So you’re gonna buy yourself a gym membership? Great! I have one too! Having access to a dedicated place to get stronger and train can be really helpful for leveling up your life. So if you want a gym membership yourself, I support your decision 100%. However, there’s a lot to consider when thinking about purchasing a gym membership…
These are great questions! Let’s make sure you have answers to all six. And if you’re joining a gym for strength training purposes, make sure you download our massive guide: “Strength Training 101:Everything You Need to Know.” Gets yours free when you sign up in the box below:
Download our comprehensive guide STRENGTH TRAINING 101!
HOW DO I FIND THE RIGHT GYM?As part of our Strength Training 101 series, we dedicate an entire article to picking the correct gym. Let’s recap some of it right here for you. #1) WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? Picking a gym isn’t as easy as running to the closest one and signing up. There are a lot of things you need to take into consideration. There’s equipment to contemplate, classes offered to compare, and distance from your home to calculate. It can be a good idea to create a list of things you are after, to make sure the gyms you research have what you need. Want such a list? You got it. Types of gyms. You’ll mockingly hear big-name-chain gyms referred to as “Globo Gyms,” taken from the critically acclaimed masterpiece, Dodgeball. You can think of Globo Gyms as your standard large franchise like 24 Hour Fitness, LA Fitness, Gold’s Gym, etc. You know, the big commercial gyms. Oftentimes their price and location make for a convenient membership. I am a member of a Globo Gym. It’s conveniently located and fits my budget. On the flip side would be a locally owned gym. Something where the owner hangs out and greets everyone. You’ll often find more free weights at such a gym, which is awesome, but it might come at the expense of other amenities like childcare. These are some pros and cons to weigh. The other thing to consider would be a CrossFit gym. More expensive, but arguably more of a community setting than you’ll get at a “Globo Gym.” Although they tend to be a little pricer. Bringing us to… #2) WHAT IS YOUR BUDGET? How much are you willing to spring for your membership? You might get away with as little as $10 a month. Conversely, a $400 monthly membership is not unheard of. Although typically a gym membership will run you $30-$50. To put the cost in context, it can be important to consider the gym’s amenities offered. Do they hold free classes like yoga? A single class can cost $10-$15, so if you plan on attending a few, this can quickly equal the price of your gym membership. Do they offer childcare? If you need someone to watch your offspring, this alone might be worth the membership. Refer to our list above for some ideas. #3) HOW IMPORTANT IS LOCATION? Don’t set yourself up for failure here. If your gym is all the way across town, you may end up less likely to use it. Consider a location on the way to or from work. If you have to pass by the gym twice a day, you’re much more likely to stop in. Might be worth springing more for a convenient location for your day-to-day. As I mentioned, this entire section on “Finding the Right Gym” was taken from our Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know ebook. It walks you through every aspect of starting a strength training practice, form equipment, specific workouts, and how to know when you should progress to lifting weight. You can grab it for free when you join the Rebellion below!
Download our comprehensive guide STRENGTH TRAINING 101!
WHAT SHOULD I DO BEFORE I PURCHASE MY GYM MEMBERSHIP?So you’ve narrowed down the type of gym membership you want to purchase. Before you pull the trigger, do the following: Get a guest pass. Some gyms give out free passes for a week or two, some you have to pay for (e.g. $20 for 20 days). Even if you have to pay for it, this is probably the best money you can spend. After all, you don’t buy a car without test driving it, right? Make sure you head to the gym at different times of day that align with when you plan on going regularly. There’s nothing worse than finding a perfect gym, signing a big contract, and then discovering that the gym is so swamped with people after your workday that you can’t even get to the equipment you’d like to use. During your guest visits there are lots of things to look for: Is the equipment in good working order? Is there enough equipment for everyone or are you fighting for a bench? What’s the general vibe of the gym? Does it seem clean? If you’re going before work, are there enough showers available? Did you have to wait to use one? It’s also never a bad idea to talk to the other members and ask them what they like and dislike about the gym. You can also read reviews online on sites like Yelp or Google, but remember that people are more likely to complain than compliment, so take all online reviews with a grain of salt. Nervous about approaching people? Read this. HOW DO I BUY A GYM MEMBERSHIP?At this point, you’ve decided to pull the trigger. Want some potential money saving tips? I got you: Join with a friend or family member. Gyms can be sales driven, so bringing in someone else can make for an enticing offer. They likely have a quota to make, so the more the merrier. It’s worth asking every gym about a family plan. Join in January (or keep an eye out for specials during the slow months). The start of the new year brings a fitness craze, and many gyms capitalize on this by waiving fees or offering discounts. If it’s near, it might be worth signing up during this rush. January won’t be the only time gyms offer specials. Google “name of gym deals” and similar items to see if any recent ads show up, as well as check on sites like Groupon and LivingSocial. If you just missed a deal, bring it up to them. They very well may still offer it. If not… Haggle. While this can be uncomfortable for some, asking for a discount won’t hurt. The worst thing they’ll tell you is “no.” The best thing that could happen is they’ll give you a free membership.[1] While I’m joking on that last part, many people do have success with negotiating gym membership fees, especially at locally owned stores which don’t have corporate oversight. It doesn’t hurt to ask. Once you settle on a price, the next step is contract time. Keep an eye out for the following in your contract:
Always get everything the salesperson promises you in writing (and remember that most of the time they are working on commission). I’d also suggest that you get a copy of the contract and take it home with you to read before you sign it. If they won’t let you do that, that’s a bad sign. Remember, if the sales person is overly pushy, or you don’t feel comfortable for any reason, walk away. There’s a lot of gyms out there that would be happy for your business. Got your membership? Perfect. Now the fun starts! HOW DO I TRAIN AT THE GYM?If you’re worried about what to do at the gym, you’ve come to the right place. We have an entire guide on “How to Train in a Commercial Gym,” which you should check out. If you’ve never worked out in a commercial facility, it’s a great place to start. I personally train in such a facility and I wrote about being the only Rebel in a big box store right here. Read it for my personal tips on how to get in, take care of business, and get put. You can also check out this article to make sure you walk into the gym with the right equipment in order. Be prepared! Afraid you’ll make a fool of yourself the first time you try and work out with your new membership? I’m prepared for that too! I wrote an article “How to not be a newbie at the gym” covering this exact concern. Jim Bathurst, our head male trainer for Nerd Fitness coaching, also wrote a sweet article on “29 unwritten rules” for proper gym etiquette. You can check that out right here. Both should help for the first time you step foot in the gym to train. What’s that? You have absolutely NO idea what you’re doing in a gym and you wander around like a lost sheep without a shepherd? You’re not alone! There’s nothing worse than feeling foolish or worrying so much about doing something wrong that you never try in the first place. Our advice would be to consider enlisting the help of a trainer – if you can afford it – for a few sessions to help you get started. If you want full accountability, expert guidance, and consistent instruction, we have you covered there too. Check out our online Coaching program that might help you too! If you’re just starting out, and have no clue where to begin, we got you covered! We can build you custom workouts, provide accountability so you can follow through and crush them, or help you change your nutrition strategy if you’re trying to lose weight. We work with busy people just like you, helping many of them step foot in the gym for the first time. Wanna see if we are a good fit for each other? Click on the big image below to schedule a free call with our team: WHAT IF I’M SCARED OF THE GYM?If you’re nervous about even stepping foot inside a gym, you’re not alone. We get tons of emails from Rebels anxious about walking in the door of their local fitness facility. Which is understandable, because stepping foot into a commercial gym to train can be intimidating. The people there all seem to know that they’re doing, making you a potential outsider. I’ll tell you what I tell all Rebels nervous about walking into a gym:
After explaining these points to a worried Rebel, I then bring up the idea of “20 Seconds of Courage.” Our lives are a series of decisions. And each individual choice really doesn’t take that long to make – less than 20 seconds. Once you make that decision, you set yourself on a course with no way to off, until you make another decision. You don’t have to be courageous for a full hour. 20 seconds will be enough to walk into a gym. I want you to use 20 seconds of courage to enter any local fitness facility. From there, you can start thinking about actually purchasing a membership. WHAT IF I DECIDE THE GYM ISN’T RIGHT FOR ME?Hey, I get it. The gym can suck. If you want to get a membership to start working out, great! But if it’s not your bag, don’t sweat it. There are tons of other options. You can start doing bodyweight exercises from home. You can start doing an at-home yoga practice. Like the outdoors? Start working out there! There’s is nothing, written anywhere, that says the only way to get fit is in a commercial gym. And if it is written, it’s just some sales propaganda. Do what’s best for you. However, if you DO want to start working out in a gym, follow the tips laid out in this article:
Alright, I think that about does it for this article on buying and using a gym membership. Did I miss anything? Do you have any advice for someone just stepping foot in the gym? Let me know in the comments! -Steve, PS: If you’re just getting started on your fitness journey, I’ll again remind you of Nerd Fitness Coaching! We can build you custom workouts, for the gym or for your home. We can also guide you through nutrition strategies if you’re trying to lose some weight. We can make a plan for your specific situation, so you can level up your life! ### All photo sources can be found right here.[2]
Footnotes ( returns to text)
via Blogger Buying a Gym Membership: 6 Things to Consider Before You Purchase
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So you’re gonna buy yourself a gym membership? Great! I have one too! Having access to a dedicated place to get stronger and train can be really helpful for leveling up your life. So if you want a gym membership yourself, I support your decision 100%. However, there’s a lot to consider when thinking about purchasing a gym membership…
These are great questions! Let’s make sure you have answers to all six. And if you’re joining a gym for strength training purposes, make sure you download our massive guide: “Strength Training 101:Everything You Need to Know.” Gets yours free when you sign up in the box below:
Download our comprehensive guide STRENGTH TRAINING 101!
