33 Quick Tips to Get in the Best Shape of Your Life Before Summer
Your ultimate guide to achieving your best summer body
Summer is fast approaching, and it’s the perfect time to get in the best shape of your life.
Whether you want to shed a few pounds, build some muscle, or simply improve your overall fitness, now’s the time to start working towards your goals. With so much information out there, it can be overwhelming to know where to begin. Here, I’ve compiled 33 fitness tips to help you get in top shape before summer arrives.
Let’s get started on your journey to achieving your best summer body yet!
1. Eat protein first at every meal.
It’s highly satiating which means you’re less likely to overeat.
2. Minimize alcohol consumption.
It wrecks your sleep, sabotages your weight loss efforts, and leads to many other unhealthy habits.
3. The quantity of food you eat affects how much you weigh.
The quality of the food you eat affects your body composition.
4. Avoid liquid calories.
They add up quickly. Stick to water, black coffee, and unsweetened tea.
5. Stop snacking.
Eat enough high-quality food at each meal and you won’t be hungry between meals.
6. Don’t worry about cardio.
Get your steps in and lift weights.
7. Eat within a 12 hour window.
For example, eat breakfast at 8am and stop eating at 8pm.
8. Do your workouts in the morning.
Your willpower is high and nothing can get in the way.
9. You don’t need to eat healthfully 100% of the time.
Aim for 80% and you’ll be fine.
10. Drink 1–2 cups of black coffee per day.
You’ll suppress your appetite, burn more fat, and will optimize your mental and physical performance.
11. Get 10,000 steps per day.
Walking more will improve every single aspect of your wellbeing.
12. The two day rule is your friend.
Don’t miss twice. If you didn’t get your workout done yesterday, you must get it done today.
13. You need to eat more protein.
Aim for 1g per pound of body weight each day.
14. A workout doesn’t need to be perfect to be worthwhile.
15. You don’t need a pre-workout.
They’re full of crap. Salted water, honey, and coffee are the greatest pre-workout.
16. Don’t wing it.
You need to find a structured plan for your goal and commit to it.
17. Increase the weights you’re lifting in the gym.
Don’t stick with the same weight forever.
18. Avoid domino foods.
These are foods that are hard to stop eating once you start.
19. Don’t drink coffee or energy drinks after lunch.
You’ll wreck your sleep.
19. Lifting weights is the best way to start changing your body.
Whether your goal is fat loss or muscle gain, lift weights 3–5x a week.
20. Inadequate sleep messes with your hunger hormones and makes you more likely to eat junk food.
You need to sleep 8+ hours each night.
21. Your identity directly impacts your actions.
Decide who you want to become and figure out what that person would do. Act accordingly.
22. Track your workouts and body weight.
Seeing progress will keep you motivated and will ensure you’re on the right track.
23. Get into the habit of meal prepping.
When you have healthy meals ready to go, you’re way less likely to eat junk food.
24. Great results come from consistency.
Find a plan and stick to it.
25. Drink more water.
Aim for 2–3 liters every day.
26. Go for a quick walk after every meal.
This will help you get your steps in and will significantly decrease blood sugar spikes.
27. Don’t cut out your favorite foods.
Minimize them instead. It’s not sustainable to cut out your favorite foods because you won’t stick with it.
28. Limit sugar.
A little bit is okay, but too much will lead to inflammation and fat gain.
29. Eat slowly.
It takes about 20 minutes for the message that we’re full to get to our brains. Most people have already finished their whole plate by this point.
30. Manage your stress levels.
Stress impacts insulin, testosterone, and many other hormones. It blunts your ability to lose fat and put on muscle.
31. Progress won’t be linear.
Don’t get discouraged if you sometimes go backward. Trust the process.
32. Lift with intensity.
Aim to get 1–2 reps short of failure on each set of your lifts.
33. If you want to GAIN weight, eat more calories than you burn.
If you want to LOSE weight, eat fewer calories than you burn.
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