Ditch These Ideas in the New Year!
For every piece of good advice rolling around in the fitness world, there are just as many pieces of advice that we all need to leave in 2025. These outdated ideas are stopping you from reaching your goals and quite frankly they are the reason you are not making true progress in the gym. This is not your fault, these ideas that we have heard in the locker room talks have invaded our minds for far too long. Let’s break down these thoughts today and set your mind free.
Measuring Progress.
There are certain habits we fall victim to even when we know in our mind that they will only leave us feeling down on ourselves…but why do we do it? Time after time we are presented with scales and BMI charts at our doctor visits. These scales reveal numbers to us that make us hang our heads. These BMI numbers stick us in a category where we feel out of place. We are here to let you know that if you truly want to feel good about measuring your body for once, that you need to ditch those scales and BMI charts. Both of these measuring tools do not take into account an accurate breakdown and side by side analysis of muscle on your body versus body fat. They both simply take your overall number at face value and shove you in a group based off of it. We are here to suggest a different approach. The best way to see a real difference in your body composition is to use body measurements, go by the way that your clothes are fitting, and even use progress pictures. Take down these measurements or snap these photos and then allow your hard work and discipline to unravel the truth behind your body’s progress. If you are really dedicated and don’t mind spending the extra money, a great option is always go get your body composition testing done. This will help give you an accurate breakdown of not only the lean muscle mass on your body versus the actual body fat, but it will also break it down by each body part.
Soreness Doesn’t Equal Progress.
There is a fine line between pushing yourself and pushing yourself too far. Again, this is not your fault, we have all been forced to learn this notion that if our body is not immobile the next few days that our previous workout was lackluster. We are here to finally set you and your body free from the punishment you have been giving it. Your body will thank you when you finally learn that soreness in the body is NOT an indicator of a “better’ workout. Progress and growth comes from recovery and repetition, not punishment. So, let's all agree to stop beating ourselves up…literally. Soreness, also known as DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) mainly reflects muscle damages and novelty of a movement, not growth. This means you are more likely to be sore when you introduce a new movement to the body and possibly incorporate muscles you haven’t previously worked. Soreness can also come from the amount of volume (work load) you throw at it and under a certain amount of tension. Soreness can also just show up after taking a long break from the gym. So, stop chasing that sore feeling and your body will thank you.
Don’t Sweat It!
Let’s paint a scenario together. Let’s pretend you and a friend of yours venture to the local gym together and complete a workout. You are both working hard and giving it your all. As you leave the gym you notice your friend’s light grey shirt is now dark grey…your shirt is still light grey. Before you start to panic, we are here to tell your mind that sweating is not an indicator of a better workout or that your friend is burning more fat than you. Sweat is simply your body’s way of cooling itself down. Many different factors can impact how much a person sweats or if they produce much sweat at all. One major factor being the types of foods you consume, for example even when you consume too much protein you will produce more sweat. So, sweating doesn’t have anything to do with the effectiveness or lack thereof in your workout. Long story short, you can still burn fat, build muscle, and make progress without a drop of sweat. Don’t panic and just make sure your friend wipes down their equipment…😅
Train Insane or…Remain the Same
“Train insane or remain the same,” I am certain we have all seen this plastered on an inspirational gym wall or maybe the high school weight room. Yes, there is truth to pushing ourselves in a gym setting, BUT it is key that we all understand that working out more does NOT mean faster muscle growth. We see it all the time, young kids want to “blow up” their muscles, so naturally the gym becomes bench press and hip thrust central in the new year. However, overtraining and constantly attacking the same muscle group is actually hindering your progress. You see, when you train a muscle group you are breaking down that muscle and if you are constantly tearing that muscle down, then there is no space for recovery and rebuilding. Most people have the notion that building muscle happens during the workout, but the growth and progress comes from the time we give our muscles for recovery and allow it the opportunity to repair itself.
Bulk Up, Kid!
We are all well versed in the phrase, all great things take time. Well, the same is true for gym progress in terms of strength and muscle gain. Lifting weights and strength training will not directly make you…and I hate to use the term, bulky. Building real muscle takes years. Contrary to what most believe, lifting weights and the gym itself is only a small percentage of where your real growth will come from. True changes come from nutrition, intention, and consistency! Remember when I said that growth is built during recovery times, well this is directly related to the idea that your progress is built more in the kitchen than the gym. Think of your body as a machine and the food that you provide your body with is the fuel, so choose wisely what you put into it. When it comes to consistency and intention, this also doesn’t mean you have to do everything perfectly right by any means. As long as you are staying on track for the majority of the time and keep your goals a priority, then we promise the success will come.