HOW DO I FIND THE RIGHT GYM?As part of our Strength Training 101 series, we dedicate an entire article to picking the correct gym. Let’s recap some of it right here for you. #1) WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? Picking a gym isn’t as easy as running to the closest one and signing up. There are a lot of things you need to take into consideration. There’s equipment to contemplate, classes offered to compare, and distance from your home to calculate. It can be a good idea to create a list of things you are after, to make sure the gyms you research have what you need. Want such a list? You got it. Types of gyms. You’ll mockingly hear big-name-chain gyms referred to as “Globo Gyms,” taken from the critically acclaimed masterpiece, Dodgeball. You can think of Globo Gyms as your standard large franchise like 24 Hour Fitness, LA Fitness, Gold’s Gym, etc. You know, the big commercial gyms. Oftentimes their price and location make for a convenient membership. I am a member of a Globo Gym. It’s conveniently located and fits my budget. On the flip side would be a locally owned gym. Something where the owner hangs out and greets everyone. You’ll often find more free weights at such a gym, which is awesome, but it might come at the expense of other amenities like childcare. These are some pros and cons to weigh. The other thing to consider would be a CrossFit gym. More expensive, but arguably more of a community setting than you’ll get at a “Globo Gym.” Although they tend to be a little pricer. Bringing us to… #2) WHAT IS YOUR BUDGET? How much are you willing to spring for your membership? You might get away with as little as $10 a month. Conversely, a $400 monthly membership is not unheard of. Although typically a gym membership will run you $30-$50. To put the cost in context, it can be important to consider the gym’s amenities offered. Do they hold free classes like yoga? A single class can cost $10-$15, so if you plan on attending a few, this can quickly equal the price of your gym membership. Do they offer childcare? If you need someone to watch your offspring, this alone might be worth the membership. Refer to our list above for some ideas. #3) HOW IMPORTANT IS LOCATION? Don’t set yourself up for failure here. If your gym is all the way across town, you may end up less likely to use it. Consider a location on the way to or from work. If you have to pass by the gym twice a day, you’re much more likely to stop in. Might be worth springing more for a convenient location for your day-to-day. As I mentioned, this entire section on “Finding the Right Gym” was taken from our Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know ebook. It walks you through every aspect of starting a strength training practice, form equipment, specific workouts, and how to know when you should progress to lifting weight. You can grab it for free when you join the Rebellion below!
Download our comprehensive guide STRENGTH TRAINING 101!
WHAT SHOULD I DO BEFORE I PURCHASE MY GYM MEMBERSHIP?So you’ve narrowed down the type of gym membership you want to purchase. Before you pull the trigger, do the following: Get a guest pass. Some gyms give out free passes for a week or two, some you have to pay for (e.g. $20 for 20 days). Even if you have to pay for it, this is probably the best money you can spend. After all, you don’t buy a car without test driving it, right? Make sure you head to the gym at different times of day that align with when you plan on going regularly. There’s nothing worse than finding a perfect gym, signing a big contract, and then discovering that the gym is so swamped with people after your workday that you can’t even get to the equipment you’d like to use. During your guest visits there are lots of things to look for: Is the equipment in good working order? Is there enough equipment for everyone or are you fighting for a bench? What’s the general vibe of the gym? Does it seem clean? If you’re going before work, are there enough showers available? Did you have to wait to use one? It’s also never a bad idea to talk to the other members and ask them what they like and dislike about the gym. You can also read reviews online on sites like Yelp or Google, but remember that people are more likely to complain than compliment, so take all online reviews with a grain of salt. Nervous about approaching people? Read this. HOW DO I BUY A GYM MEMBERSHIP?At this point, you’ve decided to pull the trigger. Want some potential money saving tips? I got you: Join with a friend or family member. Gyms can be sales driven, so bringing in someone else can make for an enticing offer. They likely have a quota to make, so the more the merrier. It’s worth asking every gym about a family plan. Join in January (or keep an eye out for specials during the slow months). The start of the new year brings a fitness craze, and many gyms capitalize on this by waiving fees or offering discounts. If it’s near, it might be worth signing up during this rush. January won’t be the only time gyms offer specials. Google “name of gym deals” and similar items to see if any recent ads show up, as well as check on sites like Groupon and LivingSocial. If you just missed a deal, bring it up to them. They very well may still offer it. If not… Haggle. While this can be uncomfortable for some, asking for a discount won’t hurt. The worst thing they’ll tell you is “no.” The best thing that could happen is they’ll give you a free membership.[1] While I’m joking on that last part, many people do have success with negotiating gym membership fees, especially at locally owned stores which don’t have corporate oversight. It doesn’t hurt to ask. Once you settle on a price, the next step is contract time. Keep an eye out for the following in your contract:
Always get everything the salesperson promises you in writing (and remember that most of the time they are working on commission). I’d also suggest that you get a copy of the contract and take it home with you to read before you sign it. If they won’t let you do that, that’s a bad sign. Remember, if the sales person is overly pushy, or you don’t feel comfortable for any reason, walk away. There’s a lot of gyms out there that would be happy for your business. Got your membership? Perfect. Now the fun starts! HOW DO I TRAIN AT THE GYM?If you’re worried about what to do at the gym, you’ve come to the right place. We have an entire guide on “How to Train in a Commercial Gym,” which you should check out. If you’ve never worked out in a commercial facility, it’s a great place to start. I personally train in such a facility and I wrote about being the only Rebel in a big box store right here. Read it for my personal tips on how to get in, take care of business, and get put. You can also check out this article to make sure you walk into the gym with the right equipment in order. Be prepared! Afraid you’ll make a fool of yourself the first time you try and work out with your new membership? I’m prepared for that too! I wrote an article “How to not be a newbie at the gym” covering this exact concern. Jim Bathurst, our head male trainer for Nerd Fitness coaching, also wrote a sweet article on “29 unwritten rules” for proper gym etiquette. You can check that out right here. Both should help for the first time you step foot in the gym to train. What’s that? You have absolutely NO idea what you’re doing in a gym and you wander around like a lost sheep without a shepherd? You’re not alone! There’s nothing worse than feeling foolish or worrying so much about doing something wrong that you never try in the first place. Our advice would be to consider enlisting the help of a trainer – if you can afford it – for a few sessions to help you get started. If you want full accountability, expert guidance, and consistent instruction, we have you covered there too. Check out our online Coaching program that might help you too! If you’re just starting out, and have no clue where to begin, we got you covered! We can build you custom workouts, provide accountability so you can follow through and crush them, or help you change your nutrition strategy if you’re trying to lose weight. We work with busy people just like you, helping many of them step foot in the gym for the first time. Wanna see if we are a good fit for each other? Click on the big image below to schedule a free call with our team: WHAT IF I’M SCARED OF THE GYM?If you’re nervous about even stepping foot inside a gym, you’re not alone. We get tons of emails from Rebels anxious about walking in the door of their local fitness facility. Which is understandable, because stepping foot into a commercial gym to train can be intimidating. The people there all seem to know that they’re doing, making you a potential outsider. I’ll tell you what I tell all Rebels nervous about walking into a gym:
After explaining these points to a worried Rebel, I then bring up the idea of “20 Seconds of Courage.” Our lives are a series of decisions. And each individual choice really doesn’t take that long to make – less than 20 seconds. Once you make that decision, you set yourself on a course with no way to off, until you make another decision. You don’t have to be courageous for a full hour. 20 seconds will be enough to walk into a gym. I want you to use 20 seconds of courage to enter any local fitness facility. From there, you can start thinking about actually purchasing a membership. WHAT IF I DECIDE THE GYM ISN’T RIGHT FOR ME?Hey, I get it. The gym can suck. If you want to get a membership to start working out, great! But if it’s not your bag, don’t sweat it. There are tons of other options. You can start doing bodyweight exercises from home. You can start doing an at-home yoga practice. Like the outdoors? Start working out there! There’s is nothing, written anywhere, that says the only way to get fit is in a commercial gym. And if it is written, it’s just some sales propaganda. Do what’s best for you. However, if you DO want to start working out in a gym, follow the tips laid out in this article:
Alright, I think that about does it for this article on buying and using a gym membership. Did I miss anything? Do you have any advice for someone just stepping foot in the gym? Let me know in the comments! -Steve, PS: If you’re just getting started on your fitness journey, I’ll again remind you of Nerd Fitness Coaching! We can build you custom workouts, for the gym or for your home. We can also guide you through nutrition strategies if you’re trying to lose some weight. We can make a plan for your specific situation, so you can level up your life! ### All photo sources can be found right here.[2]
Footnotes ( returns to text)
via Tumblr Buying a Gym Membership: 6 Things to Consider Before You Purchase I sat in the parking lot, absolutely terrified. My palms were sweaty, my heart was racing, my brain was going crazy. After ten minutes, I finally mustered up my 20 seconds of courage, literally yelled at myself, got out of the car, and walked through the double doors. I was getting ready to try something I had always wanted to do but had been too scared…. And an hour later, I left a sweaty mess… A sweaty mess with a giant smile on my face. I had just attended my first swing dance class. I know plenty of people who hate exercise but WANT to find a way to like it. And that’s what today’s post is all about: exercising in a way where life doesn’t suck. Let’s dig in!
