built to facilitate muscle growth and recovery, you must structure your diet in a way that compliments your lifestyle. Lower activity levels mean lower numbers across the board, however, you still need to make sure that you’re eating every 2-3 hours, failure to do so could result in a crash later in the day.
Hope this helps you guys out, feel free to drop a question or comment.
- Jared
#TeamMFF
There are several periods that we go through in this lifetime in which we are faced with circumstances that are severely unexpected. We cannot prepare ourselves for events such as these, and because we cannot prepare ourselves we are often forced to react in a manner that is potentially life altering.
The word ‘strength’ is defined and viewed by many as a trait associated with physical ability and/or potential force. However, the definition that I had once given the word has since changed drastically. Strength certainly revolves around the ability to move a heavy object, however that object isn’t necessarily an animate object, holding someone up spiritually as well as emotionally takes much more strength than moving 315 pounds of cold metal. Carrying a friend or family member through a life altering event may be the toughest challenge that you’ll ever face.
Strength comes from within, I’ve always agreed with that quote. Your mind will always be more powerful than your body, and pushing through an event that tears the walls of your life down around you will force you to find a strength that you may not have ever known. It will push you against the wall and not let go of you until you push back, until you progress. Events such as these not only have an impact on our lives, but also impact the lives of the people around us. When we are faced with an event that is unfamiliar to us we may be forced to change ourselves in order to react in a manner that is conducive with the situation. This is not necessarily a bad thing.
As individuals, we tend to reevaluate ourselves in times of stress or depression. We evaluate ourselves against the people that we hold highest in this life, the people in which we find ourselves emulating on a regular basis.
Changing your physique and/or your personality often revolves around the same type of process, you must evaluate your weaknesses. It’s easy to get swept up in the flaws of our character and often succumb to the temptations that surround us on a daily basis. In order to move forward you must realize that these temptations point directly towards failure. While its easy to give in, the path less taken is the one that requires us to endure the pain and suffering of a moment. I’ve stressed for many years that a person looking for a change must not be concerned with instant gratification, change is made over years, not days. You must lay the foundation before you can begin to build.
If you’re still reading, there’s a large chance that it’s because you are waiting for me to tie this into fitness, you’re about to get your wish. Bodybuilding has been the rock in my life for many years, and it wasn’t until recently that I was forced to evaluate my own priorities. I often believed that I hit it hard in the gym because I felt that I wanted that great physique, I desired to look like the strongest man on the planet. I’ve said for a long time that I enjoy going to the gym because I feel that it’s a place in which I make the rules, I’m the boss in the gym, and I take orders from no one.
3 weeks ago I reevaluated, and the first thing that came up was my affinity for working out. Why the obsession? Why do I spend so much time on something that only influences my own life? After weeks of thought, I came to the conclusion that it was my foundation, the discipline I gained in the gym carried over into my personal and professional life, and that I was a better person because of it. Committing to a lifestyle is often difficult, especially if that lifestyle revolves around strenuous workouts and strict diets, but the results you will gain from such a life aren’t simply cosmetic. Whether you see it or not, you gain the ability to find balance, which not only makes you stronger, but also strengthens the people that you share your life with.
Set an Example. Do it for yourself, but realize that you are constantly influencing the people around you, it could be a family member, it could be a stranger on the street. People see what you’re doing, and if you impact their life, they’ll never forget you. I’m not sure if this post will motivate you to get into the gym, or motivate you to stop reading this blog, but hopefully it’ll help a few. Respect is earned, not given. If you find yourself taking the easy way out more times than not, then its time to reevaluate. Just like in your workouts, if you skip the tough parts of life you’re probably not going to find the result that you’re looking for.
As Always, Thank you for reading,
- Jared
There’s no such thing as “Get Ripped Quick”
Pick up the latest muscle magazine and you’ll see pages of ad’s that promise weight loss results within 4 weeks! or 6 weeks! or gaining 10 pounds of muscle in 2 weeks! all with this one supplement! While its great marketing, it doesn’t hide the fact that it’s bullsh**. Here are the facts. You are never going to find a legal product that will give you immediate results. It takes hard work, it takes discipline, it takes sweat, intensity, and most of all it takes heart. While some may shy away from fitness due to lack of instant gratification, you should weigh the pros and cons before you totally write your fitness goals off. Chances are that you’re reading this blog because you’ve still got questions about your routine, whether it be your diet, your approach to weight training, or all of the above. There is a plateau that you are hung up on and you’re looking for the best way to break through the wall. Rest assured that its normal to grow impatient with your physique. It’s normal to get bored with that routine you’ve been doing since ’03. If you don’t find ways to spark your adrenaline in the gym on a regular basis, you’re probably going to burn out. I know that I preach this far too often, but you have to set goals for yourself. So lets be specific. What have been some of my personal fitness goals over the years?
