10 Simple Lifestyle Changes to Get Healthier

Start Each Day With a Protein-Rich Breakfast

Sure, filling up a bucket with cereal and skim milk is an easy way to get a big breakfast down, but it’s not exactly a nutritional strategy that’s going to help you build a killer physique. Eating a breakfast that contains protein (along with healthy fats) is a great way to ensure you’re starting your day off right,m and has been proven to increase long-term satiety. There is much less of a chance that you’ll engage in binge eating later in the day. 

Knock Out an Hour of Intervals Per Week

We get it. You like crushing big weight. Trust us, we’d be the last ones to tell you to trade in your powerlifting belt for a pair of running shoes. But adding in some high-intensity intervals on the treadmill, rowing machine, or bike can really help with your body composition by incinerating fat and revealing some of that hard-earned muscle definition.

Try shooting for three 20-minute interval sessions per week. That extra hour may just help get you the body you’re looking for.

Do Some Late-Night Visualizations

Your body isn’t the only thing that responds to training; your mind is just as powerful. Taking some time to visualize your success, whether in the gym, in the classroom, or on the playing field will actually result in you being more successful in those arenas.

So take 10 minutes before you go to bed to clear your mind and picture yourself deadlifting 600 pounds or acing that presentation at work. Make sure you really set the scene, and go through every step as if it’s actually happening in real-time in your mind. It’s a great way to help make those goals a reality.

Work On Your Weaknesses

Do you know why bench pressing is awesome? Because you’ve done it a million times and you’re probably pretty darn good at it. Do you know why split squats suck? Because you’re not particularly good at them, so you’ve found excuses to avoid putting them in your program.

Working on the things that you need and aren’t very good at is the fastest way to help you improve movement, performance, and body composition. Plus, it will test your desire and build your fortitude. Try designing a “weakness program” in which you really focus on improving strength and technique in all the lifts you are terrible at. I can promise you that when you return to your “regular” program, you’ll see gains in almost all of your major lifts.

Toss Out the Processed Foods

You know that those bags of Cheezy Poofs, boxes of Choco-Cakes, and all the other processed foods that are crammed into your pantry aren’t good for your health or your body composition. Yet there they sit, waiting for a late-night moment of weakness. Don’t wait for a craving to strike. Grab a garbage bag and get proactive about tossing all these crappy foods out of your house. Better yet, donate them to your local food pantry. Your doctor and your abs will be happy you did.

Pay Attention to Rest Periods

There’s no problem with making the gym part of your social scene, but that cannot come at the expense of your workouts. And while you are more than happy to slap a few extra plates onto your squat so you don’t look wimpy when working out with a guy who looks like a stunt double from the movie Thor, you also don’t think twice about totally ignoring your rest periods to flirt with your gym crush. Rest periods are among the most overlooked aspects of training, yet they are critical to your results if your goals involve getting bigger or losing fat. So keep an eye on the clock.

Keep a Gratitude Journal

Think you’re too manly to keep something called a “Gratitude Journal”? Well that roll of fat around your stomach tends to disagree. Stress drives up the hormone cortisol, which leads to a nice layer of flab on your lower belly. Gratitude journals have been proven to reduce stress levels which, in turn, can help you develop those V abs you’ve always been after. Simply write down six things that you are grateful for each day. They can be as simple as being grateful for your delicious bowl of oatmeal, or a traffic-free ride to work, or as major as being thankful that your Dad was able to beat cancer. Not only will this exercise help your physique it should give you a bit of perspective on your day and life.

Get Some Soft Tissue Work

Training hard is truly a double-edged sword. While it can help you get the body your looking for, reduce stress, improve your health, and is critical to athletic performance. It can also lead to overuse injuries, and muscle tightness. As you progress and become a more experienced lifter adding things like sports massage, self myofascial release, and foam rolling to your routine becomes more and more critical to your longevity, and performance. Find a great message therapist, and book a standing appointment with her once every two weeks. You’ll feel much better and it may just help you lift harder, and heavier every time you train.

Seek Out a Great Training Partner

We all love the image of the lone wolf, headphones on, ski hat pulled low over his forehead, banging out rep after rep. And while training solo may be the only option you’ve had up to this point, you’d do well to seek out a workout partner with similar goals to your own. A training partner can help push you harder, keep you accountable, and may just make training more fun. If nothing else, you’ll never again have to search around the gym for a spot.

Consistently Shoot For 8 Hours of Sleep

Whether your trying to get the final chores of the day finished or you really have a thing for late night TV, most of us resist heading off to bed. Yet getting enough sleep ensures that you are optimizing the anabolic hormonal responses that only occur while you’re laying under the sheets. So if your growth hormone and testosterone levels are important to you—and they should be if getting bigger, stronger, and leaner are a priority—set and keep a sleep schedule that has you tucked in for eight hours per night. Remember all your gains come while you are recovering from your training session, not while you’re repping out sets of biceps curls.