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Cutting out all excuses“But Steve, I don’t like to exercise!” While some are like Odie and love to run around all day, others are like Garfield and feel like they must be allergic to exercise. I hear this every day, and I’m not surprised. After all, I think exercise sucks too. Today we’re going to eliminate the phrase of “I don’t like to exercise” from our vocabulary. Cool? Instead, we’re going to change our our definition of exercise and our thoughts around it. Here are my favorite ways to exercise without…exercising. I swear this will make sense. The Truth About ExerciseAs stated in our Rules of the Rebellion, you can’t outrun your fork. Unless you’re Michael Phelps swimming for 8 hours a day at a Olympic level, there is no amount of exercise that can cancel out a diet full of processed foods, junk food, and liquid calories. “But Steve, he’s out-swimming his fork.” Hey, fair enough! Let’s get back on track. For whatever reason, we human beings are amazing at justifying and rationalizing the most ridiculous things. We use these rationalizations to justify really unhealthy behavior, and then compound that decision by saying things like, “Well, I already made one bad decision, so today is ruined. I’ll start tomorrow.” In order for us to live a healthy life, we need to get your head straight and understand a few key facts: If you aren’t losing weight, it’s because you’re eating too many calories each day. This is caused by any number of environmental or hormonal or psychological or habitual factors, but the science remains. Exercise is actually a really inefficient way to lose weight sustainably when compared against focusing on fixing your nutrition. This is where the problems arise, and what we’re going to do to fix stuff:
Combine these four facts, and we’re left with this: Exercise is a bonus. Exercise helps your heart get stronger, can help build muscle, usually gets you outside the house and absorbing vitamin D, and brings you a litany of other health benefits. Exercise is not an excuse to eat like crap. Instead, you need to reframe your mindset. Instead of “I earned this” start telling yourself: “If I’m going to exercise, I might as well make it worth it by eating right too.” Daily exercise is a constant reminder that you are leveling up your life – that you must continue to make other good choices or you’re practically wasting your time. If you’re looking for some guidance in this crazy world of ‘losing weight and getting in shape,’ I hear ya – this stuff can be overwhelming. Expert instruction, accountability, and an instructor that gets to know you better than you know yourself, sound good? Check out our 1-on-1 coaching program to get paired up with a coach today. 25 Ways to ExercisE Without Exercising When you say “but I don’t like exercising,” what you’re really saying is: “I don’t enjoy the particular type of exercise that I have in mind.” If you don’t like lifting weights in a gym, don’t do it. If you don’t like running, don’t do it. I have zero plans to run more than a 5K in my life. Unless there are zombies that can run a 10 k…in which case I’ll run an 11k. My main goal with Nerd Fitness is to get you to enjoy exercise, find a way to do it every day, and combine that with making better decisions about the food you put in your body. So, we need to find a way to exercise every day because it KEEPS US THINKING HEALTHY, which leads to other healthier decisions made throughout the day (where the real big wins are). Here are 25 ways to “exercise” without realizing its exercise. #1) Hiking, especially with friends – This last week I went and hiked around Lake Radnor in Nashville with fellow entrepreneur Matt Bodnar. We hung out with deer, saw incredible scenery, and talked about life and business. I also happened to walk five miles over various elevations. #2) Walking – No time to hike? Go for a walk. Even a 15-minute brisk walk is enough time to get close to a mile walked, which gets you one step closer to Mordor. Do you have a 30-minute meeting at work? Have a walking meeting instead. Steve Jobs was known for doing this. #3) LARPING – Live Action Role Playing. Might seem silly to those on the outside, but to those playing, it’s an amazing adventure that reminds us how awesome our imaginations are. Also, depending on the game, you could be wearing a heavy costume, swinging heavy weaponry, and running for your life! #4) Rock Climbing – I love rock climbing. It’s one of the best arm/back/forearm workouts in existence, you get to feel like a badass when you reach the top of the wall, and all climbing routes are graded so you can level up the challenge as you get stronger/fitter/better. It’s a fit nerd’s dream! #5) Geocaching – If rock climbing is a fit-nerd’s dream, then geocaching is a adventure nerd’s dream brought to life. Become a real life treasure-hunter (Lara Croft? Nathan Drake? You decide!), and get a great workout in while you’re at it. #6) Dancing – Ever tried serious swing dancing? You’ll be sweating within ten minutes. How about hip hop? Drenched in sweat, and sore as hell the next day. Zumba? Tango? Flamenco? You’d be surprised what you can sign up for and what will elevate your heart rate. #7) Roughhousing with your kids. I don’t have kids, but when I do, you can bet your ass I’ll be the dad out rolling around in the back yard with them. Don’t forget what it’s like to be a kid – it keeps you young. I really enjoyed this article from Art of Manliness on the importance of roughhousing! #8) Climbing on stuff – Last week on my hike at Midoricon, I was walking through the woods with NF Rebel Joe (No, not THAT Joe). It was awesome to see this guy, having lost 100 pounds since finding Nerd Fitness, explore the woods like it was no problem: climbing on stumps, balancing on fallen trees, climbing trees, and more. When was the last time you’ve done stuff like THAT? Hmmm? (Shout out to MovNat!) #9) Martial arts – Be honest. You watched The Matrix, you heard Neo go “I know Kung Fu” and you wanted to be able to one day say the same thing. Whether it’s Kung Fu, Muay Thai, Tae Kwon Do, Karate or Capoeira, there’s a martial art out there that will make you feel like a badass. #10 Consider a standing desk – Although we all know that correlation does not prove causation, it’s no surprise that there’s a strong correlation between sitting all day and an early grave. Why not fix your posture, strengthen your legs, and spend the day being more productive with a standing desk? #11) Have an active meeting – Hat tip to Charlie Hoehn on this one. If somebody wants to meet up with you for coffee, suggest something active: throwing a baseball, tossing a frisbee, going for a hike – anything that gets you up and moving. I say yes to pretty much anybody that invites me to play golf. Wink wink. #12) You know… – That thing that consenting adults do? Yeah. Do more of that. Self-explanatory. Moving on… #13) Clean – Ugh, nobody likes to clean the house/apartment. I certainly don’t. So I make a game out of it. I see how much I can accomplish with a single song blasting at max volume. Of course, after getting through one song, I figure “welp, I’ve already started, might as well keep going.” #14) Do handstands – Here’s how.This is a fun activity that builds up serious arm and core strength and will leave you sweating bullets after even a few minutes. Find a park, go do handstands, cartwheels, somersaults, and whatever else makes you feel young again. #15) Parkour – Our beginner’s guide to Parkour is one of the most popular on Nerd Fitness. I don’t care how old you are, there’s no reason you can’t get started with rolling around in your hard and vaulting over picnic tables and bike racks. #16) Play out – Is Parkour too serious for you? Try a playout! Spiderman was on to something – climbing walls, swinging from skyscrapers, and popping flips around the bad guys. You might not be able to swing between buildings, but you can definitely visit a playground in your area and get creative! #17) Adult gymnastics – In the same vein as Parkour, gymnastics will help you build some of the BEST real world strength you can get with any type of exercise, and it’s all done in a playful way without a single weight being picked up. Swing from rings, somersault, flip onto pads, and more. There are gyms all over the country. #18) Yoga – Build flexibility, strength, and learn to freaking relax. There are million kinds of yoga, so sign up for a few different kinds and see which one lines up the best with what you’re looking for. #19) Play video games that make you be active – Beat Saber. DDR (Dance Dance Revolution) counts too. Just Move. Anything that gets you off your ass and moving! Oh what’s that? You’re playing a normal game like Grand Theft Auto V? Make a rule that you can only play while standing up. That’s what I do to keep myself from spending twelve hours on the couch in marathon gaming sessions! #20) Play on a playground – Go down the slide, swing across the monkey bars, climb the rope all, balance on the balance beam. Create an obstacle course for yourself and see how quickly you can get through it. You can even work out on a playground too. #21) Play a musical instrument – Did you know playing the violin for an hour burns about as many calories as walking around a track at a moderate pace for an hour? It turns out, our brains can burn boatloads of calories too. So challenge your brain! #22) Join a Rec league – New in town? Want to be active and meet people? Join a kickball or softball league. You get to exercise AND it’s a great way to meet new people! #23) Bike to work – I know there are a lot of Rebels in our community who dropped a bunch of weight by making one change: they biked to work, or biked to their friend’s house, or started biking generlaly. You get from Point A to Point B, you save money on gas, and you get a workout. That would make Michael Scott proud. #24) Play a childhood game – What games did you play as a child? Capture the flag? Kick the can? Simple tag? Get a few friends together and give it a try – it will be the most fun you’ve had in a while! #25) Park at the far end of the parking lot – Every step counts. Every tiny decision that is slightly different than the “OLD you” counts. #26) Take the stairs. It’s only two flights! You are designed to move. You can do this. Sure, you’ll get winded the first handful of times. But it eventually becomes routine. And it all counts! Make a game out of it. #27) Crush audiobooks while “exercising.” This is called ‘temptation bundling.‘ Pair something you love with an activity you’re trying to do more of. But I bet if you could only listen to Harry Potter (for the 600th time) while walking on a treadmill, you’d be more likely to get to the gym. #28) Build stuff. Whether you’re building a fort with your kid in the backyard, or trying to figure out why you have 5 extra screws in that IKEA dresser you’re putting together, building stuff involves lots of moving and bending and picking up and maneuvering.