In 2007, after a brief stint as a college football player, I found myself gaining weight at an alarming pace. I went from being a 6′ ft, 200lb linebacker to a 225 pound chubster overnight. I had no idea what a healthy diet looked like, I was eating junk food on a regular basis, and I had completely forgotten the importance of exercise. It wasn’t until December 28th that I realized the need for change. I stepped on the scale at my local gym and a voice came over my shoulder that I didn’t recognize. It was an elderly man, probably in his 60′s or 70′s, and his exact words were “looks like somebody had a good holiday, ha!”. The last shred of confidence that I had was gone, I weighed in at 228lbs. I put a sweatshirt on a told myself that I was done being the chubby guy. I didn’t know it then, but that day changed my life forever. The goal then was to lose weight. I didn’t care how I did it, I just wanted to be back down to 200lbs again. I began a 2 a day workout regime in which I did cardio in the morning and weight training at night. After two and a half months of non stop training, I was back down to 200lbs. Along the way I began to reevaluate my diet, often reading men’s health multiple times a day to gain as much information about dieting and weight loss as I could. I changed my entire approach to eating, I was finally eating for a purpose. It didn’t take long for me to catch the fever. Soon being at 200lbs wasn’t enough, so the goal was to get to 185. 2 months later I was at 185 and curious as to where I wanted to go next. During this time period I had been lucky enough to partner up with a guy that had always been a monster in the gym, fortunately he gave me loads of advice along the way on everything from resistance training to improving core strength. My goals since that point have been relatively consistent, often I shoot for lower body fat percentages now. More recently I began the process of what some call “bulking”, attempting to gain lean muscle mass through a high calorie diet focused on certain macro nutrient levels. The point of the story is this, your progress in the gym is never really over, and if you’re like me, you’re never going to be satisfied. You’ll tell yourself that you’ll be happy with a 6 pack…until you get a 6 pack and you realize how close you are to getting an 8 pack.. and so on and so forth.
So here’s the deal. Keep challenging yourself. Find motivation for each and every hour that you spend in the gym. Whether it be losing weight, setting a new personal record on squats, or running a faster mile, small challenges like these will keep you hungry and ultimately keep you coming back. Don’t dwell on what you see in the mirror right now, stay focused on what you could become if you stick to your guns and stay disciplined. Remember that you’re eating every meal for a reason. Every gram of protein that you take in is ultimately setting you up for success. Whether you want to be the next Mr. Olympia, or just in shape for the beach, the gains you make each day are contributing to the overall package.
Have a good weekend guys,
- Jared
Carl Rieman is a rugby player, a bartender, a bodybuilder, and a philosopher in this weeks motivational post. Check it out below.
As I sit here well into the evening nursing a hangover from last night’s mistakes there is only one thing on my mind – feeling well enough to make it to the gym before it closes. This inevitably leads to the question why. Why would I want to repeatedly move heavy objects when I can easily sit in my recliner and watch another terrible movie on Netflix?
Why does anyone go to the gym for that matter?
This should be a straightforward question to answer right? While wanting to avoid crappy movies is some motivation, and throwing weights around while praying that season two of Spartacus will finally be streamed to my T.V. is slightly therapeutic, it doesn’t get at the heart of the matter.
There is the misconception that bodybuilders and gym-rats do it solely to look good. I won’t argue that sometimes this isn’t true. We all know the type and have seen the dude in the gym just doing arm and ab workouts or the broski who has never seen a leg press machine. While having a six-pack on the beach will get you noticed, it shouldn’t be the end game. Looks are fleeting, and you are always one pot of boiling water away from being a mutant. Looking good is a great side-effect, we are human and crave positive attention. There is nothing wrong with that. The problem is when this is the only or chief concern. This kind of motivation just won’t last. It may be fine if you are just getting into bodybuilding but eventually there will come a time when simply looking good isn’t enough to get you into the gym. Working all year long for a three month “beach season” is kind of stupid after all. So why?
Very few things in life are entirely up to you and randomness plays a huge role in life. The gym and your diet, because we don’t live in Uzbekistan, are 100% in your control and 100% about the effort you give. It doesn’t matter what Joe Blow Jr. is doing on the bench next to you. For once in life it really is all about you.
You go to the gym because you set goals for yourself; you either suck it up and follow through with them or you lie to yourself and give up. You can’t blame anyone else for failure and you alone reap the rewards. It is an opportunity to progress yourself mentally as well as physically, and every day is an occasion to improve on the accomplishments of the days before.
Now suck it up Nancy and get to the gym!
Hey Guys,
If you stumbled upon this blog, it’s because A. you googled Muscle and Fitness and clicked this by mistake, or B. you’ve been in contact with Preston Harrington or Myself, in hopes of gaining a bit more knowledge or perspective in the field of bodybuilding, cardiovascular activity, or dieting. This blog will address the topics we feel the fitness and supplement industry have kept hidden over the years, the ‘secrets’ in which only few are informed of, and the truth behind the success of many athletes across the world.
I realize that there are countless blogs, websites, magazines, and videos that address several of the topics we are going touch on. As a natural bodybuilding enthusiast I’m frequently learning, trying to take in as much information as possible. This blog is an opportunity for us to help those that are brand new to the world of fitness, as well as those that are looking for helpful information to aid their daily diet and workout.
Over the last 6 years or so I’ve set hundreds of goals for myself, whether it be a personal best for squats or a cutting down to certain body fat percentage, goals are what keep us going as individuals. Having said that, Muscle Fish Fitness is the product of over 15 years of combined fitness experience, Preston and I will continue to learn each day and sprint towards each and every goal that we set for ourselves, and we’d like to utilize this blog to help you attain your highest goals right along side us. Be sure to look for weekly blog updates, workout routines, and diet advice in the near future.
Thanks for visiting
- Jared