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Challenge yourselfI’d love for you to commit to trying something new at some point in the next six weeks. I committed to Swing Dance Lessons for 6 weeks and I’m really really glad I did. Here’s my advice to you:
That one thing you always wanted to try but have been putting off? Today’s a good a day to get started. Just take that FIRST step. Google classes in your city. Find a site that focuses on beginners, and read about it. If there’s a place to pre-pay or make a deposit, do it. And then go. Use your beastmode skills if you have to. But suck it up, expect to not be good at the new activity immediately, and have some fun. What’s the one new thing you’re going to try this month? -Steve PS: If you’re reading this because you HATE exercise but think you SHOULD be exercising, I hear ya. I too hate certain kinds of exercise, so I don’t do them – you’ll never catch me running because I strongly despise boring cardio! If you are here because you’re trying to lose weight and want somebody to guide you through the entire journey, and who will ALSO never make you do exercise you hate, consider checking out our popular 1-on-1 coaching program. Your coach will get to know you, your likes and dislikes, and work with you to build an exercise plan and food strategy that you actually enjoy and also gets you results! ### photo source: treadmill, treadmill fall, dog, jump, garfield via Blogger 28 Ways to Exercise Without Realizing It. I sat in the parking lot, absolutely terrified. My palms were sweaty, my heart was racing, my brain was going crazy. After ten minutes, I finally mustered up my 20 seconds of courage, literally yelled at myself, got out of the car, and walked through the double doors. I was getting ready to try something I had always wanted to do but had been too scared…. And an hour later, I left a sweaty mess… A sweaty mess with a giant smile on my face. I had just attended my first swing dance class. I know plenty of people who hate exercise but WANT to find a way to like it. And that’s what today’s post is all about: exercising in a way where life doesn’t suck. Let’s dig in!
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Cutting out all excuses“But Steve, I don’t like to exercise!” While some are like Odie and love to run around all day, others are like Garfield and feel like they must be allergic to exercise. I hear this every day, and I’m not surprised. After all, I think exercise sucks too. Today we’re going to eliminate the phrase of “I don’t like to exercise” from our vocabulary. Cool? Instead, we’re going to change our our definition of exercise and our thoughts around it. Here are my favorite ways to exercise without…exercising. I swear this will make sense. The Truth About ExerciseAs stated in our Rules of the Rebellion, you can’t outrun your fork. Unless you’re Michael Phelps swimming for 8 hours a day at a Olympic level, there is no amount of exercise that can cancel out a diet full of processed foods, junk food, and liquid calories. “But Steve, he’s out-swimming his fork.” Hey, fair enough! Let’s get back on track. For whatever reason, we human beings are amazing at justifying and rationalizing the most ridiculous things. We use these rationalizations to justify really unhealthy behavior, and then compound that decision by saying things like, “Well, I already made one bad decision, so today is ruined. I’ll start tomorrow.” In order for us to live a healthy life, we need to get your head straight and understand a few key facts: If you aren’t losing weight, it’s because you’re eating too many calories each day. This is caused by any number of environmental or hormonal or psychological or habitual factors, but the science remains. Exercise is actually a really inefficient way to lose weight sustainably when compared against focusing on fixing your nutrition. This is where the problems arise, and what we’re going to do to fix stuff:
Combine these four facts, and we’re left with this: Exercise is a bonus. Exercise helps your heart get stronger, can help build muscle, usually gets you outside the house and absorbing vitamin D, and brings you a litany of other health benefits. Exercise is not an excuse to eat like crap. Instead, you need to reframe your mindset. Instead of “I earned this” start telling yourself: “If I’m going to exercise, I might as well make it worth it by eating right too.” Daily exercise is a constant reminder that you are leveling up your life – that you must continue to make other good choices or you’re practically wasting your time. If you’re looking for some guidance in this crazy world of ‘losing weight and getting in shape,’ I hear ya – this stuff can be overwhelming. Expert instruction, accountability, and an instructor that gets to know you better than you know yourself, sound good? Check out our 1-on-1 coaching program to get paired up with a coach today. 25 Ways to ExercisE Without Exercising When you say “but I don’t like exercising,” what you’re really saying is: “I don’t enjoy the particular type of exercise that I have in mind.” If you don’t like lifting weights in a gym, don’t do it. If you don’t like running, don’t do it. I have zero plans to run more than a 5K in my life. Unless there are zombies that can run a 10 k…in which case I’ll run an 11k. My main goal with Nerd Fitness is to get you to enjoy exercise, find a way to do it every day, and combine that with making better decisions about the food you put in your body. So, we need to find a way to exercise every day because it KEEPS US THINKING HEALTHY, which leads to other healthier decisions made throughout the day (where the real big wins are). Here are 25 ways to “exercise” without realizing its exercise. #1) Hiking, especially with friends – This last week I went and hiked around Lake Radnor in Nashville with fellow entrepreneur Matt Bodnar. We hung out with deer, saw incredible scenery, and talked about life and business. I also happened to walk five miles over various elevations. #2) Walking – No time to hike? Go for a walk. Even a 15-minute brisk walk is enough time to get close to a mile walked, which gets you one step closer to Mordor. Do you have a 30-minute meeting at work? Have a walking meeting instead. Steve Jobs was known for doing this. #3) LARPING – Live Action Role Playing. Might seem silly to those on the outside, but to those playing, it’s an amazing adventure that reminds us how awesome our imaginations are. Also, depending on the game, you could be wearing a heavy costume, swinging heavy weaponry, and running for your life! #4) Rock Climbing – I love rock climbing. It’s one of the best arm/back/forearm workouts in existence, you get to feel like a badass when you reach the top of the wall, and all climbing routes are graded so you can level up the challenge as you get stronger/fitter/better. It’s a fit nerd’s dream! #5) Geocaching – If rock climbing is a fit-nerd’s dream, then geocaching is a adventure nerd’s dream brought to life. Become a real life treasure-hunter (Lara Croft? Nathan Drake? You decide!), and get a great workout in while you’re at it. #6) Dancing – Ever tried serious swing dancing? You’ll be sweating within ten minutes. How about hip hop? Drenched in sweat, and sore as hell the next day. Zumba? Tango? Flamenco? You’d be surprised what you can sign up for and what will elevate your heart rate. #7) Roughhousing with your kids. I don’t have kids, but when I do, you can bet your ass I’ll be the dad out rolling around in the back yard with them. Don’t forget what it’s like to be a kid – it keeps you young. I really enjoyed this article from Art of Manliness on the importance of roughhousing! #8) Climbing on stuff – Last week on my hike at Midoricon, I was walking through the woods with NF Rebel Joe (No, not THAT Joe). It was awesome to see this guy, having lost 100 pounds since finding Nerd Fitness, explore the woods like it was no problem: climbing on stumps, balancing on fallen trees, climbing trees, and more. When was the last time you’ve done stuff like THAT? Hmmm? (Shout out to MovNat!) #9) Martial arts – Be honest. You watched The Matrix, you heard Neo go “I know Kung Fu” and you wanted to be able to one day say the same thing. Whether it’s Kung Fu, Muay Thai, Tae Kwon Do, Karate or Capoeira, there’s a martial art out there that will make you feel like a badass. #10 Consider a standing desk – Although we all know that correlation does not prove causation, it’s no surprise that there’s a strong correlation between sitting all day and an early grave. Why not fix your posture, strengthen your legs, and spend the day being more productive with a standing desk? #11) Have an active meeting – Hat tip to Charlie Hoehn on this one. If somebody wants to meet up with you for coffee, suggest something active: throwing a baseball, tossing a frisbee, going for a hike – anything that gets you up and moving. I say yes to pretty much anybody that invites me to play golf. Wink wink. #12) You know… – That thing that consenting adults do? Yeah. Do more of that. Self-explanatory. Moving on… #13) Clean – Ugh, nobody likes to clean the house/apartment. I certainly don’t. So I make a game out of it. I see how much I can accomplish with a single song blasting at max volume. Of course, after getting through one song, I figure “welp, I’ve already started, might as well keep going.” #14) Do handstands – Here’s how.This is a fun activity that builds up serious arm and core strength and will leave you sweating bullets after even a few minutes. Find a park, go do handstands, cartwheels, somersaults, and whatever else makes you feel young again. #15) Parkour – Our beginner’s guide to Parkour is one of the most popular on Nerd Fitness. I don’t care how old you are, there’s no reason you can’t get started with rolling around in your hard and vaulting over picnic tables and bike racks. #16) Play out – Is Parkour too serious for you? Try a playout! Spiderman was on to something – climbing walls, swinging from skyscrapers, and popping flips around the bad guys. You might not be able to swing between buildings, but you can definitely visit a playground in your area and get creative! #17) Adult gymnastics – In the same vein as Parkour, gymnastics will help you build some of the BEST real world strength you can get with any type of exercise, and it’s all done in a playful way without a single weight being picked up. Swing from rings, somersault, flip onto pads, and more. There are gyms all over the country. #18) Yoga – Build flexibility, strength, and learn to freaking relax. There are million kinds of yoga, so sign up for a few different kinds and see which one lines up the best with what you’re looking for. #19) Play video games that make you be active – Beat Saber. DDR (Dance Dance Revolution) counts too. Just Move. Anything that gets you off your ass and moving! Oh what’s that? You’re playing a normal game like Grand Theft Auto V? Make a rule that you can only play while standing up. That’s what I do to keep myself from spending twelve hours on the couch in marathon gaming sessions! #20) Play on a playground – Go down the slide, swing across the monkey bars, climb the rope all, balance on the balance beam. Create an obstacle course for yourself and see how quickly you can get through it. You can even work out on a playground too. #21) Play a musical instrument – Did you know playing the violin for an hour burns about as many calories as walking around a track at a moderate pace for an hour? It turns out, our brains can burn boatloads of calories too. So challenge your brain! #22) Join a Rec league – New in town? Want to be active and meet people? Join a kickball or softball league. You get to exercise AND it’s a great way to meet new people! #23) Bike to work – I know there are a lot of Rebels in our community who dropped a bunch of weight by making one change: they biked to work, or biked to their friend’s house, or started biking generlaly. You get from Point A to Point B, you save money on gas, and you get a workout. That would make Michael Scott proud. #24) Play a childhood game – What games did you play as a child? Capture the flag? Kick the can? Simple tag? Get a few friends together and give it a try – it will be the most fun you’ve had in a while! #25) Park at the far end of the parking lot – Every step counts. Every tiny decision that is slightly different than the “OLD you” counts. #26) Take the stairs. It’s only two flights! You are designed to move. You can do this. Sure, you’ll get winded the first handful of times. But it eventually becomes routine. And it all counts! Make a game out of it. #27) Crush audiobooks while “exercising.” This is called ‘temptation bundling.‘ Pair something you love with an activity you’re trying to do more of. But I bet if you could only listen to Harry Potter (for the 600th time) while walking on a treadmill, you’d be more likely to get to the gym. #28) Build stuff. Whether you’re building a fort with your kid in the backyard, or trying to figure out why you have 5 extra screws in that IKEA dresser you’re putting together, building stuff involves lots of moving and bending and picking up and maneuvering.
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Challenge yourselfI’d love for you to commit to trying something new at some point in the next six weeks. I committed to Swing Dance Lessons for 6 weeks and I’m really really glad I did. Here’s my advice to you:
That one thing you always wanted to try but have been putting off? Today’s a good a day to get started. Just take that FIRST step. Google classes in your city. Find a site that focuses on beginners, and read about it. If there’s a place to pre-pay or make a deposit, do it. And then go. Use your beastmode skills if you have to. But suck it up, expect to not be good at the new activity immediately, and have some fun. What’s the one new thing you’re going to try this month? -Steve PS: If you’re reading this because you HATE exercise but think you SHOULD be exercising, I hear ya. I too hate certain kinds of exercise, so I don’t do them – you’ll never catch me running because I strongly despise boring cardio! If you are here because you’re trying to lose weight and want somebody to guide you through the entire journey, and who will ALSO never make you do exercise you hate, consider checking out our popular 1-on-1 coaching program. Your coach will get to know you, your likes and dislikes, and work with you to build an exercise plan and food strategy that you actually enjoy and also gets you results! ### photo source: treadmill, treadmill fall, dog, jump, garfield via Tumblr 28 Ways to Exercise Without Realizing It. By Leo BabautaThere are very few people among us who doesn’t want his or her diet to get healthier. So I’m issuing a challenge for March: the Healthy Eating Challenge! This challenge is meant to be doable and promote small, gradual change … but also help push us a little out of our comfort zone so that we can have a powerful change within a month. It’s not going to change your entire diet all at once, but it can help you move to a healthier diet. Here’s how it works:
It’s that simple. Choose from the mini-challenges and commit to it for the week, picking a new one each week. One small change at a time. Gradual change is the most powerful change, and this challenge is the perfect way to do that. I suggest you join us in Sea Change — it’s free for a week, then $15/month after that. For this small monthly fee, you also get:
The Weekly Mini-ChallengesHere are the mini-challenges (you do not have to do all of these, just pick one per week): 1. Adding healthy things:
2. Changing your approach:
3. Cutting out unhealthy things (look at what you do now, and set a target that’s lower):
4. Vegan stuff (a few people asked for some suggestions):
Not every change listed above for everyone. Find changes that feel right to you, as I know not everyone agrees with everything I’ve listed. What is healthy for you will be different than what is healthy for me. I believe in a vegan diet (out of compassion for animals) and try to eat whole foods as much as I can (but not religiously). That doesn’t mean you have to do that. The one thing I believe is in trying to get foods that are full of nutrients — vegetables, fruits, beans (and legumes), nuts, seeds, whole grains — and eat less of the foods that are mostly empty of nutrients (processed foods, white bread and sugar, fried foods). Again, you don’t have to be religious about it — I eat cookies and French fries just like most normals! Are you ready to start the challenge? Start today by joining my Sea Change Program. via Tumblr The March Healthy Eating Challenge The past 7 months have been really eye-opening for me. In May of 2018, after spending the past 33 years of my life trying to get bigger… I decided to go in the other direction: I was going to make a concerted effort to get as lean as possible while still having a life. After 6 weeks of very focused effort (counting calories) and seeing NO progress, I made a few key adjustments. Since then, I’ve lost 22 pounds AND hit strength training personal bests: Sure, we’ve featured success stories from people in our community who have lost 100+ pounds in a year, 50+ pounds in a year, and other amazing transformations. So, who wants to hear about an in-shape guy who got more in shape? BORING! However, I want to share my story for a few reasons. For starters, I want to show that 15+ years later, I still practice what I preach and I’m still learning every day. Next, I want to share the things I did that might seem counterintuitive:
Whether you have those final stubborn 10-15 pounds to lose, or you have 80+ pounds to lose, I promise the lessons I share here can help you level up. Note: We all have our challenges, and we all find certain things easy and other things brutally difficult. As you read, you’re NOT allowed to say the following:
And instead, you’re ONLY allowed to say: “How can I make this lesson work for me in my situation?” Deal? Deal. Here are the 7 biggest lessons I learned while losing 21 pounds and leveling up my workouts… #1) WANT TO LOSE WEIGHT? ALL CALORIES COUNT.If you are trying to lose weight, calorie restriction is King (or Queen). In order to lose weight consistently, my body needed to be in a “caloric deficit”: burning more calories than I ate, consistently. Most people attempt to do this by out-exercising a bad diet. I instead put 95% of my effort into fine-tuning my nutrition. Specifically, I ate more calories on training days (to help rebuild muscle), and fewer calories on non-training days (to force my body to pull from fat stores). However, the average between the two was low enough to force my body to start burning stored fat which led to overall weight loss. As a 6 foot tall, 190 pound male who trains 4x a week, here’s how I ate:
I followed the above calorie strategy with a 90%+ compliance rate. In other words, I did not let perfect be the enemy of the good. (Calculate your own caloric intake estimates here.) I knew one bad day wouldn’t screw up any progress – it’s total calories consumed over many weeks and months, so as long as my average day was good, I would get results. I’ll get into what those calories were composed of and how I trained below. But my strategy allowed me to build strength and minimize muscle loss despite the deficit (yes, you can lose weight and build muscle at the same time). LESSON: Start with calories – know how many you eat daily, and adjust the number down. You can vary your calorie count for training days or rest days – as long as your total average number is low enough to induce weight loss. Tracking calories and not getting results? Check your tracking – see #4 below. #2) STRENGTH TRAINING IS CRUCIAL FOR BODY FAT LOSS.I strength trained 4 days per week for about 60 minutes each workout without fail. This is something I truly prioritized in my life. I can count on 1 hand the number of times I did not hit the gym 4 days in a week. Each day composed of a heavy barbell lift:
I also did lots of body weight training and gymnastic ring work:
So, despite the fact that I was losing weight and eating a caloric deficit, judging by the pictures and my measurements I was able to maintain most of my muscle, and even build strength strategically. I got stronger at a lot of lifts throughout this experience. I hit a personal best deadlift of 420 pounds – a 30 pound record, at a weight of 172 pounds. By lifting VERY HEAVY weights while also eating a caloric deficit, my body was forced to adapt. It diverted as many resources as possible to “rebuild muscle stronger to prepare for the next weight training session,” which didn’t leave many calories for “store as fat.” I cover this extensively in both “Why can’t I lose weight?” and “Can you build muscle and burn fat at the same time?” Not only that, but because I was in a deficit my body started pulling from the “store as fat” pile to fuel myself and my workouts. So this strategy really crushed it for me:
LESSON: Most people go about weight loss by creating a calorie deficit and doing a bunch of cardio – this means their body will burn both fat and muscle for extra energy. Weight can be lost from both places. If your goal is to build a muscular, lean physique, you need to teach your body to preserve as much muscle as possible – and you do that by training heavy! #3) BATCH COOKING CHANGED MY DEFAULT BEHAVIOR.For the past 6 months, I’ve been batch cooking up a storm. 1-2 times per week, I batch cook trays of chicken breast, potatoes, brussel sprouts, broccoli, and/or cauliflower. Most days, my dinner looks like this: And most weeks, my fridge looks like this: To answer your next question: That’s SodaStream sparkling water (much cheaper than buying bottles or cans), and homemade cold brew coffee. Yes, I’m a weirdo who drinks cold brew in the dead of winter!) By batch cooking just once a week, aka making ONE big effort just once, it essentially changed my default behavior for the rest of the week and set me up to succeed. I had developed this nasty habit of ordering delivery multiple nights per week – which practically everybody does in Manhattan. Here’s why: compared to cooking a meal, it was just easier to a hit button on my phone and have food show up 30 minutes later. However, once I started batch cooking, the “lazy” option WAS the healthy (and far less expensive) option. Every evening, I could either:
Here’s what I batch cooked:
Once a week or so, I’d go out to dinner with friends or family and eat whatever the hell I wanted. I’d also drink whiskey (neat). I went on multiple trips and vacations I knew the more diligent I was with my weekly behavior, the more ‘fun’ I could have with my ‘occasional’ behavior and still not get derailed. The most important part of this: by eating the same foods each day, I knew exact portion sizes without having to calculate or figure out much. I just did the same stuff over and over. That is…once I figured out how much I needed to eat! LESSON: Your default behavior is the reason you are where you are right now with your health. So change your default. Consider batch cooking to make the easy, lazy, default option the healthiest. Learn to cook one thing. Literally one thing. And then expand from there once you build up some confidence! #4) MY METABOLISM WASN’T BROKEN. MY TRACKING WAS.For the first 6 weeks of my weight loss journey, the scale didn’t budge. I couldn’t figure out what the heck was going wrong. If you’ve ever tried to lose weight and the scale didn’t go down, it’s easy to assume, “my metabolism is broken” or “it’s because I’m eating carbs” or “my body is unique and different. Damn my parent’s genetics” I was counting calories accurately (or so I thought), and the scale didn’t move which made my head hurt. Clearly I was broken, right? All those years of ‘bulking’ had ruined my body and I was no longer able to lose weight. Welp, as a firm believer in things like “science” and “logic,” I decided to test my assumption that I was actually eating the amount of food I thought I was eating. So I bought a cheap ass $10 food scale. And it rocked my world. EYE OPENING EXAMPLE: I eat 3 servings of oats each day, blended into my post workout and post dinner smoothies. A serving of oats is described as “½ cup or 40 grams.” So I used ½ cup of a measuring cup and thought that was pretty close to accurate. I then WEIGHED half a cup of oats, and it came out to 60 grams! Which means that for 6 weeks, I consumed an extra 225 calories without realizing it. The same thing happened with my lunch from Chipotle: I weighed out the portion of rice in the serving, and compared it against the weight that Chipotle says is a serving, again I was overeating by 50%. Realizing that I was overeating my carb portions by 50% multiple times per day, NO WONDER I wasn’t losing weight. I was accidentally eating hundreds of calories without even realizing it. So I adjusted my food intake accordingly. And for the next 5-6 months, my weight steadily declined. Part of me was frustrated, embarrassed, and angry that I didn’t realize I was overeating with every meal of every day. The other part of me is SO THANKFUL I was tracking everything and dug deeper when I wasn’t getting the results that I should have. For starters, I stepped on the scale every morning at the same time of day. I kept a rolling 7-day average to make sure the trend was moving in the right direction, but didn’t sweat variations from day to day. After all, water weight, sodium, one unhealthy meal – can really make the day swing. I’m very thankful I educated myself on the exact macronutrient breakdown of the foods I ate regularly. I also took weekly pictures from the front and side. Week to week I couldn’t see changes. But month to month, especially with the scale moving down, I started to see differences and was encouraged with the progress. LESSON: Educate yourself on the food you’re eating, and how much. Every online calorie calculator will give you a different answer, and should be considered just a starting point. And then start tracking your progress! Take photos. Take measurements. Write down the number on the scale. And then make small adjustments based on the results you’re seeing. Adjust your calorie intake down or up. Not getting the results you’re expecting? Consider tracking your food more closely to educate yourself even further! #5) ABS AREN’T MADE IN THE GYM.Want to know my favorite ab exercises that allowed me to get a 6 pack (with those final 2 abs poking through?) I actually didn’t do any cardio or ab exercises over the past 7 months. Another note: I also didn’t do any bootcamp or “muscle confusion” or any of that stuff. And yet here I am with 8-pack abs and healthy and happy. What gives? Why didn’t I do those things? You also can’t spot reduce fat, and a flat stomach comes from a low body fat percentage (aka – how you eat!) Sure, I went for walks, often long ones through the city. Sometimes through the course of a day I would walk 5+ miles. But I never went for a run, or got on a treadmill, or did the elliptical. Instead, I just focused on getting stronger, eating a caloric deficit, eating enough protein, and getting enough sleep. I trained my body to think: “I better build muscle, because I know I’m gonna need it again soon.” My body then diverted as many resources to muscle building as possible, pulling from fat stores for energy, and helped me lean out while staying strong. Abs aren’t made in the gym, as they say – they’re made in the kitchen. Everybody has ab muscles, they’re just hidden under layers of fat. So to get my abs to ‘pop’ it simply required me to cut my body fat percentage low enough to remove the fat on top of them. LESSON: Everybody has abs, they’re just hiding under layers of fat. Cardio isn’t a prerequisite for weight loss. To build a certain type of physique, you need to eat and train in a certain way.
#6) CARBS AREN’T EVIL. BUT EATER, BEWARE.These days, it’s easy to assume carbs are evil. Paleo says “booo” to carbs, while Keto says “GTFO” to all nearly all carbs. So what’s the real deal? Is the choice REALLY:
Nope. Thermodynamics still apply. I do 100% agree that certain people are affected differently by carbs and sugar and fat (check out The End of Overeating for a deep dive into this). At the same time, vilifying carbs doesn’t get to the root of the problem, or set you up to live a sustainably healthy, happy life. Carbs can still be a valuable part of a nutritional strategy, provided they’re used strategically! I ate rice, oats, and potatoes most days:
Notice anything missing from my list of ‘approved foods above?’ Liquid carbs. I didn’t drink any sugary beverages – I stuck to black coffee, tea, or water. I occasionally drank alcohol, but that was 1 or 2 drinks, once a week or so. So how do carbs fit into a weight loss plan? Carbs help replenish the glycogen stores in my muscles (which get depleted during a workout), provide me with fuel, and help me not be miserable while staying in a caloric deficit most days. They’re also delicious. The reason carb heavy foods get a bad rap is because most people don’t know true serving sizes. They’re easy to overeat, and people can’t stop themselves once they start. This is why these foods are notorious for causing people to gain weight. I still eat plenty of carbs in potato or rice form, I just make sure I have the correct amount, and made sure the rest of my plate is filled with protein and veggies. There’s nothing inherently wrong with carbs – you just have a smaller margin for error if you plan on eating them while trying to lose weight! If you accidentally eat 2 servings of broccoli, you might consume an extra 30-50 calories. Accidentally overeat candy, soda, pasta, or cake? It could be hundreds of calories. So – yes, you can eat carbs. You just need to plan for them. And know that you have a smaller margin for error if your goal is weight loss – especially as you get down to lower body fat percentages. LESSON: Don’t eliminate carbs completely if doing so will cause to go off the rails and give up on your miserable diet. Continue to eat them, just eat them intelligently! For example, a portion of pasta is probably 30% of the size of what image you currently have in your head. Some other tips:
#7) HAVING HELP…HELPS.I have a coach. I could say it’s “expensive,” but that’s relative. He’s worth every penny. Either something is worth it, or it isn’t. We all pay $12/month for netflix and $60 a month for a phone and $80 a month for internet because it’s worth it to us. I personally pay hundreds of dollars a month for an online coach because the return on investment I get for my health, my confidence, and outsourcing my workout programming is a no-brainer for me. Here’s why:
Then, I simply followed the instructions. I know that I never would have been able to lose this weight or hit my deadlifting goals without him: picking up 420 pounds at 172 pounds of bodyweight. I can’t wait to see what I’m capable of next, and I hope my coach (Shout out Anthony!) will work with me for the next decade! LESSON: Every day, whether you realize it or not, you prioritize what you invest in with your time and your money. I used to invest my time and money in ordering takeout, travel, and nights out at the bar. I minimized a lot of those things to instead focus my investment in two key areas:
How are you investing your time and money? It’s not what you say, it’s what you do that shows your true priorities. If you are serious about your health, if you have specific goals you want to reach, or you’ve tried multiple times to get in shape on your own without success, consider hiring a coach. It’s a serious investment, but I’ve found it to be the best money I spend each month. I found so much success with it, and we had so many people requesting Nerd Fitness instruction, that we built our own coaching program. You can learn more about our Coaching Program and speak with our team by signing up in the box below: #8) FOR THE DATA NERDS: MY EXACT MEALS AND MACROS:Everybody asks, so I figure I’ll just tell you the exact portions. You’ll notice that I ate a LOT of protein. Because I was eating a caloric deficit, my goal was to eat plenty of protein, which helped me feel full (not hungry), give my muscles enough fuel to rebuild themselves, AND not lose my strength. Training days: 2,600 calories
Non-training days: 2,115 cal
TRAINING DAYS:
REST DAYS
SPECIFIC SUPPLEMENTS
Any other questions? Leave them in the comments below and I can expand this section! THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS EFFORTLESS WEIGHT LOSSMy weight loss and strength gains weren’t effortless, but they also weren’t impossible or unsustainable. My largest investment each month is my coach, and he’s worth every penny. Otherwise, my days are fairly boring and consistent:
Sure, I don’t look like an instagram fitness model, and Marvel Studios won’t be calling anytime soon. That’s okay with me! This is what 7 months of focused effort, calorie counting, and consistent strength training results look like for somebody trying to get lean. Although I enjoyed the occasional adult beverage and slice of pizza, spent plenty of time playing video games (I just finished the story of Red Dead Redemption 2), and still took vacations and trips to visit family. I was also damn focused and really dedicated to my efforts over these past 7 months. They say “happiness equals reality minus expectations.” We’re sold quick fixes by beautiful people, and assume in just 7 minutes a day, or with a pill or powder, we too can look like them. This is my reality: a guy who lives and breathes this stuff, trying to build a better physique sustainably, while also enjoying life. Make sure you have the right expectations matched with what you’re willing to sacrifice and focus on to get those expectations! Here’s what it required:
I know I know, this isn’t very sexy. Measuring stuff isn’t effortless. And saying no is hard. But damn it, I am so proud of the past 7 months and can’t wait to see what the next 7 months hold. THE MOST IMPORTANT PART: This feels sustainable to me. I didn’t crash diet. I didn’t put myself through misery and manipulate water intake to look “ripped” for my “after” photo. It’s more like a “before and now” instead of “before and after,” because this is me as I am. I feel like I can eat like this for the next 10 years. I can make small adjustments to build more muscle while staying lean, and start working towards hitting a 500 lb deadlift. To recap:
I hope this helps you make your next steps. And I’d love to hear from you and answer any questions you might have! -Steve PS: If you have the money to invest in yourself, I would recommend you looking into hiring a coach. Whether it’s an online coach with Nerd Fitness, or an in-person trainer to help you perfect your movements, the right coach is a game changer! ### All photo sources can be read right here.[1]
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via Tumblr Losing “The Last 20 Pounds” – 7 Lessons Learned While Still Eating Carbs “Steve, how many calories should I eat every day? I got goals, son!” Great question! Knowledge is power, so today, we are going to make you more powerful. First off, we’ll discuss your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE), which are fancy terms for how many calories you require on a daily basis to exist. I’ll even give you two calculator options below – to determine your personal BMR and TDEE – plus I’ll show you how to use this information. We’ll end today’s article by giving some practical advice on calorie requirements and weight loss, including a step-by-step plan, because I’m nice like that. Let’s do this! THE NERD FITNESS TOTAL DAILY ENERGY EXPENDITURE CALCULATORWe’re going to start off by doing some math. Don’t worry though, our robot calculator (beep boop boop) will do all the hard stuff for you. We will need to know your height in inches, your weight in pounds, and an idea on your activity level (Use the metric system? I wish we did too here in the States! Click right here for our Metric calculator). Although you can adjust it, I want you to set your “Activity Level” as “Sedentary,” (I’ll explain why in a minute): Nerd Fitness Total Daily Energy Expenditure Calculator(Note: we have used the The Mifflin-St Jeor Equation to create this calculator! [1]) Hooray! You now know your BMR and TDEE! You may be thinking, “Ah, Steve, what do either of these mean?” I got you boo. Make sure you write down your two numbers. WHAT IS BASAL METABOLIC RATE (BMR)?Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the total amount of calories needed to keep you alive. Breathing, cell production, pumping blood, and keeping your body temperature up all require calories to function. When you sit perfectly still, you use plenty of calories keeping your body in good working order. “Basal” more or less means “basic,” so you can think of BMR as the number of calories needed for basic daily functions. Your sex, weight, and height will all affect the number of calories you need, which is why they are variables in our equation above. The taller you are, or the more you weigh, the higher your BMR will be. There is simply more of you that needs calories. More blood to pump, more cells to produce, etc. Roughly two-thirds of the calories you need each day go into keeping your body running. The other third? That goes into powering your motion. Because going from one place to another requires calories from your body. So does lifting stuff. Let’s talk about Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) next. WHAT IS TOTAL DAILY ENERGY EXPENDITURE (TDEE)?Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is an estimate of how many total calories you burn in a day. Since your BMR calculates the calories you need for a state of rest, we need to factor in movement and exercise to get an idea of how many calories you burn each day. To do this, we’ll take your BMR and multiply it by an “Activity Level” factor.[2] Activity Levels can be thought of as the following: Sedentary. You get up to tell Netflix you are still watching. You don’t intentionally exercise at all. Sedentary = BMR x 1.2 Lightly Active. You casually stroll through your neighborhood a few times a week. On average, you walk for exercise about 30 minutes a day. Another way to think about this would be 15 minutes per day of vigorous exercise like jogging or lifting weights. Light Active = BMR x 1.375 Moderately Active. If we called the gym on a weeknight looking for you, they’d find you. This averages out to about one hour and 45 minutes of walking (for exercise, not going around your house) a day, or 50 minutes of vigorous exercise. Moderately Active = BMR x 1.55 Very Active. You work in construction during the day and you’re on the company softball team. This averages out to about four hours and 15 minutes of walking (again, for intentional exercise) a day, or two hours of vigorous exercise. Very Active = BMR x 1.725 If you’re following along at home, you may notice that different Activity Levels can make a big difference for the calories burned. Let’s use some numbers: Suppose you’re male, 35 years old, weigh 200 pounds and are six foot even (72 inches). You’re also wearing a Nerd Fitness Shield Tee and it looks great on you. It really brings out your eyes. Awesome shirt or no awesome shirt, we know your BMR comes in at 1,882 calories given the variables we identified. Which means you’ll need roughly 1,900 calories for basic bodily functions. This is where things get interesting. If you’re Sedentary, we’ll multiply 1,882 (BMR) by 1.2 to get a TDEE of 2,258. Which means you’ll need 2,258 calories to support bodily functions and to walk around your house, to go from your car to your office, from your office back home, etc. Let’s imagine a scenario where you are not Sedentary. Instead, we’ll calculate that you are Lightly Active, meaning you walk around your neighborhood a few times a week. We take your BMR of 1,882 and multiply it by 1.375 to get a TDEE of 2,588. The difference between Lightly Active and Sedentary is 230 calories, about what you’d find in a glazed donut. Let’s keep going. Let’s say you hit your local gym a few times a week for strength training practice. And on your off days, you do a little yoga and take walks. This will push you into the “Moderately Active” category. We take your BMR of 1,882 and multiply it by 1.55 to get a TDEE of 2,917. The difference between Sedentary and Moderately Active would be 659 calories. That’s an extra meal’s worth of calories! Here are some examples of things that are roughly 650 calories: A whole meal’s worth of Sicilian fish with sweet potatoes: Or, one Big Mac® with Bacon: Or, one large Orange Dream Machine® from Jamba Juice: People often UNDERestimate how many calories they consume, and then OVERestimate how much exercise they’re doing. This is why Activity Level could be a “trap” when doing TDEE calculations! WHAT SHOULD MY ESTIMATED ACTIVITY LEVEL BE?We people are notoriously bad at estimating our Activity Level. We’re also terrible at tracking calories accurately and almost always underestimate (often by as much as 30-50%+ percent). Study after study demonstrates that people evaluate their movement and exercise greater than what it actually is.[3] We think we’re working out “intensely” for 60 minutes. However, when researchers look at stuff like heart rate, VO2 max, and calories burned, they determine that we actually only exercised “moderately.” What’s this mean for you? If your goal is weight loss, pick an Activity Level below your initial guess. Take our predisposition to overestimate Activity Level and grab the one beneath it. Instead of “Moderately Active” pick “Lightly Active.” This will give you a more accurate estimate of your caloric needs, and give you a larger margin for error when trying to lose weight! The other thing to consider would be strength training. As we mention in our “Lose Weight and Build Muscle” article, strength training requires a lot of calories out of your body, not only for the exercise itself, but also for rebuilding your muscle too. In general, consider strength training to be “vigorous exercise,” which we highlighted above. If it takes 30 mins of walking a day to be “Lightly Active,” 15 minutes of daily strength training would roughly be equivalent. If estimating your Activity Level and TDEE is starting to freak you out: Trying to pick and calculate the right amount of calories to consume can be stressful. Especially if you’ve had trouble losing weight in the past. And that’s just the math part – we haven’t even got to the psychological part about how delicious pizza and ice cream are. It’s actually the reason we created our uber-popular 1-on-1 Coaching Program. We sought to take all the guesswork out of getting in shape, by creating a program to tell you exactly what to do. If you’re trying to lose weight, adjust your diet, or start a strength training practice, we can help! We work with busy people just like you level up their lives in a permanent and sustainable fashion. If you’d like to learn more about it, click on the big image below: USING BMR AND TDEE FOR WEIGHT LOSSIf you’ve read this far into the article, I imagine you are interested in learning your Total Daily Energy Expenditure for weight loss. I also imagine you support my belief that The Shawshank Redemption is the best movie ever made: I started this article by stating that if you are having trouble losing weight, it’s because you are eating too many calories. The TDEE we calculated above will give us a good estimate of calories you require each day – if your scale is staying constant: congrats! You found your ‘calorie equilibrium.’ This means your body burns just as many calories as you consume each day. However, I’m going to guess you’re here because your goal is to see the scale go down! To really be able to utilize this number, we also need to have an idea on the number of calories we are consuming. Without knowing this, the TDEE is really just an arbitrary number. Many would say the easiest way to assess and track calories consumed is with an app. We live in the future. Use a smartphone and download one of the following:
You don’t have to use the app forever. A solid week’s worth of data will help you get a sense of the food you are consuming, especially if you eat roughly the same food each day. You can then compare this to your TDEE. If you’re trying to lose weight, you need to have your calories consumed less than your TDEE on average. Here are some numbers to think about: 3,500 calories equals roughly one pound of fat. There are seven days in a week. If you want to lose one pound of body fat in a week (a sustainable goal for some), you need to create a caloric deficit of 500 calories a day: either through consuming 500 fewer calories, burning 500 more calories, or a combination of the two. Let’s imagine that your TDEE is 2,500. This would mean you’d have to consume around 2,000 calories a day to lose around a pound per week. As we discuss to great detail in our “Why Can’t I Lose Weight” guide, sustained weight loss is largely a result of controlling the first half of the equation: “calories in.” If you’ll remember, your BMR is about two-thirds of the total calories used, independent of movement. And most people overestimate exercise and underestimate consumption. So controlling calories in is the most effective way to sustain weight loss. Said another way, it’s much more difficult to increase your Activity Level than it is to reduce the calories you consume. What’s the easiest way to eat fewer calories consistently? By eating REAL food. Why? Because real foods are more likely to fill you up and satisfy your hunger while also keeping you under your calorie intake goal for the day! MOVING TOWARDS A HEALTHIER WAY OF EATINGThe Nerd Fitness philosophy on diet can be written in three words: Eat REAL food. I lay it all out in our Beginner’s Guide to Healthy Eating, but you’re smart – you know what real food is: Food that grew in the ground, on a tree, ran on the land, swam in the sea, or flew through the air. Meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruits, nuts are all great examples of REAL food. This is what you should be eating more of. The fine folks at WiseGEEK did an awesome post where they took pictures of what 200 calories of a certain food looks like. 200 calories of broccoli gets you enough broccoli to fill up an entire plate: Or half a Snickers bar: Yeah… What I’m saying is by eating REAL food, you have a MUCH higher margin for error to stay under your calorie goal for the day. If you “accidentally overeat Broccoli,” you might accidentally eat an additional 50 calories. If you accidentally overeat candy or soda or processed foods, you can consume an extra 500+ calories without feeling satiated or content. If you want to create a caloric deficit consistently, REAL food is the answer. Before you get all huffy, I know a Snickers bar is way more delicious than broccoli – it was designed in a lab by scientists to be AMAZING! I’m not gonna tell you to never eat a Snickers ever again either. Instead, you need to start being proactive about your food choices. If you’re gonna eat a Snickers, just plan for it (or adjust after) by reducing your calorie intake elsewhere. If the scale isn’t budging – you’re still eating too much! SHOULD I DO KETO OR PALEO FOR WEIGHT LOSS? WHAT’S THE BEST DIETShould you do the Mediterranean Diet? Keto? Vegan? Paleo? Maybe. They all follow the same premise: by changing the foods you eat, you’re more likely than not to eat a caloric deficit without a struggle. Certain people respond better to certain diets than others. So yes, any of those diets can help you lose weight – but you need to stick with the changes permanently to make the results stick permanently! I personally follow a mental model diet, that focuses on real food all the time, and occasionally includes some junk food: Minimize processed food – they’re designed for you to overeat them. Take a look again at that Snickers bar. Do you really think you’d only eat half of one to stick to 200 calories? Of course not. This argument is more or less the rationale for following a paleo diet. Eat veggies. Vegetables are nutrient dense and light on calories. Because of all the fiber, they are also tough to overeat. Imagine eating all that broccoli. Are you going for seconds? Probably not. So eat your veggies to help keep you full. Hate vegetables? I once was like you. Read how I turned it around here. Be wary of liquid calories. Cut back on soda, juices, smoothies, and any beverage with calories. Even most coffee orders (with sugar, cream, etc.) will have a ton of hidden calories. All these drinks are sugar bombs since there is no fiber to balance out all the carbs you are consuming. Stick to water, and unsweetened tea or coffee. Here are our thoughts on diet soda. Prioritize protein. When your body heals itself, like after exercise, your body uses protein as the building block of muscle rebuilding. Outside of repairing your body, protein will also work to keep you full and satiated: 400 calories of chicken will leave you wayyy more full than 400 calories worth of Gatorade.[4] If you prioritize protein on your plate, you’ll be doing a lot of the heavy lifting on proper nutrition. Some great sources of protein include chicken, eggs, beef, pork, fish, nuts, legumes, quinoa, and most dairy products. These four points will help you on your journey to create a caloric deficit. Disclaimer: this is all easier said than done. After all, 70% of the country is overweight. Don’t worry though, because most of them don’t read Nerd Fitness. You do. This is like a strategy guide for life. If you’re struggling with portion control and challenges, jump fully into the NF community. We cover human behavior and psychology to help you improve your environment, fix your habit building, and how to surround yourself with people that make you better (including our free message board community). We’ve helped thousands of people like you here at NF, and we really focus on nutrition. Like we said, it’s 90% of the battle! It’s why we created our 10-level nutritional system. Each level gets a bit more challenging and healthier, but you can progress at your own speed to make your changes stick! The name of the game here at Nerd Fitness is “consistency.” You can download our 10-Level Nutrition Guide when you sign up in the box right here:
Download our free weight loss guide
THE NERD FITNESS DIET: 10 Levels to Change Your Life
HERE’S WHAT TO DO TO LOSE WEIGHT WITH YOUR TDEELet’s recap this whole article for you, with some actionable steps:
That’s it. You can do this. I know you can because many of our readers have done it themselves. However, I won’t lie to you, it’s not easy. Human biology is working against you. But again, it is totally doable. As I started this article off, knowledge is power. I hope you calculate your calorie requirements today and use this information to make actionable changes. Knowing your caloric requirements is a great first step for a weight loss journey. You’re on the right track. For the Rebellion! -Steve PS: If you want any help on the way, I’ll remind you of the Nerd Fitness Coaching Program. We can help you calculate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure and create a workable plan to keep your calories under it. If you want to learn more, schedule a free call with our team to see if we are a good fit for each other, by clicking the image below: PPS: Seriously, how great is The Shawshank Redemption? I could quote that movie all day long. If you don’t agree… ### All photo citations can be found right here.[5]
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via Blogger How Many Calories Should I Eat Every Day? A Look at Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) “Steve, how many calories should I eat every day? I got goals, son!” Great question! Knowledge is power, so today, we are going to make you more powerful. First off, we’ll discuss your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE), which are fancy terms for how many calories you require on a daily basis to exist. I’ll even give you two calculator options below – to determine your personal BMR and TDEE – plus I’ll show you how to use this information. We’ll end today’s article by giving some practical advice on calorie requirements and weight loss, including a step-by-step plan, because I’m nice like that. Let’s do this! THE NERD FITNESS TOTAL DAILY ENERGY EXPENDITURE CALCULATORWe’re going to start off by doing some math. Don’t worry though, our robot calculator (beep boop boop) will do all the hard stuff for you. We will need to know your height in inches, your weight in pounds, and an idea on your activity level (Use the metric system? I wish we did too here in the States! Click right here for our Metric calculator). Although you can adjust it, I want you to set your “Activity Level” as “Sedentary,” (I’ll explain why in a minute): Nerd Fitness Total Daily Energy Expenditure CalculatorBy Leo BabautaThe wind and rain were swirling around me powerfully, as I sat in my mom’s tropical flower garden in Guam and meditated. A tropical storm was passing close to Guam, where I’m living at the moment, and I decided to go out into the strong winds and torrential rain to meditate for at least a few minutes. Don’t worry, it was safe. I actually stood in meditation, as sitting in a puddle of rainwater wasn’t that appealing to me. The water kissed my face, the wind rocked my body into a sway, and I practiced being present in the storm. I was practicing stillness in the middle of chaos. Of course, we don’t need to have an actual tropical storm (which turned into a supertyphoon after it passed us) to practice with chaos. It’s all around us, every day. Chaos is the uncertainty of our daily lives, the constant barrage of information and requests and tasks and messages we’re swarmed with, the uncertainty of the global stage and national politics, of our finances and global economy, of changing communities and our everchanging lives. Chaos is all around us, and it can stress us out. It causes anxiety, depression, frustration, anger, procrastination, constant distraction, and the seeking of comforts like social media, food, shopping, games and more. But what if we didn’t need to run to comfort or fear the chaos? What if we could just be still, and find calmness and stillness with the uncertainty swirling around us? A member of my Fearless Training Program said he would like to “dance with chaos.” I think that’s a beautiful idea. Let’s embrace the uncertainty. Practice with it. Dance with it, and let this practice be joyful! A Joyful Practice in ChaosSo how can we practice mindfulness in the middle of chaos? How can we make it joyful? For me, it looks something like this. First, you give yourself space to be present with the chaos. I stood in the middle of the storm, because I was excited to see what it was like. I intentionally called it “meditating” because my intention was to be as present as possible with whatever happened. In your daily life, that might look like just stopping in the middle of your busy workday, at any moment, and dropping into the present moment so you can feel what the chaos feels like. Second, you find the courage to be completely present with the felt experience of the chaos. In the storm, part of that was feeling the wind and rain on my skin, noticing the dramatic light that was filtering through the storm clouds, noticing the amazing tropical jungle in the small valley below me, and the movement of the trees and flowers surrounding me. But there was more than that: it was also the feeling of excitement in my chest, maybe a bit of uncertainty about whether something would fly and hit me on the head, which showed up as a small bit of fear radiating in my heart area. It was also the feeling of my body swaying, my leg muscles tensing, my chest expanding as I breathed. All of this is the felt experience of the moment. Not just my thoughts about it, but how it feels in my body. We can practice this in any moment. Third, you relax into the chaos, and embrace it. Noticing how the chaos feels, you might notice any tension you have around it. For me, in the storm, there was tension around my safety (again, it was actually pretty safe), so I noticed this tension and relaxed those muscles. Relaxing my body, I let myself just surrender to it. Embrace it, as if it were an incredible gift. Again, we can practice this any moment. Right now, in fact, if you’d like to try it. Fourth, you dance with it, joyfully. Once we relax around the chaos, and start to embrace it … we’re making friends with it. The uncertainty is no longer a thing to run from, or to resist, but is just a part of the experience of this moment. Of every moment. And so we can start to dance — let ourselves move through the chaos, in a loving, lovely, joyful way. What would it be like to play right now, in the middle of your uncertain life? What would it be like to be curious, and explore, like an adventurer? What would it be like to be grateful for this incredible moment of chaotic beauty? What would it be like to find the love, the openness, the swirling dancing musical movement in the middle of this storm? We have the opportunity, every single day, even every moment, to be present with the storm of the world. To sit in stillness in the middle of the wind and downpour of life. We have the opportunity to be open to it, to dance with it, to even find the joy in the immense uncertainty that is our lives. Let’s dance, my friends. Let’s love what is all around us. via Tumblr Meditating in the Middle of Chaos |